Latest / Voices Of Life / America After 250 - Community and Civic Life — Micah 6:8

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America After 250 - Community and Civic Life — Micah 6:8 · Voices Of Life

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Welcome to America After 250, a journey through
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scripture, history, and the future of our nation.
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Your host, Pastor David, guides us through the
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moments that shape America's next chapter and
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the biblical truths that anchor our lives today.
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This is America After 250. Welcome to Voices
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of Life, a ministry of the Church for Life. I'm
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Pastor David. Voices of Life is where faith,
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history, and the future of America meet. Today,
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in week 8 of America After 250, we explore the
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heart of community, the strength of civic life,
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and the calling God places on His people to shape
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the world right outside their front door. Our
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scripture today is Micah 6, verse 8. He has shown
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you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord
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require you but to do justly? to love mercy,
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and to walk humbly with your God. Lord, bless
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this hour, bless our communities, bless our civic
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life, and bless every listener who desires to
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live out your justice, your mercy, and your humility.
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Amen. So 250 years after America's founding,
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the strength of our nation is still found in
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communities. Not in Washington, not in state
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capitals, but in neighborhoods, schools, churches,
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and everyday places where people gather. America's
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future will not be decided only by national debates,
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but by the character of its communities and the
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believers who serve within them. Micah 6 verse
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8 is not a suggestion, it is a civic mandate
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for God's people. To do justly means We bring
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fairness, integrity, and righteousness into the
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public square. To love mercy means we treat our
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neighbors with compassion, patience, and grace
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even when culture grows harsh. To walk humbly
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means we serve without pride, lead without arrogance,
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and influence without demanding applause. This
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is the believer's civic calling. This is how.
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Faith shapes community life. Our guided reflections
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is justice in daily life, mercy in relationships,
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and humility in leadership. As America enters
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its next chapter, five pillars will define strong
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God -centered communities. The first one is justice
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practiced publicly, fairness, honesty, moral
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clarity. The second one is mercy extended generously.
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compassion that heals division. Number three
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is humility and leadership, serving without self
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-promotion. Sometimes that's also called servant
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leadership. Number four, civic responsibility,
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showing up, participating, contributing, not
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just standing back and watching. And finally,
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number five, neighborly love, building bonds
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that strengthen the nation. These pillars are
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not political strategies. They are spiritual
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foundations. You know, we have a crisis in America
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because we have some disconnected communities.
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And it's a very quiet crisis, this disconnection.
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People feel isolated, neighbors barely know each
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other, and civic participation is declining.
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But scripture teaches that God places his people
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and communities on purpose. We are not called
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to withdraw. We are called to engage, to build,
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to restore, and to present. The cure for disconnected
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communities is connected believers. Imagine an
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America where believers lead the way in rebuilding
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civic life. Where churches adopt... neighborhoods
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where families serve together, where believers
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show up to school boards, town halls, and community
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meetings, not to argue, but to bring wisdom,
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peace, and clarity. Where justice is lived, mercy
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is practiced, and humility is visible. This is
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not idealistic. This is biblical. This is Micah
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6 verse 8 in motion. So today we declare America's
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communities will rise again. Believers will bring
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justice where there is confusion. Mercy where
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there is division and humility where there is
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pride. The future of America begins in places
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where we live, serve, and love our neighbors.
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This is our calling. This is our work that God
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has placed before us. Micah 6 verse 8 is more
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than a verse. It is a blueprint for community
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life in America's next chapter. So Micah 6 verse
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8 is not only a national calling, it is a daily
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practice. Justice is not... just a courtroom
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word mercy is not just a church word and humility
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is not just a character word these are community
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building actions that believers carry into grocery
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stores schools workplaces neighborhoods and civic
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spaces micah 6 verse 8 is how faith becomes visible
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we look at the reflections justice as a lifestyle
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mercy is a habit humility as influence and then
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The community table where civic life begins.
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Every strong community has a table, a place where
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people gather, talk, share, and build trust.
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In the older days, it was the church. It grew
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to community centers and even civic centers.
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For some, it's a literal table, a kitchen table,
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a church fellowship hall. a community center.
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For others, it's a digital table, a group chat,
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a neighborhood app, a shared project. But the
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principle is the same. Civic life begins where
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people sit together. Believers must be present
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at the table, not dominating it, not withdrawing
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from it, but shaping it with justice, mercy,
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and humility. And that requires participation,
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not just to sit back and listen. You need to
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add your part. Your part's important. Your view
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is important. Your view may differ from other
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people's views, and that's okay. As long as at
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the end of the day we can agree to disagree on
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things, fine, or we can agree to agree on things.
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But we communicate. That's the foundation of
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civic trust. Justice is the backbone of community
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trust. When people believe fairness is present,
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they participate. They contribute. They show
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up. Biblical justice is not political activism.
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It is moral clarity. It is integrity in action.
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It is treating people with dignity God gave them.
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Justice is how believers stabilize civic life.
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Biblical justice can be explained. Justice in
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the community leadership. Those are important
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things to do. Now we turn to mercy, the healing
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agent of community life. Communities break down
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when people stop forgiving. when they stop listening
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when they stop showing compassion mercy is not
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weakness mercy is strength under control mercy
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is believers way of saying i will not let bitterness
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shape this community mercy restores relationships
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mercy rebuilds trust mercy softens hardened hearts
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it's a mercy that restores and a mercy in conflict
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humility is the leadership america needs Not
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loud leadership, not self -promoting leadership,
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not spotlight -seeking leadership. It's the humility
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and leadership that listens, that serves, and
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elevates others. We were talking about servant
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leadership earlier. Humility is not thinking
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less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself
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less. When believers lead with humility, communities
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flourish. Humility... In civic leadership, servant
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leadership, principles, these are all important.
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Every believer carries a civic toolkit. Not made
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of metal, but made of virtues. Here are five
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tools God places in our hands. First, and so
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important one, discernment. Seeing clearly in
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confusing times. Getting away from all the noise.
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Patience. Slow down enough to understand. Take
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that time. Courage. Speaking with truth and grace
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and the importance of you speaking up, even if
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what you're going to say contradicts what other
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people are saying. Compassion. Entering another's
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experience. Getting to get the feel of what they
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went through. and here is something that is very
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important for all of us and everything we do
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every single day consistency showing up again
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and again doing the things the way they're meant
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to be done being fair to others and treating
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everybody with that same respect these are tools
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that build strong communities and strengthen
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civic lives as america moves beyond 250 years
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Its future will depend on the health of its communities.
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Not the size of its cities, not the wealth of
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its institutions, but the strength of relationships.
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Believers must be the architects of community
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renewal. We must model justice, practice mercy,
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and walk humbly. This is how America heals. This
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is how America grows. This is how America continues.
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So today we declare, believers will rebuild America's
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civic life. We will bring justice where there
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is confusion. We will bring mercy where there
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is division. We will bring humility where there
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is pride. We will be present. We will be faithful.
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We will be community builders. We will be present.
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We will be faithful. We will be community builders
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in the name of Jesus. Let's talk now about the
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neighborhood mandate. America is built on neighborhoods,
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not just streets and houses, but the relationships,
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the shared spaces, the daily interactions that
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shape community culture. Micah 6 verse 8 becomes
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real when believers live it right where they
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live. Neighborhood ministry, faith, and daily
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interactions, community presence. Intentional
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presence is one of those powerful tools God gives
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his people. You do not have to be loud to be
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influential. You do not have to be famous to
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be impartial. You do not have to be in office
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to shape civic life. You simply have to be present.
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Present in conversations, present in needs, present
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in moments when God opens a door for justice,
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mercy, or humility. Presence is ministry. Presence
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is influence. Presence is leadership. Think about
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how presence builds trust and spiritual influence
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is explained. Justice begins at the neighborhood
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level. It looks like fairness in how we treat
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people, integrity in how we speak, and honesty
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in how we conduct ourselves. We all make mistakes.
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We have to learn to forgive ourselves, and maybe
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others will forgive us too. And we can start
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again. Justice is not only about systems, it
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is about personal righteousness. that strengthens
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community life. When believers practice justice
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in their neighborhoods, they become anchors of
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stability in a culture that often feels unstable.
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Justice in everyday life, righteous influence,
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two very important things. That brings us to
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what we spoke about earlier, mercy. Mercy is
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the glue that holds neighborhoods together. Mercy
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listens, mercy forgives. Mercy slows down. Mercy
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sees people as God sees them. Communities fracture
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when mercy disappears, but they heal when mercy
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returns. Believers must be the first to extend
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mercy and the last to withdraw it. Because mercy
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heals, mercy works in community conflict. We
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also spoke about humility. Humility is the posture.
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That opens doors people trust humble leaders
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people listen to humble voices people follow
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humble examples Humility is not weakness. It
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is strength under God's control when believers
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walk humbly in their neighborhoods we become
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bridges peacemakers and stabilizers of civic
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life Your neighborhood is not an accident. It
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is a mission field God places his people strategically,
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not randomly. Every street, every home, every
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neighbor is part of your spiritual assignment.
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Even if you've moved a lot, those reassignments
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are just as important. You become the pastor
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of your block. You are the ambassador of Christ
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in your cul -de -sac, your apartment building,
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your community. This is not pressure, it is purpose.
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This is local mission strategy and community
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evangelism. Let's get practical. Here are five
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ways believers transform neighborhoods into Micah
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6 verse 8 living. Consistent presence, showing
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up regularly. If there's civic meetings or community
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meetings, get involved. Listening, leadership,
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hearing before speaking, really taking their
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words and thinking about it. before responding
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or interrupting them. Service initiatives. Meeting
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real needs. What are they really asking? Bridge
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building conversations. Connecting across differences.
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We can all have differences in the way we live,
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things we believe, but we should be able to do
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some kind of connection in our beliefs and still
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respect the other's belief that may be different
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from ours. And finally, Prayer over the neighborhood
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spiritual covering. It's it's so important for
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neighbors to be together spiritually pray together
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when possible and have commonalities in the neighborhood
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that are that they're building these actions
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reshape civic life From the ground up if America
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is going to experience revival. It will begin
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in neighborhoods It will not be in stadiums.
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It will not be at conferences or political arenas,
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commission chambers, state legislatures, but
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in everyday places where believers live out Micah
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6 verse 8. Neighborhood revival becomes community
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revival. Community revival becomes city revival.
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And city revival becomes national revival. We
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used to have a saying that international starts
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at local. National starts at local. It does.
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This is how America is renewed. So today we declare
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neighborhoods across America will awaken. Believers
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will bring justice to their streets, mercy to
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their relationships, and humility to their leadership.
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We will be present. We will be faithful. We will
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be ambassadors of Christ in places God has planted
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us. Let's look in our final segment. Believers
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across America need to live by Micah 6 verse
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8 is not a slogan. It is a motto. It is not a
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theme. Micah 6 verse 8 is a lifestyle, a way
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of living that shapes families, neighborhoods,
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communities, cities, and ultimately the nation.
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America's future depends on believers who live
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justice, love mercy, and walk humbly as their
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daily civic identity. Justice is as an identity.
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Mercy is a culture. Humility is a posture. Those
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are the premises that God puts before you. Micah
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6 verse 8 creates a rhythm. A three -fold pattern
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that renews civic life. Justice stabilizes the
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nation. Mercy softens the nation. And humility
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guides the nation. When these three virtues rise,
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division decreases. And we have a lot of division
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in this country. Most of it's political. Trust
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increases and communities will begin to heal.
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This is not theory. This is scripture. This is
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God's design for civic life. Think about how
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justice stabilizes community, how mercy and social
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healing works, and humility in the national leadership.
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You want our leaders to be servant leaders. We
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may not like our leaders. We may disagree with
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things our leaders say. But are they serving
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us? Are the actions that they're doing helping
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us? If they are, we need to acknowledge that.
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Now, if they're not, we need to speak up. America's
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next chapter will not be written by political
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parties or cultural movements or even national
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institutions. It will be written by believers
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who live out Micah 6 verse 8 in the places God
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has planted them. Your role matters, your presence
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matters, and your influence. You are part of
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America's renewal story. You are the part of
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healing God wants to bring. You are part of the
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civic future that will shape the next generation.
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Believers have civic influence. Faith shaping
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culture. Because your faith can shape somebody
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who needs or is looking for guidance. Justice
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must become America's national standard. Not
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selective justice, not political justice, not
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emotional justice, but biblical justice rooted
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in righteousness and truth. But biblical justice
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rooted in righteousness and truth. Justice is
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the believer's responsibility because justice
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reflects God's character. When believers practice
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justice, they elevate the moral tone of the nation.
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Think about the biblical justice principles and
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justice and righteousness. What does that mean
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to you? How do you affect that with your neighbor,
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your friends, your family? Mercy must become
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America's national language. A nation without
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mercy becomes harsh. A nation without mercy becomes
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divided, which we are. A nation without mercy
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becomes cold. But it does take two sides for
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mercy to work. It can't just work on one side
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and not being done by the other. But mercy warms
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communities, heals relationships, and restores
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trust. Believers must speak mercy in culture
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that often speaks accusation. Mercy can be used
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in communication. Mercy should be used in reconciliation.
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And then humility must become America's national
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posture. Humility listens, humility learns, and
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humility leads with grace. Humility is the antidote
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to pride. arrogance and division. When believers
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walk humbly, they model the kind of leadership
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America desperately needs. So the humility as
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a civic posture and servant leadership in society,
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those are so important today. Let's speak this
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as a covenant, a declaration over our lives,
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over our nation. We will do justly. we will live
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with integrity we will stand for righteousness
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we will love mercy we will forgive quickly we
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will show compassion freely we will walk humbly
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we will serve faithfully we will lead quietly
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this is our covenant this is our calling this
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is our contribution to america's next 250 years
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i see in america where communities are strong
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where civic life is healthy where believers are
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present and where micah 6 verse 8 is lived from
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coast to coast i see neighborhoods restored cities
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renewed and families strengthened i see believers
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leading with justice serving with mercy and walking
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with humility in every sphere of influence this
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is the prophetic vision So today we declare Micah
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6 verse 8 will shape America's future. Believers
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will rise with justice. Believers will walk in
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mercy. Believers will lead with humility. We
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will be present. We will be faithful. We will
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be community builders, cultural shapers, and
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carriers of God's character into civic life.
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Let us close this week in prayer. Father, we
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come before you with grateful hearts. You have
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called us to do justly, to love mercy, and to
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walk humbly with you. Today we ask that these
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words from Micah 6 verse 8 become the rhythm
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of our lives, the posture of our hearts, and
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the identity of our communities. Lord, strengthen
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every listener, empower every believer, guide
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every neighborhood with your wisdom. leadership
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and integrity. Let justice rise. Let mercy flow.
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And let humility lead us as we step into America's
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next chapter. We dedicate our families, our communities,
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and our nation to your purpose and to your glory.
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In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for joining us
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on week eight of America After 250. The story
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continues. Micah 6 verse 8 is more than a verse.
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It is a blueprint for America's civic renewal.
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Join us next week when we continue the journey
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into week 9. Until then, walk with courage, always
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seek the light, and make sure you and your family
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are safe and secure. I'm Pastor David. May faith
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guide your steps, purpose shape your work, and
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scripture lead your life. Join us again for the
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next broadcast.