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Speaker 1: Who provideth for the raven his food, when his young

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Speaker 1: ones cry under God they wander for lack of meat,

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Speaker 1: Job thirty eight forty one. Lord, your mercy blankets your creation.

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Speaker 1: You hear the cry of all in need and provide

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Speaker 1: generously for their needs. You provide for the ravens and

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Speaker 1: all the birds of the air. You care for the

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Speaker 1: most vulnerable young of every kind, the ones that need

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Speaker 1: your protection. Most of all, your goodness is on display

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Speaker 1: in all of creation. You attend to every detail, and

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Speaker 1: your precision is exacting. Thank you for your patience as

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Speaker 1: you teach me the truth of who you are in

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Speaker 1: all your amazing glory and majesty. I'm humbled before your greatness.

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Speaker 1: If people could fathom the beauty of your majesty, they

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Speaker 1: would lay prostrate before you. Your so much more than

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Speaker 1: a church service and cannot be contained to a single perspective.

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Speaker 1: You are not confined or limited in any way. You

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Speaker 1: are omnipresent and omniscient. You are the I am that

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Speaker 1: I am. You are beyond time and space. You are

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Speaker 1: the powerful energy that flowed through your son Jesus and

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Speaker 1: raised the dead and healed the sick. Nothing is impossible

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Speaker 1: for you nothing I shall not fear, for you are

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Speaker 1: my heavenly Father and will always be with me in

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Speaker 1: Jesus's name.

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Speaker 2: Amen.

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Speaker 1: Stay tuned to immerse yourself in the Greatest Stories Ever

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Speaker 1: Told from pray dot COM's podcast, Heroes in the Bible.

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Speaker 3: Hi, I'm doctor Tony Evans and I'm excited for you

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Speaker 3: to join me on Heroes in the Bible. Jesus. Please

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Speaker 3: follow this podcast on an Apple or Spotify to get the

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Speaker 3: latest episodes so you can continue strengthening your relationship with Jesus.

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Speaker 3: Welcome to the greatest story ever told. It is a

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Speaker 3: story of a shepherd's heart for his sheep, a father's

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Speaker 3: love for his children, and a hero's triumph over death

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Speaker 3: and darkness. This is a story that continues to shape

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Speaker 3: and mold the world around us, bringing the divine heart

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Speaker 3: of God right into the hearts of you and me.

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Speaker 3: This episode introduces us to a person and a posture.

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Speaker 3: A person who is broken, distraught, and alone seeks Jesus

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Speaker 3: for forgiveness. She positions herself low and at the feet

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Speaker 3: of Jesus, offering him everything she has. The purity of

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Speaker 3: her worship is meant to draw out the bitterness and

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Speaker 3: pride lingering in the back of our souls. Her honest

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Speaker 3: and raw weeping before the Lord is meant to melt

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Speaker 3: our hardened hearts. As sinful as this woman is, I

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Speaker 3: find myself jealous of her, envious of the passion she

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Speaker 3: comes to Jesus with. However, it shouldn't come as a

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Speaker 3: surprise to us that the beauty of this moment is

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Speaker 3: lost on the religious leaders. They seem unaffected and unmoved

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Speaker 3: by this woman. This episode is shorter than many other

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Speaker 3: episodes and focuses on a single and prevailing theme, repentance.

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Speaker 3: Are you broken before God? Are you moved by Him?

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Speaker 3: And humbled by His righteousness? These questions are explored in

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Speaker 3: this episode. We will begin first with a prelude. We

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Speaker 3: will be taken back to the time of Jonah, a

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Speaker 3: prophet famous for his adventures in the belly of a

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Speaker 3: beast in the middle of the sea. However, Jonah's story

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Speaker 3: is not the light hearted Sunday School story many painted

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Speaker 3: to be. Jonah's character arc is a tragedy. For all

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Speaker 3: the Lord has shown him, his heart remains unmovable. He

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Speaker 3: can't find it within himself to rejoice when sinners come

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Speaker 3: to repentance. May we never share the same fate as Jonah,

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Speaker 3: trapped in a cage of our own pride. It is

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Speaker 3: my prayer that this episode stirs your heart like fresh

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Speaker 3: rain to a stagnet stream. I prayed that whatever may

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Speaker 3: be keeping you from falling at the feet of Jesus

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Speaker 3: would wash away. May it be so? As we listened

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Speaker 3: to episode eight, the Broken Flask.

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Speaker 2: Pray lude to chapter eight, Jonah opened his eyes to

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Speaker 2: the harsh sun above him. His skin was charred from

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Speaker 2: hours in the light. The tired brushed up against his feet.

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Speaker 2: His clothes smelled horrible. They had been ruined from the

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Speaker 2: stomach acid of the giant fish. For three days, Jonah

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Speaker 2: had dwelled in the belly of that beast. He was

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Speaker 2: trapped in an underwater grave, unable to free himself. He

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Speaker 2: cried out to the Lord and repented. Apparently he heard him.

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Speaker 2: Jonah's heart was softened in the belly of the fish

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Speaker 2: in the dark abyss. He had a moment to reflect

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Speaker 2: on what it truly meant to repent. The reason Jonah

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Speaker 2: was captured in the first place was because he was

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Speaker 2: running from God's will. The Lord had asked Jonah to

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Speaker 2: preach repentance to Nineveh. However, Jonah held deep bitterness and

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Speaker 2: prejudice against the people of Nineveh. In his eyes, they

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Speaker 2: were sinners, unworthy of a second chance. He hated the

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Speaker 2: people of Nineveh. He thought they deserved the wrath of God.

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Speaker 2: Because of this, Jonah fled from the reach of God.

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Speaker 2: He thought that if he ventured away from God's will,

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Speaker 2: he would give up on using him. He was wrong.

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Speaker 2: God sought Jonah out, and after three days of stewing

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Speaker 2: in the belly of a fish, Jonah was standing in

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Speaker 2: the presence of the king of Nineveh. Jonah's heart was

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Speaker 2: still hardened against the people of Nineveh. He warned them

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Speaker 2: of the coming wrath, but he did so very little

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Speaker 2: passion or enthusiasm. However, the words of God were able

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Speaker 2: to stretch further than the efforts of Jonah. The people

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Speaker 2: of Nineveh took God's warning to heart. They reformed their loss, fasted,

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Speaker 2: and dressed in sackcloth to showcase their broken hearts. Despite

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Speaker 2: Jonah's hardened and self righteous heart, the people turned away

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Speaker 2: from their sinful ways and pursued God. Jonah robbed himself

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Speaker 2: of an opportunity to share in their joy Instead, he

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Speaker 2: sat in silence, waiting for Nineveh to slip and welcome punishment. However,

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Speaker 2: the once sinful and corrupt people of Nineveh proved Jonah wrong.

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Speaker 2: They repented, turned to God, and changed their lives. Jonah

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Speaker 2: was so consumed with his self righteousness and judgment that

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Speaker 2: he lost the heart of God. Eventually, God spoke to

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Speaker 2: Jonah and reminded him of how precious the people of

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Speaker 2: Nineveh are to him. However, the hearts of self righteous

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Speaker 2: people always revel in the downfall of others, and they

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Speaker 2: are frustrated when people change for the better. Jonah's story

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Speaker 2: ends with him stewing in bitterness. It ends with the

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Speaker 2: rejection of God's heart. At the end, Jonah was not

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Speaker 2: remembered for his faith, but his refusal to love whom

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Speaker 2: God loved. Lucky for Nineveh, God was not like Jonah.

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Speaker 2: God pursued the broken people, even though their reputation was

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Speaker 2: that of horror and compromise. The Lord saw passed the

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Speaker 2: sinful behaviors and saw the potential of the heart. This

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Speaker 2: was the heart of God's chosen messiah as well. He

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Speaker 2: would be the greater Jonah. He too, would rise again

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Speaker 2: on the third Day, he would march forward boldly, empowering

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Speaker 2: the sinners to repentance, not shaming them. God does not

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Speaker 2: revel in other people's sins. God does not desire to

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Speaker 2: punish the sinful. Because of God's deep and abiding love,

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Speaker 2: he provided away for even wicked people like Nineveh to repent.

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Speaker 2: All who come to God are welcomed. However, not every

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Speaker 2: person is the same. There will always be some who

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Speaker 2: desire to be morally superior, even if it means keeping

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Speaker 2: others down. Chapter eight, the broken flask. The home was

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Speaker 2: warm and smelled of fresh bread and incense. The walls

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Speaker 2: were arrayed with decadent tapestries, and on the tables were

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Speaker 2: freshly plucked flowers from the nearby garden. Jesus reclined at

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Speaker 2: the table with a cup in his hand, watched the

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Speaker 2: religious leaders mingle amongst themselves. These dinners were a common affair.

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Speaker 2: Jesus was invited to parties like these. Often they were

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Speaker 2: filled with ambitious men who desired to be seen by

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Speaker 2: one another. Jesus scanned the room. It was bustling with

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Speaker 2: intense conversation regarding the law of Moses, temple hierarchy, and

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Speaker 2: political oppression. Candles flickered all around the room as men

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Speaker 2: swung their hands to emphasize arguments. Their words were laced

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Speaker 2: with fine vocabulary and poetic prose, yet they lacked any substance.

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Speaker 2: There was no love or thought on the character of God,

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Speaker 2: just empty noise. Every one of them was blissfully unaware

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Speaker 2: of their own hypocrisy. Jesus scanned the room. He was

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Speaker 2: personally invited by the host, Simon the pharisee. However, he

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Speaker 2: was not treated like much of a guest. When Jesus entered,

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Speaker 2: no one greeted him. There was no anointing with oil,

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Speaker 2: as was the custom, nor was there a place for

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Speaker 2: him to wash his feet. All these things that were

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Speaker 2: offered to any other rabbi were withheld from Jesus. No

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Speaker 2: doubt it was as subtle an attempt to put him

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Speaker 2: in his place. Jesus was not bothered by it. He

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Speaker 2: lounged back and was attentive to every one who approached him.

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Speaker 2: Many pharisees did not want to be seen talking with him.

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Speaker 2: They abstained from looking at him for fear of being

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Speaker 2: associated with him. Then there were others who wanted to

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Speaker 2: be seen talking with him. They wanted to intimidate him

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Speaker 2: and show others they were not afraid to go head

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Speaker 2: to head with Jesus in a battle of rhetoric. The

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Speaker 2: dining room was noisy and filled with planging pots and laughter. However,

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Speaker 2: the noise was swiftly interrupted and a sharp silence broke

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Speaker 2: over the entire home. The silence was thick and lingering.

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Speaker 2: A sound of plates and cups was replaced with the

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Speaker 2: intense stars of everyone in the room. Jesus looked up

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Speaker 2: to see a woman enter from the corner of the room.

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Speaker 2: Her head was down, but her identity was unmistakable. She

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Speaker 2: was a woman of the night, a prostitute who worked

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Speaker 2: in the city. The men in the room were completely silent,

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Speaker 2: allowing their glares to do the talking for them. The

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Speaker 2: woman held her head low. She wore a shawl over

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Speaker 2: her to hide the gowns she worked in. She did

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Speaker 2: not want to make a scene or cause a commotion.

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Speaker 2: She only wanted to see Jesus. Jesus caught a glimpse

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Speaker 2: of her face. She wore the countenance of someone who

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Speaker 2: had been abused her entire life. Judging by the looks

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Speaker 2: other men gave her, she was a notorious sinner in

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Speaker 2: the city. She was equally enticing and revolting to the Pharisees.

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Speaker 2: They looked at her as a compromising sinner worthy of judgment.

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Speaker 2: They reveled in their superiority to her. In a sick way.

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Speaker 2: It almost seemed as though they enjoyed her sin because

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Speaker 2: it made them look all the more holy. However, Jesus

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Speaker 2: saw her as a bruised and forgotten child, someone who

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Speaker 2: had been beaten down by the brutality of man and

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Speaker 2: forced into a life she would have never chosen for herself.

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Speaker 2: There was no doubt she was a sinner. However, this

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Speaker 2: was the state of every person. She was a lost

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Speaker 2: sheep who wandered back into the pasture, calling out for

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Speaker 2: her shepherd. The woman silently fell at Jesus's feet. She

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Speaker 2: would not look at him in the eye. Her shame

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Speaker 2: was like a cancer. She kept her head held low,

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Speaker 2: too contrite to look up to Heaven. Tears dripped down

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Speaker 2: her lips. She wept with a broken soul before Jesus.

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Speaker 2: The candlelight bounced off her tears. Her face was like

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Speaker 2: a cold and dejected diamond. The drops fell onto Jesus's feet.

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Speaker 2: The woman removed her head, covering and began washing Jesus's

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Speaker 2: feet with her tears and hair. Her pharisees began to stir.

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Speaker 2: She was making them uncomfortable. They judged the woman for

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Speaker 2: entering the home uninvited, but they judged Jesus more for

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Speaker 2: allowing her to be seen with him. The men's eyes

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Speaker 2: widened for a moment as her hand made its way

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Speaker 2: towards the top of her dress. What she did was

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Speaker 2: surprising to all in the room. She pulled out an

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Speaker 2: alabaster flask that hung around her neck. In that flask

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Speaker 2: was precious and expensive ointment. It was a fragrant oil

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Speaker 2: that each woman in the city had. It was her

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Speaker 2: most valuable possession for a woman her age. The ointment

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Speaker 2: was supposed to be used for selling during hard times,

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Speaker 2: or given to a husband as a wedding gift. Her

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Speaker 2: livelihood was in that flask. She took it in her

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Speaker 2: hands and broke it on the ground beside Jesus's feet.

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Speaker 2: The fragrance burst through the air like a fresh spring wind.

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Speaker 2: The smell was intoxicating. The entire room stirred as they

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Speaker 2: watched the woman take the oil and anoint Jesus's head.

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Speaker 2: The woman spent all she had on Jesus. Her livelihood

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Speaker 2: and security meant nothing compared to an opportunity to serve him.

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Speaker 2: Jesus smiled, accepting her offer gladly. She worshiped him in

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Speaker 2: the best way she knew. How she was humbled before him.

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Speaker 2: Being honest and broken like the flask itself, this woman

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Speaker 2: who had been used for her body her whole life,

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Speaker 2: finally found herbless at the feet of Jesus. He did

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Speaker 2: not come to take from her like every other man

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Speaker 2: she knew, nor did he judge her like the other

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Speaker 2: men in the room. Rather, he offered her love and forgiveness.

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Speaker 2: These things alone were enough to transform any sinner's heart.

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Speaker 2: As these things were happening, Simon was in the corner

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Speaker 2: of the room, outside of earshot. He scoffed and shook

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Speaker 2: his head, mumbling to himself. If Jesus was a prophet

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Speaker 2: like everyone says he is, he wouldn't be anywhere nearness woman.

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Speaker 2: No one hurt him, or so he thought. Jesus's eyes

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Speaker 2: darted forward towards the back of the room. He saw

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Speaker 2: Simon leaning against the back wall. He stood to his

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Speaker 2: feet and looked directly at the pharisee.

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Speaker 4: Simon may I say something.

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Speaker 2: Jesus asked, breaking the silence. Although he had asked politely,

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Speaker 2: there was authority in his question. It sent chills down

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Speaker 2: Simon's spine. By all means, Lord, he jested for Jesus

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Speaker 2: to have the room's attention. However, Jesus was not in

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Speaker 2: the mood to teach a sermon. Instead, he wanted to

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Speaker 2: address Simon's heart, and no doubt, the heart of every

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Speaker 2: other pharisee in that room. They knew that Jesus was

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Speaker 2: a gentleman, but they had also heard how he single

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Speaker 2: handedly cleared the temple with a whip. Jesus stepped forward.

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Speaker 2: He scanned the room for a moment, looking at the

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Speaker 2: pharisee's faces. He nodded to Simon and began to tell

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Speaker 2: a parable.

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Speaker 4: There once was a money lender who had two debtors.

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Speaker 4: One of them owed five hundred and the other owed fifteen.

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Speaker 4: Neither of them could pay, so the money lender forgave

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Speaker 4: them both and canceled their debt.

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Speaker 2: Jesus opened up his arms and asked a question.

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Speaker 4: Tell me which one of those debtors will love the

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Speaker 4: money lender more.

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Speaker 2: Simon gave a fake grin, doing his best to feign confidence,

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Speaker 2: he shrugged. The one who was forgiven more must be

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Speaker 2: the one who loved the money lender more, I suppose.

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Speaker 2: Simon answered, you are right, Simon, Jesus said. He went

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Speaker 2: back to the woman and helped her to her feet.

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Speaker 2: Jesus raised his voice for all to hear. He pointed

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Speaker 2: to the woman and spoke to Simon, saying, do you see.

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Speaker 4: This woman, Simon? She has washed my feet and anointed

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Speaker 4: my head with oil. When I entered your home, you

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Speaker 4: gave me no water to wash my feet, you gave

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Speaker 4: me an oil for my head. You did not bother

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Speaker 4: to even greet me at the door. This woman has

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Speaker 4: shown me more honor in a single moment than you

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Speaker 4: have this whole night.

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Speaker 2: The other Pharisees looked at Jesus with trepidation. They had

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Speaker 2: always feared Jesus's influence over people. However, now they were

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Speaker 2: beginning to fear his influence over their own hearts. As

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Speaker 2: will hear me, all of you.

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Speaker 4: Jesus shouted her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for

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Speaker 4: she has loved more in this one gesture than any

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Speaker 4: one of you could put together.

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Speaker 2: He turned to the woman, held her head and looked

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Speaker 2: her in the eyes like a.

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Speaker 4: Loving father, little one, your sins are forgiven.

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Speaker 2: The woman beamed from ear to ear and departed. Jesus

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Speaker 2: then looked out at the world. They grumbled, not believing

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Speaker 2: he had the authority to forgive sins. The next day,

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Speaker 2: Jesus was meeting with the sick and broken. The Pharisees

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Speaker 2: were by keeping close watch from a distance and making

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Speaker 2: commentary on every move he made. Their constant questioning was

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Speaker 2: like gnats on a humid day. Jesus was mending small

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Speaker 2: ailments and praying over the children when he heard a

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Speaker 2: scream come from the back of the crowd. Jesus rose

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Speaker 2: to his feet to see a blind and mute man

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Speaker 2: groaning and grunting on the floor, dusk churned up as

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Speaker 2: he writhed in pain. There was no doubt the man

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Speaker 2: was possessed by a demon. The crowd was stepping back

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Speaker 2: in fear. However, Jesus moved forward. Each step towards the

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Speaker 2: demon was deliberate. The disciples watched as the demon itself

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Speaker 2: seemed afraid of Jesus. Jesus could sense the fear and

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Speaker 2: pain this man was enduring. Although a man was blind

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Speaker 2: and mute, the demon was not. The demon saw Jesus

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Speaker 2: and retreated. At the sight of him the mouth of God,

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Speaker 2: a command poured out, Get out of him, Jesus commanded,

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Speaker 2: and with that the demon was gone. The groaning ceased

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Speaker 2: as the man lay motionless on the floor. Jesus turned

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Speaker 2: him on his back and touched his mouth and eyes. Then,

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Speaker 2: in a moment of complete tenderness, the man opened his

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Speaker 2: eyes like a new born babe. He saw Jesus silhouetted

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Speaker 2: against the morning light. Could this be the son of David?

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Speaker 2: Someone asked. The question made its way through the crowd

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Speaker 2: and into the ears of the Pharisees. He is the

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Speaker 2: prince of demons, the pharisees shouted. How else can he

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Speaker 2: command demons with such confidence?

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Speaker 3: He must be their ruler.

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Speaker 2: Jesus helped the man to his feet and sent him

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Speaker 2: on his way. He then turned to the Pharisees and said, a.

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Speaker 4: Kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. If I cast out

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Speaker 4: demons by the authority of demons, then what is the point?

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Speaker 4: What you see here is by the spirit of God.

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Speaker 2: The Pharisees scoffed and dismissed him, as was expected. However,

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Speaker 2: Jesus would not let the point go and said He

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Speaker 2: continued saying to the whole crowd.

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Speaker 4: Whoever is not with me is against me. And whoever

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Speaker 4: does not gather with me scatters every sin, every sin.

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Speaker 4: We'll be forgiven if you ask, But hear me and listen.

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Speaker 4: Whoever blasphemes and rejects the Holy Spirit, he will not

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Speaker 4: be forgiven, not in this age or the age to come.

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Speaker 2: The crowd was disturbed. This was the first time they

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Speaker 2: had heard Jesus say that something was beyond repentance. Teacher,

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Speaker 2: one of the pharisees, responded.

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Speaker 3: Show us a sign.

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Speaker 2: Then, if you have such power and authority, why don't

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Speaker 2: you prove yourself?

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Speaker 4: Call down like Elijah ortame the wild, like Elisha.

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Speaker 2: Jesus shook his head.

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Speaker 4: Ah, Yes, another evil and a doulgerous generation asks God

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Speaker 4: to prove himself as if he is the one who

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Speaker 4: needs your approval. Let me tell you the sign you

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Speaker 4: should look for. Just as Jonah rotted in the belly

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Speaker 4: of an underwater beast for three days and three nights,

331
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Speaker 4: so will the Son of Man be deep within the

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Speaker 4: belly of the earth for three days and three nights

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Speaker 4: before rising.

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Speaker 2: Jesus paced, He stroked his beard and posed a question.

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Speaker 4: Isn't it interesting how those who had been condemned as

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Speaker 4: wicked were the ones to repent at the end of

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Speaker 4: that story.

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Speaker 2: The image of Jonah being swallowed up by the fish

339
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Speaker 2: for three days was yet another shadow of the Gospel

340
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Speaker 2: placed in scripture. It was a foreshadowing of things to come,

341
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Speaker 2: and an image of Christ's ultimate defeat over the grave.

342
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Speaker 2: He would descend into the belly of the earth and

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Speaker 2: rise on the third day. The crowds, the disciples, and

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Speaker 2: the Pharisees did not understand, they soon would. As Jesus

345
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Speaker 2: was speaking to the crowds, his mother, Mary and his

346
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Speaker 2: siblings stood outside. Mary had desired to see Jesus and

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Speaker 2: perhaps pull him away from preaching and healing to spend

348
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Speaker 2: time with the family. Her intentions were pure, However, even

349
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Speaker 2: Mary herself was still slightly ignorant to the true plans

350
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Speaker 2: of God. She asked the disciples if she could speak

351
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Speaker 2: with him. However, when Jesus heard that his family was outside,

352
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Speaker 2: he denied them. Who is my mother?

353
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Speaker 4: Who are my brothers?

354
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Speaker 2: Jesus asked. He stretched out his hands and gestured towards

355
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Speaker 2: the disciples, and said.

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Speaker 4: These are my brothers and my mother. For whoever does

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Speaker 4: the will of my Father in heaven is my brother

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Speaker 4: and sister.

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Speaker 2: And when they heard his response, they thought he was

360
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Speaker 2: a madman. James, the brother of Jesus, scoffed at him.

361
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Speaker 2: He did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah. However,

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Speaker 2: one day he would be binding himself to the name

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Speaker 2: of the resurrected Christ. It was only a matter of time. Jesus.

364
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Speaker 2: His own family doubted him the second he didn't bend

365
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Speaker 2: to their will. This would be the ultimate struggle of mankind.

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Speaker 2: They would wrestle to bend God to their will. They

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Speaker 2: would ask for him to perform a sign to gain

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Speaker 2: their approval. However, Jesus would not dance for anyone, even

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Speaker 2: his own family. He would not stop the good work

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Speaker 2: he was doing. This was not out of spite or

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Speaker 2: disrespect for his mother. Rather, it was an example to

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Speaker 2: the rest of his disciples. Jesus had come with a

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Speaker 2: purpose to heal the broken, proclaim the truth of God

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Speaker 2: Dud's love, and guide people into repentance. His family had

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Speaker 2: purposely stayed back, content to watch from afar the good

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Speaker 2: work he was doing. Jesus knew that there would come

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Speaker 2: a time when mother would be turned against daughter, father

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Speaker 2: against son, and brother against brother because of him. The

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Speaker 2: truest family of a disciple was not through their shared blood,

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Speaker 2: but the blood of Christ. The blood that bonded them

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Speaker 2: would be shed.

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Speaker 3: Soon.

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Speaker 2: Soon Jesus would march forward with his back ripped to

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Speaker 2: shreds by whips. His family would look upon him then

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Speaker 2: sorry they ever doubted his power.

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Speaker 3: So what was your answer to the question Jesus posed

387
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Speaker 3: in this episode? Jesus stepped forward. He scanned the room

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Speaker 3: for a moment, looking at the pharisees faces. He nodded

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Speaker 3: to Simon and began to tell a parable. There was

390
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Speaker 3: a money lender who had two debtors. One of them

391
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Speaker 3: owed five hundred and the other old fifty. Neither of

392
00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:09,120
Speaker 3: them could pay, so the money lender forgave them both

393
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Speaker 3: and canceled their debt. Jesus opened up his arms and

394
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Speaker 3: asked a question. Tell me which one of those debtors

395
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Speaker 3: would love the money lender more. Those who have been

396
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Speaker 3: trapped in the cycle of pain, misfortune, and dysfunction know

397
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Speaker 3: their need for savior. They have experienced firsthand the destruction

398
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Speaker 3: of their choices. They bear scars from the sins they

399
00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,800
Speaker 3: have committed and the sins committed against them. So they

400
00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,840
Speaker 3: run to Jesus without pride or inhibition. Only those who

401
00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:40,000
Speaker 3: know they are broken reach out for repair. The woman

402
00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:43,239
Speaker 3: in this episode seeks out Jesus and humbly falls at

403
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Speaker 3: his feet. She pays him the respect none of the

404
00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:50,040
Speaker 3: Pharisees did. When he entered the room. She went above

405
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Speaker 3: and beyond, going so far as to break the flask

406
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Speaker 3: of expensive oil over his head. She had sinned greatly

407
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Speaker 3: and was greatly forgiven. Her love for Jesus was deeper

408
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Speaker 3: because she understood the depths of her sins. She was

409
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Speaker 3: like the debtor who was forgiven more and therefore loved more.

410
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Speaker 3: The Pharisees, however, weren't as move as we were during

411
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Speaker 3: the scene. They judged her for her sins, and they

412
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Speaker 3: judged Jesus for being with her. I feel sorry for them.

413
00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:20,280
Speaker 3: They were robbed of a moving moment because they were

414
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Speaker 3: too steeped in their own pride. This is how it

415
00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:26,080
Speaker 3: was for Jonah in the prelude. After all he had

416
00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:29,600
Speaker 3: been through, he still had prejudice against the Ninovites. He

417
00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:32,960
Speaker 3: couldn't appreciate the fact that an entire nation was repenting

418
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Speaker 3: of their sins because he was too trapped in his

419
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Speaker 3: own pride. Self righteousness robs us of joy. Specifically, it

420
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Speaker 3: robs us of the joy that comes from witnessing people

421
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Speaker 3: grow and repent. Jonah hated Nineveh for their wickedness, but

422
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Speaker 3: his hatred kept them from celebrating their repentance. It was

423
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Speaker 3: the same thing for the Pharisees. They hated the woman

424
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Speaker 3: for her sins, therefore robbing themselves of the joy that

425
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Speaker 3: came from witnessing her repentance. When we hate someone, we

426
00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:05,000
Speaker 3: want them to fail. When we find our own self

427
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Speaker 3: worth in feeling superior to others, we will be unable

428
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Speaker 3: to rejoice when they grow self righteous. People don't want

429
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Speaker 3: to see sinners repent. They want them to stay sinners

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Speaker 3: so they can stay on top. Jesus has the opposite

431
00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:21,880
Speaker 3: attitude of the Pharisees. He loves everybody and rejoices when

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Speaker 3: they repent of their sins. Our God is not a

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Speaker 3: I Told you so. God. He does not lord our

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Speaker 3: sins over us or shame us. He loves us, draws

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Speaker 3: us out of our sin with gentleness, and accepts us gladly,

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Speaker 3: the sooner we realize how broken and sinful we are,

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Speaker 3: the sooner we can see Jesus's true goodness. The Pharisees

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Speaker 3: were blind, but a prostitute from the slums saw clearer

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Speaker 3: than any of them. If you've ever struggled to fully

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Speaker 3: love God like you know you should, it could possibly

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00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:53,600
Speaker 3: be because you haven't yet seen how lost you are

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Speaker 3: without Him. Our comforts, our moral habits can keep us

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Speaker 3: from seeing our need for Jesus. Take inventory of your

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Speaker 3: life and see just how far you have fallen from

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Speaker 3: the standards of God. Yet even still he loves you.

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Speaker 3: Does that move you? It should. The story took an

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Speaker 3: intense turn when Jesus was approached by the demoniac. This man,

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Speaker 3: who was blind and mute, was possessed by a demon

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Speaker 3: and tormented. Jesus, having compassion over the man, cast the

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Speaker 3: demon out. These moments always remind me that Satan is

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Speaker 3: not an equal match for Jesus. Our God is in

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Speaker 3: complete control, challenged by no one. The man's voice and

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Speaker 3: sight were restored to him, and he gazed upon the

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Speaker 3: face of Jesus. This was another sweet moment that was

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Speaker 3: ruined by the Pharisees. They interrupted and accused Jesus of

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Speaker 3: commanding demons as a demon himself. Jesus pointed out the

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Speaker 3: absurdity of their claims and pressed the issue more. They

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Speaker 3: wanted some sort of sign to prove he was who

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Speaker 3: he said he was. They were not content to see

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Speaker 3: acts of kindness, forgiveness and healing. They wanted to see

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00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:01,760
Speaker 3: the sun blocked out or firefar from heaven. Jesus wasn't

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Speaker 3: there to entertain anybody. He told them that the only

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Speaker 3: sign they needed was the sign of Jonah. That is

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Speaker 3: why the story of Jonah was our prelude. The imagery

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00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:14,080
Speaker 3: of the fish is significant. Jonah, being a prophet, dwelt

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Speaker 3: in a dark, underwater tomb for three days. Once the

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00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:20,320
Speaker 3: three days were complete, Jonah was spat out of the

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Speaker 3: fish and a wicked nation was brought to repentance. This

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Speaker 3: is an imagery of Jesus, who was in the grave

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Speaker 3: for three days and rose again to redeem us. This

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Speaker 3: was the only sign that mattered. All the miracles spectacles

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00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:36,680
Speaker 3: people wanted to see are unimportant compared to the death

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Speaker 3: and resurrection of Christ. The episode ends with an odd

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Speaker 3: interaction between Jesus and his family. They want to see

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Speaker 3: him and draw him away from his ministry. No doubt,

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Speaker 3: they are used to having him around and wanted to

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Speaker 3: be with him. However, Jesus refused. Was it anger or

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Speaker 3: bitterness that led Jesus to refuse his family? Certainly not.

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Speaker 3: Jesus was making a point. Our God is on a

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Speaker 3: misias to gather people of different cultures, background status, and

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Speaker 3: ages into the Family of God. He wants to unite

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Speaker 3: people by the blood of Jesus. Family ties, childhood friendships,

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Speaker 3: and nationalities are all secondary to the bond we share

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Speaker 3: in Jesus. You have more in common with a believer

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00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,400
Speaker 3: from the other side of the country than your own

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00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:23,479
Speaker 3: brother who doesn't profess a faith in Christ. In our

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Speaker 3: next episode, the disciples faith in Jesus will be tested.

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Speaker 3: They will be forced to brave a ferocious storm, wondering

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Speaker 3: if Jesus even cared about them. If you have ever

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Speaker 3: faced doubt, self harm, anxiety, or fear in your life,

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Speaker 3: our next episode will be for you. Join us for

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Speaker 3: episode nine, The Storm Within. Thanks again for listening. For

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00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:49,280
Speaker 3: more inspiring stories, daily prayers and wisdom to last a lifetime,

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00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,600
Speaker 3: go to pray dot com and to expand your heroes

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00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:55,760
Speaker 3: in the Bible Journey. Download the Heroes of the Faith

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00:31:55,800 --> 00:32:00,480
Speaker 3: devotional at Tonyevans dot org. Forward Slash Heroes. Follow the

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00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:04,160
Speaker 3: podcast on Apple or Spotify to get the newest episodes

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00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:06,840
Speaker 3: right as they come out, so you can strengthen your

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Speaker 3: relationship with Jesus, God bless