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Speaker 1: Welcome to Abides Daily Christian Meditations. I'm Tyler Boss. Today's

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Speaker 1: meditation is brought to you by our partners at Life Audio.

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Speaker 1: If you go to lifeaudio dot com you will find

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Speaker 1: dozens of other faith centered podcasts in their network. They've

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Speaker 1: got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more. Head

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Speaker 1: over to lifeaudio dot com now, and remember you can

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Speaker 1: have full access to our meditations commercial free. Just text

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Speaker 1: abide to two two four three three for twenty five

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Speaker 1: percent off. Now receive his piece as we meditate and

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Speaker 1: abide in Christ.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to this Abide Meditation. I'm Bonnie Curry. Have you

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Speaker 2: ever seen a marching band? After weeks of practice, bandmates

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Speaker 2: don their uniforms and pick up their instruments for the performance.

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Speaker 2: Some play drums, others flutes, trumpets, or other instruments. Brass

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Speaker 2: and percussion work together, and sometimes dancers whirl in formation too,

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Speaker 2: carrying batons or flags. As each person plays their practice

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Speaker 2: part with precision, the performance is a thing of beauty.

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Speaker 2: When Paul writes about what it means to live by

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Speaker 2: the spirit, I always picture a marching band. In Galatians

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Speaker 2: five twenty five, Paul says, if we live by the Spirit.

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Speaker 2: Let us also keep in step with the Lord like

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Speaker 2: members of the marching band. When we want to follow God,

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Speaker 2: we have to practice the right moves on a daily basis.

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Speaker 2: We have to give up walking in our own ways

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Speaker 2: and follow the patterns set by our leader. And as

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Speaker 2: we learn to keep in step with the Spirit, we're

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Speaker 2: not giving up our individuality. Each of us has a

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Speaker 2: unique role to play and the end result as we

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Speaker 2: together learn to keep in step with the Spirit. Oh,

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Speaker 2: it's a thing of beauty, a wonder to behold today.

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Speaker 2: Why not commit to give up walking in your own

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Speaker 2: ways and to choose instead to live by the Spirit.

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Speaker 2: Thank you for choosing to abide a bit longer with

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Speaker 2: this scripture today, as we meditate together on the Word

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Speaker 2: of God. You may find yourself distracted by worries or

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Speaker 2: your to do list. It happens to me too. If

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Speaker 2: those distractions come, that's okay. Just turn them into prayers

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Speaker 2: and then refocus on the voice of the Spirit. Join

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Speaker 2: me in praying now, Holy Spirit. I confess that I

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Speaker 2: often find myself wanting to go my own way, find

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Speaker 2: myself falling into selfishness, envy, or anger. Instead of choosing

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Speaker 2: your way of love, joy, and peace. Please lead me

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Speaker 2: in your ways, Holy Spirit, help me to keep in

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Speaker 2: step with you. May my life abound with the beauty

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Speaker 2: that you bring. May my community walk and step together

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Speaker 2: as we seek to follow you. In the name of

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Speaker 2: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen Inhale and straighten

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Speaker 2: your shoulders, letting them fall softly towards the ground. As

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Speaker 2: you grow taller, Exhale as your breath slows down and deepens.

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Speaker 2: Feel tensions. Relax in your neck, your shoulders, and your back,

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Speaker 2: breathing deeply. Place your hands lightly on your thighs, and

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Speaker 2: ask the Holy Spirit to bless your legs and feet

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Speaker 2: to help you keep in step with the Spirit. No

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Speaker 2: one follows God perfectly in this quiet moment. Don't try

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Speaker 2: to hide your failings from God. God already knows everything

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Speaker 2: about you, and he loves you still. Perhaps you're struggling

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Speaker 2: with some of the sins Paul lists in this passage

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Speaker 2: sexual immorality, idolatry, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, division, envy, drunkenness,

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Speaker 2: whatever it is, confess your sins to the Lord.

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Speaker 3: Now.

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Speaker 2: When you confess your sins, God is faithful and just,

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Speaker 2: to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

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Speaker 2: You are holy, forgiven, and perfectly loved, Holy Spirit. I

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Speaker 2: confess that I often find myself wanting to go my

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Speaker 2: own way, to find myself falling into lust, making fights,

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Speaker 2: or placing my faith in something other than you. But

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Speaker 2: I want to practice choosing your way of love, joy.

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Speaker 3: And peace.

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Speaker 2: Please lead me in your ways, Holy Spirit, Help me

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Speaker 2: to keep and step with you. May my life abound

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Speaker 2: with the beauty that you bring. May my community walk

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Speaker 2: and step together as we seek to follow you and

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Speaker 2: the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. Listen,

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Speaker 2: don't rush off, but take as long as you like

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Speaker 2: to meditate on the things the Holy Spirit has shown

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Speaker 2: you today. And as you go, remember that the Spirit

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Speaker 2: goes with you and is ready to guide you and

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Speaker 2: to empower you to walk in God's way. Until next time.

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Speaker 2: May you abide in Christ