#64. Joshua 17-20 | Jesus and Joshua: Examples of Servant Leadership

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This is the Dwelling Place

from Entrusted Ministries.

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And I'm Stephanie Hickox.

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I know it's Easter week and I might

feel a little bit odd to continue on our

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normal chronological plan when we want

to give special attention to Christ.

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I'm fully aware of that, but as I

was pulling some different moms.

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They encouraged me to continue

with the normal reading schedule

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and point to Christ as much as

possible so we don't lose momentum.

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I know you're busy doing all the

things plus the extras that Easter

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brings, but I hope that you can

continue listening to God's word

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let's be honest.

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Today's reading of Joshua 21

through 24 is a little bit drier.

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It's all geography and land

allotments, but God has a purpose

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for every word in scripture.

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Let's press in to learn what even

surveying and land apportioning can

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tell us about the character of God.

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Whenever I see these large portions

of scripture that are genealogies or

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geography or lists or details, what

I feel resoundingly is this is real.

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This really happened.

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If someone were making up a religion,

would it have so much detail?

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I mean, don't you think that God knew

that these portions of scripture might

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not feel as riveting or encouraging

or practical as other portions,

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but he has a purpose for all of it.

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It gives us historical detail.

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And provides the basis to confirm

so many archeological discoveries

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every word will accomplish his purposes.

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Geography matters.

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Most of the wars that have occurred

in history have been caused by someone

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trying to take over a territory or trying

to win back a territory but amidst all

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of these land allotments, I'm going

to share some verses that stood out

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to me, chapter 17 verses 12 and 13.

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Yet the people of Manassa could

not take possession of those

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cities, but the Canaanites

persisted in dwelling in that land.

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Now, when the people of Israel grew

strong, they put the Canaanites to force

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labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

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There is definitely foreshadowing going

on here of what's to come and in 17, 17

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through 18 then Joshua said to the house

of Joseph, to Rai and Vanessa, you are

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a numerous people and have great power.

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You shall not have one allotment only,

but the hill country shall be yours.

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For though it is a forest, you shall clear

it and possess it to its farthest borders.

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for you shall drive out the Canaanites.

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Though they have chariots of iron and

though they are strong, we can do

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hard things in the Lord's strength.

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When God has called you to something,

don't hold back because you see that

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opposition Most often I find there is

opposition to what God is calling me to.

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And nothing that has been

worth it has ever been easy

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in chapter 18.

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Then the whole congregation of the

people of Israel assembled up Shiloh

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and set up the tentative meeting there,

the land lay subdued before them.

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There remained among the people of

Israel, seven tribes whose inheritance

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had not yet been apportioned.

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So Joshua said to the people of

Israel, how long will you put off going

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in to take possession of the land?

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Which the Lord, the God of

your fathers has given you.

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Provide three men from each tribe and

I will send them out that they may

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set out and go up and down the land.

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They shall write a description

of it with a view to their

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inheritances, and then come to me.

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They shall divide it into seven portions.

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Judas shall continue in his territory on

the south, and the house of Joseph shall

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continue in their territory on the north.

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And you shall describe the

land in seven divisions.

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And bring the description here

to me and I will cast lots for

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you here before the Lord our God.

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The Levites have no portion

among you for the priesthood

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of the Lord is their heritage.

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And Gad and Ruben and the half tribe of

Manasses have received their inheritance

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beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses

the servant of the Lord gave them.

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So the men, a Rosen went and Joshua

charged those who went to write the

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description of the land, saying, go

up and down in the land and write

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a description and return to me.

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And I will cast lots for you

here before the Lord in Shiloh.

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So the men went up and passed up

and down in the land and wrote

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in a book, a description of it

by towns and seven divisions.

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Then they came to Joshua, to the

camp at Shiloh and Joshua, cast lots

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for them and Shiloh before the Lord.

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And there Joshua apportioned the land to

the people of Israel to each his portion.

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This is so fair and reasonable, isn't it?

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And this is a really simplistic mom

analogy, but if I had something to divide

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amongst my four kids and I divided it

into four equal pieces, it makes me think

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of making sure that they agree that each

piece is good before I let them pick.

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Which they get.

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And Joshua is sending

someone from each tribe.

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They're all describing the land so none

of the tribes gets to grumble and complain

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later on because each of their tribes

had representatives in the process.

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In chapter 18, It talks about Shiloh.

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Shiloh was about 20 miles north of

Jerusalem for several centuries.

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It would be where the tabernacle

was set up and where the arc

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of the covenant would remain

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In 19 nine, it's explained why Simeon

has a chunk of land right in the middle

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of Judas, and it's always amazing

to me how even though the name of

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Jesus is not written in these pages

of Joshua and today's reading, I

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saw a selfless example of leadership

that certainly pointed to Christ.

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It's God's kindness that continues to

reveal that all the promises of scripture.

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Our Yes and amen in Jesus Christ.

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In chapter 1949 through 50, were told when

they had finished distributing the several

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territories of the land as inheritances,

the people of Israel gave an inheritance

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among them to Joshua, the son of none.

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By command of the Lord, they

gave him the city that he asked.

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Tim Nth rah in the hill country of Eum,

and he rebuilt the city and settled in it.

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It says when they finished distributing

the land, this means Joshua was the

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last to receive his land inheritance.

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Instead of using his position of

leadership to secure the best, the most

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lush and fruitful, he waits till the very

end making sure that all of the tribes

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are faithful in what God called them to.

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And I can't help but think of our servant

leader, Jesus Christ, particularly on

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Easter week and the night before he died,

when he was preparing the last supper.

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And preparing to make the greatest

sacrifice anyone could ever make,

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let's hear exactly what he did in John

chapter 13, beginning in verse one.

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Now before the feast of the Passover,

when Jesus knew that his hour had come to

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depart out of this swirl to the father.

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Having loved his own who were in the

world, he loved them to the end During

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supper, when the devil had already

put it into the heart of Judases

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Chariot, Simon's son, to betray him.

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Jesus, knowing that the father had

given all things into his hands and

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that he had come from God and was going

back to God, rose from supper, he laid

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aside his outer garments and taking

a towel, tied it around his waist.

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Then he poured water into a basin

and began to wash the disciple's

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feet and to wipe them with the

towel that was wrapped around him.

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He came to Simon Peter who said

to him, Lord, do you wash my feet?

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Jesus answered him.

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What I am doing, you do not understand

now, but afterward you will understand.

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Peter said to him, you

shall never wash my feet.

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Jesus answered him.

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If I do not wash you, You

have no share with me.

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Simon Peter said to him, Lord, not my

feet only, but also my hands and my head.

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Jesus said to him, the one who has bathed

does not need to wash except for his

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feet, but is completely clean and you

are clean, but not every one of you.

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For he knew who was to betray him.

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That was why he said,

not all of you are clean.

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Our Lord knew that Judas was

going to betray him in just a

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few short moments, but he still

served him and washed his feet.

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He was a servant leader in every

sense and at every opportunity,

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and because we know that God is the

same yesterday, today, and forever.

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I see Joshua falling in his example, but

also that God giving the people all of

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this land that he promised them, even

though he knows they're going to follow

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after Canaanite idols and false gods,

but God doesn't withhold his blessing.

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He gives them the opportunity

to stay faithful to him.

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And when they fall as he knew they

would, he'll send judges and kings

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and prophets until finally he has

proved there is no other way for man

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to be saved except for God himself,

to come in human flesh and rescue.

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And we continue to see that only

in the God of the Bible can justice

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and mercy coexist so perfectly.

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His design of setting up cities of refuge

in chapter 20 really display this to me.

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Then the Lord said to Joshua, say

to the people of Israel, appoint

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the cities of refuge, of which I

spoke to you through Moses, that

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the manslayer who strikes any person

without intent or unknowingly may flee.

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There they shall be for you, a

refuge from the avenger of blood.

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He shall flee to one of these cities

and shall stand at the entrance of

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the gate of the city and explain

his case to the elders of that city.

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Then they shall take him into

the city and give him a place,

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and they shall not give up the

manslayer into his hand because

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he struck his neighbor unknowingly

and did not hate him in the past.

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And he shall remain in that city until

he has stood before the congregation

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for judgment until the death of him

who was high priest at the time.

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Then the manslayer may return to his

town and his own home to the town

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from which he fled from the beginning

of scripture, a distinction is made

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between manslaughter and murder.

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God will justly punish those

with evil intent in their heart.

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But he allows mercy when accidents happen.

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Is there an accident that you

carry shame and guilt for?

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It probably isn't something to this

level, but if the Lord allows grace

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for even this, should we continue

to carry the weight of our sin

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when Jesus has already paid for it?

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Scripture would say a resounding no.

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Cast your cares upon him

for he cares for you.

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And there couldn't be a better time

than to do that this Easter week.

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Let's pray.

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Heavenly Father, we praise you

that these words that speak about

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geographical inheritance can also

tell us much about your character.

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You are a Lord that gives us

an opportunity to worship you.

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But you are just, when we fall into sin

you faithfully bring us back to you.

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Although we want our children to be

spared from sinning, We do ask that

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they would understand the extent

of your mercy and forgiveness.

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I pray our families would not

take your grace for granted.

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Help us to appreciate the cross

of Calvary afresh and may we run

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to you when we so frequently fall

completely short of your goodness.

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Thank you, Jesus, that you are a

servant king and that you let us in

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the way that we should love others.

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Even those that have wronged us,

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may your spirit guide us in that example.

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It's in your name we pray.

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Amen.