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Hey, guys. It's James with Are you listening.

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Today, I'm gonna talk about discovery,

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not mastery.

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The faith that lives is 1 that grows,

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learns and most of all loves. But I

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wanna speak to this from a position of

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self improvement.

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You hear that all the time. You hear

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the term. And it's often herald, but really

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it's fraught with peril. I mean, indeed, we

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should strive to work on ourselves. But the

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reflection of my soul once revealed a man,

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I neither desire to be, nor I wanted

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to be present in the world.

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Improving the frail, fearful and broken shell I

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once was,

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projecting a facade of confidence unconsciously,

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was not the answer. No. That man needed

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to die and die he did.

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In some cases, the situation is so dire.

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That replacement is needed not repair.

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Really, it's the only viable option.

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Yet, this does not negate the principle that

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everything every everyone is capable of change and

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is redeem.

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But it doesn't require mastery. A lot of

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times we feel like we should master things

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and should be in a place where we

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just have to become better,

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which is not bad, but

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we really should be thinking about discovering

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better.

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Discovering the new,

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it requires discovery.

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See, when we have value,

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in the world.

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We bring value into the world, and the

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more value that we bring into the world,

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the less freedom we have. I mean, we

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aren't free to sabotage our lives.

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Why?

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Because our purpose becomes a lifeline for other

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people.

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Let me, picture this. A single drop of

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water filling it falling into a pond, you

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know, or a glass or bowl.

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It creates ripples that extend far beyond the

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point of impact.

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I've written about this recently in the last

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year. Similarly, our actions, our purposes send waves

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that touch lives that we may never know

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about that we may never meet.

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This truth underscores a profound reality. And as

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our influence grows.

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So does our responsibility.

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So does our

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obligation

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So our actions no longer affect just us,

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they ripple out, impacting and affecting the lives

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of those who depend on our purpose and

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our vision are in our very being

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And I think that meeting people,

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this is a whole of the conversation by

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the way is where real life happens. I

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believe in its purest form life exists when

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we interact intimately with others in conversation and

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purpose with intention. At this point, I realized

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that I just

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that as I have been inspired by many

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people in my life,

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and been in all of others that they

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too have been inspired by me and been

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in of me.

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This mutual inspiration is the essence of human

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connection. We are only special in our

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unique ability.

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All and our unique interest in the lives

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of those around us,

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which makes us part of something greater, purpose,

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legacy, legacy,

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I cannot even talk today. Purpose,

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legacy

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movement.

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Maybe I need some more coffee.

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I'm often inspired by the people that I

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meet, no matter who they are.

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But this dependency, this obligation. This responsibility that

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comes from this type of mindset.

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This type of life. This type of value,

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can really morph into unhealthy code if we're

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not careful. If we don't navigate with wisdom

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and discernment, it can become very

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very

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unhealthy.

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Consider the over bearing parent, you know, who

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and their

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deep intention and desire to protect, actually s

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the growth,

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and their independence of their child.

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A lot of you probably have that story

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to tell. So it's here we must lead

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from the root of autonomy,

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Autonomy does not mean just

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isolation. But autonomy is a well defined sense

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of self that establishes clear boundaries. That's what

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we do.

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With everyone around us. I mean, imagine a

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garden, each plant thrive best when it's given

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its own space to grow with clear boundaries

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to prevent entanglement.

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And allow each 1 to flourish on its

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own.

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These boundaries are not barriers, but bridges to

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healthier more authentic relationships

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see they delineate

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where the end

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and the beginning of others are. It foster

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sort of an environment where mutual respect individual

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growth can coexist.

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Not a 1 way street of c dependency

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on either person.

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This is where strong entered dependence and accountability

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is for forged. It is within the space

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of healthy boundaries and self awareness that intimate

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lives t

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I mean, think of a dance. 2 partners

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move in harmony, each aware of their own

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steps. Yet have perfectly in sync with 1

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another. This... Thriving

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intimacy is not confined to romantic it relationships

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as well. Get that out of your mind.

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It is the intimacy that begins in every

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relationship.

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From which romantic

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relationships are born.

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But it's true of every relationship.

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It's true

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in every form of human connection.

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It is the bedrock in my opinion upon

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which trust is built and upon which transformation

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occurs.

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For the believer, this autonomy is the root

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of our purpose. The power of our being

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the control of our intention and the playful

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found in the joy of being who we

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are without. Fear and shame or regret.

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Our faith in informs and enrich this autonomy,

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grounding it in a higher purpose and a

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deeper sense of belonging. I mean, imagine a

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tree deeply in, in a rooted in soil,

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and its stability and growth come from its

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roots, but it reaches out and provides s

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and fruit and shelter to the world around

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it.

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This is an abundant life that is shared

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with other people.

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It is a life marked by the freedom

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to be authentically

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ourselves,

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while embracing the responsibility that comes with our

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influence.

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It is a life where joy is not

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a fleeting emotion, but a deep seated state

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of being, that's born out of the assurance

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of our place in the world and our

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impact on it.

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Picture a life to a lighthouse

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standing firm on the shore. It's grounded and

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unwavering and it doesn't go anywhere no matter

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how hard the storms

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or the waters crash upon it.

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But it provides guidance and safety to all

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who navigate the turbulent waters of life.

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This is what Jesus reveals is the heart

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of the good report of his rescue. The

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gospel of grace. This message is not 1

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of just individual in personal salvation, but community

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transformation,

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intimate, collective

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transformation. Full of investment.

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See, through the teachings of Jesus. In his

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example, we learned that our lives are not

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to be lived in isolation or my with

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just people who look like us or think

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like us or talk like us, but in

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vibrant, life giving

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relationships with other people. I mean, imagine a

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a mosaic those each piece unique in individual.

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I used this metaphor a lot,

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But that Mosaic coming together to create a

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beautiful and unified work of art.

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We get to live together in this mighty

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way until we see Christ face to face.

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This together is not just a future hope,

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but a present reality. It is the essence

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of the kingdom of God here on this

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earth now right here, right now,

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not just for the eternity and the future

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that we look forward to. The It is

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in our shared lives, our mutual support, and

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our collective growth that we experience the fullness

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of life that Jesus promised. Picture a community

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garden.

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Each person contributes.

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Each person benefits and the collective effort results

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in a ban harvest that nourish everyone.

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Doesn't paul say something about that inside Corinthians.

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In this understanding, self improvement transcend sends the

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individual and becomes a communal endeavor.

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Our growth, our discoveries, our transformation is not

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just for our benefit, but for the betterment

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of all those we touch. We live not

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just for ourselves but for each other finding

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our highest purpose and the service and uplift

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of those around us.

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But Again, the tapestry, Each threat, no matter

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how small or large is essential to the

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beauty and the strength of the whole. We

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are 1 body, many parts.

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So

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certain... The the the the the self improvement

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journey, if you will, as so earners in

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this world, we're together in the chaos. We're

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together in

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the journey work together

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in this trip called life.

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When we see it through this lens, it's

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not a solitary path, but a shared pilgrimage.

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A shared experience,

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a shared intimacy. It's a journey marked by

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mutual discovery. Shared joys, collective victories. It's a

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testament to the interconnectedness of our existence

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and the profound truth that we are better

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together.

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Discovery, not mastery.

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The faith that lives is 1 that grows,

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learns, and most of all loves.

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The life that lives

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is 1 that does these things.

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In Galatians, Paul cries out, I've been crucified

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with Christ. It is no longer I who

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live Christ who lives within me.

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Now I live in the flesh.

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I live by faith and the son of

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God who's loved me and gave himself for

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me.

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We can look at all the scripture. We

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can see that the proverbs tells us that

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we sharpen 1 another.

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We can see that just because we are

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1 person, we're just a part of a

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body.

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It has many members.

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And where members of the body so that

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we actually exist for 1 another.

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Peter says that first Peter 4 that each

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of us have received a gift, and we

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are to use it to serve 1 another

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as stewards of God's varied grace. So if

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we speak,

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but we serve,

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we provide strength. We do it though we

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may glorify our father in heaven through Jesus

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Christ.

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Romans 12 says to

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love 1 another

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with brother

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affection to the point that we out do

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1 another in showing honor.

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And acts 2,

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verse 44. They had everything in common.

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They had life together.

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Than fellowship.

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And they were selling their possessions and belong

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as in distributing the pre to all as

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many had need

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And day by day, they attended the temple

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together. They broke bread in their homes,

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and they receive food with glad and generous

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heart praising God for having favor with all

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people. And the lord added to their number,

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day by day, those were being saved.

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Love is patient.

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Love is kind.

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And above all these.

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Put on love which binds everything together in

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perfect harmony.

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Beloved,

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I wanna be a man like that.

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So that's about discovery,

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not mastery.

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Because the only 1 who's ever mastered love

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is Jesus.

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So we can follow his example while resting

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in his righteousness

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that by grace has been credited to me.

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And to you, if indeed, you've tasted and

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seen that the lord is good.

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Are you listening?