WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.540 Welcome to Pomoja Podcast, a ministry of Life 00:00:03.540 --> 00:00:06.519 of Christ International Ministries, the place 00:00:06.519 --> 00:00:10.060 where stronger lives are built, faith is strengthened, 00:00:10.539 --> 00:00:13.660 hearts are encouraged, and Christ -centered homes 00:00:13.660 --> 00:00:17.199 are shaped through ordinary conversations that 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:20.519 become extraordinary encounters with God's truth. 00:00:21.339 --> 00:00:26.719 One conversation, one story, one revelation at 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:31.929 a time. As I have reflected on my father's story 00:00:31.929 --> 00:00:35.530 over the years, I have come to appreciate something 00:00:35.530 --> 00:00:38.409 I completely overlooked when I first heard it. 00:00:38.450 --> 00:00:40.850 He didn't simply tell me there were windows. 00:00:41.030 --> 00:00:43.750 He told me they were sealed. At first I thought 00:00:43.750 --> 00:00:46.530 the windows were simply there to keep the cold 00:00:46.530 --> 00:00:49.929 air out. But now I realize they were there to 00:00:49.929 --> 00:00:53.729 protect something far more valuable. The atmosphere. 00:00:54.250 --> 00:00:56.969 Everything inside that house depended on the 00:00:56.969 --> 00:01:00.530 atmosphere remaining the same. Warmth, peace, 00:01:00.950 --> 00:01:05.829 rest, safety, joy. The fire could continue burning, 00:01:06.230 --> 00:01:10.650 but if enough cold air entered, the entire atmosphere 00:01:10.650 --> 00:01:13.950 would change. And isn't that exactly what happens 00:01:13.950 --> 00:01:17.730 in many marriages? The love may still be there. 00:01:18.030 --> 00:01:21.670 The covenant may still exist. The family may 00:01:21.670 --> 00:01:25.290 still live under the same roof. Yet somehow, 00:01:25.950 --> 00:01:29.079 the atmosphere changes. The laughter becomes 00:01:29.079 --> 00:01:33.260 silence. Patience becomes irritation. Kindness 00:01:33.260 --> 00:01:36.959 becomes criticism. Conversation becomes obligation. 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:40.560 The house is still standing, but it no longer 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:44.840 feels like home. So today, I want us to walk 00:01:44.840 --> 00:01:48.400 slowly around that house again, not to inspect 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:52.120 the walls, not to inspect the roof, but to inspect 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:55.239 the windows. because every window represents 00:01:55.239 --> 00:01:58.980 something we allow to enter our lives, and every 00:01:58.980 --> 00:02:03.620 window deserves to be guarded. The first window 00:02:03.620 --> 00:02:07.540 is the window of words. If I were to ask you 00:02:07.540 --> 00:02:10.500 today, what creates the atmosphere inside your 00:02:10.500 --> 00:02:14.520 home? Many people would answer, our finances, 00:02:15.500 --> 00:02:19.879 our schedules, our children, our responsibilities. 00:02:20.850 --> 00:02:24.250 Those things certainly influence a home, but 00:02:24.250 --> 00:02:27.490 scripture points us somewhere much deeper. It 00:02:27.490 --> 00:02:31.310 points us to our words. Listen to what Solomon 00:02:31.310 --> 00:02:37.050 says in Proverbs 18 -21. Death and life are in 00:02:37.050 --> 00:02:39.990 the power of the tongue, and those who love it 00:02:39.990 --> 00:02:43.349 will eat its fruit. Think about that for a moment. 00:02:43.629 --> 00:02:47.669 Death and life are carried by the same instrument, 00:02:48.009 --> 00:02:51.610 the tongue. The words spoken inside your house 00:02:51.610 --> 00:02:55.289 are never neutral. They are constantly planting 00:02:55.289 --> 00:02:58.830 something. Every conversation plants a seed. 00:02:59.610 --> 00:03:03.050 Every compliment plants a seed. Every criticism 00:03:03.050 --> 00:03:06.590 plants a seed. Every encouragement plants a seed. 00:03:07.310 --> 00:03:11.889 Every insult plants a seed. And every seed will 00:03:11.889 --> 00:03:15.330 eventually produce a harvest. Perhaps this is 00:03:15.330 --> 00:03:18.610 why James devoted an entire chapter to the tongue. 00:03:18.780 --> 00:03:22.439 He compares it to the rudder of a ship. A tiny 00:03:22.439 --> 00:03:26.819 spark that sets an entire forest on fire. A small 00:03:26.819 --> 00:03:30.180 bit placed in the mouth of a horse. Something 00:03:30.180 --> 00:03:34.719 very small. With enormous consequences. James 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:37.580 isn't exaggerating. He's describing what every 00:03:37.580 --> 00:03:41.180 married couple eventually experiences. Sometimes. 00:03:41.919 --> 00:03:44.860 One sentence spoken in anger remains in the heart 00:03:44.860 --> 00:03:48.900 for years. Not because it was loud. but because 00:03:48.900 --> 00:03:52.759 words have remarkable power. Words shape identity. 00:03:53.479 --> 00:03:58.099 Words shape memory. Words shape atmosphere. I 00:03:58.099 --> 00:04:00.659 have learned that people rarely remember every 00:04:00.659 --> 00:04:03.879 conversation they have with their spouse, but 00:04:03.879 --> 00:04:07.219 they almost always remember the words that deeply 00:04:07.219 --> 00:04:10.879 wounded them or deeply encouraged them. How many 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:14.000 husbands still remember hearing, I'm proud of 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:17.860 you. How many wives still remember hearing, I 00:04:17.860 --> 00:04:22.540 appreciate everything you do. And sadly, how 00:04:22.540 --> 00:04:25.100 many still carry words that should never have 00:04:25.100 --> 00:04:29.060 been spoken. Words like, you'll never change. 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:34.139 You always fail. I regret marrying you. I don't 00:04:34.139 --> 00:04:37.759 respect you. Those words don't disappear when 00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:41.279 the conversation ends. They remain inside the 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:45.100 house, like our traveler from the previous conversation. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:50.939 The voice stays. Paul understood this. That's 00:04:50.939 --> 00:04:55.360 why he writes in Ephesians 4 .29. Do not let 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:58.660 any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, 00:04:59.060 --> 00:05:01.639 but only what is helpful for building others 00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:05.199 up according to their needs, that it may benefit 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:08.560 those who listen. Notice what Paul is teaching. 00:05:09.579 --> 00:05:13.560 Before a word leaves your mouth, it should pass 00:05:13.560 --> 00:05:17.629 through a question. Will this build or will it 00:05:17.629 --> 00:05:22.910 destroy? Will this heal or will it wound? Will 00:05:22.910 --> 00:05:26.290 this strengthen my home or weaken its atmosphere? 00:05:27.470 --> 00:05:30.550 Imagine how many marriages would change if every 00:05:30.550 --> 00:05:34.329 husband and every wife asked that question before 00:05:34.329 --> 00:05:38.430 speaking. One of my favorite examples in scripture 00:05:38.430 --> 00:05:43.069 is Barnabas. His name literally means son of 00:05:43.069 --> 00:05:46.500 encouragement. Think about that. His identity 00:05:46.500 --> 00:05:49.600 became connected to the words he consistently 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:53.879 spoke. When everyone doubted Saul, Barnabas believed 00:05:53.879 --> 00:05:57.500 in him. When John Mark failed, Barnabas gave 00:05:57.500 --> 00:06:00.980 him another opportunity. He became known not 00:06:00.980 --> 00:06:05.180 for criticism, but for encouragement. Imagine 00:06:05.180 --> 00:06:09.120 if every husband decided, I will become the Barnabas 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:13.100 of my wife. Imagine if every wife decided I will 00:06:13.100 --> 00:06:16.259 become the Barnabas of my husband. Homes would 00:06:16.259 --> 00:06:19.060 begin changing immediately because encouragement 00:06:19.060 --> 00:06:23.699 changes atmosphere. But the house still has more 00:06:23.699 --> 00:06:26.620 windows. As we continue walking through this 00:06:26.620 --> 00:06:29.680 house in the middle of the forest, we leave the 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:33.180 window of words behind and we arrive at another 00:06:33.180 --> 00:06:38.180 window. A quieter one. A more subtle one. One 00:06:38.180 --> 00:06:41.620 that rarely announces its arrival. We've guarded 00:06:41.620 --> 00:06:45.459 our words. Yet another window quietly waits for 00:06:45.459 --> 00:06:48.980 us. One that has stolen the joy of countless 00:06:48.980 --> 00:06:52.959 marriages, broken families, and even faithful 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:57.139 believers. It is a window that existed long before 00:06:57.139 --> 00:07:01.339 social media, long before television, long before 00:07:01.339 --> 00:07:05.160 the world we know today. Unlike the first window. 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:08.720 This one doesn't usually enter through the mouth. 00:07:09.060 --> 00:07:12.379 It enters through the eyes. It begins with what 00:07:12.379 --> 00:07:17.259 we see, then grows into what we desire. It whispers. 00:07:18.199 --> 00:07:22.100 What God has given you isn't enough. It whispers. 00:07:23.100 --> 00:07:26.579 Someone else's life is better. Someone else's 00:07:26.579 --> 00:07:29.680 marriage is happier. Someone else's children 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:33.139 are doing better. Someone else's ministry is 00:07:33.139 --> 00:07:36.420 growing faster. someone else's calling is greater. 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:41.160 Little by little, comparison replaces gratitude. 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:45.019 Contentment gives way to dissatisfaction. And 00:07:45.019 --> 00:07:48.439 before long, the atmosphere inside the house 00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:52.019 begins to change. So let's continue our walk 00:07:52.019 --> 00:07:55.199 around the house. Let's open the scriptures together 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:59.579 and examine the second window, the window of 00:07:59.579 --> 00:08:02.750 comparison. Because the first comparison did 00:08:02.750 --> 00:08:07.350 not begin on Facebook, or Instagram, or YouTube. 00:08:07.889 --> 00:08:11.509 It began in a garden, the Garden of Eden, and 00:08:11.509 --> 00:08:15.290 the strategy of the serpent hasn't changed since. 00:08:16.709 --> 00:08:19.990 And that is exactly where the serpent began. 00:08:20.490 --> 00:08:24.250 Not with force, not with temptation, not even 00:08:24.250 --> 00:08:27.829 with the forbidden fruit. He began with comparison. 00:08:28.110 --> 00:08:30.810 Listen carefully to the conversation recorded 00:08:30.810 --> 00:08:37.149 in Genesis chapter 3. Did God really say? Then, 00:08:37.309 --> 00:08:40.730 only a few moments later, for God knows that 00:08:40.730 --> 00:08:43.549 when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened 00:08:43.549 --> 00:08:47.309 and you will be like God. Do you hear what the 00:08:47.309 --> 00:08:50.870 serpent is really saying? What God has already 00:08:50.870 --> 00:08:56.070 given you isn't enough. There is something better. 00:08:56.620 --> 00:09:00.580 There is another life waiting for you. God is 00:09:00.580 --> 00:09:03.460 withholding something from you. In other words, 00:09:03.620 --> 00:09:07.159 he opened a window. Not in the garden, in Eve's 00:09:07.159 --> 00:09:10.200 heart. Before Eve ever reached for the fruit, 00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:13.799 she first reached for an idea. The fall did not 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:17.480 begin with eating, it began with believing. That 00:09:17.480 --> 00:09:20.360 is how the enemy still works today. He rarely 00:09:20.360 --> 00:09:23.840 begins with the visible sin, he begins with an 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:27.019 invisible thought. a comparison, a suggestion, 00:09:27.379 --> 00:09:30.600 a dissatisfaction, because every visible fall 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:33.580 is first conceived in the invisible world of 00:09:33.580 --> 00:09:36.559 the heart. James explains this with remarkable 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:39.879 clarity. Each person is tempted when they are 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:43.700 dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:47.519 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:51.059 to sin, and sin, when it is full -grown, gives 00:09:51.059 --> 00:09:56.080 birth to death. James 1, 14 to 15. Did you notice 00:09:56.080 --> 00:10:01.539 the progression? Suggestion, desire, sin, death. 00:10:02.460 --> 00:10:05.340 Satan understands something many believers overlook. 00:10:05.879 --> 00:10:08.299 He knows he doesn't have to convince you to sin 00:10:08.299 --> 00:10:11.600 today. He simply has to plant a thought today 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:15.200 that will produce a harvest tomorrow. That is 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:19.220 why comparison is so dangerous. Comparison is 00:10:19.220 --> 00:10:22.879 rarely the destination. It is the doorway. It 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:26.039 opens the heart to desires that never existed 00:10:26.039 --> 00:10:30.200 before. Think about Eve for a moment. She was 00:10:30.200 --> 00:10:34.559 already walking with God. Already living in abundance. 00:10:35.639 --> 00:10:38.879 Already surrounded by beauty. Already created 00:10:38.879 --> 00:10:42.659 in God's image. Already entrusted with dominion. 00:10:43.220 --> 00:10:46.559 She lacked nothing. Yet after one conversation 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:50.429 with the serpent, Abundance suddenly felt like 00:10:50.429 --> 00:10:55.289 deprivation. One forbidden tree became more attractive 00:10:55.289 --> 00:10:59.169 than every tree God had already given her. Isn't 00:10:59.169 --> 00:11:03.330 that exactly what comparison still does? It has 00:11:03.330 --> 00:11:07.190 an amazing ability to make us overlook 99 blessings 00:11:07.190 --> 00:11:10.830 while becoming consumed by the one thing we don't 00:11:10.830 --> 00:11:14.889 have. It quietly shifts our eyes from God's provision 00:11:14.889 --> 00:11:20.320 to God's prohibition. from gratitude to entitlement, 00:11:20.740 --> 00:11:26.139 from worship to dissatisfaction. And once gratitude 00:11:26.139 --> 00:11:30.559 leaves the house, the atmosphere begins to change. 00:11:31.740 --> 00:11:34.659 As we continue walking around this house, we 00:11:34.659 --> 00:11:37.700 come to another window, one that many people 00:11:37.700 --> 00:11:41.820 leave wide open without ever realizing it. Unlike 00:11:41.820 --> 00:11:45.159 the window of words or the window of comparison, 00:11:45.580 --> 00:11:49.659 This one doesn't always feel dangerous. Sometimes 00:11:49.659 --> 00:11:54.299 it feels comforting. Sometimes it feels helpful. 00:11:54.919 --> 00:11:59.240 Sometimes it even sounds wise. Because this window 00:11:59.240 --> 00:12:02.259 doesn't usually open for strangers. It opens 00:12:02.259 --> 00:12:06.080 for voices. The window of influence. Every house 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:09.799 has an atmosphere. But every atmosphere has influences. 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:15.419 No atmosphere remains unchanged. Someone or something 00:12:15.419 --> 00:12:19.340 is always shaping it. The question is not whether 00:12:19.340 --> 00:12:23.399 you are being influenced. The question is, who 00:12:23.399 --> 00:12:26.960 are you allowing to influence you? Because every 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:30.220 voice carries a direction. Every conversation 00:12:30.220 --> 00:12:33.720 leaves an impression. Every relationship plants 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:38.179 something. Every book, every movie, every podcast, 00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:42.039 every social media account, every friendship, 00:12:42.779 --> 00:12:47.049 every counselor. Every coworker, every mentor, 00:12:47.769 --> 00:12:51.250 every family member leaves something behind. 00:12:51.870 --> 00:12:55.049 The question is, what are they leaving behind? 00:12:55.649 --> 00:12:58.450 Are they strengthening your covenant or slowly 00:12:58.450 --> 00:13:02.669 pulling you away from it? The scriptures speak 00:13:02.669 --> 00:13:05.730 often about influence because God understands 00:13:05.730 --> 00:13:09.649 something we sometimes forget. No one walks alone. 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:13.080 We all become, little by little, like the voices 00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:16.639 we repeatedly welcome into our lives. Listen 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:20.659 to the wisdom of Proverbs 13 -20. Walk with the 00:13:20.659 --> 00:13:24.100 wise and become wise, for a companion of fools 00:13:24.100 --> 00:13:27.500 suffers harm. Notice what Solomon doesn't say. 00:13:27.779 --> 00:13:31.940 He doesn't say, try harder. He doesn't say, be 00:13:31.940 --> 00:13:36.299 smarter. He says, walk with the wise, because 00:13:36.299 --> 00:13:40.169 wisdom is contagious. But so is foolishness. 00:13:40.570 --> 00:13:44.110 Character is formed in company. Atmosphere is 00:13:44.110 --> 00:13:47.809 created by association. The people you consistently 00:13:47.809 --> 00:13:51.429 listen to will eventually shape the person you 00:13:51.429 --> 00:13:56.649 become. Paul says the very same thing in 1 Corinthians 00:13:56.649 --> 00:14:01.950 15 33. Do not be misled. Bad company corrupts 00:14:01.950 --> 00:14:05.429 good character. That verse has often been used 00:14:05.429 --> 00:14:08.850 to warn young people about choosing friends wisely, 00:14:09.070 --> 00:14:12.730 and it certainly applies. But I believe the principle 00:14:12.730 --> 00:14:16.409 is much broader. Paul is teaching us that influence 00:14:16.409 --> 00:14:20.490 is never neutral. Character is either being built 00:14:20.490 --> 00:14:24.330 or slowly eroded. Think about that. He doesn't 00:14:24.330 --> 00:14:27.970 say, bad company destroys character overnight. 00:14:28.309 --> 00:14:32.559 He says, it corrupts. That word describes something 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:37.259 gradual, almost unnoticed, like rust slowly covering 00:14:37.259 --> 00:14:40.799 steel, like termites quietly weakening a house, 00:14:41.139 --> 00:14:45.039 like a window left open, allowing cold air to 00:14:45.039 --> 00:14:50.299 enter one gentle breeze at a time. The Bible 00:14:50.299 --> 00:14:54.019 gives us remarkable examples. Consider Rehoboam. 00:14:54.600 --> 00:14:58.250 When Solomon died, The kingdom stood at a crossroads. 00:14:58.429 --> 00:15:02.029 The elders gave wise counsel. They urged the 00:15:02.029 --> 00:15:04.629 young king to serve the people with humility. 00:15:05.389 --> 00:15:08.149 Then Rahoboam did something that changed history. 00:15:08.789 --> 00:15:11.730 He walked away from the elders and sought advice 00:15:11.730 --> 00:15:14.009 from the young men who had grown up with him. 00:15:14.570 --> 00:15:20.049 They told him, be harsher, be stronger. Show 00:15:20.049 --> 00:15:24.250 them who's in charge. He listened. The result. 00:15:24.620 --> 00:15:29.139 The kingdom was divided. One decision. One influence. 00:15:29.580 --> 00:15:34.159 One voice. An entire nation changed. Never underestimate 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:36.799 the power of the voices you choose to trust. 00:15:38.019 --> 00:15:40.899 We see the same pattern much earlier in the garden. 00:15:41.179 --> 00:15:44.220 The serpent didn't force Eve to eat. He simply 00:15:44.220 --> 00:15:48.299 offered another voice. Until that moment, God's 00:15:48.299 --> 00:15:51.279 voice had been enough. Then another voice entered 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:54.779 the conversation. Every temptation begins with 00:15:54.779 --> 00:15:58.899 competing voices. One voice says, trust God. 00:15:59.320 --> 00:16:03.539 The other says, you deserve more. One says, wait. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:07.940 The other says, take it now. One says, forgive. 00:16:08.299 --> 00:16:11.860 The other says, protect your pride. One says, 00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:15.340 honor your covenant. The other says, you'd be 00:16:15.340 --> 00:16:19.279 happier somewhere else. Every day, those voices 00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:22.000 compete for the atmosphere of our homes. The 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:25.039 question is, which voice have we been listening 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:29.299 to? Jesus said something that has always captured 00:16:29.299 --> 00:16:34.059 my heart. My sheep hear my voice. I know them 00:16:34.059 --> 00:16:38.980 and they follow me. John 1027. Notice what he 00:16:38.980 --> 00:16:43.519 did not say. My sheep hear every voice. He said, 00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:48.120 they know my voice. There is a difference. Spiritual 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:50.620 maturity is not learning to hear more voices. 00:16:51.070 --> 00:16:54.169 It is learning to recognize the shepherd's voice 00:16:54.169 --> 00:16:57.750 above every other voice. The closer you walk 00:16:57.750 --> 00:17:01.289 with Christ, the easier it becomes to recognize 00:17:01.289 --> 00:17:05.369 what does not sound like Him. Because not every 00:17:05.369 --> 00:17:09.849 good idea is God's idea. Not every popular opinion 00:17:09.849 --> 00:17:13.190 is biblical truth. Not every encouraging voice 00:17:13.190 --> 00:17:16.450 is leading you toward Christ. Discernment is 00:17:16.450 --> 00:17:19.130 one of the greatest gifts God gives to those 00:17:19.130 --> 00:17:24.559 who walk closely with Him. as we leave this window 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:28.480 behind. I want you to ask yourself one simple 00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:31.640 question. Who has access to the atmosphere of 00:17:31.640 --> 00:17:34.539 my house? Who has permission to shape the way 00:17:34.539 --> 00:17:38.700 I think about my spouse, my children, my calling, 00:17:39.400 --> 00:17:43.259 my future, and even my relationship with God? 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:47.180 Because whatever voice repeatedly enters through 00:17:47.180 --> 00:17:50.660 this window will eventually echo inside your 00:17:50.660 --> 00:17:54.750 own heart. But the house still has another window. 00:17:55.829 --> 00:17:59.009 This one may be the most dangerous of them all. 00:17:59.430 --> 00:18:03.609 Because unlike the others, it doesn't invite 00:18:03.609 --> 00:18:08.009 something into the house. It hides something 00:18:08.009 --> 00:18:12.930 inside the house. Let's continue our walk together. 00:18:13.809 --> 00:18:17.589 As we close today's conversation, our walk around 00:18:17.589 --> 00:18:21.140 the house is far from over. There are still windows 00:18:21.140 --> 00:18:24.759 we have yet to examine. Windows that have quietly 00:18:24.759 --> 00:18:28.900 threatened not only marriages, but families, 00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:33.980 ministries, callings, and entire generations. 00:18:34.740 --> 00:18:38.480 In our next conversation, we will continue exploring 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:41.859 these subtle, yet incredibly dangerous windows 00:18:41.859 --> 00:18:45.279 that have silently destroyed homes and marriages 00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:49.410 for centuries. But let me leave you with one 00:18:49.410 --> 00:18:53.549 final thought. The consequences of an open window 00:18:53.549 --> 00:18:56.769 extend far beyond the walls of your own house. 00:18:57.390 --> 00:19:00.769 They reach your children. They shape your grandchildren. 00:19:01.730 --> 00:19:04.589 They influence generations that have not yet 00:19:04.589 --> 00:19:09.150 been born. They affect your church, your community, 00:19:09.710 --> 00:19:14.269 your ministry, your witness, your legacy. Because 00:19:14.269 --> 00:19:17.599 every marriage is preaching a message. Every 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:21.200 family is leaving an inheritance, and every life 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:24.579 is influencing someone, whether we realize it 00:19:24.579 --> 00:19:28.599 or not. That is why the enemy fights so relentlessly 00:19:28.599 --> 00:19:32.099 against God's design for marriage and the family. 00:19:32.839 --> 00:19:35.339 He understands something many people fail to 00:19:35.339 --> 00:19:39.519 see. It has never been only about you. If he 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:43.380 can weaken a husband, he may discourage a wife. 00:19:43.960 --> 00:19:47.380 If he can discourage a wife, He may confuse the 00:19:47.380 --> 00:19:50.720 children. If he can confuse the children, he 00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:54.059 may alter the course of generations. If he can 00:19:54.059 --> 00:19:57.799 destroy one home, he may silence a testimony 00:19:57.799 --> 00:20:01.720 that God intended to reach hundreds, perhaps 00:20:01.720 --> 00:20:05.960 thousands. One broken covenant can echo through 00:20:05.960 --> 00:20:09.940 generations, but one faithful covenant can bless 00:20:09.940 --> 00:20:13.900 generations as well. Scripture reminds us that 00:20:13.900 --> 00:20:17.980 God shows steadfast love to thousands of generations 00:20:17.980 --> 00:20:21.720 of those who love Him and keep His commandments. 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:26.019 Never underestimate the power of a home surrendered 00:20:26.019 --> 00:20:30.140 to God. Your obedience today may become someone 00:20:30.140 --> 00:20:33.759 else's inheritance tomorrow. Your faithfulness 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:37.799 may become your children's foundation. Your prayers 00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:41.579 may become your grandchildren's testimony. And 00:20:41.579 --> 00:20:44.619 your marriage may become the example that gives 00:20:44.619 --> 00:20:47.980 another couple the courage to keep fighting for 00:20:47.980 --> 00:20:52.000 theirs. So don't guard your house only for yourselves. 00:20:52.500 --> 00:20:55.559 Guard it for those who are watching. Guard it 00:20:55.559 --> 00:20:58.960 for those who are following. Guard it for those 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:02.799 who will one day bear your name. And above all, 00:21:03.220 --> 00:21:06.400 guard it for the glory of Christ. Because from 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:10.549 the very beginning, It has never been only about 00:21:10.549 --> 00:21:16.150 you. It has always been about God's kingdom being 00:21:16.150 --> 00:21:20.390 revealed through your home. Until next time, 00:21:20.910 --> 00:21:25.049 may the Lord bless your home, strengthen your 00:21:25.049 --> 00:21:29.509 covenant, protect every window, and fill your 00:21:29.509 --> 00:21:31.509 house with His presence.