Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / February 15 - Grace Makes Room for Belonging

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February 15 - Grace Makes Room for Belonging · 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, February 15th.
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  Wise choices. Lasting impact.
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  Think about how many choices you make in a single day.
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  Most of them feel small, almost invisible.
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  Whether you finish what you started or put it off, whether
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  you join in on a joke you know crosses a line or quietly walk
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  away, whether you show up when someone is counting on you or
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  decide it's not worth the effort.
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  None of those moments feel dramatic.
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  But together they are shaping who you're becoming.
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  Proverbs chapter 10, verse 23 says doing wrong is like a joke
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  to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of
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  understanding. That verse exposes something
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  deep. When sin feels funny, casual, or
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  harmless, it's a warning sign. Wisdom doesn't find joy in
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  cutting corners or laughing at what hurts others.
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  Wisdom finds pleasure in choosing what's right even when
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  no one is applauding. A few verses later, Proverbs
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  chapter 10, verse 26 gives us a picture we can almost feel.
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  It says a sluggard is like vinegar to the teeth and smoke
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  to the eyes to those who depend on them.
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  In other words, unreliability frustrates people.
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  Laziness doesn't stay personal. It affects families, teams,
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  friendships, and trust. Our choices don't live in
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  isolation, they ripple outward. Then Acts chapter 15 brings us
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  into a moment where the early church had to make a huge
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  decision. New believers were coming to
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  faith people who didn't look like them or follow all their
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  traditions. The question was simple but
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  loaded. Would they burden people with
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  rules or would they lead with grace?
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  Peter stands up and says in Acts chapter 15, verse 11, We believe
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  that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus,
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  just as they will. That decision changed
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  everything. The church chose wisdom over
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  pride, grace over control, unity over division.
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  And because of that choice, the gospel spread farther and faster
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  than anyone could have imagined. Here's the connection for us.
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  Wise choices aren't always the loudest or easiest ones.
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  They're often quiet, consistent decisions to do what honors God
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  and serves others well. Choosing integrity when sin is
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  treated like a joke. Choosing dependability when it
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  would be easier to drift. Choosing grace when judgment
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  feels more natural. You may not see the impact of
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  today's decisions right away, but over time they shape your
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  character, your witness, and your future.
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  Wisdom builds trust. Faithfulness opens doors.
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  Grace reflects the heart of Jesus to a watching world.
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  Your life is telling a story, one choice at a time.
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  And when your decisions are guided by wisdom and grace, that
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  story has the power to point people to Jesus and leave a
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  lasting impact far beyond what you can see.
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  Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for
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  reminding me that even my smallest choices matter to you.
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  Help me not to treat sin lightly, but to find joy in
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  walking in wisdom. Teach me to be dependable,
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  thoughtful, and faithful in the things you've entrusted to me.
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  Fill my heart with the grace of Jesus so my decisions reflect
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  your love and truth. I want my life to leave a
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  lasting impact that brings you glory in Jesus name, Amen.
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  What if the way you pray changed because you truly knew who God
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  is? The Supreme God Part 1 is an 8
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  book devotional and prayer journey that unveils the power,
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  presence and glory of God through his biblical names.
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  In Elohim you encounter God, the Mighty Creator who forms and
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  sustains all things. Yahweh draws you into
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  relationship with the Eternal I AM who is present and faithful.
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  Adonai calls you to surrender to the Lord and Master who leads
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  and directs your steps. El Elian reveals the God Most
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  High, exalted above every power and authority.
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  El Shaddai introduces the all sufficient God who nourishes and
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  strengthens you. El Olam anchors your faith in
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  the everlasting God whose purposes never fail.
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  Elroy assures you that you are seen, known and cared for by a
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  compassionate father. And El Gibor awakens confidence
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  in the mighty God who defends, delivers, and prevails.
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  Through Scripture, devotional insight, and prophetic prayer
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  scripts, this series teaches you to pray from revelation, worship
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  with understanding, and walk boldly in God's character.
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  If you're ready to elevate your prayer life and rediscover the
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  God you serve, order the Supreme God Part One on Amazon today or
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  visit prayerscripts.org to begin your.
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  Journey Now I invite you to spend time with God in today's
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  three-year Bible reading plan. Proverbs Chapter 10 verses 23
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  and 26. World English Bible It is a
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  fool's pleasure to do wickedness, but wisdom is a man
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  of understandings pleasure as vinegar to the teeth and as
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  smoke to the eyes, so is the slugger to those who send him.
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  Acts chapter 15 World English Bible Some men came down from
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  Judea and taught the brothers. Unless you are circumcised after
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  the custom of Moses, you can't be saved.
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  Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord
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  and discussion with them, they appointed Paul, Barnabas, and
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  some others of them to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and
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  elders. About this question.
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  They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through
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  both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the
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  Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the
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  brothers. When they had come to Jerusalem.
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  They were received by the assembly and the apostles and
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  the elders, and they reported everything that God had done
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  with them. But some of the sect of the
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  Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, it is necessary to
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  circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
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  The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about
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  this matter. When there had been much
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  discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, Brothers, you know
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  that a good while ago God made a choice among you, that by my
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  mouth the nations should hear the word of the good news and
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  believe. God, who knows the heart,
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  testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like
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  He did to us. He made no distinction between
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  us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
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  Now, therefore, why do you tempt God that you should put a yoke
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  on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we
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  were able to bear, but we believe that we are saved
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  through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.
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  All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas
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  and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among
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  the nations through them. After they were silent, James
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  answered. Brothers, listen to me.
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  Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations to
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  take out of them a people for his name.
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  This agrees with the words of the prophets as it is written.
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  After these things I will return.
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  I will again build the Tabernacle of David which has
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  fallen. I will again build its ruins.
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  I will set it up that the rest of men may seek after the Lord.
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  All the Gentiles who are called by my name says the Lord, who
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  does all these things. All of God's works are known to
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  him from eternity. Therefore my judgment is that we
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  don't trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn to God,
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  but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution
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  of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is
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  strangled, and from blood. For Moses from generations of
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  old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the
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  synagogue's every Sabbath. Then it seemed good to the
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  apostles and the elders with the whole assembly to choose men out
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  of their company and send them to Antioch with Paul and
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  Barnabas. Judas called Barsabas and Selas
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  chief men among the brothers. They wrote these things by their
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  hand, the apostles, the elders, and the brothers.
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  To the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria and
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  Silesia, greetings, because we have heard that some who went
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  out from us have troubled you with words unsettling your
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  souls, saying you must be circumcised and keep the law to
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  whom we gave no commandment. It seemed good to us, having
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  come to 1 accord, to choose out men and send them to you with
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  our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives
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  for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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  We have sent, therefore Judas and Selas, who themselves will
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  also tell you the same things by word of mouth.
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  For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no
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  greater burden on you than these necessary things, that you
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  abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from
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  things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which,
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  if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you.
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  Farewell. So when they were sent off, they
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  came to Antioch. Having gathered the multitude
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  together, they delivered the letter.
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  When they had read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement.
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  Judas and Selas also being prophets themselves, encouraged
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  the brothers with many words and strengthen them.
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  After they had spent some time there, they were dismissed in
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  peace from the brothers to the apostles.
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  But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch teaching and preaching
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  the word of the Lord with many others also.
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  After some days, Paul said to Barnabas, Let's return now and
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  visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word
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  of the Lord to see how they are doing.
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  Barnabas plan to take John, who was called Mark, with them also.
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  But Paul didn't think that it was a good idea to take with
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  them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and
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  didn't go with them to do the work.
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  Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from
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  each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and
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  sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Selas and went
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  out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God.
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  He went through Syria and Silesia, strengthening the
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  assemblies. 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.