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Speaker 1: God exalted him at his right hand as leader and

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Speaker 1: Savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

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Speaker 1: Acts 5.31 Gracious Lord, we thank you, Jesus, for your

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Speaker 1: sacrifice and for the forgiveness you freely offer. You are

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Speaker 1: our Prince and Savior, and we are humbled by your mercy.

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Speaker 1: Lead us to true repentance. Turn our hearts away from

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Speaker 1: sin and towards your righteousness. Empower us to live in

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Speaker 1: the freedom of your grace, knowing that through you we

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Speaker 1: are forgiven and made new. Help us to share this

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Speaker 1: good news with others, that they too may know the

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Speaker 1: joy of salvation. and the hope found in you. In

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Speaker 1: your mighty name we pray.

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Speaker 2: Amen.

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Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to

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Speaker 1: the Jesus Podcast. Remain here for another dramatized story inspired

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Speaker 1: by the book of Acts and the birth of the church.

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Speaker 1: If this podcast has blessed you, make sure to follow

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Speaker 1: so you never have to miss an episode.

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Speaker 3: Saul!

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Speaker 1: A voice called out from a distance. Saul opened his

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Speaker 1: eyes and sat up. He looked around the room for

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Speaker 1: the source of the voice, but nobody was there.

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Speaker 3: Must have been a dream.

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Speaker 1: Saul hung his feet over the edge of his bed

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Speaker 1: and rubbed his eyes. He had soft sheets and a

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Speaker 1: beautifully woven robe draped down his legs. His room was warm.

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Speaker 1: and the lights from the rising sun trickled in through

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Speaker 1: the skylight. They stretched out his arms and yawned. His

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Speaker 1: servant walked up the stairs into his room with a

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Speaker 1: hot breakfast prepared. He washed his hands, breathed in deeply,

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Speaker 1: and whispered a prayer of blessing.

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Speaker 4: Saul!

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Speaker 3: Saul!

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Speaker 1: A voice called out again. This time Saul could tell

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Speaker 1: where the voice was coming from. He looked out the

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Speaker 1: window and saw a familiar face. It was Yoel, a

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Speaker 1: young servant from the house of Gamaliel.

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Speaker 2: Rabbi Saul, it is good to see you again. I

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Speaker 2: have a message from Rabbi Gamaliel, one I think you

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Speaker 2: would want to hear as soon as possible.

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Speaker 1: Saul enthusiastically dressed and walked out into the courtyard.

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Speaker 3: You should know better than to yell at people's windows, Yoel,

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Speaker 3: especially so early in the morning.

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Speaker 2: I am sorry, Rabbi, but... I thought that this message

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Speaker 2: warranted a little more enthusiasm. I was excited to see you.

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Speaker 1: Saul patted Yoel on the back and opened the letter

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Speaker 1: from Gamaliel. He read it up and down twice and

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Speaker 1: couldn't help but smile. It was finally happening. He had

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Speaker 1: been called back to the holy city by the Sanhedrin.

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Speaker 1: He would sit among the rulers of the Jews in

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Speaker 1: the Hall of Polished Stones. He raised his hands in victory.

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Speaker 1: All his hard work and studies had culminated in this moment.

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Speaker 1: He was going back to Jerusalem to rule and reign

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Speaker 1: among the elite. It seemed as though nothing could stop

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Speaker 1: his momentum.

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Speaker 3: This is excellent news. You'll remain here for the night

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Speaker 3: and then return with my reply tomorrow morning. I will

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Speaker 3: let Gamaliel know that I plan to leave as soon

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Speaker 3: as possible.

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Speaker 2: Rabbi, there was another message from the high priest Ananias

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Speaker 2: for you. This is more of a personal note, so

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Speaker 2: he asked me to relay it to you myself.

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Speaker 4: Go on.

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Speaker 2: Jerusalem has changed. You're not returning to the same city

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Speaker 2: you left years ago. A new sect has caused quite

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Speaker 2: a stir among our people.

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Speaker 3: Blasphemies and fanatics are nothing new, York. They will leave

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Speaker 3: in due time, like all the others.

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Speaker 2: These people are different. They follow a man from Nazareth

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Speaker 2: who claims to be the Messiah. He was crucified and

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Speaker 2: buried for his crimes, but.

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Speaker 1: Yoel paused for a moment, grasping for the right words.

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Speaker 2: His followers claim he rose from the grave.

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Speaker 3: Foolishness. No doubt his followers robbed the grave and claimed

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Speaker 3: resurrection to compel the crowds.

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Speaker 2: That is what the Pharisees are saying, but I must

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Speaker 2: warn you, Rabbi, these are not men to be underestimated.

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Speaker 2: They can do things, miraculous things, and they seem to

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Speaker 2: know things about the law of Moses and the prophets

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Speaker 2: with little to no education. This is why the Sanhedrin

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Speaker 2: has called for you. They need to put an end

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Speaker 2: to these people before it gets out of control. It

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Speaker 2: seems like it might already have.

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Speaker 3: And what sect or temple do these false teachers come from.

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Speaker 2: Well, that's just it, Rabbi. Many of them are uneducated

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Speaker 2: fishermen from Galilee. They call themselves the people of the way.

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Speaker 5: Jesus said it himself, a house divided can't stand. If

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Speaker 5: we are able to stand firm and unified in our convictions,

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Speaker 5: nothing can stop us. Welcome to The Jesus Podcast, a

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Speaker 5: year of gospel-inspired stories told with cinematic flair and then

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Speaker 5: give in some honest reflection. If you've been blessed by

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Speaker 5: this podcast so far, we would love it if you

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Speaker 5: left a review and shared it with a friend. These

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Speaker 5: small steps might seem tiny, but they actually mean a

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Speaker 5: lot to us. Thanks for making the mission possible. Today's

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Speaker 5: story began with the introduction of Saul of Tarsus. Saul,

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Speaker 5: an ambitious young Pharisee looking to be drafted into the

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Speaker 5: ranks of the Sanhedrin, has been assigned to come back

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Speaker 5: to Jerusalem to help deal with a movement called the

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Speaker 5: People of the Way. We use this moment, inspired by

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Speaker 5: Acts chapter 5, to make Saul a fly on the

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Speaker 5: wall of an interesting courtroom drama between Peter, John, and

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Speaker 5: the Sanhedrin.

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Speaker 1: It had been years since Saul was in Jerusalem. While

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Speaker 1: Saul was away in Tarsus, much had happened. A carpenter

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Speaker 1: from Nazareth stirred up a group of zealots. Even though

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Speaker 1: he was killed, his followers refused to scatter. Saul had

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Speaker 1: been summoned by the Sanhedrin to put his skills to

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Speaker 1: the test. Saul entered the great doors into the hall

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Speaker 1: of polished stones. The room was massive, and every whisper

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Speaker 1: reverberated against the rounded walls and ceiling. The floor was

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Speaker 1: hewn from smoothed-out granite, and the pillars holding up the

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Speaker 1: dome-like roof were made from pure ivory. Saul entered the

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Speaker 1: hall without announcing himself. He could hear the Sanhedrin arguing

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Speaker 1: about something. The men sat in a half circle on

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Speaker 1: either side of the high priest in the center. They

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Speaker 1: were adorned with perfectly woven robes and polished jewels. Standing

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Speaker 1: before them were two men bound in rope under some

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Speaker 1: sort of investigation. They wore fisherman's clothes and ungroomed beards.

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Speaker 1: It wasn't common for such raggedy men to appear before

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Speaker 1: the Sanhedrin. They usually dealt with more upscale matters.

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Speaker 4: Who are they?

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Speaker 1: Instead of making himself known, Saul leaned against the pillar

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Speaker 1: and listened. The high priest Ananias was indignant and yelled

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Speaker 1: at the two men standing before him.

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Speaker 4: Did we not strictly command you not to teach in

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Speaker 4: that man's name?

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Speaker 3: Now look what you've done.

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Speaker 4: Jerusalem is being corrupted with your doctrine. Cease this now

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Speaker 4: or pay the price.

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Speaker 1: One of the captured men stood taller than the other.

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Speaker 1: He had a magnetic personality and filled a room easily.

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Speaker 1: He raised his voice and shouted back.

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Speaker 3: Who are we to obey first, Ananias, God or men?

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Speaker 4: How dare you? We speak for God.

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Speaker 3: No, you murdered God. The God of our fathers came

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Speaker 3: to us and you murdered him by hanging him on

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Speaker 3: a cross.

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Speaker 1: The council shifted in their seats with indignant glares. Saul

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Speaker 1: observed them closely. These fishermen were making them very uncomfortable.

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Speaker 1: Saul crossed his arms and leaned his ear in closer

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Speaker 1: to listen. The larger man spoke to the council with

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Speaker 1: insolent boldness.

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Speaker 3: There is hope, even for you, Sanhedrin. The Spirit of

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Speaker 3: God raised Jesus and exalted him to the right hand

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Speaker 3: of the throne of God. If you repent and remove

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Speaker 3: yourself from that false throne, there may be hope for

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Speaker 3: your soul.

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Speaker 1: The council was in an uproar. Saul watched as they

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Speaker 1: all stood and shouted curses at the men. Some of

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Speaker 1: them spat in their direction.

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Speaker 6: We are witnesses to his resurrection. We have beheld the

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Speaker 6: risen Jesus with our own eyes. The Holy Spirit God

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Speaker 6: has given to those who seek and obey him also

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Speaker 6: bears witness.

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Speaker 4: The Holy Spirit?

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Speaker 3: These men have no idea what they're talking about.

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Speaker 1: Saul's gay returned to Ananias, whose face was red with

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Speaker 1: righteous indignation.

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Speaker 4: Enough! We warned you both that if you preached the

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Speaker 4: name of Jesus, you would be punished.

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Speaker 1: He gestured to the guards to grab their ropes and

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Speaker 1: take them away.

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Speaker 4: We will deliberate and decide your punishment.

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Speaker 1: The officers took the two men out of the room.

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Speaker 1: On their way out, they passed Saul. He caught a

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Speaker 1: glimpse of their faces. They were dirty and clearly from

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Speaker 1: poorer families. What gave them the gall to speak to

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Speaker 1: the Sanhedrin like that? They seemed unashamed of their blasphemy

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Speaker 1: and unafraid of any consequences. Their confidence vexed Saul. He

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Speaker 1: stepped closer to the council and listened to the Sanhedrin deliberate.

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Speaker 1: Ananias presided over them with fury.

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Speaker 4: They must be killed! Clearly it wasn't enough to kill Jesus.

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Speaker 4: We must put an end to his followers as well.

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Speaker 3: Ah! This is the Pharisees' fault. They teach about resurrection, spirits,

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Speaker 3: and angels. Now we have a whole sect claiming this

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Speaker 3: man rose from the dead and has risen with the angels.

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Speaker 3: You primed the people to think this way.

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Speaker 4: It's your fault.

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Speaker 1: The other Sadducees in the room nodded in agreement. The

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Speaker 1: Pharisees shook their heads and objected. The topic of resurrection

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Speaker 1: was touchy for the conservative Pharisees and liberal Sadducees. The

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Speaker 1: supernatural was an endless debate. One Saul had a great

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Speaker 1: deal of fun engaging in. The room was becoming louder,

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Speaker 1: and small arguments arose among the group. Their dogmatic arguing

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Speaker 1: reverberated down the halls. Their differences in opinion melded into

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Speaker 1: indistinguishable white noise. Then one of the elder members of

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Speaker 1: the Sanhedrin stood to his feet, and silenced the crowd.

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Speaker 1: Saul smiled when he saw who it was. It was Gamaliel.

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Speaker 1: His opinion was highly regarded among the Sanhedrin. They silenced

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Speaker 1: themselves to listen to him.

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Speaker 3: Men of Israel, we must be careful with how we proceed.

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Speaker 3: Take heed on how you treat them, for there's still

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Speaker 3: a shred of possibility this movement is of the law.

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Speaker 1: The rest of the council began to stir and murmur.

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Speaker 1: Gamaliel raised his hands and silenced them.

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Speaker 3: Let me explain. Remember, some time ago, Thudas rose from

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Speaker 3: the zealots, claiming to be a prophet from God, and

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Speaker 3: 400 people followed him? He was slain, and all his

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Speaker 3: followers disappeared in a matter of months. Remember Judas of Galilee,

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Speaker 3: when he rose up? Hundreds of people followed him. He

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Speaker 3: was a blasphemer, and when he was punished, his followers

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Speaker 3: disappeared within a year.

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Speaker 4: What are you saying, Gamaliel? Get to the point!

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Speaker 3: My point is that movements tend to die with their leaders.

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Speaker 3: But when a movement is from the Lord, it won't

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Speaker 3: be thwarted no matter how hard we try. If these

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Speaker 3: men are simple blasphemers, they will fall away and disappear

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Speaker 3: in months. But if these men are from God, they

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Speaker 3: will endure. They will continue their mission, no matter how

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Speaker 3: harsh the punishment is. If God is on their side,

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Speaker 3: nobody can stand against them. Do not harm them. We

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Speaker 3: do not want to be caught working against God. Does

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Speaker 3: God need our defending?

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Speaker 1: The council was taken back by Gamaliel's advice. And so

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Speaker 1: was Saul. Saul believed the law of God needed defending.

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Speaker 1: He had made a career out of it. Saul was

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Speaker 1: surprised to hear his teacher say something in favor of blasphemers.

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Speaker 1: It made his stomach churn. Clearly the Sanhedrin required leadership

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Speaker 1: with more conviction. They needed someone to lead the charge

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Speaker 1: against these people before it got out of hand.

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Speaker 3: We cannot put them to death yet. They've been feeding

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Speaker 3: the poor and giving medical care to the sick. The

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Speaker 3: people of the way have endeared themselves to the common folk.

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Speaker 3: If we kill them too quickly, we might have an

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Speaker 3: uprising on our hands.

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Speaker 1: The rest of the Sanhedrin deliberated and agreed to hold

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Speaker 1: off putting the men to death. And Ananias nodded to

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Speaker 1: the temple guards to bring the two men out. They

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Speaker 1: stood in front of the Sanhedrin with smiles on their faces.

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Speaker 1: The high priest glared at them, then nodded to the guards.

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Speaker 4: Beat them!

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Speaker 1: Immediately the taller man was struck in the jaw. The younger,

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Speaker 1: shorter man was kicked in the knee and brought to

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Speaker 1: the ground. Saul watched as the guards took out their

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Speaker 1: bludgeoning sticks and struck both of them violently. The larger

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Speaker 1: man grunted with his hands and knees on the cold stone.

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Speaker 1: He took every blow with dignity. The shorter man closed

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Speaker 1: his eyes and hummed a hymn to block out the

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Speaker 1: sound of his ribs cracking. The guards didn't hold back.

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Speaker 1: But still, the men remained conscious and unwavering.

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Speaker 4: Enough!

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Speaker 1: The beating stopped, and the two men remained on the floor.

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Speaker 1: The guards brought them to their feet and dragged them

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Speaker 1: to the foot of the high priest. He looked at

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Speaker 1: them with disgust and spat in their faces.

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Speaker 4: This is your final warning, Peter and John. Leave here

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Speaker 4: and do not mention Jesus of Nazareth again.

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Speaker 1: Neither man said a word in response. There was no

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Speaker 1: nod of recognition or acknowledgement. They were impassive and allowed

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Speaker 1: the guards to throw them outside. Saul slipped out of

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Speaker 1: the back of the hall into the courtyard. and watched

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Speaker 1: the men get thrown into the dirt. He was curious

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Speaker 1: to see what these men would do next. Would they

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Speaker 1: remain there in defeat? Would they curse God and the temple? No,

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Speaker 1: they neither wept nor cursed. Saul watched curiously as they

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Speaker 1: helped each other up and dusted themselves off. The man

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Speaker 1: called Peter held his ribs.

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Speaker 4: As he laughed.

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Speaker 3: I have been beaten many times in my life, John.

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Speaker 3: But this is the first time I am pleased by it.

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Speaker 6: We suffer as he suffered.

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Speaker 3: Come, let's go back to the courtyards. We have much

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Speaker 3: to do.

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Speaker 1: The two men limped away, holding each other up shoulder

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Speaker 1: to shoulder. Saul was both perplexed and annoyed. How could

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Speaker 1: they be so joyful after such a brutal beating? Didn't

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Speaker 1: they learn their lesson? By responding to judgment with joy,

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Speaker 1: they removed the power of punishment. If beating them didn't

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Speaker 1: deter them, then what would? Quiet contempt began to already

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Speaker 1: settle in Saul's heart. His predisposition to righteous rage flared.

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Speaker 1: He straightened his robes and went back into the hall.

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Speaker 4: Of polished stone.

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Speaker 5: I'll make this one short and sweet for you all.

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Speaker 5: Do you know that nothing, and I truly mean nothing,

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Speaker 5: can thwart the work of Christ? We talk about what's

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Speaker 5: happening in the world, with wars and corrupt governments at

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Speaker 5: each other's throats. Especially during election season, we talk about policies, politicians,

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Speaker 5: and how each person on the other side vying for

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Speaker 5: votes will be the end of democracy. We talk about

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Speaker 5: the culture wars and competing ideologies in our school systems

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Speaker 5: and our churches. We talk about the decline of morals

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Speaker 5: in Hollywood and in entertainment. It's all very sensational. Some

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Speaker 5: of it should warrant our serious attention. Other issues are

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Speaker 5: better left ignored. However, there is one prevailing truth that

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Speaker 5: buoys above the madness of culture. The gospel is inevitable,

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Speaker 5: and the gospel is indestructible. And those who champion the gospel,

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Speaker 5: although their bones may be broken and their possessions might

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Speaker 5: be taken away, are also indestructible. Jesus gave us these

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Speaker 5: words for times of trouble. I have told you these

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Speaker 5: things so that in me you might have peace. And

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Speaker 5: in this world you will have trouble. But take heart,

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Speaker 5: I have overcome the world. John 16, 33. These words

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Speaker 5: were spoken to the apostles before Jesus was going to

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Speaker 5: be arrested, beaten, put on trial, and then ultimately crucified.

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Speaker 5: And it was no doubt these words that really encouraged Peter, John,

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Speaker 5: and all the other apostles as they faced harsh persecution.

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Speaker 5: They were able to keep their chins up high because

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Speaker 5: they knew that they weren't working for victory, but from victory.

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Speaker 5: We worship an overcomer. No government policy, shadowy figures in

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Speaker 5: places of power, or bullies can thwart the momentum of

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Speaker 5: people passionate about Christ. The gospel prevails amidst chaos and corruption,

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Speaker 5: and it can also prevail in your heart as well.

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Speaker 5: When you find yourself divided, double-minded, and tempted to compromise,

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Speaker 5: remember the boldness of John and Peter in front of

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Speaker 5: the Sanhedrin. And also remember the conversion of Saul that

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Speaker 5: we're going to experience later on. He was an immovable man,

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Speaker 5: settled in his identity. but all mountains can be moved eventually.

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Speaker 5: In our next few episodes, we're going to be unpacking

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Speaker 5: the drama of Saul as he tries to thwart the

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Speaker 5: people of the way.

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Speaker 3: Buckle up.

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Speaker 5: It's going to get intense. Thanks again for listening to

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Speaker 5: the Jesus Podcast. You already know what to do. Make

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Speaker 5: sure to follow, subscribe on whatever platform you listen to,

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Speaker 5: share it with a friend, and rate and leave a review.

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Speaker 5: We love that you've been joining us so far on

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Speaker 5: the Jesus Podcast. If you're interested in any more content

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Speaker 5: that Pray.com produces, you can look us up on Spotify, iTunes, iHeart,

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Speaker 5: wherever you get your podcasts, or you can download the

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Speaker 5: Pray.com app today. We have a wealth of different resources

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Speaker 5: and different church leaders and ministry leaders that all put

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Speaker 5: their content on Pray.com. If you're looking for the most

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Speaker 5: vast menu of encouraging content to really strengthen your faith,

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Speaker 5: look no further than the Pray.com app.