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

If you enjoyed today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend.

We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life.

Well, God bless you. Always a joy to come into your homes. We love you. And we know God has great things in store.

If you're ever in our area, I hope you'll come out and be a part of one of our services.

We'd love to have you. I promise you, we'll make you feel right at home.

But thanks so much for tuning in today. I'd like to get started each week with something kind of funny.

I heard about this groom. At the wedding rehearsal, he said to the minister, I'll make a deal with you.

If you'll change my wedding vows and leave out all that love, honor, and obey stuff, I'll give you $100.

He pressed $100 bill into the minister's hand and walked away quietly with a big smile.

The next day during the ceremony, the minister said, do you promise to bow down before your wife,

take her breakfast in bed every day, fulfill her every desire. He gulped in astonishment, said in a weak voice, I do.

Then he leaned forward and said, I thought we had a deal. The minister handed him the money back and said, your wife made me a much better offer.

Alright, hold up your Bible, 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 living without crutches.

A crutches something or someone we rely on too much. It's supposed to be temporary, just there till we heal up or until we're able to do it on our own.

It's not supposed to be permanent. One of the hardest things for us to accept is everyone was not meant to be in our lives forever.

Some people are of course, our husband, our wife, our children. But then there are other people that God brings across our path for a season.

They weren't meant to always be there. Maybe for a season there's somebody there to help mentor you, to help you grow, or to help you raise your children, to help you make it through a difficult time.

But too often we think this is the way it's always going to be. They're not going to leave. I couldn't make it without them.

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