WEBVTT - Jack Graham - Oct 13 - 9:30 pm

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<v Speaker 1>And when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh

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<v Speaker 1>greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches, so

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<v Speaker 1>that the fowls of the air may lodge under the

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<v Speaker 1>shadow of it. Mark 4.32 Those who have ears to hear, hear.

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<v Speaker 1>These words are the staples in which I'm listening to

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<v Speaker 1>today's reading. Lord, I thank you that you've given me

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<v Speaker 1>the Bible to help lead and guide me in the

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<v Speaker 1>way that I should live my life. Jesus, thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for being the personification of the living Word here on earth.

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<v Speaker 1>As I meditate on today's truth found in Matthew 13

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<v Speaker 1>and Mark 4, 1-32, I realize that your Word is

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<v Speaker 1>the seed in which all my purpose and destiny will

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<v Speaker 1>blossom and come forth. Therefore, my heart will not be

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<v Speaker 1>like the soil that allowed your seed to lay unprotected,

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<v Speaker 1>so that other people around me can steal what you

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<v Speaker 1>have deposited in me. My heart will not be like

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<v Speaker 1>the shallow soil that could not allow the root of

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<v Speaker 1>your word to take hold, so that when the trials

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<v Speaker 1>of life come, it withers under the heat of pressure.

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<v Speaker 1>I also declare that I will not let your word

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<v Speaker 1>fall on the thorns of life, and become so focused

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<v Speaker 1>on my trials that they choke your promises out of

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<v Speaker 1>my thoughts and speech. I declare that my heart and

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<v Speaker 1>my life is good soil. I declare that I'm healthy

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<v Speaker 1>and ready to have your word produce a crop of abundance, thirty, sixty,

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<v Speaker 1>a hundredfold. In Jesus' name.

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<v Speaker 2>Amen.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time

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<v Speaker 1>with God by listening to today's Bible story, brought to

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<v Speaker 1>you by BibleInAYear.com.

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<v Speaker 2>The Four Soils In our last story, Jesus accepted a

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<v Speaker 2>sinful and broken woman who had been scorned by the world.

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<v Speaker 2>He rebuked the Pharisees for their judgment and Now Jesus

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<v Speaker 2>reveals more about the kingdom of God through the story

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<v Speaker 2>of the four soils, 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... Jesus was shown extravagant love

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<v Speaker 3>and honor by a sinful woman who entered a home

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<v Speaker 3>and wiped the Lord's feet with her tears and hair

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<v Speaker 3>before bathing them in expensive perfume. Jesus used this occasion

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<v Speaker 3>to teach those gathered with him, many of them religious

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<v Speaker 3>leaders who felt that they were righteous and justified by

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<v Speaker 3>their good deeds, a lesson about forgiveness and the proper

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<v Speaker 3>response of those who have received that grace. Today, We'll

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<v Speaker 3>hear Jesus teaching about different ways in which God's word

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<v Speaker 3>is received and what happens to the seeds planted in

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<v Speaker 3>different kinds of soil. It's one of the most famous

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<v Speaker 3>stories Jesus ever gave. So let's hear it now from

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<v Speaker 3>the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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<v Speaker 2>The seagulls flew gracefully across the face of the calm ocean.

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<v Speaker 2>The gentle breeze rocked the anchored boats slightly as Jesus

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<v Speaker 2>sat at the front of a ship. Thousands of people

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<v Speaker 2>sat on the shore, Listening to his words and wisdom,

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<v Speaker 2>they were enraptured by him. Jesus smiled and began to

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<v Speaker 2>speak of a farmer and his seed. There once was

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<v Speaker 2>a farmer, and he went out to sow his seed

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<v Speaker 2>among his land. Some of the seeds fell along the roadside.

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<v Speaker 2>They were vulnerable and easily swept up by the birds.

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<v Speaker 2>Other seeds fell on rocky soil. They sprung up quick

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<v Speaker 2>with water and sun, but they died just as quickly

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<v Speaker 2>because their roots could not go deep enough. Some of

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<v Speaker 2>the seed fell among thorny soil. Once they grew, the

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<v Speaker 2>weeds choked the life out of the plants. Jesus paused

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<v Speaker 2>for a moment and looked around the crowd. He stood

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<v Speaker 2>to his feet and lifted his finger, saying, But there

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<v Speaker 2>were some seeds that fell on good soil. It was soft, pleasant,

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<v Speaker 2>and yielded great fruit. Some of the crops increased thirtyfold

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<v Speaker 2>and sixtyfold, some even a hundredfold. Whoever has an ear

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<v Speaker 2>to truly hear Here. Then the people left back to

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<v Speaker 2>their homes, and Jesus was by the campfire with his disciples.

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<v Speaker 2>Silence fell among the disciples as they gazed at the stars.

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<v Speaker 2>The flames flew up to the skies. The sound of

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<v Speaker 2>popping wood and crashing waves filled the silence. Do you

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<v Speaker 2>understand the story I told them today? Jesus asked his disciples.

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<v Speaker 2>They looked up at him. If they were being honest,

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<v Speaker 2>none of them truly knew what he was saying. Jesus laughed.

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<v Speaker 2>How will you understand if you don't ask, he said

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<v Speaker 2>in jest. He picked up a stick and poked the fire.

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<v Speaker 2>The soil represents the word of God, Jesus said. The

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<v Speaker 2>seeds that fell on the road represent those that hear,

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<v Speaker 2>but Satan swoops up the truth like the birds. The

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<v Speaker 2>rocky soil represents those that receive the word with joy

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<v Speaker 2>at first, but when hard times fall, their root is

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<v Speaker 2>shallow and they fall away. The disciples began to nod.

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<v Speaker 2>They were understanding Jesus as he explained. The thorny soil

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<v Speaker 2>represents the cares and worries of the Word. Some are

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<v Speaker 2>so anxious that they are unable to truly receive truth.

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<v Speaker 2>They are choked by the worries and cares.

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<v Speaker 3>Of the world.

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<v Speaker 2>Jesus grinned from cheek to cheek. Then there's the good soil.

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<v Speaker 2>For those that hear the Word and accept it, they

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<v Speaker 2>do not toil or worry. They simply receive with gladness.

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<v Speaker 2>These are those that will bear much fruit for the

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<v Speaker 2>kingdom of God.

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<v Speaker 3>Our reading today is an illustration of the kinds of

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<v Speaker 3>hearts that receive God's truth and how the seeds of

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<v Speaker 3>truth grow or wither in each kind of soil. Jesus

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<v Speaker 3>is speaking to his followers, a larger crowd at first,

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<v Speaker 3>and he's using an agricultural image. This is something his

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<v Speaker 3>audience would have understood well. He spoke to the crowd,

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<v Speaker 3>telling them of a farmer who went out to spread seed.

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<v Speaker 3>Farming was much different in those days. No high-tech farming equipment,

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<v Speaker 3>of course. Precise planting of seeds in neat little rows.

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<v Speaker 3>This farmer was just walking across his plot of land

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<v Speaker 3>scattering seeds. It almost seemed haphazard. I picture a man

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<v Speaker 3>with a bag of seeds in one hand, dipping his

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<v Speaker 3>other hand into the bag and pulling out a handful

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<v Speaker 3>of seed that he tosses here and there, letting them

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<v Speaker 3>land where they may. So, as he walks along, the

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<v Speaker 3>seed falls on four different kinds of soil. Some doesn't

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<v Speaker 3>even make it to the ground. It hits the path

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<v Speaker 3>and birds quickly eat it up. Some falls among rocky ground,

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<v Speaker 3>and though they sprouted, the seeds lacked nutrients and water,

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<v Speaker 3>so the plants withered. A third bunch fell among the thorns.

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<v Speaker 3>The soil was good enough for the plants to grow,

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<v Speaker 3>but the environment around them was hazardous and toxic, and

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<v Speaker 3>the thorns choked out the crops. but some of the

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<v Speaker 3>seed fell in a good soil. It grew strong and

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<v Speaker 3>healthy and produced a great crop, yielding a hundredfold. That's

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<v Speaker 3>the good stuff. Jesus then said to the crowd, whoever

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<v Speaker 3>has ears to hear, let him hear. The disciples asked

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<v Speaker 3>why he spoke in parables, and he responded that the

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<v Speaker 3>secrets of the kingdom of heaven had not been given

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<v Speaker 3>to them but to the disciples. In other words, Jesus

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<v Speaker 3>was going to give these men special insight into the

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<v Speaker 3>things of God, into the kingdom of God, to prepare

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<v Speaker 3>them for what is to come. Jesus also said he

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<v Speaker 3>spoke in parables to reveal truth to those who would

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<v Speaker 3>respond to it and receive it. He said in Matthew 13, 16,

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<v Speaker 3>and 17, Blessed are your eyes because they see and

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<v Speaker 3>your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you,

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<v Speaker 3>many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see,

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<v Speaker 3>but did not see it, and to hear what you hear,

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<v Speaker 3>but did not hear it. The disciples were hungry for understanding,

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<v Speaker 3>so Jesus explained this parable to them. The seeds represented

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<v Speaker 3>the Word of God, and the soil represented human hearts.

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<v Speaker 3>Some hear God's Word, but the enemy comes and snatches

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<v Speaker 3>away the Word. It never takes root in the heart,

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<v Speaker 3>so it never grows. The rocky ground represents the hearts

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<v Speaker 3>that accept the word quickly, but without any depth. The

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<v Speaker 3>root of truth doesn't establish itself, and so when troubles arise,

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<v Speaker 3>those people fall away from the word. Still others, represented

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<v Speaker 3>by the thorny ground, receive the word and it sprouts

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<v Speaker 3>in their heart, but worldly worries choke them out and

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<v Speaker 3>they never produce any fruit. The good soil represents the

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<v Speaker 3>heart that receives the word and bears much fruit. This

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<v Speaker 3>is the heart of the believer who understands God's word.

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<v Speaker 3>The truth of the gospel grows in their heart and

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<v Speaker 3>they yield fruit for the kingdom because they believe what

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<v Speaker 3>God has said. That's an important word for us here.

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<v Speaker 3>As believers today, we are to be sowers of seeds.

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<v Speaker 3>We are to give the gospel to the world and

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<v Speaker 3>spread it to the hearts of men. The yield does

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<v Speaker 3>not depend on us, and we are not to pick

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<v Speaker 3>and choose where we sow the seed. We are to

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<v Speaker 3>share it. all the gospel with all men until the

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<v Speaker 3>whole world hears. Some will receive the truth and yield fruit,

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<v Speaker 3>but others, for various reasons, will either never receive the

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<v Speaker 3>word or will never bear fruit. Nevertheless, it is the

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<v Speaker 3>calling of every one of us who name the name

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<v Speaker 3>of Christ, who are followers of Jesus, to be witnesses

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<v Speaker 3>of the gospel, to sow the seeds of truth, and

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<v Speaker 3>to trust God for the harvest. God, we thank you

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<v Speaker 3>that your word is always effective, that it always accomplishes

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<v Speaker 3>your purposes. May we boldly proclaim your truth. Thank you

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<v Speaker 3>that we have been called to participate in the ministry

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<v Speaker 3>of the gospel by sowing seeds among men and women,

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<v Speaker 3>that as many as will receive Christ can be saved

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<v Speaker 3>by your grace and your love because of your cross

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<v Speaker 3>and resurrection. We pray in the name of Jesus. 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

0:11:21.550 --> 0:11:26.070
<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

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<v Speaker 3>that it will help you conquer the daily task and

0:11:32.740 --> 0:11:36.620
<v Speaker 3>pressures and burdens that bring stress into your life. Download

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<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. dot org slash stress.