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669 | Everybody Counts · The Woman at the Well Ministries Podcast

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  Hello, friends, and welcome back to the Woman at the Well Ministries podcast.
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  With Kimberly Miller, where we believe that every man, woman,
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  boy, and girl must come to Jesus just like the woman at the well in John chapter 4.
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  Our highest priority is helping you experience the reality of God in your everyday life.
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  Whether you're listening in our app, on your favorite podcast platform,
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  are on our website at watwm.org.
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  We invite you to sit down with us as we open the scriptures to learn more about
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  who God is and to strengthen your daily walk.
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  Do you feel insignificant, as if everyone overlooks you and that you go unnoticed?
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  Join Kim in this program of Woman at the Well Ministries, as she recounts the
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  importance of even the fragments that remain after Christ's miracle in Luke 9.
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  And they did eat, and were all filled. And there was taken up of fragments that
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  remained to them twelve baskets. Remember, everybody counts.
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  Hello, and thank you for joining us on this broadcast of Woman at the Well Ministries.
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  And what a pleasure it is to spend the next few moments with you.
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  And I am so excited about the lesson that God has placed on our hearts today,
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  because I believe that one of the most precious passages that he gives to us,
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  is the one we're going to read today.
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  It's found in Luke chapter 9, beginning in verse 10 and concluding in verse 17.
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  And one of the reasons that I think it is so important is because it really,
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  displays the importance of even things other people overlook.
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  It really displays the importance of many things that others discard and that
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  others walk by and that others deem as trash.
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  It's a sad problem we have that plagues our land and our biggest problem is
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  is that we don't love others as we're supposed to love them and the lord said
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  when he left he said continue ye in my love.
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  And we know that he went about doing good all the time and that he was no respecter of persons.
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  Yet even his children don't show love as we should.
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  And if as we're speaking about this lesson, you can think of anybody that fits this description.
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  If while we talk about this lesson, God places on your heart or your mind a
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  name or a picture or a face of somebody,
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  You need to really consider what you need to do to let them know that they are worthy,
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  that they are valuable,
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  and that they are loved.
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  And before we go any further in this lesson, let me just tell you a wonderful truth.
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  That truth is this. You are love.
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  The God of the universe, which spoke to the sun this morning and said, Rise.
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  And if he should tarry in his coming, will speak to it again this evening and say, Set.
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  That God loves you. The God who named the stars knows your name.
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  The God that tells the waves just how far they can go up on the shore and then gently pulls them back.
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  They come crashing in with absolutely no reason to stop, except the Lord says, time to stop.
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  And they do and then they just trail back that same god loves you he so loves
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  you that he chose to create you in his image,
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  of all the wonderful things that our mind can comprehend,
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  that we have been privileged to see such as beautiful sunsets and beautiful sunrise,
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  beautiful mountain scenes amazing snow-capped mountains beautiful flowers the
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  birth of a child the smile on a face.
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  The flowers of the earth the waterfalls and the list goes on and on and on of beauty.
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  He never chose any of them to be created in his image, but he chose you.
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  So no matter how beautiful you think all of those things are,
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  they can't compare to you.
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  Yes, you.
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  They can't compare to your beauty because you were created in the image of God.
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  They can't compare to your potential because in Jeremiah 29,
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  11, the Lord says, i have a plan for you to prosper you to give you a hope and a future,
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  they can't compare to how much you've been sought after,
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  because in luke chapter 19 and verse 10 jesus says i've come to seek and to
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  save those which were lost and just like me and all of adam's race you,
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  were once lost in your trespasses and sins and if you haven't come to know him
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  as personal savior you're still there what a tragedy that is but everybody may
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  be telling you that you're not worth anything,
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  and maybe you're down,
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  in your life right now perhaps you just lost a job so you feel inadequate i know the great i am,
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  and he said he would supply all of your needs according to his riches you don't
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  have to live on your bank account you can live on his.
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  You don't have to worry about where your next meal is coming from because if
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  you're in the will of god and you are his child he has promised to provide what
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  you need perhaps if you're like me you could skip a meal or two but i don't
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  think so and he's not ever made me do it,
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  but friends he's the great i am and he is there waiting to strengthen you so
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  that you can do all that he's called you to do and he's there waiting to supply your every need.
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  And he's created you in his image. And he came seeking you.
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  And he loves you so much that he went away to prepare a place for you that where he is, you may be also.
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  And then he came and became the way that you could get there.
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  Wow, that's love. Just in case you don't think I'm telling you the truth,
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  though everything I've said is straight from his word and much of it's straight
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  from the very words of his scriptures,
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  I encourage you to turn with me, please, to Luke 9.
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  Verses 10-17.
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  Shall we pray?
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  Our kind and most gracious to Heavenly Father, Lord, we just ask that you would
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  have your richest blessing on this lesson.
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  Lord, we're just so excited that we know that you are here. We're so excited
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  that we know that you care about each of us individually.
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  Lord, we're glad that we're a corporate family and that we're never alone because
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  we all belong to the family of God if we have received you as Savior.
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  But Lord, I personally want to thank you for that personal relationship that I have with you.
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  Lord, I know many of those listening
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  to me are thankful for the personal relationship that they have with you.
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  I thank you that you know my name, that you know the number of hairs on my head.
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  I thank you that you know my footsteps and that they're ordered by you,
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  Lord. And I thank you, dear Heavenly Father, that you had plans for me.
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  And I thank you, Lord, that you love me and that you placed so much faith in
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  me when you allowed me to be created in your image.
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  And when you allowed me to be strengthened by you and you allowed me to draw upon your resources.
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  And Lord, I thank you for having me receive the invitation to come boldly to
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  your throne of grace and find help in time of trouble.
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  Lord, I thank you that you're the great I am.
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  Lord, I thank you that I'm a whosoever and that I'm just as valuable a whosoever
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  as any other whosoever because I am your whosoever.
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  And you sought me and you bought me. and praise be to God there's victory in Jesus.
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  And all these things I ask in Thine most precious and holy name I pray.
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  And all of God's people said, Amen.
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  And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done.
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  And he took them and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called the Thazda.
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  And the people, when they knew it, followed him. And he received them and spake
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  unto them of the kingdom of God and healed them that had need of healing.
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  Now, I want you to see what we just see here. Jesus has gone aside with the
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  boys, and they're telling them all about the things that they've done.
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  And when the people knew where Jesus was, they follow.
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  The first thing I would like to bring to your attention is, when people know you.
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  Are you leading them to the things of Jesus? When they know you,
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  are they following you to the right place?
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  Because let me remind you, somebody's following.
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  Whether you want to admit it or not, or whether you even know it or not,
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  somebody's following after you.
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  And moms and dads, you got some little footsteps following after you.
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  Where are you leading them?
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  But as soon as they heard about jesus being there they followed,
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  and friends if you begin to let the jesus swell up inside of you and overflow
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  and you walk in his ways and you begin to be aware of the opportunities that
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  he places in front of you to show him to others people will flock around you,
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  they may not like you and they may not like what you're saying but something
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  about you which will be the holy spirit will draw them to you and you just can't get away from them.
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  But i wonder if you do what he says in the very next phrase that he says, and he received them.
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  This was Jesus, 100% man, 100% God, and he had time for the people.
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  Whoa. How about you? You have time for the people or just for certain people?
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  Do you have time for the stranger on the street who looks like that they have not quite what you have?
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  That looks like they may have made some choices perhaps that's put them there
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  or perhaps just life has just beat them up and you just walk right on by smacking
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  them again with your arrogance because you won't receive them because you don't have time or,
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  you think you're better than them.
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  Friends, you are a whosoever, a sinner saved by grace. Whatever you have,
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  you have because of the grace of Jesus Christ.
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  You are what you are because what he's allowed you to have.
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  Friends, it's not anything about you. It's about his blessings that he's bestowed upon you.
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  Don't turn away from anybody because you don't have time and because you think they're not worth it.
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  Because as we begin to read this scripture, if you're not convicted already,
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  that Jesus received them, I am sure the following scriptures will continue in that path.
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  And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve and said unto them,
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  send the multitude away that they may go into the towns and country round about
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  and lodge and get victuals for we are here in a desert place,
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  the boys are saying enough's enough.
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  They've been here a while get them out of here they've got to go get something
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  to eat they need somewhere to stay the day is getting long,
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  but he said unto them give ye them to eat in other words guys don't see they
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  have a need and then send them away.
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  How many times have you done that? Man, it's cold out here, but that guy's cold
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  and he doesn't seem to have a coat. Oh, Lord, help him.
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  You realize God probably just did. He placed you in his path.
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  He made you aware of the man's need.
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  You didn't receive of him and you didn't act upon it you just sent them away,
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  and they said we have no more but five loaves and two fishes except we should
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  go and buy meat for all this people listen all we got's enough for us god,
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  we don't have any to share we can't feed all those people with what they got,
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  now the first thing they say to him basically is we can't feed him with all
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  they got but what they're looking at is, hey, I brought my lunch.
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  I was thinking these people are not prepared. I'm not sharing my lunch.
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  There's not enough. I'm hungry. That's what they're saying.
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  Ever feel that way well they just get a job they wouldn't be like that you don't
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  know why they're that way,
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  you don't know what the problem is or how many times you just wouldn't help
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  the person because it was gonna cost you something,
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  that's thinking money that you can't get enough of anyway that you hold on so
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  tightly has the tightest hold on you because that's what you're serving.
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  They saw the need.
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  They sent them on their way, but Jesus has given them the need,
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  and then they're saying, hey, listen, we can't do it.
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  Some of you think that you can't afford to pay your tithes, and I'm not going
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  down that street other than to tell you you can't afford not to.
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  Little is much when God is in it, and obedience is better than sacrifice,
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  and he's made it clear what we need to do.
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  But we just hold on so tightly to things, and we protect ourselves.
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  They're in front of Jesus Christ.
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  They're looking at the miracle of all the ages.
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  They're looking at the creator of all things, and they're wondering how they're going to eat.
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  Oh, us of little faith. We trust him to take us to heaven, a place we've never
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  seen, but we wonder how he's going to take us through tomorrow.
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  Oh, we need to get on our knees, myself included, and walk by faith and not by sight.
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  For they were about 5,000 men, and he said to his disciples,
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  make them sit down by 50s and accompany.
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  Now, can you imagine what the disciples, they've already told us what their
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  attitude is. They've got enough food for them.
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  Now, you don't know how they're going to distinguish who they can give food
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  to and who they can't give food to. And basically, I don't think they're feeling
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  they've got any to give to anybody.
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  They saw their need. They want to send them on their way. He says,
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  no, we've got plenty. Sit them down in groups of 50.
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  Now, I'm sure there were some intellectual people in the 12 who had to be shaking
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  their head going, this is an exercise in futility.
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  This is nuts. Nothing about this makes sense. I can't do this.
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  We can't help these people. Does it sound familiar?
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  God has placed someone in your path. You see the need.
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  Maybe you are the person who's in the need.
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  And you're not trusting God to be able to take a few loaves and some fish and feed you.
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  Because you are forgetting who he is. And you're not looking at who he is.
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  And you're not concentrating on what he can do.
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  And you forgot its promises and they did so and they made them all sit down.
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  He took the five loaves and the two fishes and looking up to heaven he blessed
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  them and break and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude look what
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  he does he takes what the disciples have,
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  and then he blesses it through some amazing math of heaven that we can't comprehend
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  but look what he does he takes what the disciples have and he multiplies it
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  and he hands it to them and he says to give it to the multitude,
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  friends if he's called you to do something he takes what you have and he multiplies
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  it and we don't have to understand how or why we just have to know we need to
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  obey and the disciples though they didn't understand they did what he said,
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  and he took what they had if you're worried that you don't have what it takes
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  to do what he asked you to do go back and look at this scripture they took what
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  he had and it made no sense
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  there's 5 000 men there they're grouping them in 50s they've got five fish some loaves here,
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  barely enough for them to eat,
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  but it was more than enough for God to do a miracle because he's not asking
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  for you to do the miracle he's asking for you to be the conduit
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  the pipe the vessel through which his miracle can come it's not about you it's
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  about him giving what he asked and watch what he can do you're on the front
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  seat front row of an amazing miracle just getting ready to happen.
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  They did eat and were all filled. Imagine that. He never does a job halfway.
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  They were filled. They didn't all get snack wraps.
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  They didn't get a morsel to sustain them until they could get somewhere else. He was all they needed.
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  You understand? He was all they needed.
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  He took the little stuff the disciples had, and when he handed it out to the
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  people, it was all they needed.
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  They didn't need any more condiments from somewhere else. They didn't need any
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  more assistance from anything else.
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  They didn't need a little this, a little that to put together with what he gave,
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  what he handed them, filled them, and it was more than enough.
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  When God answers your prayers, take what it gives you and let it multiply and
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  let it grow inside of you.
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  Don't be dabbling with things of the world and adding to it and philosophies
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  of the world and theories about this and theories about that and adding it to
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  what God gave you and come up with something morphed out of reality.
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  Let God have full reign. Get your mind out of it and your heart into it and
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  watch him work in your life.
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  Look what he says.
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  There was taken up of fragments that remained to them 12 baskets.
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  I've seen people read that verse and just gloss over it and head straight through to something else.
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  But we're not going to do that right now. Because some of you may feel like you're a fragment.
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  You're just a cut-off edge of the rest of society. You're just a little neglected
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  group that nobody thinks about.
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  You are the person that people see your need and they just walk on by.
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  Friend, first of all, I want you to know that Jesus sees you.
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  I want you to know that Jesus knows you. I want you to know that he even knows your name.
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  And he's sending people your way. And I want you to know that he's watching
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  out for you. And if you know him as Savior, he's supplying your every need if
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  you but reach out and grab it.
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  If you know him as your personal friend, he's strengthening you to get through,
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  but you've got to receive what he gives you.
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  And I want you to see that if you don't know him as personal savior,
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  how important you are to him.
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  Because while everybody else is being filled to overflowing,
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  he goes back and he picks up the fragments and takes them with him.
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  Nothing was left behind.
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  Nothing fell through the cracks even the fragments were important,
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  and friends when he said whosoever should call upon the name of the lord that
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  means you that means me that means everybody for god so loved the world.
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  Every body counts, and you can do all things through Christ,
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  which strengtheneth you.
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  Thank you for joining us for today's podcast. You can find quotes and scripture
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  references from this episode in the show notes.
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  We pray today's message has been a blessing. If it has, please consider leaving
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  a rating or review on your podcast platform.
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  Your feedback helps others discover the truth of God's word.
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  You can connect with Women at the Well Ministries through our app at watwm.org
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  and on Facebook and Instagram.
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  While you're there, learn more about Bible Bits, Kim's daily devotional delivered
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  Monday through Friday by text message, and the Bible Bit Podcast.
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  Thank you for your prayers and support. Remember, Jesus loves you.
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  You are loved. She's a happy girl.