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

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Speaker 1: have you listening. Today's topic is about praying for our

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Speaker 1: church leaders. We'll return with the devotional after a brief

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Speaker 1: message from one of our sponsors. The High Standard of

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Speaker 1: Church Leaders, written and read by Emily Rose Massey. Not

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Speaker 1: many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you

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Speaker 1: know that we who teach will be judged with greater

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Speaker 1: strictness James three, verse one. It seems that over the

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Speaker 1: last couple of years there has been much exposure and

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Speaker 1: shaking in the church regarding leaders who have fallen or

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Speaker 1: gotten caught in scandal and lies. When the news of

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Speaker 1: another pastor's moral failure makes its way into the public eye,

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Speaker 1: is your first reaction one of sarcasm and jadedness, or

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Speaker 1: does it cause you to weep and hit your knees

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Speaker 1: in prayer? It seems easier to get angry or grow

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Speaker 1: cynical when those in the pulpit fall into grave sin

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Speaker 1: and disappoint those who have attributed much of their spiritual

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Speaker 1: growth from their teaching. Instead of wagging our fingers or

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Speaker 1: shaking our heads in disappointment, it should truly break our hearts.

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Speaker 1: When leaders in the church fall. There is a stern

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Speaker 1: warning found in the Book of James that should cause

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Speaker 1: us pause and reflect upon the great and weighty responsibility

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Speaker 1: that pastors carry as teachers of God's word. Not many

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Speaker 1: of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know

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Speaker 1: that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness James,

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Speaker 1: Chapter three, verse one. This verse begins a chapter in

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Speaker 1: the Book of James that focuses on the importance of

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Speaker 1: the tongue and its ability to either bring encouragement and

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Speaker 1: growth or hostility and destruction. We will all be held

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Speaker 1: accountable for the words we speak, but for those who

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Speaker 1: teach the Bible, there is a higher standard. With a

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Speaker 1: higher standard comes a stronger judgment from God. This should

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Speaker 1: motivate us to pray for teachers, especially those who pastor

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Speaker 1: our own local church. Intersecting faith and life in America

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Speaker 1: and perhaps even around the world thanks to television and

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Speaker 1: social media, the Gospel of Jesus Christ has become extremely

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Speaker 1: muddied by false teaching, full of false gospels, new age,

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Speaker 1: occult pagan practices, lying signs and wonders, and distractions from

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Speaker 1: worldly desires that are all leading many to false Christs.

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Speaker 1: For almost half of our marriage, my husband and I

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Speaker 1: were among those believers who were believing lies from the

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Speaker 1: result of the twisting of scripture and emotional, mental, and

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Speaker 1: spiritual manipulation from leaders in ministry whom we trusted. By

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Speaker 1: God's grace, we were rescued from this deception and now

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Speaker 1: attend a sound and biblical church that has been such

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Speaker 1: a blessing to our family. Every week, the elders preach

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Speaker 1: the Word of God with such conviction and clarity and

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Speaker 1: are unashamed about the gospel. Although we finally feel safe,

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Speaker 1: we know that these men of God are susceptible to

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Speaker 1: the same temptations as we are, and instead of growing

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Speaker 1: comfortable or letting our guard down, we must fiercely pray

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Speaker 1: for the men in our lives who teach God's Holy

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Speaker 1: Word because Satan has put a giant target on their backs.

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Speaker 1: The enemy knows how much damage can be done to

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Speaker 1: the body of Christ if God's word is abused or distorted,

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Speaker 1: but the same is true for the carriers of that message.

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Speaker 1: A teacher's life is held to a higher standard because

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Speaker 1: the Lord uses teachers to help us understand who he is.

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Speaker 1: A weighty responsibility and calling of bringing truth to the

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Speaker 1: sheep of God is one no one should have to

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Speaker 1: bear a loane. Let us shoulder kingdom responsibility with our

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Speaker 1: elders by making it a priority to daily pray for

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Speaker 1: the teachers and pastors who give much influence to our

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Speaker 1: spiritual wellbeing. In the age we live in, we can

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Speaker 1: know personal details of public figures very quickly and easily.

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Speaker 1: It seems there is always a new Christian leader who

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Speaker 1: has given into fleshly temptation and taken advantage of the

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Speaker 1: trust of their sheep. When you discover the shocking news

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Speaker 1: of another moral failing, are you tempted to harden your

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Speaker 1: heart or grow cynical towards the church. It should cause

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Speaker 1: us heartache and wake us up to the reality that

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Speaker 1: the enemy wants to cause destruction among God's people. These

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Speaker 1: moral failings cause distrust among sheep, but they also hurt

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Speaker 1: our witness to the world when they see the hypocrisy

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Speaker 1: and corruption within the visible church. We must ask the

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Speaker 1: Lord to give us a burden to pray for church leaders,

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Speaker 1: but more importantly, the leaders of our very own church,

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Speaker 1: who have given their lives to shepherd's souls and teach

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Speaker 1: others about God and his ways. We are called to

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Speaker 1: make disciples and need to be equipped by God's word

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Speaker 1: to do that. God has called teachers and pastors to

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Speaker 1: a higher standard to equip the body for the work

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Speaker 1: of the ministry by teaching us what God's Word says.

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Speaker 1: May we be quick to lift them up every day,

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Speaker 1: knowing the seriousness of their high calling as teachers of

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Speaker 1: God's Holy Word, and thank the Lord for their role

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Speaker 1: in your life personally as someone who keeps watch over

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Speaker 1: your soul. For their reading. First Timothy chapter three, verses

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Speaker 1: one through thirteen. Titus Chapter one, verses seven through nine.

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Speaker 1: First Peter chapter five, verses one through four. Thanks for

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Speaker 1: listening to today's devotional. If you liked what you heard today,

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Speaker 1: we want to make sure you know about our sister podcast,

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Speaker 1: and devotional each day, so your days begin in conversation

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Speaker 1: with God. If you're looking to grow in prayer or

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Speaker 1: start your day with your heart focused on the right things,

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Speaker 1: search for your daily prayer in your favorite podcast app

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Speaker 1: and be sure to follow the show so you get

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