Tell Them

In this week's video broadcast of 'Words of Life'...

“There is no other name under heaven… by which we must be saved.” 

That line from Acts 4 is either offensive or freeing, and we must refuse to treat it like background noise. The sermon opens with Peter and John standing in front of the religious power of their day (The Sanhedrin), facing consequences for one message: Jesus rose after being executed by the religious influencers of their day and Jesus alone still saves. Peter and John's boldness was not personality or hype. It was the Holy Spirit giving ordinary men courage to tell the truth when staying quiet would have been easier. 

Also addressed are the ways that many draw back and drift from the gospel message without noticing. When our platforms become mainly psychology, politics, prosperity promises, or “best life” driven, we may still sound spiritual while avoiding the one message that actually rescues: preach / teach Jesus.

The sermon focus then turns to John 3:16–18 to show God’s heart behind His exclusivity: real love that gives, real salvation that is offered, and real judgment with eternal consequences for rejecting Him. Along the way we connect Scriptures that clarify the reason that one must approach GOD through Jesus alone, including 1 Timothy 2 on the one mediator, 2 Corinthians 6 on the urgency of now, Isaiah’s declarations that God alone saves, and Hebrews 7 on Jesus as our permanent high priest who intercedes for us. 

With a simple invitation prayer and a clear charge: we are challenged to 'tell them' anyway, even when people reject the message or the messenger. 

Has anyone ever shared the gospel message with you and if so, when was the last time that you 'told another' about such a critical message, with eternity approaching for all?

Song of the Week: 'TELL THEM' MDI. featuring Rohan Dobbs

wordsoflifewithpastormark.com

In lieu of eternity, sermons and musical artists are featured to extol JESUS CHRIST as the sole hope for the eternal souls of humanity.

In lieu of eternity, sermons and musical artists are featured to extol JESUS CHRIST as the sole hope for the eternal souls of humanity.

Transcript

Algorithms, Outrage, And Unfiltered Truth

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In a world shaped by algorithms, where truth is filtered, measured, and approved by the crowd.

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Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. There is no other name.

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One voice dares to speak without permission. A simple message. Spoken with conviction. Jesus Christ. This is the only way.

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This excludes entire communities. How is this acceptable in today's society? The algorithm is out of control. This is just the beginning of the outrage. We need answers now.

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They don't want the truth. They want a performance. And now I've been summoned to their stage. So the system responds. Calling him forward.

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Not to understand his words. But to contain them.

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I will not retract.

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To stand before those who shape perception. And to find what is acceptable. So he withdraws away from the noise. Into the quiet. Where truth is not debated but remembered. Where sacrifice speaks louder than opinion. And the cross settles every question.

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In the silence, I find the voice they couldn't drown out. My strength doesn't come from their screens, it comes from him. Tell them the world is waiting for the truth, and I will be the one to speak.

Welcome And Scripture Setup

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We now join Pastor Mark for this week's Words of Life message.

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Hey there again to you, Words of Life listeners and viewers. I am Pastor Mark D. Ingram. And before we even get started, I would like to thank you. My wife and I try to always do this. We never take you for granted. Um, we just like to say thank you because for you to take your time to hear a word from God through this ministry, my wife and I, we really are grateful. We are thankful for you, and we pray that Holy Spirit speaks to your heart through what he has given me to tell you. And so, with that said, we're going right to our word of God. We're going to start in the Gospels. Uh, it's not really a gospel, but it was right after the Gospels. You have Matthew. We're starting in the New Testament. We have Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and then the Acts of the Apostles, the start of the church. And so I'm going to ask that you turn in your Bibles. Uh, we're putting words up right now on the screen. Uh, I'm gonna ask that you turn to the book of Acts, chapter 4, and we're gonna read two verses, verses 11 and 12, whereas we're talking about Peter and John being brought before the Sanhedrin or the religious groups of that day. Again, uh, Acts chapter 4, verses 11 and 12. Uh, I've ad-libbed enough. I think the words are already up on the screen behind me. Uh, so I'm gonna go ahead and get started. Acts chapter 4, beginning at verse 11 and verse 12. Peter and John are called before the Sanhedrin, the religious groups of that day. The verses read, This Jesus is the stone you builders rejected. And Jesus has become the cornerstone. Salvation exists and no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. May the Lord add a blessing to the hearers, the readers, but most importantly, those that intend to do with God's help, his holy word.

Acts 4 And The Cornerstone Claim

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The title of our message this week is simply entitled Tell Them. I'll say that one more time. Tell them. And our initial exegetical review of our circumstance, our place, and our time, the book of Acts, written by Luke as a sequel to his gospel. Luke chronicles the birth of the church and the acts of the apostles, and now the spread of the gospel goes on from Jerusalem to Rome. Now, empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the apostles, primarily Peter, within chapters 1 through 12, and then Paul in chapters 13 through 28, they spread Christianity across the Roman Empire, transitioning from a Jewish-centered movement to a multi-ethnic international faith. Now, the Holy Spirit and the church in Acts 1 through 7, Jesus, let's backtrack those first seven uh chapters in Acts. Jesus commissions, he gives the disciples a charge to tell the world about the gospel and why he came. And so he tells his disciples this, then he ascends back to heaven, and then the Holy Spirit descends and enables at Pentecost. And this marks the birth of the church in Jerusalem. Now, the key events include the growth of the church, but the persecution of believers started happening, as well as the martyrdom of Stephen. Now, arriving at chapter 4 within Acts 1 and 7, Holy Spirit in the church being active, arriving at chapter 4, Peter and John experience the same persecution, and they are arrested and they are thrown in jail by again the religious people of the day, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Temple Guard, the Sanhedrin, simply because they told anyone that would listen that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. Now, this good news provided forgiveness of sins of those who believed that Jesus did what he was sent to do, which was die on a cross, he's risen, and now he offers salvation to humanity. Now, the story continues. So it's ironic that religious people were the ones who were upset, they were the modern day spiritual influencers. But again, Peter, empowered by the Holy Spirit, he addresses their judgment because he healed the man by the powerful name of Jesus. That's all he did. So they had other motives already. All Jesus, all Peter and John did, they healed the man. Well, religion got mad. Very mad. But Peter, he didn't let up. Peter added fuel to the fire and boldly reminded the same council that forbade Jesus' name even being mentioned, lest it strip them, the religious leaders, the Sanhedrin, the Sadducees, the Pharisees. Oh boy, here we go with this Jesus talk again. Now they're feeling like it's gonna strip them of their hypocritical importance to the community. So Peter says, Hold up, this is the same Jesus that all of you religious people, you crucified him. In verse 11, this very Jesus that you rejected and executed, all hope of rescue from God's impending judgment rests on Jesus alone, the cornerstone, the foundation of salvation, the foundation of the church. So, in essence, Peter told the council, you're trying to represent God by forcing others to come to and through you. Yet Jesus is the only one that fills that position. Yeah, they got mad. Peter continued, salvation in verse 12, exist in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

Opposition Is Normal For Gospel Witness

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And so now with our exegesis complete, my initial thoughts prior to chain referencing our primary scripture. You know, Peter wasn't being dogmatic, he wasn't being narrow-minded, he just simply repeated what Jesus commands his followers to repeat, to say exactly what he said, tell them what he did, and our mission does not change from Peter and John's. We must, as believers, also do the same. Expect Holy Spirit's faithful promise to empower us to deliver the same message just as he did Peter and John. Peter and John, as well as the other followers of Jesus, understand they were prepared for opposition, persecution. They witnessed Jesus' execution, but they also witnessed the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit and Jesus ascending back to heaven. So we must not be surprised by opposition to the gospel message. Nothing's changed. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. But just like Holy Spirit empowered the disciples, he too will empower us. If the world hated Jesus, the odds are very good that the world will also hate us. And the very same salvation message that we carry, we have to expect opposition if we are preaching and teaching the true gospel. And I want to say that again. The true gospel, Jesus executed, risen, and on the way back the second time, not to save, but in judgment. We have to carry that true gospel, not psychology from our platforms, not prosperity, not politics, not our best life. We are to preach the word because eternity approaches for all. So, with that in mind, what exactly are we to tell them? What are them being the world? What are we to tell them? Well, our mandate is within the text, verse 12 salvation exists and no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. We must start, we must tell them that because God sent Jesus, saves, and now Holy Spirit empowers with no room for negotiation, and the creator of everything and everyone, God all by himself. He didn't need any help, he still doesn't. The creator has the right to tell the created how everything is gonna go down. And I mean this message it requires courage, it requires faithfulness, but most importantly, it and it it it requires the Holy Spirit to endow us with that courage, that faithfulness, that strength. And this is the very reason he comes. Even when it gets tough, he comforts us, but he has certainly empowered us because there will be the majority that reject this message, and they will even reject the messenger. Understand, Jesus endured rejection, the disciples endured rejection, and if we are teaching and preaching the same true gospel, we are not excluded from bearing our cross and following in Jesus' footsteps. But the command from our Savior is still doesn't change. Tell them.

John 3 And God’s Reason Why

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John 3, 16 through 18, it is the why of Jesus' of God's exclusivity demand. Because A, Jesus alone procured what nobody else could. B Jesus alone offers what nobody else is qualified to offer, holy Father God of Creator. Nobody's able to offer that to us but Jesus. Here's another thing to think about. Jesus alone now sits at the right hand of God at this very moment, overseeing it all as the day approaches where his second arrival won't be to save, it'll be to judge. So let's check the verse for God's why in the in the text that I just gave you, the book of John, chapter 3. I believe John 3 and 16 is one of the most popular verses for God so loved the world. But let's check the verse for God's why. Because we often have this nerve to question him about, well, that isn't fair. Well, why would I wouldn't want to serve a God like that? Check yourself. We don't know who we're dealing with here. When we mention words like that, phrases like that, God isn't to be played with, he runs it all, and it's just his mercy and grace. Even if we're foolish and don't believe, you're still living in his mercy and grace because he wants none to perish. But let's go to John chapter 3 real quick and read verse 16 through 18. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that everyone who believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him, Jesus. Whoever believes in him, Jesus, is not condemned. But whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. Understand that God was intentional. God did something about our eternal circumstance. God sent Jesus, the only begotten qualified son, on a mission to save a humanity who sins constantly. Even still, we still sin, Christians included. Our sin sickness is inherent. Sin separated us from God, but the cross is that bridge, that symbolic bridge that connects all nations, all peoples back to God through Jesus alone. Period. Jesus was stretched in all directions. His torso, his arms, his leg, he was stretched north, south, east, and west on a cross, and that symbolism connects us, reconciles us back to God prior to God's final judgment of sin. I want you to notice, before Calvary in the book of Genesis, the beginnings, the flood was executed. That was divine judgment of humanity's sin. And only one family, Noah's family, was saved by faith before Jesus entered humanity and set his face toward Calvary to save all of humanity. And that even included Noah after he passed. Now, during Calvary, we're in the Gospels period: Matthew, Mark, Luke, the Synoptic Gospels, and then you have John's Gospel written from his perspective, but it wasn't synoptic, but they kind of tell the same narrative with one common message. Jesus came to save, not to condemn. And now we're living after Calvary. We had before Calvary, during Calvary, the Gospels, and now we are living in the dispensation after Calvary, where there is now no condemnation for those who believe, for those who trust in Jesus' atoning sacrifice, but there will be condemnation, there will be executed judgment for all who reject Jesus and attempt to approach God apart from Jesus. Understand, whether you believe this or not, God has never lied. And he doesn't talk to simply hear himself speak. If God said it, it is done. Even if you don't believe, God says, Every knee will bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of the Father. Again, verse 18: whoever believes in Jesus is not condemned. But whoever does not believe has already been condemned because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

Now Is The Day Of Salvation

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Let's reference First Timothy chapter 2, verses 3 and 6, where God, our Savior, He wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all. The testimony that was given at just the right time. Jesus gave himself as payment for sin's eternal penalty that we cannot pay on our own. And so God gives this message always at the right time. This message is timely in any generation, past, present, or future. It's it's timely, it's right on time. It's God wants us to have it at any place. The message is timely. Any time, it's timely.Anywhere, it's a timely message. Now is the right time to make a decision that will reverberate for you and I eternally. It's right now, it's not tomorrow. If you're watching the broadcast or you're listening to the podcast, it's not a coincidence. God expects you to accept his exclusive offer. Or if you've already accepted it, you should be busy telling others about it. Nobody likes, think about this. Nobody likes for their friends, family, or loved ones to miss out on a good thing, especially if it's a one-time, limited, exclusive item. We should treat the gospel the same way. God's offering of Jesus on our behalf, it's exclusive. It's a limited, one-time offer that this is being made to us, and that's our life. We don't get a do-over. This is a one-time offer, your life. God is making it to us, He's begging us to take it every day. And here's the best part about it: it's free. It's an exclusive offer, but it's free. It's an exclusive gift that we didn't do anything to earn or deserve. Let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 6, verses 1 through 2, because I want to reference the hardships that Paul endured because of this message. But again, he was endued with God's grace and power. And so Paul says, as God's fellow workers, we urge you. There's that timeliness. This is a timely message. We urge you. Don't receive God's grace in vain. He, God, says, In the time of favor, I heard you, and in the day of salvation, I helped you. Watch how Paul closes out the verse, again, proving that it's a timely message. Behold, now is the time of favor. Now is the day. Of salvation. We shouldn't turn our ears away when we hear a preacher or a gospel message and it's the true gospel message. If you haven't received it yet, that's God calling. Saying time your time is winding up, only he knows the day, minute, or hour that we're all leaving. Let's prepare to close by re-emphasizing God's exclusive offer again and make no mistake about it.

God’s Exclusive Authority In Isaiah

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Is his way or is no way? The book of Isaiah, chapter 43, verses 10 through 13. God regards Israel by saying, You are my witnesses, declares the Lord. You are my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may consider and believe me and understand that I am He. God is saying, I am the one. I am He. Before me, no God was formed, and after me, none will come. I, yes, I am the Lord, and there is no Savior but me. Yeah, that's exclusive. I alone decreed and saved and proclaimed, I am not some foreign God among you. So you are my witnesses, declares the Lord, that I am God. Even from eternity, I am He. God is saying, I'm that dude symbolically, and none can deliver out of my hand. If that doesn't frighten you and give you some perspective about who we're dealing with, we are the created. This is God talking. And then he closes the verse talking about Israel. When I act, who can reverse it? Yeah, that's some reality for you right there. God is running it all. Let's go a couple of chapters deep in Isaiah again. Let's go to chapter 45. I want to read verses 22 through 24. And God is talking to Cyrus personally. Turn to me and be saved. All the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is no other. Yeah? God is making it known. I am exclusive. Don't play with me. God says, By myself, I have sworn, truth has gone out from my mouth, a word that will not be revoked. If he said it, it's done. Every knee will bow before me. And those, those, those little phrases that I just put in there, that emphasis is mine. But the text still reads, every knee will bow before me, every tongue will swear allegiance. Surely they will say, Of me, God, in the Lord alone, are righteousness and strength.

Jesus Our Mediator And High Priest

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Let's go to 1 John chapter 5, uh, verses 9 through 12, where God's again, God is doing a lot of talking, but he doesn't talk to hear himself speak. If he's talking, we'd better heed, and there's some doing we need to do. God testifies about Jesus his son in 1 John chapter 5, verses 9 through 12. Even if we accept human testimony, this is God's testimony about Jesus through the writer. The testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony that God has given about his son Jesus. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him. Whoever does not believe God has made Jesus, and God, to be frank, if you don't believe, you have made God out to be a liar. Because that person has not believed in the testimony that God has given about his son. And this is that testimony. God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his son. Emphasis mind, there is no other, it is Jesus alone. Whoever has the son, the verses include, has life. But whoever does not have the son of God does not have life. The book of Hebrews, chapter 7. I want to read verses 21 through 25, because in this book, Jesus' role as our superior high priest, interceding for us, is explained plainly. Back in the day in religion, the high priest had to stand in, he had to offer sacrifices, go into the most holy place, and he had to he had to confess his sins as well as he was to stand in and he had to confess the sins of the people. But after Calvary, we no longer have to go to a person, we have direct access to God through Jesus, who acts as our high priest this very moment. The verses say Hebrews 7, 21 through 25. Jesus became a priest with an oath by the one who said to him, This is God talking about Jesus. You are a priest forever. Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. Now, there have been many other priests, we we referenced them back in the back in the day, the religious establishment establishment, what they had to do before Jesus came along to appease God. But although there have been many priests since death prevented them from continuing in office, along comes Jesus. Because since Jesus lives forever, his priesthood is permanent, eternal. Therefore, with Jesus being our high priest, he alone is able to save completely to the utmost. He can save completely those who draw near to God through Him since Jesus lives always to intercede for us. My viewers and my listeners, my prayer right now is that we we feel convicted because God doesn't have to explain anything to anybody, but he has given us with the previous scriptures many reasons for his exclusivity demand. It's because it's all about his son Jesus. Thus, that's the message that we should be hearing constantly. Tell them, tell the world, tell your family, tell your coworkers, your circle of influence, tell them about the hope found in Jesus alone. Because God knows there is so much turmoil and hopelessness that we are witnessing right now. Tell them about the hope that Jesus provides, tell them about God's merciful, gracious act towards us. A dying world needs to know that there is hope right now and eternally, and both are found in a relationship with God forged by coming through Jesus the Christ alone. Period. There is no duality, there is no negotiations to be made, there is no other way. God is exclusive, but He is accessible for a limited time only, and Jesus is the qualified one able to usher us through the symbolic door to God. I want to close going back to Mark's gospel in chapter 16, where let's return to the tomb as if we were there. Jesus was crucified and executed, and he's still thought to be dead. And so uh Mary and Mary Magdalene and Salome, they proceed to the tomb. They're running there to anoint Jesus' dead body, but they're surprised because an angel meets them and conveys to them tell the disciples, tell them that Jesus is indeed alive and he has risen. And upon being with Jesus for a little bit over a month before he ascended back to heaven, Jesus instructs the disciples go into all the world and proclaim, preach the gospel message to everyone. Some will believe, others will reject the message and the messenger. Tell them anyway. Some will persecute while others may accept the message and even the messenger, tell them anyway, tell them. We are to tell them, tell them, because we have been told to by God Himself. God sent His Son. Jesus finished the work that He was sent to do, give humanity an offer of salvation if we would just believe in Him. And now Holy Spirit was sent and He still remains within every believer that has accepted God's exclusive offer. And so, guess what our charge is? It's simple enough.

Go Tell The World Anyway

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Tell a dying, lost world about Jesus, the only one able to save humanity. So as we close with our invitation, just a question or two to ask Have you or will you accept God's exclusive offer of salvation through Jesus Christ alone today? If you're willing to do that, I'm gonna offer a simple prayer. We call these the ABCs of the gospel. A Father God, in the name of Jesus, I acknowledge, I accept that I am a sinner. You said, My heart is sinful, and I cannot please you on my own. I cannot approach you after death on my own. But in one way or the other, I will be before you after death. So, Lord, I be, I believe in what Jesus did for me. You gave him to me just to absolve, to wipe away my sinfulness. And now I'm considered right through you because of what Jesus did. I'm hiding in Jesus, I'm hiding in the cross. It's Jesus' blood that sacrifice he made for me. He interceded, he is my high priest now. I believe that, Lord. And see, to close our prayer, I will now go forth and confess with my mouth. I'll tell anybody that will listen, however, you've gifted me, I will confess with my mouth that Jesus is alone. Or should I say, Jesus alone is the way, he's the truth, he's the life, and he's the only way to you. Thank you for saving my soul at this very moment, oh God. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Amen. If you just prayed that prayer with me, you are now a part of God's family, the body of Christ. And if you are a part of the body of Christ, the church, here's my question to us: Do you, will you tell anyone about this same gospel good news when you hear hopelessness, when you hear error, when you hear hate? There's so many things that we hear, and it's as if God is saying, okay, what are you gonna do about it? If you have a ministry, if you have a platform, a circle of influence, what is the primary message emanating from it with her eternity on the horizon for everyone that's within earshot of your ministry, your platform, or your circle of influence? What's the primary message coming from your platform? Is it psychology? Is it self-help, denominal, denominal, denomination business, religion? What comes from that platform that God has given us to simply go forth and to tell a lost world about Jesus?

Invitation Prayer And Personal Challenge

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I see my producer uh kind of winding up now. That means it's time for me to close. Uh before I but before I do close, uh I'm always stumbling over my words when I get that. It's time tomorrow wrap up. So I'm gonna try to do this without stumbling. Uh, if you've missed any part of the message, uh you would like to download uh the broadcast or the podcast. They are free. Uh, you can visit us at our Roku channel. Just look for the Words of Life logo. Uh, I think I got it right here on my shirt. Uh, you can look for that logo on your Roku channel, or you can get our podcast anywhere that you get, uh, your podcast, your music, any digital retailer, uh, you can find Words of Life, the same logo. And then you can also go to our website, uh, Words of Life with PastorMark.com, where you can watch not only the things that you see on our Roku channel, they're linked. And so whenever a new uh video is uploaded, sermon, where they're whenever there's a short film, uh, whenever there's uh a message from my dad uh that I've got a chance to put on there, you can find it there as well. And then we got a couple of more things I forgot about, as now he's really winding up. We have a project, One Way, uh music songwriting project across different genres, where the message of that project was pretty simple. There's only one way to the father in every song. It's a different genre, but it tells you plainly about the hope found in Jesus Christ. Look for that project. Again, it's entitled One Way, featuring MDI. MDI, those are just the initials of my name, Mark D. Ingram. And then we also have a book project out Navigating Life, doing life with people that we're all on the way to meet this same matchless God who will hold us accountable for how we navigated life with, and did we tell them uh about this message, this salvation, this good news of Jesus the Christ. I made it, I'm out of here. Uh, our song of the week is entitled, Tell Them, or should I say, Tell them, tell them, and I want to tell you with the song of the week, tell them, may God bless you. I want to tell our faithful listeners and our viewers, we are praying that you understand the power living within you and I to go and tell them, tell the world about the saving grace found in who Jesus the Christ alone. May God bless you. I'll see you again next time, God be willing, okay? Much love. Bye bye.

SPEAKER_07 37:02

Tell 'em, yeah. Tell 'em, tell them ya. Tell them about the yah. Tell 'em yeah. Tell 'em, tell 'em, tell them y'all. Tell them about the yeah.

unknown 37:16

Tell 'em.

SPEAKER_07 37:20

I tell 'em, yeah. There ain't no other name. God won't play no games. About his own list. And Jesus is the one. He died for who and

Where To Watch, Listen, And Next Steps

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defeated Caly. So now's the time to go, so everyone will know who am I in the world and will refuse to get it. Gold Gold Nobody else.

SPEAKER_01 40:55

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