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Speaker 1: And Samuel said, what hast thou done? And Saul said,

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Speaker 1: because I saw that the people were scattered from me,

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Speaker 1: and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and

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Speaker 1: that the Philistines gathered themselves together at micmash, First Samuel

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Speaker 1: thirteen eleven. Dear God, to day, I declare that a

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Speaker 1: new day is upon me. To day, I declare that

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Speaker 1: a living of victorious life is my new norm than

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Speaker 1: not my exception. As the victory over my circumstances increases,

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Speaker 1: I will not act as Saul in First Samuel thirteen

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Speaker 1: and allow my ambition and anxieties cause me to move

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Speaker 1: and act on things that you have commanded me to

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Speaker 1: wait on. Holy Spirit quicken my courage so that I

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Speaker 1: will not let the appearance of troubles cause me to

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Speaker 1: step outside my character and God given peace. I will

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Speaker 1: wait patience for you and your instructions as it pertains

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Speaker 1: to the plans for my future. I denounced negative, prideful

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Speaker 1: behaviors and arrogance for my mind. I declare that I

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Speaker 1: am calm, centered and clear headed in the face of trials,

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Speaker 1: for I know that you are always with me. I

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Speaker 1: thank you that my resolve has been strengthened, and that

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Speaker 1: my reliance is on my obedience, which pleases you more

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Speaker 1: than my sacrifices in Jesus name, Amen. Listening to these

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Speaker 1: daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God. Continue hearing from

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Speaker 1: the Lord by listening to today's Bible in a Year,

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Speaker 1: brought to you by Bible in a Year dot com.

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Speaker 1: Soul and Samuel. In our last story, we witnessed Saul's

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Speaker 1: rise as king. He led the Israelites into victory over

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Speaker 1: the Ammonites, and all the people rejoiced over their new leader. However,

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Speaker 1: a flickering light of pride dwelled within Saul's heart. In

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Speaker 1: this story, we learn how Samuel sees right through Saul's

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Speaker 1: strong and noble appearance and confronts him, inspired by the

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Speaker 1: Book of First Samuel. Hello, this is Jack Graham with

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Speaker 1: today's episode of the Bible in a Year podcast. Yesterday,

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Speaker 1: we heard about King Saul's first battle as the leader

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Speaker 1: of God's people. His heart was focused on God and

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Speaker 1: his army soundly defeated the Ammonites. Saul gave glory to

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Speaker 1: God in that moment, recognizing the Lord for delivering Israel

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Speaker 1: from her enemy. But even in that moment, pride began

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Speaker 1: to creep in. And in today's scripture, we'll see that

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Speaker 1: God's Prophet Samuel isn't fooled by Saul's outward displays of humility.

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Speaker 1: The great prophet recognizes the pride that is seeping into

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Speaker 1: the king's heart. God's man will call out the king,

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Speaker 1: But how will the young ruler respond? Let's listen now

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Speaker 1: to find out. Samuel was old and weary. The people's

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Speaker 1: grumbling for a king was answered, and Samuel retired himself

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Speaker 1: to the outskirts of Israel, where he dwelled. Samuel watched

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Speaker 1: over Israel's silently, being attentive to the voice of God.

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Speaker 1: Though Saul was king, Samuel was still priest over Israel.

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Speaker 1: All matters of warship, prayer, and speaking for God were

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Speaker 1: solely Samuel's responsibility. Saul had been ruling for two years

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Speaker 1: and had established himself as a great warrior king. Saul's

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Speaker 1: tact strength and image of humility made him beloved by

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Speaker 1: the people. After a while, it was time for Saul

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Speaker 1: to mount an offence against the Philistines. Saul chose three

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Speaker 1: thousand of his finest warriors and took two thousand to

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Speaker 1: the hill country of Bethel. The other thousand went with

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Speaker 1: his son Jonathan, to the land of Benjamin, where some

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Speaker 1: Philistines had begun attacking. Jonathan was a young man, strong

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Speaker 1: and also loved by the people. While Saul wore humility

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Speaker 1: like a costume, Jonathan was truly humble. With his men

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Speaker 1: behind him, Jonathan stormed the city where the Philistines held

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Speaker 1: Israelites hostage, and struck them down swiftly. All of the

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Speaker 1: Philistines caught word of their victory, and their anger against

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Speaker 1: Israel grew. That day, Saul blew the trumpet of victory,

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Speaker 1: signifying that they had taken back the land of Benjamin.

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Speaker 1: This riled up the rest of Israel to join Saul

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Speaker 1: for another battle at Gilgaal. Saul was glowing with pride,

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Speaker 1: and his heart grew addicted to the praise and loyalty

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Speaker 1: of his people. It did not take long for the

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Speaker 1: Philistines to retaliate in the distance. Thirty thousand chariots and

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Speaker 1: six thousand horsemen scattered like sand on the seashore. The

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Speaker 1: horizon was blackened by the soldiers. The Philistine foot soldiers

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Speaker 1: hidden caves, holes and rocks near by, and waiting for Israel.

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Speaker 1: It was an army unlike any of them had ever seen.

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Speaker 1: The vastness of their people, coupled with the strength of

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Speaker 1: their chariots, sent chills down the Israelite spines. If Saul

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Speaker 1: wanted to fight them, he had to cross below the canyons. Slowly,

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Speaker 1: the men of Israel walked towards Gilgal. Every sound and

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Speaker 1: movement startled them. They were all waiting for the Philistine

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Speaker 1: Horde to emerge from the darkness to attack. The sound

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Speaker 1: of armor shaking echoed through the canyons. They finally came

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Speaker 1: to a place to camp at Gilgal and waited for Samuel.

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Speaker 1: For Samuel had told them he would come to make

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Speaker 1: a sacrifice to God before they went into battle. The

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Speaker 1: people of Israel had finally found a rhythm of obedience

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Speaker 1: to God. Before every battle, Samuel would lead them in

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Speaker 1: worship to ask God for favor. This was a pattern

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Speaker 1: they had not had in years, and God was very

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Speaker 1: pleased with their obedience. Yet seven days had passed and

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Speaker 1: Samuel had still not arrived. Saul grew anxious. He wanted bloodshed,

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Speaker 1: He wanted the battle to be over with the people

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Speaker 1: were growing restless, and Saul's men began to depart. Saul,

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Speaker 1: out of fear people would not trust him, spoke saying,

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Speaker 1: just bring the peace offering to me. I will make

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Speaker 1: the sacrifice to God. Saul hastily and sloppily offered the

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Speaker 1: sacrifice and led people in worship. Saul worshiped God with

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Speaker 1: no reverence, love, or intensity. Instead, he sought as a

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Speaker 1: chore that needed to be done quickly before they went

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Speaker 1: into battle. As Saul had finished Behold, Samuel stood behind him.

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Speaker 1: Saul looked at Samuel's eyes. They shot right through him.

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Speaker 1: His gaze was piercing and reflect did the intensity of God.

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Speaker 1: What have you done, Samuel said to Saul. Saul gave

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Speaker 1: a nervous laugh and said, the people were growing nervous

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Speaker 1: because you were late, and the Philistines are ready for battle.

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Speaker 1: Saul continued to smile and feign ignorance. I had no

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Speaker 1: choice but to begin the offering. As king, I had

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Speaker 1: to seek favor from God. Samuel Saul right through Saul.

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Speaker 1: He knew Saul only did it out of compulsion. He

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Speaker 1: rushed the worship of God to appease his own anxiety.

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Speaker 1: Not only that, but he was not a priest or

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Speaker 1: chosen by God. To speak for him. You are a fool, Saul,

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Speaker 1: Samuel said, your kingdom will be as temporary as your

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Speaker 1: obedience to God. God has already set his gaze on

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Speaker 1: another king, a man after his own heart. After saying this,

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Speaker 1: Samuel vanished and the people followed Saul into battle. Our

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Speaker 1: story begins with Samuel now in an aged demand. He

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Speaker 1: is no longer judge over Israel, as a new era

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Speaker 1: has begun and Saul is now king, leading the people

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Speaker 1: of Israel. But Samuel is still God's chosen priest and

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Speaker 1: his prophet. He is still God's man. While Saul was

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Speaker 1: in charge of leading the nation and going into battle

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Speaker 1: as the commander, Samuel was charged with worship and leading

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Speaker 1: the children of Israel's spiritually. In just two years as king,

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Speaker 1: Saul had gained the people's admiration, respect, and loyalty. They

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Speaker 1: followed him into battle, and God granted them great victories.

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Speaker 1: If only Saul had remembered his first battle, when he

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Speaker 1: acknowledged that the victory belonged to the Lord, then his

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Speaker 1: life would have gone in a different direction. But when

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Speaker 1: everyone around you tells you how great you are, you

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Speaker 1: begin to believe it. And Saul was hearing a lot

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Speaker 1: about how great he was from the people, Saul called

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Speaker 1: up an army to do battle with the Philistes. The

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Speaker 1: enemy was split into two camps. Saul's son Jonathan, defeated

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Speaker 1: the first of the enemy's units, and the people celebrated

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Speaker 1: the victory, praising Saul for the win. But there were

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Speaker 1: other Philistines mounting an attack in gilg This was a

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Speaker 1: much larger army and the people of Israel were fearful,

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Speaker 1: so Saul called on Samuel to offer sacrifices to God

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Speaker 1: before the battle. It was an act of worship that

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Speaker 1: pleased God. All was going well until Samuel delayed his arriving.

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Speaker 1: The frightened Israelites began to disperse as Saul felt his

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Speaker 1: control slipping. He must have thought to himself, I can

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Speaker 1: do this on my own. I don't need Samuel, I

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Speaker 1: don't need God. But he did. He needed God and

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Speaker 1: God's men. This was a sacred position, and it was

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Speaker 1: Samuel's responsibility in calling. Saul was now impulsive and too

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Speaker 1: sure of himself, so he offered the sacrifices himself on

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Speaker 1: his own. This was disobedience, and just like when a

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Speaker 1: child has acted impatient and disobeyed a parent. Samuel shows

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Speaker 1: up just in time to catch Saul in the act.

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Speaker 1: When Samuel confront Saul, he hears no contrition or apologies

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Speaker 1: and sees no repentance. Saul only had excuses. He tried

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Speaker 1: to rationalize his way out of it. But Samuel and

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Speaker 1: of course God saw right through the facade, and the

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Speaker 1: cost of his pride and arrogance was impulsively high. Samuel

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Speaker 1: speaks to Saul in First Samuel thirteen fourteen and says this,

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Speaker 1: but now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has

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Speaker 1: sought out a man after his own heart, and the

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Speaker 1: Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people.

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Speaker 1: Because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you,

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Speaker 1: Saul forfeits his right to be king because he disobeyed God.

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Speaker 1: After Samuel confronts Saul, he then went away, leaving Saul

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Speaker 1: to go into battle. But Saul's story isn't over. So

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Speaker 1: much needs to happen before the new king comes on

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Speaker 1: the scene, and will hear more of Saul's story next time. God,

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Speaker 1: may we obey you and not partially but completely. May

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Speaker 1: we humbly and obediently do what you tell us to do.

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Speaker 1: Always help us not to seek the praise of men,

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Speaker 1: but only you. May we be men and women after

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Speaker 1: your heart. And we pray this in the name of

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Speaker 1: your son Jesus. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's

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Speaker 1: Bible in a Year podcast. I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.

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Speaker 1: Download the Prey dot com app and make Bible study

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Speaker 1: and prayer a priority in your life. If you enjoyed

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Speaker 1: it can make a genuine, even eternal difference in their lives.

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Speaker 1: And if you want more resources on how you can

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Speaker 1: know the power of God through Jesus Christ, then visit

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Speaker 1: Jack Graham dot org. This episode is sponsored by Medicine,

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Speaker 1: an innovative healthcare solution for Christian to save money without

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