Today we'll conclude the book of Joshua with chapters 21 through 24. Just like Moses, Joshua closed his time of leadership with the Israelites with some powerful speeches. We'll learn that God was faithful to every word He promised them. Reading about God's faithfulness to the Israelites makes me think about Paul's words about Jesus in 2nd Corinthians: For all the promises of God, find their yes in him! What a Savior we serve!

Today's Scripture: Joshua 21-24

Verses Read or Referenced:

Joshua 21:43-45

Joshua 22:1-6, 21-27a, 30-34

Joshua 23:6-14

Joshua 24:2, 13-18, 31

2 Cor 1:20-22

**Did you catch our special Easter episode of Again with incredible author Patti Rokus? You can listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-again-podcast-for-christian-moms-encouragement-in/id1700555502?i=1000757474370

Or watch here: https://youtu.be/yhEcfdVf6tM

And catch her amazing Easter video here: https://youtu.be/LFhwEBLqMTM

Would you like to know more about this partnership we have with the Lord in our parenting? This quick episode explains how this study can guide moms, bless your church, and actually help the leaders! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-again-podcast-for-christian-moms-encouragement-in/id1700555502

Want a pretty printable reading plan? Find our free Bible-reading Resources here: www.entrustedministries.com/podcast

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

This is a dwelling place from Entrusted Ministries.

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I'm Stephanie Cocks, and today

we'll conclude the book of Joshua

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with chapters 21 through 24.

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Speaker 22: Just like Moses Joshua closed,

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Speaker 23: His time of

leadership with the Israelites

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with some powerful speeches.

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But let's begin first with

the end of Chapter 21.

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Thus, the Lord gave to Israel all the

land that he swore to give to their

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fathers, and they took possession

of it and they settled there and the

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Lord gave them rest on every side.

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Just as he had sworn to their fathers

now one of all their enemies had

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withstood them for the Lord had given

all their enemies into their hands.

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Now one word.

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Of all the good promises that

the Lord had made to the house of

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Israel had failed, all came to pass.

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God is completely faithful, but

we have to be careful to know

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the promises that he has made.

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We've already read that Abraham,

Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and even

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Moses, all died without getting

to experience the promised land.

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But if our focus remains on

abiding and dwelling with the Lord

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and delighting in his presence,

we will never be disappointed.

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Do you remember the trans Jordian tribes?

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Well, chapter 22 tells

us more about their story

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At that time, Joshua summoned the

Reubenites and the Gadites and the

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half Tribe of Manasseh and said

to them, you have kept all that.

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Moses, the servant of the Lord,

commanded you and have obeyed my

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voice in all that I commanded.

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You have not forsaken your brothers

these many days down to this day,

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but have been careful to keep

the charge of the Lord your God.

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And now the Lord your God has given rest

to your brothers as he promised them.

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Therefore, turn and go to your tents

in the land where your possession lies,

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which Moses the servant of the Lord gave

you on the other side of the Jordan.

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Only be very careful to observe the

commandment and the law that Moses,

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the servant of the Lord commanded you.

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To love the Lord your God, and to

walk in all his ways and to keep

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his commandments and to clinging

to him and to serve him with all

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your heart and with all your soul.

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So Joshua blessed them and sent them

away, and they went to their tents.

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I love that.

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Joshua used that word cling once

again, as he encouraged them to stay

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absolutely next to the Lord their God.

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These tribes head home to finally see

their families, but on the way they

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decide to make an altar of imposing size,

the other tribes hear about it and are

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deeply concerned that this apparent sin

will bring judgment upon all of them.

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They're prepared for a civil

war, and we get to see one of

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my favorite characters again.

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Phineas, who is known for his zeal and

desire for righteousness, selects a

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chief from every tribe and they go to

confront these trans jordian tribes.

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He tells them, what is this breach

of faith as he reminds them about the

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sin at Bal Peor and the sin of Aiken.

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But these tribes have a humble,

surprising response beginning in verse 22,

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they explain the mighty one

God, the Lord the mighty one.

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God, the Lord he knows.

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And let Israel itself know if

it was in rebellion or in breach

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of faith against the Lord.

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Do not spare us today for building

an altar to turn away from.

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Follow the Lord.

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Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings

or grain offerings or peace offerings on

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it, may the Lord himself take vengeance.

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No, but we did it from fear that in

time come your children might say

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to our children, what have you to

do with the Lord, the God of Israel.

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For the Lord has made the Jordan

a boundary between us and you.

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You people of Reuben and people of Gad.

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You have no portion in the Lord,

so your children might make our

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children cease to worship the Lord.

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Therefore, we said, let us now build an

altar, not for burnt offering, nor for

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sacrifice, but to be a witness between

us and you and between our generations

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after us, that we do perform the

service of the Lord in his presence.

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With our burnt offerings and

sacrifices and peace offerings,

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When Phia, the priest and the chiefs

of the congregation, the heads of

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the families of Israel who were

with him, heard the words that the

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people of Reuben and the people of

Gad and the people of Manassas spoke.

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It was good in their eyes.

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And Phineas, the son of Azar, the priests

said to the people of Reuben and the

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people of Gad and the people of Manasses

today, we know that the Lord is in our

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midst because you have not committed

this breach of faith against the Lord.

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Now you have delivered the people

of Israel from the hand of the Lord.

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Phineas brings back word of relief

to the other tribes, so they may

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know that this altar is a witness,

that the Lord is their God as well.

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He was reasonable and quick to listen,

and I love that he gives credit to

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God for bringing peace amongst them.

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Have you ever approached a truly difficult

situation or conflict and you thought,

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there's no way this is gonna go well,

but the Lord completely blesses you

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with peace and even brings restoration?

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I think that's how they feel here,

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and we're told that it's

a long time Afterward.

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In chapter 23, Joshua is

encouraging the Israelites.

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Therefore, be very

strong to keep and to do.

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All that is written in the

book of the Law of Moses.

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Turning aside from it, neither to the

right hand nor to the left, that you

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may not mix with these nations remaining

among you or make mention of the names.

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of their gods, or swear by them

or serve them or bow down to them.

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But you shall cling to the Lord your

God, just as you have done to this day.

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For the Lord has driven out before

you, great and strong nations.

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And as for you, no man has been able

to stand before you to this day.

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One man of you puts to flight a thousand

since it is the Lord your God, who

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fights for you just as he promised you.

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Be very careful, therefore,

to love the Lord your God.

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For if you turn back and clinging to

the remnant of these nations remaining

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among you and make marriages with them

so that you associate with them and they

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with you know, for certain that the Lord

your God will no longer drive out these

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nations before you, but they shall be

a snare and a trap for you, a whip on

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your sides and thorns in your eyes until

you perish from off this good ground

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that the Lord your God has given you.

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And now I'm about to go

the way of all the Earth.

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And you know, in your hearts and souls,

all of you, that not one word has failed.

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Of all the good things that the

Lord your God promised concerning

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you all have come to pass for you.

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Not one of them has failed.

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We hear this incredible

reality once again.

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God has been true to every word.

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But Joshua is calling Israel

to be faithful to the Lord.

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Even if we have a promise, we still

have to be faithful to do our part.

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And an Entrusted.

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Betsy talks a lot about this

partnership we have with God.

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Obviously, his part is much greater than

ours, but she reminds us of this freeing

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truth that God's part with our kids is

their salvation and their sanctification.

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As moms we're called to edify.

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And evangelize to them.

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We should be telling our children about

the gospel and about God's faithfulness,

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but we're not responsible for the fruit.

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So often we take that burden

upon ourselves, but scripture

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doesn't put it there.

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In chapter 24, Joshua does an incredible

job of summarizing the history of Israel

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and then beginning in verse 13,

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God reminds them I gave you a land on

which you had not labored, and cities that

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you had not built, and you dwell on them.

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You eat the fruit of vineyards and

olive orchards that you did not plant.

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And Joshua's charged to them.

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Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve

him in sincerity and in faithfulness.

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put away the gods that your

father served beyond the river

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and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.

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And if it is evil in your

eyes, to serve the Lord.

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Choose this day whom you will serve.

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Whether the gods your father served

in the region beyond the river.

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Or the gods of the am rights

in whose land you dwell.

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But as for me and my house,

we will serve the Lord.

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Then the people answered far be

it from us that we should forsake

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the Lord to serve other gods.

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For it is the Lord our God who brought

us and our fathers up from the land

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of Egypt, out of the house of slavery,

and who did those great signs in

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our sight and preserved us in all

the way that we went and among all

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the peoples through whom we passed.

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And the Lord drove out before

us, all the peoples the am

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rights who lived in the land.

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Therefore, we also will serve

the Lord for he is our God.

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And then Joshua challenges them.

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I don't think you are going to

serve the Lord, But they reaffirm.

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We really are.

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And verse 31 tells us they were

right because Israel served the

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Lord all the days of Joshua.

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And all the days of the elders who

outlived Joshua and had known all the

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work that the Lord did for Israel.

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In the next episode, we'll look

at the book of Judges and you'll

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get to see just how long this

clinging to the Lord remained

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Reading about God's faithfulness

to the Israelites makes me think

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about Paul's words about Jesus

in two Corinthians chapter one.

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For all the promises of

God, find their yes in him.

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That is why it is through him that we

utter our amen to God for his glory.

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And it is God who establishes us with

you in Christ and has anointed us and

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who has also put his seal on us and

given us his spirit in our hearts as a

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guarantee, as we celebrate Easter and

we think about all the ways that Jesus.

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Was rejected and beaten,

denied, and disbelieved.

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May we cling to him?

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No.

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Knowing that his presence is his

greatest promise And may the hope of

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seeing him face to face in glory spur

us on to faithfulness on this earth.

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Let's pray.

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Heavenly Father, we praise

you for your faithfulness.

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We're so encouraged that we have your word

to tell us exactly what you have promised.

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We ask that you would help us to

have an eternal perspective and

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that we would model for our kids.

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To not be discouraged by the

disappointments or inconveniences of

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this world, and we pray, we would

release any pressure that we feel

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that it's our job to save

or sanctify our kids.

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We thank you that that depends on you

and we ask you to be working in them.

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But help us to be faithful to

edify and evangelize to them.

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We pray for those family members

that don't know you, that this

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Easter would be the first that they

would acknowledge you as savior.

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You are a God of miracles and we

believe you can plow hard hearts

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and water the seeds that we plant.

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Thank you, Jesus, that you are the best

yes and amen that we could ever hope for.

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In your name we pray, amen.