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Speaker 1: Even so, every good tree produces good fruit, but the

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Speaker 1: corrupt tree produces evil fruit. Matthew 7, 17 Dear Lord,

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Speaker 1: without your guidance and grace, we are like trees without roots,

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Speaker 1: unable to bear good fruit. We ask for your divine

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Speaker 1: intervention in our hearts. Transform us from within. so that

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Speaker 1: we may become like good trees, rooted in your word

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Speaker 1: and love. Help us to bear fruit that reflects your

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Speaker 1: goodness and mercy. Cleanse us of any tendencies that lead

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Speaker 1: to bad fruit, and prune away the branches that do

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Speaker 1: not honor you. Give us the strength and wisdom to

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Speaker 1: live in accordance with your will. May our actions, words,

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Speaker 1: and thoughts be pleasing to you and a testament to

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Speaker 1: your greatness. Equip us with the courage to stand firm

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Speaker 1: in our faith, especially in challenging times. We trust in

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Speaker 1: your power to work through us, and we commit ourselves

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Speaker 1: to grow in your likeness every day. Thank you for

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Speaker 1: being our constant source of strength and inspiration. In Jesus'

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Speaker 1: name we pray.

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Speaker 2: Amen.

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Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with me today. This is the

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Speaker 1: Jesus Podcast. You're joining us for another story connecting the

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Speaker 1: Sermon on the Mount to other biblical sagas. Remain here

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Speaker 1: to be inspired and challenged. If this podcast blesses you, subscribe,

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Speaker 1: leave a review, and share it with a friend. Jesus

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Speaker 1: was drawing his sermon to a close. The words spoken

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Speaker 1: on the mount rang like heavenly trumpets in the hearts

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Speaker 1: of many. But would these truths translate to action? Would

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Speaker 1: the seed of God's word spring forth into vibrant fruit?

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Speaker 1: Only time will tell. Jesus, yearning for them to have genuine,

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Speaker 1: thriving faith, said.

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Speaker 3: Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing,

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Speaker 3: but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You may ask, how do

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Speaker 3: we know they are wolves? How can one tell a

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Speaker 3: false prophet from a genuine one? I tell you, you

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Speaker 3: will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from

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Speaker 3: thorn bushes or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree

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Speaker 3: bears good fruit, but the rotten, diseased tree bears bad fruit.

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Speaker 3: A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a

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Speaker 3: diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not

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Speaker 3: bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus,

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Speaker 3: you will recognize them By their fruits.

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Speaker 4: Are you in pain after walking, running, or even just standing?

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Speaker 5: Visit There are many who claim to speak for God.

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Speaker 5: Behind thousands of podiums and pulpits are men and women

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Speaker 5: who proclaim to know the secrets of salvation and the

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Speaker 5: power of prophecy. Yet we also know that Jesus warned

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Speaker 5: us against false prophets, people who look the part. Yet,

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Speaker 5: thanks be to God that He gave us a test

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Speaker 5: for people who claim to speak the truth, the fruit

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Speaker 5: of their lives. This is the Jesus Podcast. I'm Ethan

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Speaker 5: from Pray.com. Join us as we continue our mini-series through

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Speaker 5: the Sermon on the Mount. We've been connecting biblical stories

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Speaker 5: to the gospel message of Jesus spoken on the Sermon

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Speaker 5: on the Mount. Today, we delve into a crucial teaching

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Speaker 5: from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 7,

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Speaker 5: verses 15-20. This passage warns us about false prophets and

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Speaker 5: the importance of discerning true from false guidance by their fruits.

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Speaker 5: We will connect this teaching to the story of King

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Speaker 5: Saul's failure in 1 Samuel 13, verses 8-15, highlighting the

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Speaker 5: consequences of disobedience and the need for true obedience to God. Together,

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Speaker 5: we'll explore how to recognize genuine spiritual guidance and remain

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Speaker 5: faithful to God's commands.

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Speaker 1: The name of Israel became a stench to the Philistines.

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Speaker 1: Before Saul's army, the people of God were militiamen and

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Speaker 1: farmers with swords. Yet recent victories under their new king

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Speaker 1: had provoked the enemies of Israel. Their hatred was ignited.

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Speaker 1: In a matter of weeks, the Philistines amassed an army

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Speaker 1: of over 3,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen. to press up

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Speaker 1: against the nation of Israel. Their foot soldiers were like

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Speaker 1: the sand of the shore, too great to count. Their

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Speaker 1: presence was fierce, like a wild beast prowling at their door.

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Speaker 1: Panic began to settle into the hearts of people, and

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Speaker 1: the men who followed Saul doubted their ability to succeed

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Speaker 1: against such a vast army. The Philistines were wise tacticians,

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Speaker 1: not lacking in skill or strategy. Slowly, over the weeks,

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Speaker 1: they sent assassins to kill and kidnap the blacksmiths of Israel,

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Speaker 1: forcing the armies of Saul to carry farming tools, axes,

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Speaker 1: and daggers. They were reduced to militiamen again. Victory was

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Speaker 1: within reach. and the Philistines had not even begun the battle.

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Speaker 1: They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east

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Speaker 1: of Beth-Avon. Messengers of Israel gazed upon the vast army.

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Speaker 1: They were like a swarm of locusts, prepared to devour

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Speaker 1: everything in their wake. Israel feared them, and they knew it.

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Speaker 1: Fear was their first weapon. Saul called the people to

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Speaker 1: join him at Gilgal, where he was ordained as king

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Speaker 1: before them. Samuel would make a sacrifice to God on

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Speaker 1: behalf of the people, and then Israel would descend into

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Speaker 1: battle against the Philistine horde. However, Saul's confidence began to

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Speaker 1: wane as he saw his army diminish by the day.

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Speaker 1: Men hid themselves like dogs in the caves and cisterns.

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Speaker 1: Other men had fled to Gad and Gilead with their families.

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Speaker 1: Saul marched up the hill towards Gilgal. He could sense

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Speaker 1: the men behind him trembling with fear. He knew it

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Speaker 1: was only a matter of time before they too left him.

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Speaker 1: When they arrived at Gilgal, Saul gathered the people and

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Speaker 1: lifted his arms. The sun's glare bounced off of his armor,

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Speaker 1: nearly blinding them. Saul stood tall, with an air of

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Speaker 1: confidence in his voice. He raised his sword high in

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Speaker 1: the air and shouted,''.

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Speaker 6: Men of Israel, do not fear the horde of Philistines

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Speaker 6: lurking at our borders.'' Samuel is coming to make a

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Speaker 6: sacrifice on our behalf. He will lead us in worship

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Speaker 6: to our God, and we will descend with the strength

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Speaker 6: of the Lord on our side.

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Speaker 5: Believe in me as your king. I shall deliver you.

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Speaker 1: The men listening perked up with hope. They were comforted

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Speaker 1: by their king's words and eagerly awaited Samuel's arrival to

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Speaker 1: make the sacrifice. Every hour spent away from the battle

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Speaker 1: was more time for the Philistines to gather strength than

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Speaker 1: for Israel to grow more fearful. Saul needed Samuel to

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Speaker 1: come quickly. He cared less for the sacrifice unto God

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Speaker 1: and more about what it would do for morale. However,

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Speaker 1: Samuel's donkey was nowhere on the horizon Seven days was

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Speaker 1: the appointed time for Samuel to arrive But it had

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Speaker 1: been a week and there was still no sign of

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Speaker 1: him on the road Saul paced the camp of his

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Speaker 1: soldiers growing concerned about their lack of passion Men began

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Speaker 1: to scatter and leave camp. Saul felt his control waning. Time,

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Speaker 1: not the Philistines, was becoming his true enemy. Each night

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Speaker 1: Saul gathered his men to strategize. However, he lost their ears.

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Speaker 1: More reports had come in from the Philistine army. More

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Speaker 1: men were being added to their numbers by the day.

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Speaker 1: and Saul was losing control of his men's hearts. The

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Speaker 1: sun had begun its descent over the horizon on the

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Speaker 1: seventh day, and Saul sat at the stone where he

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Speaker 1: was ordained as king. He remembered the lightning falling from

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Speaker 1: the sky and the people scattering in fear. From the

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Speaker 1: very beginning, Saul felt out of control. Even his own

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Speaker 1: coronation had been interrupted. Now, on the eve of his

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Speaker 1: greatest battle yet, Samuel was absent. Saul felt a surge

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Speaker 1: of paranoia well up from within him.

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Speaker 7: The people will leave me. They need to know that

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Speaker 7: the Lord is on my side. They need to know

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Speaker 7: that I am just as anointed and blessed as Samuel.

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Speaker 1: Saul measured the sun's distance from the horizon. He only

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Speaker 1: had an hour left before nightfall. The king stood to

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Speaker 1: his feet, his heart racing and his hands sweating. His

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Speaker 1: eyes darted over to the altar where Samuel would make

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Speaker 1: the sacrifices to God. Samuel was the appointed prophet of

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Speaker 1: Israel and chosen by God to represent them. However, he

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Speaker 1: was not there. and Saul needed his men to trust him. So,

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Speaker 1: out of paranoia and distrust in God's providence, Saul sent

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Speaker 1: for an animal.

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Speaker 7: Bring me the burnt offerings and the peace offerings.

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Speaker 1: The servants were perplexed, but they did as they were told.

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Speaker 1: Saul gathered the people together at the altar. He cleaned, prepared,

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Speaker 1: and made the sacrifice before them. He had the violent

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Speaker 1: and savage touch of a soldier. He butchered the animal

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Speaker 1: without delicacy or grace. The beautiful and honorable practice of

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Speaker 1: burnt offerings was reduced to a frantic act of paranoia.

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Speaker 1: Saul's voice lifted up to the heavens with vain and

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Speaker 1: repetitious platitudes as the burnt offerings ascended in smoke to

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Speaker 1: the sky. Saul could feel the people's anxiety lifting as

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Speaker 1: they saw their king worship. All he wanted was for

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Speaker 1: their approval. For years he had been seeking the praise

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Speaker 1: they gave him during his coronation. He longed for their worship.

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Speaker 1: He craved their approval. Samuel ascended the hill of Gilgal.

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Speaker 1: He looked to the horizons. The sun had begun its descent,

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Speaker 1: and he was pleased that he had arrived before the

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Speaker 1: seventh day was over. Samuel's old legs made their way

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Speaker 1: up the hills. He meticulously moved forward, avoiding the holes

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Speaker 1: and rocks along the way. Samuel was a patient man, unhurried,

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Speaker 1: and attuned to the peaceful rhythms of God. He reached

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Speaker 1: the encampment of Gilgal. Winded from his long journey, Samuel

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Speaker 1: paused and scanned the area. Most of the men had

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Speaker 1: left their sites and gathered at the camp's edge near

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Speaker 1: the altar. He heard chants and prayers being lifted to

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Speaker 1: the Lord. Samuel walked closer, afraid of what he was

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Speaker 1: going to find. Smoke rose to the heavens everywhere. at

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Speaker 1: the center of the crowd. As he approached the group,

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Speaker 1: Samuel saw Saul at the altar amidst the sacrifice. He

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Speaker 1: was smiling ear to ear, basking in the praise of

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Speaker 1: the people. Samuel's blood boiled with righteous anger. It was

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Speaker 1: not Saul's place to make a sacrifice on behalf of

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Speaker 1: the people. He had overstepped and disgraced the practices of

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Speaker 1: the priesthood with his vain worship. The sun was setting,

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Speaker 1: and the people made their way back to their tents.

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Speaker 1: They left with smiles on their faces, reassured that the

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Speaker 1: Lord was on Saul's side. However, Samuel knew the real

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Speaker 1: heart of God. He leaned underneath a cypress tree. waiting

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Speaker 1: for Saul to approach. Saul watched the people retreat for

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Speaker 1: the night. He was pleased with his ability to comfort them.

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Speaker 1: The flames continued to rise on the altar. He wiped

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Speaker 1: the blood off his hands and rested the filthy rag

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Speaker 1: on the altar, knocking over some coals onto the floor.

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Speaker 1: The rag burned immediately, and the burning red coals turned cool,

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Speaker 1: He turned and saw Samuel leaning against the tree with

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Speaker 1: his arms folded. Saul, being caught up in the delusion

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Speaker 1: that he was the priest of the Lord, approached Samuel

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Speaker 1: with a priestly greeting.

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Speaker 7: Samuel, the Lord bless you and keep you.

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Speaker 1: His blessing was a counterfeit greeting. It was as empty

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Speaker 1: and meaningless... as the sacrifice he had just made on

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Speaker 1: the altar. Samuel peered at him silently. Yes, God warned them.

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Speaker 1: A prideful king for a prideful nation. Saul placed his

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Speaker 1: hand on Samuel's shoulder, but it was quickly batted away.

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Speaker 1: Samuel stood up straight. Although Saul was a head taller

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Speaker 1: than Samuel, the priest's presence seemed to loom.

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Speaker 2: Over the king.

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Speaker 8: What have you done, Saul?

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Speaker 7: Oh, you mean the sacrifice? The people were losing heart, Samuel.

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Speaker 7: They were scattering from me and retreating to the hills

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Speaker 7: for safety. And you had not come when you said

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Speaker 7: you would. So I took action.

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Speaker 1: Saul paused to look for validation from Samuel. Yet he

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Speaker 1: received none. Growing nervous, Saul continued to ramble.

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Speaker 7: The Philistines have mustered a large army at Michmash. The

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Speaker 7: choice was set before me as king. I could march

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Speaker 7: down without the favor of God, or I could lead

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Speaker 7: the people to the altar of the Lord and make

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Speaker 7: an offering. Naturally, I chose to honor God. I forced

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Speaker 7: myself to take on the role of priest.

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Speaker 2: Forced yourself?

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Speaker 7: Yes, Samuel.

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Speaker 1: Samuel?

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Speaker 7: I would have preferred you to arrive sooner so you

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Speaker 7: could perform the sacrifice. However, I had to do what

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Speaker 7: I had to do.

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Speaker 2: You are a fool!

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Speaker 8: You have disregarded the command of the Lord your God! Saul,

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Speaker 8: your kingdom would have been established forever. You had the

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Speaker 8: chance to see the glory and mercy of God bless

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Speaker 8: your hands. But now your kingdom shall not continue.

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Speaker 5: But Samuel, these are my people. They are my.

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Speaker 8: They are God's people, Saul.

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Speaker 2: Not yours. The Lord has sought out another to replace you.

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Speaker 2: A man who is after his own heart. He has

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Speaker 2: sought out a man who cares more about pleasing the

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Speaker 2: heart of Yahweh than looking for the approval of man.

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Speaker 2: This king shall be a prince over the Lord's people.

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Speaker 8: He shall steward God's people well, and it will be

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Speaker 8: his kingdom that.

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Speaker 2: Continues into eternity.

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Speaker 1: Saul stood silently, looking down at Samuel. His words rang

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Speaker 1: in his ears. He looked back at the altar. The

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Speaker 1: flames had dissipated, and the wood had split and fallen

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Speaker 1: off the edge. Before Saul could ask for forgiveness or

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Speaker 1: give a defense of himself, Samuel departed. All the empty

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Speaker 1: words Saul desired to give him would remain in his mouth.

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Speaker 1: The priest had left. The people were ignorant of Samuel's

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Speaker 1: words to Saul. They did not know that the Lord

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Speaker 1: had turned his face from him. However, Saul knew. He

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Speaker 1: knew his days as king were numbered. Yet, he would

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Speaker 1: hold on to the throne for as long as he

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Speaker 1: possibly could.

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Speaker 5: They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they

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Speaker 5: are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.

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Speaker 5: Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise,

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Speaker 5: every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree

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Speaker 5: bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,

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Speaker 5: and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree

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Speaker 5: that does not bear good fruit is cut down and

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Speaker 5: thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit, you will

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Speaker 5: recognize them. Jesus warns us to be vigilant against false

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Speaker 5: prophets who appear righteous but are inwardly corrupt. He emphasizes

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Speaker 5: that we can recognize them by their fruits, their actions,

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Speaker 5: and the outcomes of their lives and teachings. True prophets

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Speaker 5: and genuine spiritual leaders will produce good fruit, reflecting God's

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Speaker 5: character and leading others towards righteousness. The story of King

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Speaker 5: Saul's failure in 1 Samuel 13 8-15 provides a powerful

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Speaker 5: illustration of the consequences of disobedience and the importance of

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Speaker 5: true obedience to God. Saul was instructed by the prophet

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Speaker 5: Samuel to wait seven days at Gilgal for Samuel to

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Speaker 5: come and offer sacrifices to seek God's favor before going

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Speaker 5: into battle with the Philistines. Saul's impatience and his lack

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Speaker 5: of faith led him to disobey God's command. Instead of

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Speaker 5: waiting for Samuel, He took matters into his own hands

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Speaker 5: and offered the sacrifices himself. This act of disobedience revealed

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Speaker 5: Saul's lack of trust in God and his failure to

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Speaker 5: adhere to divine instructions. Saul took the place of a priest,

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Speaker 5: but in reality he was a false priest. He cared

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Speaker 5: more about his own image than he did about performing

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Speaker 5: the will and the righteousness of God. False prophets are performative.

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Speaker 5: They care more about the appearance of holiness than they

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Speaker 5: do about the silent, secret moments of obedience and trust

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Speaker 5: in God Most High. True spiritual leaders will emphasize obedience

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Speaker 5: to God's commands. Saul's failure highlights the importance of complete

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Speaker 5: obedience rather than partial or conditional compliance. Genuine guidance will

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Speaker 5: always align with God's Word and will lead us towards

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Speaker 5: greater faithfulness to Him. Saul's impatience and failure to wait

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Speaker 5: for Samuel illustrate the need for patience and trust in

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Speaker 5: God's timing. True spiritual leaders demonstrate faith in God's plans

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Speaker 5: and do not take shortcuts that compromise their obedience. Trusting

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Speaker 5: in God's timing requires us to have faith that He

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Speaker 5: knows the best course of action, even when it challenges

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Speaker 5: our understanding. Jesus teaches that we will recognize true prophets

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Speaker 5: by their fruits, their actions, and the outcomes of their teachings.

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Speaker 5: Good fruit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,

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Speaker 5: and self-control. Leaders who exhibit these qualities and lead others

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Speaker 5: to do the same are reflecting God's character. Observing the

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Speaker 5: consistent behavior and teachings of a leader over time helps

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Speaker 5: us to discern their authenticity. True spiritual leaders exhibit humility

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Speaker 5: and a willingness to repent when they fall short. Saul's

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Speaker 5: attempt to justify his disobedience contrasts with David's heartfelt repentance

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Speaker 5: when confronted with his own sins. Humility and repentance are

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Speaker 5: signs of a heart that is truly seeking after God.

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Speaker 5: Leaders who acknowledge their mistakes and seek forgiveness demonstrate their

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Speaker 5: genuine commitment to God's ways. How can we discern true

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Speaker 5: and godly leadership without being overly judgmental or paranoid? Lord

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Speaker 5: knows that there are plenty of people online who continually

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Speaker 5: judge every little failure by a public figure, and this

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Speaker 5: isn't a healthy practice. We don't want to be sin-sniffers,

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Speaker 5: always looking for flaws in others like hound dogs. However,

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Speaker 5: we do want to practice discernment so we and those

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Speaker 5: we love aren't led astray. First, we must evaluate leadership

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Speaker 5: by its fruit. Assess the actions and teachings of spiritual

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Speaker 5: leaders by the way in which their mission honors Jesus.

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Speaker 5: Look for evidence of obedience, patience, good fruit, humility, and

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Speaker 5: consistency with Scripture. Is this person extending a hand to

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Speaker 5: the poor? Do they make disciples of Jesus or of themselves?

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Speaker 5: How do they treat their families? Second, understand that true

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Speaker 5: obedience is more pleasing to God than any outward show

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Speaker 5: of religiosity. Prioritizing obedience means aligning our actions and decisions

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Speaker 5: with God's will and being willing to follow His guidance

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Speaker 5: even when it challenges us. A godly leader will often

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Speaker 5: swim upstream from culture. Beware of a leader who never

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Speaker 5: receives criticism from popular culture and looks exactly like the

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Speaker 5: rich and famous. Lastly, is God glorified or is man glorified?

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Speaker 5: It's simple, really. Whose name is being proclaimed? whose mission

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Speaker 5: is being accomplished, whose kingdom is being built. As we

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Speaker 5: reflect on Jesus' words in Matthew 7, verses 15-20, and

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Speaker 5: the story of King Saul's failure, let us be reminded

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Speaker 5: of the importance of recognizing true and false guidance. May

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Speaker 5: we strive to obey God fully, to practice patience, and

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Speaker 5: to cultivate good fruit in our lives. Let us pray

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Speaker 5: for the grace and the wisdom to be true citizens

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Speaker 5: of heaven. discerning and following the true path that leads

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Speaker 5: to life. Thanks again for listening to the Jesus Podcast.

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Speaker 5: Take a moment to follow this podcast on whatever platform

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