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 Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast.

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 If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you.

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 Thank you for joining us today.

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 So we are looking at Judges chapter five. It's a long song. So I was praying about how this is going

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 to flow for a group like us. I figured maybe last time we took turns something like this is a good

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 thing to take turns reading, I think. I don't know how you all feel. But, you know, just me up here

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 reading all these verses of a song straight through could get tedious. It may be better if we take

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 turns and do that. So let's pray and thank the Lord for being here. Father God, we thank you

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 that your word is so precious as we read Judges chapter five, Lord. And remember the great

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 events that we learned about last week and how, you know, you moved in such unusual ways, Lord, and

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 how we learned about your judge or Judge S, Deborah, and your faithful servant, Barack,

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 and then your courageous, I picture her a young lady, JL, and Lord, how you just delivered Israel

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 through this group of people, Lord, and those who are courageous. And so Lord, we asked you to

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 help us learn something that we didn't know before and really see this song in a new and fresh way.

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 We ask this in Jesus' name, amen. So last week, for those of you who weren't here, we can't go

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 through all those details, but I'll just try to summarize the events. So Israel, we've been

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 studying through Judges how it's been this cycle of the obedient to the judge God has

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 raised up to lead Israel. And they follow the judge, but when the judge dies, they go back to

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 their old ways and rebel against God and start sinning again. And so the Lord gives them over

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 to be in bondage to a foreign king, or not foreign, actually, they're the foreigners,

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 but to a local nation and a king that then enslaves them and they become enslaved,

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 Danny pointed out, to these other rulers until they cry out and beg God and God finally

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 delivers them from these pagan rulers. And so last week, we learned how they were in bondage for 20

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 years from the oppression of Jabin, king of Canaan, for 20 years, and the Israelites were crying out.

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 And we pointed out how the Lord does listen to us. How many times have we read in scriptures

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 how when people cry out to the Lord, in spite of how disobedient, how rebellious and sinful they were,

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 the Lord hears her cry and he responds. He only does the same thing for us.

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 And so they were crying out. And so the Lord chose Deborah to be the judge of Israel.

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 And of course, in those days, it was very unusual to have a female leader of the people.

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 And yet that's what she was. She was the judge. And so the Lord spoke to her and gave her the plan.

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 And she reached out to Barak and said, you're going to deliver Israel from Jabin,

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 and specifically the commander of Jabin's army, which was Sisera. And so she was telling Barak

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 go and deliver Israel. And Barak is saying, I'm only going if you're going.

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 Okay. And so Deborah was, and I think you probably had some great conversations.

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 We did, right Ken, in our small group about the whole dialogue between Deborah and Barak.

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 Let's just read it real quick in chapter four.

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 Deborah was saying to Barak

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 that the Lord will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army with his chariots and his multitude

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 at the River Kishan. And I will deliver him into your hand. And Barak said to her,

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 if you will go with me, then I will go. But if you will not go with me, I will not go.

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 And so she said, I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, there will be no glory for you

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 in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.

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 And so we talked a lot about that and what that all meant. And the way I reconciled it in my mind,

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 I could be wrong, but I saw really Deborah is possibly testing in a sense, Barak's mindset

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 and his perspective. Because if Barak had said, oh yeah, yeah, you're right. I won't get any glory

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 if I don't do it, then that would be kind of revealing his heart. But he didn't care. He wanted

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 Deborah with him because Deborah was receiving messages from God. I mean, wouldn't you want

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 a prophetess with you if you were going into battle, giving you advice and directional what

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 God is saying to do in this battle? And so I believe it really revealed Barak's heart and just,

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 he was willing to serve God in whatever method God had designed. And I believe,

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 I don't see that Deborah was trying to be, I guess, prideful or whatever. I just think she was

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 saying, all right, just keep in mind. And so we're going to see, that's what happened. And so

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 after they were conquering Sisera in this battle, Sisera jumped off his chariot. He ran into the tent

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 of JL. And JL said, just take it easy. He goes, bring me some hot water so I can drink it and be

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 relaxed. And so she brought him warm milk. And that apparently is something to make you go

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 personally. So I don't know, but it makes you tired apparently. I got to try that whenever I can't

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 sleep too well, which is like every night. In fact, I wake up about two to three in the morning and

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 I'm just like twiddling my thumbs. So maybe warm milk is the key. So anyway, she gives him warm

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 milk. He falls asleep under the blanket and she smashes a tent peg right through his temple,

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 kills him and says to Barak, look at what has happened to the man that you're seeking.

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 And there he is. And so now, so there was a great victory. And as a result, Israel rose up and

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 began to overtake Jabin, king of Canaan. And the tides had turned in favor of Israel because of

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 what the great victory that God had delivered. So now we're going to read this psalm or this song.

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 And as we do, I learned some things you don't really see in the previous chapter,

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 that there were more tribes than just Zebulun and Naftali. Other ones also participated in the battle,

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 but there were some that didn't. And I think that's important to remember that in every battle,

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 there's leaders, Deborah, Barak, they were leaders. And Jael even was a leader in her courageous act.

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 And there are soldiers, those who say, okay, just tell me what you need, I'm going,

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 I'm going to do it. And then there's also pacifists. And we learn about these couple

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 of tribes that just didn't participate at all and they're called out in this song.

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 One little thing we can talk about about a song, and I just want to set this up because then we're

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 just going to read right through and finalize it with a couple of last comments. But the Lord

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 really, there's a reason we worship. I'm sure you thought about this. I mean, we worship because

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 God is a worshiper, right? I mean, he doesn't worship anyone, but he loves singing. He designed

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 us to worship him because he sings. He's a singer. I love, in fact, I want to jump ahead, Zephaniah

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 3 17. If you have Zephaniah 3 17, where it says that the Lord sings over us. The Lord your God

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 in your midst, the mighty one will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you

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 with his love and he will rejoice over you with singing. Isn't that a beautiful verse? You ever

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 think about that? Like he cherishes you so much, he sings over us. You know, I can't imagine what his

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 voice sounds like singing. I mean, his voice is often compared to mighty rushing waters and

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 thunder and so many other things. So we're going to hear that someday when he sings along with us

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 in heaven, I believe. And Paul writes to the Ephesians in Ephesians 5 19, talking about this

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 singing and hymns. If you have there, it is speaking to yourselves in Psalms and hymns

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 and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. So he's saying, you know,

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 songs, these hymns, when we sing together, there's a reason we do it because God has designed us

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 to do that. Because when we sing, there's so many emotions that erupt within us and we have all the

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 chemicals that dopamine and adrenaline and everything else gets released. And that's why

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 music is such a mighty force in society and culture. And also Paul writes to the Colossians

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 in Colossians 3 16. And he said, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,

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 teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

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 singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Again, this idea of just singing praise to God.

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 And in Hebrews, we have these two verses smushed together, Hebrews 2 12 and 13 15.

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 I will declare your name to my brethren in the midst of the assembly, I will sing praise to you.

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 And the next therefore by him, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God.

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 That is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. In Revelation, we see that the

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 celestial beings and the saints, they're all singing to the Lord in Revelation 5 and elsewhere.

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 And just a couple other places of these ideas of songs, remember Miriam's song just after

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 deliverance of the Red Sea? She sang to the Lord. It's amazing. I wonder how long it took

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 for them to write these songs where the Lord just downloaded the lyrics to them immediately.

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 And they just started singing these songs. And also, well the girls of David, remember

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 David has, Saul has conquered his thousands and David has tens of thousands. And then Hannah,

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 when finally she had Samuel and she wrote this poem or song to the Lord, because the Lord had

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 finally given her a son in Samuel and then many other children after that. So again, it's just

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 the idea of singing and praising the Lord. That's why we do it. And so let's start to

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 read this song of Deborah. And then we'll just again hash out a few points at the end.

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 So we don't want to go back and forth because some may not feel comfortable or want to read

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 tonight. So who would like to start us off? Jill, do you want to start us off?

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 And why don't you read just a few verses, say four verses, and then we'll, and then we'll, I don't know,

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 go, whoever wants to just raise your hand, you could take the next section.

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 All right, go ahead, Jill, why don't you read the first four verses?

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 Who wants to read next? Verse five. Roger, go ahead.

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 In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Chaolah, I raised my banner,

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 and travelers kept to the byways. The villagers ceased in Israel. They ceased to be until I arose.

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 I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel. When new Gods were chosen, when war was at the gates,

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 was shield of spear to be seen among 40,000 in Israel?

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 In verse nine.

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 Yeah, nine. The bride goes out to the commanders of Israel,

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 who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the Lord.

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 Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, who sit in judges attire and who walk along the road,

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 far from the noise of the archers among the watering places. There they shall recount the

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 righteous acts of the Lord, the righteous act for his villages in Israel. Then the people of

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 the Lord shall go down to the gates. Awake, awake, Deborah. Awake, awake, sing a song.

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 Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away, O son of Abinuwel.

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 Many made hands that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people.

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 The Lord made me have dominion over the mighty.

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 At Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek. After thee, Benjamin, among thy people,

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 out of Napur came down governors and out of Zebulon, they that handled the pen of the writer.

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 And the princes of Ishikar, for when Deborah, even Ishikar, and also Barak, he was sent on foot

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 into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben, there were great thoughts of the march, 16.

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 So we are up to 16. Do you want to take like three verses or so?

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 There's chapter five or 16, right? Yeah.

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 You say three verses? Yeah.

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 Why abotest this is the King James version. Why abotest thou among the sheathalest to hear

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 the leadings of the flocks, for the divisions of Reuben, they were great searchings of heart.

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 And why did Dan remain at ships? Asher continued on with Seashore,

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 and abotest his breaches. Zebulon and Naphtali were a people that

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 jeopardized their lives unto the death in the high places of the few.

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 Verse 19. Do you want to take 19, Evan?

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 Where are we?

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 I'm taking it late, so I'm going to search for some of these and we're going to give you that.

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 Come back. Judges 5, 19. Who wants to read over here? We can always go back. Dina?

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 Okay. King's King, they fought the kings of Canaan fought.

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 At Tikonok, by the wooders of Megiddo, but they carried off no silver nor plunder.

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 From the heavens the stars fall, from the porch they fall against Sisera.

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 The River of Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the River of Kishon.

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 March on, my soul, be strong. Then thunder the forces who lose,

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 galloping, galloping, go his mighty steeds.

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 Curse the rose, said the angel of the Lord.

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 Curse its people fairly, because they did not come to help the Lord,

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 to help the Lord against the mighty.

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 Most blessed of women be jailed. Her wife had heard the Kenak.

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 A tent well of women most blessed. He asked for water and she gave him milk.

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 She brought him curds in a noble's roll.

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 She sent her hands to the tent peg, with her right hand to the workman's mallet.

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 She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple.

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 Between her feet he sank, he fell, he laid still.

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 Between her feet he sank, he fell, where he sank there he fell dead.

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 Verse 28, when she takes 28.

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 Through the window appeared Sisera's mother.

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 Behind the lattice she cried out,

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 Why is his chariot so long in coming?

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 Why is the clatter of his chariot's delay?

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 The wisest of her ladies answered her.

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 Indeed, she keeps saying to herself,

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 Are they not finding and dividing the spoils?

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 A woman or two for each man, colorful garments as plundered for Sisera.

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 Colorful garments embroidered.

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 Highly embroidered.

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 Garments for my neck.

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 All this as plundered?

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 So may all your armies perish, Lord,

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 but may all who love you be like the sun

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 when it rises in its strength

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 and the land had peace for 40 years.

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 So you know, it's interesting,

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 you think of some of these words, what kind of melody went with that?

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 Not to make, I mean, I'm not laughing at it.

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 I'm just saying, it's very interesting.

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 I mean, you know, he asked for water.

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 She gave him milk.

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 Maybe I could see it.

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 She brought her out cream in a Lordly bowl.

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 She stretched out her hand to the tent peg.

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 Her right hand to the worker's workman's hammer.

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 She pounded Sisera.

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 She pierced his head.

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 I mean, you just wonder what kind of melody was going with it.

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 At her feet he sank.

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 He fell.

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 He lay still.

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 At her feet he sank.

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 He fell.

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 Where he sank, there he fell dead.

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 So, but you know, it's, some of the lyrics we hear today

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 are pretty, pretty wacky too, right?

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 You think, yeah, I wouldn't see how that would flow.

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 But you know, so this idea of just writing a song

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 and in small groups we could talk about

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 perhaps some of the lyrics in that song.

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 But again, I just want to point out that, you know,

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 in this we learn that some tribes went along

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 and they saw that their fellow tribesmen,

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 Zebulun and Eftali, were in a battle

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 and they engaged in that battle and they went with them.

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 And yet we realize that some, actually it was Ruben,

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 East Manasseh on the other side of the river.

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 Dan and Asher did not join in, in the battle.

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 And they're really called out, you know?

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 And I think that's just truly an encouragement, you know,

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 that we really should all want to participate

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 in whatever battle our fellow believers are in.

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 And it's all spiritual.

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 We had a conversation, I think,

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 no, it wasn't last week, but somewhere.

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 But how, you know, when you read the Old Testament

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 and you see these like, these violent things

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 and many people who have a struggle

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 sorting out the Bible and how can this God

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 who's wiping out nations, now here it's more of self-defense

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 and that kind of thing.

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 But in other areas where they're wiping out countries,

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 even children, everything else you see,

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 how can this be the same God as Jesus Christ

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 who, you know, says to forgive and everything else.

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 And I really reconcile that in my heart and mind

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 in that, again, Old Testament is all a picture

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 pointing to Jesus Christ.

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 He reconciled all mankind.

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 And now in the New Testament, it's all a spiritual battle.

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 So when we look at flesh and blood,

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 we now realize that our warfare is spiritual.

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 When we look at land, now we're talking about life,

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 you know, these things are all symbolic

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 of something that would come after Christ.

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 And so we don't look and expect God

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 to wipe out people groups.

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 He really wants to save all people groups.

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 And really, we're in his army to do that.

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 You know, so when we warfare with God,

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 it's really to bring his righteousness,

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 you know, and justice, well, righteousness really,

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 and salvation of people, you know, not to destroy them.

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 But in the Old Testament, this is all a picture.

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 And I also think it's really a picture of God's wrath

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 because in fact, I know we've had discussions about,

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 you ever kind of forget where you had this discussion

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 and with who, I do that all the time.

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 Because you know, when you're talking about the Bible

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 all the time, you forget who and with what.

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 But I remember talking about how like, you know,

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 these are all pictures of really that wrath is a real thing.

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 Someday, God will destroy, well, eternally,

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 those who are not with him.

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 And thank God he's persevering, you know,

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 he's not, what's that verse that says,

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 he's not slack as we consider slackness,

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 but he wants none to perish.

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 He wants to deliver everyone to him.

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 And so we can read these things and really reconcile to us

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 that these are all analogies really to spiritual warfare,

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 you know, and that we don't want to be apathetic

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 and pacifist when it comes to spiritual warfare.

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 Because what happens when you're pacifist,

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 the enemy takes you over and you start to be enslaved

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 once again, just as Israel was.

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 And just thinking of some other things,

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 I love that one of the last verses there, Judges 5.31.

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 So, may all your enemies perish, Lord,

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 but may all who love you be like the sun

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 when it rises in its strength.

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 And so, really, when we are obedient to God,

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 we see this again and again in Judges.

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 In fact, two times in Judges, you know,

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 in those days, Israel had no king

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 and everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

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 And really, that's what happens

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 when we don't realize that the Lord is our king.

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 We make tremendous amount of foolish mistakes

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 and we let the enemy wreak havoc in our lives.

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 And really, we end up being in bondage to him,

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 just as they were in bondage

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 to all of these various nations.

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 One question before we break into small groups,

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 when God calls, you know, do we participate?

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 You know, do we get engaged

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 or do we merely observe, you know?

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 And, you know, that can be compared

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 to a lot of different scenarios in even today.

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 You know, do we want to get involved

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 in helping our fellow believers in other countries

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 that are undergoing persecution

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 or do we just know about it and glad it's not here?

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 I'm glad they're not in this part of their world, you know?

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 Or do we want to participate?

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 And so, let's pray.

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 We'll break into small groups

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 and delve into those questions.

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 Hopefully, you all got a picture of them

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 and we'll go from there.

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 So, Father God, we thank you, Lord,

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 that you are our king.

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 And Lord, we can trust you

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 and when we obey you,

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 things always work out better for us.

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 It doesn't mean everything will be perfect, Lord,

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 but you work all things for the good of those who love you

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 and who are called according to your purpose.

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 And Lord, just reminding me, Lord,

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 of, you know, times that I wrote songs

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 and my kids wrote songs

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 when they were going through tough times

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 and good times.

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 And Lord, really, in a sense, you know,

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 we all are songwriters,

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 whether we think we are or not,

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 because we can journal these things

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 that we go through in life

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 and connect them, Lord, to words of praise.

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 And to you, every one of our voices are beautiful

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 when we're singing to you in praise and thanksgiving.

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 And so, we thank you for that.

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 In Jesus' name, amen.

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 Amen.

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 Yeah, think about that.

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 You ever think of yourself as a songwriter?

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 I don't know if you guys like journaling.

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 Anybody like journaling?

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 I like it.

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 I don't like writing, like writing it down,

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 but I like, I do journal.

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 Like, when I journal, it's like a word here and a word there.

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 But journaling is so good

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 because you can capture those thoughts you have

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 about events that are going on in your life, you know,

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 and really just marinating what God's sharing with you.

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 So, I highly recommend journaling, you know,

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 especially when you're going through a crisis,

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 especially when you're going through really good times.

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 Just record it all so that you can look back

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 and remember what you were going through during that time

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 and what God was showing you

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 in the midst of those highs and lows of life.

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 Amen.

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 Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church

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 as we praise God and discuss His word.

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 Don't forget to join us for Worship Live Sunday mornings

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 at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube.

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 Be blessed and have a great day!