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We gather here today with open hearts and mind to grow in faith and truth.
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In every word we find the pages of the word alive and full of grace Inspiring faith with him as we seek his face by grace.
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Bible bites, Bible bites, starting faith one bite at a time.
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With every verse, we fight.
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Find our way to live our lives in his light and shine.
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Welcome to Bible Bites.
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I'm your host, Randy Black.
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The story of Jesus healing the invalid at the pool of Bethesda reveals Christ's compassion and power to restore both body and soul
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This miracle is more than just physical healing.
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It also addresses faith, responsibility, and transformation.
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The encounter between Jesus and this man, who had been suffering for 38 years, highlights God's ability to intervene in moments of hopelessness.
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As we explore the scripture, let's reflect on the themes of healing, grace, obedience, and the deeper invitation Jesus offers toward a life of faith.
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As we do each week, let's open up our study of the Scripture with a prayer.
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Heavenly Father.
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Thank you for the life-giving power found in your word.
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As we study the healing at the pool of Bethesda, open our hearts to recognize the areas where we need your touch.
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Strengthen our faith to trust in your timing and your grace
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Help us to embrace the healing you offer, both physically and spiritually, and respond with obedience to your will.
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Guide our thoughts and teach us today so that we may draw closer to you.
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In Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen.
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John chapter 5, verses 1 through 15.
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After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
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Now in Jerusalem, by the sheepgate, there is a pool which in Hebrew is called the Thesta, having five porticos.
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In these porticos lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, limping, or paralyzed.
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Now a man was there who had been ill for thirty eight years.
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Jesus, upon seeing this man laying there, and knowing that he had already been in that condition for a long time, said to him
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Do you want to get well?
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The sick man answered him, Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up
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Although I am coming, another steps down before me.
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Jesus said to him, Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.
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Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.
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Now it was
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But he answered them, The man who made me well was the one who said to me, Pick up your pallet and walk.
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They asked
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him, who is the man who said to you, pick it up and walk?
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But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place
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Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, Behold, you have become well.
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Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.
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The man went away and informed the Jews that it was Jesus
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who had made him well.
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This story unfolds at the pool of the of Bethesda, where many are gathered hoping for healing.
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The man Jesus heals has been suffering.
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for 38 years, and his condition symbolizes the long-term struggles that seem impossible to overcome
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His situation also reveals the challenges of hopelessness.
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He believed that without others' help, he could never reach the healing waters.
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Yet Jesus meets him precisely at his point of need, asking him, do you want to get well?
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This question emphasizes personal responsibility in embracing healing and change.
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The man's response shows his discouragement, explaining how others always outpaced him to the pool.
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However,
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Jesus does not focus on the pull or the man's excuses.
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Instead, with a simple command, get up, pick up your pallet, and walk.
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He instantly restores the man.
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This illustrates that God's power is not bound by traditions or systems.
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True healing comes from encountering Jesus, not from striving on our own.
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The timing of this miracle on the Sabbath triggers opposition from the religious leaders of the day
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Their focus on rules reveals a legalistic mindset that misses the heart of God's work.
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The healed man, unaware at first of Jesus' identity, is later reminded by Christ to live a transformed life.
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Do not sin anymore so that nothing worse happens to you
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This statement highlights the spiritual dimension of healing.
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Physical restoration must be accompanied by repentance and renewal
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Jesus' interaction with the invalid also challenges us to recognize his sovereign authority.
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The man did not initially seek Jesus, yet Christ took the initiative to heal him.
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This emphasizes that God's grace often comes unrequested, out of sheer mercy.
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The story in this scripture encourages us to respond with gratitude and obedience and embrace the new life that Jesus offers for us.
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Here are our key takeaways for this week's scripture.
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The first is that God's grace is not limited by time or circumstances.
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He meets us in our brokenness.
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The man at the pool of Bethesda had been suffering for 38 years, but this did not stop Jesus from healing him.
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Similarly, no matter how long we've been struggling, God's grace remains available to us.
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This scripture reminds us that we are never beyond his reach, even when hope seems lost.
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Jesus shows that he works in his own timing and often in ways we least expect
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Our next takeaway is that healing often requires a response, and Jesus invites us to embrace the changes that He brings.
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When Jesus told the man to get up, carry his pallet, and walk, the man had to act in obedience to receive his healing
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Sometimes God's work in our lives requires us to step out in faith and leave behind the familiar.
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Healing involves not only the restoration of our bodies or circumstances
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but also our willingness to change our own thinking and our behaviors.
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This encourages us to be active participants in the new life that God offers.
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rather than remaining passive in our struggles.
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Our third takeaway is that legalism can blind us to God's work
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that we must focus on his mercy and grace over rigid rules.
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The religious leaders of the day were so concerned with the Sabbath law
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that they failed to celebrate the miraculous healing.
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Legalism can cause us to overlook the work of God, especially when it doesn't fit our expectations or our traditions.
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Jesus teaches us that mercy and love take precedence over rules and regulations.
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We are invited to be open to God's movement.
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in unconventional ways, recognizing that his love transcends human systems
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Our fourth takeaway is that true healing includes spiritual renewal, that Jesus calls us to live differently after receiving his touch
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Jesus told this man to sin no more after he was healed, indicating that his restored life came with a new responsibility
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Physical healing or any other breakthrough is not an end in itself, but part of a larger transformation that God desires in us.
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Jesus invites us to pursue holiness, leaving behind patterns of sin that could harm us further.
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Real healing
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involves both body and soul, aligning our lives with God's will.
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Our last takeaway is that Jesus takes the initiative in our lives.
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He seeks us out even when we do not seek him.
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The man at the pool did not initially call out to Jesus, but Jesus approached him with compassion.
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This demonstrates God's initiative in our lives, working even when we feel unnoticed or unworthy.
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His grace comes to us unearned as a gift, reminding us that God is always reaching out to us.
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Our role is to recognize his presence and respond in faith, trusting that he is able to do what we cannot do on our own
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This story of this miracle challenges us to reflect on where we might need healing in our own lives.
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Are there areas where we feel stuck or discouraged, much like the man at the pool
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Jesus' question, do you want to get well?
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Is one we need to answer honestly.
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Sometimes healing involves more than physical restoration.
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It requires surrendering old mindsets and embracing new patterns of living
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Are we ready to respond to Jesus' invitation?
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The invalid had relied on others to help him reach the pool.
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But Jesus showed him that healing does not depend on circumstances or human assistance.
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This encourages us to trust in God's power even when we feel abandoned or overlooked.
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What are the poles in our own lives that we believe will bring healing or success?
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Are we relying more on those things than we are on Christ?
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Furthermore, the religious leader's reaction reminds us to avoid legalism and judgment
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Their concern about the Sabbath regulations prevented them from rejoicing in the miracle.
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We too can miss God's work when we focus on rules or expectations rather than on his mercy.
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Are there ways we need to shift our focus to better recognize what God is doing?
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And finally, Jesus' instruction to the man to sin no more points to a deeper purpose
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of his healing.
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When God restores us, it's not just for comfort, but is to empower us to live differently.
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Are there habits or sins we need to leave behind as we walk the new life Jesus offers?
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As we finished up our study of the scripture again, as we do each week, let's close that with a prayer
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Lord Jesus, thank you for the healing you offer, both physically and spiritually.
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Help us to respond with faith and obedience to your touch in our lives.
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Teach us to trust in your timing and provision
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Even when we feel stuck or hopeless, keep us from becoming entangled in legalism and open our eyes to see the miracles.
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that you are working around us.
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As you transform us, give us the strength to walk in newness of life, leaving behind the burdens of sin.
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May we live each day in gratitude for your grace.
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And in your holy name we pray.
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Amen.
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This podcast supports podcasting 2.
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Find your new app now at podcasting 2.
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org/slash apps.
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That's podcasting.
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Podcasting 2.
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org slash apps.
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This podcast operates under the value for value model, and we hope that
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We are providing value to you each week with the show through the research and the planning, the writing, the recording we do
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And that in turn you then would provide value back to us.
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And that can come in three different forms as we define them in this value-for-value model.
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And those forms are time, talent, or treasure.
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Time is as simple as taking the time to listen to the show and to share it with someone else.
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Talent will be reaching out to us and offering up something.
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You know, you can do cover art for episodes.
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You can present ideas for lessons.
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You can write scripture lessons, or even offering to be a part of the show and to record with us.
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And Treasure, obviously, by its name, is in uh the areas of financial support for us.
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It does cost money to produce the show.
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for the equipment and the hosting and things that that go into that.
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Uh and we have ways for you to do that.
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If you're listening in a modern podcast app, you can stream SATS to the show.
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You can send a boost or a booster gram to the show which includes SATS.
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Or you can go to our website, and on our website, there is a place there where you can support the show through PayPal
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If you want to learn more about the value for value model and how it is that we apply it to what we do here on Bible Bytes, you can head over to our website to read up on it
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You can get there by going to bible-bytes.
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com.
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That's B-Y-T-E-S, slash the letter V, the number four, the letter V.
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Again, that's Bible-bytes.
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com
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slash V4V.
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We hope that if you have a prayer request, you'll reach out to us via the prayer request form that's found on our website.
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So that we could take that prayer request, be it spoken or unspoken, share it with our audience and lift that up as a as a group together to the Lord to seek an answer from him.
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Um prayer request for this week.
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Again, uh, as I've said for the last several weeks, please continue to remember my father.
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Um, that is greatly appreciated.
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Uh remember me as I was going through these health issues.
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Today I reached out to my doctor after some time of contemplation and research, and there's a procedure that they're trying to schedule for me coming up, so remember that
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Uh a friend of the family who we mentioned on the show previously because of the health issues uh with his mother and they were having to take care of her and deal with um uh the Nance family.
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Greg Nance Greg has been
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Or is looking like he may have uh a diagnosis of cancer coming up as well, uh similar to my father actually.
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Uh but he's got testing and things to go through to look at that.
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Uh it's still early in the process, but we still want to pray for him and lift that up.
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And we need to continue to remember those folks who are affected by the storms of Helene and Milton that have taken place.
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And also remember this coming week as we make our way to
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the ballot box that we pray for the best outcome for the United States.
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If you're here in the United States, if you're somewhere else in the world, pray for us that we we get a leader, get someone into office who
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has somewhat of an idea of God's principles and can use that to help them govern um and make the way through their term in office.
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As we do each week, after our request, let's close out one more time in prayer.
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Heavenly Father, we thank you again for this chance
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the chance to share your word with others.
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We lift up these requests, requests for my father, myself, for Greg.
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For the folks who are affected by the storm and for the United States this week as the election begin is taking place on Tuesday.
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We know that you hold the answers to our prayers.
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You hold the answers to those requests, whether we speak them or not.
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And I know we have members of audience who have
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Not spoken requests, but do have them.
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Reach out and touch them just as you do the requests we've made of uh audible here on the show.
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We trust your wisdom in meeting those requests that you're going to give us an answer that fits your will.
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We continue this work each week.
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We strive to share your word in hopes that individuals who don't know you, who don't know your son, may accept him, your son Jesus, as their Savior.
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And that they would then be able to spend eternity in heaven with you and with Jesus and all of us who are saved.
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It is in Jesus' name that we pray.
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Amen.
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Next week on Bible Bikes, we're going to take a look at one of the largest miracles in number that Jesus did.
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And that's when Jesus fed 5,000 plus women and children.
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It is the only one of our miracles that we find in all four of the Gospels.
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That means we have a lot of scripture for next week.
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So if you want to go ahead and read through those and get an idea of where the story is, you can start out in Matthew.
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Chapter 14, verses 13 through 21.
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You can also read Mark chapter 6 verses 30 through 44.
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Luke chapter 9, verses 10 through 17, and John 6, verses 1 through 15.
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Join us next week for another episode of Bible Bites.
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Bible Bites Bible Bites Inspiring Faith one by that
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Which every verse we find our way to live our lives in his life and shine
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Bubble bikes, bubble bikes, inspiring faith one bite at a time.
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This podcast was produced at Johns Creek Studios in Milton, West Virginia.
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To learn more, head over to JohnsCreek Studios.
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com.
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John's Creek Studios, where podcast dreams come to life.