[ti:Freedom Of Preach (ft. Bishop Eddie Lee Long)]
[ar:Ludacris]
[al:Release Therapy]

[00:00.00]from:stanstarks
[00:00.01]Can the church say Amen? (Amen reverend)
[00:01.51]We gon＇ do another off in right now
[00:03.89]We gon＇ do another one in fifteen minutes
[00:05.69]And we gon＇ do one mo＇, right after that
[00:08.24]Yes, women you lookin so very beautiful here today
[00:11.74]Some of you with the same thang on from the club last night
[00:14.36]The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away
[00:16.92]Oh Lord Jesus I wish you＇d taketh away Sister Mary＇s wig
[00:20.17]Oh you disrespectin the House of God with that thing
[00:23.03]It don＇t even look real; aww, it＇s testimony time
[00:25.41]Oh who is that? Young Chris Bridges
[00:27.72]Boy I＇m glad you finally grew into them ears
[00:30.28]Go on and testify
[00:31.59](Ludacris)
[00:32.40]Lord, please forgive me for the mistakes I＇ve made
[00:34.95]And thanks for keepin my momma safe when she wrecked my Escalade
[00:38.57]See I could replace a Cadillac but I can＇t replace my momma
[00:42.06]I＇m sorry for the hip-hop beefs, we sorry for the drama
[00:45.60]But you gotta understand us rappers ain＇t never had nothin
[00:49.21]And one＇s loss is another＇s gain so we gotta grab somethin
[00:52.57]Lord, got so many questions I need the answers to
[00:56.02]And sorry for the thangs I put my baby＇s mama through
[00:59.51]I feel that women are really the strongest human beings
[01:02.49]But why do you make ＇em so emotional, and other minor things
[01:06.29]I guess it＇s your way of sayin we gotta love ＇em and gotta praise ＇em
[01:09.90]Cause without ＇em we＇d be nothin, plus our kids they gotta raise ＇em
[01:13.32]While we, out and about and seein what life has to offer
[01:16.74]But if you offer a new life then what we need is better fathers
[01:20.18]Either I＇m smarter cause of my daughter or I＇m just too dense
[01:23.57]I＇m 28 years old, it just now started makin sense
[01:26.99]And I＇ve been...
[01:27.82](Chorus One)
[01:28.69]Searchin so looooong, I was lost in the clouds
[01:33.42]I＇m tryna stay strooooong, and make you prouuuuud
[01:40.79]It took me some tiiiiime, but now I see
[01:46.78]That Heeeee resiiiiides, in me yeahhhhh yeah
[01:52.45](Ludacris)
[01:53.57]Lord, forgive me for anytime a fan said I was bein rude
[01:59.05]I＇m only human, I＇m not always in the best of moods
[02:02.47]But thanks for givin the gift of rap to write my feelings down
[02:06.08]And sorry for cursin sometimes but feelings make me shout ＇em out
[02:09.75]Forgive the people that wanna blame everything on rap music
[02:13.17]If they didn＇t live it they can＇t relate or even adapt to it
[02:16.47]Forgive those who don＇t think I＇m great and wanna see me go
[02:20.45]Forgive Oprah for editin most my comments off her show
[02:23.56]Don＇t get me wrong, I know some people got a image to hold
[02:27.17]But those who criticize the youth might just be gettin too old
[02:30.73]We still travellin through life, findin what＇s right or wrong
[02:34.09]I know some folks may not agree or even like this song
[02:37.71]But I＇m just speakin MY truth, cause I heard it sets you free
[02:41.26]And my conversation＇s with God, even though he speaks through me
[02:44.65]I＇m smarter cause of my daughter, and I＇m NOT too dense
[02:47.51]I＇m 28 years old, it just now started makin sense
[02:51.06]And I＇ve been...
[02:51.93](Chorus One)
[02:53.06](Ludacris - over Chorus One)
[02:54.12]I＇ve been searchin so long
[02:55.38]I admit that I＇ve been lost in them clouds
[02:59.05]I＇m just tryna stay strong baby
[03:02.49]You know I＇ma make you proud
[03:05.23]I know life is full of contradictions
[03:09.65]I＇m tryna become a better man
[03:13.56]Prayin for redemption, each and every day
[03:19.47](Hallelujah, as the choir sings)
[03:20.42](Chorus Two: sung by choir)
[03:21.60]Searchin so looooong (so long) lost in the clouuuuuds (in the clouds)
[03:26.35]Tryin to stay strooooong, and make you prouuuuud - make you proud!
[03:33.63]Took me some tiiiiime (took me some time) now I seeeee (oh now I see)
[03:39.54]Heeeee resiiiides, in me (yeah)
[03:42.84](Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special guest in the house tonight
[03:44.89]Came with some words of encouragement, Bishop Eddie Long)
[03:48.31](Chorus Two - repeat 2X, minus ad libs)
[03:50.11](Outro: Bishop Eddie Lee Long)
[03:50.86]What you just heard is real life
[03:52.11]It＇s real life for you, it＇s real life for many
[03:53.41]It＇s about where you been, yet at the same time you
[03:56.71]Ay, you find yourself, in the midst of conflict and turmoil
[04:00.38]Yes I＇m talkin to you, in the midst of conflict and turmoil
[04:03.80]Cause you realize HEY - it＇s, time to change right now
[04:08.34]And in the middle of that I wanna say this
[04:10.52]The Bible says that when I was a child, I spoke as a child
[04:14.88]I understood as a child, I fought as a child
[04:19.79]Hey, but when I became a man
[04:22.28]I put away those, childish things
[04:25.52]Did you not know that your environment has shaped you?
[04:28.63]Where you were born, in the projects, in the ghettoes
[04:31.99]In the upper downtown, wherever it was
[04:33.79]The people around you, the things around you
[04:36.34]Cause you to do strange things because, you were seeking to learn
[04:40.01]But what you learned, was on the streets, and not in the book
[04:43.06]God called you a prophet
[04:44.74]When you open up your mouth, everything of God comes out
[04:48.53]And it commands attention, it commands change
[04:52.21]I＇m talking about the power, that＇s inside of you
[04:55.57]And in the midst when you＇re, starting to understand
[04:58.12]That I caught the wrong message, and now it＇s time
[05:00.98]I＇m hearing from God, what amazing experience, as you hear from God
[05:05.29]He said, ＂Is there forth any man be in Christ, he is a new creation＂
[05:09.77]Old things are passed away, somebody needs to hear that and behold
[05:15.63]Everything becomes new, and when everything becomes new in you
[05:18.80]It＇s time to stop the killing
[05:21.17]I said it＇s time to stop the stealing
[05:23.53]It＇s time to stop disrespecting our women
[05:26.95]It＇s time for us to come home and raise our children
[05:29.83]It＇s time for us, to really mold our communities
[05:33.00]It＇s time for us, not to get hooked up in religion
[05:36.11]But to get hooked up in relationship, with God
[05:39.22]And the amazing thing about it
[05:41.28]Is wherever you find yourself right now, you can confess
[05:44.45]And you can tell God ＂I＇m sorry;
[05:46.64]I had the wrong cue, I was doing the wrong thing
[05:49.69]I was going after things that I thought were right, but it wasn＇t right
[05:53.43]And now that I＇m getting it right, I＇m asking you to forgive me
[05:56.66]And I may have done the things, that they said I did
[06:00.27]But I＇m not, who they say I am; I am who you made me to be
[06:05.12]And I＇m changing in that, and it takes a few moments
[06:08.36]But every time I fall down, I＇ll get right back up
[06:12.15]And every time I make a wrong turn, I＇ll get myself back in line
[06:15.64]Because I recognize, I have been called, for such a time as this!＂
[06:21.48]You can＇t resist the change
[06:23.60]And you＇re not condemned by your yesterday
[06:26.66]If you can grab hold of your now, and move in your destiny
[06:31.39]Move, change, and be, now!
[06:35.43](Chorus Three: sung by choir)
[06:36.12]Searchin so looooong, lost in the clouuuuuds
[06:41.91]Tryin to stay strooooong, and make you prouuuuud - make you proud!
[06:49.74]Took me some tiiiiime (took me some time) now I seeeee
[06:55.66]Heeeee resiiiides (Heeee resiiiides) in me (in me yeahhhhh)