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Walking on Water - The Gospels · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And he said, Come. And when Peter
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  Speaker 1: was come down out of the ship, he walked on
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  Speaker 1: the water to go to Jesus. Matthew 14, 29 Multiply
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  Speaker 1: whatever touches my hand, Lord. As I give to serve
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  Speaker 1: the lives of others, like the little boy in Matthew
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  Speaker 1: 14 and John 6, 1-10, I thank you, Jesus, because
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  Speaker 1: you can take little in my hand and make it grand.
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  Speaker 1: As I continually step out in faith, meet me at
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  Speaker 1: the place of my obedience and take whatever gifting and
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  Speaker 1: ability I have and reproduce it and replicate it in
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  Speaker 1: such a way that thousands and millions of your children
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  Speaker 1: can be blessed. But don't stop with that miracle. As
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  Speaker 1: I continue to listen to your word, Allow me to
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  Speaker 1: walk on and over situations in my life that should
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  Speaker 1: cause me to sink. I declare that my focus will
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  Speaker 1: remain steadfast on you, Jesus. I declare that I will
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  Speaker 1: not lose sight of who it is that has called
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  Speaker 1: me out into the deep waters of purpose. I decree
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  Speaker 1: that I am a water walker. filled with the anointing
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  Speaker 1: to multiply everything that touches my life. And I am
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  Speaker 1: not afraid to speak this truth over my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To
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  Speaker 1: hear the Bible come to life, stay tuned for the
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  Speaker 1: Bible in a Year. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 3: Walking on water. In our last story, we learned about
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  Speaker 3: the brutal beheading of John the Baptist. The man who
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  Speaker 3: spent his entire life paving a way for the Son
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  Speaker 3: of God was executed. However, his death would not be
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  Speaker 3: the end for him. he would be embraced by God
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  Speaker 3: the Father into the gates of heaven. Now we learn
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  Speaker 3: about the providing power of Jesus through the feeding of
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  Speaker 3: 5,000 people. Then we learn about Jesus' power over nature itself.
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  Speaker 3: As one of the disciples attempts to join Jesus in faith,
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  Speaker 3: he finds himself failing. As inspired by the Gospels.
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  Speaker 4: Hello and welcome to today's podcast, The Bible in a Year.
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  Speaker 4: This is Jack Graham. In our previous episode, we heard
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  Speaker 4: how King Herod's wife, Herodias, conspired to have John the
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  Speaker 4: Baptist beheaded simply for her enjoyment and to silence the
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  Speaker 4: man who had preached repentance and announced the coming of
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  Speaker 4: Jesus the Messiah. As his ministry came to an end,
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  Speaker 4: the earthly ministry of Jesus continued to grow with more
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  Speaker 4: and more people following, not only to hear him teach,
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  Speaker 4: but also to experience hope and healing. Today, We'll learn
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  Speaker 4: how Jesus miraculously feeds a crowd of people using what
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  Speaker 4: little is available to provide abundantly more than anyone could
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  Speaker 4: have imagined. Then, we'll hear how Jesus amazed and astounded
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  Speaker 4: His disciples by displaying miraculous control over the very laws
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  Speaker 4: of the natural world. Let's listen now to the reading
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  Speaker 4: of God's Word.
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  Speaker 3: Jesus trekked across the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
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  Speaker 3: For miles he traveled beside the shores, listening to the
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  Speaker 3: bustling crowd behind him. His popularity had grown, and now
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  Speaker 3: it was nearly impossible for him to take a stroll
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  Speaker 3: without thousands of people at his back. Jesus peered at
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  Speaker 3: a small hill beside the shore and began to walk
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  Speaker 3: up it. As he reached the top, he turned around
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  Speaker 3: to see 5,000 faces peering up at him. Their eyes
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  Speaker 3: beamed with joyful expectation. His disciples sat down beside him
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  Speaker 3: and watched the crowd get comfortable. Jesus taught them about
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  Speaker 3: the kingdom of heaven. He spoke about the will of
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  Speaker 3: God as one who had complete authority. The crowd was
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  Speaker 3: captivated by his words. However, the sun was high in
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  Speaker 3: the sky and they had walked many miles. Jesus had
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  Speaker 3: sensed that the crowd was growing hungry for more than
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  Speaker 3: just the word of God. Jesus turned to Philip and asked,
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  Speaker 3: Is there anywhere nearby to buy bread for these people?
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  Speaker 3: Jesus asked this question with a purpose. He knew the answer,
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  Speaker 3: but wanted Philip to behold what was about to take place.
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  Speaker 3: Two hundred denarii would not even be able to feed
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  Speaker 3: these people, Jesus, Philip responded. Even if we had enough money,
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  Speaker 3: no baker would have this much bread all at once.
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  Speaker 3: Andrew chimed in and said, I know there is a
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  Speaker 3: boy who brought his own food, but he only has
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  Speaker 3: five loaves and two fish. It really isn't enough to
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  Speaker 3: feed anybody. Jesus stood to his feet and put his
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  Speaker 3: arms around his disciples. He laughed and said, Well, we
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  Speaker 3: will see if it is enough. Go and have all
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  Speaker 3: the people sit down. So all the people sat down
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  Speaker 3: on the grassy hill beside the shore. The boy with
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  Speaker 3: the five loaves and two fishes brought his food to Jesus.
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  Speaker 3: He gave them up, not sure if it would even
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  Speaker 3: feed two grown men, let alone five thousand people. Nevertheless,
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  Speaker 3: the boy wanted to be a part of what Jesus
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  Speaker 3: was doing, so he sacrificed what little he had. As
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  Speaker 3: it turns out, it would be enough. Jesus split the
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  Speaker 3: loaves and fishes into twelve baskets and rose them in
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  Speaker 3: the air. He blessed them and thanked the Lord for
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  Speaker 3: his abundant provision. Then he gave the baskets to his
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  Speaker 3: disciples and had them walk around the crowd dispersing the food.
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  Speaker 3: To their amazement, the baskets were filled to the brim
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  Speaker 3: with loaves and fishes. They did not see the baskets filled.
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  Speaker 3: They did not see anybody put more food in. It
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  Speaker 3: was a simple yet powerful miracle. So the entire crowd
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  Speaker 3: was full with a wonderful meal, and there was still
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  Speaker 3: plenty left over for the disciples to eat. After the
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  Speaker 3: crowd had eaten, mumbles of Jesus' power became a mighty roar.
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  Speaker 3: People erupted in praise at his humble might. So they
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  Speaker 3: called for him to be made king over Israel. If
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  Speaker 3: they could make him king, perhaps all hunger would be eradicated.
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  Speaker 3: Perhaps all suffering and sickness would be gone. They wanted
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  Speaker 3: Jesus to rule over them, and they were willing to
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  Speaker 3: take him by force to make it happen. The crowd stirred,
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  Speaker 3: and some of the men shouted for them to take
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  Speaker 3: Jesus to force him on the throne. Jesus, perceiving the
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  Speaker 3: threat before it became violent, took his disciples and loaded
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  Speaker 3: them into a boat. He sent them away to go
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  Speaker 3: to the other side of the sea and assured them
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  Speaker 3: he would meet them there. The disciples launched off and
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  Speaker 3: raised their sail. As they were sailing away, they could
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  Speaker 3: see Jesus on the shore, walking up a small mountain
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  Speaker 3: to be alone with God. The sun was setting, and
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  Speaker 3: Jesus sat alone with God. He spoke tenderly to his Father,
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  Speaker 3: and was refreshed in his presence. Miles away, the wind
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  Speaker 3: was picking up in the middle of the sea. Waves
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  Speaker 3: began to crash against the side of the disciples' boat.
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  Speaker 3: The setting sun shed light on the chopping waves as
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  Speaker 3: the disciples desperately held on to the sides. As the
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  Speaker 3: disciples were being tossed by the wind, one of them
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  Speaker 3: could see a figure in the distance. It stood above
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  Speaker 3: the waves as if it was shifting ground.' What is that?'
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  Speaker 3: they shouted. All of them shifted to the side of
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  Speaker 3: the boat.' Is it a ghost?' they asked. The figure
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  Speaker 3: walked closer to them, and their hearts beat fast with fear.
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  Speaker 3: As dusk broke into night, the figure was close enough
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  Speaker 3: to see. It was Jesus, walking above the breakers and
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  Speaker 3: the waves.' Take heart!' Jesus shouted.' It is I! Do
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  Speaker 3: not be afraid!' The men could barely believe their own eyes.
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  Speaker 3: They had seen Jesus calm the storms before, but now
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  Speaker 3: he walked upon it like steady earth. Peter's eyes began
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  Speaker 3: to well up with tears, and his heart fluttered in
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  Speaker 3: his chest.' Lord,' he said, If it is truly you,
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  Speaker 3: command me to come out to you and walk on
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  Speaker 3: the water. Jesus extended his hand and smiled. Come then,
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  Speaker 3: he said. So Peter approached the side of the boat.
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  Speaker 3: It was still rocking from the waves below. He stuck
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  Speaker 3: out one leg towards the water and felt it steady
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  Speaker 3: underneath him. So he brought his other leg overboard and
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  Speaker 3: saw that the waters did not consume him. The disciples
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  Speaker 3: gasped and tears fell down Peter's eyes as he looked
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  Speaker 3: at Jesus. Like an infant taking his first steps, Peter
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  Speaker 3: walked towards Jesus on the choppy waters. He could see
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  Speaker 3: his Lord smiling as he took each step. Peter's heart
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  Speaker 3: could not be more filled with joy. He looked at
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  Speaker 3: Jesus as a son to his father. However, when the
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  Speaker 3: wind brushed up against his hair, it forced him to
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  Speaker 3: look around. He could see the crashing waves and strong
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  Speaker 3: winds around him. He looked down at the dark, consuming
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  Speaker 3: water below him. As Peter took his eyes off Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: he felt himself beginning to sink. Peter felt the surprise.
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  Speaker 3: of his feet give way as he dropped into the
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  Speaker 3: black abyss. He gasped for air, but was then buried
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  Speaker 3: underneath a wave.
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  Speaker 1: Peter was terrified.
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  Speaker 3: He went from complete awe to utter panic. As the
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  Speaker 3: waves crashed over his head, Peter cried out to Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: In his hysteria, he was able to speak one of
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  Speaker 3: the most powerful prayers ever spoken, a prayer that would
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  Speaker 3: echo in eternity, a prayer so simple, yet so filled
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  Speaker 3: with meaning that if anyone spoke it, they would be
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  Speaker 3: forever embraced by the loving arms of the Father. As
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  Speaker 3: Peter was surrounded by waves and gasping for air, he
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  Speaker 3: looked up and shouted, Jesus, save me! Peter was hit
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  Speaker 3: by another wave and felt himself sinking deeper into the
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  Speaker 3: dark belly of the sea. His mind began to fog
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  Speaker 3: and his strength failed. Then two arms reached down and
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  Speaker 3: grabbed Peter from the depths. He emerged out of the
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  Speaker 3: water in the arms of Jesus. The Lord walked Peter
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  Speaker 3: back into the boat and the waves subsided. Peter lay
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  Speaker 3: on his back, catching his breath. All the disciples looked
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  Speaker 3: at Jesus. The winds calmed and the sea was as
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  Speaker 3: still as glass. The stars shone brightly above them, illuminating Jesus' face.
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  Speaker 3: They looked up to him and said, Truly, you are
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  Speaker 3: the Son of God.
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  Speaker 4: In today's scripture, Jesus and his disciples are on a hillside,
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  Speaker 4: but they are not alone. A multitude of people have
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  Speaker 4: followed them across the countryside to this remote spot where
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  Speaker 4: Jesus had retreated after he'd heard of the death of
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  Speaker 4: John the Baptist. For hours, Jesus taught them, pouring out wisdom,
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  Speaker 4: God's Word, truth straight from the heart of God. Just
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  Speaker 4: imagine how captivating it must have been to listen to
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  Speaker 4: Jesus speak, each word so full of meaning and depth.
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  Speaker 4: He spoke like no one before Him, and the Bible
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  Speaker 4: says the common people heard Him gladly. The people hung
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  Speaker 4: on to His every word, even if they couldn't fully
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  Speaker 4: understand all that it meant at times. As the day
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  Speaker 4: drew on, the time came when people would have been
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  Speaker 4: retiring to their homes for a supper, a bite to eat,
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  Speaker 4: but they were all far away from home, and it
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  Speaker 4: seems that there had been no mention of a potluck dinner,
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  Speaker 4: so nobody brought food. Well, almost nobody. The disciples went
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  Speaker 4: to Jesus to ask him to send the crowd away
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  Speaker 4: so they could eat, but Jesus assured them they didn't
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  Speaker 4: need to be sent away hungry. He then asked Philip
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  Speaker 4: a question that was meant to test the disciples. He asked,
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  Speaker 4: where can we find bread to give to all these people?
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  Speaker 4: How can we feed this crowd? Ever the pragmatic, Philip said,
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  Speaker 4: there's not enough food here to feed the whole multitude,
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  Speaker 4: even if they all just had a single bite. We
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  Speaker 4: don't have enough money. We don't have enough resources to
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  Speaker 4: feed this crowd. Once again, we see people operating with
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  Speaker 4: a mindset of scarcity. But Jesus was about to show
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  Speaker 4: them that The operative word for God is abundance, that
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  Speaker 4: God can do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask or think. Andrew,
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  Speaker 4: Peter's brother, then brought a glimmer of hope and faith.
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  Speaker 4: There was a boy, just a small boy, with five
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  Speaker 4: loaves of barley and two fish. But how would that
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  Speaker 4: feed more than 5,000 people? Then in Matthew 14, 18,
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  Speaker 4: we read Jesus replied. He said, Bring them here to me.
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  Speaker 4: Isn't that what God says to each of us? Take
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  Speaker 4: your little, take your not enough, and give it to Jesus.
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  Speaker 4: Then watch what God can do as he performs miracles
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  Speaker 4: in our lives. Jesus took what the boy brought, and
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  Speaker 4: he had the people sit down. He gave thanks. He
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  Speaker 4: blessed it, a reminder that we are always to thank God,
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  Speaker 4: even for the little that we may have, as well
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  Speaker 4: as a lot. And then he began to break the
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  Speaker 4: bread and handed it to the disciples to give the
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  Speaker 4: food to the crowd. Not a person went hungry that day.
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  Speaker 4: In fact, they were all filled. In fact, there were
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  Speaker 4: 12 baskets full of food left over, one for each
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  Speaker 4: of the disciples. When the crowd saw what Jesus had done,
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  Speaker 4: they were amazed, of course. They had just seen the supernatural.
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  Speaker 4: But they failed to get the real message of the miracle,
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  Speaker 4: and Jesus knew this. They wanted to take him by
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  Speaker 4: force and make him king, a political messiah. But this
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  Speaker 4: wasn't God's plan, and it wasn't the kind of kingdom
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  Speaker 4: that he was bringing. They wanted an earthly kingdom. They
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  Speaker 4: wanted a military messiah. They wanted comfort. But Jesus was
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  Speaker 4: bringing a promise of the future, a heavenly kingdom, and
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  Speaker 4: a spiritual freedom that comes when we know the grace
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  Speaker 4: and the glory of God. So Jesus moved quickly and
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  Speaker 4: dismissed the crowds, sending them home and ushering his disciples
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  Speaker 4: into the boats while he retreated to pray and seek
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  Speaker 4: strength and comfort from his Father in heaven. So Jesus
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  Speaker 4: sent his disciples into the boats and to the other side.
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  Speaker 4: But as evening fell, the waves on the water grew
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  Speaker 4: and tossed the boat around. The sea was churning, and
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  Speaker 4: Jesus was not with them. There was no one to
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  Speaker 4: speak to the wind and the waves, just them. And
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  Speaker 4: even though they were professional fishermen, some of them, they
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  Speaker 4: could not handle this storm. And the disciples knew they
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  Speaker 4: were going under. As the disciples looked across the waters
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  Speaker 4: to the shore in fear, they saw a figure coming
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  Speaker 4: their way, defying the laws of nature. This one glided
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  Speaker 4: across the water. They were terrified, thinking it was a ghost.
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  Speaker 4: But then Jesus identified himself as the great I Am,
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  Speaker 4: and the one who could calm the storms without and
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  Speaker 4: calm the storms within. He said, do not be afraid. Peter,
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  Speaker 4: ever the bold one, replied that if it was Jesus
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  Speaker 4: to call out to him so he could also walk
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  Speaker 4: on the water, Jesus told him to come. And as
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  Speaker 4: Peter stepped out of the boat, a step few of
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  Speaker 4: us would have dared to take, when he took that risk, he,
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  Speaker 4: of course, was amazing himself. His feet did not sink,
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  Speaker 4: but traveled as if it were on firm ground. God
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  Speaker 4: had parted the waters for Moses and Joshua and the Israelites,
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  Speaker 4: but now Jesus was demonstrating that dry land wasn't even needed.
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  Speaker 4: At his command, the raging seas could become a well-worn path,
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  Speaker 4: steady and sure, because Jesus is the master of the
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  Speaker 4: waves and sea. All is well as Peter's gaze stayed
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  Speaker 4: on Christ, but then he shifted his eyes, saw the dangers,
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  Speaker 4: He perceived and began to believe they were more powerful
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  Speaker 4: and he began to sink. Notice that Jesus didn't tell
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  Speaker 4: him to turn back and run to the boat. When
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  Speaker 4: Peter cried for help, Jesus came to the rescue. He
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  Speaker 4: held him and helped him and reassured him and then
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  Speaker 4: no doubt carried him back to the boat in a
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  Speaker 4: place of safety. When we trust God and step out
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  Speaker 4: in faith and take bold risk at his commands, we
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  Speaker 4: also will see miracles in our lives. And if we fail,
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  Speaker 4: know that Jesus is there to save us and carry
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  Speaker 4: us home. He is our loving Savior, the Christ of
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  Speaker 4: every crisis. Give your life to him. Just as the
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  Speaker 4: boy gave the fish and the bread to Jesus, give
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  Speaker 4: what you have to him. And just as Jesus walked
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  Speaker 4: on the water reminding us that everything over our heads
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  Speaker 4: is under his feet, put your life in his hands
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  Speaker 4: because he will never leave you or forsake you. Dear God,
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  Speaker 4: We know that you are more than able to do
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  Speaker 4: abundantly more than we could ever ask, think, or imagine.
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  Speaker 4: Thank you that you provide for our need and that
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  Speaker 4: you call us then to step out in faith, to
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  Speaker 4: trust you, and to believe in you. May we never
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  Speaker 4: take our eyes off of you. We think of the
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  Speaker 4: old gospel song, turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full
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  Speaker 4: into his wonderful face, and the things of earth will
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  Speaker 4: grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.
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  Speaker 4: Thank you, Lord, for being the Christ of every crisis
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  Speaker 4: in our lives and in the lives of our family,
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  Speaker 4: our friends, and people all around us who need you
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  Speaker 4: and who will call upon you. Thank you for being
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  Speaker 4: our help and our salvation, the one who can deliver
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  Speaker 4: us and save us from every circumstance in life. Thank
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  Speaker 4: you for being our helper, our savior, our deliverer. We
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  Speaker 4: pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for listening to
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  Speaker 4: today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
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  Speaker 4: priority in your life, just like over 20 million people
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