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Chosen, Not Striving · In the Stillness Podcast

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  Hey y'all. What's up?
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  It's friendly. Welcome back to In the
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  Stillness. Thanks for joining me on this
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  Wednesday. So.
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  Thankful that y'all are here. Today we are continuing in
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  Second Thessalonians and once again.
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  Surprise, surprise. I was planning on getting
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  through more verses. But these two verses.
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  That I'm gonna be reading today. Are so.
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  Rich and every line is so. Packed.
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  With wisdom and insight and it feels.
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  Right to. Just slow down and really sit in
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  it rather than push. Past it so.
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  Today we're going to be in. Chapter 2.
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  Reading through verses 13 through 14 and since it's only
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  two. Verses I.
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  Want to do what? We did the other.
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  Day read it in two different translations.
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  I'm going to start by reading the NIV and then I will read the
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  Passion after that. My prayer in doing this is that.
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  As you read. And hear different wording.
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  That it. Would open up a fresh
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  understanding and potentially let it sink in a little deeper.
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  So let's. Begin starting with the NIV.
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  But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,
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  loved by the Lord, because God chose you as first fruits to be
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  saved. Through the sanctifying work of
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  the. Spirit.
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  And through belief in the. Truth.
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  He called you to this through our gospel.
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  That you might share in the glory.
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  Of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now let's read the passion.
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  Beloved brothers and sisters, we are.
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  Always thankful. To God for you, because God has.
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  Chosen you from the beginning for salvation.
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  Through the Spirit who sets you apart.
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  And through your belief in the. Truth.
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  He called you. To salvation when we preach to
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  you the wonderful news of the. Gospel so that you would have
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  the glory of our Lord Jesus. The anointed one.
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  OK, so much here. But the.
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  First thing that I want to talk. About is.
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  Our salvation begins and ends. With God.
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  It says that God chose you. It says God called you and.
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  It says that he is the one. By his.
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  Spirit doing the sanctifying work, meaning this was never
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  about us earning it, and it's not about us maintaining it
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  either. There is no salvation,
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  ultimately, no real. Hope apart.
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  From God and because it's not something that.
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  We have to strive to achieve. It's something that we.
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  Just receive. We don't have to.
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  Strive to keep it. And.
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  Honestly lately. I've been sitting with just the
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  concept of. God's grace because.
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  I'm. A very logical.
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  Person, I would say. I'm very.
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  Curious and ask a lot of questions.
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  But. As I've been reflecting on it,
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  when I really think about the. Grace of God it.
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  Doesn't make logical sense. Like why would a perfect holy
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  God choose? Broken.
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  Imperfect. People.
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  Why would he continue to? Pursue us to.
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  Sustain and work in. Us but.
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  It's been interesting and honestly so.
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  Cool because. The more I've thought about it,
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  the more it hasn't confused me. It's actually.
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  Deepened my gratitude. It's intensified my worship and
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  my adoration for the. Lord, it's.
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  One of those things that almost feels.
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  Too good to be true. But at the same time, it's the
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  real estate thing that I've ever experienced.
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  In Scripture. It just confirms.
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  This because. In Ephesians one verse.
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  Four, it says, God chose us. Before the foundation of the
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  world. Out of.
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  Everyone if. You're a believer, He chose you.
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  That's not random. And if you're listening and you
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  have not proclaimed Jesus as. Lord of.
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  Your life. You're not a Christian.
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  But you feel a. Tug on your heart.
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  I just want to say. That's not random either.
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  That's God. Calling and choosing you.
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  So don't ignore that. Now this.
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  Passage it also shows how this. Plays out in our.
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  Lives. It says that we are saved.
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  Through the sanctifying work of the.
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  Spirit. And through belief in the.
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  Truth. So yes, it is.
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  God initiating but. It is US.
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  Who respond by believing the truth and then the.
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  Spirit is. Welcomed in to begin
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  transforming us. This is the process.
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  Of sanctification becoming more like.
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  Jesus, I talked. About that on the last episode.
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  But that's. Important because it reminds us
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  it is ongoing. It's not just going to be
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  instantly perfected. We are being transformed.
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  Romans. 12/2 it talks. About being renewed by the.
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  Truth as. Our minds are being transformed
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  and changed, and that's how we begin to look more.
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  Like Jesus, but that. Work will not be finished until
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  we encounter him face to. Face so.
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  Maybe you find yourself feeling frustrated.
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  Or discouraged. In your growth?
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  I pray that this would. Actually be an encouragement
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  that it. Would lift.
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  That weight and that burden. Because you.
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  Were never meant to. Carry the pressure of.
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  Perfection. God is the one doing the work in
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  you, and part of my testimony, something the Lord has freed in
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  me, is perfectionism. Because.
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  I thought I had to. Do it all on my own.
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  I used to think that I would have to perform.
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  Or to. Earn a certain kind of love.
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  But it's the Lord. He's the one working in our.
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  Hearts Our. Calling is to stay surrendered.
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  To be. Rooted in truth to continue
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  walking with him and letting a spirit.
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  Lead us so. This goes into something that I
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  want us to really reflect on too.
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  Are you living like you are? Truly loved.
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  And truly chosen. Because Scripture.
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  Says in 2nd Corinthians 517. If.
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  You are in. Christ you.
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  Are a new creation. That means you have a new
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  identity, and from that new identity comes a new kind of
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  confidence. This is not confidence in
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  yourself, it's not in your flesh what you can do, but in the
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  Lord. So you don't have to prove
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  yourself, you don't have to strive for your worth.
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  There's just this. Steady, grounded confidence.
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  Because. You know who you belong to, and
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  it's evident in your. Life this.
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  Is not to look. Prideful or to.
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  Be arrogant, but it comes across in a.
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  Very composed. Content way.
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  You. Look different.
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  Because you. Live different.
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  These verses also say that we were called through what Paul
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  says, our gospel. And I.
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  Love that phrase because it shows that God works through his
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  people. He didn't have to, but he chose
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  to. He uses.
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  Ordinary. Imperfect.
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  People to share his truth which. Means.
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  There are. People in your life that God
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  wants to. Reach through you.
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  It's not because he needs. You y'all he is.
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  So humble. It's because.
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  He loves you enough to include. You because.
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  In being used. By the Lord.
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  We actually have an opportunity to become more like him.
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  So a. Question to.
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  Ask yourself, is this? Are you available or are you too
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  busy? Can you be interrupted?
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  Can you be LED? Proverbs. 16 verse 9 says in
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  their hearts, humans plan their course.
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  But the Lord establishes our steps, so yes, there.
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  Is a time to plan and it's important that we are wise in
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  how we plan, but we must. Also stay.
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  Open we. Are called.
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  To stay sensitive to the. Spirit, we live what I was
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  actually. Talking to someone about
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  recently. We live to be.
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  Divinely interruptible. That means that you can be open
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  to what the Lord wants to lead you in, while also planning
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  wisely. And finally I want to close
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  with. The.
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  Beautiful ending in these. Verses that we are called to.
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  Share in the glory of. Jesus that.
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  Is not just someday, it's right now, in the current moment.
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  The Greek word that is associated with.
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  Glory in this. Text It carries the.
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  Idea of being surrounded or encircled and this means that.
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  Through Jesus, by his blood we are.
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  Brought into the very perimeter. Into the.
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  Very. Reality of God's glory and.
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  We're not just. Freed from.
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  Sin, and from the guilt and shame that comes with that but
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  we are invited into a personal relationship, into closeness,
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  into daily communion with our. Father.
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  Our salvation is not just about. What?
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  We're saved from. It's about what we're.
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  Saved into. We get to.
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  Share and what the father has given his very own son.
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  And I just want us to sit with that to really.
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  Ponder it. Because it is.
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  So incredible to think. About SO.
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  Let's go ahead and move into. Prayer, dear.
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  Father, thank you for choosing us.
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  As believers. Thank you.
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  That you. Saw us and you.
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  Selected us to be a. Part of your Kingdom.
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  To share. As being ambassadors of you and
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  to. Give others the gift of the
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  gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you that our salvation is
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  not something that we earned, but something that you.
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  Freely gave through Your free grace, would you help us to live
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  like we are truly loved. And truly chosen transform our
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  minds. Lord, with your truth.
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  Continue your sanctifying work in US.
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  God, I pray that we would be available.
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  Interrupt our plans if need be and use us to.
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  Reach others. Around us.
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  Would you draw us deeper? Into your presence.
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  That we. Wouldn't just know about you?
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  But that we would truly walk with you.
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  And get to share in your glory. Lord, I pray that.
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  If there is anyone listening. Who?
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  Does not know you. Who has not proclaimed you
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  Jesus? As Lord of their lives, I pray
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  that. They would just sense this
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  tugging on their. Heart that.
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  They would not ignore. That they.
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  Would not dismiss it. But that they would be.
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  Divinely interrupted in this very moment, and that they would
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  call on you to be. Saved Lord, we love you.
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  Jesus, we trust you. We praise you.
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  Not just with our. Lips, but with our lives.
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  May we reflect you in all that. We do.
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  In Jesus name, Amen. OK y'all, that's what I have for
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  today's episode. Praying that y'all have.
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  A great. Rest of your Wednesday or
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  whenever you're listening to this and that.
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  The Lord would. Continue making His spirit more
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  present or making you more aware.
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  Of his. Spirit's presence in your life
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  and continue speaking to you and that you would be divinely
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  interruptible. Today, have a great rest of your
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  day. I'll see y'all in the next
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  episode.