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Defying Moses - The Book of Numbers · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the
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  Speaker 1: Ethiopian woman whom he had married, for he had married
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  Speaker 1: an Ethiopian woman. Numbers 12.1 Dear Lord, thank you that
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  Speaker 1: you are a protective father. And because you are a
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  Speaker 1: protective father, I know that if there is any speech
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  Speaker 1: that is trying to rise up against me, you will
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  Speaker 1: silence it. Thank you that when it comes to my reputation,
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  Speaker 1: I don't have to fight the battle on my own
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  Speaker 1: or try to prove myself to another. Instead, I will
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  Speaker 1: keep my integrity intact. I will continue to move and
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  Speaker 1: operate in love because I know that at the end
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  Speaker 1: of the day, you are for me. In the same breath,
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  Speaker 1: I will ask that if the same mindset that came
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  Speaker 1: upon Aaron and Miriam tries to descend upon my mind,
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  Speaker 1: that you would silence it. I choose to live my
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  Speaker 1: life with honor, humility, and holiness. And because these are
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  Speaker 1: my pillars, I will honor anyone in a position of power,
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  Speaker 1: even when we don't see eye to eye. Through this
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  Speaker 1: simple truth, I know that when my time comes, you
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  Speaker 1: will surround me with the right people who will honor
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  Speaker 1: my position and authority. I will not forget that honor
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  Speaker 1: is the key to elevation in your kingdom. These truths
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  Speaker 1: I will hold near to my heart. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with me today. Continue listening for
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  Speaker 1: an incredible Bible story brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Defying Moses In our last story, We saw the people
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  Speaker 2: of Israel grumble to God about food, and God made
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  Speaker 2: a point. Their constant complaining and ungrateful spirits drove Moses
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  Speaker 2: to the end of himself, and God appointed seventy men
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  Speaker 2: to relieve Moses of his burdens. In this story, we
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  Speaker 2: learn about jealousy rearing its ugly head in the hearts
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  Speaker 2: of Miriam, Moses' sister, and Aaron. The jealous hearts of
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  Speaker 2: Cain seek to strike once again, but God would not
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  Speaker 2: allow it, as inspired by the book of Numbers.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. In yesterday's episode, we saw
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  Speaker 3: how the needs of the Israelites overwhelmed Moses, and he
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  Speaker 3: was burning out, and yet he goes to God for help.
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  Speaker 3: God gives him a plan. and appointed 70 men to
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  Speaker 3: help lighten the load and to take care of the
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  Speaker 3: problems and the perplexities of leading such a great nation.
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  Speaker 3: We also saw how God judges the people for their
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  Speaker 3: ungrateful hearts and their lack of trust by sending a plague.
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  Speaker 3: God was demonstrating that though He was the provider and
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  Speaker 3: would always protect them, that He would bring punishment to
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  Speaker 3: correct or discipline His children. Today, we'll revisit a theme
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  Speaker 3: that's come up many times in Scripture, sibling rivalry. From
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  Speaker 3: Cain and Abel to Joseph and his brothers, it's a
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  Speaker 3: problem almost as old as mankind. We'll hear how Moses' siblings,
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  Speaker 3: Miriam and Aaron, turn against Moses and how God deals
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  Speaker 3: with their attempt to usurp his leadership. Now, let's hear
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  Speaker 3: today's reading.
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  Speaker 2: Banterous whispers could be heard in the dead of night. Miriam, Moses' sister,
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  Speaker 2: and Aaron. spoke silently, but with intensity. They gossiped, grumbled,
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  Speaker 2: and complained about their brother Moses marrying an Ethiopian. For
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  Speaker 2: whatever reason, Miriam boiled with anger towards Moses' wife. Yet
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  Speaker 2: the true heart behind her distress was revealed in her words.
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  Speaker 2: Does God only speak through Moses? she whispered, doing her
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  Speaker 2: best not to be heard by anyone else. He has
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  Speaker 2: spoken to you, me and plenty others here. Aaron agreed
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  Speaker 2: with Miriam, having been both jealous and embarrassed by Moses'
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  Speaker 2: faithfulness and favor. They validated one another's words. Their hearts
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  Speaker 2: had been gripped by an evil that once took over
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  Speaker 2: the heart of Jacob's sons towards Joseph years ago. As
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  Speaker 2: they spoke to others, their dishonor for Moses increased, and
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  Speaker 2: they began to sow subtle doubt among the people. Though
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  Speaker 2: Miriam and Aaron were keeping a low profile, God could
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  Speaker 2: hear every word of it. Petty, childish, God looked upon
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  Speaker 2: Miriam and Aaron with disgust. He would not tolerate leaders
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  Speaker 2: driven by jealousy and contempt. Moses was a meek man.
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  Speaker 2: His humility often overshadowed his strength as a leader. Therefore,
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  Speaker 2: it was up to God to reprimand his siblings and
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  Speaker 2: As Miriam and Aaron were scheming amongst each other, a
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  Speaker 2: cloud of smoke descended upon the tent of meeting. The
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  Speaker 2: air shifted, and the warm breeze turned into a sharp
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  Speaker 2: and frigid wind. Come out, the Lord shouted. He beckoned
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  Speaker 2: Moses forward and forced Aaron and Miriam out from the shadows.
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  Speaker 2: God spoke to Miriam and Aaron as a shepherd would
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  Speaker 2: to wolves. His anger emanated from the cloud as he said,
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  Speaker 2: Hear my words and listen carefully. When I speak to
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  Speaker 2: my prophets, I come to them in dreams and visions.
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  Speaker 2: This is not so with Moses. He is faithful and
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  Speaker 2: I speak to him clearly, plainly and with no riddles.
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  Speaker 2: You should fear speaking about him the way you have.
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  Speaker 2: You should tremble at the very thought of mistreating him.
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  Speaker 2: God truly spoke as a protective father and his anger
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  Speaker 2: was kindled against the two of them, and the cloud
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  Speaker 2: of smoke disappeared as quickly as it came. Silence fell
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  Speaker 2: upon them as they sat in the tent. Moses could
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  Speaker 2: not look them in the eyes. He tilted his head
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  Speaker 2: to the floor, heart aching from the betrayal of his
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  Speaker 2: closest friends. Moses closed his eyes, thinking about what he
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  Speaker 2: would say next. He had never had a way with words.
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  Speaker 2: What would he say now? As he was thinking, he
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  Speaker 2: heard his brother gasp. Moses lifted his eyes and saw
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  Speaker 2: Aaron's face in shock as he looked at his sister.
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  Speaker 2: Miriam's face had become white as snow, and her skin
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  Speaker 2: began to peel off her face. Miriam shrieked and cried
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  Speaker 2: out in pain as her entire body began to rot.
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  Speaker 2: Pieces of flesh peeled from Miriam's face like paper, and
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  Speaker 2: her fingers began to fall off one by one. Aaron
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  Speaker 2: watched as his sister became riddled with leprosy. Unable to
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  Speaker 2: look any longer, he turned to Moses and shouted, My Lord,
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  Speaker 2: do not punish us. Her flesh is half eaten away.
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  Speaker 2: Aaron cried with his face to the floor in front
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  Speaker 2: of Moses. Moses was just as sickened as Aaron. He
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  Speaker 2: shivered at the sight of Miriam, whose teeth had been
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  Speaker 2: dangling from her open mouth. Oh, God, Moses shouted. Please
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  Speaker 2: heal her, please, Moses begged. So God did as Moses requested,
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  Speaker 2: and Miriam lived outside the camp for seven days. God
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  Speaker 2: allowed her to live with the outward display of her
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  Speaker 2: inward character. After she had healed, she rejoined them, and
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  Speaker 2: the three continued to lead the people together.
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  Speaker 3: Today's episode begins, as acts of treachery often do, with whispers.
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  Speaker 3: Miriam and Aaron, the very sister and brother of Moses,
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  Speaker 3: are jealous of his position, envious. Why should he get
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  Speaker 3: all the credit for hearing from God, they said to
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  Speaker 3: themselves and then to others. They were undermining the man
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  Speaker 3: that God Almighty had chosen to lead his dear people.
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  Speaker 3: Surely their whispers were heard throughout the camp. Moses himself
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  Speaker 3: may not have heard them, but God did. And the
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  Speaker 3: reality is that when someone tries to undermine one that
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  Speaker 3: God has called to lead his people, it's like an
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  Speaker 3: attack on God himself. And that will not be tolerated.
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  Speaker 3: So God summons Moses and his siblings to the tent
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  Speaker 3: of meeting and made it very clear. Moses was set
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  Speaker 3: apart different from all the others. Their attempt at comparing
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  Speaker 3: themselves to Moses would not be taken lightly. God asked
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  Speaker 3: why they, knowing that Moses was chosen by God himself,
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  Speaker 3: had spoken against him. This is a reminder for us
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  Speaker 3: today to be very careful how we speak of those
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  Speaker 3: who God has called to lead. In the book of Acts,
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  Speaker 3: we find a story of a Pharisee named Gamaliel who
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  Speaker 3: understood this. When some of the apostles were arrested for
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  Speaker 3: preaching the gospel of Christ, Gamaliel advised those in charge
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  Speaker 3: to let them be. If they were not from God,
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  Speaker 3: they would soon be gone. But if they were from God,
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  Speaker 3: defying them was a dangerous, treacherous move. It could mean
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  Speaker 3: they were fighting against God himself. That's what Miriam and
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  Speaker 3: Aaron were doing by undermining and criticizing Moses. They picked
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  Speaker 3: a fight with God. God turned to them in anger
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  Speaker 3: and struck Miriam with a horrible leprosy. Her skin began
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  Speaker 3: to peel away. Yet Moses, once again demonstrating compassion and
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  Speaker 3: grace even to those opposing him, intervenes and asks God
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  Speaker 3: to spare her. Because of Moses, God determines to let
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  Speaker 3: Miriam live, and she survives. She is required to live
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  Speaker 3: outside the camp for a week, but then is restored
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  Speaker 3: to the community and they move on, continuing their journey
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  Speaker 3: to the promised land. And when we see them next,
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  Speaker 3: they will arrive at Canaan. Dear God, thank you for
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  Speaker 3: this story, which reminds us that you call people to
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  Speaker 3: leadership roles for a reason, and we are to respect
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  Speaker 3: and follow those that you've put over us. Help us
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  Speaker 3: to support rather than undermine those you have called to
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  Speaker 3: serve you in leadership positions. In Christ's name, amen. Thank
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  Speaker 3: you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com
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  Speaker 3: be sure to visit JackGraham.org. God bless you.
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  Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by MediShare, an innovative health care
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