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Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your Nightly Scripture,

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Speaker 1: a calming, scripture centered devotional podcast designed to help you

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Speaker 1: end each day with God's word in your mind and

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Speaker 1: on your heart. Right after the short word from our sponsors,

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Speaker 1: we'll reflect on tonight's scripture Romans, Chapter fifteen. Tonight's scripture

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Speaker 1: reflection is written by Shay Smith and read by Lea Gerard. Romans,

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Speaker 1: chapter fifteen. We who are strong ought to bear with

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Speaker 1: the failings of the week, and not to please ourselves.

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Speaker 1: Each of us should please our neighbors for their good,

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Speaker 1: to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself.

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Speaker 1: But as it is written, the insults of those who

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Speaker 1: insult you have fallen on me. For everything that was

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Speaker 1: written in the past was written to teach us, so

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Speaker 1: that through the endurance taught in the scriptures and the

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Speaker 1: encouragement they provide, we might have hope. May the God

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Speaker 1: who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude

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Speaker 1: of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so

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Speaker 1: that with one mind and one voice, you may glorify

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Speaker 1: the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Accept

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Speaker 1: one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order

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Speaker 1: to bring praise to God. For I tell you that

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Speaker 1: Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf

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Speaker 1: of God's truth, so that the promises made to the

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Speaker 1: patriarchs be confirmed, and moreover, that the gentiles might glorify

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Speaker 1: God for his mercy. As it is written, Therefore, I

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Speaker 1: will praise you among the gentiles. I will sing the

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Speaker 1: praises of your name. Again, it says, rejoice you Gentiles

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Speaker 1: with his people. And again, praise the Lord, all you gentiles.

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Speaker 1: Let all the peoples extol Him. And again Isaiah says,

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Speaker 1: the root of Jesse will spring up one who will

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Speaker 1: arise to rule over the nations. In him, the gentiles

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Speaker 1: will hope. May the God of Hope fill you with

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Speaker 1: all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so

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Speaker 1: that you may overflow with hope by the power of

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Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit. I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters,

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Speaker 1: that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge,

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Speaker 1: and competent to instruct one another. Yet I have written

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Speaker 1: you quite boldly on some points to remind you of

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Speaker 1: them again, because of the grace God gave me to

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Speaker 1: be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He

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Speaker 1: gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the Gospel of God,

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Speaker 1: so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God,

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Speaker 1: sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore I glory in Christ

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Speaker 1: Jesus in my service to God. I'll not venture to

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Speaker 1: speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me

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Speaker 1: in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I've

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Speaker 1: said and done by the power of sighs and wonders,

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Speaker 1: through the power of the Spirit of God. So from

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Speaker 1: Jerusalem all the way around to Alricum, I have fully

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Speaker 1: proclaimed the Gospel of Christ. It has always been my

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Speaker 1: ambition to preach the Gospel where Christ was not known,

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Speaker 1: so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. Rather,

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Speaker 1: as it is written, those who were not told about

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Speaker 1: him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.

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Speaker 1: This is why I've often been hindered from coming to you.

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Speaker 1: But now that there is no more place for me

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Speaker 1: to work in these regions, and since I've been longing

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Speaker 1: for many years to visit you, I plan to do so.

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Speaker 1: When I go to Spain, I hope to see you

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Speaker 1: while passing through, and to have you assist me on

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Speaker 1: my journey there after, I have enjoyed your company for

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Speaker 1: a while. Now, however, I am on my way to

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Speaker 1: Jerusalem in the service of the Lord's people there. For

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Speaker 1: Macedonia and Ikaa were pleased to make a contribution for

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Speaker 1: the poor among the Lord's people in Jerusalem. They were

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Speaker 1: pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them.

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Speaker 1: For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews spiritual blessings,

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Speaker 1: they owe it to the Jews to share with them

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Speaker 1: their material blessings. So, after I have completed this task

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Speaker 1: and have made sure that they have received this contribution,

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Speaker 1: I will go to Spain and visit you on the way.

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Speaker 1: I know that when I come to you, I will

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Speaker 1: come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.

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Speaker 1: I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ,

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Speaker 1: and by the love of the Spirit, to join me

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Speaker 1: in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray

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Speaker 1: that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea,

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Speaker 1: and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be

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Speaker 1: favorably received by the Lord's people there, so that I

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Speaker 1: may come to you with joy. By God's will, and

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Speaker 1: in your company be refreshed. The God of Peace be

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Speaker 1: with you all Amen. Our scripture comes tonight from the

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Speaker 1: Book of Romans, a letter to the churches of Rome

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Speaker 1: written by Paul. Paul's heart throughout the text was to

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Speaker 1: help unify the greater Church. At the time, there was

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Speaker 1: a great divide between Jewish and Gentile believers, with deep

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Speaker 1: confusion over what practices still held merit and which ones

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Speaker 1: were unnecessary to continue as a believer in Jesus. Paul

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Speaker 1: addressed customs over food, days of observation, festivals, and most importantly,

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Speaker 1: how to treat one another. Paul's vision for the church

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Speaker 1: was that both jew and Gentile would eat at the

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Speaker 1: same table, serve their community together, and worship Christ together.

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Speaker 1: As Christ preached. Paul wrote in Romans fifteen five through six,

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Speaker 1: May the God who gives endurance and encouragement, give you

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Speaker 1: the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ

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Speaker 1: Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice

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Speaker 1: you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord,

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Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. Christ desired his church to have one mind

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Speaker 1: and one voice to glorify God. Tonight, as we reflect

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Speaker 1: upon our passage where can you have the same attitude

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Speaker 1: Christ had with the heart for one mind and one voice.

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Speaker 1: Where in your life do you need endurance and encouragement?

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Speaker 1: Paul knew the answer didn't rest on doing more charitable acts,

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Speaker 1: or going to the right church, or keeping cultural customs.

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Speaker 1: Paul urged the believer to receive the mind and heart

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Speaker 1: of Christ, to love one another, expand the kingdom. It

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Speaker 1: wasn't about the believer filling themselves up with knowledge, rules,

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Speaker 1: or religion. Instead, it was a filling from the Holy

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Speaker 1: Spirit that empowered the believer to see with wisdom and

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Speaker 1: discernment the heart of Christ, Paul said in Romans fifteen thirteen.

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Speaker 1: May the God of Hope fill you with all joy

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Speaker 1: and peace as you trust in Him, so that you

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Speaker 1: may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Speaker 1: Who doesn't want more joy and peace? How can you

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Speaker 1: position yourself tonight to receive his filling tonight? My heart

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Speaker 1: is to encourage you to continue to trust in Him

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Speaker 1: so you naturally overflow with hope. Telling all who need

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Speaker 1: to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. As we

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Speaker 1: close the day, I want to repeat John's words to you.

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Speaker 1: I myself am convinced my brothers and sisters that you

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Speaker 1: yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge, and competent

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Speaker 1: to instruct one another. Dear listener, you are full of goodness, energy,

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Speaker 1: and knowledge, and you are able to lead and teach others.

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Speaker 1: Can you trust a good God to lead you in

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Speaker 1: the right conversations to be bold in your faith and testimony.

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Speaker 1: May your love for Him and His people carry you

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Speaker 1: closer to your calling and deepen your faith. Father, I

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Speaker 1: want to receive a feeling of your love, truth, and hope.

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Speaker 1: Tonight I empty myself of the things that take my

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Speaker 1: mind off of you. Forgive me for the disagreements I've

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Speaker 1: had that haven't honored you. Forgive me for trying to

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Speaker 1: take control of the details of my life that You've

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Speaker 1: called me to surrender. I pray for your peace and

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Speaker 1: joy tonight as I rest and renew my mind and spirit.

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Speaker 1: My heart is to please you and to have the

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Speaker 1: same mind and heart as Christ. Draw me closer. Lord,

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Speaker 1: I'm so grateful for your pursuit of me. Thank you God,

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Speaker 1: I love you and pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Speaker 1: How did tonight's scripture speak to you? Share your thoughts

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Speaker 1: in the Your Nightly Scripture forum discussion. Thank you for

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Speaker 1: listening to Your Nightly Scripture. Tonight's scripture was read from

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Speaker 1: the New International Version by Biblica. All rights reserved. If

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Speaker 1: Tonight's episode blessed you, be sure to follow the show

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Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts so your next Nightly Scripture is ready

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Speaker 1: when you are. Your Nightly Scripture is a production of

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Speaker 1: Life Audio and Salem Media. Thank you and we'll see

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Speaker 1: you tomorrow. Night