 Right, so Hebrews 2 and verse 1, right, it says therefore we must give the more earnest a heed to the things we have heard lest we drift away. And then it goes on to say, for if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast in every transgression and disobedience received just toward how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation and so on and how God bore witness it was for talks about the signs and wonders and miracles and all that. So it basically the context of this is the whole message of salvation giving heed to it and not drifting away from the faith. And so well that is the that is the truth and that's the context I just want to talk about you know some of those things that that we have learned over this semester this last few months that to give earnest heed to things that we have learned things that we have heard and also about particularly about the truth of God's word whatever God has been showing whatever we've been learning the truth of God's word give it the earnest heed to give it our attention and diligence and in in in just deceiving and also walking in it right. The things that we have heard lest we drift away so talks about the possibility of drifting away the possibility of shifting away from from the from the truth right. So the key is to be diligent to give it the earnest heed to be sincere and to be diligent and to be careful to give it our attention right. So yeah so let's pray and I just want to talk more about this in a little bit. Okay let's let's pray Father we thank you we thank you for your exhortation God reminder Lord that we need to give it or give the things that we have heard give the things oh God the truth that you have you have brought into our lives Lord and you continue to declare over us Lord and what to teach us Father God Lord to give it the earnest heed oh God be diligent to be careful to give it our attention and the reality of drifting away Father we we just pray that as much as the reality of drifting away is real and we know that the reality of being established the truth of being established in your word and continuing strong in your word in your ways is also Lord such a reality Father God and we pray I just pray that over each one of us that we will walk in at God that we will be established in the truth we will not stray away that we will not drift away but we will continue to walk in at Father God each and every day we thank you in Jesus match this name we pray amen amen yeah well we just continue on with that same verse to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard lest we drift away so it talks about the possibility of drifting right so drifting we know it does not happen in a day right drifting happens over a period of time drifting drifting happens because we believe or we tell ourselves a different narrative we reason and it's it's an incremental ways it's small incremental ways we tell ourselves we reason within ourselves and we tell ourselves something different from what the word of God says right it could be an outright lie or it could be something mixed with the truth like a lie mixed with the truth and we we tell ourselves we believe that and it could be about ourselves it could be about the situation that we are facing maybe some challenges that we go through and we tell ourselves that and that causes the drift that causes the drifting away the moon away from the truth right and and the thing is it's it's the drift is never overnight right it happens over a period of time so so it's it's the greatest of deceptions is self deception right so when that happens then we we drift and we find ourselves in a place where we have compromised and on the truth and that does well that is that has effect that affects us and affects us our our wholeness is affected right and the first place where it's it finds where we where it is compromised is in our in our emotions our emotional health our sense of peace and joy we lose it and then we find that we have it is because we have we have deceived ourselves right so so slip your wands exod for saying you know you give it you be careful you give it the careful attention to the things that God is teaching the things that God is bringing into our lives so that we don't drift away okay so just want to talk to us about a little bit about you know what what causes that drifting you know or what what is it that we tell ourselves when we perceive ourselves which causes this shift right which causes this small drift okay the first one that we know the way by which we can deceive ourselves is when we when we hear the word you know scripture talks about we see it in James chapter 1 and verse 22 let's go then James 1 and verse 22 and we is when we hear the word of God and we don't do the word of God or we don't obey the word of God okay we so James 1 and verse 22 but we doers of the word but not hear us only deceiving yourselves so James was very clear you know it's it's when we it's when we hear the word it's when we maybe even appreciate the word it's it's you know we we do all that maybe we even study in the sense we you know we analyze and we talk about it and say okay this is good and this is you know this is this is how it is sometimes we can do that right get into the get into the you know this is what the scripture this is what the passage means this is what the meaning of this word and etc and well the last bit is to actually receive it ourselves internalize it ourselves personalize it and walk in it right which means obey the instruction if there is one and to if there is an exhortation to receive it and and walk in it so when we don't do that we actually deceive ourselves so the truth is not at work in us right and we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth like Holy Spirit wants to lead us into all truth and it is the truth that sets us free right so when we come short of that when we analyze appreciate and dissect and you know do all that and when we don't do the word when we don't obey the word then we deceive ourselves right so so that over a period of time causes us to move away move away right so it becomes a it becomes a kind of a dichotomy where i you know i'm engaging with the word i'm hearing is it possible to do that you know sometimes with is it possible to do that yes it is possible and we can appreciate you know we can analyze we can we can go into depths of it and and not really through the word of God right so we deceive ourselves okay the second thing is when we deceive we deceive ourselves when we don't allow the Holy Spirit to convict us and when we give ourselves when we try to reason and justify and say i'm actually walking doing things in a righteous manner whereas we are not when we say that we have no sin right so it's not to you know there's a there's a difference we have been made righteous in Christ we have been washed by the blood of Jesus we have been justified so you know it's it's not that our position is not that of of sinners in that sense we have been bought we've been we are new creations in Christ and we are we have we made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus like we understand our position this is something glorious that has happened to us and we rejoice in it right but when we justify our wrong doing when we say uh when we do something and when we give reasons and and justify and we say i have no sin and that's what we see in i'm one john one and verse eight right it's like if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves right and the truth is not in us so um so to have a honest uh honest and open um and transparent uh relationship with God and with the Holy Spirit and when he says uh when even we know that when he convicts us do not to justify not to give reasons and to say why what we're doing is right when we know deeper than that it is wrong so so that that is one more the first one is when we uh when we um hear the word of God and if don't do the word of God no James one talks about that then the second one is uh uh what we see in one john one and verse eight when we when we justify and when we say that we don't have any sin we don't uh and when we justify it when we reason then we deceive ourselves right then also talks about when we say and believe something that we are not okay when we say and believe something that we are not okay um this is Romans 12 let's get Romans 12 okay Romans 12 and verse three for I say through the grace given to me to everyone who is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith okay and we see the same thought again in Galatians 6 um Galatians 6 and looking at verse three says if anyone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing he deceives himself okay so it can be like we see in Romans 12 can be something that when we think of ourselves more highly when we think of ourselves to be something when we are not okay now most often our thoughts go to the fact that um well um it about tried right we think ourselves highly so okay I think as myself highly than I ought to um then I'm actually you know when I'm when I'm not something and I think of myself as you know something then I deceive myself Galatians 6 talks about that but um but the opposite is also true the fact that when we think ourselves lower or lowly when God in fact pronounces and declares that this is your our true position like when he says that you're a child of God he says that you are precious in his eyes he says that uh well your future is secure and when he says that you know the very thoughts that he has for us the plans that he has for each one of us to give a hope in the future and and so on when he's when he declares that over us and when he says that you will hear his voice and we will be led by him um and when we believe ourselves to be lower than that when we when we cancel out that and we disqualify ourselves then we deceive ourselves um so many times we we think of right and we say okay I should not be arrogant I should not uh you know have these kind of selfish ambitions and and so on and we hold ourselves back um well that's to be in a safe place that's that's okay um to be in a you know uh to have a word-centric position about ourselves a perspective about ourselves just fine but also the other thing is also when we we look down or when we say something or otherwise um when we say something which is which is not in line with what God is declaring over us that is also true we deceive ourselves when we think that we are something or someone that we are not okay so to have a true perspective ourselves is to not deceive ourselves right and uh who better than than God himself and who better than the one who dwells within to give us a fresh new uh clear true perspective of ourselves what we can be and who we are right now right um and we need to hold both intention you know who we can be what we have you know what we have become spiritually what we have what we have become a true identity and uh you know where we are right now and what we can mature to be right so so that's that's that's what God does that's the you know one of the ministry of the Holy Spirit right to teach us to show us all the things that have been freely given to us in Christ Jesus right hey um a couple of other things we when we when we think um okay same in Galatians chapter six and verse seven um okay let's look at that Galatians six and verse seven says do not be deceived God is not mocked for whatever a man sows that he will also reap for he who sows to his flesh will off the flesh reap corruption but he who sows to the spirit will off the spirit reap everlasting life okay he who sows to this flesh will off the flesh reap corruption but he who sows to the spirit will reap everlasting life so um so this is uh again you know it's this verse starts by by declaring you know do not be deceived okay so this is also another form of self deception when we tell ourselves that what I'm sowing um you know I'm sowing this but I will actually reap something else okay we are deceiving ourselves when we are sowing to the flesh right when we are being led by the flesh and we are sowing to things of the flesh and when we tell ourselves that hey actually I will reap something else you know I will not reap the consequence of this um then we deceive ourselves now the thing is this you know God is bigger than our mistakes right that is why he's the redeemer and he's bigger than the mistakes that we make is bigger than you know even our openly rebellious mistakes right when we come back to him and when we seek him in humility you know he does redeems but the fact is the consequences some of these consequences remain right so there's a you know like we lose time because of our sowing to the flesh or we it takes time for us to be restored there are because we are dealing with the consequences of sowing to the flesh so but the consequences remain but it is true that God is bigger that God was bigger than our mistakes he will restore us but there are some consequences earthly consequences um to be faced and to be overcome okay um and uh and to and to work through right some of these things uh maybe like for example if we if we have made some poor choices with regard to our spending um getting into debt and spiraling into you know further and further into debt well God is bigger than that God is definitely bigger than that he can give us a breakthrough financial breakthrough and he can set us on the path of financial restoration right so we know that but it's a path right he can do it overnight if we if we have the strength to handle it and if we have got we've been restored you know in our thinking in our in our in our choices and everything if we have actually got everything right otherwise it's a path of restoration right is it is going to be a path so which means that we have to walk through that uh or take that path take those steps of restoration which is in that path right so um so if i'm thinking to myself that i can be i can escape that somehow escape the reality of the consequences of sowing to the flesh right um then i'm deceiving myself you know the thing is without realizing if i'm somehow convincing myself that i can continue to walk in it i can continue to do the things that i'm doing and yet it will not affect me like it's like you know saying that i i can eat stale food and somehow let my digestive system and my entire health not be affected i can continue to eat you know stale food and it will not affect my health it's as foolish as that we are deceiving ourselves when we think of that right um so here so these are a few things um that we can we can we can look at um just one last thing is what we look at what we see in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 33 okay let's uh 1 Corinthians 15 okay um here verse 33 says do not be deceived evil company corrupts good habits okay evil company corrupts good habits so here also scripture warns do not be deceived okay so well we might be strong right now and uh yes we are called to you know take the light to those in darkness to take the light into those environments which are dark which require the truth of god and which require his light his truth we are called to take the light into those environments um but we need to take heed to ourselves um when we are in those environment we immerse ourselves in those environments right uh we need to be careful that we don't lose sense of who we are um it is uh you know i remember talking to a friend who was actually in the entertainment industry right in the entertainment industry and so he was actually a musician um and here in india and then moved out uh but um so he used to talk about the reality of it right he had a very strong sense of um of his calling that he was called to make a difference in the lives of people in the entertainment industry um so you know whether well he was a musician so you know the places he would play in different places and um so he's a guitarist and and so on so uh but the thing is he would always say that uh it was always with a lot of prayer it was always with a lot of prayer backing um his mother you know praying for him and and so on but he says that the whole thing is set up to make you fall the whole thing is set up to make you fall you know it's it's a strong hold the whole thing is set up to make you fall make a person fall make a person addicted to get a person to destroy oneself you know if you look at it that is how the whole system works um so it is not just mere entertainment um so so you said one needs to be very careful it's a very slippery slope um and especially for those who are in it like day in and day out um he says the people the whole environment the conversations the value he said it's it's very very it's very difficult it's very dark right so at the same time gotta put into him the compassion and love for those people so so the thing is this you know the reality of this was evil company it corrupts good habits so we might have good disciplines we might be strong but the environment you know be mindful is the environment getting inside of you or is what in you is going and making a change in the environment do not be deceived okay so um so the thing is this that the drift happens over a period of time it is not overnight so that the deception happens over a period of time uh and uh and then we realize that we have drifted we have compromise on the truth and uh and the reason we are looking at it you know uh today uh in line with with the inner wholeness is that uh when the truth is compromised and when we drift from the truth then our the our sense of wholeness is again is compromised right so our emotions are excuse me our thoughts our emotions our imagination is everything that begins to be affected right so um so that is the reality of it but uh like fall says um or you know the right of Hebrew says that we think of better things we hope for better things we expect better things of the believer because um yes we have been given the resources we have been um given the empowerment on the strength and we have been given the presence the active real presence of God himself you know he's in dwelling us so let's not be uh let's not forsake that you know let's be mindful of that and aware of that you know it's such a wonderful reality that not only do we have the word of God but we have the author himself you know we have the author himself dwelling with us uh all the time all the time right so rather than drift away we have the choice to be established and continue strong in him and uh minister to others the wonderful truth of this word of this you know word which liberates people right which brings wholeness and healing in people's lives right okay so with that we bring we bring things to uh close in emotional hold uh in a wholeness um you will I think we've not done a quiz yet so we will have a you know one quiz uh by the in the next week and then one more uh in by mid april or so and that will be the assessment for um in a wholeness and for e-learning students also the same thing we will have two quizzes so one by next week and one more um by the end of April and of course for e-learning students you can actually do these assessments this graded assessments before the end of end date that is mentioned uh end date of that is I think 20 April or 27th of April so you have time till then but online students it will have it will be time bound the due date will be mentioned on the uh assessment on the quiz right okay so any questions any thoughts any questions any things that you might want to share we could do that now anything at all um then there was silence okay um okay so I guess it's like the wedding was and yeah I do whatever oh no no not I don't know if they have anything against each other you can say uh forever hold your peace so I guess this is forever hold your peace okay right fine okay so uh so all the very best it was great uh journey through uh this subject this semester um not bless uh you know just just remind I just want to remind us about one last thing uh you know the steps journey into emotional wholeness right so I just want to that is always already reckoned up right we can go back and from time to time you know for us also you know as not just as ministers but personally to just go through that right take those steps of reminding ourselves of God's love and and so on so yeah to to remind us and to walk through that journey through that into emotional wholeness because stuff happens like as ministers of God stuff happens as believers stuff happens right we face challenges we face people who say things do things and especially when it comes to ministry you know I you know that there are challenges and then we you know we hear things we people say things and and uh we uh we are you know affected emotionally and also our choices our decisions you know things that we do uh you know so we we do get affected so uh we need to constantly you know walk in wholeness like this wholeness has been granted to us Shalom has been given to us based on what Lord did for us on the cross so it is our it is our inheritance it's our possession but from that base we need to constantly walk in it so yeah as you see your comments thank you so much yeah it's uh it's really privileged for taking us through that through this course so yeah so god bless you right have a great uh week ahead um yeah god bless right bye bye thank you thanks see you