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[ Silence ] ♪ For Elazra's sick and disabled ♪ ♪ Dip your finger in the water, come and cool my tongue ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm tormented in the flame ♪

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♪ He had to eat crumbs from the rich man's table ♪ ♪ Dip your finger in the water, come and cool my tongue ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm tormented in the flame ♪ ♪ I'm tormented in the flame ♪

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[ Singing ] [ Singing ] [ Music ] Dip your finger in the water, come and cool my tongue,

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'cause I'm tormented in the flame. I love to praise my heavenly king. Dip your finger in the water, come and cool my tongue, 'cause I'm tormented in the flame.

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I'm tormented in the flame. I'm tormented in the flame. Dip your finger in the water, come and cool my tongue, 'cause I'm tormented in the flame.

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(singing) Amen. (clapping) Let's all say amen again. (Amen) Amen.

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Let us continue to pray with our youth and for our youth. I know that we all are proud of them. And it takes the prayers of the righteous because truly they availeth much.

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Often, before I speak, I like to sing a song. And I don't know if many people know why. A lot of times we just say, "Rev, I like it when you sing

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one of those old 100s." And when I was a youth, just as they are, I would hear these songs, I would hear the words, but the words really didn't have meaning.

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But I heard them, and I picked up on the words. And when the congregation would sing, I could sing along, but it still didn't mean anything to me. But as I began to grow in the Lord

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and to begin to experience the things that life would have us to experience. Every now and then I'd run across something that would make me think about one of those old songs. And so I'd like to say this morning to our youth that you might hear the songs and you might hear the words and they may not mean anything

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to you this morning. It may not mean anything to you now, but just keep on living. And as you continue to grow and move from one stage

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to the next, from high school into college, and you get out into the working world, there may be a time, and there may come a time, when the message of the song will begin

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to have some meaning. So as I go into this time of consecration, if you would like to sing along with me, and you know the words of the song.

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And I want you to go ahead and sing it. Let us bow. Father, I stretch my hands to Thee. ♪ For no other have I known ♪

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♪ But if, if thou withdrawn ♪ ♪ Thou withdraw ♪ ♪ Thouself ♪ ♪ From me ♪

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♪ Oh, where ♪ ♪ Where the chaff I go ♪ ♪ What did I know ♪ ♪ Listen in my heart ♪

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♪ One endured ♪ ♪ Before I drew my breath ♪ ♪ What, what pain ♪ ♪ And what, what labor ♪

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♪ To secure ♪ ♪ My soul ♪ ♪ Come in ♪ ♪ Bless ♪

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♪ Them ♪ - 2 Chronicles 34th chapter. I'd like to read for you verses one through 3a. I'm reading from the Amplified Bible.

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Josiah was eight years old when he began his 31 year reign in Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the Lord, walked in the ways of David, his forefather,

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and turned aside neither to the right hand nor to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, 16, He began to seek after and yearn for the God of David, his forefather.

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I'd like to use for Tyler Bob's message this morning. Do the right thing. Do the right thing. The impetus for this message this morning comes from an experience I had a few weeks

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ago when we were asked to attend the youth retreat a few Saturdays ago. As any other thing that happens on the weekend, when Sister Coleman asked if we would be available to go. I looked at my schedule and there's nothing on the schedule so I said yes ma'am I think we could make that. On the inside I must confess that

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you know you don't always have a lot of Saturdays to yourself and so this would be one more Saturday that I would not have to myself. But you know sort of reluctantly I said yes I think I could make that. And I don't know why sometimes I do that because what I do every time I get involved in those

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sessions and those type retreats afterwards I come away with so much and have experienced so much the power of God and the learning experience and I know every time I'm gonna have a good time and I'm gonna learn something and And at this retreat, there was a particular session

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that was held. One of the conference sessions was entitled Right from Wrong. And it had to do with a book that was written by Josh McDowell.

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And I went and picked up the book. And there's also a program associated with it. And this book and this program was developed out of a concern for our youth.

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are concerned that they don't believe that there is an absolute truth. That when youth were asked, if you believe there's an absolute truth,

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to know the difference between right and wrong, 57% of these youth said they really didn't know. And they were talking to our generation. So to help me illustrate this,

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I want our youth to help me illustrate this very quickly. Every other person stand, starting with Felicia, going down, and then starting on the back row with Tarika. Every other person stand, very quickly.

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I know it's early in the morning and this might be a little bit much for you, but let's do it quickly. Now, if you look at that group,

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those standing would be the ones that would believe that there is no absolute truth. So if you ask them the question between what is right and wrong,

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that group standing wouldn't be able to tell you that. Thank you very much. They wouldn't be able to tell you that. And that was alarming.

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That was alarming to those who had asked. There were over 3,700 youth surveyed. And as I read the first chapter of the book, talked about two young girls who had been killed by the black and white gang

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in Houston, Texas. They were walking home from a party and they decided to take a shortcut through a wooded area and walked up on this gang initiation and when these young men, these group of teenagers, saw these two young girls they said let's get them. And these girls were raped repeatedly and then killed by

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by these young teenagers. The book also talked about the spur posse in California. This group of young men who formed a club and their thing was to score points

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every time they hooked up. And I think that's the term today, right? They hooked up with a young lady. And they scored points.

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And when asked how did they feel about this activity, they felt that the girls were whores. no good and that they themselves, they didn't have a problem with it.

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But the survey wasn't talking about those kind of youth. The 3,700 children, youth that was surveyed were our youth in Baptist Training Union, in Sunday school, in youth camps and youth programs.

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And I guess that was the thing that alarmed us so much. And that's why this book was written, but because it was not the ones that were across the track or those youth on the other side of the town,

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those bad apples, they were talking and surveying 3,700 youth from 13 different denominations. 3,700 youth who said that they prayed to God. 3,700 youth that said they have a relationship

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with Jesus Christ. That's who they were talking about. And so that began to concern me. Because just as they stood, that could be our youth.

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They could be in that position. And so it's causing the nation, all these different denominations, to come together and to make sure that our youth know how to do the right thing.

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Know when it's appropriate to do the right thing. And I believe that here at Ebenezer, we have been doing what God requires of us to do as parents and as teachers and as instructors and as leaders to be sure that we teach them while they are young so that when they get older they will not depart from it.

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they know how and when to do the right thing. And you don't have to wait until you get older. That's where Josiah comes in. Josiah was eight years old when he came to the throne, was placed as king over the nation of Judah. And under Josiah the chronicler says that he had a good reign that Josiah did that which

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was right in the eyes of the Lord if we're to know to do the right thing then I would say that we should do that which is right in the eyesight of the Lord. We have to know to do what is right. Sister Arnold often says in our Sunday school class, "There's only one way and that's the right way." And Matthew backs

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that up when he says that there is a way that seems, or Proverbs backs it up and says there is a way that seems right unto man but but when you get down to the end of the road you find out that that way leads to destruction. Then Matthew comes back and says wide is the gate and broad is the way that

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leadeth to destruction but narrow is the gate and straight is the way that leads to eternal life and Josiah took that straight and narrow way because he followed and did things which were right in the eyesight of the Lord. Under Josiah Judah experienced a religious and spiritual reformation. This young man

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Josiah brought about revival in the nation of Judah. That's why I believe our young people are so important and that they can do things that God can work through this generation to bring about a religious reformation, a revival in our society. Don't have to wait till you get old to know what is to do the right

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thing. Josiah did that which was right in the eyesight of the Lord. Oftentimes we think that because God is not something and somebody that we can see. We often feel that maybe we're getting away with something. That just because there's a problem over in Israel that God leaves town to go check out the problem in

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Israel. That because there are conflicts in Bosnia that he steps away from his throne for a little while to go see what's going on in Bosnia. But our God is of God that sits high and looks low and he's able to see everything that's going on so so if we're to do that which is right we ought to be sure that it's

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pleasing in God's eyes that we have to learn to please our God because it is him that we shall stand before on that great day and we have to be sure that we have pleased our God. So Josiah did that which was right. He used God as his plumb line. He used God as his rule of measurement. He used God as his acid test

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so that if he thought something was not right he just wondered to himself would it be pleasing in the eyesight of my father. If I were to lie to my parents and the surveys that they did, two out of three said they lied to their parents in the past three months. So of those that were sitting down, that were left

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sitting down, parents, they've lied to you somewhere along the way within the last three months. Now you have to find out what it was that they lied about, but that's what the survey says. But if it was to choose between whether I should lie to my parents or to tell them the truth. Josiah chose to do the right

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thing because he knew that it would be pleasing in the eyesight of his God. If there was to choose to hang out with the boys and to get revenge for somebody jumping on one of your friends, you know, you know do a little drive-by thing, Josiah chose to do the right thing because he knew that that would be

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pleasing in the eyesight of his father. Josiah wasn't worried about trying to please everybody else because often when we choose to do the right thing somebody is not going to like it. But he wasn't worried about pleasing everybody else. Josiah wasn't worried about being in with the boys. He wasn't worried

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about whether the honeys would think he was all right. Now as we go along in this message, it might be some slang terms that I use that you might have to catch on to. I have to sometimes catch on to them too when I'm listening to them talk in the classroom. I heard a story about a couple of the slang words that they use.

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One is tight, right? Tight and fat. And you have to know what those two words mean. Tight doesn't mean what we think tight means. And fat doesn't mean what we think fat means. It means it's good and it's it's live and it's nice and it's alright. I heard the story that the man had learned these two new words and

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went home to his wife and she came in and had a new dress on. And so he thought he'd, you know, be with the young people and when she walked in with the new dress, honey how does this look? Oh girl that looks tight. You sure are looking fat. So you have to be careful with the slang words that you use. But

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I'm sure Josiah felt that if it was tight to do the right thing then he did that which was right and pleasing in the eyesight of his father. Wasn't trying to impress any and everybody. That's what the Chronicler says about Josiah's reign, a good reign. He had two evil kings before him, his father and his grandfather,

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Manasseh and Ammon, who plunged the nation of Judah into idolatrous worship. He had all of that before him but yet he chose to do the right thing and that right there blows away the myth that if your grandfather did it and your great granddaddy did it and your daddy did it then you ain't gonna be no good either

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no that's a lie because scripture says that Josiah did that which was right in in the eyesight of the Lord. Josiah sought after the God of his forefather David. Scripture says that while he was yet young,

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eight years after he took over the throne of Judah, that meant he was 16 years old, He began to seek after and to search out the God of his forefather David. As young people, we can make up in our mind and decide right now here today that we're

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going to seek out and search out the God of our forefathers. He sought after it. And if we're to do the right thing, we have to seek to know God. Seek to know Him. Matthew 6 and 33 says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all of these other

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things will be added unto you." If you seek God first, you don't have to worry about the grades coming because the grades will be all right. If you seek God first, you don't have to worry about the college scholarship because you're gonna be all right if you seek God first even when you're through college you don't

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have to worry about all the things that come up against you the peer pressure that you go under because it will be all right he said all of these other things will just fall into place when you place me first he sought after his God Ask and it shall be given. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and the door shall be

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opened unto you. If you seek the understanding, the wisdom of our Father, it shall be given to you. That's what Josiah did. In order to do the right thing and after he sought after the Father, his God, he began to do the right thing. See the time that Josiah lived in was not any different from the time that

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we live in today. They had plunged themselves into idolatrous worship and and the people seemingly were doing whatever felt good at the time and nobody was pointing a finger and said you know you're wrong and you know you ought not be doing that but man if you're doing your thing and it feels

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alright with you then go ahead on boy do that. But no Josiah began to clean house And he began to go into the places that they had set up idolatrous worship and to tear them down because he knew that that was not pleasing in the eyesight of his God. And we have the same thing today people who place things and other people

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before God that's idolatrous worship but he knew to set his God first and And whenever he did that he was able to do what was right. I believe this morning that God has placed some Josiahs up there in our question and that God is raising up some younger Josiahs out there in our audience because I know

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that he said he would raise up a generation of children and our people that will serve him. And I know he can do that. That's why I'm proud of our young people this morning. And we ought to lift up the name of Jesus Christ this morning in praise and adoration for the things that he's doing through our young people

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this morning. Because he can turn things around. He can bring about a revival through our young people. Because Josiah is living proof of that. And we have that in our message. But sometimes it's often hard to do the right thing. I'm not saying it's going to be easy because you'll have to put up with some stuff

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when you decide to do the right thing. But I'm reminded of a man who was sent here to this earth to do the right thing. He came and he lived here among us and he served here among us and I see Jesus Christ as he stood at the crossroads of Calvary and the cross that as he knelt and prayed in the garden of

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Gethsemane he had to decide to do the right thing because he asked his father Lord if it be your will let this bitter cup pass from me he had to decide within in himself, I need to do that which pleases my Father up in heaven. And he says that he put aside his will and he says, "Lord, my Father, your will and not

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mine." He decided to please his Father so he went on to Calvary and he died on that old rugged cross. And see he chose to do the right thing and you see what they did to him when he chose to do the right thing. See he had a cross to bear and we all have a cross to bear because the old song says must Jesus

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bear this cross alone. See when you choose to do that which is right you've got a cross to bear because your friends might decide to leave you and turn their backs on you because you're no longer with the in crowd you're doing something different and you're making them look bad when you do that which is right and

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so they don't want to have anything else to do with you. Doing right may cause you to have to cry sometimes but that's alright because they just say weeping endures for a night but joy comes in the morning. So when you do the right thing it might seem like it's dark at the beginning but let me tell

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you that there's victory over on the other side because they took him down off that old rugged cross and they buried him in an old borrowed tomb but but they let him stay there one day but he decided not to get up he had to hang around for one day and they let it go by for two days and he didn't decide to get

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up then he stayed there for a second day but but early that third day morning I find Mary Magdalene and I find Joanna and I find Martha going to the tomb and they found that the stone had been rolled back and when they looked on the inside they found that he was gone and that lets me know that even when you do

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right and it looks dark sometimes that there will be joy and that there will be victory because when they looked in the tomb the angel said who are you looking for they said we've come to find our master we've come with spices to anoint his body but the angel said didn't you hear what he told you he said that he

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was going on to be with his father that he would only stay here for a little while but he got up that Sunday morning and that lets me know that there's victory in serving Jesus Christ. I can believe him this morning and I know that doing the right thing will pay off after a while. It's gonna pay off after a while.

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Hang on in there. That doing the right thing will pay off after a while. You might not get that immediate glory, you might not get that immediate satisfaction, but serving God surely will pay off after a while. That's a definite, no mistake. And if you get into those spots where it's hard to know, like

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the survey said, 57% don't even know if there's an absolute truth or not. Because to know to do right is to know the truth. And if you don't know the truth, how can you do right? If you don't know, let God lead you. Let God guide you. Just ask. It's how simple it is. All we have to do is ask Him. Lord, I don't know what to do.

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I don't know which way to go, but I'm asking you to lead me. Put me in the right path of righteousness for your name's sake. The doors of the church are open this morning. Will you let God lead you?

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Will you let him guide you? If so, will you come this morning? [music] I am weak and I need

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♪ I need your strength and power ♪ ♪ To help me over my weakness ♪ ♪ Let me through the darkness ♪ ♪ Thy face to see ♪

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♪ Just lead me ♪ ♪ Oh Lord, lead me ♪ ♪ Help me tread ♪ ♪ In the paths ♪

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♪ Of righteousness ♪ ♪ Be my aid ♪ ♪ When sin ♪ ♪ And Satan, O Prince ♪

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♪ I am putting all my trust in Thee ♪ ♪ So lead me, O Lord, lead me ♪ ♪ Lord, you lead me ♪ ♪ Lead me ♪

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♪ Guide me ♪ ♪ Guide me ♪ ♪ Along ♪ ♪ Along the way ♪

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♪ For if you lead me ♪ ♪ I cannot trace ♪ ♪ Lord, let me walk ♪ ♪ And stay with thee ♪

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♪ Lead me, oh Lord, lead me ♪ ♪ I am lost if you take your hand from me ♪ ♪ I am blind without thy light to see ♪ ♪ Lord just always let me be ♪

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♪ Thy servant be ♪ ♪ Just lead me, oh Lord, lead me ♪ ♪ All I'm asking, Jesus, lead me ♪ ♪ Is that you lead me, guide me ♪

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♪ And guide me along the way ♪ ♪ Oh, if you lead me ♪ ♪ I cannot stray ♪ ♪ Lord, let me walk ♪

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♪ Each day with thee ♪ ♪ Oh Lord, be near ♪ ♪ Be neat ♪ ♪ Guide me ♪

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♪ Along the way ♪ ♪ And Lord, if you lead me ♪ ♪ I ♪ ♪ Oh Lord, help me walk ♪

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♪ And stay with me ♪ ♪ Lead me ♪ ♪ Lead me ♪ ♪ Oh Lord, lead me ♪

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♪ When I can't find my way ♪ ♪ Lord, lead me ♪ ♪ Oh Lord, lead me ♪ (audience applauding)

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- Amen, let us all say amen. We've certainly been blessed by a wonderful a powerful message from one of the young people in the congregation. He has really preached to us this morning. Wonderful message, do the right thing. Let us continue to pray for

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the youth as they conduct the services for the rest of the day. We thank you for your presence here. We continue to ask that you may cooperate with the youth that will get in touch with you as far as asking for financial contributions for Youth Day and we ask for your continued prayer for them.

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I'm going to ask that our last words be spoken by our speaker this morning, Reverend Gary Renfro. Let us bow. Heavenly Father, we thank you for what our eyes have seen, what our ears have heard,

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what our hearts have failed. Hope us to master to do the right thing that it would be pleasing in your sight.

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Now, to him who is able to keep you from falling to present you faultless before his presence to the only wise God be glory and majesty, dominion and power of now and forever. Amen.

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