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

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