Hi, this is Joel in Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry.

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I like to start with something funny and I heard about this man. He was the only Protestant in a large Catholic neighborhood.

Every Friday during Lent, while his neighbors were eating cold fish, he was in his backyard grilling a steak.

They couldn't stand the temptation and decided to try to convert him to Catholicism. He finally agreed.

A priest came over, sprinkled water on his head, said, you were born a Baptist, you were raised a Baptist, but now you're a Catholic.

The next year on the first Friday of Lent, they smelled the same smell. They rushed to his house. He was in his backyard sprinkling water over his steak.

Say, you were born a cow, you were raised a cow, but now you're a fish. Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am.

I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the Word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert.

My heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus name, God bless you.

I want to talk to you today about knowing you are loved. When Victorian I had been dating for about nine months, a friend of mine called me secretly.

She said, I just talked to Victoria. Don't tell her that I called, but she told me she thinks she loves you.

My friend was so excited. She was waiting for me to join in the excitement, but I had a problem with two words she thinks.

If she thinks she loves me, that means maybe she does. Maybe she doesn't. She's still trying to figure it out. It could go either way.

She thinks didn't give me any confidence at all. In fact, it made me think I need to perform better. I need to do more. Try to impress. Be good enough.

She thinks put me under more pressure. Eventually I'm happy to say Victoria came to her senses. She went from I think to I know that was over 30 years ago.

But when you know somebody loves you, it puts you at ease. You don't have to try to perform, impress, be good enough. You can relax. Be yourself.

You're comfortable. You're secure. But a lot of people live with this. I think he loves me mentality when it comes to God. They base it on their performance.

I went to church last week. I did good. I think he loves me. I volunteered at the hospital. I was kind of my neighbor. I resisted temptation. I earned his love.

The problem with this approach is when we make mistakes. We get off course. We don't perform perfectly. We think God goes and finds somebody else to love.

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