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Not Idle, Not Average...Set Apart · In the Stillness Podcast

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  Hey everyone, it's friendly. Welcome back to another episode
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  on In the Stillness I. Hope you.
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  All had a wonderful weekend. I did not have as much time to
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  record this weekend, but I'm circling back to my notes for my
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  quiet time as I finished out Second Thessalonians.
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  And it's honestly been super refreshing to go back to reread
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  things. And it kind of feels bittersweet
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  to be closing it out because I think it's been such a grounding
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  refining study and it's been cool.
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  To see how. Then Paul was calling believers
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  to stand firm and reminding them that it's not just in their.
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  Belief but. Demonstrated in how they
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  actually. Lived it.
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  And I think it was such a great application for.
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  Us today, so today. We're going to be going through
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  Second Thessalonians Three and we're going to start.
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  In verse. 6 and just close. It out.
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  So I'm going to unpack some. Practical takeaways.
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  That really challenged me in my quiet time then, especially
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  around our. Habits.
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  Our purpose? And.
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  Really. The people.
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  That we surround ourselves. With So with that, let's.
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  Go ahead and get started reading, starting in verse. 6.
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  In the name of the Lord. Jesus Christ.
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  We command you, brothers and sisters.
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  To keep. Away from.
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  Every believer who is. Idle and disruptive and does
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  not. Live according.
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  To the teaching you. Received from us for you.
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  Yourselves know how. You ought to follow our.
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  Example. We were not idle when we were
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  with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for
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  it. On the contrary, we worked night
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  and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to
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  any of you. We did this not because we did
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  not have. The right to such help.
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  But in order. To offer.
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  Ourselves as a model for you to imitate for even when we were
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  with. You we gave you this rule.
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  The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.
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  We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive.
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  They are. Not busy, they are busy bodies
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  such. People we command and urge in
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  the Lord. Jesus Christ.
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  To settle down and earn the food they eat.
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  And As for you? Brothers and sisters.
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  Never tire of doing what is good.
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  Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in
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  this letter. Do not associate with them in
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  order that they may feel ashamed.
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  Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you.
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  Would a fellow believer? Now may the Lord of peace
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  himself give you. Peace.
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  At all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
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  And then he says. I Paul.
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  Write this greeting in my own hand, which is the
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  distinguishing mark in all my letters.
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  This is how I write the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
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  you all. All right, so that is the.
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  Closing of Second Thessalonians and of course there are so many
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  different. Routes that we could go to
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  unpack all of this but. 1st I want to start with.
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  Evaluating our circles, Who are you?
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  Becoming. Paul says in verse 6 to keep.
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  Away from. Every believer who is.
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  Idle and disruptive, and that's pretty direct.
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  That's not casual. It's intentional on his part,
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  and it challenged me to just think back to my circle.
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  Because who you? Surround yourself with.
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  Will shape. Who you become?
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  So. Instead of just asking.
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  Are these good people? I think a better.
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  Filter for this is. Are they?
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  Healthy physically. Mentally and spiritually analyze
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  the mind, body and. Spirit aspects.
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  Are they stewarding their bodies well?
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  Are they grounded and disciplined and growing?
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  Do they genuinely pursue God? Do they have drive?
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  Do they have pure motives? Like is their greatest desire to
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  love. Obey and serve the.
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  Lord. Because when that is the center.
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  Of their life. Everything else tends to fall
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  into alignment. No, it's not going to be
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  perfect. We're human, but.
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  That is your. Anchor and so.
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  That is. Super important to look at,
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  Scripture says in First Corinthians 15 verse. 33.
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  Bad company corrupts. Good character so.
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  Here's a few things to sit with. Who is?
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  Shaping my daily life and are those people pulling me?
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  Toward God. Or away from God?
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  And honestly, would someone grow closer?
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  To God. By being close to me secondly.
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  Paul addresses. Idleness, and I think this is
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  where we have to distinguish something important.
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  Rest is biblical. Laziness is not.
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  Ecclesiastes chapter 3 goes. Into talking about how.
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  There. Is a time and a season for
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  everything. There's a time to work.
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  There's a time to. Rest there's.
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  Even a time to enjoy what you've been given the.
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  Profit the harvest, so the. Goal is not to be constantly
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  busy. The goal is to be intentional.
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  Paul even says in verse 10 the one who is unwilling to.
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  Work shall. Not eat and what stood out to me
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  is that Paul did not just. Teach this he actually lived it.
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  In his actions, in his own work. He structured his life above
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  reproach, above average he was. Disciplined, and he was even.
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  Sacrificial so that he could set the.
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  Clearest example. For these believers, he.
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  Did not just coast along or. Settle so.
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  That made me reflect. Am I living with intention or am
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  I just reacting to how? I feel each day.
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  What friendly wants to? Do or.
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  What is going to? Glorify God.
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  Do I know when it's time to rest and when it's time to step up
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  and work? We see.
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  Colossians 3, verse 23. Says whatever you do, work at it
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  with all your. Heart as working for the Lord.
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  Now let's move into checking our intentions.
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  This can be. Just kind of a little bit gut.
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  Wrenching. Because it's real, but.
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  Something that I wrote in my notes was this question am I
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  doing? This because I feel like it, or
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  because it glorifies God Because.
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  Feelings are inconsistent, but Our Calling and our purpose is
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  not. Proverbs 16 verse 2 says All a
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  person's ways seem pure to them, but motives?
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  Are weighed by the Lord. And deep down, we.
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  Have God's word, we have His Holy Spirit.
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  Within us, if you're a Christian and we usually know what we.
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  Ought to do so. I.
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  Believe the question comes down. To whether?
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  We are willing to follow through on it.
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  So ask yourself what is actually?
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  Driving my decisions and choices right now in my day-to-day.
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  And if no one saw this. But God would I still do.
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  It the same way. Because he sees.
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  All and you're going to have to answer to him one day, the
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  ultimate judge on judgement day now also I think it's important
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  to go into. How we steward our life well.
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  And not just. Stay busy because Paul addresses
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  busy bodies which. Is so interesting because it's
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  not that they weren't doing nothing, they were just doing
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  the wrong things, and I think that can hit today more than
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  ever. At least.
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  It did for me. Because it is so easy to be
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  busy. But not productive.
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  You can be active. But it can be without purpose.
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  So this is. What I wrote down in my notes.
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  We are called to leverage our. Time, talent, and treasure in a
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  way that honors God. Y'all we were not created.
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  To live passive or average lives first, Peter.
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  Two verse 9 says. We are.
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  A chosen people. A royal priesthood.
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  And we are set. Apart so.
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  That means. Our lives should look different.
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  This is not in a performative way.
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  But it's for a purposeful. 1. So ask yourself where?
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  Is my time actually going right now?
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  What am I investing in and is my life producing fruit?
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  Or is. It simply producing noise and
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  here is where I think it can all tie.
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  Together, Paul. Is connecting the dots between
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  idleness and being a busy body, and a lot of the times that
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  leads straight into gossip. So instead of.
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  Building something meaningful. We.
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  Start talking about things that. Just.
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  Frankly, don't matter. So that convicted me to ask
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  myself what is coming out of my mouth.
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  Are my words actually? Building people up.
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  Or are they? Just filling space.
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  Because. Proverbs 1821 says.
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  The power. Of life and death is in the
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  tongue and even when we do need to correct someone, if there is
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  an open rebuke, it should come from love, not from pride,
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  Galatians, 61 says. To restore others.
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  Gently. So it's not about staying
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  silent. It is.
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  About speaking with intention and really reflecting on why am
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  I saying what I'm saying right now, and also learning how to be
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  quick to listen, to be more thoughtful.
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  With our words. And the standard for.
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  All of this what? It all comes down.
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  To always is Jesus y'all we have to follow.
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  His example in order to be balanced and be LED.
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  Jesus served people. He showed up.
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  He worked with purpose. But he also stepped away to
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  rest. To spend time with his father.
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  Intimate time. Just.
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  Him and his father it wasn't with.
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  Other people. He also was not rushed, he was
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  not distracted. But he was led.
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  And so that is. The kind of life that I pray I
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  live every day. Again, it's not going.
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  To be perfect, but. It's not meant to.
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  Be idle, chaotic rather. It's meant to be aligned and I
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  want to live a life that knows when to pour out and when to be.
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  Filled back up. So I know that that's a.
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  Lot to just. Think about.
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  There's a. Lot of different questions that
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  I asked myself and that y'all can think about.
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  But. I want to go to move into prayer
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  and. Just reflect.
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  On how? As we close out. 2nd
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  Thessalonians. How this is?
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  An applicable reminder to stand firm and to really.
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  Take this truth. And put it into action and to.
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  Evaluate what? Kind of life are we living?
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  Are we doing it with intention? With purpose or are.
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  We just going through the motions.
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  So heavenly. Father, we come to you right now
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  and we just thank you. For your.
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  Word and. How it?
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  Both challenges us and refines us.
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  I pray that you would. Give us more wisdom, more
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  discernment, especially in the people that we surround
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  ourselves with, in the way that we spend our time, and
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  ultimately the motives behind. What we do?
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  And how we do things. Teach us to live with purpose,
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  to work with. Excellence and to even rest with
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  intention. God, may our hearts be aligned
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  with yours. Help us to radiate you, Jesus.
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  Not just in what we. Say but.
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  Truly in how we live and as we step into what you have next.
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  Whether that is today or. The next week, the next month.
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  Would you help us to carry these truths with us?
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  To walk in discipline and to live.
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  Set apart for your glory to be revealed through us.
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  We love you. We praise you today.
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  And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.
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  OK y'all, well I hope that y'all enjoyed.
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  Going through Second Thessalonians with me, I
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  definitely had such a good time just learning new things and.
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  It was. So refreshing to come back
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  circle. Back to what the Lord taught me.
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  This weekend and I'm praying for y'all as you enter a new week.
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  That you would. Just be more aware of the Spirit
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  and that the Lord's goodness and mercy would follow.
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  You everywhere you go. I'll see y'all in the next
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  episode.