Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / January 19 - The Cost and Worth of Following Jesus

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January 19 - The Cost and Worth of Following Jesus · Bible Chat Devotional

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  Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
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  rooted in Scripture and relevant for today, January 19th.
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  Don't trade truth for temptation.
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  There's almost always a shortcut being offered, something that
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  promises relief, excitement, or an easier way out.
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  Maybe it's bending the truth to avoid consequences, entertaining
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  a relationship you know isn't healthy, or scrolling places you
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  shouldn't because it feels harmless in the moment.
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  Temptation is rarely loud or ugly at first.
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  It usually whispers just this once or it's not a big deal.
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  But Scripture is honest about where those shortcuts lead.
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  Proverbs chapter 5 doesn't play games with this.
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  Verse 8 says keep your way far from her and do not go near the
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  door of her house. Notice the wisdom here.
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  It doesn't say go close and see how strong you are.
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  It says, stay far away because temptation doesn't usually trap
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  us all at once. It pulls us in step by step.
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  Standing near the door makes it easier to walk through it.
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  God's warning is actually protection.
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  He knows how costly compromise can be, even when it starts
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  small. Then Jesus asks a question in
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  Matthew chapter 16 that changes everything.
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  He looks at his disciples and says, But who do you say that I
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  am? Peter answers.
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  You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
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  That moment matters because what you believe about Jesus shapes
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  how you respond to temptation. If Jesus is just a good teacher,
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  then ignoring him when it's inconvenient might seem fine.
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  But if he is truly the Christ, the Savior, the Son of the
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  living God, then his truth carries more weight than any
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  momentary pleasure. Every temptation is really a
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  question in disguise. It asks, Do you trust God, or do
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  you trust this feeling? It asks, Is Jesus enough or do
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  you need something else right now?
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  Later in Matthew 16, Jesus says, what will it profit a man if he
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  gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?
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  That's a heart check. Temptation always promises gain,
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  but it never shows the cost upfront.
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  Peace, clarity, integrity and closeness with God are often
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  what get traded away. The good news is this, you're
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  not powerless. You don't fight temptation by
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  arguing with it. You fight it by answering Jesus
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  question clearly in your own heart.
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  Who is he to you when you know Him as Lord?
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  Walking away from temptation becomes an act of trust, not
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  deprivation. You're choosing what's better,
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  not missing out. God isn't trying to take joy
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  from you, He's protecting your future.
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  Staying far from temptation isn't weakness, it's wisdom.
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  And choosing truth over temptation is choosing life.
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  Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for
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  loving me enough to warn me when danger is close.
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  Help me recognize temptation before it pulls me in and give
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  me the strength to walk away. Remind me who Jesus truly is and
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  help me trust that His truth is better than any shortcut or
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  momentary pleasure. Teach me to stay far from
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  anything that pulls my heart away from You.
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  In Jesus name, Amen. What if the ache you feel for
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  more is actually God calling you deeper?
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  Thirst for God is a powerful Seven Book prayer Scripts series
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  inspired by Psalm 63, created for believers who refuse to live
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  on spiritual leftovers. This is a journey from longing
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  to encounter, from dryness to delight.
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  Seek teaches you how to pursue God with passion and
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  intentionality. Savor trains your heart to
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  recognize and enjoy His presence in every season.
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  See opens your spiritual eyes to God's power, glory, and beauty
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  at work in your life. Satisfy leads your soul into
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  fullness, strength, and deep contentment in Him alone.
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  Sing ignites joy, gratitude, and worship that rises naturally
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  from intimacy with God. Stay anchors your heart in
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  steadfast devotion when distractions try to pull you
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  away, and Stand equips you to remain firm in God's justice,
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  protection, and victory. With over 210 prophetic
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  Scripture anchored prayers, this series helps you cultivate daily
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  communion, personal revival, and a lifestyle of holy pursuit.
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  If you're spiritually hungry, weary, or simply longing for
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  more of God, this is your invitation to drink deeply.
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  Order Thirst for God on Amazon today or visit prayerscripts.org
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  and begin your journey into deeper intimacy with the God who
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  satisfies. Now I invite you to spend time
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  with God in today's three-year Bible reading plan, Proverbs
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  Chapter 5 World English Bible. My son, pay attention to my
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  wisdom. Turn your ear to my
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  understanding that you may maintain discretion, that your
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  lips may preserve knowledge for the lips of an adulterous drip.
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  Honey, her mouth is smoother than oil, but in the end she is
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  as bitter as Worm Hood and as sharp as A2 edged sword.
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  Her feet go down to death, her steps lead straight to she All.
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  She gives no thought to the way of life.
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  Her ways are crooked and she doesn't know it.
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  Now. Therefore, my sons, listen to
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  me, Don't depart from the words of my mouth.
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  Remove your way far from her. Don't come near the door of her
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  house, lest you give your honor to others and your years to the
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  cruel. 1 Lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your laborers
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  enrich another man's house, you will groan at your latter end
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  when your flesh and your body are consumed, and say how I have
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  hated instruction and my heart despised reproof.
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  I haven't obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turn my ear to
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  those who instructed me. I have come to the brink of
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  utter ruin among the gathered assembly.
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  Drink water out of your own cistern, running water out of
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  your own well. Should your springs overflow in
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  the streets, streams of water in the public squares, let them be
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  for yourself alone, not for strangers.
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  With you let your spring be blessed.
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  Rejoice in the wife of your youth, a loving doe and a
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  graceful deer. Let her breasts satisfy you at
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  all times. Be captivated always with her
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  love. For why should you, my son, be
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  captivated with an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of
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  another? For the ways of man are before
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  Yahweh's eyes. He examines all his paths.
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  The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare Him.
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  The cords of his sin hold him firmly.
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  He will die for lack of instruction.
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  In the greatness of his folly He will go astray.
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  Matthew Chapter 16 World English Bible The Pharisees and
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  Sadducees came and testing him, asked him to show them a sign
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  from heaven, but he answered them.
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  When it is evening, you say it will be fair weather, for the
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  sky is red in the morning. It will be foul weather today,
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  for the sky is red and threatening hypocrites.
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  You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you
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  can't discern the signs of the times.
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  An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign,
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  and there will be no sign given to it except the sign of the
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  prophet Jonah. He left them and departed.
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  The disciples came to the other side and had forgotten to take
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  bread. Jesus said to them, Take heed
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  and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
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  They reasoned among themselves, saying, We brought no bread.
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  Jesus, perceiving it, said, Why do you reason among yourselves?
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  You have little faith because you have brought no bread.
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  Don't you yet perceive or remember the five loaves for the
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  5000, and how many baskets you took up, or the seven loaves for
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  the 4000 and how many baskets you took up?
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  How is it that you don't perceive that I didn't speak to
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  you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the
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  Pharisees and Sadducees. Then they understood that he
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  didn't tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the
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  teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
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  Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he
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  asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I, the Son of
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  Man AM? They said some say John the
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  Baptizer, some Elijah and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
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  He said to them, But who do you say that I am?
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  Simon Peter answered You are the Christ, the Son of the living
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  God. Jesus answered him.
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  Blessed are you Simon bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not
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  revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven, I also
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  tell you that you are Peter. And on this rock I will build my
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  assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
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  I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven, and
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  whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and
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  whatever you release on earth will have been released in
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  heaven. Then he commanded the disciples
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  that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.
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  From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must
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  go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief
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  priests and scribes and be killed, and the third day be
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  raised up. Peter took him aside and began
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  to rebuke him, saying, far be it from you, Lord, this will never
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  be done to you. But he turned and said to Peter,
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  Get behind me, Satan, you are a stumbling block to me.
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  For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but
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  on the things of men. Then Jesus said to his
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  disciples, If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny
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  himself, take up his cross and follow me.
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  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever
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  will lose his life for my sake will find it.
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  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and
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  forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in
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  exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come in
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  the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render
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  to everyone according to his deeds.
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  Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will
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  in no way taste of death until they see the Son of Man coming
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  in His Kingdom. Thanks for joining us on Bible
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  Chat, where Scripture meets everyday life.
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  If today's devotional encouraged you, share it with a friend and
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  be sure to follow the podcast so you won't miss the next
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  conversation. Until next time, stay rooted in
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  truth, anchored in hope, and walking daily with Jesus.