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Speaker 1: Life Audio.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you listening.

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Speaker 2: Today's topic is about reaching our lost loved ones. We'll

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Speaker 2: return with the devotional after a brief message from one

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Speaker 2: of our sponsors. No one is too far gone for

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Speaker 2: God's reach, written and read by Emily Rose Massey. But

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Speaker 2: God demonstrates his own love toward us, and that while

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Speaker 2: we were still yet sinners, Christ died for us. Convictions

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Speaker 2: were just too strong to stay silent on that Facebook post.

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Speaker 2: I knew it was a controversial topic, but I didn't

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Speaker 2: think my own family would turn on me and lash

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Speaker 2: out because of my beliefs. As a Christian, there are

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Speaker 2: times when I need to stand up for what is right,

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Speaker 2: and just like countless times before, I was left to

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Speaker 2: stand alone to be ridiculed for my faith in God

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Speaker 2: and his Holy Word. I just didn't think my own

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Speaker 2: brother would be the one to hurt me the most

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Speaker 2: with his callous words. Often the wounds cut deeper when

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Speaker 2: it is those closest to us who wield the sword

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Speaker 2: at us. In that moment, instead of finding the comfort

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Speaker 2: and understanding of my family, the harsh reality that my

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Speaker 2: brother was a lost soul began to set in. I

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Speaker 2: wanted to become angry and lash back. That my heart

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Speaker 2: was much too heavy at the thought that he would

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Speaker 2: spend eternity in hell if he did not repent to

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Speaker 2: his sins and turn to Christ. When we meet opposition

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Speaker 2: regarding sharing our faith, it is very easy to become

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Speaker 2: offended at those who mock or push back. Perhaps our

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Speaker 2: first instinct is to turn our backs on them, or

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Speaker 2: set it in our hearts to never discuss the Lord

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Speaker 2: around them ever again. Instead of bitterness or offense towards

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Speaker 2: those who might not agree with our beliefs, we should

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Speaker 2: have compassion on them, because at one time before Christ

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Speaker 2: saved us, we too were enemies of God and lost.

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Speaker 2: Even if our unsaved friends and family hurt us, these

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Speaker 2: situations should truly drive us to our knees to pray

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Speaker 2: for our lost loved ones. We have to ask the

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Speaker 2: Lord to help us keep our hearts from resentment or

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Speaker 2: offense that would drive a wedge between us or even

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Speaker 2: tempt us to burn a bridge. The Lord is so

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Speaker 2: faithful to fill us up with love for the unlovable.

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Speaker 2: We two were the unlovable ones, but God lavished his

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Speaker 2: love upon us upon the Cross Romans five as a

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Speaker 2: powerful chapter in the Book of Romans, and in verse eight,

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Speaker 2: we are reminded of God's great love for us. But

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Speaker 2: God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while

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Speaker 2: we were yet sinners, Christ died for us Romans Chapter five,

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Speaker 2: verse eight, intersecting faith and life. God loved us so

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Speaker 2: much that he gave his only son to die for sinners.

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Speaker 2: Not only should this truth cause us to rejoice in

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Speaker 2: the gift of our own salvation, but it should fill

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Speaker 2: our hearts with so much hope that God's mercy is

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Speaker 2: available to those whom we love. We have to rest

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Speaker 2: in the Lord's sovereignty and remember that His ways are higher.

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Speaker 2: No amount of persuasive, articulate words of man's wisdom can

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Speaker 2: save them. The power of salvation is found in the Gospel.

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Speaker 2: We have to be careful not to look at our

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Speaker 2: lost loved ones as an argument to win, but a

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Speaker 2: soul that the Lord is more than able to save

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Speaker 2: and rescue from sin and death. If we personally cannot

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Speaker 2: reach them with our words of the truth, we can

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Speaker 2: pray that the Lord may bring someone else who could

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Speaker 2: share the Gospel with them. Do you long for your

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Speaker 2: family and friends to know God as you do. Does

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Speaker 2: it often feel impossible to get through to them regarding

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Speaker 2: the things of God. Do not lose heart and continue

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Speaker 2: to pray for their eyes to be open. Ask the

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Speaker 2: Lord to begin to prepare their heart to receive his grace,

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Speaker 2: to believe that Jesus is the only way to true

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Speaker 2: forgiveness and eternal life. God loves them so much because

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Speaker 2: He created them. Let us have hope that those who

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Speaker 2: seem unreachable can be reached by God Almighty. His grace

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Speaker 2: draws sinners to repentance, and if you are a believer,

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Speaker 2: you are living proof of that no one is too

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Speaker 2: far gone for His arm to rescue for their reading

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Speaker 2: First John chapter four, verses nine through ten. Ephesians one,

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Speaker 2: verses six through eight.

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Speaker 1: The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of Life Audio and

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Speaker 1: Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, please

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Speaker 1: can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts,

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Speaker 1: visit us at Life Audio you dot com.

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Speaker 2: HM