The Power of a Little Further With Jentezen Franklin

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Real America’s Voice

Episode: “The Power of a Little Further” with Jentezen Franklin

Date: September 28, 2025
Host: Jentezen Franklin (iHeartPodcasts, Real America’s Voice)

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Overview: Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, Pastor Jentezen Franklin presents an uplifting, sermon-style message on “The Power of a Little Further.” Aimed at encouraging listeners to move beyond their comfort zones in faith, worship, and life, Franklin explores biblical stories where miracles or transformation took place only when individuals (or the church community) chose to go a “little further.” Through storytelling, scriptural references, and moments of reflection, he challenges the audience to persist in spiritual pursuit, emphasizing the blessings, breakthroughs, and presence of God that can be found just beyond the familiar or comfortable.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Significance of God's Presence Over Form (07:30)

• Franklin’s Emphasis: The essence of church is not buildings, music, or preachers, but the presence of God.
  • Quote: “Bottom line in church is his presence… Don’t care how good your music is. Don’t care who your preacher is if his presence isn’t there – it’s just sounding brass and tinkling cymbals, a lot of noise.” (07:30)
• Message: Spiritual activity without God’s active presence is hollow.

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2. “A Little Further” – The Example of Jesus in Gethsemane (11:20)

• Key Text: Mark 14:32–35; Luke 22:41
• Observation: Jesus withdrew from his comfortable, familiar spot—the “place”—and went a stone’s throw further to pray, leading to an encounter with God in his most distressing hour.
  • Quote: “He went a little further… and was met by God at a powerful and perhaps the most powerful moment that could happen in that garden.” (11:20)
• Insight: Miracles, revelation, and comfort often lie just beyond our routines.

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3. The Test of Spiritual Desire (13:30)

• Scriptural Pattern: Throughout the gospels, Jesus often tests people’s spiritual hunger before responding with miracles.
  • Walking on water (Mark 6): “…and he would have passed them by… but they compelled him. They began to cry out… He was testing them. Will they go a little further and cry out to me?” (13:30)
• Application: Spiritual breakthroughs require persistent, passionate seeking and not settling for “just enough.”

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4. “Going Further” Brings Breakthroughs: Bible Stories Retold

a) The Blind Bartimaeus Story (18:16)

• Jesus passed through Jericho and “nobody cried out, nobody reached out… only outside the city, a blind man named Bartimaeus goes further (cries out louder), and that’s where the miracle happened.” (18:16)
• Lesson: Presence alone isn’t enough—faith must reach out.

b) Road to Emmaus (22:00)

• Jesus joins two disciples, but only reveals himself when they “constrain” him to stay for dinner—“He made as though he would have gone further.” (22:00)
• “He was testing them to see if they would go a little bit further in their desire for Him.”

c) Zacchaeus (23:00)

• Climbing the tree was going beyond comfort—“He did a little bit more than anybody else, because he wanted to see Jesus.” (23:00)

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5. Going Further in Worship and Church Life (26:30)

• Personal Application: Everyone has a spiritual “comfort zone”—in worship, in prayer, in serving.
  • Quote: “As people come into church as Christians, we get, we… This is where we’ve always gone. It’s not even that the Lord is disappointed, but I do believe he tests us sometimes… We don’t want to settle.” (26:30)
• Challenge: Move beyond the minimum; God has “so much more out there.”

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6. The Ten Lepers: The Deeper Healing of Gratitude (32:20)

• Only one leper returns, goes a “little further” to thank Jesus, and is made “whole” (internally and externally).
  • Quote: “He was shocked that they didn’t understand the power of going a little bit further… What they got was seen on the outside. What he got… was inner healing of emotions and trauma…” (32:20)

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7. Ruth: From Leftovers to Owner – The Power of Cleaving (35:20)

• Ruth goes beyond what’s required, refusing to leave Naomi, and is ultimately blessed beyond measure.
  • Quote: “There’s a difference between kissing and cleaving… when you get to that place with God where you’re not serving him for what he can give you… but because you love him… you move from leftovers in the field to owning the field.” (36:30)

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8. Esther: Pursuing the King Over the Kingdom (47:58)

• When faced with crisis, Esther goes further—fasts, prepares herself, and values being with the king over receiving riches.
  • Quote: “For sometimes money and material things are not enough. She needed the king’s authority, the king’s favor, the king’s power active against her enemy.” (48:50)
• Seeking God’s presence and favor is portrayed as higher than seeking blessings alone.

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9. The Invitation to Communion: Going a Bit Further in Response (54:10)

• Jentezen Franklin culminates the message by inviting the congregation to communion, highlighting the moment as a spiritual invitation to “go a little bit further” with Jesus.
  • Quote: “Will you go a little bit further this morning? Will you go beyond being in a good church… and enter a meal of communion with Him this morning?” (54:20)
• Prayer of salvation and reaffirmation is offered.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the nature of breakthrough:

  • “How many near misses of storms being calmed and families forever being changed… we were right at the gate, right at the door. How close, how many near misses have we had because we just didn’t go a little bit further?” (28:30)

• On comfort zones:

  • “There’s a comfortable place we get as men. There’s a comfortable place… we… This is where we’ve always gone. But I do believe He tests us sometimes.” (26:30)
  • “I wonder how many things we’ve missed because we’ve rushed out of God’s presence and didn’t go just a little bit further.” (56:10)

• On the essence of faith:

  • “You’re so close and that’s when the enemy comes to discourage you and say, just settle for where you are. It’s how it is. Accept it. No. The power of a little further…” (47:58)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Opening & Welcome: 03:07–07:27

  • Introduction, prayer, welcoming satellite locations and online viewers.

• Theme Introduction: 07:27–11:20

  • “His Presence is the bottom line”—framing the message.

• Message Launch (“A Little Further”): 11:20–15:13

  • Gethsemane, the “place,” and Jesus going beyond comfort.

• Biblical Examples of ‘Further’:

  • Storm and walking on water: 13:30–15:13
  • Bartimaeus and Emmaus: 18:16–23:00
  • Zacchaeus: 23:00–24:00

• Personal Challenge: 26:30–28:30

• Ten Lepers: 32:20–35:20

• Ruth’s Devotion: 35:20–44:54

• Esther’s Story: 47:58–54:10

• Communion Invitation & Prayer: 54:10–62:46

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Sectional Flow and Attributions

Opening & Welcome (03:07–07:27)

• Jentezen Franklin welcomes the audience, opens with the Lord’s Prayer, and offers heartfelt greetings to local institutions, online viewers, and satellite campuses.
• Personal anecdote: Reflects on time alone, worship, and the significance of “His Presence.”

Thematic Message & Scriptural Exploration (07:27–54:10)

• Franklin mixes storytelling, humor, and spiritual application, moving seamlessly between Bible stories and contemporary spiritual life.
• The tone is passionate, encouraging, sometimes humorous (especially in his retelling of Ruth and Boaz), and intended to gently prod comfortable listeners toward active spiritual pursuit.

Communion and Closing Call (54:10–62:46)

• The episode ends with an altar call, prayer of salvation, and a communal sense of invitation: to participate not just in ritual, but an intentional, heartfelt connection with Christ.

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Conclusion: Key Takeaways

• The true power and breakthrough in life—spiritually and otherwise—often lie just “a little further” than what is comfortable or familiar.
• Whether in worship, service, prayer, or life’s trials, intentionally going beyond your usual limit is repeatedly shown in Scripture to be the moment when God moves most powerfully.
• The relationship with God is not transactional or ritualistic—its essence is passionate pursuit, heartfelt worship, and a willingness to “constrain” God’s presence in our midst.
• The episode closes with the reminder that in life and faith, “don’t settle for half the kingdom… go a little further and find the King Himself.”

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This episode is rich with encouragement, biblical insight, and memorable challenges for anyone hungering for fresh faith and a deeper experience of God’s presence.

Transcript

[Jensen Franklin]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Jensen Franklin]

Hello, I'm Jensen Franklin and I'm so glad you're watching Real America's Voice. And I want to encourage you today to know that normally, I know you're used to seeing the News being broadcast 24 hours a day all over the world, but the founder of this network wanted to take some time on this Sunday and bring some good news to all the other news. What you do with the next few moments can affect the years ahead of your life. So lean in, listen to this message. I believe it's going to speak to you and you're going to encounter a God who loves you and cares about you this very moment. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. You deserve it. You deserve our praise. Hallelujah. Welcome somebody around you to church this morning. We want to welcome Gwinnett in Braselton, Spartanburg, Midtown, Alpharetta, Orange County, Metro Prison, Hays State Prison, Whitworth Correctional, Hall County. Correct. Phillips State Prison in Buford is joining us. Hall County Jail live each Sunday. And Lee Arendelle State Prison. Give them a big warm welcome, all of you online, all of you watching around the world. Thank you for being a part. We're so delighted that you're worshiping with us this morning. I had some time by myself yesterday and the day before. A little bit, everybody. Our house has been full for the last long time with a lot of grandchildren and this and that and that's all wonderful. And I got to sit down. Everybody had left, even Cherise, and. And I started just playing an old song on the piano and singing to Jesus. I didn't prepare you, but I began to sing and play in the key of elf. His name is wonderful his name is.

[Cynthia Littleton]

Wonderful.

[Jensen Franklin]

His name is wonderful Jesus, my Lord he is the mighty king he is master of everything his name is wonderful Wonderful Jesus, my Lord, Let me tell you about it. He's the great shepherd he's my rock of all ages O mighty God is he Bow down before him let's love.

[Cynthia Littleton]

And.

[Jensen Franklin]

Adore him for his name is just wonderful. He's Jesus, my Lord. Some of you don't understand this church and you never have. But we're so glad you're here. But I told the 9 o' clock service, in business, profit is everything. Bottom line in business is profit. The bottom line in sports is winning. We don't care how good you look on the field. If you lose, your loser winning. Bottom line in tv, when it's all said and done, ratings. Bottom line in politics, votes. Bottom line in church is his presence. Don't care what kind of building you've got. Don't care how good your music is. Don't care who your preacher is if his presence isn't there. His sounding brass and tinkling cymbals, a lot of noise. Haggai said the preachers in that day were bags of air, wind bags with no spirit and no life. But boy, when his presence comes, that's why we do what we do. May free chapel always be a church that has his presence. Because when they were singing, I felt his presence. And I hope while I'm preaching you feel his presence. Tell somebody we need his presence in this church. We cannot do church without Jesus around here. God bless you. Open your Bibles to the book of Mark, chapter 14. I'll begin reading with verse 32. Then they came in a place which was called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, sit here while I pray. And he took Peter, James and John with him. He began to be troubled, deeply distressed. Then he said to them, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death. Stay here and watch. This is what I want to preach about. And he went a little further and he fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass him. And he said, abba, father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but your will. I Love that. Verse 35, the first part. He went a little further. And then to give a little more detail in the book of Luke 22 and verse 41, it gives a little more description when he came to the place, which means it was a comfortable place and a. And a normal place and a place in the garden of Gethsemane. The garden of Gethsemane, I've been there many times. Is on the Mount of Olive. And that's a big, big place, acres and acres. And so there was a specific place that they were used to getting to and stopping. How many of you understand that? You know, like this was. They liked this area. It Must have had shade. And it was just perfect for what they wanted to do, to camp and to stay. And often you read that they came there and it's called the place, so it's a specific place. And he said to them, pray that you not enter into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw. And he knelt down and prayed, saying, father, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done. He, he, he withdrew. He went a little further. The, the account of Mark says this, says he went a stone's throw away. And I looked that up and one translation said it would be like the pitch, having a stone and pitching like you would pitch a softball in one of those softball leagues. A pitch. It, it he went beyond the comfortable, the normal where they had been so many times and even knew that when we get here we can kind of kick back because this is our place, the place. When he went a little further, a stone throws away. Then he was met by God at a powerful and perhaps the most powerful moment that could happen in that garden. I want to preach for just a few moments on the subject of going a little farther. The power of going a little further. The power of going a little further. He went a little further. He, he went a stone's throw away. Jesus often waits for his disciples response before he performed miracles in the Bible. The Bible tells us that when he came walking on the water in Mark the sixth chapter, when he came walking on the water, the scripture said that the storm was raging and the disciples were perishing. And suddenly Jesus comes walking on the water. And then there's this little phase and he phrase that says, and he would have passed them by. I, I, I marvel at that, that he would have passed them by. But they compelled him. They began to cry out. They began to say, lord, please come. He would have passed them by and, and they began to cry out to him. And when they began to cry out to him, he turned and came back to them, got on their boat and delivered them. And the scripture said because they decided that they couldn't let him pass by without having an urgency and a passion to cry out for him that Jesus came to them and he went to them in the ship. The wind ceased and they were amazed, wondered. I want you to get the point that it wasn't until they went, he tested them. He was, he would have passed them by and they were in a storm and he knew how bad they needed his help. But he was testing them. Will they go a little further and cry out to me.

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[Jensen Franklin]

And bring the boom.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

Hit the town with the ultra durable LG X Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG XBoom and for a limited time save 25% at LG.com with code fall25. Bring the boom XBoom.

[Cynthia Littleton]

There's a lot going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

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Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co Editor in Chief Cynthia.

[Jensen Franklin]

Littleton, the only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Cynthia Littleton]

Open your free iHeartradio app, search daily Variety and listen now.

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[Jensen Franklin]

Hello, I'm Jensen Franklin and I want to welcome you to Real America's Voice. There's something that's going to happen. I believe as you watch this program, lean in, listen and let's see what God can do in your life. I. I think it's important to remember the story of blind Bartimaeus. The Bible says in Mark chapter 10, it's to it says that Jesus entered into Jericho, but nobody cried out, nobody reached out, nobody went further than just being in his presence. You can be in his presence, but it wasn't until you go a little further that miracles begin to happen for people's lives. They were in his presence. He came into Jericho, he walked through Jericho. And we have no account of one person being healed, helped or ministered to by Jesus, even though his presence was there. No one cried out, no one reached, no one threw a stone a little bit further. It was, it's not far. But sometimes Jesus test us to see. Do you have desire? Do you have the hunger? Are you willing to reach out beyond just where you normally go and get? Because please understand they were in the garden to pray. But just because you're in the place of prayer doesn't mean you're praying. Just because you're in the place of worship doesn't mean you're worshiping. They were there in the place, very comfortable. But he went a little further and we ought to follow Jesus wherever he goes, beyond our comfort zone. And then the scripture said after he went into Jericho, no one cried out after walk through Jericho, no one reaching, no one asking, pray for my son, pray for my daughter, set me free, heal me. No one. He gets on the other side outside of the city of Jericho, and there's a blind man named blind Bartimaeus. And he starts crying out with a loud voice, jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. And the disciples said, don't bother the master. And he cried the louder. Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. Now what did he do? He went a little further than anybody did. He the miracle worker just walked far through the whole city and not one person healed. And here's a blind man. And he went a little further than anyone else. And Jesus healed his blinded eyes. Two men were walking on the road to Emmaus after Jesus rose from the dead. And Jesus joined himself to them. This is found in the book of Luke, chapter 24. He joined himself to them and he disguised himself so that they did not recognize it was Jesus. And he began to teach them all the scriptures and all the law. He taught them every type, every symbol, how that Moses and all that he did and how he was the type. Christ was the type. And they marveled and they said, did not our heart burn within us as he spoke? They were so moved. And when they walked miles and miles and miles together, not knowing it was Jesus, they get to their homes and they turn and they say, lord, come in and dwell with us. The late, the evening is late and you need some food and come in with us. And there's this little phrase that is pretty amazing. It says in the scripture that, that. And. And when Jesus made as though he would have gone further, he was, he was testing them. He. He. When they said, come with us, he said, oh no, I've got to keep going. I've got appointments down. Basically, this is what he was. He made as though he had to go somewhere else. Testing them to see if they would go a little bit further in their desire for Him. He doesn't need us to. I'm not preaching today on the power of trying harder. Not preaching today. On, on, on. In your own strength. All we need is Jesus. So the, this thing has to be about my passion for him, my going a little bit further. Sometimes we need to throw a stone out of our comfort zone and throw it and say, I'm going to. I'm going to do what I normally don't do. That's why we, this is a church that is here because we kept going a little bit further. We, we, we, we just kept. We want to. We want revival. We want a move of God. We want miracles. We want to see the goodness of the Lord in the land. We want to see our city saved. Let's keep throwing a stone. Let's never get to the place and say, look at us. We have arrived. God wants people. I think he's testing this church. Have you got any stones to throw that can you get out of? You think where you are is great, but I've got so much more out there. I just want you to want it. And the Bible said that when they constrained him, these two men, no. Then he came and that's when he revealed himself. He broke the bread. And when he broke the bread, he revealed himself. And they realized, oh, it is Jesus. He, the Risen One. He is with us. And he just. He just vanishes away. And their hearts burned within them. They would have missed that moment had they not constrained him. Had they not gone a little bit further, they constrained him. I need you to get in my boat, Jesus. I need you to heal my blind eyes, Jesus. I need you to come into my house. Zacchaeus, when he got outside of Jericho, there's another guy who went a little bit further. He climbed up above the crowd that had assembled. Again, you can be in a crowd and be in Jesus presence, but it's when you go a little bit further that you can touch him. And they were in his presence, but he climbed up that tree. He did a little bit more than anybody else, because he wanted to see Jesus. And Jesus saw all these thousands of people, and he said, I'm coming to that man's house today. And everything changed in his life. Go further than you've ever gone before. I believe even today, the Lord is saying, I want a church that has that spiritual attitude. What would happen if his disciples would have said when they went to the Garden of Gethsemane and Jesus went a little further, a stone's throw away. What would have happened if every one of them who were in their comfortable place. See, I believe that everybody has a comfortable place in worship. Meaning, okay, when I first came to Free Chapel, I thought y' all were crazy. And. But now, you might have been a Baptist, you might have been a Methodist, you might have been this, you might have been that. Who cares? We're here worshiping Jesus. And some of you had never raised your hand and you got to the half mask. You are there right now, which is a miracle, and praise God for that. And some of you are actually tapping your toes, whereas before you were just standing. But, but, but, but there's a comfortable place we get as men. There's a comfortable place there's. As people come into church as Christians, we get, we. This is where we've always gone. It's not. And it's not even that the Lord is disappointed, but I do believe he tests us sometimes. What if those disciples had said, oh, you're going further, we're going further. Oh, you're, you're going to give a little more, I'm going to give up myself a little more. If you're going beyond the comfortable place and that's where you're going to be, that's where we're going to be. We don't want to settle and just get used to being in this place, looking at our phone when we should Be in the house of worship. Just like to throw that in. If you're not staying in the comfortable place, if you're going beyond where you always go, I want to go with you. This is an hour and a time when we need to go further than we've ever gone before. It's time to take a stone's throw and say, lord, I want to break out of the, of the limitations that I put you in the box that I put you in. I want to go a little bit further. That's why we pray, that's why we fast around here. That's why we, that's why we, we, we're going a little bit further. And God blesses people and gives breakthroughs and miracles. When people give it a little bit just, it's not alone, you know, if you, if you throw a rock like a, like a pitch in it, I might could make it because I have an exceptional arm. I might could make it all the way back to that camera, but it's not that far, I think. I wonder how many near misses we've had in services. I wonder how many near misses of storms being calmed and families forever being changed and bondages being broken and addictions. We were right at the gate, right at the door. How close, how many near misses have we had because we just didn't go a little bit further? I'm not talking about trying harder. I love the fact that, that when he told the, the worship leaders in the Old Testament, one of the laws was that the priests who would lead in worship could not wear wool because wool makes you sweat. God doesn't want us trying harder and hyping and all he wants is a heart that whatever you're singing, man, your heart is, is whether it's fast, whether it's slow, whatever it is, it's in your heart. Because again, the bottom line is his presence.

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[Jensen Franklin]

Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

And bring the boom.

[Jensen Franklin]

Hit the town with the ultra durable.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

LG X Boom portable speaker and enjoy.

[Jensen Franklin]

Vibrant sound wherever you go.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

Elevate your listening experience to new heights because, let's be real, your music deserves it.

[Jensen Franklin]

The future of sound is now with.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

LG XBoom and for a limited time, save [e-mail] with code fall25 bring the boom XBoom.

[Cynthia Littleton]

There's a lot going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

[Cynthia Littleton]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co editor in Chief Cynthia Littleton.

[Jensen Franklin]

The only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Cynthia Littleton]

Open your free iHeartradio app, search daily Variety and listen now.

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[Jensen Franklin]

Hello, I'm Jensen Franklin and I want to welcome you to Real America's Voiced. If you'll give me the next few moments and listen, you're going to have the opportunity, I believe, to have a moment that can change your life. If something is driving you, Lord, I want to go further in our consecration, in our love and our desire for Him. Every one of us have a favorite place and then we like to stop. But I want you to hear me when I tell you that the Bible is full of examples, I think of the 10 lepers in Luke chapter 17. And the scripture said that 10 of them were told by Jesus, go show yourself to the priest and you'll be healed. And I love the fact that if you haven't been healed instantly, you don't quit and you don't give up. He why didn't he heal them instantly? None of them were healed instantly. Sometimes he did in scripture, sometimes he didn't. In this case, he said, you go show yourself to the priest. It was a good little distance they had to walk. And as they went on, what he said said they were somewhere in that journey. Ooh, I felt. I felt something. I've got my toes back, I've got my fingers back. I've got. Healing was a progressive thing. And the Bible said that only one of them, 10 of them got a miraculous miracle. Their life handed back on a silver platter, their families restored. But only one of them turned back. And with a loud voice, the Greek word there, mega voice, he said, thank you, thank you, thank you. I, I, I. Jesus didn't command them to come back. But notice Jesus questioned. He said, where are the nine? Were there not ten of you? Where are the rest? He was shocked. He didn't tell them to come back, but he was shocked that they didn't understand the power of going a little bit further. They got healed, but then he turned to that man and he said, be thou made whole. What they got was seen on the outside. What he got. The man who came back and went a little further was inner healing of emotions and trauma and all kinds of issues that that disease had triggered in his life. He looked good outwardly and inwardly he was made whole. All because he went a little bit further. Two more and I'll be done. It's a beautiful story of a woman named Naomi. And Naomi's husband died in a famine. They were in Moab. And her husband died. And then her son died. Son number one, son number two died. And so she's a widow. And her husband's wife is named Orpah. And then there is another wife that is a widow named Ruth. And this woman says to her daughter in laws, Naomi says to her daughter in laws, I'm going home to Israel. I'm going back to my hometown of Bethlehem, which means house of bread, Judea, which is from the word Judah, which means in Hebrew, praise, going back to the place of bread. I'm going back to the place of praise. And Ruth, who was a Moabite, she had worshiped Nothing but idols. Her whole life she saw God in her mother in law. And the other woman was a Moabite also. And she kissed her mother in law on the cheek, said by, I'm not going with you. But there's a difference between kissing and cleaving. And the scripture said that the daughter grabbed daughter in law, grabbed her mother in law. And she said to her, entreat me not to leave you. Where you go, I will go. This is Ruth. And your people will be my people and your God will be my God. I'm not letting you go. If you're going a little bit further, I'm going with you. I'm not just going to kiss you and let you go in the hard times. I'm going to cleave to you more in the famine than I've ever cleaved to you before. And so they cross the border, they leave Moab and they go instantly to the place of bread, Bethlehem, Judea, the place of praise. And when they get there, the Bible said she happened, she happened to go into a field to glean. Glean was the leftovers of the crop that were left on purpose for the poor people to have something to eat. And this single woman who had lost her husband and I loved the fact that Naomi said to her, you don't need to follow me. I can't promise you a husband. I can't promise you a life. I can't promise you a house and clothes and provision. I. I'm. I'm just going back potentially to die in the place that I was born and raised. I can't promise you anything. And that didn't deter Ruth. She held on even tighter. See, when you get to that place with God where you're not serving him for what he can give you and what he can get you out of and what he can do for you, but you're serving him because you love him and you're willing to go as far as he wants you to go. And she's out there in her raggedy clothes, starving and getting leftovers and putting them in a basket. And the owner of the field, whose name was Boaz, sees her. He's super wealthy, he's super blessed. He's. He's a. He's got in in a way that, that we can't even imagine. And he doesn't know that she's watching, she's being watched by him. And he rides up and, and he says first after he saw her, he called his team in and he said, now when she's Going to be working around to the other corner of the field and I want you guys to go back over there and I want you to leave handfuls on purpose because I like her, she's amazing. And I want you to leave it. And then I want you all to get out of here. And he rode over, she's picking up those leftovers. And she, and he began to say, who are you? And nice to meet you and can I get you email or something? You know, I don't know. And, and some of y' all need to learn how to do this. Let me preach to all the boys out here. Get off, get out of the basement, get off the Internet and get, go out into the field and ask somebody out for a date. Not with you. Want to follow each other? No, I don't want to follow you. I want to go out with you. Learn how to be a man. Lord have mercy. I don't understand these men today, these boys. And you ask, you pursue, and if you get rejected, get over it. Okay, back to the sermon. The older I get, the more I want to pry in those areas. There's a shortage of real men, godly men. There's a shortage of men who are looking for one wife for life, to have a bunch of babies and build a house. And that's what we're here for. I don't know where this is coming from, but it's the truth. All right, before I get in trouble. So watch this. So I like him because he let her know I like you. I want, I want, I want to know you. I want to get to know you. I really care about you. She goes home and she tells Naomi home was probably a homeless tent for real. And she says to her mother in law, I met this guy and he's Prince Charming. He had a white horse and everything. And I'm adding a little bit, but his name is Boaz. He sounds like a cowboy or something, doesn't he? You know, and I preached on that one time and got in a lot of trouble and I'm not touching that. So don't, Just relax. Went viral on that one. So I'm leaving millions. And now you go on your phone and your tire's going to be flat. In Jesus name I'm preaching right now. But, but listen to this, listen to this. I love what his mother in law, her mother in law said to her. She said, girl, you can read it. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm summing it up. But say you got to fix up a Little bit. You got to dress for where you're going, not where you are. So let's go down to Target and let's find a bit, you know, don't. You don't have to have a lot of money to look sharp. You don't have to have. It don't take being rich. Just make sure you're good and clean kept and everything's looking good. And put a little paint on the barn and whatever you need, you know, fix up a little bit. Girl, you this man, this, this is your moment. And boy, she, she went shaying in there. Next time he saw her, she was picking up that fruit, just scooping down. You know what? Y' all know how y' all do it. Don't take all that to get to your seat. It doesn't take all of that, but that's okay. We like that. But she was, she was putting it on. I mean, she was putting it on out there. I don't know what she was doing, but I guarantee she's getting his attention. And if he's a man, he's a man. He's a. What is going on? All right, let me finish this sermon. And sure enough, he fell in love with her. Listen to this statement. And he, she married him because he asked her to marry him. And she went from leftovers in the field to owning the field. Listen, because she went a little further, she married him. You got to understand, if you're just dating Jesus, if you're seeing him once a week, pretty much at church, and that's it, you'll never enter into the field of grace that God has for you. You'll never know. But when you stop dating him and you marry him.

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[Jensen Franklin]

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[Cynthia Littleton]

There's a lot going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

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[Cynthia Littleton]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co editor in chief Cynthia Littleton.

[Jensen Franklin]

The only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Cynthia Littleton]

Open your free iHeartradio app, search daily Variety and listen now.

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[Propane Energy Advertiser]

The US electric grid is approaching a breaking point as demand soars from data centers and home energy use, our aging infrastructure can't keep up, and the Department of Energy warns that without action, blackouts could surge 100 fold by 2030. The good news? One solution is already here. Propane. It's American made, stored on site and always ready. Powering homes and businesses with cleaner, reliable energy that doesn't depend on the grid or the weather. Learn [e-mail].

[Jensen Franklin]

Hello, I'm Jensen Franklin and I want to welcome you to Real America's Voice. Maybe you've been going through some things and you've had moments that have discouraged you. Or maybe you just feel like you've messed up and you can't recover. This message is for you. I believe it's going to speak to you this very moment. I conclude with this one more story of the power of a little further, just a stone's throw. You're so close and that's when the enemy comes to discourage you and say, just settle for where you are. It's how it is. Accept it. No. The power of a little father. The story is told in the book of Esther, of Esther, of how that Mordecai was going to kill all the Jews, and she was a Jew, and the king didn't know she was a Jew, but she had won a beauty contest and she was the queen. And Mordecai went to the queen, who was. He was her uncle. And he said to her, listen to these words. If you think because you're in the king's palace, you will escape the annihilation of your people. Just because you're in the king's house doesn't mean you're exempt from trouble, serious trouble. I just want to confirm to some people who are walking through the trial of a lifetime. It's not because you're not in the king's house. The devil puts a target on everyone who's in the king's house that is a child of God and tribulation. It's through much tribulation, much. You shall enter the kingdom of heaven. Listen to me now. Esther says, I tell you what, you're right. I got to go further. I'm going to go into the king and I'm going to talk to him on behalf of my people. But there was a law. It was not just. It was a law. It was commanded that if you entered into the presence of the king, he was so powerful that if he did not extend the sepulcher, you would be put to death for violating that throne zone. And the scripture said. She said, fast for me three days and I'll fast and have all of Israel fast. Call a fast for three days. Going a little bit further. Stone's throat. We're going to fast for three days for deliverance. And the scripture said that after they fasted three days, that she. You talk about fixing up. I don't have. I preached a whole sermon on it. One time. She went through preparation like you wouldn't believe. She bathed in oil, she did olive oil. She did everything you can. You ought to read the. The story of Esther and how she fixed up what the attire she wore and how many attendants she had. Just for one moment, she actually prepared for six. For six months. They had to go in. There's a story of Esther. I'm talking about when. During the beauty contest, after she won it, before she could go in, she had to prepare six months. And so here she goes, and she looks stunning, and she starts approaching the throne. And when the king saw her, he held out the sepulcher. And he said, come in. I don't know. She must have been a knockout, because when he saw her, your Bible said, he said, this is crazy. I mean, guys are crazy. And he looked at her, and just looking at her, he said, what do you want, Esther? I'll give anything to you. You ask me up to half the kingdom. Diamonds, rubies, golden chariots, homes. What do you need? You know what she said? I want to prepare you a meal, and I want to have communion with you. King. Oh, my God. She could have had 10,000 acres. She could have had anything she wanted. And all she wants is a dinner date. I want you. I want to say something strong right here. What she needed half the kingdom was not enough, for sometimes money and material things are not enough. She needed the king's authority, the king's favor, the king's power active against her enemy. He goes. The next night, she prepared a feast. She prepared a table, and they had a meal together. And it was so enjoyable to the king, think about this. That at the end of that night, he looked at her and he said, I said it before, but I really mean it this time. What do you want? Name it and you can have it up to half the kingdom. And she said, a second time tomorrow night. Could we just have communion together? Could I prepare another meal and would you come? I want to be with you more than half the kingdom. I want to be with you. All these other things shall be added unto you. Seek first the king. And when she went a little bit further in a second time, turned down half the kingdom, wealth and riches we can't even imagine. For the presence of the king and a communion meal together, it so won the king's heart that when he heard about Haman and his decree to kill the Jews, he hung him and destroyed him and elevated Esther like never before. All because she went after the king and didn't settle for half the kingdom. Will you go a little bit further this morning? Will you go beyond being in a good church? And God's here and I feel his presence and he's doing a work, but will you enter a meal of communion with him this morning? Will you take that communion set that you were given to and get it in your hand? And I'm going to ask you. And for some of you, going a little bit further would be to stay through an altar call. I wonder how many things we've missed because we've rushed out of God's presence and didn't go just a little bit further in Our worship and adoration and passion for Jesus. I want you to stand to your feet, please, on everyone who has the communion before we take it, I want us to pray and repent, confess. Jesus is lord over our lives. If you're lost, if you're a backslider, if you know you're far from God's presence. And I want you to get one of these communion sets. Raise your hand if you'd say, pastor, I need one of those. And you don't have one, raise it up. I want you to get it because he's inviting you to that meal right here, right now. And I know all of you were given one when you came in, but there may be a few. But look at me now. I feel this. If you don't know, you're right with God, God brought you here. But this service has been good and all of that. But the most important part of this service is your response to God. He's testing you. He can calm your sea. He can do miracles. He can provide. He can meet every need. But it's not about that. You've got to have a pure love for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and have communion with him. It's not about religion. It's about Him. Do you know him? Do you love him? Is he first in your life? Pray this prayer. Everybody listen. There's a reason why we do these things, and it sometimes we need to take a moment and explain it. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. So we're going to use the name of Jesus so that people can be saved from their sins. Secondly, the Book of Romans says that if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart. So why are we saying what we're about to pray? I'm confessing Christ with my mouth. I believe it in my heart that he died and rose from the dead. I believe that and I confess it. And by faith, I receive him as my Savior. And if I call on his name in faith, he forgives me. His blood cleanses me, his body heals me, and I receive it today. So pray this prayer. Say, Jesus, I believe you are the one who bled and died on the cross for me. And I believe that you rose from the dead for me. And today I go a little bit further. I believe what I preached and I'm constraining you. I'm calling on you. I'm crying out to you. I'm asking you, save me, heal me, help me, deliver me. You are my Savior, and I put all of my faith in you, I want the king. I choose you, Jesus, to be my king. And Jesus said it. And I like how Matthew or Mark chapter 14 says it in the scripture. And I want to read it right out of the text, right before the text that I used to preach from. It says this in verse 22. And as they were eating, Jesus took the bread and blessed it it and he broke it and he gave it to them. And he said, take, eat. This is my body now. I want you to see it. I'm taking his body symbolically into my body. I'm taking the stripes that he bore for my healing into his body, into my body. And by his stripes I am healed emotionally, spiritually, mentally, physically, relationally, financially. He is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord that heals thee. So let's not just take communion, let's go a little bit further and put significance to it this very moment. As often as you do this, you do this in remembrance of what I did on the cross for you. And if you take this meal, it's the meal that heals, it's the meal that feels, it's the meal that thrills, it's the meal that gives you life and life more abundantly. So take, eat this do in remembrance of me. And then in verse 24:23, he took the cup, take the cup. And when he had given thanks, he gave it to them and they drank from it. And he said to them, this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for many. Assuredly I say unto you of this cup, I will not drink of the fruit of the wine until the day that I drink it in the new kingdom of God. And I love the next part of the verse it says, and when they had sung a hymn, they went out. So we're going to sing this song one more time after we take this sip of his blood is getting into my blood and my bloodline and my family and my children's, my children's children. Blessed because his blood's coming in contact, cleansing my blood. Take, drink this do in remembrance of me.

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[LG XBoom Advertiser]

Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game.

[Jensen Franklin]

And bring the boom.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

Hit the town with the ultra durable LG X Boom Port portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because, let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG XBoom and for a limited time, save [e-mail] with code fall25 bring the boom XBoom.

[Cynthia Littleton]

There's a lot going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

[Cynthia Littleton]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co editor in Chief Cynthia Littleton.

[Jensen Franklin]

The only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Cynthia Littleton]

Open your free iHeartradio app. Search Daily Variety and listen now.

[NFL Shop Advertiser]

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[Jensen Franklin]

This is an iHeart podcast.