Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / Mary is Chosen

Transcript

Mary is Chosen · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: He has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you,
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  Speaker 1: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore,
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  Speaker 1: I will rather glory in my weakness that the power
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  Speaker 1: of Christ may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12.9 Dear
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  Speaker 1: Heavenly Father, When we feel weak, inadequate, or overwhelmed, we're
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  Speaker 1: reminded that it is precisely in these moments that your strength, power,
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  Speaker 1: and grace shine brightest. We ask for the humility to
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  Speaker 1: accept our weaknesses and the faith to see them not
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  Speaker 1: as failures, but as opportunities for your power to be displayed.
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  Speaker 1: Help us, Lord, to rely not on our own strength,
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  Speaker 1: but on the abundant grace you freely give us. In
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  Speaker 1: our struggles and trials, let us feel your presence, power
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  Speaker 1: resting upon us, giving us the courage and resilience to endure.
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  Speaker 1: Through our weaknesses, may we be a testament to your
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  Speaker 1: infinite strength and love. We pray in the name of Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: our source of power and grace.
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  Speaker 2: Amen. Nazareth was far from a vibrant, bustling town. Its
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  Speaker 2: character was more defined by its ordinary, even dull, nature.
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  Speaker 2: Far removed from the trade routes, absent any shoreline and
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  Speaker 2: devoid of the rich cultural tapestry found in other cities,
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  Speaker 2: Nazareth was perhaps most notable for its unremarkableness. A town
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  Speaker 2: with no glorious past, heroic tales or exciting happenings. Yet
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  Speaker 2: the dusty and forgotten town far from the holy city
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  Speaker 2: of Jerusalem was about to.
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  Speaker 3: Be visited by God himself.
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  Speaker 2: The God who had been silent and hidden in the
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  Speaker 2: margins of history for 400 years was about to descend
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  Speaker 2: upon humanity. In this forsaken city, Nazareth, God's hero, would
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  Speaker 2: be revealed.
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  Speaker 4: We're so glad you joined us on the Bible in
• 2:15
  Speaker 4: a Year podcast today. The Bible in a Year podcast
• 2:18
  Speaker 4: is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come
• 2:22
  Speaker 4: to you each week through the support of listeners just
• 2:25
  Speaker 4: like you. Your support today is so important that we
• 2:28
  Speaker 4: want to thank you for your gift by giving you
• 2:30
  Speaker 4: a copy of my book called The Jesus Book. It
• 2:33
  Speaker 4: is a powerful guide that shows how every book in
• 2:36
  Speaker 4: the Bible points to Jesus and how his living word,
• 2:39
  Speaker 4: the truth of God's word, will transform your life. So
• 2:43
  Speaker 4: to get a copy of The Jesus Book, simply go
• 2:46
  Speaker 4: to jackgram.org slash Jesus. That's jackgram.org slash Jesus. And thank
• 2:54
  Speaker 4: you for your support. The Christmas season is upon us.
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  Speaker 4: This is the perfect time to explore the beautiful and
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  Speaker 4: epic journey of the Nativity. Christ's birth is a tale
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  Speaker 4: of drama, danger, loyalty, and divine intervention. It's my joy
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  Speaker 4: to guide you today as we are introduced to Mary,
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  Speaker 4: a young woman from the small city of Nazareth. Mary's
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  Speaker 4: story is that of humility, strength, and devotion. Mary was
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  Speaker 4: a mere vessel in the grand plan of salvation, but
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  Speaker 4: she stands as an example for all believers today. Her
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  Speaker 4: humble submission to God's will and her strength in the
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  Speaker 4: face of adversity reminds us of the remarkable ways God
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  Speaker 4: uses ordinary people for his extraordinary purposes. We're about to
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  Speaker 4: immerse ourselves in a cinematic retelling of Matthew and Luke's
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  Speaker 4: account of Mary. As we listen, and reflect on her life,
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  Speaker 4: may we be inspired to approach our walk with God
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  Speaker 4: with the same humility and strength, trusting in His plan
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  Speaker 4: regardless of our challenges and uncertainty. The life of Mary
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  Speaker 4: teaches us that when we submit to God's will, He
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  Speaker 4: provides the strength we need to fulfill His purpose. This
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  Speaker 4: is only the beginning of Mary's harrowing story. Let's listen
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  Speaker 4: now and then unpack more of the deeper themes of
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  Speaker 4: her life afterward.
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  Speaker 2: Sunrise broke over the dusty hills surrounding Nazareth. The mild
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  Speaker 2: morning rays gently broke the chill of dawn. Its light
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  Speaker 2: methodically sifted through the window in Mary's room. She slowly awoke,
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  Speaker 2: her lungs filled with the dry and crisp air. She
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  Speaker 2: carefully wrapped herself up with deliberate caution not to stir
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  Speaker 2: her siblings. She stepped into the awakening day. The cool,
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  Speaker 2: dry breeze gently caressed her cheeks. Animals responded to the
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  Speaker 2: rooster's call, and life began to hum as families awoke.
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  Speaker 3: From their rest.
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  Speaker 2: Grasping a pail, Mary started her daily trek towards the
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  Speaker 2: town's lone well. Nazareth was far from a vibrant, bustling town.
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  Speaker 2: Its character was more defined by its ordinary, even dull nature.
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: Far removed from the trade routes, absent any shoreline, and
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: devoid of the rich cultural tapestry found in other cities...
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  Speaker 2: Nazareth was perhaps most notable for its unremarkableness. A town
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  Speaker 2: with no glorious past, no heroic tales, and no exciting happenings.
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  Speaker 2: Yet for Mary, a flicker of anticipation made Nazareth seem
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  Speaker 2: less monotonous. She was engaged to be married to one
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  Speaker 2: of the local stonemasons, Joseph. He was hardly the most
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  Speaker 2: handsome man in Nazareth, nor the most skilled craftsman.
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  Speaker 3: But he was kind. His gentle and quiet strength made
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  Speaker 3: him a kindred spirit to Mary.
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  Speaker 1: To her.
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  Speaker 3: Being betrothed to Joseph.
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  Speaker 2: Was exciting, a break in Nazareth's otherwise dull life. Mary
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  Speaker 2: drew water from the well with the other young women
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  Speaker 2: in the town. They playfully questioned Mary about her marriage
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  Speaker 2: and dreamed about their own futures as wives, mothers, friends
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  Speaker 2: and elders in the community. It was a simple and
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  Speaker 2: joyful life Mary led.
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  Speaker 3: She wouldn't trade it for anything.
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  Speaker 2: Mary lugged her filled pail back home. Her siblings had
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  Speaker 2: left for their chores and her parents had started their
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  Speaker 2: day's work in the marketplace. She climbed the incline leading
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  Speaker 2: to her home, her arms aching under the weight of
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  Speaker 2: the water. She pushed the door open with her foot, entered,
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  Speaker 2: and turned around only to find a divine creature resting
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  Speaker 2: on her room's lattice. Greetings, oh favored one, the angel announced,
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  Speaker 2: making Mary startle and lose grip on her pail. Water
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  Speaker 2: splashed across the room, and Mary stumbled backwards onto the
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  Speaker 2: hard floor. Trying to escape the surprised visitor, she attempted
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  Speaker 2: to rush out, but the angel appeared before her. his
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  Speaker 2: face wearing a reassuring smile. Please do not be afraid.
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  Speaker 2: The Lord is with you. His words left Mary puzzled,
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  Speaker 2: yet her fear was slightly alleviated. She slowly retreated and
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  Speaker 2: sat on her bed's edge. The angel spread his arms wide.
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  Speaker 5: I am Gabriel, and I have come bearing good news. You,
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  Speaker 5: O favored one, have been chosen.
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  Speaker 2: What does that mean?
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  Speaker 3: Mary asked, her hands absently fidgeting in her lap.
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  Speaker 2: The angel's smile grew wider as he spoke. His words
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  Speaker 2: were an intermingling of news and worship unto the Lord.
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  Speaker 5: Mary, you have found favor with God, Gabriel explained. You
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  Speaker 5: are to bear a burden and blessing unlike any other
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  Speaker 5: in the world. His voice was melodic.
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  Speaker 3: You, Mary, will conceive a son. The impact of Gabriel's
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  Speaker 3: words left Mary perplexed. She shook her head in disbelief.
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  Speaker 5: How can this be?
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  Speaker 2: I'm a virgin!
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  Speaker 3: I am young and have not known a man.
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  Speaker 2: Her eyes welled up, the enormity of the revelation overwhelming her. Gabriel,
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  Speaker 2: noticing her distress, descended to eye level. The angel wasn't human,
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  Speaker 2: but he wore an empathetic grin as he reassured Mary
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  Speaker 2: of her calling.
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  Speaker 5: Mary, all things are possible with God. The Holy Spirit
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  Speaker 5: will come upon you. The power of the highest God
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  Speaker 5: will overshadow you. child you carry will be the son
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  Speaker 5: of God himself. Seeing her eyes widen in shock, he continued.
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  Speaker 5: Your cousin Elizabeth, well past her childbearing ages, already six
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  Speaker 5: months pregnant. Now tell me, is there anything the Lord
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  Speaker 5: cannot do?
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  Speaker 2: For a moment, Mary sat in silence. She could feel
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  Speaker 2: God's spirit strengthening her. Her racing thoughts began to settle
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  Speaker 2: into a calm stream. Closing her eyes tightly, she laid
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  Speaker 2: a hand on her belly. It was then she felt
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  Speaker 2: the favor of a God wash over her. Joy, indescribable
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  Speaker 2: and incomprehensible joy, filled her. She stood, wiping her tears
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  Speaker 2: and dusting off her dress, a smile gracing her face
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  Speaker 2: as she met Gabriel's gaze. After a deep breath, she proclaimed.
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  Speaker 3: I am God's servant. I will gladly receive his will
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  Speaker 3: according to what you've said. With a nod, Gabriel vanished.
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  Speaker 2: Mary stepped outside. The sun was high overhead. She bathed
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  Speaker 2: in its warm rays and watched the village resume its
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  Speaker 2: regular rhythm.
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  Speaker 3: She heard birds chirping in harmony with the gentle breeze.
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  Speaker 2: Suddenly, the mundane day radiated with a divine glow. Her
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  Speaker 2: heart pounded with anticipation and fear of what lay ahead.
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  Speaker 2: Yet she knew Gabriel's words held true. What would Joseph think?
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  Speaker 2: What would her family do? So many questions raced through
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  Speaker 2: her mind. Mary decided the best thing to do was
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  Speaker 2: visit her cousin Elizabeth to witness.
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  Speaker 3: What God was doing.
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  Speaker 4: This was not the life Mary expected for herself. Let's
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  Speaker 4: put ourselves in Mary's shoes for a moment. She's young,
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  Speaker 4: betrothed to be married, and has her whole life ahead
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  Speaker 4: of her. She was undoubtedly dreaming about her wedding day,
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  Speaker 4: having children with Joseph and and living a simple life
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  Speaker 4: in Nazareth. But God had different plans for Mary. It
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  Speaker 4: can be hard when God interrupts our plans, can't it?
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  Speaker 4: There are key moments in our lives when we expect
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  Speaker 4: one thing to happen, but it turns out God has
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  Speaker 4: different plans. Luke chapter 1 says that Mary graciously accepted
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  Speaker 4: God's plans for her. It couldn't have been easy. Think
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  Speaker 4: about all the hardship Mary would endure because of God's
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  Speaker 4: calling on her life. What would her parents think? Would
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  Speaker 4: Joseph leave her when he found out? When God calls
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  Speaker 4: us to something new, sometimes we can become consumed with
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  Speaker 4: the risks involved. Thoughts of persecution, discomfort, and rejection can
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  Speaker 4: dominate our headspace. Mary is a wonderful example of quietly
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  Speaker 4: and humbly accepting God's will for her life. She asked
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  Speaker 4: Gabriel how it would be possible since she was a
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  Speaker 4: virgin to indicating her innocence and purity. But, after the
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  Speaker 4: angel explained, she didn't hesitate or resist, but simply said, Behold,
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  Speaker 4: I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be
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  Speaker 4: to me according to your word. Her willingness to step
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  Speaker 4: into the unknown and accept a mission that would lead
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  Speaker 4: to hardship and misunderstanding shows an unparalleled humility and a
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  Speaker 4: commitment to the Lord. This humility was not the result
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  Speaker 4: of low self-esteem or lack of ambition. Instead, it was
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  Speaker 4: rooted in an accurate understanding of who God is and
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  Speaker 4: who she was in relationship to him. Mary recognized her
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  Speaker 4: role in God's plan, accepting it graciously, even with its
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  Speaker 4: potential for personal cost and societal shame. Mary's strength, often overlooked,
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  Speaker 4: is an essential part of her character. It would have
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  Speaker 4: taken great fortitude to accept such a call, knowing that
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  Speaker 4: it could result in her being ostracized, or even worse,
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  Speaker 4: stoned to death. According to the laws of the time,
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  Speaker 4: stoning was on the table. In addition, the physical and
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  Speaker 4: emotional toll of bearing and raising a child under such
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  Speaker 4: circumstances is unimaginable. You know the saying, God never gives
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  Speaker 4: you more than you can handle? You hear that saying
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  Speaker 4: thrown around quite a lot. but I'd like to humbly
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  Speaker 4: challenge that idea. The Bible shows us story after story
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  Speaker 4: of people who are given more than they can handle.
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  Speaker 4: Moses certainly couldn't have freed the people of Israel on
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  Speaker 4: his own. Daniel couldn't have survived the lion's den. The
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  Speaker 4: Bible continually shows us that God does give us more
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  Speaker 4: than we can handle. We're sometimes faced with challenges too
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  Speaker 4: significant to endure on our own. but that is when
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  Speaker 4: the strength of God's Spirit is shown. Remember what God
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  Speaker 4: said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12, chapter 9? He
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  Speaker 4: encouraged Paul, saying, That is why Paul said that he
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  Speaker 4: would boast all the more in his weakness because that
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  Speaker 4: is when the strength of God was most evident in
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  Speaker 4: his life. In future episodes, will be immersed in the
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  Speaker 4: heart-wrenching struggle of Mary and Joseph. Together, they'll face near-death
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  Speaker 4: experiences and close calls, but God's providential strength will carry
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  Speaker 4: them through. People often associate the God of the Old
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  Speaker 4: Testament with strength and the God of the New Testament
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  Speaker 4: with gentleness. But Christ's power is no different from the
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  Speaker 4: God who formed the cosmos and parted seas. They're the same.
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  Speaker 4: We can take comfort in knowing that, with Him by
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  Speaker 4: our side, we can endure anything that comes our way.
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  Speaker 4: This Christmas season, let us remember the great calling Christ
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  Speaker 4: has given each of us. Like Mary, you and I
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  Speaker 4: have been given a great mission. May we shoulder that
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  Speaker 4: mission with grace, humility, and reliance on God. Mary's journey
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  Speaker 4: has just begun, and we are just getting started with
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  Speaker 4: the epic story of the Nativity. Thank you for listening
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  Speaker 4: to today's Bible in a Year podcast. And before we go,
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  Speaker 4: I wanted to let you know that the Bible in
• 14:47
  Speaker 4: a Year podcast is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and
• 14:50
  Speaker 4: can only come to you each week through the support
• 14:53
  Speaker 4: of listeners like you. Your support today is so important
• 14:58
  Speaker 4: that we want to thank you for your gift by
• 15:00
  Speaker 4: giving you a copy of my book called The Jesus Book.
• 15:04
  Speaker 4: This book is a powerful guide that shows how every
• 15:07
  Speaker 4: book in the Bible points to Christ and how you
• 15:09
  Speaker 4: can better read and understand the Bible and how God's
• 15:13
  Speaker 4: Word transforms our lives. So to get your copy of
• 15:17
  Speaker 4: the Jesus book, simply go to jackgram.org slash Jesus. That's
• 15:22
  Speaker 4: jackgram.org slash Jesus. And thank you for your support.