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Saul and the Light - The Book of Acts · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And he fell to earth, and heard
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  Speaker 1: a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
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  Speaker 1: Acts 9.4 Thank you, Jesus, that through the life of Saul,
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  Speaker 1: I can declare that no one is outside the reach
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  Speaker 1: of our loving Savior. Thank you, God, that you are
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  Speaker 1: constantly reminding me that no matter how far I go,
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  Speaker 1: no matter how out of touch with you I seem,
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  Speaker 1: that at any given moment, you can and you will
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  Speaker 1: do whatever is necessary to grab my attention, to bring
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  Speaker 1: me back to you. Like Saul on his road to Damascus,
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  Speaker 1: when I am off track, remind me of who I am.
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  Speaker 1: Speak to me with the same boldness that you spoke
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  Speaker 1: to him, for I now understand that my purpose is
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  Speaker 1: more important than my comfort. Let me carry the same
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  Speaker 1: mindset into everyday life when I see others being ridiculed
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  Speaker 1: by somebody because of who they used to be. Let
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  Speaker 1: this story in Acts 9 serve as a reminder that
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  Speaker 1: no one is outside of the grasp of your love.
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  Speaker 1: Continue to transform my heart, not only from the inside,
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  Speaker 1: but do a mighty work so that it can be
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  Speaker 1: seen on the outside as a tribute to who you
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  Speaker 1: are and the power that you possess to turn a
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  Speaker 1: life around. Thank you for restoring my sight so I
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  Speaker 1: can see that there is more in store for me.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for making prayer a priority
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  Speaker 1: in your life. To hear the Bible come to life,
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  Speaker 1: Stay tuned for the Bible in a Year. Brought to
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  Speaker 1: you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Saul and the Light In our last story, Philip was
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  Speaker 2: used to preach the gospel in Samaria. He preached in
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  Speaker 2: the desert to an Ethiopian official and baptized him. Now
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  Speaker 2: we peer into the dark heart of Saul. His corrupt
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  Speaker 2: and evil mind was filled with hatred towards Jesus and
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  Speaker 2: the church. Yet no man is immune to the loving
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  Speaker 2: touch of Christ. No amount of hatred could ever darken
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  Speaker 2: the light of God's Son. Inspired by the book of Acts.
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  Speaker 3: Welcome once again to today's episode of the Bible in
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  Speaker 3: a Year. In yesterday's episode, we heard how Saul's persecution
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  Speaker 3: of the church had led to a great scattering of believers,
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  Speaker 3: a dispersion. of Christians. What the enemy meant for evil
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  Speaker 3: to stop God's work in the world ultimately led to
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  Speaker 3: the message of Jesus spreading far beyond Jerusalem and even
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  Speaker 3: beyond Israel itself. We heard how Philip shared the good
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  Speaker 3: news with an Ethiopian man who then took the message
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  Speaker 3: of salvation with him to the ends of the earth.
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  Speaker 3: Today we'll hear how Saul, in the midst of his
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  Speaker 3: campaign to destroy the church and the message of Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: encounters the very one that he is persecuting. It is
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  Speaker 3: on the road to Damascus. He will be physically blinded,
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  Speaker 3: but have his spiritual eyes open to the truth of
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  Speaker 3: who Jesus is, and there receive the highest calling of all,
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  Speaker 3: which is to take the very message that he wanted
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  Speaker 3: to destroy to the ends of the earth. Let's listen
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  Speaker 3: now to today's reading.
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  Speaker 2: His every breath was filled with hatred and murder, filled
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  Speaker 2: with zealous rage towards the church. Saul stood under the
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  Speaker 2: torchlight in the courthouse. He watched as the temple judge
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  Speaker 2: put pen to parchment. The words gave him complete authority
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  Speaker 2: to drag any man, woman, or child into the city
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  Speaker 2: streets and end them. The letters were his license to kill.
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  Speaker 2: Saul took the letters and shoved them into his bag.
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  Speaker 2: He slung it over his shoulder and left the temple
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  Speaker 2: in a fury. He mounted his horse and rode in
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  Speaker 2: the night towards Damascus. There he would round up every
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  Speaker 2: last Christian like cattle. He would put an end to
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  Speaker 2: the life of Jesus once and for all. The darkness
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  Speaker 2: was draped heavily over the skies as Saul rode. The
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  Speaker 2: stars were hidden by thick clouds. Saul's heart was as
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  Speaker 2: black as the night. He was hell-bent on destroying the
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  Speaker 2: followers of Jesus. He despised their gospel. It was a
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  Speaker 2: direct threat to everything he had built his life upon. Piety, holiness,
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  Speaker 2: and perfection. These were Saul's goals. He desired power He
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  Speaker 2: desired holiness. He desired for God to approve of him
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  Speaker 2: because of his actions, not some act of grace or mercy.
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  Speaker 2: Saul wanted to earn God's love. Saul's horse rode violently
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  Speaker 2: into the cold, dark nothingness. The road ahead of him
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  Speaker 2: was barely seen by a small torch Saul held in
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  Speaker 2: his hand. Damascus was not too far away. All of
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  Speaker 2: the sudden, Saul's torch snuffed out and his horse stopped abruptly.
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  Speaker 2: With his light removed, Saul could see nothing. The silent
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  Speaker 2: and dark night was maddening. Saul breathed heavily, trying to
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  Speaker 2: restore the flames on his torch to no avail. Then,
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  Speaker 2: like the night was being pierced by a blade, a
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  Speaker 2: bright light cut through the blackness. The jagged light surrounded him.
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  Speaker 2: Saul's eyes could barely stand the brilliance around him. As
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  Speaker 2: the light rushed forward, Saul was bucked off of his horse.
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  Speaker 2: He hit the ground with force, and his horse ran away.
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  Speaker 2: A voice as clear as can be spoke through the light... Saul! Saul!
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  Speaker 2: the voice said. Why are you persecuting me? Saul stood
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  Speaker 2: to his feet, trying to see who dwelled behind the radiance.
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  Speaker 4: Who are you?
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  Speaker 2: He asked with panic in his voice.
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  Speaker 5: Who is speaking?
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  Speaker 2: The light danced in a hundred different directions, like a
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  Speaker 2: weaved tapestry. It is I, Jesus, the one whom you
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  Speaker 2: have persecuted. Why are you kicking against the goads? Why
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  Speaker 2: do you deny who I have called.
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  Speaker 5: You to be?
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  Speaker 2: The men who were following Saul could hear the voice
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  Speaker 2: but could not see the bright light dancing around Saul.
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  Speaker 2: They saw him on his knees, panicking as he listened
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  Speaker 2: to the terrifying voice of Jesus. Saul fell to his
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  Speaker 2: face and closed his eyes.
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  Speaker 3: Then the light vanished.
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  Speaker 2: Silence returned to the dark night and flames were restored
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  Speaker 2: to Saul's torch. However, Saul opened his eyes to discover
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  Speaker 2: he was blind. Saul's companions led him by the hand
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  Speaker 2: to Damascus. There he laid in bed for three days,
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  Speaker 2: silently seeking answers from God. He neither ate nor drank.
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  Speaker 2: He simply waited until God spoke to him about what
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  Speaker 2: he had seen and heard. There was a believer in
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  Speaker 2: Damascus named Ananias. He was an older man and very
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  Speaker 2: attentive to the will and direction of God. Early in
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  Speaker 2: the morning he sought the voice of Christ. As he prayed,
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  Speaker 2: the silent prompting of God's Spirit spoke to him Rise,
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  Speaker 2: he said. Not too far from here, in the house
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  Speaker 2: of Judas, there is a man named Saul. He is
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  Speaker 2: praying and seeking God. You must go to him and
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  Speaker 2: tell him of me. Ananias shook his head. Lord, I
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  Speaker 2: have heard of this man. He is the cause of
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  Speaker 2: much evil to your people. His hands are stained red
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  Speaker 2: with the blood of believers. Go, for I have chosen
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  Speaker 2: him to carry my name and proclaim me to the Gentiles.
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  Speaker 2: I will show him how much he will do and
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  Speaker 2: suffer in my name, the Lord answered. So Ananias packed
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  Speaker 2: a small bag and left for the home where Saul
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  Speaker 2: was waiting. Saul was still shrouded in darkness. In the
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  Speaker 2: night he closed his eyes and saw visions of a
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  Speaker 2: man named Ananias. But all was a blur to Saul.
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  Speaker 2: Everything was confusing. He did not know what the Lord
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  Speaker 2: was doing. As Paul sat in darkness, his heart began
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  Speaker 2: to soften. Saul heard the door creak open Brother Saul,
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  Speaker 2: a voice said, I am Ananias. I have been sent
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  Speaker 2: by Jesus to heal you. Saul's heart ached when he
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  Speaker 2: heard the name of Jesus. The words of the bright
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  Speaker 2: light still echoed in his mind. Tears fell from Saul's
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  Speaker 2: blind eyes. Then as Ananias prayed over him, Saul began
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  Speaker 2: to regain his sight. It was as if scales were
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  Speaker 2: peeling away. In that moment, Saul's heart was changed. He
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  Speaker 2: not only saw the daylight, but he saw the light
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  Speaker 2: of Jesus. He understood in a moment all the things
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  Speaker 2: he had done.
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  Speaker 5: It was overwhelming.
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  Speaker 2: After being baptized, Saul presented himself to some of the
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  Speaker 2: disciples at Damascus. They were the ones he planned to
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  Speaker 2: kidnap and kill. They watched as he entered the room
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  Speaker 2: with his head held low. They were skeptical, but could
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  Speaker 2: clearly see that something was different about him. Peter sat
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  Speaker 2: among them. He was protective over the rest of the disciples.
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  Speaker 2: He did not want a wolf among sheep. Who is Jesus?
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  Speaker 2: he asked plainly. There was a long pause. Saul's face
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  Speaker 2: was filled with anguish and regret. He remembered what he
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  Speaker 2: had done and what.
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  Speaker 4: He had said.
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  Speaker 2: There was blood on his hands. He is the Son
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  Speaker 2: of God, Saul answered. As he said these words, the
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  Speaker 2: entire room gasped. They were amazed that Jesus had touched
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  Speaker 2: the heart of someone so dark and so evil. Is
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  Speaker 2: this not the man who watched as Stefan was stoned?
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  Speaker 2: Someone shouted. He has probably come to kidnap us and
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  Speaker 2: bind us. But Saul remained. with the disciples for a
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  Speaker 2: long while and learned under them. He listened to their words.
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  Speaker 2: He prayed with tenderness. Day by day, they watched this
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  Speaker 2: once evil man turn into a minister of grace. Soon
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  Speaker 2: he appeared in front of the Jews in Damascus and
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  Speaker 2: proclaimed the truth of Jesus as the Christ. So much
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  Speaker 2: that they plotted to kill him So the apostles lowered
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  Speaker 2: him down and sent him back to Jerusalem with Barnabas.
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  Speaker 2: Thus began the epic journey of the suffering servant of Christ.
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  Speaker 2: The man who once sought the lives of Christians would
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  Speaker 2: lay his life down daily for the advancement of the gospel.
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  Speaker 2: Saul's life would prove as a symbol to all those
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  Speaker 2: who feel like they are too lost to come to God.
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  Speaker 2: He is proof that nobody is outside the reach of
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  Speaker 2: a tender and loving Savior.
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  Speaker 3: Saul is relentlessly pursuing the followers of Jesus, determined to
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  Speaker 3: destroy once and for all this new movement, the Christian
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  Speaker 3: faith that is threatening everything that he holds dear, all
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  Speaker 3: of his traditions, all of his religion. Saul was zealous
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  Speaker 3: for God, but he was misguided. He's still stuck in
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  Speaker 3: the chains of legalism and good works, unable to understand
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  Speaker 3: who Jesus is despite his years of studying the Law
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  Speaker 3: and Prophets. So Saul asked the high priest for letters
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  Speaker 3: to the temple in Damascus, authorizing him to round up
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  Speaker 3: as many Christians as he could, people known as followers
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  Speaker 3: of the way, and then to throw them in jail
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  Speaker 3: or worse. But God had other plans. And in today's reading,
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  Speaker 3: we hear how God went to supernatural lengths to reach
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  Speaker 3: Saul and to stop him in his tracks. For there
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  Speaker 3: on the road to Damascus, on his way to destroy
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  Speaker 3: the church, Saul was blinded by the light of heaven.
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  Speaker 3: This is the resurrected Christ himself. There on the ground,
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  Speaker 3: Saul could see nothing but the glorious light of Christ
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  Speaker 3: and the voice that came to him. This is Jesus
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  Speaker 3: asking Paul, why are you persecuting me? Jesus asked Saul,
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  Speaker 3: why are you fighting against me and what I am
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  Speaker 3: telling you to do? You see, though Saul did not
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  Speaker 3: yet know it, God had a heavenly high calling and
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  Speaker 3: purpose for him. God would not take away this man's
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  Speaker 3: zeal or deep understanding of truth and scriptures. Rather, he
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  Speaker 3: would fulfill the scriptures in the life of Saul, and
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  Speaker 3: he would become the great missionary of the church. So
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  Speaker 3: after being knocked off his horse, Saul then blindly stands
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  Speaker 3: to his feet. And already God is changing him. Jesus
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  Speaker 3: is changing him. For when he opens his eyes, he
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  Speaker 3: found that he could not see. Saul is now physically blind.
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  Speaker 3: And for many years he had lived in spiritual darkness
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  Speaker 3: and blindness and had physical sight. But now the tables
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  Speaker 3: are turned. God had begun to open his spiritual eyes,
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  Speaker 3: but he is blind and helpless. His companions lead him
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  Speaker 3: to Damascus, where he stayed for three days, fasting and
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  Speaker 3: drinking nothing. As Saul waited, not knowing what would come next,
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  Speaker 3: God was working behind the scenes, as he always is.
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  Speaker 3: He appeared in a vision to a believer in Damascus,
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  Speaker 3: a man named Ananias, and God told him that he
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  Speaker 3: was to go to Saul. Understandably, Ananias was concerned because
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  Speaker 3: he had heard about Saul, how vicious he was, how
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  Speaker 3: he was attacking Christians and attempting to destroy the church.
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  Speaker 3: Did God really want Ananias to go talk to this man?
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  Speaker 3: Notice that God did not chastise him or get angry
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  Speaker 3: for his questions. He simply affirmed the command and explained
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  Speaker 3: his purpose, saying in Acts 9, verses 15 and 16, Go,
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  Speaker 3: for he, that is Saul, is a chosen instrument of
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  Speaker 3: mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and the
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  Speaker 3: kings and the children of Israel. For I will show
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  Speaker 3: him how much he must suffer for the sake of
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  Speaker 3: my name. Ananias, what a great man, then obediently fulfilled
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  Speaker 3: his calling, and he went to Saul, and he laid
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  Speaker 3: hands on him, and immediately he embraces him and calls
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  Speaker 3: him brother. This man, who was an enemy of the church,
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  Speaker 3: is now being called brother, a part of the family
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  Speaker 3: of God. Don't miss the importance and the significance of this.
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  Speaker 3: Not every one of us would have been so quick
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  Speaker 3: to embrace Saul, but Ananias, knowing that God had a
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  Speaker 3: great purpose for this man and trusting in God's will,
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  Speaker 3: welcomed Saul and prayed for him to receive the Holy Spirit.
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  Speaker 3: In that instance, Saul's eyesight was restored, the scales of
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  Speaker 3: his eyes fell, and he now sees again. Saul was
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  Speaker 3: then baptized and immediately is transformed into a force for
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  Speaker 3: the gospel, a fearless, faithful evangelist who would spread the gospel,
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  Speaker 3: pointing others to Jesus everywhere he went. The disciples were
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  Speaker 3: confounded and confused and a little uneasy, but as they
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  Speaker 3: heard this man preach, as Saul witnessed of the good news,
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  Speaker 3: They were sure now that he is a changed man,
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  Speaker 3: and the murderer becomes a missionary. Soon Saul returned to Jerusalem,
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  Speaker 3: but when he tried to join the disciples there, again
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  Speaker 3: he was faced with some fear and skepticism. But a
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  Speaker 3: man by the name of Barnabas, just as Ananias had done,
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  Speaker 3: welcomed his new brother in Christ. He stood up for
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  Speaker 3: Saul before the disciples, and then Saul was accepted. joining
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  Speaker 3: those in Jerusalem, boldly preaching Christ to all who would listen.
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  Speaker 3: It wouldn't be long that Saul would face the same
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  Speaker 3: oppression and opposition and persecution that he had brought to
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  Speaker 3: the church. Now he was the hated and hunted one,
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  Speaker 3: but nothing would stop this man. He was unstoppable. Saul
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  Speaker 3: is an incredible testimony to God's power to redeem and
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  Speaker 3: change even the most lost and hopeless person. Saul would
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  Speaker 3: carry God's grace to the ends of the world. fueled
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  Speaker 3: by the power and the passion of the Spirit within him.
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  Speaker 3: And both Jews and Gentiles everywhere would believe the saving
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  Speaker 3: message of Christ, because the man who hated Christians is
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  Speaker 3: now becoming the greatest Christian who ever lived. Let's pray together.
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  Speaker 3: Dear God, thank you for today's scripture, which reminds us
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  Speaker 3: of your great grace, your amazing grace, that can take
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  Speaker 3: us when we're going the wrong direction and turn our
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  Speaker 3: lives around so that we can become your followers. We
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  Speaker 3: know this is all true because Jesus is alive, because
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  Speaker 3: you are risen, Lord. And we follow you and trust
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  Speaker 3: in you and obey you. And may we be bold
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  Speaker 3: in our witness, using our own testimonies to tell the
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  Speaker 3: world who Jesus is. For we pray in Christ's name, amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. You can download
• 16:59
  Speaker 3: the Pray.com app and make Bible study and prayer available
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: the priority of your life. And if you appreciate this podcast,
• 17:07
  Speaker 3: please share it with someone else. I also want to
• 17:10
  Speaker 3: encourage you to go to jackgraham.org. That's jackgraham.org for we
• 17:16
  Speaker 3: have resources that are free and available for you so
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: that you may know Christ and grow in him. God
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  Speaker 3: bless you.
• 17:28
  Speaker 5: This episode is sponsored by MediShare. an innovative healthcare solution
• 17:32
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• 17:39
  Speaker 2: Hello, I'm Dr.
• 17:41
  Speaker 4: Tony Evans, and I'm excited to have you join me
• 17:44
  Speaker 4: on this new podcast, Heroes in the Bible. Come to me, boy.
• 17:49
  Speaker 2: You and your God will crumble beneath my feet.
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  Speaker 1: He beckoned the giant and said.
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  Speaker 2: I come to you in the name of the Lord
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  Speaker 2: of hosts and creator of the stars.
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  Speaker 4: You know, we all have giants that we face in
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  Speaker 4: our life. And when you understand that the greatness of
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  Speaker 4: God affects our ability to handle the giants of life,
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  Speaker 4: it will encourage, inspire, and challenge all of us to
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  Speaker 4: our faith in God and our growth in Jesus Christ.
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  Speaker 5: Look past his height and appearance, Samuel, for man sees
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  Speaker 5: the outward appearance. They see the strength of the man's arms.
• 18:28
  Speaker 5: but the Lord looks into the heart.
• 18:31
  Speaker 4: Listen to Heroes in the Bible with Dr. Tony Evans
• 18:34
  Speaker 4: on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
• 18:39
  Speaker 4: your podcasts.