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We gather here today with open hearts and minds To grow in faith and truth in every
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Every word we find the pages of the word alive and full of grace Inspiring faith with him as we seek his face Bible
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Bible bites In starting faith one bite at a time With every verse we find our way
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To live our lives in his life and shine.
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Welcome to Bible Bites, the podcast where we work to inspire faith.
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One bite at a time.
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I'm your host, Randy Black.
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Throughout the Bible, God's promises stand as unwavering pillars of hope
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Even when human circumstances seem impossible.
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In Genesis chapter 21, verses one through seven
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We witness the long-awaited birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah, a fulfillment of a divine promise given decades earlier
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Their journey reminds us that God's timing is perfect and his word never fails, even when our faith is stretched thin
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Today's episode is going to focus on the miraculous fulfillment of God's promise to Sarah, teaching us how trust
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Patience and divine faithfulness intertwine.
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As we do every episode
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Let's open up with a word of prayer.
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Heavenly Father, we come before you with hearts open to your word.
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Teach us today about your faithfulness through the story of Sarah and Isaac.
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Help us to see that even when when hope seems lost, your promises remain sure.
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Strengthen our faith to trust in your perfect timing and your sovereign plan for our lives.
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May this lesson in this episode draw us nearer to you
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and deepen our reliance on your steadfast love.
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In the name of your Son Jesus, we pray.
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Amen.
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Genesis chapter 21, verses 1 through 7.
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Then the Lord took note of Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah,
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as he had promised.
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So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.
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Abraham
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Named his son who was born to him, the son whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
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Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
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Now Abraham was a hundred years old.
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When his son Isaac was born to him, and Sarah said, God has made laughter for me.
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Everyone who hears will laugh with me.
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And she said, Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse?
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children yet I have given birth to a son in his old age the opening verse
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powerfully sets the tone.
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Then the Lord took note of Sarah as he had said.
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God's action is intentional and deliberate
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He had not forgotten Sarah, even though she had long since passed the age of childbearing.
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This phrase echoes throughout Scripture, where God remembers his people
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Not because he ever forgets, but because the time for his intervention has arrived
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This is a fulfillment of Genesis chapter 18, verse 10, where God promised that Sarah would have a son by this time next year.
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Sarah's conception and the birth of Isaac occurred at the appointed time.
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God's promises are never random or accidental.
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They are meticulously timed according to his sovereign plan.
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As Ecclesiastes 3.
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1 says, there is an appointed time for everything, and there is a time for every matter under heaven.
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This miraculous nature of Isaac's birth emphasizes that God's purposes are not thwarted by human limitations
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Sarah's physical inability to conceive served to magnify the power of God rather than diminish hope.
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Romans chapter 4, 19 through 21 speaks about Abraham's faith, saying, He did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.
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Abraham believed that what God had promised, he was also able to perform.
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Verse 3 in this piece of scripture shows
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Abraham naming his son Isaac, which means he laughs.
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This name is significant because it reflects both Sarah's initial laughter of disbelief from Genesis 1812
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and the joyful laughter that now erupts at God's miraculous provision.
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God's command to name the child Isaac was a constant reminder of the transformation from doubt to faith
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From sorrow to joy.
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In verse 4, we see a focus on Abraham's obedience in circumcising Isaac
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when he was eight days old, as God had previously commanded, in Genesis chapter seventeen, verse twelve.
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This act shows Abraham's continued faithfulness to God's covenant
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Obedience immediately following the receipt of a blessing demonstrates a heart truly aligned with God.
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Faith is not only believing in God's promises, but also walking in obedience to his instructions, a principle reinforced in James 2, verse 26.
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Which says, For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead
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Verse 5 here highlights that Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born, underlying the miraculous nature of the event
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In human terms, this was impossible.
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Yet, in God's hands, age and circumstances are irrelevant
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This truth encourages us to believe that no obstacle is too great for God to overcome when fulfilling his promises.
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Sarah's joyful exclamation in verses six and seven shows a heart overwhelmed by the goodness of God.
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God has made laughter for me, she says, indicating that the joy she now experiences will not be private.
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It will cause others to rejoice with her
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Her rhetorical question, Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children?
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emphasizes the improbability of the event, underscoring that it was only possible through divine intervention.
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Luke chapter 1, verse 37 echoes this truth when it says, for nothing will be impossible with God.
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We have five key takeaways from this scripture today.
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Our first is that God's promises are steadfast and certain
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God's promises do not expire with time or diminish because of our doubts.
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What He speaks, He will fulfill
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Even if years pass without visible evidence, God remains true to his word.
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Sarah's story is a testament that God's delays are not denials
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Next is that human limitations are opportunities for divine miracles
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Sarah's barrenness and advanced age were no hindrance to God.
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Instead, they served to highlight his power
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Our weaknesses, hardships, and limitations are opportunities for God to demonstrate His glory and for us to grow deeper in faith
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Our third takeaway is that faith requires both trust and obedience.
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Abraham did not merely believe God's promise.
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He acted on it through immediate obedience, such as circumcising Isaac.
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True faith leads to actions that align with God's commands, proving that trust is not passive, but is active.
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Our next takeaway is that God's fulfillment brings overwhelming joy.
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Sarah's laughter turned from skepticism to overwhelming joy.
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When God fulfills his promises, the results often exceed our expectations, and fills our hearts with praise and testimony that others can then share in
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Our last takeaway is that our testimonies inspire and strengthen others.
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Sarah's testimony was not only personal, but communal.
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Her experience of God's faithfulness caused others to rejoice with her.
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In the same way, when we share what God has done
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We build the faith of those around us and we glorify his name.
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When we consider our own lives,
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How many promises of God have we doubted because of our own human reasoning?
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Like Sarah, we may laugh in disbelief at the very idea of certain blessings coming true.
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thinking our age, condition, or situation is too far gone.
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But God's word remains true above our circumstances
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Isaiah 46.
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11 reassures us when it says, Indeed I have spoken, indeed I will bring it to pass, I have planned it, I will certainly do it.
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Furthermore, Sarah's story invites us to reflect on the importance of waiting on God without losing hope.
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Waiting can be painful and can be filled with uncertainty, but it is in the waiting that our faith is refined
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Psalms 2714 encourages us.
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Whenever it says, wait for the Lord.
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Be strong and let your heart take courage.
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Yes, wait for the Lord.
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God is never late.
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He is always perfectly on time.
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Obedience after receiving a blessing is another key point.
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Abraham did not slack in following God's command to circumcise Isaac.
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Similarly, when God fulfills promises in our lives, we must continue walking in faithful obedience
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Not becoming complacent, but maintaining a heart of gratitude and of reverence
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Lastly, the laughter that Sarah speaks of reminds us that God's blessings bring life, joy, and testimony to his goodness.
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Where there was once barrenness and mourning, there now is laughter and songs of praise.
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Our testimonies can become a source of encouragement
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and faith building for others, inspiring them to trust in God's miraculous power.
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Let's close out our study of the Scripture with a word of prayer.
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Father God in heaven, thank you for being the God who keeps every promise
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When we struggle to believe, you remain faithful.
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Teach us to wait patiently, to trust wholeheartedly, and to obey willingly
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Fill our lives with the laughter of fulfilled promises and the joy of seeing your mighty hand at work.
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Let our stories of your faithfulness encourage those around us and bring glory to your name.
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We give you all the praise.
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Honor and thanks in the mighty name of your Son Jesus.
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Amen
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On the next episode of Bible Bites, we're going to have our final look at Sarah.
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When we look at Sarah's laughter.
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And seeing that as the as giving us the ability to find joy in God's timing.
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Our main scripture that we'll focus on is Genesis chapter 18, verses 9 through 15.
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So please join us on the next episode of Bible Bites, the podcast where we work to inspire faith
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One bite at a time.
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Bible bites.
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Bible bites.
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In starting faith one bite at a time.
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We find our way to live our lives in his life and shine.
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Bubble bites, bubble bites, inspiring faith one bite at a time
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Enjoy this value for value worship track from Metro Life Worship.
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Everything you do.
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This is the Lord to win, and it's mine.
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Marvelous, marvelous, we see a hand moving.
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It's miraculous, miraculous.
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There is a wave coming, and it's breaking.
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And it's marvelous, marvelous in our eyes.
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Everything you do is perfect.
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You are awesome.
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Magnificent Everything you do, everything you do, everything you do is perfect, yay.
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I hear the chains breaking, and it's marvelous, marvelous, we're rising up again.
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Freedom is miraculous, miraculous.
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The promise of revival is breaking out over us.
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This is the Lord's
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Do it as marvelous, marvelous in our eye is that you are a man and a bigger
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Everything you do, everything you do, everything you do is perfect.
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You are awesome, God, you are in the
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Let's shout it, everything you do, everything you do, everything you do is perfect Alright you ready to sing tonight?
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There we go, let's say, you do all
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Can I hear you sing that say?
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Do all things well louder Say you do all Hey you do all things well He does all things well
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My father does all keep everything is new Everything is due to make well kids
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Can you all things well?
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Everything is everywhere.
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Jesus, you are comfortable.
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Everything I do Hey you are all so
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Everything you do, you do everything you do is perfect If you believe that tonight's with a shot
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Come on, double time it like this, here we go.
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Tell the Lord, you do all things, you do all things well
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Stay You do Yay Could you all kids all things well Could you all be best for the dance?
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Could you all think well?
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You do all things well You do all things well You do all things well
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Oh yes it does come on let's just dance one.
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Everything you do is perfect.