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Speaker 1: Welcome to Abides Daily Christian Meditations. I'm Tyler Boss. Today's

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Speaker 1: meditation is brought to you by our partners at Life Audio.

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Speaker 1: If you go to lifeaudio dot com you will find

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Speaker 1: have full access to our meditations commercial free. Just text

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Speaker 1: Abide to two two four three three for twenty five

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Speaker 1: percent off. Now receive his piece as we meditate and

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Speaker 1: abide in Christ. Welcome to this Abide Meditation. I'm Tyler.

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Speaker 1: Do you ever miss being around others? Do you ever

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Speaker 1: get lonely? God created us for fellowship, fellowship with Him

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Speaker 1: and with others. As you slow down and prepare to

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Speaker 1: meditate on God's word, think about the benefits of fellowship

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Speaker 1: with other Christians in a local church. Fellowship though isn't

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Speaker 1: solely for our benefit. It's also for the benefit of others.

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Speaker 1: As the writer of Hebrews wrote, let us consider how

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Speaker 1: we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,

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Speaker 1: not giving up meeting together as some are in the

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Speaker 1: habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the

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Speaker 1: more you see the day approaching. Think now of a

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Speaker 1: fellow Christian who needs encouragement today. There is no such

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Speaker 1: thing as a lone ranger Christian. God wants us to

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Speaker 1: have fellowship with other believers in order to encourage them

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Speaker 1: and to receive encouragement. This week, consider how God can

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Speaker 1: use you for His kingdom in your local church. No

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Speaker 1: doubt there is some disunity within the Body of Christ,

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Speaker 1: but there is also love and compassion and friendship. Our

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Speaker 1: need for fellowship is based in the nature of our

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Speaker 1: triune God. We need fellowship like we need food and water.

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Speaker 1: Let's pray your Father, thank you for the blessings of fellowship.

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Speaker 1: We need it even when we don't acknowledge it. I

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Speaker 1: ask that you will use me to encourage others, even

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Speaker 1: as I am encouraged. Thank you for being the perfect

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Speaker 1: model of fellowship. You saved us and reconciled us to

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Speaker 1: yourself so we can have fellowship with you, the creator

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Speaker 1: of the universe. It's in Jesus' name that I pray. Amen,

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Speaker 1: take a deep, relaxing breath and imagine yourself receiving God's grace.

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Speaker 1: God to mercy, God's peace. Now exhale slowly, as if

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Speaker 1: you're breathing out all of your troubles. If you can

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Speaker 1: close your eyes, picture yourself worshiping God alongside believers of

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Speaker 1: every tribe and tongue, united in one purpose. Once again,

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Speaker 1: take another deep, relaxing breath, and as you do, imagine

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Speaker 1: the love and warmth you receive when you fellowship with

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Speaker 1: other Christians. Breathe out, and as you do, whisper to

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Speaker 1: God Thank You. Before you continue, examine your heart. Is

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Speaker 1: there any sin you need to confess to God? We

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Speaker 1: serve a forgiving God. One John one nine says, if

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Speaker 1: we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to

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Speaker 1: forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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Speaker 1: Confess your sin to God. Now, it's impossible to fully

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Speaker 1: follow God's word unless you're fellowshipping with other Christians. That's

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Speaker 1: one reason the writer of Hebrews takes this subject to heart.

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Speaker 1: Let's pray. Oh Father, You're so good. Thank you for

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Speaker 1: the grace and mercy you've shown me. Thank you for

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Speaker 1: the people you've placed around me, and thank you for

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Speaker 1: this gift of fellowship. Father, I ask that you will

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Speaker 1: place a new Christian friend in my life, one who

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Speaker 1: will encourage me. I also ask that you will help

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Speaker 1: me be an encouragement to others. Please grant me wisdom

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Speaker 1: and it's in the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

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Speaker 1: Take a few more moments as long as you need

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Speaker 1: with God to consider how this passage should impact your life.

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Speaker 1: You know Scripture doesn't leave room for lone ranger Christians.

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Speaker 1: God wants to bless you within a local church, and

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Speaker 1: he wants you to be a blessing to others. Until

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Speaker 1: next time, May you abide in Christ