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The Road to Bethlehem III · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Being confident of this very thing, that He who began
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  Speaker 1: a good work in you will complete it until the
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  Speaker 1: day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1.6 Dear Lord, we know
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  Speaker 1: that there is no circumstance that could ever thwart the
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  Speaker 1: mighty work You've been doing in our lives. You are
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  Speaker 1: determined to redeem us and restore the broken parts of
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  Speaker 1: our lives. we recognize that the process of sanctification and
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  Speaker 1: growth takes time. Give us patience when we're discouraged. Give
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  Speaker 1: us endurance when the storms of life seek to throw
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  Speaker 1: us off course. The story of Christmas, the arrival of
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  Speaker 1: your son, reminds us that your plans take time to
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  Speaker 1: come to fruition, but they are worth the wait. So
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  Speaker 1: here we are, Lord, waiting on you and declaring trust
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  Speaker 1: in your timing. We love you and praise you in
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  Speaker 1: all seasons. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph tossed and turned in his sleep. The vivid dream
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  Speaker 2: God gave him before he married Mary flooded back into
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  Speaker 2: his mind. the dream he had when the angels spoke
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  Speaker 2: to him about Jesus. The lightning flashed again with piercing light,
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  Speaker 2: and Joseph immediately found himself elsewhere. He was at the
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  Speaker 2: base of a cave carved into the side of a mountain.
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  Speaker 2: All was quiet, and the only light source was from
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  Speaker 2: within the cave. Joseph followed the faint glimmer, keeping his
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  Speaker 2: balance on the cave's jagged walls. As he inched closer,
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  Speaker 2: the air became warmer, like a room filled with the
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  Speaker 2: comfort of a fireplace. The entire cave became filled with
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  Speaker 2: the scent of frankincense and myrrh. As Joseph navigated the cave,
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  Speaker 2: he could hear the sound of a child's cry. Then,
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  Speaker 2: a hushing lullaby. The voice singing was gentle and soft,
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  Speaker 2: like the evening spring breeze.
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  Speaker 3: Joseph knew that voice.
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  Speaker 1: Mary, is that you?
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  Speaker 3: He gasped.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph picked up his pace and rounded the corner towards
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  Speaker 2: the light. But before he could see anything... The cave
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  Speaker 2: flooded with water, and Joseph found himself swimming.
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  Speaker 3: For his life amidst a violent.
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  Speaker 2: Storm in the middle of the sea. Joseph awoke in
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  Speaker 2: a cold sweat. He held his chest and looked over
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  Speaker 2: at Mary, sound asleep. He looked at the horizon. Foreboding
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  Speaker 2: storm clouds were galloping in from the east. Joseph rose
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  Speaker 2: and began to prepare the donkey for a quick escape.
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  Speaker 2: He wasn't sure why God had returned the vision to him,
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  Speaker 2: but he knew better than to ignore his dreams.
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  Speaker 4: I'm so glad you joined us on the Bible in
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  Speaker 4: a Year podcast today. But before we get to today's episode,
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: I want you to know that I would absolutely love
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  Speaker 4: to send you my daily devotional that will give you
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  Speaker 4: fresh encouragement every single morning and day. From the moment
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  Speaker 4: we wake up to the moment our head finally hits
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  Speaker 4: the pillow, there are thousands of things demanding our attention.
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  Speaker 4: But it's in the midst of all this crush and
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  Speaker 4: hustle and bustle that you and I need peace and
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  Speaker 4: truth in God's word. That's why I want to help
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  Speaker 4: you spend time each day growing in God's life-giving, life-changing
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  Speaker 4: word by sending you my free daily email devotional, PowerPoint Today.
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  Speaker 4: So visit jackgram.org to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional.
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  Speaker 4: That's jackgram.org, jackgram.org. In our previous episodes, Mary and Joseph
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  Speaker 4: endured robbery, marital tension, and injuries. Ultimately, they grew stronger
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  Speaker 4: because of it. This episode will take us through the
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  Speaker 4: final few days of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem.
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  Speaker 4: And although they've endured many trials already, the worst is
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  Speaker 4: yet to come. A storm is brewing in the distance.
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  Speaker 4: Will Mary be able to endure the weather this late
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  Speaker 4: in her pregnancy? Joseph has faced robbers to protect Mary,
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  Speaker 4: but can he face a monsoon? Let's immerse ourselves in
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  Speaker 4: this story and put ourselves in their shoes. Let's consider
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  Speaker 4: the storms in our lives that seek to knock us
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  Speaker 4: off course. How do we respond to difficulty and despair?
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  Speaker 4: We'll answer those questions and more afterward. Let's dive into
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  Speaker 4: this dramatic story of Mary and Joseph's final day on
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  Speaker 4: the road to Bethlehem.
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  Speaker 2: Mary awoke to the sound of thunder. The winds picked up,
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  Speaker 2: bringing a foreboding message. A storm was coming. Joseph was
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  Speaker 2: already awake and securing the straps on the donkey.
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  Speaker 4: Do you think the storm will travel south?
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  Speaker 2: Mary asked, gesturing to the lightning in the distance. Joseph
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  Speaker 2: looked out and shook his head. He felt his chest tighten.
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  Speaker 2: The winds are blowing westward. I'm no sailor, but I
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  Speaker 2: think I can confidently say this storm is headed our way.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph pointed forward to the hills overlooking the valley. There
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  Speaker 2: should be some wind caves tucked into those hills.
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  Speaker 3: We should find shelter before it's too late.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph's voice was broken and anxious. Mary stood up and
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  Speaker 2: held her back. Lately, her body had been feeling tense
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  Speaker 2: and uneasy. She had a feeling Jesus would soon be
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  Speaker 2: on his way. She squeezed Joseph's hand. Storms may come,
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  Speaker 2: she said. her voice gentle but with underlying steel.
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  Speaker 4: But they will also pass.
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  Speaker 1: We will weather this together.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph nodded and looked up. The sunrise was covered by darkness.
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  Speaker 2: The winds churned them up like sand under waves. Thunder rumbled,
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  Speaker 2: echoing the restless heartbeats of every creature on the land.
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  Speaker 2: Birds retreated to their nests and animals scurried back to
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  Speaker 2: their burrows. Yet Joseph and Mary were exposed. The rains
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  Speaker 2: descended with violent force, and the winds howled with anger.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph drove his feet into the mud and guided Mary
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  Speaker 2: and the donkey through the winding hills leading up to
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  Speaker 2: some caves. The path up to the caves was steep.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph marched up with all his might, but the ground
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  Speaker 2: beneath him gave way with every step. Before they could
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  Speaker 2: reach the top, Joseph slipped onto a moving stone. Joseph!
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  Speaker 2: Mary gasped as she watched him slide down the jagged
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  Speaker 2: edge of the hill. Mary quickly dismounted the donkey and
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  Speaker 2: reached for him, but Joseph slipped right through her fingers.
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  Speaker 2: He slid down the rocky slope, but caught himself on
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  Speaker 2: a root buried in the ground. Joseph gasped in pain.
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  Speaker 2: The rain beat mercilessly as.
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  Speaker 3: He tried to pull himself up.
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  Speaker 2: But the mud and falling rocks weighed heavy.
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  Speaker 3: On his body.' Mary!
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  Speaker 2: he shouted, but the thunder and rain drowned out his voice.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph feared he couldn't hold on much longer.
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  Speaker 3: Hold on!' Mary shouted.
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  Speaker 2: She had to act before Joseph fell over the edge.
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  Speaker 2: She tore her shawl and blankets and fastened them to
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  Speaker 2: a rope. She tied one end to the donkey and
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  Speaker 2: another to a heavy branch.
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  Speaker 3: Joseph!
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  Speaker 2: she cried, her voice barely discernible through the storm.
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  Speaker 3: Grab onto this!
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  Speaker 2: She tossed the branch down to Joseph and he grabbed hold.
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  Speaker 2: Mary took the reins of the donkey and led it
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  Speaker 2: up the hill. The donkey slowly pulled through.
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  Speaker 3: The rain and mud.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph was pulled back over the ledge as Mary marched
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  Speaker 2: with the donkey. Mary ran to him and grabbed his face.
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  Speaker 4: Are you okay?
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  Speaker 3: She panted. I think so. Joseph said with a weary smile.
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  Speaker 2: The rain hadn't let up and the ground underneath them
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  Speaker 2: was flooding. Joseph pointed towards an opening in the mountain.
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  Speaker 3: Get to the caves!
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  Speaker 4: He yelled.
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  Speaker 2: Mary held Joseph to his feet and put his arm
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  Speaker 2: around her shoulders. The two of them took the donkey
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  Speaker 2: and limped to a nearby cave. It wasn't warm or comfortable,
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  Speaker 2: but it was safe from the onslaught of wind and rain.
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  Speaker 2: As the rain intensified, the cave became a sanctuary, its
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  Speaker 2: walls muting the storm's roar. Inside, the dim light painted
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  Speaker 2: shadows that danced to the storm's song. Mary wrapped herself
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  Speaker 2: in the tattered remains of the blankets and settled down.
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  Speaker 2: Exhaustion was evident in her every movement. Joseph wrapped his
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  Speaker 2: arms around her, worried the worst wasn't over.
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  Speaker 3: An hour passed, and.
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  Speaker 2: Each moment seemed to last a lifetime. Amidst the storm's cacophony,
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  Speaker 2: Mary's voice began to sing a soft lullaby. She sang
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  Speaker 2: of hope, journeys, and love that endures. The cave amplified
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  Speaker 2: its healing notes. Joseph listened to her singing, lost in
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  Speaker 2: thought and affection for his wife. Then his memory flooded
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  Speaker 2: with images of the dream God had given him.
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  Speaker 3: He remembered hearing.
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  Speaker 2: Mary's voice singing softly in a cave before he was
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  Speaker 2: swept up in water. Joseph's eyes widened and his ears
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  Speaker 2: perked up to the sound of rushing water behind them.
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  Speaker 3: Mary!
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  Speaker 2: he interrupted.
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  Speaker 3: We need to leave now!
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  Speaker 2: What' s wrong?
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  Speaker 3: Mary asked.
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  Speaker 2: But before Joseph could respond, a flash flood of monsoon
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  Speaker 2: water began to burst through the opposite.
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  Speaker 3: End of the cave. Joseph scooped Mary up in his
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  Speaker 3: arms and ran outside.
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  Speaker 2: The floodwaters burst through the cave behind them, nearly knocking
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  Speaker 2: them onto the jagged rocks. Joseph rounded the corner of
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  Speaker 2: the rocks and sprang up with Mary still in his arms.
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  Speaker 2: He got her to safety on the hill's summit and
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  Speaker 2: slid down to retrieve the donkey. He pulled at its reins,
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  Speaker 2: forcing it forward and onto the stones with them. Joseph
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  Speaker 2: wrapped himself over Mary, the only covering between her and
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  Speaker 2: the raging winds.
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  Speaker 3: Help us, Lord!' Mary whimpered.
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  Speaker 2: The two prayed silently and held each other close, the
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  Speaker 2: sound of rushing water below them and howling winds above.
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  Speaker 2: The two prayed silently and held each other close, the
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  Speaker 2: sound of rushing water below them and howling winds above.
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  Speaker 2: The storm roared louder as if sensing the challenge, but
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  Speaker 2: Mary and Joseph didn't lose hope. They continued in prayer
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  Speaker 2: and lifted up a shout of praise to God. Slowly
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  Speaker 2: but surely, the worst of the storm left. As dawn approached,
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  Speaker 2: the wind waned. The first rays of sunlight pierced the
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  Speaker 2: dark clouds. Outside the cave, the wilderness was transformed. Puddles
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  Speaker 2: shimmered like mirrors, reflecting the sky, and the fresh and
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  Speaker 2: invigorating air seemed to promise new beginnings. Joseph and Mary
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  Speaker 2: looked up, taking in the world reborn. The trials of
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  Speaker 2: their journey, though harsh, had also been transformative. Like the
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  Speaker 2: desert after the storm, they too were renewed. Their bond
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  Speaker 2: was stronger than ever. The storm had been a reminder
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  Speaker 2: of life's unpredictability and the enduring power of faith, love,
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  Speaker 2: and hope. Now, high in the sky, the sun cast
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  Speaker 2: its golden glow over the land, guiding.
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  Speaker 3: Mary and Joseph on their journey. Bethlehem was in sight.
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  Speaker 2: Their footsteps, though small in the vastness of the valley,
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  Speaker 2: were steps towards a future that would change the course
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  Speaker 2: of human history.
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  Speaker 4: The storms of life often come with little warnings. leaving
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  Speaker 4: us to scramble for shelter, security, and sanity. As the
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  Speaker 4: winds whip and the rains pour, we may feel battered, broken,
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  Speaker 4: and defeated. But the storms we face in life are
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  Speaker 4: meant to strengthen us. Just as in the moving depiction
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  Speaker 4: of Mary and Joseph facing a literal storm on their
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  Speaker 4: way to Bethlehem, we're reminded that it is not the
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  Speaker 4: trials themselves, but how we respond to them. that shapes
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  Speaker 4: our faith. In this biblical fiction, Joseph's wisdom and Mary's
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  Speaker 4: steadfast faith are anchors during their ordeal. The unexpected trials
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  Speaker 4: they endure magnified their trust in God and their love
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  Speaker 4: for one another. As we face our storms, let us
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  Speaker 4: also recognize the hand of God working in our lives,
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  Speaker 4: guiding us, strengthening us, and even using these challenges to
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  Speaker 4: transform us. In the story, Mary and Joseph's faith is tested. Yet,
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  Speaker 4: instead of succumbing to fear, they embrace the storm. The
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  Speaker 4: storms of life are inevitable. There is no avoiding hard times.
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  Speaker 4: The choice we have is how we endure them. Mary's words,
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  Speaker 4: storms may come, but they also pass, will weather this together.
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  Speaker 4: They speak of hope, resilience, and confidence in God's faithfulness.
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  Speaker 4: Paul echoes this in Philippians 1, verse 6, saying, This
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  Speaker 4: promise encourages us to recognize that even the strongest storms
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  Speaker 4: will not thwart the work God wants to do in
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  Speaker 4: our lives. Throughout the harrowing experience, Joseph and Mary's bond
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  Speaker 4: is their greatest strength. They support and encourage each other,
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  Speaker 4: reflecting the importance of community in our own lives. In
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  Speaker 4: our walk with Christ, we need to surround ourselves with
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  Speaker 4: those who will lift us up, pray for us, and
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  Speaker 4: remind us of God's promises. Think for a moment about
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  Speaker 4: your fondest Christmas memories. I would guess that those memories
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  Speaker 4: rarely involve specific gifts you received, but rather the people
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  Speaker 4: you were surrounded by and the bond you shared. The
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  Speaker 4: Christmas season often reminds us that loving community is greater
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  Speaker 4: than the gifts we can receive. While the world relies
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  Speaker 4: on comfort and material possessions, we rely on the loving
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  Speaker 4: embrace of God and the community He surrounds us with.
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  Speaker 4: This episode also highlights prayer and praise as a weapon
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  Speaker 4: against despair. Mary and Joseph's response to the crisis is
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  Speaker 4: marked by prayer and praise. They call upon the Lord
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  Speaker 4: and even shout praises amidst the raging storm. This illustrates
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  Speaker 4: a profound truth. Prayer and praise are powerful weapons in
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  Speaker 4: our spiritual arsenal. They shift our focus from the problem
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  Speaker 4: to the provider, from the storm to the Savior. After
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  Speaker 4: the storm, the wilderness is transformed into And so are
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  Speaker 4: Mary and Joseph. They emerge renewed, their bond stronger, their
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  Speaker 4: faith deepened. Similarly, the storms in our lives can lead
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  Speaker 4: to transformation. As we trust God through the trials, we
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  Speaker 4: are shaped into the likeness of Christ. Our faith matures
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  Speaker 4: and our character is refined. The storms we face are
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  Speaker 4: not meant to break us, but to build us. The
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  Speaker 4: story of Mary and Joseph on their journey to Bethlehem
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  Speaker 4: is a beautiful reminder that God's faithfulness is unchanging. His
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  Speaker 4: love is unending. And His purpose for our lives is unshakable.
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  Speaker 4: As we face the storms of life, may we take
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  Speaker 4: hold of the assurance found in Philippians 1, verse 6,
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  Speaker 4: knowing that God, who began a good work in us,
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  Speaker 4: will be faithful to complete it. May we embrace the
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  Speaker 4: challenges with faith, navigate them with the support of the community,
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  Speaker 4: respond with prayer and praise, and emerge renewed and transformed,
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  Speaker 4: ready to walk the path that God has set before us.
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  Speaker 4: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 4: I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. And before we go,
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  Speaker 4: I want you to know that I would love to
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  Speaker 4: send you my daily devotional to give you fresh encouragement
• 16:14
  Speaker 4: every single day. So visit JackGraham.org to sign up for
• 16:18
  Speaker 4: your PowerPoint Today devotional. That's JackGraham.org.