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Well, God bless you. It's always a joy to come into your homes. And if you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services.

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I like to start with something funny. I heard about this group of school children. They were in the cafeteria line at their Catholic Elementary School.

At the first of the line, there was a big bowl of apples. A nun had written a note, take only one. God is watching.

At the end of the line, there was a big bowl of chocolate chip cookies. One of the children had written a note, take all you want. God is watching the apples.

Hold up your Bible and 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 how you are not damaged goods. I was in a grocery store and down one of the aisles there was a whole section called damaged goods.

It was mostly canned products that had been marked down because of some kind of flaw. The can was dented, the label was torn, the color was off.

The store couldn't sell it for the full price because they had an imperfection. They were considered less valuable, inferior, damaged goods.

What is interesting is if you bought one of those cans, you opened it up, cannecorn, cannepes, cannepeaches, you would find there is nothing wrong with the inside.

The can may have been dented but it didn't affect the contents. The label may have been torn. On the outside it wasn't perfect but on the inside where it matters there was no difference.

The damaged goods peaches that were sold for half price tasted just as good as the peaches that were sold for full price.

The corn, the peas may have been labeled inferior less than but that's all it was just a label.

It's the same principle in life. All of us in some way have been damaged. You can't live very long without making a mistake, being hurt by someone, going through a breakup, damaged by divorce.

Damaged by an unhealthy childhood, damaged by an addiction. Too many people go around wearing the damaged goods label, feeling washed up, less than, focused on their mistakes, focused on what they've been through.

You've got to get out of that section. That's not where you belong. You may have been dented on the outside but like those cans there's nothing wrong with the inside.

That setback did not affect your DNA. That loss, that disappointment didn't change who you are. That mistake, the failure, the weakness didn't stop your destiny.

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