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Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening

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Speaker 1: to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and

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Speaker 1: today's devotion is inspired by Matthew chapter 28, verses 19

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Speaker 1: and 20, which says, Go therefore and make disciples of

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Speaker 1: all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father

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Speaker 1: and of the Son and Your life has a purpose.

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Speaker 1: As people who have been blessed by Jesus with the

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Speaker 1: privilege to know Him, trust Him, love Him, and follow Him,

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Speaker 1: He has commissioned us to help others come to know

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Speaker 1: Him as well. He invites us to share the good

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Speaker 1: news of His gospel in every context He places us in. Likewise,

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Speaker 1: as others come to know Him, He teaches us to

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Speaker 1: remain involved in their lives as leaders, mentors, or teachers.

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Speaker 1: He wants to see seasoned, mature Christians making intentional investments

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Speaker 1: in the growth and maturity of newer Christians. What's the

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Speaker 1: mark of a mature Christian? A mature Christian loves Jesus

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Speaker 1: enough that they actually obey the counsel of his word

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Speaker 1: instead of idolizing their own ideas and preferences. This is

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Speaker 1: something Jesus wants mature Christians to help those who are

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Speaker 1: new in the faith to also come to understand. Likewise,

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Speaker 1: Christ gives believers the privilege to identify with him in

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Speaker 1: baptism as a visible expression of the faith and devotion

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Speaker 1: he has fostered within us. This is a privilege He

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Speaker 1: wants us to share with as many people as we

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Speaker 1: possibly can. Let's pray. Lord, we thank You for Your Word.

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Speaker 1: And we thank You for the privilege that it is

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Speaker 1: to be able to look at this pivotal portion of

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Speaker 1: Scripture from the Gospel of Matthew. And Lord, we know

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Speaker 1: that You promised that You will be with us all

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Speaker 1: throughout this era of history. You're right here present in

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Speaker 1: our lives today. You're not off at a distance. You're

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Speaker 1: with us in every way. And you tell us to

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Speaker 1: be mindful of that as we go and make disciples

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Speaker 1: of all nations, encouraging people to identify with you in

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Speaker 1: baptism as an expression of their genuine faith and teaching

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Speaker 1: others to obey what you have commanded. Lord, we know

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Speaker 1: that that's something you've been teaching us throughout the course

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Speaker 1: of our lives. You've been helping us to value your

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Speaker 1: words and your instruction over our own ideas. You've been

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Speaker 1: developing a sensitivity within our hearts where we learn to

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Speaker 1: listen to your counsel instead of rejecting it. And you're

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Speaker 1: encouraging us to model this for others and to directly

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Speaker 1: teach others what it means to listen to your word. Lord,

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Speaker 1: we realize that it's so easy for us to go

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Speaker 1: through our lives idolizing our own preferences and idolizing our

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Speaker 1: own ideas, and putting the things that our sin nature

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Speaker 1: would prefer over what you have communicated to us in

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Speaker 1: the scriptures. Lord, we know that it's your desire that

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Speaker 1: we become mature followers of yours. And as we embrace

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Speaker 1: that priority, we pray that we would live out the

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Speaker 1: commission that you've given to us in Matthew 28 to

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Speaker 1: help mentor and disciple others so that they would gain

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Speaker 1: a better glimpse of of what it means to listen

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Speaker 1: to you and follow you as well. We do so, Lord,

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Speaker 1: by faith, knowing that you have softened our hearts and

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Speaker 1: you have prompted us to trust in you. And we're

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Speaker 1: grateful for these instructions that teach us how our faith

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Speaker 1: is to be lived out. Thank you for all of

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Speaker 1: these things. And we pray this in Jesus name. Amen.