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Speaker 1: Hey friends, it's Kelly from Life Audio. We just launched

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Speaker 1: something new. It's called The Good Word, our free weekly

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Speaker 1: newsletter built for people who want to go a little

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Speaker 1: deeper in their faith. Thank devotionals, guided prayers, curated podcast recommendations,

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Speaker 1: and a little community all in one place. No ads,

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Speaker 1: just good content. This one means a lot to us.

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Speaker 1: We built The Good Word based on the audience survey

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Speaker 1: so many of you filled out a few months back.

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Speaker 1: You told us what you wanted, and we listened. So

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Speaker 1: thank you truly for helping us shape this. Head to

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Speaker 1: the link in the show notes and join our community today.

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Speaker 1: We'd love to have you Life Audio.

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Speaker 2: Hello, thank you for listening to your daily Bible Verse,

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Speaker 2: the podcast that examines one verse each day to learn

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Speaker 2: more about God and his will for us. I'm your host,

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Speaker 2: Jennifer Dotzler, and after this short word from our sponsor,

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Speaker 2: will dive into today's Bible verse, Mark nine, Verse thirty five.

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Speaker 2: Today's Bible verse is Mark nine to thirty five. It says,

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Speaker 2: sitting down, Jesus called the twelve and said, anyone who

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Speaker 2: wants to be first must be the very last and

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Speaker 2: the servant of all. In this moment Jesus was teaching

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Speaker 2: his disciples, and this lesson he was teaching them is

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Speaker 2: completely countercultural. Just before this verse, they were arguing about

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Speaker 2: who among them was the greatest. These were the same

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Speaker 2: men who had just walked with Jesus and had just

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Speaker 2: seen miracles perform. They witnessed healings and deliverances of so

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Speaker 2: many people. These same followers were still caught up in compare,

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Speaker 2: in competition with each other. So Jesus sits down, which

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Speaker 2: in that culture historically what it meant back then, it

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Speaker 2: was a moment where he was going to teach something

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Speaker 2: very important. Jesus says, if anyone wants to be first,

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Speaker 2: he must be the very last and servant of all.

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Speaker 2: That one sentence flips the world's definition of greatness upside down.

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Speaker 2: He flips the script on him because in God's Kingdom,

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Speaker 2: greatness it's not about status, it's about service. Think about

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Speaker 2: how different that is from what we see around us

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Speaker 2: today in the world. The world will say, climb that ladder,

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Speaker 2: look out for yourself, be more powerful, whatever it takes,

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Speaker 2: be seen, be known, be first. But Jesus, he says,

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Speaker 2: kneel down, lift others up, serve quietly, be humble. When

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Speaker 2: Jesus says be servant of all, he's not just talking

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Speaker 2: about nice things. He's describing a posture of the heart.

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Speaker 2: The Greek word for servant here is daikonos, which means

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Speaker 2: someone who waits on tables, someone whose main focus is

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Speaker 2: meeting the needs of others before themselves. That's humility, that's

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Speaker 2: humility and action, and that's exactly how Jesus lived. In

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Speaker 2: Philippians two five through seven, Paul writes, though he was God,

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Speaker 2: he did not think of equality with God as something

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Speaker 2: to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges.

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Speaker 2: He took the humble position of a slave and was

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Speaker 2: born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,

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Speaker 2: Jesus didn't just talk about being a servant. He lived

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Speaker 2: it out. He embodied it. He washed his disciples feet,

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Speaker 2: he fed the hungry, he touched the untouchable, he walked

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Speaker 2: alongside the marginalized, in the least of these, and ultimately

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Speaker 2: he gave his life for every one of us. That's

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Speaker 2: the kind of greatness that Jesus is calling us to,

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Speaker 2: one that doesn't seek applause, It doesn't seek status or

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Speaker 2: power or position. He tells us and shows us that

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Speaker 2: the greatness we should seek is the one that doesn't

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Speaker 2: demand recognition. Instead, it offers grace to every person in

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Speaker 2: front of us. Let me ask you this or might

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Speaker 2: God be calling you to serve today? Maybe it's at work,

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Speaker 2: choosing to encourage someone instead of compare or compete with him.

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Speaker 2: Maybe it's at home, serving your family even when it

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Speaker 2: feels unnoticed. Or maybe it's in your community, giving your

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Speaker 2: time where there's need. Jesus reminds us that true fulfillment

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Speaker 2: isn't found in being first, but in following his example.

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Speaker 2: And when we choose to serve, we actually draw closer

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Speaker 2: to Jesus's heart because God's love always flows through humility.

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Speaker 2: Matthew twenty three eleven through twelve says, the greatest among

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Speaker 2: you will be your So for those who exalt themselves

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Speaker 2: will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

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Speaker 2: That's the upside down Kingdom of God. Humility leads to honor,

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Speaker 2: and service will lead to greatness. So today, maybe ask

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Speaker 2: yourself this question, how can I serve like Jesus? Today?

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Speaker 2: Let's pray Heavenly Father, thank you for the example of Jesus.

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Speaker 2: The one who showed us what true greatness looks like,

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Speaker 2: the one who showed us what humility and love and

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Speaker 2: grace look like. Lord, would you teach us to serve

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Speaker 2: with this heart posture even when no one notices. God,

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Speaker 2: would you help us to let go of pride and comparison,

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Speaker 2: and instead, would we find joy in putting others first

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Speaker 2: as we seek You first and foremost. Lord. May our

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Speaker 2: lies reflect your heart of service. Today in Jesus mighty name,

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Speaker 2: we pray Amen I

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Speaker 1: Who has been