Even in the Old Testament, the Lord graciously provided a way for the people's sin to be atoned for. On one day of the year, the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies. But he was required to go each year to sacrifice for the people. The blood of Jesus Christ is not the same! By it, Jesus paid the penalty for our sin once and for all! Nothing should make us rejoice more! May it transform the way we love and lead our families!

Today's Reading: Leviticus 14-16

Scripture Read:

Leviticus 16:7-10

Hebrews 9:1-7, 11-15a, 24-28

Find out more about Entrusted with a Child's Heart here: www.entrustedministries.com/studies

Commentaries Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

Welcome to The Dwelling Place

from Interested Ministries.

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I'm Stephanie Hickox.

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In today's reading, we're looking at

Leviticus 14 through 16, and chapter

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16 covers the most important day

of the year, the Day of Atonement.

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As we've been talking about the

Bible as we have it today, is the

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progressive revelation of God.

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And Hebrews tells us that

the Old Testament was a

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shadow of the things to come.

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After I talk a little bit more about

what the Day of Atonement entailed,

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I can't help but read how Jesus is a

better covenant and how he perfectly

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fulfills this role of high priest.

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So I'll be reading a portion from Hebrews.

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You might be thinking, okay,

but what are you gonna do

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when he gets you Hebrews girl?

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The hardest thing about doing this

is getting in all the information

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in under 10 minutes an episode.

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So I'm not worried about having

a little extra time when we

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do reach the book of Hebrews.

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Later on in Leviticus 14, God

continues to give provisions for those

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who cannot afford more, and he also

reveals that he cares about our bodies.

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He gave his people guidance to bless them.

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And there were commands to care

for their belongings as well.

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God led them in wisdom to prevent

them from spreading illness.

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Chapter 14 continues those

really detailed descriptions

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from chapter 13 about leprosy.

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This isn't the leprosy of today.

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That term would've covered

a lot of skin conditions.

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Something I learned from my aunt

Betsy, the founder of Entrusted

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Ministries, is that the Bible doesn't

often mention colors as descriptions.

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So when I saw reddish and greenish,

part of me wants to get excited

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and then I realize, oh, it's

talking about a skin infection.

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I think I'd rather read about the green

pastures the Lord has us laid down in

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When someone did receive confirmation

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that they were cleansed.

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There was a right of restoration.

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The priest was to carry out.

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Once the uncleaned person was

pronounced clean, they'd wash their

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clothes, shave, bathe, stay away

from their tent for seven days.

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John Nik writes that the appearance

of one following this Ritual would've

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been a dramatic pronouncement

that his life was made new.

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I love that thought that

they would've had a physical

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declaration of, look, God healed me

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and it inspires me.

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How am I being vocal and sharing the

testimonies of the Lord in my life?

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In Jesus's ministry,

he did cleanse lepers.

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He knew that his power was able

to heal anything, and he's the

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God who belongs to John Deer.

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So it just wouldn't stop him

from restoring his people.

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Chapter 15 is all about

guidelines for bodily discharges.

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It can be confusing and make your

wheels turn, and I went down a few

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rabbit trails reading about this

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part of me wishes that there

would still be a little break in

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society for certain dates on the

calendar, if you know what I mean.

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It might be nice to have a little less

on your schedule during that time.

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And thankfully, God did not require a

sacrifice because regular maintenance

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for it Is already way too much

of an investment, in my opinion.

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Now let's talk about the Day of Atonement.

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Even when the Nation of Israel

was following all of God's

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guidelines, there were sure to be

sins that were left on confessed.

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And on this one day of the year, God laid

out a specific process for the high priest

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to come before him and even into the Holy

of Holies, to atone for the people's sin.

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This was the holiest day of the

year for them, and it's the only day

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that they were commanded to fast on.

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In a way, it's the Old Testament

version of Good Friday, except.

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We honor Good Friday as the once and

for all sacrifice that only needed

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to occur one time, but the Day of

Atonement would've happened annually.

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According to our calendar, it falls

between late September and early October.

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My Moody commentary clarifies that

sins were expiated but not propitiated.

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The propitiation awaited the

final sacrifice of Messiah.

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Who could offer himself without

blemish as high priest in sacrifice.

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It is in this sense that the

blood of bulls and goats could

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never fully deal with human sin.

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If they could, Messiah

would not have had to die.

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The blood of the animals

was a temporary solution.

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God received it knowing that one day a

permanent solution would be sacrificed.

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The term scapegoat comes from a

practice that would've occurred

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on this day of atonement.

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Let's look at that now.

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In chapter 16, beginning in verse

seven, then he shall take the two

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goats and set them before the Lord at

the entrance of the tent of meeting.

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And Aaron shall cast lots over

the two goats, one lot for the

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Lord and the other lot for Azazel.

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And Aaron shall present the goat

on which the lot fell for the

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Lord and use it as a sin offering.

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But the lot on which the lot fell

for Azazel shall be presented alive

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before the Lord to make atonement

over it, that it may be sent away

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into the wilderness to Azazel.

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Aaron or the high priest at the time

would've put both hands on the head

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of the goat and confessed all the

transgressions of the Israelites.

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This could have taken a long time.

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I don't know how patient

the goat would've been.

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But my kids are fond of looking up

screaming goat videos, and I hope

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that it was more peaceful than that.

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You might be wondering, who is Azazel?

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It's capitalized.

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Some suggest that this was a

wilderness dwelling demon, but

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since Leviticus prohibits offerings

to demons, it just doesn't seem

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to be consistent with scripture.

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Other ways to translate as azel are

complete destruction or rocky precipice.

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some traditions suggest that the

goat would've been led to a mountain

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and pushed off of a rocky precipice,

and the Moody Commentary believes

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that this is most likely because

it would've been so definitive in

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the minds of the people watching

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and then we read that Aaron

was allowed to go through the

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veil into the Holy of Holies.

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There was a curtain that divided

these two sacred rooms, the holy

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place from the most holy place.

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And even though God was coming down

to dwell with his people, this veils

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symbolized that the people were

separated from God because of sin.

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When Jesus died on the cross, the

veil and the temple was torn in two.

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And if this tear was a result of

a human action, it would've begun

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from the bottom, but when Jesus

died, it tore from top to bottom.

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It was done by God himself

telling us it is finished.

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I no longer need to be separate

from you because the payment

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for your sins has been paid.

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I always wonder about those

serving in the temple.

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What did they think when this happened?

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Didn't they realize that

Jesus was the son of God?

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Let's look at Hebrews nine.

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I wanna make sure that we know

exactly where to find the claims

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that we make about Christianity.

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First one begins.

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Now, even the first covenant had

regulations for worship and an earthly

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place of holiness for a tent was prepared.

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The first section in which were the

lampstand and the table on the bread of

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the presence, it is called the Holy Place.

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Behind the second curtain, was a second

section called the Most Holy Place.

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Having the golden altar of incense

and the arc of the covenant covered

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on all sides with gold in which was

a golden urn holding the manna and

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Aaron staff that butted and the tablets

of the covenant above it, where

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the chair Bim of glory overshadowing

the mercy seat of these things.

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We cannot now speak in detail.

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These preparations, having thus been made,

the priests go regularly into the first

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section performing their ritual duties.

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But into the second, only the high priest

goes and he, but once a year and not

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without taking blood, which he offers

for himself and for the unintentional

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sins of the people And in verse 11,

but when Christ appeared as a high

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priest of the good things that have

come, then through the greater and more

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perfect tent, not made with hands that

is not of this creation, he entered

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once for all into the holy places,

not by means of the blood of goats and

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calves, but by means of his own blood,

thus securing an eternal redemption.

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For if the blood of goats and bulls and

the sprinkling of defiled persons with

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the ashes of a heifer sanctify for the

purification of the flesh, how much more

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will the blood of Christ who through the

eternal spirit, offered himself without

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blemish to God, purify our conscience

from dead works to serve the living God.

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Therefore, he is the mediator of a new

covenant, so that those who are called may

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receive the promised eternal inheritance.

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And in verse 24, for Christ has entered

not into the holy places, made with hands,

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which are copies of the true things,

but into heaven itself now to appear

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in the presence of God on our behalf.

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Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly as

the high priest enters the holy places

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every year with blood, not his own.

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For then he would've had to

suffer repeatedly since the

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foundation of the world.

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But as it is, he has appeared once for

all at the end of the ages to put away

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sin by the sacrifice of himself and

just as it is appointed for man to die.

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Once and after that comes judgment.

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So Christ having been offered

once to bear the sins of many will

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appear a second time not to

deal with sin, but to save those

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who are eagerly waiting for him.

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Jesus.

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We do eagerly await your coming.

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We thank you for the hope we have

in you As we read about those being

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cleansed and giving a public testimony.

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I pray that we also would be quick to

share how you're moving in our lives

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I pray for those moms and the families

that are facing sickness right now.

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Strengthen them to care well for their

families and provide healing, but

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please provide rest for the moms

that work so hard to love their kids.

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As we read about your detailed

instructions about cleansing homes and

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bodies, we ask you would help us to be

faithful to steward what we have And

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ultimately, Lord, help us to walk

selflessly as you did Jesus, that we

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will lay down our desires for your glory

and that our kids would do that as well.

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Sometimes as moms, it seems

the more we sacrifice for our

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kids, the more they expect us to.

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So God, would you please guide us

and mold their hearts that they

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would be willing to lay down their

flesh and their sinful natures to

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serve others and to please you.

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And I pray that they would

long to see you face to face.

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It's in your name we pray Jesus.

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Amen.