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Speaker 1: For even the Son of Man did not come to

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Speaker 1: be served, but to serve, and to give his life

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Speaker 1: as a ransom for many. Mark 10.45 Dear Lord, Our

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Speaker 1: hearts are stirred by the ultimate example of humility and sacrifice. Jesus,

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Speaker 1: your willingness to serve others rather than to be served,

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Speaker 1: to lay down your life for us, illuminates the path

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Speaker 1: of true greatness in your kingdom. Inspire us with the

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Speaker 1: same spirit of humility. Infuse our hearts with a desire

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Speaker 1: to serve others, not seeking recognition or reward, but motivated

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Speaker 1: by love and compassion. Grant us the courage to follow

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Speaker 1: in Jesus' footsteps. Prioritize the needs of others. and embody

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Speaker 1: your love in our actions. May our lives reflect your

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Speaker 1: humility and selflessness, becoming beacons of hope and agents of

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Speaker 1: change in a world in need. Empower us to serve

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Speaker 1: with joy, to love without limits, and to make a

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Speaker 1: difference in the lives of those around us. In the

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Speaker 1: name of Jesus. our greatest example and source of strength,

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Speaker 1: 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, groundbreaking stories of hope inspired by the Gospels.

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Speaker 1: Stay here for a story about a man going against

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Speaker 1: the crowd to reach Jesus. Follow this podcast on whatever

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Speaker 1: platform you're listening to, Doing so will keep you updated

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Speaker 1: but also help us get discovered by more people. We

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Speaker 1: want the story of Jesus to be known throughout the world.

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Speaker 1: Thanks for making that possible. Bartimaeus sat in the shadow

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Speaker 1: of Jericho's bustling gates where the cacophony of life melded

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Speaker 1: with the whispers of ancient stones. His world was one

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Speaker 1: of perpetual darkness where the sun's warmth and the breezest

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Speaker 1: chill were the only signs of day and night. His

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Speaker 1: days were spent begging by the gates, earnestly seeking charity

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Speaker 1: from travelers and merchants. He spoke with other beggars nearby,

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Speaker 1: bonding for their shared struggles. He spent his nights tucked

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Speaker 1: underneath a canopy near the gates, where he and the

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Speaker 1: others huddled together for once. They were a weary band

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Speaker 1: of outcasts, forced by pain and fate to stick together.

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Speaker 2: Alms for a blind man.

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Speaker 1: Bartimaeus would ask in the darkness as people passed by.

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Speaker 2: Any mercy for a man in need?

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Speaker 1: Bartimaeus had nearly forgotten the beauty of a sunset or

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Speaker 1: the splendor of a springtime meadow. All he had known

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Speaker 1: for years was darkness. Little did he know that the

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Speaker 1: light of humanity was walking toward him.

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Speaker 3: Never put godly counsel above the counsel of God. Even

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Speaker 3: our most trusted friends or people who seem to know

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Speaker 3: better than us can give us bad advice. It's good

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Speaker 3: to have people you can hear from, but never listen

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Speaker 3: to the words of those that are in contradiction to

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Speaker 3: God's word. Psalm 119, 105 reads this, Your word is

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Speaker 3: a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

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Speaker 3: Let God's word shine above all others and be the

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Speaker 3: guiding principle in your life. Welcome to The Jesus Podcast,

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Speaker 3: a year of stories showcasing the depth of Christ's love

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Speaker 3: and the glory of God's truth. I'm Zach, your host

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Speaker 3: from Pray.com, and I'm excited you're joining us for another

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Speaker 3: story today. Get updates for new episodes by hitting the

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Speaker 3: follow button as we continue to hear stories of how

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Speaker 3: Jesus meets the outcasts. In the Gospel of Matthew, we

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Speaker 3: read a compelling story of Jesus healing a blind man

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Speaker 3: named Bartimaeus. In Mark and Luke, we learn that Bartimaeus

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Speaker 3: had a companion who was also blind and healed at

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Speaker 3: the feet of Jesus. As these two men spent their

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Speaker 3: days in darkness around the gates of Jericho, there didn't

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Speaker 3: seem to be much in life for them save for

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Speaker 3: begging and idly letting the day slip by. What else

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Speaker 3: could you do? That is, until one day they hear

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Speaker 3: the word of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, leaving their

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Speaker 3: very city. With Jesus' fame and renown at its peak,

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Speaker 3: these two men knew that this would be their chance

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Speaker 3: to receive healing from the one who had given sight

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Speaker 3: to the blind of so many others. Today was the

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Speaker 3: day of salvation for them. It was now or never.

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Speaker 3: This is Jesus' final miracle recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, Mark,

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Speaker 3: and Luke before triumphantly entering the city of Jerusalem. In

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Speaker 3: the final moments of Jesus' ministry of healing, he deliberately

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Speaker 3: gives sight to the blind. But this sight is much

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Speaker 3: more than the ability to see in the physical world.

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Speaker 3: This miracle was a shadow of things to come as

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Speaker 3: Jesus opens the eyes of our hearts to see salvation.

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Speaker 1: And what's the baker making today, Bartimaeus?

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Speaker 2: Rosemary loaves with dried honeycomb.

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Speaker 1: Bartimaeus replied with a smile. His lack of vision had

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Speaker 1: heightened his other senses and given him appreciation for other beauties.

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Speaker 1: He could hear each unique songbird and knew them by

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Speaker 1: their tunes. He could smell each ingredient in a cake

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Speaker 1: baking in the marketplace. He recognized each generous villager by

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Speaker 1: their footsteps and knew when to reach out for coins.

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Speaker 1: So when a distant commotion emerged within the city, Bartimaeus

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Speaker 1: perked up with curiosity. The name Jesus fluttered through the

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Speaker 1: air like a leaf caught in a gentle stream, stirring

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Speaker 1: a torrent of hope and desperation within Bartimaeus.

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Speaker 2: Did you hear that?

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Speaker 1: Bartimaeus turned to his companion with anxious excitement.

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Speaker 2: Jesus is here in Jericho. Who is Jesus?

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Speaker 1: Bartimaeus shook his head in disbelief.

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Speaker 2: You haven't listened to anything for the past year, have you?

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Speaker 2: Stories about Jesus have been whispered and shouted on this

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Speaker 2: road since his sermon in Capernaum. He's healed lepers and

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Speaker 2: given the lame their legs again. He's given sermons about mercy, love,

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Speaker 2: and righteousness. Some people say he's a Messiah, the son

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Speaker 2: of David we've been waiting for.

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Speaker 1: Bartimaeus' voice quivered with excitement. his hands shaking as if

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Speaker 1: he could sense Jesus approaching.

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Speaker 2: He's even restored sight to the blind. And he's there

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Speaker 2: in Jericho?

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Speaker 1: How can you be certain?

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Speaker 2: Press your palms against the dirt, my friend. Press your

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Speaker 2: palms against the dirt, my friend. Do you feel the

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Speaker 2: stampede of people approaching the gates? A crowd like that

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Speaker 2: can only mean two things. One, a riot stirred by

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Speaker 2: the zealots. Two... Jesus of Nazareth.

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Speaker 1: Sure enough, as Bartimaeus spoke those words, a crowd poured

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Speaker 1: out of the city gates. Bartimaeus could feel the electricity

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Speaker 1: surrounding them. Each person was lit up with excitement and wonder.

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Speaker 1: Everyone wanted a glimpse of Jesus, but nobody more than Bartimaeus.

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Speaker 1: He lifted himself onto his feet, steadying himself against the

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Speaker 1: stone wall.

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Speaker 2: I'm going after him.

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Speaker 1: Bartimaeus said with a determined spark in his voice. Wary

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Speaker 1: and curious, his companion laid a restraining hand upon his arm. Bartimaeus,

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Speaker 1: think wisely. It sounds like an enormous crowd.

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Speaker 2: You could be trampled, or worse. Is it worth the risk?

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Speaker 1: But Bartimaeus shrugged off the cautionary grip.

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Speaker 2: If I stay here, I remain in darkness. But if

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Speaker 2: I go to him, there might be light.

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Speaker 1: I must try, he stepped forward and added.

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Speaker 2: If you want to see the sunrise again, follow me.

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Speaker 1: With a determination that seemed to lend him sight, Bartimaeus rose,

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Speaker 1: his every step a testament to his unwavering faith. The

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Speaker 1: crowd was like the walls of Jericho in the times

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Speaker 1: of Joshua, unyielding and sturdy. But with faith, Bartimaeus knew

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Speaker 1: his cry's would tear the walls down. Bartimaeus took more steps,

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Speaker 1: which soon turned to running. He threw himself into the

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Speaker 1: throng of bodies.

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Speaker 2: Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!

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Speaker 1: Bartimaeus' voice was like a battering ram, desperately trying to

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Speaker 1: break through to Jesus. His plea, however, was met with hostility.

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Speaker 1: Two men shoved him aside as if they were Jesus'

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Speaker 1: personal guards. They sneered, their hands rough as they thrust

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Speaker 1: him to the ground. But the earth beneath them... him,

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Speaker 1: beaten and trodden, became holy ground to Bartimaeus. From the

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Speaker 1: dust his cries arose, a defiant roar against the voices

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Speaker 1: of doubt.

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Speaker 2: Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.

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Speaker 1: His voice was a shout of pure desperation and faith.

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Speaker 1: He knew his cries would reach the ears of Jesus.

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Speaker 1: He knew that the Messiah had time for the likes

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Speaker 1: of a beggar like him. He knew something profound that

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Speaker 1: these two men didn't. Jesus always heard the outcast. Bartimaeus'

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Speaker 1: legs quivered as he rose to his feet. In defiance,

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Speaker 1: He raised his voice again and stepped forward.

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Speaker 2: Jesus! Son of David!

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Speaker 1: Before he finished, he was tripped into it. A few laughed.

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Speaker 1: Others scoffed. The sound of mockery was like a dagger

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Speaker 1: to his poor heart. But a single voice called out

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Speaker 1: from among them. A voice Bartimaeus had desperately longed to hear.

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Speaker 1: It was gentle. yet imbued with an authority that stilled

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Speaker 1: every heart. Bring him to me, the command brought the

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Speaker 1: crowd to a halt. Everyone was quiet. Bartimaeus could not

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Speaker 1: see it, but could feel the ground shifting beneath him.

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Speaker 1: A way was being made for him to access Jesus.

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Speaker 1: The same men who shoved Bartimaeus to the ground lifted

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Speaker 1: him up and dusted off his clothes.

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Speaker 2: Take heart, my friend. Jesus is calling to you. Quick,

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Speaker 2: we'll escort you to him.

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Speaker 1: Bartimaeus threw his cloak aside, coins spilling from his pockets

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Speaker 1: onto the floor. He ran with blind faith toward Jesus,

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Speaker 1: trusting that he would eventually fall at his feet. Two

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Speaker 1: strong arms stopped him, and in that moment, Bartimaeus knew

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Speaker 1: he was in the presence of Jesus. Murmurs and whispers

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Speaker 1: spread throughout the sea of people. Bartimaeus could hear every

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Speaker 1: one of them. They were voices of doubt and irritation.

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Speaker 1: These sounds had become the backdrop of Bartimaeus' life. He

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Speaker 1: had always felt like an inconvenience. He was a beggar. Therefore,

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Speaker 1: his livelihood depended on interrupting people. The familiar shames overcame him,

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Speaker 1: causing him to hunch over apologetically. But Jesus spoke again,

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Speaker 1: with a voice unwavering in its gentle strength.

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Speaker 2: Shalom, my friend.

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Speaker 1: Jesus' warm greeting slowly melted away the icy stares of

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Speaker 1: the crowd. Jesus didn't see Bartimaeus as a burden or inconvenience.

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Speaker 1: At that moment, The crowd saw Bartimaeus as Jesus did.

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Speaker 1: A fellow image-bearer of God. Burdened, but filled with untapped potential.

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Speaker 1: What can I do for you? The answer was evident

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Speaker 1: to everyone. But still, Bartimaeus paused to consider the question.

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Speaker 1: He had been a beggar for so long that asking

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Speaker 1: for money had become second nature. He rarely had space

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Speaker 1: to consider desires beyond his next meal or finding shelter.

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Speaker 1: But before Jesus, Bartimaeus could finally think of needs beyond

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Speaker 1: food and safety. Rabbi, he said, his voice a mere whisper,

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Speaker 1: yet carrying the weight of his entire being.

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Speaker 2: I want to see.

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Speaker 1: Jesus said, whose gaze pierced the veils of the night

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Speaker 1: that shrouded Bartimaeus' world, replied with a tenderness that seemed

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Speaker 1: to embrace him, Go, your faith has made you well.

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Speaker 1: At that moment, the scales of darkness fell from Bartimaeus' eyes,

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Speaker 1: and he saw not just the light of day, but

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Speaker 1: the light of the world standing before him. Jesus gestured

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Speaker 1: to the distance, inviting Bartimaeus to look around him. His

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Speaker 1: eyes beamed with delight as he beheld the songbirds and

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Speaker 1: the wildflowers. The world was vibrant again. Bartimaeus looked behind him.

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Speaker 1: His companion, once blind and begging beside him, stood a

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Speaker 1: few paces away, smiling from ear to ear. He had

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Speaker 1: followed Bartimaeus, stepping with his own faith to see Jesus.

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Speaker 1: The two of them laughed and hugged each other. Jesus

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Speaker 1: embraced them. Jesus continued on his way. Bartimaeus followed. The crowd,

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Speaker 1: so sure in their knowledge of Jesus, had been revealed

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Speaker 1: in their actions as strangers to his heart. But Bartimaeus...

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Speaker 1: blind though he may have been, saw Jesus for who

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Speaker 1: he truly was. As he followed Jesus along the road,

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Speaker 1: his path illuminated by the light of faith and sight restored,

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Speaker 1: Bartimaeus knew that it was not just his eyes that

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Speaker 1: had been opened, but the eyes of his heart. And

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Speaker 1: recognizing Jesus, He had found not only physical healing, but

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Speaker 1: the revelation of a love so profound, it sought him

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Speaker 1: out of his darkness and called him into the light.

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Speaker 3: We all have voices that we regularly turn to in

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Speaker 3: moments of doubt, in moments of uncertainty. The teachers who

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Speaker 3: offer us wisdom and insights as we traverse through life.

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Speaker 3: Friends with words of encouragement and affirmation to keep us

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Speaker 3: moving forward. Perhaps parents or loved ones who offer consolation

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Speaker 3: and comfort in dark moments. These voices can be a

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Speaker 3: wonderful blessing in life. The Bible continually reminds us that

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Speaker 3: we have to surround ourselves with good counsel. People who

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Speaker 3: care about us, but people who are also going to

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Speaker 3: tell us the truth, even when it's hard to hear.

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Speaker 3: But we have to know that nobody's perfect, and their

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Speaker 3: words won't be either. Sometimes we get bad advice or

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Speaker 3: find ourselves surrounded by pessimism to give up. It's good

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Speaker 3: to have voices of reason. Until a point. Today's story

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Speaker 3: shows us two men who have the chance for change.

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Speaker 3: The moment they've been waiting for to have their whole

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Speaker 3: lives turned around. Jesus was finally near enough for them

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Speaker 3: to meet him. And if God's favor was upon them,

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Speaker 3: they were near enough for a miraculous healing. Though they

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Speaker 3: had been through the margins of societies as outcasts trapped

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Speaker 3: in a cloak of darkness, Bartimaeus wasn't going to let

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Speaker 3: the negativity of others rob him from his hope. You see,

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Speaker 3: Bartimaeus was desperately grasping for Jesus. The crowds were trying

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Speaker 3: to deny him access. As the crowds pressed towards Jesus

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Speaker 3: and pushed the two blind men to the sidelines of life,

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Speaker 3: Bartimaeus found a boldness to fight. fight against the pessimism,

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Speaker 3: to fight against the voices that told him to stay back.

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Speaker 3: Bartimaeus had a boldness to not give up any ground

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Speaker 3: in his endeavor to reach for the Lord Jesus, the

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Speaker 3: son of David. Bartimaeus was putting himself at risk by

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Speaker 3: throwing himself into the crowd. He was at their mercy

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Speaker 3: because he couldn't see anything. He could be pushed and

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Speaker 3: shoved with veracity, and they would maybe tramp along over him.

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Speaker 3: The jabs, the pushing, the shoving could have left these

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Speaker 3: two men broken on the floor to be trampled. But

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Speaker 3: despite the risk, Barnabas knew that getting to Jesus was

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Speaker 3: worth it all. Following Jesus requires that we take risks.

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Speaker 3: It's a call to leave behind our old lives. It

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Speaker 3: compels us to combat the things of this world that

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Speaker 3: would try and bring us down. It leads us to

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Speaker 3: places of discomfort and sometimes even danger. But when we

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Speaker 3: choose to follow Jesus, the odds are always in our favor.

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Speaker 3: Whatever path we must take to get to Jesus and

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Speaker 3: follow him, we can be sure of two things. The

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Speaker 3: first is knowing that he will bless us. In Ephesians 1.3,

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Speaker 3: the apostle Paul writes, Despite whatever we face losing in

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Speaker 3: boldly making our way to Jesus, the blessing on the

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Speaker 3: other side is always worth it. The second thing we

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Speaker 3: can be sure of is knowing that he will empower

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Speaker 3: us for any obstacle that stands in our way. Paul

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Speaker 3: writes to the Philippian church in Philippians 4, I have

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Speaker 3: learned to be content in whatever circumstances. I know what

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Speaker 3: it is to be in need, and I know what

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Speaker 3: it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret

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Speaker 3: of being content. And in every situation, whether well-fed or hungry,

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Speaker 3: whether living in plenty or in want, I can do

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Speaker 3: all things through Christ who strengthens me. You see, we

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Speaker 3: love Philippians 4.13. We use it on our coffee mugs,

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Speaker 3: our bumper stickers, and frame it on our walls as

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Speaker 3: a mantra that we can do anything by Christ's strength.

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Speaker 3: But in the context of the passage, we see that

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Speaker 3: this verse is packed with much more of a promise.

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Speaker 3: What Paul has learned in his experience of faith isn't

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Speaker 3: that Jesus is a spiritual vending machine or a wish grantor,

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Speaker 3: allowing him to attain anything his heart desires. Instead, He's

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Speaker 3: learned that the road to following Jesus is narrow, full

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Speaker 3: of twists and turns, highs and lows, suffering and triumph.

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Speaker 3: But through the strength afforded to him through Christ, he

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Speaker 3: was able to endure it all with a boldness and

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Speaker 3: boast about the greatness of God, even amidst great trial

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Speaker 3: and difficulty. As Bartimaeus and his friends weave their way

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Speaker 3: through the crowds, Bartimaeus begins to lift up his voice

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Speaker 3: and shout for Jesus, crying, Jesus, Son of David, have

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Speaker 3: mercy on me. His cry blended in with the hundreds

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Speaker 3: of other voices that were likely calling out to get Jesus' attention.

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Speaker 3: And even though there were some around him who tried

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Speaker 3: to quiet his roar for help, like a lion on

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Speaker 3: the hunt, he couldn't be stopped. He cries out again,

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Speaker 3: Son of David, have mercy on me. It was at

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Speaker 3: this moment that the Lord stopped. There must have been

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Speaker 3: something different in Bartimaeus' call. Perhaps not something perceptible to

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Speaker 3: the ears, but something different in what Jesus perceived in Bartimaeus' heart.

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Speaker 3: A shimmering well of faith, a determination to be near Jesus.

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Speaker 3: This unwavering courage, despite the voices of doubt, seeking God.

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Speaker 3: It was this that caused Jesus to command the people

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Speaker 3: to call the blind man to him. You see, there's

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Speaker 3: going to be a lot of people that tell you

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Speaker 3: to calm down. There's going to be a lot of

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Speaker 3: people that tell you to chill out. There's going to

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Speaker 3: be a lot of people telling you that your vigor,

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Speaker 3: your fire, your enthusiasm is just distracting people from the

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Speaker 3: actual mission that's ahead. But there's only one voice that

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Speaker 3: truly matters in the end. And that's the voice of

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Speaker 3: Christ beckoning you forward. We should never let the voices

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Speaker 3: of doubt stop us from being passionate and passionately pursuing Jesus.

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Speaker 3: When we call out to Jesus, whether it's the most

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Speaker 3: meager or humble whisper for help or the strongest in

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Speaker 3: passion shout, Jesus hears us when we call. And he

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Speaker 3: calls back to us saying, come near. There's something truly moving.

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Speaker 3: Don't feed into the lies that tell you to calm down.

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Speaker 3: Don't feed into the negative voices in your life that

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Speaker 3: tell you to stop being so passionate. Jesus wants to

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Speaker 3: hear from you, and he loves your boldness. I remember

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Speaker 3: being in a worship service once, and this worship service

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Speaker 3: was one of the standard worship services you would find

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Speaker 3: in an evangelical church. Some people are singing loud. Some

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Speaker 3: people are singing quietly. Some people are raising their hands.

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Speaker 3: Some people have their hands in their pockets. Everyone worships

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Speaker 3: in their own way. But there was one person in

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Speaker 3: the front who was particularly loud. Now, I would be

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Speaker 3: lying if I said that he wasn't distracting me a bit.

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Speaker 3: You see, he was dancing, he was going up and

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Speaker 3: down the aisles. It wasn't performative. You could just tell

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Speaker 3: that this man was so overwhelmed with joy that he

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Speaker 3: just couldn't help it. He couldn't contain himself. Did he

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Speaker 3: have a few screws loose? Maybe, but that really wasn't

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Speaker 3: the point. He was so joyful in the presence of

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Speaker 3: God and he was shouting and he was praying and

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Speaker 3: he was praising to the Lord. And I'll never forget

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Speaker 3: the cynicism I had in my heart. I was thinking, man,

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Speaker 3: who's going to come and calm this guy down? But

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Speaker 3: then the pastor came up. The pastor came up and

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Speaker 3: he was pointing to the man and he said, heaven

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Speaker 3: is going to be filled with people like you, brother.

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Speaker 3: People who can't contain sin. the joy of being in

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Speaker 3: the presence of Jesus. You see, that statement floored me.

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Speaker 3: I was someone who had the attitude of, let's shut

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Speaker 3: this guy up. But then I found a heavenly perspective.

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Speaker 3: This man was overflowing with joy. Now, is there a

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Speaker 3: time and place for everything?

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Speaker 1: Absolutely.

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Speaker 3: Should we be distracting others from worshiping? And there's plenty

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Speaker 3: of moments in scripture where we find that actually being

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Speaker 3: loud and obnoxious is actually the antithesis of what God

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Speaker 3: calls us to do. But in this specific context, it

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Speaker 3: seemed right. This man was overflowing with joy, wanting to

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Speaker 3: be near Jesus. And do you know what? The pastor

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Speaker 3: was right. Heaven is going to be filled with people

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Speaker 3: just like him. Can't contain themselves and can't help but

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Speaker 3: proclaim Jesus from the rooftops. Nobody likes the idea of

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Speaker 3: looking ridiculous by putting ourselves out there only to fall

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Speaker 3: flat on our faces. But we don't have to worry

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Speaker 3: about that happening in our search for God. Hebrews 11.6 reads,

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Speaker 3: And without faith, it is impossible to please God because

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Speaker 3: anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists

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Speaker 3: and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Our

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Speaker 3: boldness for God will never put us to shame. God

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Speaker 3: rewards our faithful seeking by not hiding himself, but revealing

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Speaker 3: himself to us. And one of the greatest prizes granted

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Speaker 3: to us when that happens is getting to witness the

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Speaker 3: work of God. Being bold before the Lord gives us

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Speaker 3: a front row seat to seeing him at work. Bartimaeus

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Speaker 3: and his friend didn't simply have their sight restored. They

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Speaker 3: got to play a part in one of Jesus' final

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Speaker 3: miracles that affirmed all of his claims to be the

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Speaker 3: Son of God. Where can we find such boldness? The

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Speaker 3: boldness of Bartimaeus. Well, it definitely won't come from within ourselves.

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Speaker 3: If our boldness comes from within, it rises and falls

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Speaker 3: along with us. Lasting boldness is birthed from faith and

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Speaker 3: the Holy Spirit. Knowing and being grounded in who Jesus

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Speaker 3: is and being sustained by the power of God's Spirit.

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Speaker 3: Bartimaeus wasn't bold for a stranger. because he knew who

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Speaker 3: Jesus truly was. And he knew what was to gain

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Speaker 3: if he could push through the doubt, he could push

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Speaker 3: through the sin