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Speaker 1: Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to have you

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Speaker 1: listening with us. Today's topic is why it's important to

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Speaker 1: thank God for kind people and to thank those people too.

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Speaker 1: We'll return with a devotional after a brief message from

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Speaker 1: our sponsors. Thank God and People Too, written and read

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Speaker 1: by Whitney Hopler. I thank my God every time I

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Speaker 1: remember you. Philippians 1.3 NIV I visited my high school

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Speaker 1: journalism teacher, Margot Tyree, years after high school, when I

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Speaker 1: was working as a professional newspaper reporter. God had worked

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Speaker 1: through Mrs. Tyree to show me my career path. Not

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Speaker 1: only that, but Mrs. Tyree encouraged me to overcome my shyness,

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Speaker 1: and grow to become more courageous and confident. She also

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Speaker 1: taught me important journalism practices and inspired me to do

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Speaker 1: my very best work. So, I returned to my old

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Speaker 1: classroom to thank her and to speak to her class

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Speaker 1: at that time about what it was like to be

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Speaker 1: working as a journalist. I also thanked God that day

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Speaker 1: and many other days for bringing such a caring teacher

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Speaker 1: into my life. When a friend is kind to you,

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Speaker 1: for example, that kindness is ultimately a reflection of God's

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Speaker 1: love reaching out to you. Recognizing God at work in

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Speaker 1: those experiences helps you remember where your blessings come from.

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Speaker 1: Most of the time, God chooses to work through his people.

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Speaker 1: God's love flows through people's lives, inspiring them to help, listen,

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Speaker 1: or share when other people need something. When people step

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Speaker 1: up to care for you because of love, they're serving

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Speaker 1: because it was God who led them to do so.

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Speaker 1: Wherever real love is in action, God is the reason,

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Speaker 1: because God is the source of all love. Because God

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Speaker 1: works through people to bless us, it's very important that

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Speaker 1: we don't stop at thanking God alone. we should also

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Speaker 1: thank those people too. It's easy to assume people know

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Speaker 1: we appreciate them, but even if they do, we can

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Speaker 1: bless them powerfully by writing or speaking words of gratitude

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Speaker 1: to them. Putting gratitude into action matters. In Philippians 1.3,

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Speaker 1: the Apostle Paul shows us how to put gratitude into

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Speaker 1: action well. He was sitting in a dark, lonely prison cell.

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Speaker 1: But when he thought of his friends in the church

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Speaker 1: at Philippi, he felt grateful. Paul made sure to tell

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Speaker 1: his friends directly, I thanked my God every time I

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Speaker 1: remember you. He said he was so thankful for them

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Speaker 1: that every single time he remembered them, he thanked God

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Speaker 1: for letting them be part of his life. Think about

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Speaker 1: how much good it does when you thank someone. When

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Speaker 1: you let someone know that you appreciate their kindness to you,

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Speaker 1: you give them a wonderful gift. You encourage them to

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Speaker 1: keep doing good things to shine God's light into the

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Speaker 1: darkness of this fallen world where lots of people don't

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Speaker 1: feel appreciated. Many people around you work quietly every single

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Speaker 1: day without knowing if anyone actually cares about the good

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Speaker 1: work they're trying to do. They might feel tired and discouraged.

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Speaker 1: When you thank them for how they've made a positive

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Speaker 1: difference in your life, you can remind them that their

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Speaker 1: efforts are really seen and valued. Expressing gratitude also changes you.

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Speaker 1: When you make a habit of looking for things to

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Speaker 1: thank people for, you'll then start noticing the wonder of

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Speaker 1: God's work in your life instead of focusing on your

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Speaker 1: problems and stress. Gratitude can turn your ordinary relationships into close,

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Speaker 1: lasting friendships built on love and trust. Today, look around

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Speaker 1: at the people God has placed in your life. Thank

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Speaker 1: God for sending them to walk beside you and then

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Speaker 1: take the next step. Go tell those people how much

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Speaker 1: they mean to you. Send a text, write a short note,

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Speaker 1: give them a call, or visit them in person to

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Speaker 1: thank them for who they are and what they've done

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Speaker 1: that you appreciate. By thanking God and thanking people too,

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Speaker 1: you can help God's love flow through your life and

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Speaker 1: into other people's lives. Intersecting Faith in Life As you

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Speaker 1: consider why it's important to thank God for the kind

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Speaker 1: people in your life, and to thank those people too,

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Speaker 1: reflect on these questions. Who is one person in your

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Speaker 1: life that God has used to encourage you or help

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Speaker 1: you recently? Why do you sometimes forget to say thank

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Speaker 1: you to the people who help you every day? How

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Speaker 1: does it make you feel inside when someone takes the

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Speaker 1: time to thank you for something kind you did? What

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Speaker 1: are some simple, creative ways you can express gratitude to

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Speaker 1: your family, friends, or co-workers this week? How does praying

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Speaker 1: for the people who help you change the way you

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Speaker 1: appreciate them?

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Speaker 2: Further reading Philemon 1.4 Ephesians 1.16 Romans 1.8 1 Thessalonians

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Speaker 2: 5.18 Colossians.

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Speaker 3: 3.15 Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked

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Speaker 3: what you heard today, we want to make sure you

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Speaker 3: know about our sister podcast, Your daily prayer. When you

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Speaker 3: follow your daily prayer in your favorite podcast app, you'll

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Speaker 3: get a brand new prayer and devotional each day, so

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Speaker 3: your days begin in conversation with God. If you're looking

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Speaker 3: to grow in prayer or start your day with your

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Speaker 3: heart focused on the right things, search for Your Daily

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Speaker 3: Prayer in your favorite podcast app and be sure to

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Speaker 3: follow the show so you get a new prayer delivered

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Speaker 3: straight to you each morning.

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Speaker 2: You