I BASICALLY SAID, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

YOU HAVE RUINED MY LIFE!

I'VE DONE EVERYTHING YOU ASKED ME TO DO.

I DIDN'T WANT TO MERGE THESE TWO CHURCHES;

WE WERE DOING JUST FINE."

Announcer: COMING UP, DURING A YEAR OF GREAT TURMOIL,

TULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN, GRANDSON OF BILLY AND RUTH GRAHAM,

DISCOVERED THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL IN HIS OWN LIFE.

BUT IT WAS DURING THAT TIME THAT GOD SAID,

"IT IS NOT SO MUCH YOUR OLD LIFE YOU WANT BACK,

IT'S YOUR OLD IDOLS YOU WANT BACK

AND I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH TO GIVE THEM TO YOU."

§

James: OH, THANK ALL OF YOU!

YOU'RE GREAT! YOU ARE GREAT!

THANK YOU.

WELCOME TO LIFE TODAY.

I'M JAMES ROBISON.

BETTY AND I ARE THRILLED

TO HAVE YOU.

TULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN, THAT IS...

IT IS AN ANOINTING OF GOD

TO BE ABLE TO SAY

TULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN.

DID I DO ALL RIGHT?

Tullian: PERFECT!

James: WOULD YOU WELCOME

TULLIAN TO LIFE TODAY?

TULLIAN, WE'RE GLAD TO SEE YOU.

TULLIAN IS PASTOR OF ONE

OF THE MOST FAMOUS CHURCHES

IN AMERICA AND THAT IS

CORAL RIDGE PRESBYTERIAN.

HE ACTUALLY FOLLOWED

DR. JAMES KENNEDY.

NOW INTERESTINGLY, HE NOT ONLY

FOLLOWED A VERY FAMOUS PASTOR

BUT HE IS THE GRANDSON

OF A MILDLY-KNOWN PREACHER,

BILLY GRAHAM.

SO YOU KNOW YOU REALLY --

YOU'VE GOT SOME PRETTY BIG

SHOES TO FILL.

DO THEY EVEN KNOW AT

KENNEDY'S CHURCH THAT

YOU HAVE ANY CONNECTION

EVER WITH BILLY GRAHAM

OR IS THAT JUST KIND OF --?

Tullian: OH, SURE!

YEAH, YEAH. ABSOLUTELY.

James: DOES BILLY ADMIT IT?

Tullian: YEAH, HE ADMITS IT.

HE IS ACTUALLY PROUD OF IT,

WHICH IS GOOD NEWS FOR ME.

YEAH, FOR SURE THEY KNOW.

IN FACT, MY GRANDFATHER

DID THE DEDICATION SERVICE

OF THAT SANCTUARY THAT

I NOW PREACH IN;

DID THE DEDICATION SERVICE

OF THAT SANCTUARY IN FEBRUARY

OF 1974 WHEN IT WAS

A BRAND-NEW BUILDING.

HE PREACHED THE DEDICATION

SERVICE; I WAS 18 MONTHS OLD

AT THE TIME AND IT IS NEAT

HOW IN GOD'S ECONOMY

SO MANY YEARS LATER

I'M PREACHING FROM THE SAME

PULPIT THAT HE DEDICATED.

James: AND YOU DON'T WEAR

THE ROBE ANYMORE.

Tullian: NO, I DON'T WEAR

THE ROBE.

IT'S TOO HOT IN FORT LAUDERDALE

TO WEAR ROBES.

James: BUT DR. KENNEDY

DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

Tullian: HE WORE ROBES, NOT ME.

James: WHEN YOU CAME HERE

THE LAST TIME, YOU WERE

JUST GOING THROUGH

REALLY THE TRANSITION.

YOU HAD BROUGHT --

TWO CHURCHES CAME TOGETHER.

ONE I THINK YOU WERE PASTORING

AND YOU JOINED WITH CORAL RIDGE

AND IT REMAINED THAT NAME,

CORAL RIDGE PRESBYTERIAN.

HOW IS EVERYTHING NOW?

Tullian: EVERYTHING NOW

IS REMARKABLE.

BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN

ABLE TO SAY THAT

THREE YEARS AGO.

AS I MENTIONED THE LAST TIME

I WAS HERE, IN 2007

DR. KENNEDY DIED.

HE WAS THE FOUNDING PASTOR

OF CORAL RIDGE.

SO AFTER HE DIED THE CHURCH WAS

IN THE VERY UNIQUE POSITION

OF TRYING TO FIND A PASTOR

FOR THE FIRST TIME.

SO THEY CAME TO ME.

I HAD PLANTED A CHURCH

BACK HOME,

I'M FROM SOUTH FLORIDA.

I HAD PLANTED A CHURCH IN 2003

AND THE CHURCH THAT

I HAD PLANTED WAS ABOUT

FOUR AND A HALF YEARS OLD

AND GOD WAS DOING GREAT THINGS

IN THE CHURCH AND GREAT THINGS

THROUGH THE CHURCH.

WE WEREN'T LOOKING AT DOING

ANYTHING LIKE THIS AT ALL.

THEY CAME TO ME AND ASKED

IF I WOULD CONSIDER

BECOMING THE PASTOR.

I SAID, "I'M HONORED,

I'M HUMBLED,

BUT I'M NOT INTERESTED."

I KNEW ALL OF THE STORIES.

THE GUY WHO FOLLOWS

THE FOUNDING PASTOR OFTENTIMES

GETS CHEWED UP AND SPIT OUT

IN SIX MONTHS OR WHATEVER.

THEY CALL THOSE GUYS

"THE SACRIFICIAL LAMBS."

I WASN'T VOLUNTEERING FOR THAT.

SO THEY CAME BACK ABOUT

TWO MONTHS LATER AND ASKED

IF I WOULD RECONSIDER.

AGAIN, I SAID, "I'M HONORED,

I'M HUMBLED BUT

I'M NOT INTERESTED."

THEN ABOUT FIVE MONTHS LATER

THEY CAME BACK AND

THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED

TALKING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY

OF MERGING THE TWO CHURCHES.

SO AFTER ABOUT A FOUR MONTH

DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS

WHERE A TEAM OF GUYS FROM

THE CHURCH THAT I HAD STARTED

AND A TEAM OF GUYS FROM

CORAL RIDGE, TOGETHER WITH ME,

MET TOGETHER ONCE A WEEK

FOR ABOUT FOUR MONTHS

AND WHEN THAT PROCESS

WAS COMPLETED, IT BECAME

PRETTY CLEAR THAT

THIS IS IN FACT

WHAT GOD WANTED US TO DO.

SO ON EASTER SUNDAY OF 2009,

THE TWO CHURCHES CAME TOGETHER

AS ONE NEW CHURCH

AND THE CELEBRATION

THAT MORNING WAS BIG

AND REMARKABLE.

I THOUGHT FOR ONE TERRIBLY

NAIVE SECOND, "WOW,

THIS MIGHT NOT BE AS DIFFICULT

AS I THOUGHT

IT WAS GOING TO BE."

AND THEN ABOUT TEN DAYS LATER

OR SO, ALL OF THE FIREWORKS

THAT WE ANTICIPATED -- WE KNEW

IT WAS GOING TO BE HARD.

YOU MERGE ANYTHING, FAMILY,

BUSINESS, WHATEVER,

CERTAINLY CHURCHES,

IT IS GOING TO BE HARD.

I FELT LIKE THE FATHER

OF A BLENDED FAMILY.

BUT ABOUT TEN DAYS, TWO WEEKS

AFTER THE MERGER WAS OFFICIAL,

ALL THE FIREWORKS

STARTED TO GO OFF.

THERE WAS A SMALL BUT

VOCAL GROUP OF LONGTIME

CORAL RIDGE PEOPLE WHO WERE

REALLY OPPOSING JUST ABOUT

EVERY CHANGE WE WERE MAKING.

AND THE CHURCH HAD BEEN

IN DECLINE FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS

SO THERE WAS SOME THINGS

WE NEEDED TO DO RIGHT AWAY

JUST TO MAKE SURE

IT WOULD STAY AFLOAT.

AND PEOPLE DON'T

ADAPT WELL TO CHANGE;

I DON'T ADAPT WELL TO CHANGE,

NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE DO.

AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF

RESISTANCE AT THE BEGINNING.

IT CULMINATED AFTER SIX MONTHS

IN A CONGREGATIONAL VOTE.

PETITION DRIVE WAS STARTED

TO GET ME AND THE TEAM THAT

I HAD BROUGHT THROWN OUT

AND THAT FAILED AT

THE CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

AND THOSE PEOPLE LEFT

AND WENT AND PLANTED

THEIR OWN CHURCH.

SO REALLY, THE WHOLE MESSAGE

OF THE BOOK WAS BORN

OUT OF THAT VERY,

VERY PAINFUL EXPERIENCE.

James: AND THE BOOK IS TITLED,

JESUS PLUS NOTHING

EQUALS EVERYTHING.

YOU REALLY HAVE SETTLED IN

ON THIS.

YOU WENT THROUGH SOME ROUGH

TIMES AS A YOUNG PERSON,

EVEN THOUGH YOU HAD

RELIGIOUS MOORINGS

AND BACKGROUND AND SO FORTH,

AND YOU FELL IN LOVE

WITH JESUS.

YOU OBVIOUSLY, HAD

A SUCCESSFUL CHURCH,

YOU MERGED, AND YOU GO

THROUGH THE REAL PRESSURE.

I IMAGINE SOME BROKENNESS,

AND ENDING UP JUST

YOU AND JESUS ON THE JOURNEY.

THAT'S WHAT INSPIRED YOU

TO WRITE THIS?

Tullian: YEAH, WHAT HAPPENED

WAS IN THE SUMMER OF 2009

I WAS AT THE END OF MYSELF.

I'M NOT NATURALLY PRONE

TO DESPAIR OR DEPRESSION.

I'M AN EXTROVERT,

I LOVE PEOPLE.

I'M REMARKABLY OPTIMISTIC

ABOUT THINGS AND LIFE...

AND LOVE LIFE.

THINGS WERE SO ROUGH

DURING THIS TRANSITION

AND I WAS BEING ATTACKED

IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THAT

I WAS AT THE END OF MYSELF.

I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED

ANYTHING LIKE THIS.

I WASN'T EATING,

I WASN'T SLEEPING.

I WAS SCARED, I WAS ANGRY,

I WAS FRUSTRATED.

I WAS BITTER, I WAS CONFUSED

-- ALL OF THESE THINGS,

AND SO I WAS REALLY

IN BAD SHAPE.

AT THE END OF JUNE IN 2009

WE WENT AWAY FOR

OUR ANNUAL FAMILY VACATION

AND WE GO TO THE SOUTHWEST

COAST OF FLORIDA.

I WOKE UP EARLY ONE MORNING,

THE FIRST MORNING OF VACATION

AND I GRAB MY BIBLE

BEFORE ANYONE WAS UP;

GRABBED MY BIBLE AND GRABBED

A CUP OF COFFEE AND WENT OUT

TO THE BALCONY OF THE PLACE

WE HAD RENTED, AND I'M LOOKING

AT THE GULF OF MEXICO.

AND I OPEN MY BIBLE

TO COLOSSIANS CHAPTER ONE

AND I'M READING THE FIRST

CHAPTER AND I CLOSE MY BIBLE

AND I ABSOLUTELY

HAD IT OUT WITH GOD.

I WAS AT THE END OF MYSELF

AND I BASICALLY SAID,

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

YOU'VE RUINED MY LIFE!

I'VE DONE EVERYTHING

YOU ASKED ME TO DO.

I DIDN'T WANT TO MERGE

THESE TWO CHURCHES.

WE WERE DOING JUST FINE

BUT YOU LED US TO DO THIS.

I AGREED AND SAID 'YES.'"

VERY SELF-RIGHTEOUSLY

MAKING MY CASE BEFORE GOD;

THAT I HAD DONE EVERYTHING

HE ASKED ME TO DO

AND THEREFORE, HE OWED ME

SOMETHING BETTER.

I SAID, "YOU CAN FIX THIS,

JUST GIVE ME

MY OLD BACK LIFE."

James: BY THE WAY, I THINK

IT IS REAL IMPORTANT

FOR EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE

AND EVERYBODY AT HOME,

OR WHEREVER YOU'RE WATCHING

TO KNOW THAT

GOD CAN HANDLE THIS.

YOU CAN REALLY GO AHEAD

AND DOWNLOAD ON HIM.

HE'S REALLY BIG ENOUGH.

Tullian: HE KNOWS

YOU'RE THINKING IT ANYWAY;

YOU MIGHT AS WELL SAY IT.

IF YOU GO BACK AND READ

THE OLD TESTAMENT SPECIFICALLY

AND YOU READ THE PRAYERS

OF ABRAHAM AND MOSES AND DAVID,

THROUGH THE PSALMS,

YOU SEE GOD IS BIG ENOUGH

TO HANDLE PRAYERS LIKE THAT.

BUT IT WAS DURING THAT TIME

THAT GOD SAID, "IT IS NOT

SO MUCH YOUR OLD LIFE

YOU WANT BACK,

IT'S YOUR OLD IDOLS

YOU WANT BACK AND I LOVE YOU

TOO MUCH TO GIVE THEM TO YOU."

IT WAS THEN THAT

IT DAWNED ON ME, I HAD BEEN

UNCONSCIOUS OF THIS,

BUT IT DAWNED ON ME THAT

FOR SO LONG I HAD BECOME

SO DEPENDENT ON HUMAN APPROVAL

AND HUMAN ACCEPTANCE

TO MAKE ME FEEL LIKE

LIFE WAS WORTH LIVING,

TO MAKE ME FEEL VALUABLE,

TO MAKE ME FEEL LIKE

I MATTERED AND NOW

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE

I LACKED HUMAN APPROVAL,

HUMAN ACCEPTANCE

AND I FELT LIKE THE FLESH WAS

BEING RIPPED OFF OF MY BONES.

WHAT I CAME TO REALIZE

THROUGH COLOSSIANS CHAPTER ONE

WAS THAT ALL OF THE ACCEPTANCE

AND ALL OF THE APPROVAL

AND ALL OF THE AFFECTION

THAT I WAS LONGING FOR

AND LOOKING FOR IN THINGS

IN PEOPLE THAT WERE INFINITELY

SMALLER THAN JESUS,

I ALREADY POSSESSED IN CHRIST.

SO THE WHOLE BOOK REALLY

IS ABOUT MY REDISCOVERY OF

THE GOSPEL BECAUSE OFTENTIMES

WHEN CHRISTIAN PEOPLE THINK

ABOUT THE GOSPEL WE THINK

ABOUT THE GOSPEL IN TERMS

OF THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE

OUTSIDE THE CHURCH NEED.

THE GOSPEL IS ALMOST

SYNONYMOUS EXCLUSIVELY

WITH EVANGELISM.

AND WE BELIEVE THAT ONCE

GOD SAVES US, HE THEN MOVES US

BEYOND THE GOSPEL

INTO SOMETHING ELSE.

AND YET WHEN WE READ

THE BIBLE CAREFULLY,

WHAT WE DISCOVER IS THAT

ONCE GOD SAVES US,

HE DOESN'T MOVE US

BEYOND THE GOSPEL, HE MOVES US

DEEPER INTO THE GOSPEL

THAT CHRISTIAN PEOPLE

NEVER OUTGROW OUR NEED

FOR CHRIST'S FINISHED WORK.

James: IT'S RELATIONSHIP.

AND ONE OF THE MOST

ROTTEN SUBSTITUTES IS RELIGION.

REALLY, IT BECOMES A FORM

OF IDOLATRY TOO.

ANY IDOL THAT IS SO LIFELESS

-- AND BY THE WAY, WHEN YOU

TRY TO LOOK TOTALLY FOR THE

LIFE OF GOD IN OTHER PEOPLE,

YOU WILL OFTEN BE GREATLY

DISAPPOINTED, EVEN THOUGH

YOU CAN SEE IT THERE,

IF THEY HAVE RELATIONSHIP

THAT'S REALLY, REALLY RIGHT.

Betty: DON'T YOU THINK

THERE IS SOMETHING FRIGHTENING

SOMETIMES ABOUT BEING MOVED

OUT OF YOUR ESTABLISHED PLACE

TO SOMETHING NEW THAT

YOU DON'T KNOW

WHAT'S AHEAD OF YOU?

WE GET PRETTY COMFORTABLE.

Tullian: AND WE LOVE COMFORT!

COMFORT CAN BE AN IDOL.

I TALK A LOT ABOUT IDOLATRY

IN THE BOOK BECAUSE

THROUGH THIS PAINFUL PROCESS

GOD REVEALED THE IDOLATRY

OF MY OWN HEART AND HELPED ME

TO SEE ALL OF THOSE THINGS

THAT I WAS LEANING ON THAT

WERE SMALLER THAN JESUS

TO INVEST MY LIFE WITH WORTH

AND VALUE AND SIGNIFICANCE

AND SECURITY

AND ALL THOSE THINGS.

AND IT WAS DURING THAT TIME

THAT I FRESHLY REALIZED,

JESUS PLUS NOTHING EQUALS

EVERYTHING, AND THAT'S MORE

THAN A PREACHABLE TAG LINE.

IT REALLY BECAME

MY FUNCTIONAL LIFELINE.

IT'S WHEN YOU COME TO THE END

OF YOURSELF AND YOU COME

TO THE BEGINNING OF

GOD'S AMAZING GRACE

AND YOU COME TO THE FRESH

REALIZATION AT A FUNCTIONAL

LEVEL THAT JESUS PLUS NOTHING

EQUALS EVERYTHING,

THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SAY

CRAZY COUNTERINTUITIVE STUFF

LIKE, "TO LIVE IS CHRIST,

TO DIE IS GAIN."

IT SETS YOU FREE BECAUSE

NOW I DON'T HAVE TO LIVE

UNDER THE PRESSURE OF TRYING

TO MAKE SOMETHING OF MYSELF,

TRYING TO PROVE MYSELF

AND PRETEND THAT I'M SOMEONE

THAT I'M NOT.

I CAN TAKE OFF THE MASKS.

I CAN BE REAL, I CAN BE BOLD,

I CAN BE SACRIFICIAL.

IF IT IS TRUE THAT EVERYTHING

I NEED IN CHRIST

I ALREADY POSSESS, NOW I CAN

SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE

GOING TO THE BACK INSTEAD OF

GETTING TO THE FRONT.

I CAN SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE

GIVING INSTEAD OF TAKING.

I CAN SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE

LIVING FOR OTHER PEOPLE

INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GET

OTHER PEOPLE TO LIVE FOR ME.

SO I SAY RIGHT AT THE OUTSET

OF THE BOOK THAT I LEARNED...

AND IT'S TOTALLY LIBERATED ME,

AND IT'S CHANGED ME FOREVER;

IT'S CHANGED ME AS A PREACHER,

A LEADER, A HUSBAND,

A FATHER.

BUT BECAUSE JESUS WAS STRONG

FOR ME, I'M FREE TO BE WEAK.

BECAUSE JESUS WON FOR ME,

I'M FREE TO LOSE.

BECAUSE HE WAS EXTRAORDINARY

FOR ME, I'M FREE --

James: I'M SITTING RIGHT HERE

LOOKING AT THAT.

Tullian: I REALLY WROTE THAT!

I DIDN'T HAVE A GHOST WRITER.

James: I ABSOLUTELY HAVE

THE PAGE. GO AHEAD.

I'M CHECKING TO SEE IF THIS

IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WROTE.

Tullian: SEE IF I'M GETTING IT

RIGHT.

BUT BECAUSE HE WAS

EXTRAORDINARY FOR ME,

I'M FREE TO BE ORDINARY.

James: GOOD!

THAT'S RIGHT HERE.

[Laughter]

Tullian: BECAUSE HE SUCCEEDED

FOR ME, I'M FREE TO FAIL.

James: THAT'S BIG TOO

BECAUSE WE DON'T LIKE

FOR PEOPLE TO THINK THAT

WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE FLEAS --

WE HAVE PROBLEMS.

WE HAVE ISSUES.

AND THE FIRST PEOPLE,

OTHER THAN GOD, WE OUGHT TO BE

ABLE TO SHARE OUR ISSUES WITH

ARE FAMILY AND FAMILY

OUGHT TO ACT LIKE FAMILY.

I'M SORRY A LOT OF FAMILIES

DON'T AND A LOT OF --

HE TALKED ABOUT

HOW THE CHURCH BEHAVED.

THEY DIDN'T BEHAVE LIKE FAMILY,

THEY BEHAVED LIKE CONGRESS.

BUT I HAVE AN IDEA WE TAUGHT

CONGRESS HOW TO BEHAVE

IN CHURCHES AND WE'VE GOT

TO GET OVER THAT AND

WE'VE GOT TO START LEARNING

TO BEHAVE LIKE FAMILY.

DON'T YOU AGREE WE NEED THAT?

AND THIS IS WHAT

I'M HEARING YOU SAY.

NOW I'VE GOT TO ASK YOU,

WHEN YOU WENT BACK,

AFTER HAVING THAT LITTLE

MEETING WITH THE FATHER,

AFTER YOU DOWNLOADED ON HIM

AND THEN HE PROBABLY PUT

SOME NEW INFORMATION IN,

HE REPROGRAMMED YOU,

WHEN YOU WENT BACK HOW LONG

DID IT TAKE FOR THAT FLOW

AND THAT RIVER TO BEGIN

TO BRING FORTH FRUIT?

Tullian: WELL, THIS WAS

FASCINATING TO ME.

I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT

BECAUSE THINGS WHEN I GOT

HOME CIRCUMSTANTIALLY,

ACTUALLY GOT WORSE -- WORSE!

James: OH, GOOD!

WAY TO GO, GOD!

Tullian: THANK YOU!

THINGS GOT WORSE BUT WHAT

I REALIZED IN THAT TIME

IS THAT IT WASN'T SO MUCH

MY CIRCUMSTANCES THAT

WERE CAUSING ME MY PAIN,

IT WAS THE IDOL STRUCTURE

OF MY HEART THAT WAS CAUSING ME

SO MUCH PAIN.

WHAT I REALIZED WAS THAT

SO OFTEN OUR SUFFERING,

OUR PAIN IS A RESULT OF GOD

PRYING OPEN OUR HANDS AND

TAKING AWAY SOMETHING FROM US

THAT WE'VE BEEN HOLDING ON TO

MORE DEARLY THAN HIM.

BECAUSE ONCE I GOT BACK

AND GOD HAD SORT OF REVIVED ME

AND GAVE ME A FRESH SENSE

OF THE GOSPEL'S NOW POWER,

I WAS ABLE TO GO BACK AND

DEAL WITH THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES

AS A FREE MAN, NOT SO MUCH

AFRAID ANYMORE OR CONFUSED.

IN OTHER WORDS,

BECAUSE JESUS WON FOR ME,

I WAS FREE TO LOSE.

BECAUSE HE WAS STRONG FOR ME,

I WAS FREE TO BE WEAK.

THAT ABSOLUTELY SET ME FREE

BECAUSE HE SUCCEEDED FOR ME,

I WAS FREE TO FAIL.

SO MUCH OF MY PAIN WAS

THE RESULT OF I CAN'T FAIL,

I CAN'T BE WEAK.

I HAVE TO SUCCEED.

I HAVE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN

BECAUSE I'M GOING TO AMOUNT

TO NOTHING.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE GOING

TO THINK OF ME IF I DON'T

MAKE THIS WORK?

IT'S A FAMOUS CHURCH

AND MY FAMILY IS WELL-KNOWN

AND PEOPLE ARE WATCHING.

AND IF THIS DOESN'T WORK

THEN I'M GOING TO HAVE A BAD

-- I WAS SO

SELF-PRESERVATIONAL

AND IT WAS ENSLAVING ME.

James: SO YOU WERE LIVING

UP TO THE EXPECTATIONS

OF PEOPLE?

BECAUSE THAT'S REAL BONDAGE

OR TRYING TO LIVE UP TO THAT.

Tullian: AND I THINK EVEN

MORE THAN THAT, EVEN MORE

ACUTELY THAN THAT,

EVERY TIME THE BIBLE DESCRIBES

SLAVERY, IT TALKS ABOUT IT

IN THE TERMS OF SELF-RELIANCE,

DEPENDING ON WHAT WE CAN DO

OR HOW WE CAN PERFORM

OR WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE

OR WHAT WE CAN MAKE

OF OURSELVES.

IT'S REALLY JUSTIFICATION

BY WORKS; IT IS HOW DO

I JUSTIFY MY EXISTENCE

BY WHAT I DO INSTEAD OF BEING

JUSTIFIED BY GOD BECAUSE

OF WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE.

AND WHEN THAT TAKES ROOT,

IT CHANGES EVERYTHING.

James: THE BOOK IS JESUS

PLUS NOTHING EQUALS EVERYTHING.

DO YOU HAVE A WEB SITE THAT

PEOPLE MIGHT GO TO THAT

THEY WOULD FIND --

THAT YOU MIGHT SHARE ON

OR WHAT'S GOING ON WITH

THE CHURCH OR WHERE YOU GO,

WHAT YOU DO.

Tullian: I BLOG.

I HAVE A REGULAR BLOG AT

THE GOSPEL COALITION WEB SITE

WHICH IS JUST

THEGOSPELCOALITION.ORG.

OUR CHURCH HAS A WEB SITE

WHICH IS WWW.CRPC.ORG,

AND ALL MY SERMONS ARE THERE.

I'M A MAD TWEETER.

SO @PASTORTULLIAN IS MY --

I WAS MADE FOR 140 CHARACTERS,

I'VE DISCOVERED.

AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT

EVERYBODY TELLS ME.

THEY'RE LIKE YOU JUST THINK

IN TWEETS.

YOUR SERMONS ARE NOTHING

MORE THAN A COMPILATION

OF TWEETS.

I'M LIKE, I'VE BEEN DOING IT

MY WHOLE LIFE.

NOW I HAVE A NAME TO GIVE IT

-- THANKS TO TWITTER.

[Laughter]

YEAH, I JUST HAVE

SUCH A HUNGER AND A THIRST

TO SEE THE CHURCH REDISCOVER

THE NOW POWER OF THE GOSPEL

AND TO BE LIBERATED BY

THE FRESH REALIZATION THAT

THIS WHOLE THING IS ABOUT

CHRIST'S PERFORMANCE FOR US,

NOT OUR PERFORMANCE FOR HIM,

HIS OBEDIENCE FOR US,

NOT OUR OBEDIENCE FOR HIM,

HIS FEATS FOR US,

NOT OUR FEATS FOR HIM.

BECAUSE WHAT WE BEGIN

TO REALIZE IS THAT WHEN

OUR HEARTS ARE GRIPPED BY

WHAT'S BEEN DONE AND

WE CAN REALIZE THAT

CHRISTIAN PEOPLE LIVE

THEIR LIVES UNDER A BANNER

THAT READS "IT IS FINISHED,

PAID IN FULL,"

SOMETHING HAPPENS

INSIDE OF OUR HEART

AND NOW WE SAY,

"TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE,

CONSECRATED LORD TO THEE.

TAKE MY MOMENTS AND MY DAYS,

LET THEM FLOW

IN CEASELESS PRAISE."

James: DO YOU BEAR WITNESS

WITH WHAT YOU'RE HEARING

FROM TULLIAN?

DO YOU LIKE

WHAT YOU'RE HEARING?

THEN SEE THE FRESH MOVE

OF GOD ON ALL PEOPLE.

I REALLY DO BELIEVE,

A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE ASK ME,

WHAT ARE YOU A PART OF, JAMES?

OR WHAT DO YOU WANT

TO BE A PART OF?

I WANT TO BE A PART

OF THE BODY OF CHRIST

AND I WANT TO BE CAUGHT UP

IN THE FRESH MOVE OF

GOD'S POWER AND SPIRIT

ON EVERY MOVEMENT AND

ON EVERY PLACE ON PLANET EARTH.

I REALLY BELIEVE THAT'S

WHAT KINGDOM IMPRINT DOES.

I BELIEVE LIVING IN

HIS PRESENCE IN THE PRESENT,

WE LITERALLY RELEASE

THE WEIGHT OF GOD'S CHARACTER

ON PLANET EARTH.

THAT'S WHAT I SENSE

YOU'RE DOING.

I THINK THE BOOK

IS FABULOUS.

I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY

TO GET IT AND REALLY ENCOURAGE

ALL OF YOU IN THE AUDIENCE

TO GET IT.

TULLIAN, WE'RE DOING

SOMETHING THAT -- EVERYTHING

WE DO WE LIKE TO DO.

WE LIKE TO DO IT BECAUSE

WE BELIEVE IT IS IN THE HEART

OF GOD AND WE'RE FORTUNATE

ENOUGH TO HAVE VIEWERS --

I JUST THINK YOU ARE THE MOST

SPECIAL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD

WHO REALLY LIKE TO ALLOW THE

RIVER OF GOD'S LIFE AND LOVE

TO FLOW BEYOND THEMSELVES.

WE WANT TO GIVE YOU

AN OPPORTUNITY AND I LOVE

TO HOLD UP THESE LITTLE

TINY SHOES EVEN THOUGH

PROBABLY THE MAJORITY OF

THE LITTLE FEET WE PUT THEM ON

WON'T BE TINY, THEY WOULD

BE LARGER CHILDREN LIKE THIS

AND THE CHILDREN

CAN WEAR THESE.

THEY ARE ACTUALLY ADJUSTABLE.

WE'RE ASKING YOU TO JOIN US

IN WHAT WE CALL CHRISTMAS

SHOES AND CHRISTMAS SMILES.

BETTY, WE'RE BEGINNING

RIGHT UP FRONT TALKING ABOUT

THE SMILES BECAUSE WE REALLY

WANT TO ASK YOU TO MAKE

A REALLY SPECIAL EFFORT

TO NOT ONLY HELP US

PUT SHOES ON 200,000 CHILDREN

THAT THE MISSIONARIES HAVE

ALREADY LOCATED WHERE WE HAVE

THE NEED, BUT ALSO TO DO

THE SURGERIES FOR CLEFT PALATE

AND OTHER FACIAL SURGERIES

THAT ARE NEEDED.

I WANT YOU TO JUST TAKE

THIS JOURNEY.

I WANT YOU TO JUST LOOK

AND LISTEN.

YOU'LL SEE SOME OF OUR FAMILY.

YOU'LL HEAR THEIR COMMENTS,

A SON AND A GRANDSON

COMMENTING ON WHAT THEY SEE

AND ON THE NEED THAT

WE CAN MEET TOGETHER.

WATCH THIS CLOSELY.

Announcer: LIFE OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL'S MISSION

IS TO SHARE THE TRUTH OF GOD'S LOVE IN WORD AND DEED

WITH PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

TOGETHER, WITH OUR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS,

WE PROVIDE THE ESSENTIALS OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE;

LIKE WATER FOR THOSE WHO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIFE

NOW HAVE SAFE CLEAN WATER TO DRINK;

FOR THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN WHO ONCE SUFFERED FROM MALNUTRITION

BUT NOW HAVE A HOT MEAL TO EAT EACH DAY;

YOUNG GIRLS ONCE IN BONDAGE IN THE DARK AND DEADLY WORLD

OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING ARE BEING RESCUED AND RESTORED;

AND FAMILIES, TRAPPED IN GRINDING POVERTY NOW HAVE HOPE

FOR A BETTER FUTURE LIVING IN A SAFE AND SECURE HOME PROVIDED BY LIFE.

THIS SEASON WE ONCE AGAIN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY

TO IMPACT THE LIVES OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN

WHO ARE EXPOSED TO THE RAVAGES OF HOOKWORM DISEASE

SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE PROTECTION FOR THEIR FEET.

IT IS A SIMPLE REMEDY -- SHOES!

SHOES THAT CAN PREVENT CHILDREN FROM SUFFERING ANEMIA,

MALNUTRITION, AND IN SEVERE CASES DEATH CAUSED BY HOOKWORMS

THAT INVADE THEIR BODIES THROUGH THEIR FEET.

Randy: THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT OUTREACH TOWARDS IMPROVING

THE HEALTH AND THE LIVES OF CHILDREN ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

NOT ALL OF YOU CAN COME HERE

AND HAVE THE PRIVILEGE THAT I HAVE OF ACTUALLY PUTTING

THE SHOES ON THE FEET OF THESE BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN,

BUT YOU CAN STILL BE A BIG PART BECAUSE REALLY,

WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU; DO WHAT YOU CAN.

GIVE AS MANY PAIRS OF SHOES AS YOU CAN.

EVERY TIME YOU DO IT, YOU'LL BE MAKING A CHILD'S DAY

AND YOU'LL BE IMPROVING THEIR HEALTH.

James: I WANT YOU TO PUT THAT

LITTLE KID BACK UP THERE.

I WANT EVERYBODY TO SEE THAT.

LOOK AT THAT LITTLE FELLA,

HOW HAPPY HE IS.

YOU SEE THAT?

THAT'S JOY.

LITTLE FEET...

GOT SOME SHOES.

BETTY, WHEN I SEE THOSE LITTLE

CHILDREN'S FACES, WASN'T

THAT A PRETTY LITTLE BOY?

IT'S JUST JOY.

WE CAN GIVE JOY.

Betty: WE CAN SO EASILY,

JAMES AND THESE CHILDREN,

NOT JUST THE FUN OF SEEING

THEIR SMILES WHEN WE GIVE THEM

SOMETHING LIKE SHOES BECAUSE

THEY'VE NEVER HAD THEM,

A LOT OF THEM BUT TO KNOW

THAT THEY'RE THERE FOR

A PURPOSE, WE'RE GIVING THEM

FOR A PURPOSE AND THAT'S

TO HELP THEM AVOID DISEASES

THAT THEY CAN GET JUST AS

WE SAW, WALKING AROUND

ON ALL THE OBSTACLES THAT

ARE ON THE GROUND AND

KEEPING THEM FROM GETTING SICK.

James: AND THEY DO GET

TERRIBLE DISEASES

FROM HOOKWORMS.

IT GETS INTO THEIR INTESTINES

AND INTO THEIR LITTLE BRAINS

AND IT IS JUST DESTRUCTIVE.

WE WANT TO ASK YOU TO DIAL

THE TELEPHONE NUMBER THERE,

AND WE KNOW WE'RE GOING

TO BE TALKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS

WAY AHEAD OF TIME BUT

WE WANT TO GET THE SHOES

AND YES, PROVIDE THE SURGERY

FOR CHRISTMAS SMILES TO DO

THE CLEFT PALATE SURGERIES

WHERE WE CAN.

WE WANT TO ASK YOU TO BEGIN

RIGHT NOW MAKING IT POSSIBLE.

WE HAVE ALREADY FOUND

200,000 CHILDREN LOCATED

WHERE THE MISSIONARIES

HAVE A HEART TO HELP THEM

AND TO SEE THE HEALING COME

NOT ONLY TO THEIR LIVES

AND THEIR COMMUNITIES BUT

TO THEIR BODIES.

SO WOULD YOU PLEASE

DIAL THAT NUMBER?

TAKE YOUR BANKCARD;

WOULD YOU MAKE A GIFT?

THE SHOES ARE $3.60 APIECE;

$36 WE'VE GOT TEN PAIR

OF SHOES.

YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GIVE

HUNDREDS OF PAIRS OF SHOES.

YOU MAKE A VERY SPECIAL GIFT,

WHATEVER YOU CAN DO,

YOU MAKE THE BEST GIFT YOU CAN.

WE'RE SENDING YOU A BEAUTIFUL

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WILL

MAKE A GIFT OF $100 OR MORE

THAT IS ACTUALLY A LITTLE SHOE.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL!

AND YOU PUT IT ON THE TREE

AND I PROMISE YOU THIS,

YOU'RE GOING TO BE THINKING

ABOUT ALL OF THE CHILDREN

THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO HELP

BECAUSE OF THE LOVE OF GOD

THAT WAS EXPRESSED

THROUGH YOUR GIFT.

WE WANT TO SEND YOU ALSO

A BOOK OUR SON WROTE,

THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK

THAT RANDY HAS WRITTEN

THAT HAS BEEN PUBLISHED,

GOD WANTS YOU TO BE HAPPY;

DISCOVERING DEEPER JOY

THAN YOU EVER IMAGINED.

OUR SON IS A GIFTED TEACHER.

HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN

AN AWESOME STUDENT AND HE IS

A GREAT COMMUNICATOR BUT

HE IS ALSO A GIFTED WRITER.

WHAT AMAZED US AND EVERYBODY

THAT'S READ THE BOOK IS

THE INCREDIBLE GIFT

TO COMMUNICATE AND TEACH

THE TRUTH FROM GOD'S WORD.

IT REMINDS ME IN MANY WAYS

OF BETH MOORE.

SOMETIMES I SAY MY GOODNESS!

THIS IS AMAZING TO ME

THAT YOU CAN EXPERIENCE JOY

EVEN AS YOU READ THE BOOK,

WHICH WE'LL SEND FOR ANY GIFT

THAT YOU MAKE TO HELP US

GIVE THE SHOES AND THE SMILES.

IF YOU CAN MAKE A GIFT

OF $1,000 OR MORE, WE HAVE

A SPECIAL ART PIECE,

A COLLECTIBLE THAT I KNOW

YOU'RE GOING TO TREASURE.

WE WANT TO SEND IT TO YOU

TO SAY THANK YOU.

YOU CAN GO ONLINE

LIFETODAY.ORG

AND MAKE YOUR GIFT.

BUT WOULD YOU PLEASE,

WOULD YOU DIAL THAT NUMBER

RIGHT NOW AND LET US KNOW

WHAT GOD HAS

IMPRESSED YOU TO DO?

EVEN IF YOU WRITE A CHECK,

MAKE IT TO <U>LIFE</U> BUT CALL US

AND TELL US WHAT

YOU'RE SENDING.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING IT!

Announcer: POVERTY IS A KILLER

AND BECAUSE OF IT CHILDREN NEEDLESSLY SUFFER,

NOT ONLY FROM A LACK OF FOOD AND CLEAN WATER,

BUT ALSO FROM A LACK OF THINGS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED

SUCH AS A HEALTHY SMILE OR A SIMPLE PAIR OF SHOES.

FOR MOST OF THESE CHILDREN,

THEY'VE NEVER OWNED A NEW PAIR OF SHOES

AND WHILE THAT MAY SEEM MINOR IN LIGHT OF ALL THEIR NEEDS,

WALKING WITH BARE FEET PUTS THEM AT RISK

OF LIFE-THREATENING INFECTIONS THAT COULD LEAD

TO CRIPPLING CONSEQUENCES, DISEASE, AND EVEN DEATH.

BY RESPONDING TODAY, YOU CAN HELP LIFE IMMEDIATELY SECURE

AND BEGIN SHIPPING CHRISTMAS SHOES TO 200,000 CHILDREN

AROUND THE WORLD JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

YOUR GIFT OF $36 WILL PROVIDE TEN PAIRS OF SHOES.

A GIFT OF $72 WILL PROVIDE 20 PAIR

AND A GIFT OF $144 WILL HELP PROVIDE 40 PAIRS

OF CHRISTMAS SHOES FOR CHILDREN IN NEED.

IN APPRECIATION OF YOUR GIFT, BE SURE TO REQUEST

THE INSPIRATIONAL NEW BOOK, GOD WANTS YOU TO BE HAPPY

BY JAMES AND BETTY'S SON, RANDY ROBISON.

WITH YOUR GIFT OF $100 TO HELP PROVIDE 28 PAIRS OF SHOES,

YOU MAY REQUEST THE BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED SHOE ORNAMENT

TO PLACE ON YOUR TREE EACH CHRISTMAS.

FINALLY, PLEASE CONSIDER A GIFT OF $1,000 OR MORE

TO HELP PROVIDE TWO CHILDREN WITH CORRECTIVE CLEFT PALATE SURGERIES

AND YOU MAY REQUEST "THE LION AND THE LAMB" BRONZE SCULPTURE.

PLEASE CALL, WRITE, OR MAKE YOUR GIFT ONLINE TODAY.

Betty: JAMES, I LOOK AROUND AND SEE THESE BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN

AND I THINK, IT IS NOT THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE THEM,

IT'S LIFE THROUGH SHOES TO PUT ON THEIR FEET

BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY DISEASES THAT COME

FROM WALKING AROUND IN THEIR BARE FEET.

THEY PICK UP SO MANY THINGS THAT GET IN THEIR SYSTEM,

IN THEIR BLOODSTREAM AND IT SLOWLY DESTROYS THEIR LITTLE BODIES.

SO IT'S A NEED THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.

IT'S NOT JUST A LUXURY. THEY NEED OUR HELP!

James: IT IS NOT EVEN COMFORT.

IT'S A CHANCE AND WE'RE ASKING YOU TO HELP MAKE THIS SPECIAL GIFT A REALITY

FOR SO MANY CHILDREN ALL OVER THE WORLD

BY MAKING A CALL OR GOING ONLINE, LIFETODAY.ORG

AND MAKING THE BEST GIFT YOU CAN BECAUSE YOU'LL BE MAKING THE GREATEST GIFT,

YOU'LL BE MAKING THE GIFT OF LIFE.

James: BETTY AND I EXPRESS

THANKS IN BEHALF OF

THE MISSIONARIES

AND ALSO THE CHILDREN

AND FAMILIES THAT YOU BLESS.

AND I DO WANT TO REMIND YOU

OF TULLIAN'S BOOK,

JESUS PLUS NOTHING

EQUALS EVERYTHING.

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL BOOK.

THE ENDORSEMENTS

AND ENCOURAGEMENT FROM

THE PASTORS THAT WE ALL RESPECT

AND OTHER LEADERS,

IT'S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

YOU KNOW MATT CHANDLER

IS ONE OF OUR BEST FRIENDS

AND A GREAT PASTOR HERE

IN OUR AREA AND PART OF

THE GREAT ACTS 29 EMPHASIS.

HE TALKS ABOUT HOW GREAT

AN IMPACT THIS BOOK

WILL MAKE ON YOU.

TULLIAN, I WANT TO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP

AT CORAL RIDGE, A CHURCH

THAT WE'VE HAD APPRECIATION

AND RESPECT FOR.

AND WE JUST THANK GOD FOR YOU

AND FOR YOUR FAMILY

AND YOUR WITNESS

AND FOR THE BOOK.

WOULD YOU JOIN BETTY AND ME

IN SAYING THANKS?

REGARDS TO YOUR FAMILY.

THANK ALL OF YOU SO MUCH

FOR WATCHING LIFE TODAY.

WE REALLY DO THANK YOU

FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEART

FOR HELPING US SHARE LIFE

EVERY DAY ALL OVER THE WORLD.

§

§

Announcer: FAITH, FAMILY, AND FREEDOM ARE UNDER ATTACK.

JAMES ROBISON AND JAY RICHARDS ENCOURAGE A DIVIDED AMERICA

TO STAND TOGETHER BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.

INDIVISIBLE -- NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK

AT ONLINE AND RETAIL BOOKSTORES.

Announcer: WHEN IN COLLEGE, GWEN AND BRAD

COVERED UP HER PREGNANCY WITH AN ABORTION.

JOIN US NEXT WEEK AS GWEN, ONE OF THE GIRLFRIENDS IN GOD,

SHARES HER JOURNEY FROM BROKEN TO BEAUTIFUL.