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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 breeze's

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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 over 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 warmth. 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 1: Any mercy for a man in need? Bartimaeus had nearly

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Speaker 1: forgotten the beauty of a sunset or the splendor of

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Speaker 1: a springtime meadow. All he had known for years was darkness.

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Speaker 1: Little did he know that the light of humanity was

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Speaker 1: 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.

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Speaker 1: What else could you do?

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Speaker 3: That is, until one day they hear the word of

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Speaker 3: the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, leaving their very city. With Jesus'

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Speaker 3: fame and renown at its peak, these two men knew

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Speaker 3: that this would be their chance to receive healing from

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Speaker 3: the one who had given sight to the blind of

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Speaker 3: so many others. Today was the day of salvation for them.

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Speaker 3: It was now or never. This is Jesus' final miracle

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Speaker 3: recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, and Luke before

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Speaker 3: triumphantly entering the city of Jerusalem. In the final moments

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Speaker 3: of Jesus' ministry of healing, he deliberately gives sight to

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Speaker 3: the blind. But this sight is much more than the

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Speaker 3: ability to see in the physical world. This miracle was

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Speaker 3: a shadow of things to come as Jesus opens the

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Speaker 3: eyes of our hearts to see salvation.

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Speaker 1: And what's the baker making today, Bartimaeus? Rosemary loaves with.

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Speaker 2: Ah.

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Speaker 1: Dried honeycomb. Bartimaeus replied with a smile. His lack of

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Speaker 1: vision had heightened his other senses and given him appreciation

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Speaker 1: for other beauties. He could hear each unique songbird and

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Speaker 1: knew them by their tunes. He could smell each ingredient

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Speaker 1: in a cake baking in the marketplace. He recognized each

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Speaker 1: generous villager by their footsteps and and knew when to

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Speaker 1: reach out for coins. So when a distant commotion emerged

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Speaker 1: within the city, Bartimaeus perked up with curiosity. The name

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Speaker 1: Jesus fluttered through the air like a leaf caught in

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Speaker 1: a gentle stream, stirring a torrent of hope and desperation

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Speaker 1: within Bartimaeus. Did you hear that? Bartimaeus turned to his

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Speaker 1: companion with anxious excitement. Jesus is here in Jericho. Who

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Speaker 1: is Jesus? 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 Messiah, the son of David,

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Speaker 2: 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.

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Speaker 1: And he's there in Jericho? How can you be certain?

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

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Speaker 1: Press your palms against the dirt, my friend.

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Speaker 2: Do you feel the stampede of people approaching the gates?

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Speaker 2: A crowd like that can only mean two things. One.

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Speaker 1: A riot stirred by the zealots. To 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. I'm going after him, Bartimaeus said with a

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Speaker 1: determined spark in his voice. Wary and curious, his companion

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Speaker 1: laid a restraining hand upon his arm. Bartimaeus, think wisely.

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Speaker 1: It sounds like an enormous crowd. You could be trampled,

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Speaker 1: or worse. Is it worth the risk? But Bartimaeus shrugged

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Speaker 1: 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. If you

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Speaker 1: want to see the sunrise again, follow me. With a

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

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

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Speaker 1: was like the walls of Jericho in the times of Joshua.

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Speaker 1: unyielding and sturdy. But with faith, Bartimaeus knew his cries

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Speaker 1: would tear the walls down. Bartimaeus took more steps, which

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

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Speaker 1: 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 him, beaten

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

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Speaker 1: his cries arose, a defiant roar against the voices 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 3: Jesus!

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Speaker 2: 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.

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Speaker 1: Therefore his livelihood depended on interrupting people. The familiar shame...

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Speaker 1: overcame him... causing him to hunch over apologetically. But Jesus

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Speaker 1: spoke again... with a voice unwavering... in its gentle strength. Shalom,

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Speaker 1: my friend. Jesus' warm greeting... slowly melted away the icy

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Speaker 1: stares of the crowd. Jesus didn't see Bartimaeus as a burden...

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Speaker 1: or inconvenience. At that moment... The crowd saw Bartimaeus as

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Speaker 1: Jesus did. A fellow image-bearer of God. Burdened, but filled

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Speaker 1: with untapped potential. What can I do for you? The

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Speaker 1: answer was evident to everyone. But still, Bartimaeus paused to

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Speaker 1: consider the question. He had been a beggar for so

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Speaker 1: long that asking for money had become second nature. He

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Speaker 1: rarely had space to consider desires beyond his next meal

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Speaker 1: or finding shelter. But before Jesus, Bartimaeus could finally think

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Speaker 1: of needs beyond food and safety. Rabbi, he said, his

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Speaker 1: voice a mere whisper, yet carrying the weight of his

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Speaker 1: entire being. I want to see. Jesus said, whose gaze

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Speaker 1: pierced the veils of the night that shrouded Bartimaeus' world,

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Speaker 1: replied with a tenderness that seemed to embrace him, Go,

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Speaker 1: your faith has made you well. At that moment, the

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Speaker 1: scales of darkness fell from Bartimaeus' eyes, and he saw

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Speaker 1: not just the light of day, but the light of

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Speaker 1: the world standing before him. Jesus gestured to the distance,

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Speaker 1: inviting Bartimaeus to look around him. His eyes beamed with

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Speaker 1: delight as he beheld the songbirds and the wildflowers. The

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Speaker 1: world was vibrant again. Bartimaeus looked behind him. His companion,

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Speaker 1: once blind and begging beside him, stood a few paces away,

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Speaker 1: smiling from ear to ear. He had followed Bartimaeus, stepping

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Speaker 1: with his own faith to see Jesus. The two of

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Speaker 1: them laughed and hugged each other. Jesus embraced them. Jesus

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Speaker 1: continued on his way. Bartimaeus followed. The crowd, so sure

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

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Speaker 1: actions as strangers to his heart. But Bartimaeus... blind though

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Speaker 1: he may have been, saw Jesus for who he truly was.

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Speaker 1: As he followed Jesus along the road, his path illuminated

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Speaker 1: by the light of faith and sight restored, Bartimaeus knew

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Speaker 1: that it was not just his eyes that had been opened,

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Speaker 1: but the eyes of his heart. And recognizing Jesus, He

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Speaker 1: had found not only physical healing, but the revelation of

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Speaker 1: a love so profound, it sought him out of his

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Speaker 1: 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.

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Speaker 1: Until a point.

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Speaker 3: Today's story shows us two men who have the chance

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Speaker 3: for change. The moment they've been waiting for to have

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Speaker 3: their whole lives turned around. Jesus was finally near enough

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

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Speaker 3: upon them, they were near enough for a miraculous healing.

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Speaker 3: Though they had been through the margins of societies as

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Speaker 3: outcasts trapped in a cloak of darkness, Bartimaeus wasn't going

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Speaker 3: to let the negativity of others rob him from his hope.

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Speaker 3: You see, Bartimaeus was desperately grasping for Jesus. The crowds

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Speaker 3: were trying to deny him access. As the crowds pressed

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Speaker 3: towards Jesus and pushed the two blind men to the

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Speaker 3: sidelines of life, Bartimaeus found a boldness, to fight against

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Speaker 3: the pessimism, to fight against the voices that told him

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Speaker 3: to stay back. Bartimaeus had a boldness to not give

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Speaker 3: up any ground in his endeavor to reach for the

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Speaker 3: Lord Jesus, the son of David. Bartimaeus was putting himself

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Speaker 3: at risk by throwing himself into the crowd. He was

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Speaker 3: at their mercy because he couldn't see anything. He could

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Speaker 3: be pushed and shoved with veracity, and they would maybe

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Speaker 3: tramp along over him. The jabs, the pushing, the shoving

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Speaker 3: could have left these two men broken on the floor

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Speaker 3: to be trampled. But despite the risk, Barnabas knew that

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Speaker 3: getting to Jesus was worth it all. Following Jesus requires

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Speaker 3: that we take risks. It's a call to leave behind

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Speaker 3: our old lives. It compels us to combat the things

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Speaker 3: of this world that would try and bring us down.

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Speaker 3: It leads us to places of discomfort and sometimes even danger.

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Speaker 3: But when we choose to follow Jesus, the odds are

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Speaker 3: always in our favor. Whatever path we must take to

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Speaker 3: get to Jesus and follow him, we can be sure

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Speaker 3: of two things. The first is knowing that he will

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Speaker 3: bless us. In Ephesians 1.3, the Apostle Paul writes, Despite

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Speaker 3: whatever we face losing in boldly making our way to Jesus,

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Speaker 3: the blessing on the other side is always worth it.

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Speaker 3: The second thing we can be sure of is knowing

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Speaker 3: that he will empower us for any obstacle that stands

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Speaker 3: in our way. Paul writes to the Philippian church in

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Speaker 3: Philippians 4, I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances.

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

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Speaker 3: I know what it is to have plenty. I have

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Speaker 3: learned the secret of being content. And in every situation,

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Speaker 3: whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want,

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Speaker 3: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

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Speaker 3: You see, we love Philippians 4.13. We use it on

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Speaker 3: our coffee mugs, our bumper stickers, and frame it on

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Speaker 3: our walls as a mantra that we can do anything

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Speaker 3: by Christ's strength. But in the context of the passage,

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Speaker 3: we see that this verse is packed with much more

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Speaker 3: of a promise. What Paul has learned in his experience

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Speaker 3: of faith isn't that Jesus is a spiritual vending machine

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Speaker 3: or a wish grantor, allowing him to attain anything his

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Speaker 3: heart desires. Instead, He's learned that the road to following

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Speaker 3: Jesus is narrow, full of twists and turns, highs and lows,

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Speaker 3: suffering and triumph. But through the strength afforded to him

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Speaker 3: through Christ, he was able to endure it all with

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Speaker 3: a boldness and boast about the greatness of God, even

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Speaker 3: amidst great trial and difficulty. As Bartimaeus and his friends

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Speaker 3: weave their way through the crowds, Bartimaeus begins to lift

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Speaker 3: up his voice and shout for Jesus, crying, Jesus, Son

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Speaker 3: of David, have mercy on me. His cry blended in

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Speaker 3: with the hundreds of other voices that were likely calling

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Speaker 3: out to get Jesus' attention. And even though there were

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Speaker 3: some around him who tried to quiet his roar for help,

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Speaker 3: like a lion on the hunt, he couldn't be stopped.

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Speaker 3: He cries out again, Son of David, have mercy on me.

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Speaker 3: It was at this moment that the Lord stopped. There

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Speaker 3: must have been something different in Bartimaeus' call. Perhaps not

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Speaker 3: something perceptible to the ears, but something different in what

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Speaker 3: Jesus perceived in Bartimaeus' heart. A shimmering well of faith,

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Speaker 3: a determination to be near Jesus. This unwavering courage, despite

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Speaker 3: the voices of doubt, seeking God. It was this that

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Speaker 3: caused Jesus to command the people to call the blind

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Speaker 3: man to him. You see, there's going to be a

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Speaker 3: lot of people that tell you to calm down. 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 chill out.

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Speaker 1: 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.

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Speaker 1: Wasn't the point.

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Speaker 3: He was so joyful in the presence of God and

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

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

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Speaker 3: I had in my heart. I was thinking, man, who's

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Speaker 3: going to come and calm this guy down? But then

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

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

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

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Speaker 3: who can't contain the joy of being in the presence

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Speaker 3: of Jesus. You see, that statement floored me. I was

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Speaker 3: someone who had the attitude of, let's shut this guy up.

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Speaker 3: But then I found a heavenly perspective. This man was

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Speaker 3: overflowing with joy. Now, is there a time and place

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Speaker 3: 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 cynicism,