The Kerygma Ventures Podcast with Dudley Hall
166 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsEach month for more than 40 years, Dudley Hall has shared from his heart what God is teaching him. Refreshing, candid, and honest expressions of God’s grace in Dudley’s life inhabit these messages of grace and simplicity. Liberation from legalism as well as total involvement in the Kingdom of God give balance to a message designed to fulfill our destiny in Christ. Dudley’s gift of teaching allows him to share the simplicity and truth of God’s message in a way that encourages his listeners to put truth into practice. Through laughter, tears, and thought-provoking topics, you’ll come face-to-face with the truth of the scripture and the reality of a loving Father. People often comment, “Dudley Hall makes the essential things seem simple.” While you laugh and sometimes cry, truth will grip you in such a practical way that you are encouraged to live it out.This is not a program of random messages selected to impress people or promote sales. It is indeed a “life in progress” being shared through a craftsman’s skill and disciple’s heart.
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Episodes
When Hope Confronts Consumerism (DMM-AUG19)
August 01, 2019 19:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBThere is a growing number of church leaders who, having a heart of a true pastor, recognize the attractional model of the church is not getting the job done The metrics of our consumerist culture are not those of the kingdom of heaven. When we measure the success of our ministry primarily by attendance, money, and the Sunday experience, we have missed the point. The called-out ones that comprise the church Jesus is building are marked by an overwhelming passion for knowing him, a love and s...
We Are Here and There (DMM-JUL19)
July 01, 2019 17:00 - 41 minutes - 28.5 MBLincoln Steffens went to Russia after the Russian Revolution and saw the new collective form of government, known as communism, being tried. Things looked so good in the early days that he reported back home, “I have seen the future and it works.” Of course, by 1989 the country was in big trouble, having witnessed millions of people dead in the tragic experiment. However, the scriptures testify that we can see the future and it really does work. If then you have been raised with Christ, s...
Sharing the Father's Joy (DMM-JUN19)
June 01, 2019 04:00 - 33 minutes - 15.5 MBLUKE 15 - When we share the life of God, we find ourselves celebrating what he celebrates. It is an awesome thing to share the life of the Triune God. Jesus made the nature of God clear and real. He is a Father who loves to show his love for his own. We often reveal that we are either not conscious of our shared life, or that we are still trying to live in a way that will be acceptable to God. God designed humans to be joyful. That is part of what it means for us to be his image bearers....
Temptation & the Christian (DMM-MAY19)
May 01, 2019 18:00 - 53 minutes - 24.7 MBWhat is the deal with temptation? Are we just playthings that God is watching as we struggle with an enemy that is invisible and amazingly deceptive? Does he enjoy seeing us get trapped and fail? Are we being tested with some vast rewards going to those with the best score, but most of us feel like the perpetual “D” student? The Bible tells of three battlegrounds with three different human representatives. We gain invaluable insight as we examine these. We begin with the presupposition tha...
The Mystery of the Times (DMM-APR19)
April 01, 2019 04:00 - 47 minutes - 21.9 MBI have mentioned in earlier messages how confusing all the discussions about the end of the world had been to me during college and seminary. The coffee shop debate often brought out charts and maps. The pressure was on to declare your stance on the issue of “pre-,” “post-,” and “a-.” If you didn’t experience the intensity of those discussions in your journey, the issue was about whether Christ’s return would occur before the beginning of the millennium (“Pre-” as in Premillennialism), after...
Last Days Religion (DMM-MAR19)
March 01, 2019 05:00 - 46 minutes - 21.2 MBIt seems that some have missed the point of the apostle Paul’s warning about pow- erless religion because they have delayed it to some future last days. He is clear that he is not speaking of some distant future, but the last days that were present then and are present now. Paul was living in the last days of the Old Testament era, as it was being fulfilled in Jesus and his new people. This era officially ended in 70 AD when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by Rome. Paul also is aware...
Pent-Up Love (DMM-FEB19)
February 01, 2019 05:00 - 48 minutes - 22.3 MBIt is common to hear of someone going off the rails with a temper tantrum and justifying it by their pent-up anger but seldom do we diagnose our inner frustrations as coming from pent-up love. I think we should consider it. One of the blessings we receive by sharing life with Christ is the love poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Learning Contentment (DMM-JAN19)
January 01, 2019 05:00 - 37 minutes - 17.3 MBIn a culture where the economy is largely based on people being discontent with what they have so that they will buy something more, contentment is a rare state of mind. Too many of us have bought the lie that more stuff will mean less misery. We are captives of materialism, which demands that we measure our happiness by what we have, compared to what some others have. We already have so much that we must rent storage space to house our stuff. Sadly, much of the stuff we pay to store will be...
A People With One Voice (DMM-DEC18)
December 01, 2018 05:00 - 48 minutes - 22.5 MBThe public’s perception of Christians is not very good. Various surveys reveal that many have bought the description of Christianity offered by secularism and have focused on the failings, mistakes, immaturity, and imperfections of Christians. We should expect this since our culture seems to be obsessed with distorted caricatures of those we don’t want to know. The common complaints regarding Christians are that we are hypocritical, judgmental, and unloving. Where those criticisms are true...
We Fight by Standing (DMM-NOV18)
November 01, 2018 04:00 - 53 minutes - 24.7 MBSpiritual warfare has been dragged through many pits of distortion in an effort to establish how we relate to the forces of evil in the world. It seems that every 20 years or so, there is another outbreak of “deliverance ministries” focused on how we gain victory in our own lives over the influences of demonic powers. Those of us who have been through some of those cycles can remember screaming at demons in the middle of the night, arguing with voices that claimed authority beyond ours, and ...
Living In: "Therefore" (DMM OCT18)
October 05, 2018 04:00 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MBIt is significant that the first 11 chapters of the book of Romans do not give many instructions. In fact, there are basically two imperatives in that section. One is in chapter six when Paul tells us to reckon ourselves dead to sin, alive to God, and yield our members as instruments of righteousness instead of wickedness. The other is in chapter 11 where Gentile believers are warned not to be arrogant toward Jewish prospects. But, chapter 12 opens the floodgates to the instructions regarding...
The Exile Is Over (DMM-SEP18)
September 03, 2018 04:00 - 46 minutes - 21.2 MBOn our journey with Paul through the theological fulfillment of Israel’s trip from Egypt to the promised land and exile in the book of Romans, we come to chapters 9-11. Some biblical scholars see these chapters as sort of a parenthesis where Paul feels the need to address the true identity of God’s Israel. Personally, I think this discussion fits in perfectly with his timeline, explaining the theological significance of the Red Sea experience, the Law at Sinai, entrance into Canaan, and now t...
The Secret of Meaningfulness (DMM-AUG18)
August 13, 2018 04:00 - 54 minutes - 25.1 MBThe latest embarrassing eruption of incivility in the public eye has been reported recently including several people in President Trump’s administration being harassed by those holding different political views. But it has been escalating for some time, with multiple universities shutting down divergent political voices that might question the prevailing sexual revolution’s agenda. Late night TV is rife with vitriol, and public dialogue is becoming more difficult each day. Many are uncomforta...
How To Please God (DMM-JUL18)
July 01, 2018 04:00 - 37 minutes - 17.2 MBA friend recently spoke of the prevalence of “Adam’s itch” in all of us. He was talking about the compulsion to do something to get back into the good favor with God—back in the Garden of Eden—back to where we can be the recipients of God’s blessing rather than the object of curses. Like all itches, Adam’s itch begs to be scratched, and it feels so good for the moment, but later causes further inflammation and infection. It seems that we will go to any length to hear another clever way to pul...
What's in the Inheritance? (DMM-JUN18)
June 01, 2018 04:00 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MBIn the eighth chapter of Romans, the apostle Paul is describing what living in the promised land looks like since the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. He skillfully uses the story of Israel’s exodus and occupation in Canaan as a template for us. The Spirit leads us rather than an actual cloud and pillar of fire. We share the full inheritance, which is the life of Jesus rather than a small piece of real estate. We share not only in his access to the Father and the assurance that we are now...
Compelled to Speak (DMM-MAY18)
May 01, 2018 04:00 - 41 minutes - 19.4 MBActs 4:20 - The state of current American Christianity is generally rather shaky. For generations, we have spent the capital of moral strength we had stored up from generations that preached and practiced the gospel of transformation. We have tried to maintain a moral society without the infusion of passion that comes only from believing in the resurrected and ascended Lord. When we look at the model of New Testament believers in comparison to contemporary Western Christians, we are astoun...
Jesus Is Lord and He Has Spoken (DMM-APR18)
April 01, 2018 04:00 - 46 minutes - 21.6 MBActs 2; Hebrews 1:1-2 - When I was a teenager, the big question at church youth camp was whether it was possible to know Jesus as Savior and not as Lord. Many of us wanted the assurance that we were “saved” from the penalty of our sins, but we weren’t sure we wanted Jesus to be the Lord (Boss) of our lives. Little did we know how dangerous it is to confess Jesus as Lord. There is good news: Jesus is Lord. It is true—and dangerous. Since Jesus is Lord, and he has spoken, his word carries ult...
News We Can Trust (DMM MAR18)
March 01, 2018 05:00 - 42 minutes - 19.7 MBNews today is suspect. We aren’t sure there is any source we can trust. What we hear is mostly bad news, and it comes with such a spin, we can barely get hold of it. We know that the American dollar bears the weight of such debt that it is threatened by currencies of other national economies along with multiplying crypto-currencies. The American dream has dimmed in the eyes of a young generation realizing they probably won’t even have the prosperity of their parents. They cringe at the debt ...
A Different Kind of Comfort (DMM-FEB18)
February 08, 2018 05:00 - 46 minutes - 21.3 MBWe all like to be comfortable, but probably don't consider what is involved in such a state. We think of quiet, soothing, non-judgmental treatment. If we should think of a church service that is comforting, we might imagine an affirming message promoting how wonderful we are despite our missteps. That is a pretty popular approach of many trying to attract the contemporary consumer, but the word "comfort" used by Isaiah to describe what God had in mind for the remnant of Israel is much stronge...
An Encounter with God (DMM JAN18)
January 01, 2018 05:00 - 44 minutes - 20.5 MBIsaiah is one of the most important figures in the Bible. His writings are some of the very best, not only in the Bible but in history. His influence on the revelation of the gospel is unparalleled in the Old Testament. His story is fascinating. He was reared in an aristocratic environment. His family was well respected, and he was well trained as an elite in society. He was a faithful Hebrew having been taught the basics of Israel’s covenant with God. He lived in the last half of the 8th cen...
Do We Want Reformation? (DMM-DEC17)
December 12, 2017 05:00 - 40 minutes - 18.5 MBConsidering the apparent increasing darkness swirling across the land, many church people are talking about the need for another Great Reformation. This has been a good year to talk about the Reformation. It was 500 years ago this year that it began. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany noting the issues he had with the corrupt Roman Catholic Church. Historians mark that date as the beginning of a move of God that eventuall...
Only Sinners Need Apply (DMM-NOV17)
November 02, 2017 04:00 - 42 minutes - 19.6 MBI was extremely blessed in my early years to know a businessman who loved to share Jesus with men who claimed not to be interested in salvation. He called it “winning souls.” He was very good at it as he would not try to convert someone who was not being convicted by the Spirit. One day he approached a man and offered to talk with him about his relationship with God. “I don’t want to talk about God. Anyway, I’m no worse than half the people down there at the church, even the deacons,” he bell...
What Moves God? (DMM-OCT17)
October 01, 2017 04:00 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MBWhile surveying the current landscape of voices telling us what we can do to move God in our direction, I was confused and appalled. I wasn’t sure if I should send money to the speaker, fast more, pray harder (whatever that means), denounce my citizenship, lobby for Israel, or go to the mission field. One thing was evident: the subject of interest was about moving God to act on our behalf. Individuals want God to act in liberating them from debt, depression, sickness, and poverty. As a nation...
What Season Is It? (DMM-SEP17)
September 01, 2017 04:00 - 53 minutes - 24.5 MBWe haven’t lost the desire to know the times and seasons of God’s calendar. Books flood the marketplace, offering clues to the end of time and the meaning of certain political decisions and astronomical occurrences in the heavens. It has been true since the first couple ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. We still clutch to the notion that if we knew everything God knows, we would be fine. So, we speculate. As the book of Acts opens, Jesus has spent 40 days since his resurrectio...
The Christian Name for God (DMM-AUG17)
August 01, 2017 04:00 - 31 minutes - 14.6 MBWe continue to get confusing definitions of what a Christian is. It is not uncommon to hear some person make an off-the-wall statement and then back it up with, “because I am a Christian.” Dr. J. I. Packer has long been a trusted voice for evangelical Christianity. He says that a Christian is one who has God as Father. In his classic standard, Knowing God, he goes on to say that Father is the Christian name for God.
Competent Disciples (DMM-JUL17)
July 01, 2017 04:00 - 47 minutes - 21.7 MB2 Timothy 3:17 - All Christians are aware that we are called to be disciples of Jesus. Many of us don’t know what that means. We have gotten lost in trying to plant and grow local churches, seeking to influence our culture, and holding civil leaders accountable to their callings. We have tried to apply the industrial revolution’s assembly line approach to our own demise. We have often settled to have church attenders who think more like the secular culture than Bible-based believers.
Living in God's Story (DMM-JUN17)
June 01, 2017 04:00 - 47 minutes - 21.7 MB1 CORINTHIANS 10 - How does the story of Israel’s journey from Egypt to the promised land relate to us? In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 10, he uses their experiences in the wilderness as a warning for Christians to reject idolatry, moral impurity, and grumbling. But there is much more that we miss if we only value their journey as a lesson in morality. God isn’t just saying, “They really messed up in these areas, and the consequences were dire. You had better learn from the...
One God, One Story, One People (DMM-MAY17)
May 01, 2017 04:00 - 43 minutes - 19.9 MB2 CORINTHIANS 6:14–18 - Cultures clash over the narrative that defines them. Every culture has its story, and those whose story coincides with reality as God defines it in the Scripture have the potential to flourish. Those who neglect or contradict God’s story are doomed to failure. We in western civilization are increasingly being influenced by secularism and its God-denying narrative. The dominant theme of secularism is that there is no overarching narrative—that there are many stories wit...
Grace Is Hard (DMM-APR17)
April 01, 2017 04:00 - 40 minutes - 18.5 MBTITUS 2:11–14 - One of the participants in an event at the ranch confessed, “I have read your books and listened to other teachers saying what you’ve said, and I know it is right. But I’m telling you, grace is hard.” I chuckled at the irony of that statement but had to agree. When we have been programmed to live with guilt and shame, grace is hard. It is both counter-intuitive and counter-cultural. As many have said, “It is too good to be true.” Why is it so hard?
Forgiveness Is the Issue (DMM-MAR17)
March 03, 2017 05:00 - 38 minutes - 17.6 MBPSALM 2, HEBREWS 8:6-12 - We live in a day of a self-proclaimed identity crisis. It seems that the whole society is trying to figure out how we decide who we are. It is true that authenticity requires that we act out of who we are. No one can find their destiny trying to be another species. No matter how much a dog tries to improve in its meowing, it will never be a good cat. We have obsessed with our own identity markers. Without dismissing the importance of knowing who we are, I suggest tha...
For the Sake of Our Prayers (DMM-FEB17)
February 01, 2017 05:00 - 42 minutes - 19.3 MBWho among us values prayer so much that we make daily ethical decisions based on how it affects our prayers? This seems to be what the apostle Peter is suggesting—and even instructing us to do. In his discussion of the husband’s attitude toward his wife, he adds, “ . . . so that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7). In writing about living a blessed life, Peter emphasizes the eyes and the ears of the Lord being open to our prayers as we consider what we say and how we behave (1 Pe...
The Identity Struggle (DMM-JAN17)
January 01, 2017 05:00 - 39 minutes - 18.2 MBSince the tragic fall in Eden, humans have been confused about identity. We weren’t made to live independently from God. Feeling alienated from God, our forebears began to incorrectly name things. In the divine design, Adam and Eve were given the ability to name the animals. This meant they had the capacity to see the essential difference in created things and thereby had the ability to manage them. To misname is to mismanage. When they were cut off from God, they lost the insight necessary t...
Another Exodus? (DMM-DEC16)
December 01, 2016 05:00 - 36 minutes - 16.8 MBRevelation 18:4 -- In the final book of the Bible, the Revelation—amidst all the symbols and visions—there is a scene where the world system is described as Babylon. The word of God to his people in that situation is: “Come out of her, my people.” Could that apply to God’s people now?
God Has Already Voted (DMM-NOV16)
November 01, 2016 04:00 - 34 minutes - 15.7 MBMore than ever in my lifetime, I am hearing people ask each other who they are voting for. I once asked my dad that question, and he reminded me there was a reason for that curtain around the voting booth. It seems people are less sure now about their voting, and some are wishing God would simply give them the right name. Well, he has already voted. This is not simply a cute way of trying to be relevant in an election year. Rather it is essential for us to recognize how God approaches governm...
A Missionary Mentality (DMM-OCT16)
October 01, 2016 04:00 - 45 minutes - 20.9 MBWhen God’s people live by trusting him, they experience joy in any circumstance that is attractive to those whose taste buds have dulled by all the substitutes for joy. All mankind is hungry and thirsty for the satisfaction found in trust. As the people around us watch us live in love with the unseen but very real Jesus, they too might be open to hear the message we carry. All the while we are walking in the midst of an unjust fire but without the smell of smoke.
Can Dry Bones Live? (DMM-SEP16)
September 01, 2016 04:00 - 44 minutes - 20.3 MBThere is plenty of angst in the country. The Democrats tried to focus on the positives at their convention, but I don’t think most people are doing that. There seems to be a sense of hopelessness hanging like a heavy cloud over much of the land. Christians are crying out for revival, but not many are defining what that means beyond wanting policies and platforms to align with their own personal agendas. If we are willing to trade the illusion of taking back our land by political maneuvering ...
More than the Good Life (DMM-AUG16)
August 01, 2016 04:00 - 36 minutes - 17 MBChristians often speak of living the “blessed life” in an effort to demonstrate the benefits of following Christ. Books are written; sermons are preached; spiritual guides are offered, all in an effort to help us leverage the benefits of living right. There is some confusion, however, regarding how obedient one must be in order to get the benefits. For instance, does partial obedience gain partial blessings? Does God accept our best efforts even when they are grossly imperfect? Why was it nec...
How Did We Get Here and What Can We Do? (DMM-JUL16)
July 01, 2016 04:00 - 37 minutes - 17.1 MBI am dizzy! Just trying to figure out what has happened and how fast it has occurred is a disorienting experience. Just a few years ago, we were celebrating diversity of opinion. We were boasting that open discussion and debate were privileges in a nation where liberty is prized. Now, there is an atmosphere of shock. There is a host of sincere morality-loving citizens who are in a quandary as to how to respond to the choices we have for president this year—two people who seem to treat truth ...
The Psychology of Grace (DMM-JUN16)
June 01, 2016 04:00 - 53 minutes - 24.7 MBSomeone has said that we have not truly believed truth until it affects our muscles. That is another way of affirming that theoretical truth is not transforming. Only when we have so embraced truth that it determines what we think, affects how we feel, and influences how we choose can we be called believers. There are many who know the grand story of the gospel but have never entered the story. It is still external to them. It is another story and maybe even the best story, but it has not b...
Is God Angry? (DMM-MAY16)
May 01, 2016 04:00 - 43 minutes - 20.1 MB2 Corinthians 5:19-21 - With all the anger being exposed in recent months toward what is happening in the world as well as in our own country, many so-called spokesmen for God are declaring that his anger has been stoked to an all-time high. According to them, God has had just about enough of our shenanigans. God’s wrath is bubbling hot in the cauldron of justice and will soon be poured out in prophesied fashion. There are so many holes in that thinking that we can’t deal with now, but it doe...
The Greatest Possible Pleasure (DMM-APR16)
April 01, 2016 04:00 - 54 minutes - 25.2 MBRomans 7:13-20 - The seventh chapter of the Epistle to the Romans is famous for describing the struggle Paul has with sin (or, for that matter, the struggle of anyone who wants to live righteously). Paul confesses he knows what is right but doesn’t do it, and he is not ignorant of what is evil, yet he practices it. He concludes that the culprit is neither the Law, which points out sinful behavior, nor the individual, but sin that dwells inside.
A Converted Terrorist (DMM-MAR16)
March 01, 2016 05:00 - 56 minutes - 26.1 MB1 Timothy 1:12-16 - The kingdom of God exploded in the first century A.D. owing in large part to God’s work through a converted terrorist. It should encourage us that people and circumstances don’t have to be good in order for the kingdom to progress. God’s purpose is being accomplished because his grace triumphs over evil.
Interpreting the Times (DMM-FEB16)
February 02, 2016 05:00 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MBMATTHEW 16:13-20 - Polling is a good way to discover what people are thinking, but not a good way to determine the truth. Sadly, leaders today often make their decisions based on polling the populace rather than hearing what the Father says about reality. Observation is good, but revelation is essential if we are to live in the truth. We are notoriously bad at interpreting what is happening, since we have limited perspective, com- plicated by troubling emotional baggage.
The Economics of Grace (DMM-JAN16)
January 21, 2016 05:00 - 50 minutes - 23 MB2 CORINTHIANS 8:3–4; 9:6–10 - I’m confessing: I love the Christmas season. I know it has been commercialized and materialism runs rampant, but I love the excitement and joyous spirit that seems to grip most of us. Who doesn’t enjoy little ones running toward Santa, thinking of flying reindeer, waiting for the big day? I know; I should be offended at all this hype when the real issues are the birth of Jesus and the cosmic ramifications of his incarnation. And, believe me, I don’t for a seco...
No Need to Rage (DMM-DEC15)
December 02, 2015 05:00 - 32 minutes - 14.8 MBPSALM 2:1–6 - It seems that our society is becoming increasingly vitriolic. Instead of listening and responding, we resort to talking over each other and demonizing our opponents. I suppose that is what can be expected when we deny the possibility of spiritual warfare and thereby conclude that our enemy is solely flesh and blood. In a purely secular society, where demons, angels, and God are mocked as primitive myths, we shouldn’t expect an acknowledgment that we have a common spiritual enemy...
The Cross & Besetting Sin (DMM-NOV15)
November 09, 2015 05:00 - 47 minutes - 22 MBDeuteronomy 8:2-3 - The life of victory does not consist of temptation-free living. It is all about revealing the glory of one who daily offers his grace to overcome as we learn to live by the words that come from the cross. “It is finished,” he said. All that is needed for mankind to live and work in the presence of God has been done. We now get to apply that to the many trials and temptations that assault us.
The Devil to Pay (DMM OCT15)
October 01, 2015 04:00 - 35 minutes - 16.5 MBLuke 4:5-7 - Satan confronted Eve and Adam in the Garden. He engaged Israel in the wilderness. He even tried to cut a deal with Jesus in the desert. According to the apostle Peter, he is still stalking around looking for someone who will deal. Has he found a taker in the modern American church?
Forever Famous (DMM-SEP15)
September 01, 2015 04:00 - 46 minutes - 21.4 MBEphesians 3:14-19 - Recently a poll asked young people what they wanted to be when they grew up. The most popular answer: famous. Of course, that begs other questions, such as, with whom? Or for what? One could aspire to be famous among the most evil people who have lived, but I can’t imagine hell providing much honor. The honor that our soul craves cannot be found in the fame that this earth offers. The Bible mentions a hall of fame for those who have lived by faith. These people lived extra...
Good Grief (DMM-AUG15)
August 06, 2015 04:00 - 40 minutes - 18.4 MBRevelation 21:23-24 - I’ve been surprised to see how surprised many were by the decision handed down by the Supreme Court of the United States regarding same-sex marriage. Did we think that American democracy was equivalent to the Kingdom of God? Have we shifted our hope of justice and peace totally to the structures of the state? Have we not seen the shift toward magnifying human dignity while ignoring the creator and Lord? Did we think that these choices would not have consequences?
Honest to God (DMM-JUL15)
July 05, 2015 04:00 - 31 minutes - 14.6 MBPsalm 139-22-23 - If you are tired of being tormented by the enemy within, venture the request for God to search your heart. Every deficit he exposes will be an opportunity to embrace his grace, which he has been storing up since before the world began. He only wants to give what you desperately need, but cannot afford.