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[ Silence ] [MUSIC] ♪ Take your burdens to the Lord and lead Him there ♪ ♪ If your body's so strained ♪

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♪ And your health you can't regain ♪ ♪ And your soul is all but sinking in despair ♪ ♪ Jesus knows the pain you feel ♪ ♪ He can save the need you feel ♪

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♪ Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there ♪ ♪ Leave it there ♪ ♪ Leave it there ♪ ♪ Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there ♪

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♪ If you trust in God now ♪ ♪ He will surely bring you up ♪ ♪ Take a bow and to the Lord a deed you'll pay ♪ ♪ Make your living in His name ♪

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♪ When your heart begins to fail ♪ ♪ Don't forget that God is there to bless you forever ♪ ♪ He will make a way for you ♪ ♪ And He'll lead you safely through ♪

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♪ Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there ♪ ♪ Leave it there ♪ ♪ Leave it there ♪ ♪ Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there ♪

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♪ If you trust Him, He'll be found ♪ ♪ He will surely bring you out ♪ ♪ Take your pride and stood alone ♪ ♪ You're leaving me ♪

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♪ Take your youthful days to home ♪ ♪ Let your ages steal you home ♪ ♪ Take your body, yes, believe I will again ♪ ♪ Even now I leave you here ♪

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♪ We will leave you to the end ♪ Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. Leave it there, leave it there. Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

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If you trust and you are bound, He will surely bring you out. ♪ Take your burden to the Lord and be prepared ♪ - Let us all say amen. - Amen.

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- Would you stand and make it known please if you have a special prayer request, anyone? Thank you. God, thou who art the creator and preserver of all life, we bless your name for this marvelous

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manifestation of your grace which is new every morning. We thank you for life, for strength, for the right use of our minds, and we thank you for the privilege of worship. We bless your name for the gift of family, for friends, and as we bow, we confess that

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we are all sinners. We've all fallen short of the mark that you have set for us. We ask your forgiveness, renew the right spirit in each one of us, and grant that we shall truly We worship you this day. We pray for not only this church, but churches everywhere, for public officials, for ministers

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and missionaries. And then we lift up to you those who are sick. We appeal to you for the manifestation of your healing power, those in hospitals and in homes, those who are bereaved because of the loss of loved ones.

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We rejoice in the fact that one has another birthday to celebrate among us. Oh, have mercy upon us and bless us. As we face an election in our land, we pray for the guidance of your spirit, for the negotiations for peace that are taking place in the various countries of this world.

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We ask the blessings of your presence and power. We need you, O God, every hour. Bless us and use us all to your glory, we ask in the strong and perfect name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Amen. [MUSIC] ♪ I must tell Jesus ♪ ♪ I must tell Jesus ♪

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♪ Jesus, you help me ♪ ♪ Jesus, you help me ♪ ♪ Jesus, Lord ♪ ♪ Close his eyes and sing ♪

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♪ The great Redeemer's praise ♪ ♪ And we behold him, born of God ♪ ♪ From death on horses raised ♪ ♪ Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah ♪

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♪ Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah ♪ ♪ All ye servants of the Lord ♪ ♪ Praise him forever ♪ ♪ Angel of us ♪

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♪ Mighty God ♪ ♪ Raise him forever ♪ ♪ Sing of his righteousness ♪ ♪ Raise him forever ♪

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♪ Forever ♪ ♪ So let us all rejoice and sing ♪ ♪ Our great Redeemer's praise ♪ ♪ And we may all with one accord ♪

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♪ A joyful voice express ♪ ♪ Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah ♪ ♪ Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah ♪ ♪ Sing hallelujah ♪

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- Amen, we worship. (upbeat piano music) [ Music ] Well, now it's amazing.

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It's amazing how the Lord provides. It's just amazing. It's amazing how the Lord provides. It's just amazing.

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It's amazing how the Lord provides. It's just amazing. It's amazing how the Lord provides. [HUMMING]

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He hears me every time I call. ♪ Holds my hand ♪ ♪ It's just amazing ♪ ♪ It's amazing how the Lord provides ♪

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♪ And is always by my side ♪ ♪ Well, now through danger ♪ ♪ Through danger I know He's with me ♪ ♪ He's waiting ♪

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♪ He's waiting right there to cheer me ♪ ♪ Consolator ♪ ♪ Consolator with me ♪ ♪ Ever a friend ♪

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♪ And a company keeper ♪ ♪ Company keeper when ♪ ♪ Ever a friend ♪ ♪ He's a friend ♪

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♪ He's a friend ♪ ♪ When ever a friend ♪ ♪ He's with me ♪ ♪ He's with me ♪

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♪ To the very end ♪ ♪ It's just amazing ♪ ♪ It's amazing how the Lord provides ♪ ♪ And is always by my side ♪

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♪ Well, now it's amazing ♪ ♪ It's amazing how the Lord provides ♪ ♪ It's just amazing ♪ ♪ It's amazing how the Lord provides ♪

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♪ It's just amazing ♪ ♪ It's amazing how the Lord provides ♪ ♪ It's just amazing ♪ ♪ It's amazing how the Lord provides ♪

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♪ He hears me every time ♪ ♪ Holds my hand ♪ ♪ Holds my hand ♪ ♪ Never lets me down ♪

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♪ It's just amazing ♪ ♪ It's amazing how the Lord provides ♪ ♪ And is always by my way ♪ ♪ Now if you're thirsty ♪

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♪ If you're thirsty, He'll give you water ♪ ♪ I've tried Him ♪ ♪ I've tried Him and He won't deny ♪ ♪ And you can call Him ♪

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♪ You can call Him ♪ ♪ Never use ♪ ♪ And if you're hungry ♪ ♪ If you're hungry, I know He's ♪

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He's always, He's always by my side. To wipe the tears, wipe the tears from my weeping. It's just amazing, it's amazing how the Lord provides. And He's always by my side.

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Well, it's just amazing, it's amazing how the Lord provides. It's just amazing, it's amazing how the Lord provides. It's just amazing, it's amazing how the Lord provides. It's just amazing, it's amazing how the Lord provides.

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He hears me every time I call. Holds my hand, holds my hand, never lets me go. It's just amazing, it's amazing how the Lord provides. ♪ And is always by my side ♪

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- Amen. (audience applauding) Amen. Amen.

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Hear this word, which is the basis of the morning message. Book of Exodus, the 18th chapter, 17th and 18th verses. And Moses' father-in-law said unto him, "The thing that thou doest is not good.

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Thou wilt surely wear away both thou and this people that is with thee, for this thing is too heavy for thee. Thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. And the subject, when the burden is too heavy.

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During the Olympics, I remember seeing a man lift weight that far exceeded his own weight. He was able to lift a burden that normally would be considered too heavy to bear.

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What do we do when the burdens of life are too much for us? much for us. When the load is too heavy, workers often discover that the load they are carrying or trying to carry is too heavy. It overwhelms them. When we find ourselves in that situation, opposition, what do we do when the load

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is hard to bear and we faint and fall beneath it in a lull? Such was the situation Moses faced during the wilderness pilgrimage. He had more to do than he could do in the course of a day. A long line of people confronted him every day with problems to be solved,

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issues to be discussed and decisions to be rendered. That was so at the beginning of the day and so it was at the close of the day. There were not enough hours in the day. The profit was overloaded.

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The burden was too heavy for him to bear. Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, observed Moses' work schedule. He noticed how his energies were being expended. And he said to Moses, "You are wearing yourself out."

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we find ourselves in a similar situation. We suffer from burnout. We are wearing ourselves out. We prevent ourselves from being the person or the worker we are intended to be because we try to carry burdens too heavy for us to bear alone. In school, when I was in college,

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I think the normal load was 15 hours. Fifteen hours. I remember and I decided to get another degree and I was pastoring. I took 18 hours in the seminary,

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the Southwestern, for the Master of Religious Education. I had nine two-hour courses, and that was too much. 'Cause all the two-hour courses,

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while they only require two hours, they require a great deal of reading and writing. So I found my blood pressure going down and my body wearing out and all of that

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"because I was overloaded." And we often overload ourselves with responsibilities. We mean well and we are doing good things. Moses is doing a wonderful thing, leading God's people,

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but he is carrying a burden that is too heavy. Now I want to suggest several things in the course of this message. And the first is, when the load is too heavy,

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consider counsel, consider counsel. In this particular event, Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, gives Moses wise counsel. He said, if you continue to carry on as you are doing, Moses,

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you will wear yourself out. So Jethro counsels Moses concerning a more acceptable way of administering justice to the people.

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Moses is acting as judge. He has a many faceted ministry. But Moses is trying to do it all by himself. He's neither king, nor commander of an army,

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nor a tribal chieftain, nor a priest, nor an inspired seer and medicine man. To some extent, he belongs to all of these categories, but none of them adequately explains his position.

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The secret, however, of Moses' greatness is that he unites in himself gifts not normally found in combination, and therefore he's able to work with lasting effect

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in the most diverse fields. As great and as gifted as Moses is, he needs counsel. He needs somebody other than himself to tell it like it is.

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Sometimes we are too close to the situation to properly analyze the situation. It is Jethro, the father-in-law, who assumes the role of Moses' counselor.

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Here the father-in-law counsels the son-in-law. The fact that Moses is married to Jethro's daughter does not mean Jethro automatically has the right to counsel Moses. Moses is God's prophet.

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He's the mediator between God and the people. Moses and God communed together face to face, but yet Moses needs Jethro not because of his family position. Jethro is not older and wiser just because he's the father-in-law. It is because Jethro is a channel of divine communication. He's a channel of God's grace.

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And God uses Jethro to speak to Moses and to give Moses appropriate counsel. So when When the burden is too heavy, consider counsel. We need somebody to tell us what to do, someone who is prepared to do as Jethro did in the camp.

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When the load is too heavy, we need to listen to someone outside ourselves. The problem with the rich fool is that he did not consider anybody outside himself. He just talked with himself. He said to himself, "This is what I do.

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I'll build greater bonds and I will say to myself, 'Take it easy.'" He engaged in a monologue when he needed a dialogue. If the Lord is too heavy, consider counsel. Now you got a lot of people who want to tell you

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how to live your life. We arrange in many places to have counselors. We have counselors in the school system. We have counselors on our jobs.

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We have professional counselors that are in the city for people who have particular problems. The greatness of Moses is his meekness. Can't you understand, surely you can,

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how Moses could have been, you know, having this exalted position over all the people. He could have said, "Look, I'm one, that God talked with through the burning bush.

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I'm one that God called in a special way and sent to Pharaoh and through me, miracles were performed. There were the 10 plagues.

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I have a great reputation for what I've done in leading the people on the road to freedom. You gonna tell me what to do? If God has something to say to me, let him say it himself.

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Moses could have had that type of attitude, many people do. But the greatness of Moses is his meekness. He is open to receiving counsel from his father-in-law, Jethro. And not only is it important to consider counsel,

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But it's important to receive the right kind of counsel. Need to be sure that the counsel we receive is Christian counsel. One lady was in trouble.

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Her husband was involved in a relationship with another woman. So she went to a counselor. And so the counselor said, "Well, since he's involved

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"with another woman, you get you another man. (audience laughing) "And that will fix him up." Now that's counsel all right,

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but that's not Christian counsel. That's not Christian counsel. But the kind of counsel that Jethro gives to Moses is godly counsel.

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It is counsel that is inspired. So you have to watch, brothers and sisters. You have to watch who's giving you the counsel. I remember when we were youngsters, married,

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we were rooming in a home. There was an older person. My wife would get up early and cook breakfast for me and I'd go off to work.

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And the lady who was there, she didn't get up and cook breakfast for him. It disturbed her to see my wife getting up cooking. She said, "If I were you, I wouldn't get up

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"and cook his breakfast." (audience laughing) Well, that's the kind of counsel that many people give. (audience laughing)

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That's not Christian counsel. And so you have to be careful about the counselor. Consider counseling. Well, you know, the problems that we're having now

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I have to do with counseling. The presidential advisor was caught in a relationship with a prostitute and the president had to dismiss his counselor.

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The other day I read that the candidate for the presidency, Mr. Dole was saying one thing and his counselor, His advisor was saying another thing. But here you have a harmonious relationship

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that exists between the counselor and the counselee. Moreover, we need not only to receive it, and it needs to be good counsel that we receive, examine it to see that it's good counsel.

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Moreover, we need to accept it. You know, a whole lot of us have received a whole lot of good advice that we didn't take. You know, we didn't accept it.

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I remember I was just talking about doing some things and I was in my former pastor and I was just talking to the deacon, y'all ought to be doing this, y'all ought to be doing, he said,

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look, look, Brother Pastor, let me tell you this. He said, "We know a whole lot more, "a heap more," he said, "than what we do." And that's true of all of us.

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We all know a heap more than we do. But not only is it important that the counsel be good advice, but that we accept it. For God sends us counsel in peculiar ways

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And in strange circumstances, sometimes he may do it even through a little child. This past week, a little child, three years old, her mother passed out.

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And the little child was able to go to the phone and dial 911. and tell the operator her phone number and what had happened to her mother

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and they were able to dispatch the paramedics out there and the situation was taken care of. A little child leading the way. So it really doesn't matter about the age

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as long as it's good advice, we ought to accept it, we ought to follow it. And be sure that the counseling is God-centered. Be sure that the counselor operates

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from a Christian perspective. If you are Christian and you're seeking to build a Christian life, be sure. So Jethro gives the advice,

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and the wonderful thing is that Moses follows it. And when Moses follows it, he's able to have a better administration, he has support, and what he is really doing

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is sharing the load. You read that scripture, he says, you can't do this by yourself, but you've got to learn how to share the load.

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And every one of us finds ourselves sometimes, somewhere with a load too heavy for us to bear and we've got to share the load. He acts on it, he obeys the advice, he shares that load

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and he's able to administer to the needs of the people and he's able to grow and his life is enriched as he shares a load that was too heavy. And in this journey, through the wilderness of this world,

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the burden becomes more than we can bear. The load, too heavy. Uncertainties block our path. The burden is too heavy.

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Adequate resources, however, are available. Isn't it strange that what Moses really needed was right there? All he had to do was to organize what he already had

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and assign those men. The resources, and so God has prepared adequate resources for what we need on this pilgrimage, in our midst right there, God has prepared.

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Consider counsel, act on good advice, and use the spiritual resources that are available. And the most wonderful thing of all He said, "When the load is too heavy for us to bear,

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"that God is there." And God has not abandoned us. God is there giving direction. Oh, he's always hidden in the situation.

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How have Moses probably never dreamed that here would come to him advice from his father-in-law who joins him at the camp and somehow points a way out of this dilemma.

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God is acting, God is present. And you see, we are all our Heavenly Father's children. And he's with us in the camp, no matter how heavy the burden is, God is there in the camp.

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And God has already provided some resources there to help us carry the burden if we will but share it. God is in the camp, burden is heavy, but he knows just how much we can bear.

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So when the burden is heavy, ask. Ask, ask the Savior to help you, comfort, strengthen and keep you. He's willing to aid you.

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He will carry you through. So as we sing now the hymn of invitation, we extend the privilege for you to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life and become a part

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of the fellowship of God here at Ebenezer. It's an open door he sets before us. (upbeat music) (dramatic music)

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(orchestral music) (orchestral music) [MUSIC] (orchestral music)

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♪ We are a family ♪ ♪ And He brought us to earth ♪ ♪ And we all know that He loves us one and all ♪ ♪ If there are times when we cry ♪

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♪ We answer by our love for Jesus and all ♪ ♪ And joyous and full ♪ ♪ If we are willing ♪ ♪ He will teach us ♪

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♪ His courses are made to obey ♪ ♪ No matter where ♪ ♪ And He knows ♪ ♪ Yes, he knows ♪

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♪ Just how much we can bear ♪ ♪ All alone, he's sitting there ♪ ♪ Could never learn how long to bear it all ♪ ♪ Just to forstrain and keep on toiling ♪

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♪ Not a tear drowns fall ♪ ♪ You have the joy of this assurance ♪ ♪ The Heavenly Father will always answer prayers ♪ ♪ A prayer ♪

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♪ For he knows ♪ ♪ Yes, he knows ♪ ♪ Just how much they can bear ♪ ♪ Freedom and love ♪

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♪ You've asked a question ♪ ♪ Now in your heart ♪ ♪ Now just what shall I be ♪ ♪ May you confide ♪

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♪ In your friends and loved ones ♪ ♪ But they have troubles too ♪ ♪ There is a God ♪ ♪ Through the rough and hardships ♪

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♪ He can get there free ♪ ♪ From everything you care ♪ ♪ For he knows ♪ ♪ Yes, he knows ♪

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♪ Just how much we can bear ♪ ♪ All along this heavy journey ♪ ♪ Who never learned how long to bear it all ♪ ♪ Passers-by spread and people tolling ♪

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♪ On the dear God's call ♪ ♪ Oh, you have the joy of this assurance ♪ ♪ The heavenly Father will always answer prayer ♪ ♪ God, we know ♪

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♪ Yes, we know ♪ ♪ Trust how much we can bear ♪ ♪ Oh, the load is heavy to bear ♪ ♪ You'll never learn the load to bear it all ♪

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♪ Just ask for strength and keep on trying ♪ ♪ You have the joy of this assurance ♪ ♪ The heavenly Father will always answer prayer ♪ ♪ I need no dress to wear ♪

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♪ I need no crown to wear ♪ ♪ Does he know ♪ ♪ Just how much he can bear ♪ - Amen.

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Lord God, our Father, we are pilgrims. We're on the journey through the wilderness. The burden often is more than we can bear.

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Help us to consider wise counsel and accept it, to act upon it, and to be comforted by the abiding assurance that you are with us in the camp and that adequate spiritual resources are available

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everything we need, you have available for us. Grace, mercy, peace be with you. From God our Father,

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and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. - Amen. ♪ It is in knowing ♪

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♪ That we are born ♪ To eternal life! [BLANK_AUDIO]