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Speaker 1: Life Audio.

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Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to your Nightly Scripture, a calming

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Speaker 2: Scripture Center devotional podcast designed to help you end each

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Speaker 2: day with God's word in your heart and on your mind.

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Speaker 2: Right after the short word from our sponsors, we will

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Speaker 2: reflect on tonight's scripture from Matthew chapter eleven. Our evening

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Speaker 2: reflection is written and read by Kyle Norman Matthew chapter eleven.

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Speaker 2: After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went

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Speaker 2: on from there to teach and preach in the towns

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Speaker 2: of Galilee. When John, who was in prison, heard about

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Speaker 2: the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to

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Speaker 2: ask him, are you the one who was to come?

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Speaker 2: Or should we expect someone else? Jesus replied, go back

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Speaker 2: and report to John what you hear, and see the

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Speaker 2: blind received sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy

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Speaker 2: are cleansed, the deaf. Here the dead are raised, and

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Speaker 2: the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is

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Speaker 2: anyone who does not stumble on account of me. As

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Speaker 2: Dog's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the

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Speaker 2: crowd about John. What did you go out into wilderness

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Speaker 2: to see a reed swayed by the wind. If not,

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Speaker 2: what did you go out to see a man dressed

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Speaker 2: in fine clothing? Know those who wear fine clothes are

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Speaker 2: in king's palaces. What, then, did you go out to

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Speaker 2: see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than

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Speaker 2: a prophet, This is the one about whom it has written,

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Speaker 2: I will send my messengers ahead of you, who will

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Speaker 2: prepare the way before you. Truly, I tell you, though

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Speaker 2: was born of women, there have not risen anyone greater

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Speaker 2: than John the Baptist. It, whoever is least in the

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Speaker 2: Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. From the days

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Speaker 2: of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven

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Speaker 2: has been subjected to violence, and violent people had been

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Speaker 2: rating it for all the prophets and the law prophesied

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Speaker 2: until John. And if you are willing to accept it,

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Speaker 2: he is the Elijah who was to come. Whoever has ears,

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Speaker 2: let them hear to What can I compare this generation?

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Speaker 2: They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling

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Speaker 2: out to others. We played the pipe for you when

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Speaker 2: you did not dance, saying a surge, and you did

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Speaker 2: not mourn for John came, neither eating or drinking, and

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Speaker 2: they say he has a demon son of man came

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Speaker 2: eating and drinking, and they say he is a glutton

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Speaker 2: and a drunkard, a friend of task collectors and sinners.

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Speaker 2: But wisdom is proved right by her deeds. Jesus then

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Speaker 2: began to denounce the towns in which most of his

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Speaker 2: miracles had been performed because they did not repent. Woe

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Speaker 2: to you, Korzan, Woe to you best, SAIDA for if

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Speaker 2: miracles that were performed in you had been performed in

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Speaker 2: Tire or Sidon, they would have repented long ago in

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Speaker 2: sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you it will be

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Speaker 2: more bearable for Tire and Sidon on the day of

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Speaker 2: judgment than for you. And for you Copernaeum, will you

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Speaker 2: be lifted to the heavens, No, you will go down

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Speaker 2: to hades. For the miracles that were performed in you

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Speaker 2: had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to

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Speaker 2: this day. But I tell you that it will be

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Speaker 2: more parable for Sodom on the day of judgment than

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Speaker 2: for you that time. Jesus said, I praise you, Father,

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Speaker 2: Lord of Heaven and Earth, because you have hidden these

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Speaker 2: things from the wise and learned and revealed them to

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Speaker 2: little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were

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Speaker 2: pleased to do. All things have been committed to be

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Speaker 2: my by father. No one knows the son except the father,

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Speaker 2: and no one knows the father except the son, and

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Speaker 2: those to whom the son chooses to reveal him. Come

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Speaker 2: to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and

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Speaker 2: I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you

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Speaker 2: and learn from me. Br I am gentle and humble

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Speaker 2: in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

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Speaker 2: For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

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Speaker 2: This passage is popular and well known. It speaks a

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Speaker 2: word of blessed invitation. Come to me if you are

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Speaker 2: weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.

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Speaker 2: Do you need rest this night? Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of

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Speaker 2: scripture called the Message, puts the invitation this way. Are

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Speaker 2: you tired, worn out, burned out on religion? Come to me,

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Speaker 2: Get away with me, and you will recover your life.

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Speaker 2: I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk

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Speaker 2: with me and work with me. Watch how I do it.

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Speaker 2: Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. This is an experience

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Speaker 2: that Jesus brings into all of our lives. There are

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Speaker 2: often many ways that we carry burdens that lie on

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Speaker 2: our shoulders. In the ancient world, this was called a yoke.

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Speaker 2: A yoke was a large wooden bar that would be

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Speaker 2: placed across the shoulders of oxen as they plowed a field.

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Speaker 2: It was large, it was heavy, It was burdensome. This

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Speaker 2: then became an apt image of the spiritual burdens that

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Speaker 2: people so often carry. These burdens weary our souls. And

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Speaker 2: when we are wearied, there is only one place to go.

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Speaker 2: We go to Jesus. Jesus says, come to me, learn

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Speaker 2: from me. Hear me tell you the truth about grace.

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Speaker 2: Jesus position us himself as the spiritual authority in our lives,

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Speaker 2: and his authority is rooted in grace, mercy, and love,

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Speaker 2: not in duty or obligation. To learn from Jesus, all

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Speaker 2: we need to do is open our hearts to his volie. Jesus'

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Speaker 2: words can bring us comfort when we feel in a

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Speaker 2: state of discomfort, peace when we feel that life is

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Speaker 2: spinning out of control, and in those times when we

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Speaker 2: feel lost or alone, Jesus's gentle words can settle us,

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Speaker 2: calm us and restore us. As you end the day,

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Speaker 2: take a few uninterrupted moments and spend some time with Jesus.

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Speaker 2: There to believe that he is with you. Hand him

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Speaker 2: whatever struggles or stresses that you carry in this moment,

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Speaker 2: and open your life to his word at his truth.

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Speaker 2: The more you will let Jesus sink within you, the

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Speaker 2: more you will find spiritual fulfillment and blessed rest. Gracious

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Speaker 2: Lord Jesus. Weariness comes in many guises, and easily be

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Speaker 2: anxious about what I can control. I can find myself

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Speaker 2: worried about the tasks and demands that fill my life.

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Speaker 2: And then there are times where I spend so much

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Speaker 2: energy trying to earn your grace that I'm too tired

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Speaker 2: or preoccupied to receive it. And so in this moment, Lord,

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Speaker 2: I stop all of my striving, and I put down

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Speaker 2: all of my worries. I quiet myself in your presence,

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Speaker 2: and I release to you all that I carry. Lord.

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Speaker 2: I place my life before you, and I take up

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Speaker 2: your invictation to simply come, and I am I dare

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Speaker 2: to believe that as you invite me, so you receive me.

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Speaker 2: Help me to hear your life giving word, and as

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Speaker 2: I rest my body, may my soul be at rest

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Speaker 2: in your love. I pray all of this in your

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Speaker 2: Holy name.

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Speaker 1: Amen.

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Speaker 2: How did Tonight's scripture speak to you? Share your thoughts

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Speaker 2: in the Your Nightly Scripture Forum discussion.

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Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture. Tonight's scripture

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Speaker 1: was read from the New International Version by Biblica. All

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Speaker 1: rights reserved. If Tonight's episode blessed you, be sure to

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Speaker 1: Scripture is ready when you are. Your Nightly Scripture is

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Speaker 1: a production of Life Audio and Salem Media. Thank you

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Speaker 1: and we'll see you tomorrow. Night