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Sincerely Yours episodes

  • With God’s Love, Hatred Simply Has No Place in Our Hearts
    http://media.blubrry.com/faithstrongtoday/p/fst.mc.tritondigital.com/SINCERELY_YOURS_P/media/SY-299_dec21-17.mp3

    It's been that a hatred knows no bounds except that of its appetite, but what if one has an “appetite for hatred”? A hatred that can never be quenched until it is fulfilled. Now that is dangerous... and it’s just the kind of hatred Paul faced in our reading for today. But as we'll learn in this episode of Sincerely Yours, when you are so totally full of the light of God’s love, hatred simply has no place in our hearts.
    Today's Reading: Acts 23:12-35

    The Plot to Kill Paul
    12 The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 More than forty men were involved in this plot. 14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”

    16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.

    17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him to the commander.

    The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”

    19 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”

    20 He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. 21 Don’t give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”

    22 The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”
    Paul Transferred to Caesarea
    23 Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen[a] to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. 24 Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”

    25 He wrote a letter as follows:
    26 Claudius Lysias,
    To His Excellency, Governor Felix:
    Greetings.
    27 This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28 I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. 29 I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. 30 When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.
    31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. 32 The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. 33 When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. 34 The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.
    4 min
  • Why Our Physical End is Actually Our Eternal Beginning
    http://media.blubrry.com/faithstrongtoday/p/fst.mc.tritondigital.com/SINCERELY_YOURS_P/media/SY-298_dec20-17.mp3

    The powerful resurrection of Jesus conquered death not just once but for all time. That is our living, breathing assurance. That our physical end is actually our eternal beginning. As we’re reading in Acts chapter 23, we find the apostle Paul in Jerusalem, on trial before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high council. And there was no one topic enflamed their anger more than that of resurrection.
    Today's Reading: Acts 23:1-11
    23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” 2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”

    4 Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”

    5 Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’[a]”

    6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)

    9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.

    11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
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    5 min
  • Truly Belong to God’s Family and Enjoy its Unmerited Privileges
    http://media.blubrry.com/faithstrongtoday/p/fst.mc.tritondigital.com/SINCERELY_YOURS_P/media/SY-297_dec19-17.mp3

    To live your life under the eternal protection to which a citizen of God’s Kingdom is entitled. However, it’s important to note that this isn’t a freedom into which you can be “born.”  This is something into which you must be... born “again.” That's the lesson we're learning as in Acts chapter 22, join me on this Sincerely Yours podcast.
    Today's Reading: Acts 22:17-30
    17 “After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance. 18 I saw a vision of Jesus[a] saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t accept your testimony about me.’

    19 “‘But Lord,’ I argued, ‘they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.’

    21 “But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’”

    22 The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, “Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!” 23 They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air.
    Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship
    24 The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious. 25 When they tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer[b] standing there, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?”
    26 When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!”

    27 So the commander went over and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

    “Yes, I certainly am,” Paul replied.

    28 “I am, too,” the commander muttered, “and it cost me plenty!”

    Paul answered, “But I am a citizen by birth!”

    29 The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped.
    Paul before the High Council
    30 The next day the commander ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council.[c] He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about, so he released Paul to have him stand before them.
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    5 min
  • Clear Communication: Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say
    http://media.blubrry.com/faithstrongtoday/p/fst.mc.tritondigital.com/SINCERELY_YOURS_P/media/SY-296_dec18-17.mp3

    Our often confusing world would do well to get back to clear communication. What we need to do is be more like the apostle Paul. As we’re reading in Acts chapter 22, it’s important that we listen to not only the words of Paul but, also, the WAY in which he spoke. Explore with me in this episode of the Sincerely Yours podcast.
    Today's Reading
    22 1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.”

    2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.

    Then Paul said: 3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

    6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

    8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

    “ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.

    10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

    “ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

    12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

    14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’
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    5 min
  • Standing For God May Cost Us A Lot, But Here’s Why It’s Worth It
    http://media.blubrry.com/faithstrongtoday/p/fst.mc.tritondigital.com/SINCERELY_YOURS_P/media/SY-295_dec15-17.mp3

    Someone once said, “If you don’t STAND for something... you’ll FALL for anything.” But standing for God can be a pretty scary thing at times. Look no further than the disciples of Jesus for proof of that. And while standing for God may cost us a lot, if we’re truly after a “happy ending” to our life's story, then standing for God is the ONLY way we’ll get there.
    Today's Reading: Acts 21:27-40

    Paul Arrested
    27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, 28 shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” 29 (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)

    30 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. 31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

    33 The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. 35 When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!”
    Paul Speaks to the Crowd
    37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?”

    “Do you speak Greek?” he replied. 38 “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?”

    39 Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.”

    40 After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic
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    5 min
  • Knowing When to Fight and When to Acquiesce Can be a Challenging Dilemma
    http://media.blubrry.com/faithstrongtoday/p/fst.mc.tritondigital.com/SINCERELY_YOURS_P/media/SY-294_dec14-17.mp3

    It’s been said, “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” As we continue our journey in Acts, we find this is exactly what Paul did. And he did it more than once. It's a lesson how knowing when to fight and when to acquiesce on this Sincerely Yours podcast.
    Today's Reading: Acts 21:15-26
    15 After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.
    Paul’s Arrival at Jerusalem
    17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

    20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”

    26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.
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    5 min
  • The Most Loving Thing You Can Do
    http://media.blubrry.com/faithstrongtoday/p/fst.mc.tritondigital.com/SINCERELY_YOURS_P/media/SY-293_dec13-17.mp3

    Good advice is something we can all use, but too often, when we get it, few of us ever do. Of course, for some of us, recognizing the need to take advice is an easy thing, but the hard part comes in knowing when to stop giving it. It can be a difficult task to relinquish someone you love to God’s perfect will. However, as we'll learn in this Sincerely Yours devotional, if you yourself trust in Him, you know that this is the most loving thing you can do.
    Today's Reading: Acts 21:1-14

    On to Jerusalem
    21 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

    7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. 8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

    10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

    12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”
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    5 min
  • A Lifetime Marked by Humility, Commitment, and Faithfulness
    http://media.blubrry.com/faithstrongtoday/p/fst.mc.tritondigital.com/SINCERELY_YOURS_P/media/SY-292_dec12-17.mp3

    Jim Elliot, a remarkable man wonderfully abandoned to God’s perfect will, once said, “One does not surrender a life in an instant. That which is lifelong can only be surrendered in a lifetime.” This Sincerely Yours podcast explores just what it means to be committed to surrender. We'll learn from Scottish Gold Medalist, Eric Liddell, as well as Paul, who is sharing his heart with a group of believers in our reading today.
    Today's Reading: Acts 20:13-38

    Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders
    13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

    17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

    22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

    25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood.[b] 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

    32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

    36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.
    5 min
  • Ron and Ann Mainse: Forever Love and God’s Word
    http://media.blubrry.com/faithstrongtoday/p/fst.mc.tritondigital.com/SINCERELY_YOURS_P/media/SY-291_dec11-17.mp3

    Everyone loves to talk about love. We hear love expressed in songs on the radio and see it declared in movies and on TV. Yes, it’s heartwarming to say, “I love you” to that special someone. Unfortunately, many are saying it to several different people. However, that was not the case with my “special someone.” On this episode of Sincerely Yours, let me tell you about my love story with Ron and the lessons we learned from today's reading.
    Today's Reading: Acts 20:1-12

    Through Macedonia and Greece
    20 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. 2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3 where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
    Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas
    7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
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    5 min
  • Holiday Debt Doesn’t Always Come From A Credit Card
    http://media.blubrry.com/faithstrongtoday/p/fst.mc.tritondigital.com/SINCERELY_YOURS_P/media/SY-290_dec08-17.mp3

    It's easy to get caught up in gift giving during the holidays. The perfect gift can last forever but, then again, so can the payments. We seem to have a “love/hate” relationship with our little plastic cards. But there's a bigger picture we need to explore and, while you’re finding ways to express your love, remember that Almighty God already paid the highest price to express His.
    Today's Reading: Acts 19:21-41
    21 After all this had happened, Paul decided[a] to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.” 22 He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.
    The Riot in Ephesus
    23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. 25 He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. 27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”

    28 When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. 30 Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. 31 Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.

    32 The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. 33 The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34 But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

    35 The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? 36 Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. 37 You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. 38 If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39 If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. 40 As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” 41 After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.
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    5 min

About Sincerely Yours

From the publisher's feed

Share in a journey through the New Testament with host Ann Mainse. 'Sincerely Yours' is a five minute devotional podcast that opens up God’s Word, sharing together the lessons we learn and how we can…