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The Road to Bethlehem III · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Being confident of this very thing, that he who began
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  Speaker 1: a good work in you will complete it until the
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  Speaker 1: day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1.6 Dear Lord, we know
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  Speaker 1: that there is no circumstance that could ever thwart the
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  Speaker 1: mighty work you've been doing in our lives. You are
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  Speaker 1: determined to redeem us and restore the broken parts of
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  Speaker 1: our lives. we recognize that the process of sanctification and
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  Speaker 1: growth takes time. Give us patience when we're discouraged. Give
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  Speaker 1: us endurance when the storms of life seek to throw
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  Speaker 1: us off course. The story of Christmas, the arrival of
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  Speaker 1: your son, reminds us that your plans take time to
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  Speaker 1: come to fruition, but they are worth the wait. So
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  Speaker 1: here we are, Lord, waiting on you and declaring trust
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  Speaker 1: in your timing. We love you and praise you in
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  Speaker 1: all seasons. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph tossed and turned in his sleep. The vivid dream
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  Speaker 2: God gave him before he married Mary flooded back into
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  Speaker 2: his mind. The dream he had when the angels spoke
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  Speaker 2: to him about Jesus. The lightning flashed again with piercing light,
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  Speaker 2: and Joseph immediately found himself elsewhere. He was at the
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  Speaker 2: base of a cave carved into the side of a mountain.
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  Speaker 2: All was quiet, and the only light source was from
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  Speaker 2: within the cave. Joseph followed the faint glimmer, keeping his
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  Speaker 2: balance on the cave's jagged walls. As he inched closer,
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  Speaker 2: the air became warmer, like a room filled with the
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  Speaker 2: comfort of a fireplace. The entire cave became filled with
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  Speaker 2: the scent of frankincense and myrrh. As Joseph navigated the cave,
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  Speaker 2: He could hear the sound of a child's cry. Then,
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  Speaker 2: a hushing lullaby. The voice singing was gentle and soft,
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  Speaker 2: like the evening spring breeze. Joseph knew that voice.
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  Speaker 1: Mary, is that you?
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  Speaker 3: He gasped.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph picked up his pace and rounded the corner towards
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  Speaker 2: the light. But before he could see anything, the cave
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  Speaker 2: flooded with water, and Joseph found himself swimming for his
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  Speaker 2: life amidst a violent storm in the middle of the sea.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph awoke in a cold sweat. He held his chest
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  Speaker 2: and looked over at Mary, sound asleep. He looked at
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  Speaker 2: the horizon. Foreboding storm clouds were galloping in from the east.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph rose and began to prepare the donkey for a
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  Speaker 2: quick escape. He wasn't sure why God had returned the
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  Speaker 2: vision to him, but he knew better than to ignore
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  Speaker 2: his dreams.
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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 our previous episodes, Mary
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  Speaker 3: and Joseph endured robbery, marital tension, and injuries. Ultimately, they
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  Speaker 3: grew stronger because of it. This episode will take us
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  Speaker 3: through the final few days of Mary and Joseph's journey
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  Speaker 3: to Bethlehem. And although they've endured many trials already, the
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  Speaker 3: worst is yet to come. A storm is brewing in
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  Speaker 3: the distance. Will Mary be able to endure the weather
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  Speaker 3: this late in her pregnancy? Joseph has faced robbers to
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  Speaker 3: protect Mary, but can he face a monsoon? Let's immerse
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  Speaker 3: ourselves in this story and put ourselves in their shoes.
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  Speaker 3: Let's consider the storms in our lives that seek to
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  Speaker 3: knock us off course. How do we respond to difficulty
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  Speaker 3: and despair? We'll answer those questions and more afterward. Let's
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  Speaker 3: dive into this dramatic story of Mary and Joseph's final
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  Speaker 3: day on the road to Bethlehem.
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  Speaker 2: Mary awoke to the sound of thunder. The winds picked up,
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  Speaker 2: bringing a foreboding message. A storm was coming. Joseph was
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  Speaker 2: already awake and securing the straps on the donkey. Do
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  Speaker 2: you think the storm will travel south? Mary asked, gesturing
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  Speaker 2: to the lightning in the distance. Joseph looked out and
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  Speaker 2: shook his head. He felt his chest tighten. The winds
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  Speaker 2: are blowing westward. I'm no sailor, but I think I
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  Speaker 2: can confidently say this storm is headed our way. Joseph
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  Speaker 2: pointed forward to the hills overlooking the valley. There should
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  Speaker 2: be some wind caves tucked into those hills. We should
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  Speaker 2: find shelter before it's too late. Joseph's voice was broken
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  Speaker 2: and anxious. Mary stood up and held her back. Lately,
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  Speaker 2: her body had been feeling tense and uneasy. She had
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  Speaker 2: a feeling Jesus would soon be on his way. She
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  Speaker 2: squeezed Joseph's hand. Storms may come, she said, her voice
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  Speaker 2: gentle but with underlying steel.
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  Speaker 3: But they will also pass.
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  Speaker 1: We will weather this together.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph nodded and looked up. The sunrise was covered by darkness.
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  Speaker 2: The winds churned them up like sand under waves. Thunder rumbled,
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  Speaker 2: echoing the restless heartbeats of every creature on the land.
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  Speaker 2: Birds retreated to their nests and animals scurried back to
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  Speaker 2: their burrows. Yet Joseph and Mary were exposed. The rains
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  Speaker 2: descended with violent force and the winds howled with anger.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph drove his feet into the mud and guided Mary
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  Speaker 2: and the donkey through the winding hills leading up to
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  Speaker 2: some caves. The path up to the caves was steep.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph marched up with all his might, but the ground
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  Speaker 2: beneath him gave way with every step. Before they could
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  Speaker 2: reach the top, Joseph slipped onto a moving stone.
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  Speaker 3: Joseph!
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  Speaker 2: Mary gasped as she watched him slide down the jagged
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  Speaker 2: edge of the hill. Mary quickly dismounted the donkey and
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  Speaker 2: reached for him, but Joseph slipped right through her fingers.
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  Speaker 2: He slid down the rocky slope, but caught himself on
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  Speaker 2: a root buried in the ground. Joseph gasped in pain.
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  Speaker 2: The rain beat mercilessly as he tried to pull himself up,
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  Speaker 2: but the mud and falling rocks weighed heavy on his body.
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  Speaker 2: He shouted, but the thunder and rain drowned out his voice.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph feared he couldn't hold on much longer. Mary shouted,
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  Speaker 2: She had to act before Joseph fell over the edge.
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  Speaker 2: She tore her shawl and blankets and fastened them to
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  Speaker 2: a rope. She tied one end to the donkey and
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  Speaker 2: another to a heavy branch. Joseph! She cried, her voice
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  Speaker 2: barely discernible through the storm. Grab onto this! She tossed
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  Speaker 2: the branch down to Joseph and he grabbed hold. Mary
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  Speaker 2: took the reins of the donkey and led it up
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  Speaker 2: the hill. The donkey slowly pulled through the rain and muck.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph was pulled back over the ledge as Mary marched
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  Speaker 2: with the donkey. Mary ran to him and grabbed his face.
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  Speaker 2: Are you okay? She panted. I think so, Joseph said
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  Speaker 2: with a weary smile. The rain hadn't let up and
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  Speaker 2: the ground underneath them was flooding. Joseph pointed towards an
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  Speaker 2: opening in the mountain. Get to the caves, he yelled.
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  Speaker 2: Mary helped Joseph to his feet and put his arm
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  Speaker 2: around her shoulders. The two of them took the donkey
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  Speaker 2: and limped to a nearby cave. It wasn't warm or comfortable,
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  Speaker 2: but it was safe from the onslaught of wind and rain.
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  Speaker 2: As the rain intensified, the cave became a sanctuary, its
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  Speaker 2: walls muting the storm's roar. Inside, the dim light painted
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  Speaker 2: shadows that danced to the storm's song. Mary wrapped herself
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  Speaker 2: in the tattered remains of the blankets and settled down.
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  Speaker 2: Exhaustion was evident in her every movement. Joseph wrapped his
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  Speaker 2: arms around her, worried the worst wasn't over. An hour passed,
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  Speaker 2: and each moment seemed to last a lifetime. Amidst the
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  Speaker 2: storm's cacophony, Mary's voice began to sing a soft lullaby.
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  Speaker 2: She sang of hope, journeys, and love that endures. The
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  Speaker 2: cave amplified its healing notes. Joseph listened to her singing,
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  Speaker 2: lost in thought and affection for his wife. Then his
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  Speaker 2: memory flooded with images of the dream God had given him.
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  Speaker 2: He remembered hearing Mary's voice singing softly in a cave
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  Speaker 2: before he was swept up in water. Joseph's eyes widened
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  Speaker 2: and his ears perked up to the sound of rushing
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  Speaker 2: water behind them. Mary, he interrupted. We need to leave now.
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  Speaker 3: What's wrong?
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  Speaker 1: Mary asked.
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  Speaker 2: But before Joseph could respond, a flash flood of monsoon
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  Speaker 2: water began to burst through the opposite end of the cave.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph scooped Mary up in his arms and ran outside.
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  Speaker 2: The floodwaters burst through the cave behind them, nearly knocking
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  Speaker 2: them onto the jagged rocks. Joseph rounded the corner of
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  Speaker 2: the rocks and sprang up with Mary still in his arms.
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  Speaker 2: He got her to safety on the hill's summit and
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  Speaker 2: slid down to retrieve the donkey. He pulled at its reins,
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  Speaker 2: forcing it forward and onto the stones with them. Joseph
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  Speaker 2: wrapped himself over Mary, the only covering between her and
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  Speaker 2: the raging winds. Help us, Lord, Mary whimpered. The two
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  Speaker 2: prayed silently and held each other close, the sound of
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  Speaker 2: rushing water below them and howling winds above. The two
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  Speaker 2: prayed silently and held each other close, the sound of
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  Speaker 2: rushing water below them and howling winds above. The storm
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  Speaker 2: roared louder, as if sensing the challenge, but Mary and
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  Speaker 2: Joseph didn't lose hope. They continued in prayer and lifted
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  Speaker 2: up a shout of praise to God. Slowly but surely,
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  Speaker 2: the worst of the storm left. As dawn approached, the
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  Speaker 2: wind waned. The first rays of sunlight pierced the dark clouds.
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  Speaker 2: Outside the cave, the wilderness was transformed. Puddles shimmered like mirrors,
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  Speaker 2: reflecting the sky, and the fresh and invigorating air seemed
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  Speaker 2: to promise new beginnings. Joseph and Mary looked up. taking
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  Speaker 2: in the world reborn. The trials of their journey, though harsh,
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  Speaker 2: had also been transformative. Like the desert after the storm,
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  Speaker 2: they too were renewed. Their bond was stronger than ever.
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  Speaker 2: The storm had been a reminder of life's unpredictability and
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  Speaker 2: the enduring power of faith, love, and hope. Now, high
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  Speaker 2: in the sky, the sun cast its golden glow over
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  Speaker 2: the land, guiding Mary and Joseph onward. on their journey.
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  Speaker 2: Bethlehem was in sight. Their footsteps, though small in the
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  Speaker 2: vastness of the valley, were steps towards a future that
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  Speaker 2: would change the course of human history.
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  Speaker 3: The storms of life often come with little warning, leaving
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  Speaker 3: us to scramble for shelter, security, and sanity. As the
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  Speaker 3: winds whip and the rains pour, we may feel battered, broken,
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  Speaker 3: and defeated. But the storms we face in life are
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  Speaker 3: meant to strengthen us. Just as in the moving depiction
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  Speaker 3: of Mary and Joseph facing a literal storm on their
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  Speaker 3: way to Bethlehem, we're reminded that it is not the
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  Speaker 3: trials themselves, but how we respond to them that shapes
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  Speaker 3: our faith. In this biblical fiction, Joseph's wisdom and Mary's
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  Speaker 3: steadfast faith are anchors during their ordeal. The unexpected trials
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  Speaker 3: they endure magnified their trust in God and their love
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  Speaker 3: for one another. As we face our storms, let us
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  Speaker 3: also recognize the hand of God working in our lives,
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  Speaker 3: guiding us, strengthening us, and even using these challenges to
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  Speaker 3: transform us. In this story, Mary and Joseph's faith is tested. Yet,
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  Speaker 3: instead of succumbing to fear, they embrace the storm. The
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  Speaker 3: storms of life are inevitable. There is no avoiding hard times.
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  Speaker 3: The choice we have is how we endure them. Mary's words,
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  Speaker 3: storms may come, but they also pass, will weather this together.
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  Speaker 3: They speak of hope, resilience, and confidence in God's faithfulness.
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  Speaker 3: Paul echoes this in Philippians 1, verse 6, saying, being
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  Speaker 3: confident of this, that he who began a good work
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  Speaker 3: in you will carry it on to completion until the
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  Speaker 3: day of Christ Jesus. This promise encourages us to recognize
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  Speaker 3: that even the strongest storms will not thwart the work
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  Speaker 3: God wants to do in our lives. Throughout the harrowing experience,
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  Speaker 3: Joseph and Mary's bond is their greatest strength. They support
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  Speaker 3: and encourage each other, reflecting the importance of community in
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  Speaker 3: our own lives. In our walk with Christ, we need
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  Speaker 3: to surround ourselves with those who will lift us up,
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  Speaker 3: pray for us, and remind us of God's promises. Think
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  Speaker 3: for a moment about your fondest Christmas memories. I would
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  Speaker 3: guess that those memories rarely involve specific gifts you received,
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  Speaker 3: but rather the people you were surrounded by and the
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  Speaker 3: bond you shared. The Christmas season often reminds us that
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  Speaker 3: loving community is greater than the gifts we can receive.
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  Speaker 3: While the world relies on comfort and material possessions, we
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  Speaker 3: rely on the loving embrace of God, and the community
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  Speaker 3: He surrounds us with. This episode also highlights prayer and
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  Speaker 3: praise as a weapon against despair. Mary and Joseph's response
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  Speaker 3: to the crisis is marked by prayer and praise. They
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  Speaker 3: call upon the Lord and even shout praises amidst the
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  Speaker 3: raging storm. This illustrates a profound truth. Prayer and praise
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  Speaker 3: are powerful weapons in our spiritual arsenal. They shift our
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  Speaker 3: focus from the problem to the provider, from the storm
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  Speaker 3: to the Savior. After the storm, the wilderness is transformed,
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  Speaker 3: and so are Mary and Joseph. They emerge renewed, their
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  Speaker 3: bond stronger, their faith deepened. Similarly, the storms in our
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  Speaker 3: lives can lead to transformation. As we trust God through
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  Speaker 3: the trials, we are shaped into the likeness of Christ,
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  Speaker 3: our faith matures, and our character is refined. The storms
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  Speaker 3: we face are not meant to break us, but to
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  Speaker 3: build us. The story of Mary and Joseph on their
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  Speaker 3: journey to Bethlehem is a beautiful reminder that God's faithfulness
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  Speaker 3: is unchanging. His love is unending. And His purpose for
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  Speaker 3: our lives is unshakable. As we face the storms of life,
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  Speaker 3: may we take hold of the assurance found in Philippians 1,
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  Speaker 3: verse 6, knowing that God, who began a good work
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  Speaker 3: in us, will be faithful to complete it. May we
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  Speaker 3: embrace the challenges with faith, navigate them with the support
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  Speaker 3: of the community, respond with prayer and praise, and emerge
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  Speaker 3: renewed and transformed, ready to walk the path that God
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  Speaker 3: has set before us. Thanks for listening to today's Bible
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  Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
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  Speaker 3: your life. If you enjoy this podcast, share it with
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  Speaker 3: a difference in someone's life. And if you want more
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  Speaker 3: Christian living, be sure to visit JackGraham.org. God bless you.