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Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your Daily Prayer,

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Speaker 1: a podcast dedicated to helping you find the words you

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Speaker 1: need to connect with your Father in Heaven. No matter

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Speaker 1: what is going on in your life today, you can

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Speaker 1: trust that God wants to hear from you. Right after

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Speaker 1: this short word from our sponsor, we will pray through

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Speaker 1: today's prayer for New Beginnings together. A Prayer for New

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Speaker 1: Beginnings written by Sophia Bricker, read by Kerrie Eiberger. You

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Speaker 1: were taught with three regard to your former way of life,

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Speaker 1: to put off your old self, which is being corrupted

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Speaker 1: by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the

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Speaker 1: attitude of your minds, and to put on a new self,

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Speaker 1: created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

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Speaker 1: Aphesians four, verse twenty two through twenty four. Mister Biderman,

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Speaker 1: the grinch like landlord of the Harlem Brownstone in The

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Speaker 1: Vanderbeekers of one hundred and forty first Street by Karina

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Speaker 1: Yan Glazier, is more complicated than the Vanderbeeker Kids initially

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Speaker 1: assume a tragedy lies behind the rocky exterior of his personality.

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Speaker 1: Towards the end of the book, when this former enemy

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Speaker 1: is welcomed into the family clan. During a party, Readers

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Speaker 1: are presented with a picture of the pain and joy

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Speaker 1: of a fresh start as a man steps out of

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Speaker 1: his comfort zone to be surrounded by a community. New

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Speaker 1: life is often like this. It involves setting aside or

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Speaker 1: letting go of something to make way for something new.

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Speaker 1: For mister Biderman, this looked like setting aside his resentment

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Speaker 1: and forgiving the Vanderbeekers. Moving forward also required him to

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Speaker 1: step into uncomfortable situations, like attending a party where many

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Speaker 1: people were present. Having spent so long in isolation, large

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Speaker 1: crowds made him anxious, and he had barely left his apartment.

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Speaker 1: And though he doubted his ability to leave his grief

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Speaker 1: induced seclusion, the Vanderbeeker kids reminded him that his courageous

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Speaker 1: first step was the first of many. Scripture also shows

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Speaker 1: us that our new life involves a mixture of pain

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Speaker 1: and joy. It was through the crucifixion of Jesus that

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Speaker 1: our redemption was bought. We exalt in the extraordinary grace

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Speaker 1: of our Lord, but in no way was it free.

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Speaker 1: Salvation caused Christ his life. Every time we participate in communion,

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Speaker 1: we remember how Christ's body and blood were given for us.

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Speaker 1: Our life came through his death and the putting on

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Speaker 1: of this new self, as the Apostle Paul reminds us,

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Speaker 1: involves an intentional setting and side of old ways to

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Speaker 1: make room for new ones. We must die to ourselves

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Speaker 1: to the former attitudes and desires that shaped our lives.

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Speaker 1: Such a parting is painful, yet the rending is necessary

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Speaker 1: if we are to put on the new nature and

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Speaker 1: live as the people God intended us to be, righteous

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Speaker 1: and holy imitators of our Lord. We are born again,

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Speaker 1: only once made into a new creation when we place

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Speaker 1: faith in Jesus' death and resurrection. Already we are alive

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Speaker 1: in Christ and dead to sin. However, the act of

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Speaker 1: living in that identity is a continual choice, much like

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Speaker 1: taking off an old jacket and putting on a fresh one. Hence,

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Speaker 1: that is why Paul urged the believer's nephesis to live

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Speaker 1: a life that measures up to the standard God's set

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Speaker 1: when he called you. There are times where we must

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Speaker 1: count or reckon ourselves dead to sin, choosing to walk

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Speaker 1: according to the spiritual reality of our condition. Today, we

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Speaker 1: have this choice, though it might be uncomfortable, like mister

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Speaker 1: Biderman trying to stay calm in a house full of people.

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Speaker 1: We may even find that putting on the new self

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Speaker 1: requires sacrifice. Maybe never forget, though, that our salvation is

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Speaker 1: only possible because of Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection. In him,

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Speaker 1: we can do all things, which includes walking in the

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Speaker 1: path He is set for us by the power of

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Speaker 1: His spirit. Let's pray, Lord, help me to put on

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Speaker 1: my new self daily and lay aside my old ways

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Speaker 1: of sin, including patterns of thinking and behaviors that are

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Speaker 1: contrary to your will. No longer am I a slave

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Speaker 1: to sin, But there are days when people would not

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Speaker 1: recognize this truth. Based on my actions and choices, I

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Speaker 1: can fall back into my old ways far too easily.

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Speaker 1: So empower me today and every day to walk as

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Speaker 1: a free child of God, for that is what you

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Speaker 1: have made me. He rescued me and watched me clean

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Speaker 1: so that I could be like you, holy and righteous.

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Speaker 1: Intentionally stepping into this new beginning is difficult. Oh good,

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Speaker 1: Thank you for walking beside me and going before me.

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Speaker 1: My path ahead is only possible because you did the

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Speaker 1: hard thing of sending your one and only son into

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Speaker 1: the world to die in my place. I want to

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Speaker 1: follow you, unafraid, even if the new beginning comes with hardship,

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Speaker 1: For you are the God of new beginnings, who gives

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Speaker 1: the measurable joy that makes my pain seem minimal in comparison.

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Speaker 1: In Jesus name, I pray Amen. Your Daily Prayer is

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Speaker 1: a production of Life Audio and Sale Media. For more

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Speaker 1: faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio dot com.

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Speaker 1: you do, you'll receive a fifteen day prayer guide to

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Speaker 1: strengthen your faith