Participants: Pr. John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001215
00:02 JOHN: You've heard the stories, like that of Job,
00:04 who in the Bible had everything a man could want, and then 00:07 he lost it, all suddenly and tragically. 00:11 What happens, though when those Bible stories get out of 00:15 the pages of the Bible and find their way into 00:17 the lives of everyday people? 00:19 I'm here in "Everywhere USA" it could be where you live, regular 00:23 people, living regular lives. 00:26 And it's here where I'm going to speak with Karen Johnson, whose 00:30 life was struck by terrible, random tragedy, but then God 00:36 turned that into triumph, through the power of his grace. 00:40 ♪♪♪(Theme Music)♪♪♪ It has stood the test of time. 00:51 God's Book, the Bible. 00:56 Still relevant in today's complex world. 01:01 It Is Written, sharing hope around the globe. 01:17 JOHN: Karen, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with 01:19 me today. 01:20 KAREN: You're welcome. 01:21 JOHN: It had been a perfect day. 01:23 Your husband John and yourself had had a great day, and then, 01:26 and then in the evening... 01:29 KAREN: In the evening we decided that we were going to go out on 01:31 our date night. 01:32 We hadn't had a date night in quite sometime and I was very, 01:35 very excited. 01:37 I had just got my hair done the day before, and we decided that 01:40 we were going to do three things. 01:41 We we going to go out to a restaurant to eat first, because 01:45 I told him I was hungry, then from there we were going to go 01:49 to a friend's house and we were going to spend some time 01:51 with a friend. 01:51 And then we were going to cap it off by going to my 01:53 mother's house. 01:54 She had just had her birthday, four days prior to Saturday, and 01:58 we hadn't seen her. 02:00 And so that was the plan. 02:02 JOHN: So things re going great, what, what happened later 02:05 on that evening? 02:06 KAREN: As we drove out of our particular development, we got 02:10 out into the main street, which is called Gruesville. 02:12 We headed on down Gruesville, and he told me to pick the 02:16 restaurant, and so, Elk Grove is, at that time, was a much 02:19 smaller city than what it is now, but we had a few 02:22 restaurants. 02:23 We had Friday's, we had Chili's, we had Red Robin. 02:27 As we turned the corner, John, my husband kind of sat back in 02:29 his seat and he said, "[sigh] Honey, this is gonna to be a 02:33 great year." 02:35 And I said, "Really?" 02:37 He said, "Yes." 02:39 And I, that was like music to my ears because we, we're a blended 02:42 family, we had our struggles, and for him to say, "Honey this 02:48 is going to be a great year", it was one of the best things that 02:51 a wife could hear from a husband, right? 02:54 As we're continuing down on, I saw another restaurant, but I 02:58 decided, "No, I'm a vegetarian," and I thought, "Probably not a 03:02 very big selection of vegetarian food." 03:04 So we kept going. 03:05 And then I turned to my right and I noticed this restaurant, 03:09 it was a new restaurant, a sports grill. 03:12 And I said, "Honey how about Mandango's?" 03:15 And he said, "What is Mandango's?" 03:17 I said, "It's a new sports restaurant." 03:19 And he said, "Really? 03:20 Had you ever been there?" 03:20 And I said, "No." 03:22 And so he said, "Let's go!" 03:25 And so I pulled into the parking lot, it was pretty crowded, and 03:28 it was dark, so I parked on the opposite side right in front of 03:32 the Asian Market, and we hopped out of the car, and walked into 03:35 the restaurant. 03:38 JOHN: A great evening. 03:39 Things are looking good. 03:40 It's going to be a great year. 03:43 You ended up where you ended up sort of randomly, you could have 03:47 been at any other, a number of any other places... 03:48 KAREN: That is true. 03:49 JOHN: So you went in there and you spent your evening. 03:51 Things are looking good. 03:52 The future is looking bright. 03:54 And then a random event took place... 03:57 KAREN: Well when I got inside of the restaurant, immediately my 03:59 spirit didn't feel right. 04:02 I had, we had a wonderful day, and spiritual things, and I 04:07 walked into the restaurant and all I could hear was MUSIC, and 04:11 I could see the TV screens all around the restaurant, and it 04:13 really wasn't what I expected for a date night. 04:18 People laughing, drinking...and I wanted to leave. 04:22 But as I turned and looked at him, I noticed him looking at 04:26 the TV screens. 04:27 And when I saw that I thought, "You know, I don't want to mess 04:31 it up for him, I don't want to be selfish." 04:34 And so, I didn't say anything and he said, "Honey, there's a 04:36 seat, there's a table right over there." 04:38 And we walked and we sat down. 04:40 We ordered. 04:42 He, um, was really into the game. 04:44 More into the game than me, and I was feeling a little jealous. 04:47 But I knew that we were going to spend time over, his friend's 04:51 name was Duane Whitherspoon, so we were going to go to Duane's 04:56 house and we were going to see my mother, so I figured I would 04:58 have enough quality time with him by the time the date was 05:00 over. 05:02 JOHN: It started out like a great night, it started out full 05:06 of promise. 05:07 Not just the night, but the year, was going to be great. 05:11 But how quickly life can take a dramatic turn. 05:17 And when life takes a dramatic turn, what is it you do? 05:20 How do you respond? 05:21 How do you pick yourself up and go again? 05:24 We'll find our when we speak with Karen Johnson more, 05:27 in just a moment. 05:30 Perhaps something in today's program has sparked your 05:32 interest in greater Bible study. 05:34 We invite you to visit our website, itiswritten.com where 05:38 you will find a host of inspirational resources 05:41 including free bible study guides There is also a complete 05:44 archive of past television programs and special video 05:47 seminars that you can view online or download. 05:50 Discover more at itiswritten.com. 05:55 JOHN: Karen Johnson and her husband John Johnson were 05:58 enjoying a perfect evening together. 06:01 John had told Karen, "Honey this is going to be a great year." 06:05 They spent a great time together at a restaurant, and then as you 06:10 do, people leave the restaurant. 06:12 KAREN: Yes. 06:14 JOHN: You'd mentioned how you'd started to feel, in the 06:16 restaurant, not everything was perfect, and I don't know if 06:18 that was a portend of things to come, but when it was time to 06:21 leave, walk us through what happened next. 06:24 That's a very good point, very good point. 06:26 Well, half way through the meal, my husband says, "Uh, honey, 06:29 we're not going to be able to see Mom." 06:32 And I thought, "Excuse me?" 06:34 He says, "We're not going to be able to go over to Mom's house." 06:36 And I said, "Why?" 06:37 He said, "Because we don't have enough time." 06:40 So I just immediately just asked the waitress to come over and 06:43 please give us a ticket so that we can go. 06:45 JOHN: And life is about to change ... 06:47 KAREN: Yes. 06:48 JOHN: ... 06:48 in the most terrible and drastic way that a person could imagine. 06:53 I've read your book, and it recounts the story. 06:58 You went to the parking lot, you got into your car, sat in the 07:02 driver's seat ready to drive. 07:04 John did not immediately get into the car. 07:07 He was on the phone. 07:08 And while he was on the phone, you heard him say something. 07:11 KAREN: I did. 07:14 I heard him say "spoon," and when he said spoon, I thought oh 07:19 they're just joking back and forth, because him and his 07:22 friend would always joke. 07:23 My husband was a jokester. 07:25 He joked about and laughed about everything. 07:27 So he said "spoon" and I thought, "Oh, okay, you know, 07:31 they're talkin'...and then he said, "Man get that out 07:32 of my face." 07:32 And so when I heard him say, "Man get that out of my face." 07:35 I thought maybe his friend cracked a joke, or something and 07:37 he said, "Aw man get that out," you know? 07:40 And then I heard, "POW!"...and I just sat there. 07:46 JOHN: You didn't respond. 07:47 KAREN: I did not respond. 07:49 I ju, I just sat there. 07:52 What went through my mind, what I can recall went through my 07:54 mind was SouthSack is a little ways. 07:58 That happened out there, that, that didn't happen here, I 08:01 didn't, you know. 08:02 So I heard it, but I just discounted is as being maybe 08:05 something that happened way off in the distance, so I just sat 08:08 there. 08:09 When I didn't hear anything, I turned and I looked to my right. 08:13 And he wasn't there. 08:15 Again, I went back to my forward position, just looking. 08:19 After a few seconds, and again I don't know how long it was, I 08:22 turned and looked over to my left, and when I looked to my 08:27 left [pause] I saw this man with a shotgun on his shoulder, like 08:32 this, pointed up to the sky. 08:34 And when I saw that, immediately everything started coming back, 08:38 uh, "spoon," "man get that out of my face," the silence, and 08:43 then I saw the guy walkin' with the shotgun. 08:44 Immedi "He's been shot." 08:45 He, he's been shot. 08:47 JOHN: And what did you do? 08:48 KAREN: Immediately I opened up a car door to run around to find, 08:51 to find my husband. 08:53 When I opened up the car door, he turns around-the murderer, 08:57 the person with the shotgun-he turned around with... 09:01 like robotically, and he looked right at me, in my direction. 09:05 And when he did, I ducked. 09:06 I ducked because I just knew, one: he saw me, and two: he was 09:10 going to come back and finish me off. 09:12 And what kept going through my mind is, "I can identify him, he 09:15 saw me, he's going to come back and he's gonna kill me." 09:18 So I was paranoid. 09:19 So I'm shaking, and I'm ducking so that he won't see me, but I 09:24 see him. 09:25 I saw him the whole time. 09:26 And I'm just shaking, and I truly believe that I was 09:29 praying. 09:31 I can't tell you what I was saying, but I just, all I can 09:33 remember thinkin' is he's gonna kill me, he's gonna kill me, 09:35 he's gonna kill me. 09:38 When he didn't see he, he turns around again, very robotically, 09:41 and he starts walking away from the car. 09:46 And when he did that I knew then that that was the best time ever 09:51 to get out, and to find out where my husband was. 09:54 So I immediately jumped out of the car, and I ran around to the 10:00 passenger side, and I could not believe what I saw. 10:03 My husband was laying there on his back, with his eyes closed, 10:09 and all I could see was his jugular vein pumping. 10:12 That's all I could see. 10:15 And all I could think is if I if I just stay there, 10:18 he's gonna die. 10:19 I need to get help. 10:21 And I just ran, and I darted out quickly, and I ran back into the 10:23 restaurant. 10:25 JOHN: Let me ask you. 10:27 At that moment, how much hope did you have that John was going 10:32 to survive? 10:34 That John would live? 10:35 Or were you even thinking about that? 10:37 KAREN: All I was thinking about was getting help. 10:39 At that moment, I thought that if I got help, he would live. 10:44 So, yes, I did have some hope there. 10:48 But when I got inside the restaurant, it was very 10:51 difficult for me to get the attention of the patrons and/or 10:56 of the management there, because of the music was so loud, the 11:01 TVs were blaring, people were laughing...and I started 11:04 screaming out, I started screaming and I started saying, 11:07 "My husband's been shot!" 11:09 And when I said, "My husband's been shot!" 11:10 nobody heard me. 11:13 And so, I changed my plea, and I said, "CALL 911! 11:18 My husband's been shot!" 11:20 And when I said, "CALL 911!" 11:23 There were two men that were sitting at the bar, but they 11:26 heard me and they turned around and they said, they came over to 11:29 me and they said, "What?" 11:30 I said, "My husband's been shot," I said "There's a man 11:32 outside, he's shooting, he's shooting. 11:34 My husband's been shot!" 11:37 They immediately ran outside with me and I pointed to our car 11:41 and I said, "He's there." 11:42 You know, showed them my husband. 11:43 But they could still hear the guy was shooting in the air, and 11:46 you could hear round after round going off in the air. 11:51 And they could hear the shooting. 11:55 And after we were out there I told them, "I'm gonna," I took 11:58 off, and told them I was going to run back to 11:59 my husband's side. 12:00 And they said, " Ma'am, no you can't go." 12:02 And I said, "Why?" 12:03 And they said, "Because it's too dangerous." 12:04 I said, "But he needs me." 12:06 They says, "No ma'am, you need to go back inside." 12:08 And I was like, "Why, why, why? 12:09 He needs me!" 12:11 However, the Lord knew that we were going to be there that 12:14 night. 12:15 He knew we were going to be there, and so there were 12:18 Christians in that restaurant. 12:19 There were believers, there were "prayin' people" in that 12:21 restaurant. 12:23 And they started coming around me and they started laying their 12:26 hands on me, and they started comforting me, praying for me, 12:29 telling me...just comforting me. 12:33 JOHN: And it wasn't long after that, you received word, or it 12:38 was inferred to you, that your husband wasn't going to make it. 12:42 KAREN: It was inferred to me. 12:44 Later, minutes later, I guess maybe a half hour or so later, I 12:47 don't know, this other lady walked up to me, she was a 12:50 nurse, and she walked up to me and she stood right in my face, 12:53 I remember this and she said, um, "Ma'am, I tried to give him 12:56 CPR, but they wouldn't let me." 12:58 And she just did this... 13:01 and she walked away. 13:06 And when she did that, I knew. 13:07 When she did this...I said, "He's not gonna make it." 13:14 JOHN: What do you do? 13:15 You're full of hope. 13:17 This year is going to be a great year. 13:19 And that very night, randomly, everything ends. 13:25 And the life of the one you love most is tragically, senselessly, 13:30 and brutally ended. 13:32 And then, you've got to go ahead, and make a choice. 13:37 Am I going to live my life, and put the pieces back together, or 13:42 is this going to destroy me also? 13:44 Karen was confronted by that choice. 13:46 Let's find out in just a moment, how she responded when the 13:50 question was asked of her. 13:54 In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says, "Man shall not live by 13:59 bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of 14:02 God. 14:03 Every Word is a one minute Bible-based daily devotional 14:06 presented by pastor John Bradshaw, and designed 14:09 especially for busy people like you, look for Every Word on 14:14 selected networks, or watch it online every day on our website, 14:17 itiswritten.com. 14:19 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 14:21 Watch Every Word, you'll be glad you did. 14:28 JOHN: On March 25, 2006, Karen Johnson's life 14:31 was changed forever. 14:33 She and her husband John had enjoyed an evening together, 14:36 when John's life was tragically and brutally cut short by a man 14:42 high on methamphetamines, wielding a shotgun and carrying 14:46 a Satanic Bible. 14:48 I don't think it's very hard for you and I to imagine the sorts 14:52 of emotions Karen felt after that awful event. 14:58 Anger, I don't know. 15:00 Malice, bitterness. 15:01 We can imagine these things. 15:04 But Karen was confronted with a choice. 15:06 Do you let your life fall apart? 15:08 Do you fall into a pit of despair and bitterness and hate? 15:12 Or somehow, do you try to piece your life back together again, 15:17 and go on with your head held high and your dignity in tact? 15:23 Karen, that's the decision you were confronted with. 15:27 What was your response to that decision, or to that question 15:30 when it was asked of you? 15:31 KAREN: Yeah...it was very difficult, of course [clears 15:36 throat], it was numerous things that continued to happen as I 15:41 was grieving through the process. 15:43 One of the most difficult things was for me to be able to come to 15:47 terms, come to grips, that my life has changed forever, I felt 15:51 so displaced, I felt like someone who I could relate to 15:55 Joseph being thrown into the pit. 15:57 I could relate to Job when he lost everything just in the 16:01 twinkling of an eye [snaps finger], it was just all gone. 16:05 Um, those stories, believe it or not, John, helped me somehow to, 16:08 uh, bring perspective to what I was dealing with myself. 16:15 I couldn't even breathe, I couldn't even imagine living 16:20 past my next breath. 16:22 It was just that hard. 16:24 It was that difficult. 16:26 But I knew that I didn't, you know, I didn't want to die, and 16:30 I knew I had to put my life back together again. 16:32 JOHN: Now as a Christian, you're supposed to be able to lean on 16:34 Jesus, but as a Christian, we go through this life thinking, 16:39 "Well God is going to protect me, God is going to keep harm 16:42 from coming to me. 16:44 Yet in His ... 16:46 whatever we're going to call it providence, or wisdom, or 16:48 all-knowing-ness, God allowed this tragedy to strike. 16:52 Were there moments you were, were angry with God? 16:55 KAREN: No. 16:57 JOHN: No anger with God? 16:58 KAREN: No. 16:59 JOHN: Which is a remarkable thing. 17:01 KAREN: No. 17:02 JOHN: What kind of conversations did you have with God? 17:04 KAREN: "Why?" 17:05 I needed to know why. 17:06 I wanted to know why, I needed to know why, but I wasn't angry 17:09 because I know that we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but 17:12 against principalities and powers and all of that. 17:15 I knew that. 17:17 I know about this great controversy between good and 17:19 evil, between Christ and Satan. 17:21 I knew that. 17:22 So somehow, I realized that I was a part of this great 17:26 controversy. 17:28 Now, what do I do with this? 17:30 And so, I proposed in my heart to turn evil into good but it 17:34 wasn't easy and it was a process. 17:37 JOHN: It had to have been a monumental struggle. 17:39 KAREN: All I wanted to do was to bring glory and honor to God. 17:42 That's what I wanted to do. 17:45 .The funeral, just at the funeral, I wanted to put my 17:49 husband away in decency and in order. 17:52 And it was a decision that I had to make. 17:57 My sister said something to me, she says. 17:58 "You know, you come from a very strong family" and so I thought 18:02 that, you know, and then again I thought about my relationship 18:04 with Christ, and things like that so I think all of that and 18:08 the people that rallied around me helped. 18:12 JOHN: So instead of just pushing you away from God, like it would 18:14 for so many people, this event drew you, urged you even closer 18:21 to God. 18:22 KAREN: More than ever before. 18:22 JOHN: And you were able to find strength from God in a 18:26 senseless, terrible situation. 18:28 KAREN: I was. 18:30 And, as I said, the big question for me was "Why?" 18:33 Why John? 18:36 Why me? 18:37 Why now? 18:39 Why did this have to happen? 18:40 Why? 18:41 And he revealed a lot of things to me, over the year, over the 18:45 years, he revealed a lot of stuff to me, but that was the 18:48 big question so I wasn't angry, I just wanted to know "why" and 18:51 it drew me closer to Him. 18:53 I turned into him instead of turning away from him. 18:56 JOHN: Something you just said and it comes out in your book, 18:58 "Covered and Kept", KAREN: A ha. 19:01 JOHN: Forgiveness is a process. 19:02 KAREN: Yes. 19:03 JOHN: So you were able to bring yourself to a healthy place. 19:07 KAREN: Yes. 19:08 JOHN: But it didn't happen just like that. 19:10 KAREN: No, it did not. 19:11 No, not at all. 19:12 One of the things .. 19:13 I am into health and fitness, and I follow the eight laws of 19:18 health, and I teach you know, health reform to my students and 19:21 my classes, and I had to put all of this together. 19:24 When it happened, I did not want to exercise. 19:28 I had lost 16 pounds in a week and a half. 19:31 I was very weak. 19:36 I was very distraught but I knew that I had to start practicing 19:38 again the principles that I was teaching and preaching to my 19:39 students. 19:41 JOHN: And if you were ever going to be whole, if you were ever 19:43 going to be complete, if you were ever going to be a 19:45 functioning successful Christian, KAREN: Yes. 19:48 JOHN: You were going to have to make a decision regarding 19:51 forgiveness and, in just a moment, Karen is going to talk 19:55 to us and tell me how she was able to wrestle with the idea of 20:01 forgiving the man who murdered her husband, and she will tell 20:06 us whether or not she was able to forgive. 20:08 I'll be right back. 20:10 If there was something in today's program that you'd like 20:12 to study in greater depth and detail, visit our website 20:16 itiswritten.com where you will discover additional spiritual 20:20 resources, along with free Bible study guides on a host of 20:23 topics. 20:24 Visit itiswritten.com today. 20:28 JOHN; Karen, as a Christian, you are going to start wrestling 20:31 with the question of forgiveness KAREN: A ha. 20:33 JOHN: Even forgiving the man who brutally took the life of your 20:38 husband, KAREN: Yeah. 20:40 JOHN: And as you wrestled with that, God brought you to this 20:41 place, to the cemetery and spoke to you here. 20:43 KAREN. Yes He did. 20:44 Yes He did. 20:45 JOHN: How did he do that? 20:46 KAREN: Through his Word. 20:48 Speaking to heart. 20:49 I just kept being pulled here and I couldn't understand why. 20:54 I would go to an appointment with my mental health therapist, 20:57 and right after that appointment, I would come right 21:00 here to the cemetery, and I would stand here, right where we 21:04 are standing, and I know he is dead, in the grave, I know that. 21:09 But I was talking to the Lord, I was praying. 21:11 And I was asking him to show me how to forgive, and John, I had 21:16 more than one person to forgive as well. 21:19 But it was here at the cemetery that I was able to find 21:21 that peace. 21:23 JOHN; And Karen, it was in the courtroom, the day that the man 21:25 who murdered your husband was sentenced. 21:26 KAREN: Yeah. 21:27 JOHN: God gave you the opportunity, impressed upon your 21:29 heart, to do something that most of us would find absolutely 21:32 remarkable. 21:32 How did that happen? 21:33 KAREN; Well, again, I did not know what I was going to say and 21:37 my girlfriend prayed and said, Let's allow Jesus, the Lord, to 21:42 put the words in your mouth. 21:43 And everything was orchestrated where I would be the only person 21:47 who would speak on that day to share with the judge, the 21:51 courtroom and the defendant how I was impacted. 21:56 I did not know where I was going to go, I started off with 21:58 independence, but in the end, I looked him in the eye, the 22:02 murderer, and I told him I forgave him. 22:06 I went on to tell him that I do not condone ... 22:08 don't get it wrong ...I don't condone with you did, but, I 22:14 said the second time, I forgive you. 22:16 Now, up until that time he showed no remorse whatsoever and 22:22 that was the first reaction, the first reaction we got to show us 22:27 that there was, that he had somewhat of a heart, you know, 22:32 and he said thank you. 22:34 Not audibly, but with his lips, he said thank you. 22:37 JOHN; I read in your book, Covered and Kept hhe said thank 22:39 you to you not one time, but twice. 22:41 KAREN: Twice. 22:42 But twice. 22:46 JOHN: I know you are going to understand what I mean when I 22:48 say this. 22:49 If there is anyone in this world who did not deserve forgiveness, 22:53 it's the man who murdered your husband. 22:56 He was in the wrong. 22:57 We could go through a whole long list of things. 22:59 KAREN: Yeah. 23:00 JOHN: From a human point of view, he did not deserve 23:02 forgiveness. 23:03 KAREN: Um hum. 23:04 JOHN: But that is not the standpoint you were 23:05 operating from. 23:06 KAREN: It was not. 23:06 It was not. 23:07 And I know now and I knew then why God kept sending me here to 23:11 this cemetery because every time as I drove around here crying, 23:16 sad, grief, remorseful, depressed, I was playing Via 23:21 Dolorosa, as a matter of fact, Jaime Jorge, I would listen to 23:24 that, tears rolling down my face and what I could see was Jesus 23:28 hanging on the cross. 23:29 That's what he showed me. 23:31 That's what I could see. 23:32 He didn't die just for me and you but he died for the Aaron 23:35 Duns of the world, those people that are murdering and do wrong. 23:40 And again, there are consequences to our actions and 23:43 I wanted him to understand that but also I wanted him to 23:46 understand that he has an opportunity to give his life to 23:48 Christ if he chose and that was the message that I believe God 23:54 wanted me to share with him at that time. 23:55 JOHN: That's the message of grace. 23:57 The same mercy that God has shown sinners like me. 24:00 KAREN; Yes. 24:03 JOHN; You then extended and demonstrated to this man, 24:08 guilty, sentenced to death. 24:11 KAREN; Yes, sentenced to death, that's right. 24:13 JOHN: But you showed him grace, forgiveness, pardon undeserved. 24:17 KAREN: Yes. 24:19 JOHN: That is one of the powerful things about your 24:21 story, how it played out down at this end of the story. 24:24 KAREN: YES. 24:25 JOHN: It mirrors what God has done for me and you. 24:27 What God has done for everybody. 24:28 KAREN: Yes. 24:29 Yes. 24:30 I agree. 24:31 JOHN; Thanks for sharing your story with me. 24:32 KAREN; And thank you. 24:33 JOHN; Thank you so very much. 24:34 KAREN; Yes. 24:35 JOHN; You know friend, God is a God of great grace. 24:38 A God of great mercy. 24:40 He is a God of justice, but he is a God who is good. 24:44 There are people in this world and you are one of them who do 24:49 not deserve forgiveness. 24:51 Who do not deserve goodness. 24:53 Who do not forgive grace. 24:57 But God, through his Son Jesus Christ, has come to this earth 25:01 to offer us pardon, forgiveness, cleansing, and wholeness, even 25:07 though we do not deserve it. 25:10 God has offered that to us. 25:12 Let's pray together now and thank God for that goodness, for 25:17 that grace. 25:18 Let's pray together. 25:20 Our father in heaven, we can just say thank you today because 25:23 you are good when we are not you are great and good and right but 25:29 I thank you that for the sinners of this world you offer grace, 25:34 you offer pardon, you offer forgiveness. 25:37 We don't deserve it but as Karen has demonstrated, grace is so 25:41 powerful when it is not deserved and Lord, I wish that it wi have 25:46 a powerful affect in our lives now. 25:49 Bless us please, for your honor and glory, in Jesus name. 25:53 Perhaps our program today has touched your heart and impressed 26:01 you with a personal need for deeper Bible study. 26:04 Do you desire to listen to God and follow where he leads? 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Revised 2015-02-06