WEBVTT - Jack Graham - Oct 15 - 9:30 pm

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<v Speaker 1>And the child grew and waxed strong in the Spirit,

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<v Speaker 1>filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

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<v Speaker 1>Luke 2.40 As I continue to grow, I thank you

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<v Speaker 1>that I am increasing in wisdom and understanding like Jesus.

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<v Speaker 1>Even when others don't understand the magnitude of my calling,

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<v Speaker 1>I will remain true to what you've placed inside of me, Lord.

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<v Speaker 1>I choose to understand that sometimes the people closest to

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<v Speaker 1>me won't understand my anointing, and that's okay. Nevertheless, I

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<v Speaker 1>will not shrink or play small when it comes to

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<v Speaker 1>walking in my divine identity. With Jesus as my focus,

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<v Speaker 1>I will learn to walk and talk in confidence as

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<v Speaker 1>He did. I am ready to live my fullest life

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<v Speaker 1>and be involved with my Heavenly Father's business. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.

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<v Speaker 1>To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story.

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<v Speaker 1>Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.

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<v Speaker 2>Young Jesus. In our last story, the baby Jesus was

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<v Speaker 2>visited by three wise men. They were prominent scholars and astronomers,

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<v Speaker 2>yet they worshipped Jesus as king. Herod, the evil king

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<v Speaker 2>of the Jews, got word that there was a new

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<v Speaker 2>child born by prophecy. Seeing Jesus as a threat to

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<v Speaker 2>his power, he had every child under the age of

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<v Speaker 2>two killed. Yet Joseph had his family flee just in time.

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<v Speaker 2>Now we get a glimpse into the childhood of Jesus.

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<v Speaker 2>His wisdom and purpose remained a mystery to Mary and Joseph,

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<v Speaker 2>inspired by the Gospels.

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<v Speaker 3>Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible

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<v Speaker 3>in a Year podcast. But before we begin, I want

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<v Speaker 3>to let you know about a unique e-book that's yours

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<v Speaker 3>to download absolutely free today. It's called Breaking Free from Stress.

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<v Speaker 3>And my prayer is that it will help you conquer

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<v Speaker 3>the daily tasks and pressures and burdens that bring stress

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<v Speaker 3>in your life. Download your free copy of Breaking Free

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<v Speaker 3>from Stress today by visiting jackgram.org slash stress. That's jackgram.org

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<v Speaker 3>slash stress. In yesterday's episode, we learned of the visit

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<v Speaker 3>of the wise men who came from the east to

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<v Speaker 3>worship the Messiah. They brought lavish gifts that symbolized the royalty, divinity,

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<v Speaker 3>and ultimately, even the death of Christ. Even as a baby,

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<v Speaker 3>Jesus represented a threat to the established power structure, and

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<v Speaker 3>as we learned, King Herod sought to kill him. But

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<v Speaker 3>God protected Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, and they escaped into

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<v Speaker 3>Egypt until Herod died. Today, we'll hear about the life

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<v Speaker 3>of a young Jesus before the beginning of his earthly ministry.

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<v Speaker 3>We'll see how even as a child, he was in

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<v Speaker 3>fellowship with the Father, and his wisdom and insight drew

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<v Speaker 3>others to him. And as they journey to Jerusalem for Passover,

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<v Speaker 3>Joseph and Mary will get a glimpse of just how

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<v Speaker 3>special Jesus really is. Let's hear now the reading of

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<v Speaker 3>God's Word.

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<v Speaker 2>The crowds pushed and shoved as Mary and Joseph tried

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<v Speaker 2>to make their way from the temple. For the past

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<v Speaker 2>12 years, the small family had made their way to

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<v Speaker 2>Jerusalem for Passover. Mary and Joseph had watched as Jesus

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<v Speaker 2>grew up and became strong. The boy was filled with

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<v Speaker 2>wisdom and carried the favor of God wherever he went.

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<v Speaker 2>Joseph did his best to guide his wife through the

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<v Speaker 2>busy crowd. Millions of people flocked the holy city during Passover.

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<v Speaker 2>So many, in fact, that Mary and Joseph had completely

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<v Speaker 2>lost track of Jesus. He was nowhere to be seen.

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<v Speaker 2>The sea of faces rolled like a rising tide, and

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<v Speaker 2>not one of them resembled the twelve-year-old boy. Frantic, Mary

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<v Speaker 2>scoured the city for three days in search of her child.

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<v Speaker 2>Jesus was not the type to wander off. He was considerate, obedient,

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<v Speaker 2>and wise beyond his years. He would not have gotten lost.

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<v Speaker 2>That's when Mary realized where he must be. The two

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<v Speaker 2>parents ran back to the temple courtyard. Thousands of people

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<v Speaker 2>rushed in and out of the gates, but Mary knew

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<v Speaker 2>Jesus must be within its walls. As the worried parents

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<v Speaker 2>entered the temple doors, they saw their son sitting in

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<v Speaker 2>front of priests and teachers. The boy asked deep and

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<v Speaker 2>profound questions. He was also filled with answers beyond their comprehension.

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<v Speaker 2>The priests and teachers hung on every word the boy said,

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<v Speaker 2>gleaning deep truths from his words. Mary did not want

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<v Speaker 2>to make a scene in front of the priests, so

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<v Speaker 2>she waited for a lull in their conversation, and then

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<v Speaker 2>grabbed Jesus away and scolded him. Why have you done

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<v Speaker 2>this to us? she said. Your father and I have

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<v Speaker 2>been searching day and night for you. The young boy

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<v Speaker 2>looked up at his mother. His face was not confused,

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<v Speaker 2>but concerned. Why would you look for days? he asked.

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<v Speaker 2>Didn't you know that I would be in my father's house,

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<v Speaker 2>tending to his business? The full reality of who Jesus

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<v Speaker 2>truly was still escaped Mary. She knew of his immaculate conception,

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<v Speaker 2>and that he was a promised king. However, she could

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<v Speaker 2>not fully understand the depths of who he was. She

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<v Speaker 2>would soon discover who her son truly was, but for now,

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<v Speaker 2>he was her little twelve-year-old Jesus. So she cared for

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<v Speaker 2>him deeply. Joseph taught him the trade of carpentry and building.

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<v Speaker 2>So Jesus grew in stature, strength, and wisdom daily. Nobody

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<v Speaker 2>but him knew what was about to unfold.

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<v Speaker 3>In today's scripture, we get a picture of young Jesus.

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<v Speaker 3>The Bible doesn't say too much about the early days

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<v Speaker 3>of Jesus. In fact, this is the only account between

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<v Speaker 3>his flight to Egypt with his parents and the beginning

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<v Speaker 3>of his ministry three decades later. But in this one account,

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<v Speaker 3>We'll see so clearly a picture of how special Jesus

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<v Speaker 3>really is and how in fellowship he is with the Father,

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<v Speaker 3>even as a child. We'll see how he grew in wisdom, stature,

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<v Speaker 3>and in favor with God and man, as the Scripture

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<v Speaker 3>tells us. And so as we heard, Jesus' family traveled

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<v Speaker 3>to Jerusalem to Passover as was their custom. Not only theirs,

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<v Speaker 3>but millions of Jews traveled there each year. So the throngs,

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<v Speaker 3>the multitudes of people, filled the streets. You can only

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<v Speaker 3>imagine the chaos of trying to navigate yourself through Jerusalem

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<v Speaker 3>at that time. As they prepared to return home after

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<v Speaker 3>the feast, Jesus stayed behind in the temple. His parents

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<v Speaker 3>didn't notice right away, but when they did, you can

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<v Speaker 3>only imagine the panic that set in. Where is Jesus?

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<v Speaker 3>What happened to Jesus? They seemed to have lost Jesus.

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<v Speaker 3>They were in another town far from home among millions

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<v Speaker 3>of other people crowding the streets, and Jesus was nowhere

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<v Speaker 3>to be found. Mary and Joseph searched for him three days.

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<v Speaker 3>Can you imagine? Three days they're looking for Jesus. Think

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<v Speaker 3>about the despair that must have filled their hearts. Where

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<v Speaker 3>could he be, they wondered. Friends and family had no idea.

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<v Speaker 3>So finally they entered the temple and there they saw Jesus.

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<v Speaker 3>He wasn't alone or afraid looking for his mom and dad. No,

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<v Speaker 3>he was very fine. As we read in Luke 2,

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<v Speaker 3>verses 46 and 47, After three days, they found him

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<v Speaker 3>in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them

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<v Speaker 3>and asking them questions. And all who heard him were

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<v Speaker 3>amazed at his understanding and his answers. This 12-year-old boy,

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<v Speaker 3>the boy Jesus, was sitting among the rabbis, asking and

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<v Speaker 3>answering deep questions about life and living for God. He

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<v Speaker 3>was clearly unlike any other child. Did you notice that

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<v Speaker 3>it says, all who heard him were amazed? Yes, indeed.

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<v Speaker 3>Jesus is amazing. Like any parent, Mary, when she found him,

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<v Speaker 3>expressed displeasure at what Jesus had done, asking where he

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<v Speaker 3>had been and why he had done this to Joseph

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<v Speaker 3>and her. But Jesus gently and respectfully responded that they

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<v Speaker 3>should have known he would be in the temple, his

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<v Speaker 3>father's house. Throughout his life, Jesus would amaze people with

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<v Speaker 3>his insight, his wisdom, and his words, just as he

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<v Speaker 3>did in today's readings. Jesus was always about his Father's business. Clearly,

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<v Speaker 3>Jesus lived in perfect harmony and perfect fellowship with the Father.

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<v Speaker 3>And God sent him in the world to do his business.

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<v Speaker 3>So Jesus grew in favor with God and man. And

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<v Speaker 3>the next time we see him, God will give the

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<v Speaker 3>world a sign that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.

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<v Speaker 3>Dear God, we thank you for the Word, your Word.

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<v Speaker 3>And we thank you for the story of Jesus. From

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<v Speaker 3>birth to boyhood to life, death, resurrection, and ascension, we

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<v Speaker 3>see the power and the presence of Jesus. We see

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<v Speaker 3>him uniquely united with the Father, always and forever. Like Jesus,

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<v Speaker 3>in the power of your spirit, may we always be

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<v Speaker 3>about your business, Lord. Always sitting at your feet to

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<v Speaker 3>listen to your ways and to learn your wisdom. In Jesus' name, amen.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.

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<v Speaker 3>Before we go, I want to let you know about

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<v Speaker 3>a unique e-book that's yours to download absolutely free today.

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<v Speaker 3>It's called Breaking Free from Stress. And my prayer is

0:10:01.030 --> 0:10:03.380
<v Speaker 3>that it will help you conquer the daily tasks and

0:10:03.440 --> 0:10:07.320
<v Speaker 3>pressures and burdens that bring stress into your life. Download

0:10:07.340 --> 0:10:10.960
<v Speaker 3>your free copy of Breaking Free from Stress today by

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<v Speaker 3>visiting jackgram.org slash stress. That's jackgram.org slash stress.