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Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosslock devotional. We're glad to

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Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is how it's

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Speaker 1: important to think with spiritual maturity to discern what's worth

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Speaker 1: paying attention to and what's true. We'll return with the

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Speaker 1: devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. Think like adults,

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Speaker 1: written and read by Whitney Hoppler. Brothers and sisters, do

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Speaker 1: not be children in your thinking, rather be infants and evil,

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Speaker 1: but in thinking, be adults. First Corinthians fourteen, twenty nrs.

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Speaker 1: When my late mother was living in a retirement home,

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Speaker 1: she dated a man who also lived there. Women far

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Speaker 1: outnumbered men in mom's community, and out of the few

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Speaker 1: men who lived there, mom's boyfriend was the only one

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Speaker 1: who could still walk unassisted. Not only that, but he

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Speaker 1: could still drive. Some of the women there were happy

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Speaker 1: for Mom, but many of her neighbors excluded her from

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Speaker 1: events and gossiped about her and her boyfriend. That's so immature,

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Speaker 1: I complained when Mom told me about it. They're acting

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Speaker 1: like a bunch of jealous high school girls. I thought

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Speaker 1: they would know better at their age. Mom just smiled

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Speaker 1: and said something I'll always remember. Reaching a certain age

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Speaker 1: doesn't guarantee reaching maturity. In First Corinthians fourteen twenty, the

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Speaker 1: Bible reminds us that spiritual maturity and the way we

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Speaker 1: think is important. It points out that we should stay

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Speaker 1: far away from sin by being as innocent as infants

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Speaker 1: toward evil. That way, we can stay pure and sensitive

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Speaker 1: to God. But at the same time, this verse urges

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Speaker 1: us to be adults in our thinking. Adults are meant

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Speaker 1: to be mature, thinking carefully and wisely. God wants us

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Speaker 1: to use the amazing minds he has given us. He

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Speaker 1: doesn't want us to accept every idea without examining it,

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Speaker 1: or follow every voice we hear without first considering if

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Speaker 1: it's credible. We shouldn't be reacting to situations immaturely. Instead,

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Speaker 1: we should grow spiritually mature by seeking God and developing

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Speaker 1: discernment to recognize what's coming from God and what's not.

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Speaker 1: When we think like adults, we can ask questions about

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Speaker 1: any situation that will lead us to the perspective God

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Speaker 1: wants us to have on it. Instead of asking what

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Speaker 1: we want, we can ask what God wants, And instead

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Speaker 1: of asking what's easiest, we can ask what's right. This

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Speaker 1: kind of thinking grows as we walk with God, and

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Speaker 1: prayer is an important part of that growth. When we pray,

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Speaker 1: we invite God into our thoughts and decisions. Prayer slows

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Speaker 1: us down so we can connect with God's presence with us.

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Speaker 1: Then we can listen to whatever God is trying to

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Speaker 1: tell us and perceive those messages more clearly than we

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Speaker 1: could if we were giving God our full attention. As

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Speaker 1: we pray, we can ask God's Holy Spirit to work

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Speaker 1: within us. Then we'll develop the wisdom we need to

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Speaker 1: say and do whatever is best in any situation. We

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Speaker 1: faith wisdom is more than knowledge. Knowledge tells us facts,

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Speaker 1: but wisdom helps us know how to live like God

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Speaker 1: wants us to live. When we pursue wisdom, by asking

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Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit to guide our thinking, we can learn

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Speaker 1: how to recognize what's actually true versus the lies that

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Speaker 1: spread in this fallen world. All also learn how to

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Speaker 1: make the best choices even in the most challenging circumstances.

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Speaker 1: The Holy Spirit serves as our teacher throughout this journey.

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Speaker 1: The more the Spirit shows us how to think like adults,

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Speaker 1: the more we learn to stop reacting to situations like

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Speaker 1: children and to start responding to them wisely. By carefully

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Speaker 1: considering our choices. Along the way, we'll make mistakes, but

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Speaker 1: God is patient with us as we grow, just like

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Speaker 1: a child slowly matures into adulthood, our mature thinking develops

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Speaker 1: step by step. Each time we read the Bible, pray

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Speaker 1: for guidance, or seek advice from our wise believer, we

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Speaker 1: take another important step toward mature thinking. Maturity matters. Far

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Speaker 1: too many people are becoming confused and deceived by the

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Speaker 1: messages that are spreading in this world from unreliable sources.

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Speaker 1: As we grow in mature things thinking, we become stronger

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Speaker 1: in our faith and better able to help other people.

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Speaker 1: We can point the way to what's really true and

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Speaker 1: give people the real hope they need. So today, let's

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Speaker 1: ask God to help us think like adults and grow

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Speaker 1: to become spiritually mature in the process. Together, we can

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Speaker 1: keep learning to think with God's wisdom intersecting faith in life.

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Speaker 1: As you consider how important it is for you to

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Speaker 1: think with spiritual maturity, reflect on these questions. In what

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Speaker 1: ways do you sometimes approach your faith with childish thinking

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Speaker 1: rather than mature understanding. How can prayer help you develop

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Speaker 1: wisdom and clearer thinking. What voices or influences in your

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Speaker 1: life might distract you from God's truth. How can reading

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Speaker 1: the Bible regularly strengthen your ability to discern what's right?

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Speaker 1: What's one step you can take this week to grow

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Speaker 1: in spiritual maturity further reading Hebrews five, fourteen, James one, five,

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Speaker 1: Proverbs two, six, Romans twelve, two, Philippians one nine through ten.

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Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what

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Speaker 1: you heard today, we want to make sure you know

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Speaker 1: about our sister podcast, your Daily Prayer. When you follow

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Speaker 1: days begin in conversation with God. If you're looking to

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Speaker 1: grow in prayer or start your day with your heart

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Speaker 1: focused on the right things, search for your daily prayer

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