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Speaker 1: Life Audio.

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Speaker 2: Well, hey there, friends, I'm Jody Nisnick and welcome to

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Speaker 2: our final episode in our lent series. We've been walking

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Speaker 2: through the I Am Statements of Jesus, a phrase that

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Speaker 2: echoes God's self revelation back in Exodus and declares who

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Speaker 2: Jesus is, that he is God and reveals how he

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Speaker 2: cares for us. My prayer is these guided moments of

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Speaker 2: reflection will help you slow down and consider more of

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Speaker 2: who Jesus is for you. We'll start our meditation after

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Speaker 2: a quick word from our sponsors. Before we begin our meditation,

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Speaker 2: I want to invite you to head into the show notes,

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Speaker 2: where you will find a link to download the free

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Speaker 2: I Am a companion journal that I've made for this series.

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Speaker 2: It has each scripture that we are meditating on, all

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Speaker 2: of the reflection prompts, and it gives you space to

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Speaker 2: take notes on your prayers and meditation time. I do

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Speaker 2: hope you'll take advantage of this free resource. Well, with that,

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Speaker 2: let's get started. I want to invite you to begin

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Speaker 2: as we always begin these meditations, and that is by

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Speaker 2: taking a few deep in and out breaths. As you

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Speaker 2: breathe deeply in notice God's presence with you right here,

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Speaker 2: right now, and as you slowly exhale what is weighing

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Speaker 2: on you today, ask God to hold on to that.

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Speaker 2: Take another deep in and out breath. Let me pray

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Speaker 2: for our time. Lord, thank you that you are here

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Speaker 2: with us, and that you tell us that your word

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Speaker 2: is living and active. So we pray that you would

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Speaker 2: help our heart, our soul, our mind to be in

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Speaker 2: tune with you, that your living an active word would

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Speaker 2: become alive for us. That you would help us be

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Speaker 2: honest with ourselves and with you in this space. Lord,

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Speaker 2: we ask that you would lead and guide us for

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Speaker 2: our good or your glory. We ask this in the

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Speaker 2: name of Jesus. Amen. Today we conclude I Am series

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Speaker 2: by considering a question Jesus asked his disciples, and he

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Speaker 2: also invites us to consider that question, is who do

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Speaker 2: you say that I am? In this series, we've heard

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Speaker 2: Jesus tell us who he is. He said it this way.

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Speaker 2: I am the Bread of life. I am the Light

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Speaker 2: of the world. I am the Gate, I am the

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Speaker 2: Good Shepherd. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

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Speaker 2: I am the True Vine. I am the Resurrection and

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Speaker 2: the Life. And before Abraham was I am the first

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Speaker 2: time I read this passage for you. Just listen so

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Speaker 2: you get grounded in the text. Our passage is Matthew sixteen,

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Speaker 2: verses thirteen through seventeen in the New International version. When

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Speaker 2: Jesus came to the region of Saysaiah Philippi, he asked

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Speaker 2: his disciples, who do people say the Son of Man is?

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Speaker 2: They replied, some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah,

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Speaker 2: and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But

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Speaker 2: what about you, He asked, who do you say? I

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Speaker 2: am Simon. Peter answered, you are the Messiah, the son

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Speaker 2: of the Living God. Jesus replied, blessed are you, Simon,

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Speaker 2: son of Jonah, For this was not revealed to you

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Speaker 2: by flesh and blood by my Father in Heaven. As

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Speaker 2: I read a second time, I will pause in a

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Speaker 2: few places to give you some space to consider the

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Speaker 2: questions Jesus asked. When Jesus came to the region of

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Speaker 2: says Aiah Philippi, he asked his disciples, who do people

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Speaker 2: say the Son of Man is? How would you answer

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Speaker 2: this question? Who do people say Jesus is today? They replied,

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Speaker 2: some say John the Baptist others say Elijah, and still

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Speaker 2: others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But what about you?

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Speaker 2: He asked, who do you say I am? Again, how

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Speaker 2: would you answer this question? Who do you say Jesus is?

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Speaker 2: Simon Peter answered, you are the Messiah, the son of

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Speaker 2: the Living God. Jesus replied, blessed are you, Simon, son

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Speaker 2: of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by

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Speaker 2: flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. As

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Speaker 2: I read a third time, focus again on the questions

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Speaker 2: Jesus asks, and then I'll give you space to talk

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Speaker 2: to God about this after the reading. When Jesus came

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Speaker 2: to the region of Sesaiah Philippi, he asked his disciples,

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Speaker 2: who do people say the son of Man is? They replied,

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Speaker 2: some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still

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Speaker 2: others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But what about you?

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Speaker 2: He asked, who do you say I am? Simon Peter answered,

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Speaker 2: you are the Messiah, the son of the Living God.

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Speaker 2: Jesus replied, blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, For

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Speaker 2: this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,

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Speaker 2: but by my Father in heaven. Take some space to

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Speaker 2: talk with the Lord about who you and others say

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Speaker 2: he is. This is a good time to ask him

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Speaker 2: questions about his identity, knowing he lovingly receives your open

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Speaker 2: and honest questions. It's also a good time to thank

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Speaker 2: him for who he is. Go ahead and do that now.

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Speaker 1: And time.

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Speaker 2: Do in a as I read this final time, rest

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Speaker 2: in God's goodness and his love for you. Rest in

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Speaker 2: the truth that Jesus is God, the Messiah, the Christ,

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Speaker 2: and the Son of God. Rest in knowing that he

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Speaker 2: is all the aspects of the I am statement we've

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Speaker 2: meditated on, and rest in remembering Jesus loves you deeply.

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Speaker 2: When Jesus came to the region of Saysaiah Philippi, he

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Speaker 2: asked his disciples, who do people say the son of

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Speaker 2: Man is? They replied, Some say John the Baptist, others

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Speaker 2: say Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

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Speaker 2: But what about you, He asked, who do you say

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Speaker 2: I am? Simon? Peter answered, you are the Messiah, the

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Speaker 2: son of the Living God. Jesus replied, blessed are you, Simon,

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Speaker 2: son of Jonah. For this was not revealed to you

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Speaker 2: by flesh and blood, but by my father in Heaven. Lord,

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Speaker 2: thank you for who you are. Thank you that we

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Speaker 2: do know you are God. But we are still understanding

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Speaker 2: so many aspects of what that means, and so we

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Speaker 2: ask that you would help us continue to grow in

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Speaker 2: our understanding of who you are. And we thank you

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Speaker 2: that you have shared so much of who you are.

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Speaker 2: You're the bread of life. You're the one who satisfies

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Speaker 2: all of our needs. You're the light of the world,

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Speaker 2: the one who brings light into our darkness. You're the gate,

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Speaker 2: the one who protects us from our enemy. You are

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Speaker 2: the good Shepherd, the one who leads us safely and lovingly.

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Speaker 2: You're the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You are

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Speaker 2: the one who gives true and abundant life through our

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Speaker 2: faith in you. You are the true vine. You're the

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Speaker 2: one who produces fruit in us as we stay connected

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Speaker 2: to you. And you are the resurrection and the Life.

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Speaker 2: You are the one who defeated sin and death. And

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Speaker 2: before Abraham was you declared I am. You are God,

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Speaker 2: eternal before time began, and you are coming back to

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Speaker 2: make all that is wrong right, to restore and redeem

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Speaker 2: our world and our lives. Thank you Lord that this

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Speaker 2: is who you are. Help us to rest in and

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Speaker 2: walk in this truth today. Thank you Jesus. We pray

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Speaker 2: this in the name of the Father and the Son

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Speaker 2: and the Holy Spirit, the Triune God who declares I

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Speaker 2: am Amen. Well, friends, just a few quick things before

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Speaker 2: you leave. Thank you for joining me for this I

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Speaker 2: Am Lent series. I am prayerful that on this journey

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Speaker 2: you learned a little bit more about who Jesus is

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Speaker 2: for you and your life today. If this series was

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Speaker 2: meaningful for you, would you do me a favor pass

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Speaker 2: it on to a friend and leave a podcast review

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Speaker 2: on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Both of those things or

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Speaker 2: any of those things go a long way and actually

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Speaker 2: furthering the reach of this ministry of helping people rest

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Speaker 2: in the truth of who God is as they hear

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Speaker 2: His word spoken over them. And if you're new to

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Speaker 2: the podcast, there are links in the show notes that

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Speaker 2: will help you get to know me and my partner

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Speaker 2: Life Audio, as well as all of their other faith

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Speaker 2: centered podcasts, so check that out. As always, my friend,

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Speaker 2: thank you for joining us me on so much more

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Speaker 2: because we really do believe Jesus has so much more

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Speaker 2: to say to us, and this is one way we

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Speaker 2: are creating space to listen. I'll see you next week.