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Speaker 1: Let us pray, And when they could not come nigh

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Speaker 1: unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where

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Speaker 1: he was, and when they had broken it up, they

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Speaker 1: let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy

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Speaker 1: lay Mark two. For as I ponder and meditate on

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Speaker 1: Mark two and Matthew nine, I stand in awe of

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Speaker 1: how the two stories connect. In the same way that

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Speaker 1: the friends got to Jesus in unconventional ways, so too

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Speaker 1: did the outcasts, misfits, and tax collectors get to Jesus

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Speaker 1: in unconventional ways. Jesus made this story and your life

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Speaker 1: serve as a reminder that you came to heal all

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Speaker 1: that are lost and in need of healing, both physically

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Speaker 1: and more importantly, spiritually, no matter what their condition. I

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Speaker 1: am committing my life to be able to be a

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Speaker 1: helping hand to those in need of your forgiveness and grace.

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Speaker 1: I will not look to title or economic standing to

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Speaker 1: determine the passion of my pursuit. I will rip a

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Speaker 1: hole through the roof, push through a crowd, or sit

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Speaker 1: with those forgotten if it means they receive their breakthrough

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Speaker 1: and healing. Thank you in advance for using me to

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Speaker 1: lend a helping hand to people that are hurting in

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Speaker 1: Jesus name. Amen, thanks for making prayer a priority in

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Speaker 1: your life. To hear the Bible come to life, Stay

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Speaker 1: tuned for the Bible in a Year brought to you

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Speaker 1: by Bible in a Year dot com a.

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Speaker 2: Hole in the roof. In our last story, Jesus climbed

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Speaker 2: a small hill and preached to thousands of people about

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Speaker 2: the Kingdom of God. He spoke about the backwards economy

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Speaker 2: of God's blessings, that the poor in spirit, meek and

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Speaker 2: mourning are the ones to inherit ultimate blessing from God.

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Speaker 2: He spoke of loving your enemies, not harboring hatred in

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Speaker 2: your heart, and removing judgment from your mind. All these

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Speaker 2: things caused awe and wonder in those listening. Now we

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Speaker 2: witness the faithful devotion of a few friends. They truly

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Speaker 2: act out the Kingdom of God by doing whatever it

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Speaker 2: takes to get their friend to the feet of Jesus.

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Speaker 2: They even risk vandalism and arrest to make sure their

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Speaker 2: loved one is healed. Inspired by the Gospels.

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Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the

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Speaker 3: Bible in a Year. Once again. We are so happy

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Speaker 3: about the over twenty million people who have joined us

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Speaker 3: on this podcast, and I would encourage you right now

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Speaker 3: to pass this podcast along to others, let them know,

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Speaker 3: because we want to get the word of God to

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Speaker 3: as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. So

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Speaker 3: let's pick up where we left off the last time

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Speaker 3: we heard Jesus teaching the Sermon on the Mount. In

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Speaker 3: our last episode, he laid out God's standard for true

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Speaker 3: righteousness and made it clear that righteousness is not self righteousness,

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Speaker 3: but righteousness in Christ that is a matter of the heart,

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Speaker 3: not just words or actions. Ultimately, Jesus was making a

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Speaker 3: clear case for our need of a savior, our desperate

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Speaker 3: need for his salvation. Today we'll hear of a man

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Speaker 3: and his friends who demonstrated great faith and friendship as

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Speaker 3: they went to extraordinary link to help their friend receive

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Speaker 3: the healing he needed from Jesus. We'll also hear how

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Speaker 3: Jesus called Matthew, a hated tax collector, to be one

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Speaker 3: of his twelve disciples. In both stories, the religious elite

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Speaker 3: to become angry at Jesus' words and deeds as they

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Speaker 3: failed to see who this man who heals and forgives.

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Speaker 3: Really is the Lord of life, the Lord of all.

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Speaker 3: Let's listen now to the reading of the Gospel of

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Speaker 3: Jesus Christ.

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Speaker 2: The three friends stood outside the crowded house. Hundreds of

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Speaker 2: people surrounded the property so they could hear Jesus teach.

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Speaker 2: Two of them stood, the other one laid on a stretcher.

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Speaker 2: The man laying down was completely paralyzed from the neck down.

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Speaker 2: His friends had brought him to the house in hopes

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Speaker 2: that Jesus would be able to heal him. However, the

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Speaker 2: house was overflowing with so many people, almost all hope

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Speaker 2: of seeing Jesus was lost. The two men looked down

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Speaker 2: at their friend, trying to hold back their tears. Then

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Speaker 2: one of them looked at the house again. His eyes

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Speaker 2: scanned the property. He smiled and looked at the others.

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Speaker 2: I have an idea, he said. Jesus was teaching in

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Speaker 2: the middle of the home. Hundreds of people sat and

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Speaker 2: stood around him, hanging on every word he said. Jesus

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Speaker 2: was speaking of the Kingdom of God. He spoke of

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Speaker 2: God's law, his love, and his forgiveness. As Jesus was speaking,

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Speaker 2: he felt a small piece of plaster fall on his

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Speaker 2: head startled. Jesus looked up to the ceiling to see

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Speaker 2: the roof being torn apart from the outside. Jesus stood

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Speaker 2: to his feet and the crowd stepped back as more

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Speaker 2: roofing fell from the ceiling on to the floor. A

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Speaker 2: bright light shone through the ceiling. Then, all of the sudden,

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Speaker 2: Jesus saw a silhouette of a man on a stretcher

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Speaker 2: being lowered down by ropes. The two friends had found

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Speaker 2: a way to Jesus. Although it was unconventional and perhaps illegal,

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Speaker 2: they were willing to do whatever it took. The paralytic

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Speaker 2: was lowered slowly. Jesus went under the man and helped

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Speaker 2: him to the floor. Jesus looked up at the hole

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Speaker 2: in the ceiling. He could see the friend's guilty smiles.

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Speaker 2: Jesus grinned and looked down at the man. He placed

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Speaker 2: his hand on his shoulder and said, said, my child,

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Speaker 2: your sins are forgiven. As Jesus said this, a scribe

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Speaker 2: and the crowd scoffed, his sins are forgiven. What authority

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Speaker 2: do you have to forgive sins? God alone has the

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Speaker 2: power to forgive sins. The scribes spat on the ground,

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Speaker 2: angry at Jesus's words. Jesus looked at the man with compassion.

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Speaker 2: He knew the scribe was questioning his words. Jesus smiled

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Speaker 2: and answered him, tell me which is easier to say

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Speaker 2: your sins are forgiven?

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Speaker 1: Or get up and walk?

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Speaker 2: And immediately as Jesus said this, the man's legs began

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Speaker 2: to move. The paralytic's eyes widened as he lifted himself upright.

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Speaker 2: Jesus stood up and helped the man to his feet.

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Speaker 2: The two of them embraced, and the man picked up

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Speaker 2: his bed and walked out. The crowd parted to make

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Speaker 2: way for the man, and Jesus could see his two

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Speaker 2: friends standing outside, hugging him and leaping for joy, standing

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Speaker 2: shoulder to shoulder. There, the men walked away back to

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Speaker 2: their homes. After these things, Jesus went out and sat

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Speaker 2: by the sea. The waves crashed gently on the shore.

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Speaker 2: The breeze whistled to the left, and Jesus watched as

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Speaker 2: crowds began to approach him. Their needs were endless, but

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Speaker 2: so was his love for them. To his right, Jesus

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Speaker 2: saw a man named Matthew. He was a tax collector

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Speaker 2: and hated among his Jewish kin. Tax collectors were considered

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Speaker 2: Jewish traitors. They hoared themselves to the Roman government and

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Speaker 2: used corruption for their own gain. Matthew, however, felt the

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Speaker 2: weight of his sins. He sat at his booth with

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Speaker 2: his head held low, ashamed of who he had become.

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Speaker 2: Jesus approached the booth. Matthew had grown accustomed to men

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Speaker 2: and women coming to the tax booth to spit on

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Speaker 2: him and ridicule him. However, Jesus simply smiled and said

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Speaker 2: two simple words that would change Matthew's life forever. Follow me,

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Speaker 2: Jesus said, plainly. Then he began to walk off. Matthew

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Speaker 2: paused for a moment and looked at the pile of

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Speaker 2: coins and paper at his desk. Was he truly willing

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Speaker 2: to sacrifice wealth in favor with Rome to follow Jesus?

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Speaker 2: Was Jesus worth it? Matthew looked at Jesus walking away. Yes,

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Speaker 2: it is worth everything, he thought to himself. Matthew stood

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Speaker 2: to his feet and ran after Jesus. The two of

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Speaker 2: them connected, and Matthew hosted Jesus and his followers at

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Speaker 2: his home. They laughed and shared stories. However, not all

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Speaker 2: were amused. The Pharisees stood outside the house with their

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Speaker 2: arms crossed. They stopped one of his disciples and said,

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Speaker 2: look how he dines with tax collectors and sinners. Aren't

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Speaker 2: you ashamed to follow him? The disciple paused, unsure of

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Speaker 2: how he should answer. Before he could say anything, Jesus

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Speaker 2: stepped outside and approached them. His eyes were piercing, filled

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Speaker 2: with deep wisdom. Tell me, Jesus said, who needs a doctor?

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Speaker 2: More the sick the healthy. I have not come to

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Speaker 2: sit at the table of the righteous, but to help

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Speaker 2: sinners in need. Jesus left with his disciple back inside.

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Speaker 2: As he left, he gestured for the Pharisees to join him.

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Speaker 2: They sneered and left.

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Speaker 3: As we begin the story of Jesus today, we find

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Speaker 3: him teaching in a very crowded house. People are squeezed

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Speaker 3: in from wall to wall and spilling out of the

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Speaker 3: door as they listened to the wise words of this teacher, Jesus,

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Speaker 3: who was unlike anyone they had ever heard before. We

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Speaker 3: then discovered that some men had heard that Jesus would

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Speaker 3: be nearby, and they had known of his healing ministry.

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Speaker 3: Perhaps they'd seen some of the miracles happen, but for

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Speaker 3: whatever reason, they knew that This was an opportunity to

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Speaker 3: help a dear friend, a man who was paralyzed and helpless.

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Speaker 3: They wanted to get their friend to Jesus. He would

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Speaker 3: not have the ability to get to Jesus on his own,

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Speaker 3: immobile as he was, but these friends demonstrated true love

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Speaker 3: and compassion as they carried the man to the home

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Speaker 3: where Jesus was speaking. When they arrived, it seemed impossible

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Speaker 3: to get to Jesus. There were so many people around,

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Speaker 3: and apparently no one else cared for the paralyzed man

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Speaker 3: and wouldn't let him through. But these four friends were

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Speaker 3: undeterred and undaunted. They climbed up on the roof and

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Speaker 3: dug out a hole so that they could lower the

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Speaker 3: man to Jesus. Talk about determination and dedication, compassion and

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Speaker 3: cooperation is all here. They could have easily packed up

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Speaker 3: and left heads hanging low, defeated, sad because their friend

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Speaker 3: would remain crippled, But that's not what they did. They

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Speaker 3: insisted on seeking after Jesus and the promise of healing

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Speaker 3: they believe he could give to their friend. What a

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Speaker 3: great reminder this is that we should have compassion upon

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Speaker 3: people that we love and care about, that we should

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Speaker 3: do everything possible to spend and be spent in order

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Speaker 3: to bring our friends and even people we don't know

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Speaker 3: to Jesus. Are we willing to push through every obstacle

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Speaker 3: to search for every possible way to connect those who

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Speaker 3: need the Lord to the one and the only one

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Speaker 3: who can make a difference in their lives? Or do

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Speaker 3: we just give a half hearted attempt and turn away

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Speaker 3: at the slightest setback. Pray that God would give you

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Speaker 3: and me strong determination and devotion to get our friends

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Speaker 3: to Jesus. These men show us the valuable lesson that

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Speaker 3: Jesus taught about asking and seeking and knocking and never

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Speaker 3: giving up because the answer will come. When Jesus saw

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Speaker 3: the man coming down from the ceiling, he went into action,

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Speaker 3: going to the man in speaking to him. Here is

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Speaker 3: what he said in Luke five, verse twenty. When Jesus

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Speaker 3: saw their faith, he said, friend, your sins are forgiven. First,

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Speaker 3: notice that Jesus was not speaking of this man's faith

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Speaker 3: the crippled man's face, but the faith of his friends.

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Speaker 3: It was their faith that brought the man to Jesus.

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Speaker 3: Our actions, when done in faith believing God, have significant

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Speaker 3: impact on the lives of others our faith moves from

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Speaker 3: faith to faith. Notice that Jesus doesn't immediately heal the

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Speaker 3: man's body. His first words are words of forgiveness. The crowd,

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Speaker 3: and especially the Pharisees and the teachers of the law

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Speaker 3: take note of This is offensive and shocking to them

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Speaker 3: that Jesus would claim to be able to forgive sins.

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Speaker 3: That's something only God can do. But Jesus shocked them

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Speaker 3: again as he spoke to reveal their hidden thoughts. He

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Speaker 3: asked if it would be easier to say the man's

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Speaker 3: sins were forgiven or to tell the man to get

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Speaker 3: up and walk. Clearly, it would be easier to just

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Speaker 3: say his sins were forgiven, because there would be no

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Speaker 3: visual proof of this having worked or not. So he

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Speaker 3: turned to the man and told him to take up

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Speaker 3: his mat and go home. Immediately the man was he

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Speaker 3: He stood up from his cot and began praising God.

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Speaker 3: With those words, Jesus showed that he has the power

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Speaker 3: to both heal, but most importantly, to heal the soul

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Speaker 3: to forgive sins. Everyone praised God in amazement for what

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Speaker 3: they saw Jesus do. We then see Jesus calling another disciple,

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Speaker 3: this time it was a man named Matthew. He was

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Speaker 3: a tax collector, which means the Jewish people saw him

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Speaker 3: as a traitor and a servant of the invading Roman government.

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Speaker 3: Tax Collectors were not respected or revered members of Jewish society.

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Speaker 3: They were just included with all the other sinners. So

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Speaker 3: when the religious crowds saw Jesus with tax collectors, they

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Speaker 3: once again sneered and scoffed that this man would stoop

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Speaker 3: so low as to associate with outcasts and sinners. How

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Speaker 3: could anyone follow such a man, they thought, and once

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Speaker 3: more Jesus called them out for their hypocrisy. He had

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Speaker 3: come to heal the sick, to help sinners, not the righteous.

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Speaker 3: They could not understand that the purpose of Christ's coming

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Speaker 3: was to save sinful people. The righteousness of the Pharisees

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Speaker 3: and the religious crowd was only skin deep, and that

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Speaker 3: they needed healing sole healing, just as much as the

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Speaker 3: tax collectors and the sinners. Christ came into the world

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Speaker 3: to save sinners like you and me. Jesus was ready

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Speaker 3: and willing for all to follow him, but so many

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Speaker 3: rejected him, especially those who were very religious. And yet

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Speaker 3: he kept on helping people, loving people and would one

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Speaker 3: day go to a cross to lay down his life

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Speaker 3: so that our sins could be forgiven. Dear God, we

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Speaker 3: thank you for the four faithful friends who go to

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Speaker 3: great lengths to show your love and compassion to their friend.

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Speaker 3: For the healing and the power of Jesus to save.

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Speaker 3: Help us Lord, to be friends like these to people

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Speaker 3: we know, and to do whatever it takes to bring

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Speaker 3: people to the loving, saving arms of Christ. In Jesus' name,

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Speaker 3: we pray Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible

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Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.

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Speaker 3: You can download the Prey dot Com app and make

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Speaker 3: prayer a priority in your life, just like over twenty

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Speaker 3: million people have done to this date. If you enjoy

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Speaker 3: this podcast, share it with someone you know and love,

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Speaker 3: because by sharing this message of the Word of God,

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Speaker 3: you can make an eternal difference in someone's life.

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Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by Meta Share, an innovative healthcare

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Speaker 1: solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.

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Speaker 4: Welcome to the previous podcast, where Hope is Our Only Bias.

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Speaker 4: Each day, we'll unpack the most prominent stories happening in

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Speaker 4: the news and offer a Christian perspective. We won't shy

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Speaker 4: away from the hard topics, and we won't the hopeful

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Speaker 4: message of Christ. This is more than a daily brief

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Speaker 4: on the news. It's a way to be informed and transformed.

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Speaker 4: Listen to Pray News on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

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Speaker 4: or wherever you get your podcasts.