WEBVTT - Jeff Archey - Oct 16 - 6:00 am

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<v Speaker 1>For to me, to live is Christ and to die

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<v Speaker 1>is gain. The conviction of the Apostle Paul, that is

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<v Speaker 1>our study today here from the International Gospel Hour. Stay

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<v Speaker 1>with us.

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<v Speaker 2>Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour. Welcome

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<v Speaker 2>to our broadcast today. For over 90 years, churches of

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<v Speaker 2>Christ have proclaimed God's Word through our broadcasts. Just ahead

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<v Speaker 2>is another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's begin. Well, thank you for your kind words to

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<v Speaker 1>our J-Web. And greetings and hello, everyone. Great having you

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<v Speaker 1>with us today for our studies here from the International

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<v Speaker 1>Gospel Hour. And we want to begin our study with

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<v Speaker 1>something to consider. It would be very hard-pressed, and I'm

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<v Speaker 1>sure there's probably someone out there that would prefer a

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<v Speaker 1>home in hell over a home in heaven. Now, if

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<v Speaker 1>you were to ask them, when you die, do you

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<v Speaker 1>want to go to heaven? They would probably say, yes,

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<v Speaker 1>but does their life reflect that aim? You know, thinking

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<v Speaker 1>about heaven... it's still not a guarantee that one will

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<v Speaker 1>be there. Now, it is the obedience of one to

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<v Speaker 1>the will of God Almighty that one is saved through

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<v Speaker 1>His beautiful grace. Let's support this with two teachings that

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<v Speaker 1>bring this forth. Both are from the Sermon on the Mount.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's go to Matthew 7. In verses 13 and 14,

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<v Speaker 1>Jesus said, Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is

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<v Speaker 1>the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction,

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<v Speaker 1>and there are many who go in by it. Because

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<v Speaker 1>narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which

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<v Speaker 1>leads to life, and there are few who find it.

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<v Speaker 1>Jesus lets us know we have a choice, and some

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<v Speaker 1>are going to choose destruction more than heaven, which is

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<v Speaker 1>absolutely stunning when you think about it, friends. How about

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<v Speaker 1>Matthew 7, beginning with verse 24? Therefore whoever hears these

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<v Speaker 1>sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him

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<v Speaker 1>to a wise man who built his house on the rock.

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<v Speaker 1>And the rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew,

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<v Speaker 1>and beat on that house, and it did not fall,

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<v Speaker 1>for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who

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<v Speaker 1>hears these sayings of mine and does not do them

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<v Speaker 1>will be like a foolish man who built his house

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<v Speaker 1>on the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came,

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<v Speaker 1>the winds blew, and beat on that house, and it fell.

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<v Speaker 1>And great was its fall. Thus, friends, early in his

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<v Speaker 1>earthly ministry, Jesus taught of heaven and its importance to

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<v Speaker 1>hear and to do God's will and to see that

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<v Speaker 1>is the best choice, the only choice when you get

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<v Speaker 1>down to it. We opened our study with the words

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<v Speaker 1>of the Apostle Paul within the context of Philippians 1, 20-23.

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<v Speaker 1>We mentioned verse 21 as we began, but let's put

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<v Speaker 1>the context around it. Beginning with Philippians 1 verse 20,

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<v Speaker 1>According to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing

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<v Speaker 1>I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness as always,

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<v Speaker 1>so now also Christ will be magnified in my body,

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<v Speaker 1>whether by life or by death. For to me, to

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<v Speaker 1>live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if

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<v Speaker 1>I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit

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<v Speaker 1>for my labor. Yet what I shall choose I cannot tell,

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<v Speaker 1>for I am hard pressed between the two, having a

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<v Speaker 1>desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Oh, friends,

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<v Speaker 1>what hope, what living, what dying. Notice Paul said, for

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<v Speaker 1>to me. So let's take that and apply as for

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<v Speaker 1>to all. Let's begin our study in a moment. We'll

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<v Speaker 1>be back in a little over 20 seconds.

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<v Speaker 2>We love our friends and fellow servants at HouseToHouse.com. It's

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<v Speaker 2>a great website for researching topics. It has an excellent

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<v Speaker 2>media section and free materials are available, for example. Please

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<v Speaker 2>request a free copy of their publication, House to House,

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<v Speaker 2>Heart to Heart. Check it out today at HouseToHouse.com.

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<v Speaker 1>For to me. To live is Christ and to die

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<v Speaker 1>is gain. Because of the hope that Paul had, he

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<v Speaker 1>made that statement. We go back to Philippians 1 verse 20,

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<v Speaker 1>the earnest expectation and hope. And when you and I

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<v Speaker 1>dig into that word expectation in the original language, we

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<v Speaker 1>note that that word is great. It's a Greek word

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<v Speaker 1>that means watching with an outstretched head. A strained expectancy,

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<v Speaker 1>an eager longing to look out. It's like akin to

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<v Speaker 1>a child that will keep looking out the window for

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<v Speaker 1>his or her father to come home from work. Or

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes we will look outside and lean forward, kind of

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<v Speaker 1>looking to the left or looking to the right. Something

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<v Speaker 1>that we, it's much, it's an eagerness, friends, if you will.

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<v Speaker 1>Then when you dig in a little bit more, it means...

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<v Speaker 1>an absorption, if you will, an abstraction and an absorption.

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<v Speaker 1>And I credit Lightfoot with this definition. Hear me out.

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<v Speaker 1>Abstraction from anything else that might engage the attention. You're

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<v Speaker 1>not paying attention to anything else. Absorption in the object

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<v Speaker 1>expressed or expected till it's realized. You've got that great

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<v Speaker 1>That great expectation, I mean, that's all that you grasp,

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<v Speaker 1>that you look for Paul's hope, and that kept him

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<v Speaker 1>going here and would keep him going there. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>the Hebrew writer said in Hebrews 11 and verse 16,

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<v Speaker 1>But now they desire a better country, that is, and heavenly.

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<v Speaker 1>Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God,

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<v Speaker 1>for he has prepared for them a city. Those wonderful,

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<v Speaker 1>wonderful people of faith. Don't you just love Paul's definition,

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<v Speaker 1>that outstretched neck, that heart of hope, that you're longing

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<v Speaker 1>for something, and that keeps the focus on the person

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<v Speaker 1>who to them living is Christ, but to die is gain.

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<v Speaker 1>For to me, Paul said, to live is Christ and

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<v Speaker 1>to die is gain, because second, he knew this world

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<v Speaker 1>was not permanent. He said, I want to be with Christ,

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<v Speaker 1>which is far better. Let's go back to our Hebrew

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<v Speaker 1>text for a moment. Once again, Hebrews 11 and verse 16,

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<v Speaker 1>they desire a better country and heavenly. And Hebrews 13

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<v Speaker 1>verse 14, here have we no continuing city, but we

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<v Speaker 1>seek one to come. What's the old hymn? This world

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<v Speaker 1>is not my home, I'm just a passing through. My

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<v Speaker 1>treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels

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<v Speaker 1>beckon me from heaven's open door, and I can't live

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<v Speaker 1>in this world anymore or we have no desire to

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<v Speaker 1>live here don't we just love Paul's conviction he said

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<v Speaker 1>to be with Christ which is far better and Paul

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<v Speaker 1>was also the one who confidently said to those Christians

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<v Speaker 1>in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 57 but

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<v Speaker 1>thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through

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<v Speaker 1>Jesus Christ our Lord and I think of the words

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<v Speaker 1>near the end of his life in 2 Timothy 4

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<v Speaker 1>and verse 7 I have fought a good fight I

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<v Speaker 1>have finished my course. I have kept the faith. You see,

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<v Speaker 1>Paul knew this world was not permanent. He knew there

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<v Speaker 1>was something better ahead. And to read of his life

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<v Speaker 1>through the scriptures, and to read of how Paul continued

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<v Speaker 1>pressing onward, even to the very end when he lost

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<v Speaker 1>his life in Rome, yet how he converted many within

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<v Speaker 1>the household of Caesar. Let's remain in our lesson text

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<v Speaker 1>of Philippians 1, 20-23. As we are launching from verse 21,

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<v Speaker 1>Paul said, For to me, to live is Christ, and

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<v Speaker 1>to die is gain, because his citizenship was toward heaven.

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<v Speaker 1>I take us back to that verse 21, four simple words,

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<v Speaker 1>to die is gain, something better. But later in Philippians

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<v Speaker 1>chapter 3, Paul had something to say in verses 20

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<v Speaker 1>and 21. He says to the Christians, For our citizenship

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<v Speaker 1>is in heaven. from which we also eagerly wait for

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<v Speaker 1>the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our

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<v Speaker 1>lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body,

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<v Speaker 1>according to the working by which he is able even

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<v Speaker 1>to subdue all things to himself. Our citizenship is in heaven. Friends,

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<v Speaker 1>I want to share something of interest to you. If

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<v Speaker 1>you dig into that word citizenship in the original language,

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<v Speaker 1>it's a word actually where we get the English word politics.

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<v Speaker 1>Our politics, if you will, is in heaven. We think

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<v Speaker 1>of Jesus, who is our candidate, the captain of our salvation,

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<v Speaker 1>Hebrews 2 and verse 10, our Savior. And let's allow

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<v Speaker 1>that party to be Christianity. That is named after Christ.

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<v Speaker 1>And let us allow our platform to be the Word

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<v Speaker 1>of God. See, Paul had a focus toward heaven. His

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<v Speaker 1>citizenship was there. He longed to go home.' You know, friends,

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<v Speaker 1>I want what Paul had. Don't you? When I think

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<v Speaker 1>about Paul's faith in God, when I think about his

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<v Speaker 1>repentance and change that we read about in Acts 9,

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<v Speaker 1>and yes, friends, his baptism into Christ, Acts 22 and

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<v Speaker 1>verse 16, that's how Paul was able to call on

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<v Speaker 1>the name of the Lord. And when one simply does

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<v Speaker 1>what Paul did, his for to me is sufficient and

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<v Speaker 1>should be for to all or for to us. How

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<v Speaker 1>grateful we are that we can change our lives to

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<v Speaker 1>where we can say to live is Christ and to

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<v Speaker 1>die is gain. What hope, what confidence. Friends, we realize

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<v Speaker 1>you may not have that hope or confidence. You may

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<v Speaker 1>want to study these things a little further. That's why

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<v Speaker 1>we're always offering tools of study to help you in

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<v Speaker 1>your study of the Word of God and to help

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<v Speaker 1>you in any way that we can here. I'm going

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<v Speaker 1>to defer once again to our J-Web. Here is our

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<v Speaker 1>free Bible course by mail. We'd love for you to

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<v Speaker 1>try it if you haven't before. And if you are

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<v Speaker 1>interested in these studies, we want to make them available

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<v Speaker 1>to you. Here is our J-Web with those details, and

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<v Speaker 1>I will come back and wrap up our broadcast. Okay, Chuck,

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<v Speaker 1>offer number one here, please. Offer number one, and let's

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<v Speaker 1>wrap it up for the week. Thank you for your

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<v Speaker 1>help always, and thankful we can get these out. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>going to keep trying to keep us going with everything

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<v Speaker 1>going on, and I know we'll talk soon if we

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<v Speaker 1>haven't talked already. Take care. We love you both, you

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<v Speaker 1>and Celia. Pray things continue well, and hello to Liam

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<v Speaker 1>and Sarah. Friends, how blessed we are to take the Bible,

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<v Speaker 1>to look at this text of Philippians 1, 20-23, to

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<v Speaker 1>learn more of the Apostle Paul's life, that we may

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<v Speaker 1>pattern our lives after his life, as he said in

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<v Speaker 1>1 Corinthians 11, verse 1, Be followers of me, as

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<v Speaker 1>I also am of Christ. And let's continue our studies

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<v Speaker 1>together at another time. Friends, thank you always for joining

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<v Speaker 1>me here on the International Gospel Hour broadcast. I'm Jeff Archie,

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<v Speaker 1>and as always, keep listening. God be with you till

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<v Speaker 1>we meet again.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you for listening to our broadcast today, and we

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<v Speaker 2>hope you continue onward with your search and study of

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<v Speaker 2>God's Word. Please join us next time and visit our

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<v Speaker 2>website at internationalgospelhour.com. God be with you till we meet again.