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The Truth Of The Matter is Episode: 168 God's Love Has No Limitation.
23 Plays3 months ago
As we continue with the Gospel of Matthew series the passage of Scripture that became extremely interesting for me this week was Matthew 10:29-31. What made it interesting was that Jesus possessed a rhetorical question with a set up to address something much more meaningful. What doesn't surprise me is God has a way of encouraging you to ask, seek,and knock and once you do that the wisdom that you will discover will blow your mind. You know sometimes there is information that eventually gets discovered by someone else's work but it's not the same when you discover Revelation knowledge. How you arrive at that information is when God leads you and you come to realize it couldn't have been anyone else but Him. Tune in and the hope is you learn something today and have a takeaway that you can share with others.
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Transcript
Introduction and Gratitude
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to the Truth of the Matterists podcast. I'm your host Jonathan and this is episode 168. Of course, let's begin by recognizing and appreciating all of our new and consistent listeners.
00:00:23
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We thank you all in advance for continuing to press play at your own convenience. and I pray that this podcast, regardless of the episode that you decide to press play on, can and will be a blessing to you.
Role Understanding and Sports Analogies
00:00:36
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As always, we begin with how the Lord has blessed me this week. And of course, I encourage you to do the same thing. Consider what has transpired throughout the week. Reflect and see how the Lord has blessed you.
00:00:52
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Now, the first way he's blessed me is he's pointed out the importance of knowing your role and knowing it well. Again, knowing your role and knowing it well. Now you might be wondering, why is this a blessing? And the way I want to explain this is I want to make two correlations between the NFL and the NBA.
00:01:17
Speaker
Let's start with the NBA. You know, there is a phrase and a saying, and that phrase and that saying should be familiar to those who have played the game or watched the game. And that phrase and saying is be a star in your role. Again, be a star in your role, which means do your job effectively and only your job to the best of your ability.
00:01:45
Speaker
Do your job effectively and only your job to the best of your ability. Same thing in the NFL. Specifically, there's been a successful team that timed Brady quarterback and that's the New England Patriots. And they coined the phrase, do your job, do your job. Which ideally means if everyone does their job and only their job,
00:02:15
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that team, that unit has the ability to be special, which just means successful. Now, why am I talking about it in this way?
00:02:33
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Because while you work at an organization or a company, I truly believe that needs to be your focus. No matter how much you may think you know better than those you work for, or you can do something much more impactful or even effective.
00:02:56
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You need to know your role and work within those parameters. You need to be mindful of your position and your status and don't get big headed and think that you are smarter than them, that you are better than them.
Team Dynamics and Personal Growth
00:03:16
Speaker
Don't be arrogant in that way. I can't tell you that there are plenty of people that I know that went into organizations and companies, feaking the quiet opposite of what I just told you. And you know what the end result was for them? They were unemployed. They were dismissed, escorted out of the building. And based on observation, the transition from working in for myself, right, I was an independent contractor for 10 years. I am now answering to someone else.
00:03:54
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And just based on observation, I'm learning how to be a team player within a group of people who have different skillsets and abilities and talents. And your job is not to overshine, it's to compliment them.
00:04:24
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Your job is not to be louder than them. I'm pretty sure everyone knows the importance of a band. We can make that correlation as well. In a band, everybody is important. Why? Because what matters is the overall sound. You have your drums, you have your vocalists, right? You have your instruments, you have your singer. Everybody knows their role. And everyone can be heard on that soundtrack.
00:04:52
Speaker
whether it is that you're doing a solo or you're creating a harmony, there's something powerful about being able to stand out in your role. Now, let me be clear. Is every company the same and organization the same? No. Do some companies see you as just a number? Yes, that's true.
00:05:22
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If you do a bit too much, can you be checked? Yes, absolutely. If you work outside the means of why you were hired, will it land well with other people? No, no it won't. You see, when I take that correlation and apply it back to the MBA,
00:05:47
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If you have a role player who is trying to play the star role, what do you think is going to happen? I would say plenty of things can happen, right? You're going to cause confusion. You're going to cause strife. Eagles are going to be much more noticeable. Eagles.
00:06:15
Speaker
Let's revisit the football saying and phrase. If everyone isn't doing their job but instead doing other people's job, what do you think is gonna happen? People will be out of their position and that will lead to confusion, conflict. In the NFL and football, there's something called blown coverages.
00:06:41
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blown coverages has to do with not accounting for a particular player in that particular play, which shows drastically and most notably that the coverage was blown. So if you become a star in your role,
00:07:03
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things to run smoothly. And if you're not fulfilled in the role that you have, you might need to leave that place and find one where you can be fulfilled. Or here's another way of seeing the matter.
Opportunities for Wisdom and Reflection
00:07:26
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This might be the perfect opportunity and the perfect place to develop self control, wisdom, communication, silence, and being reserved.
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Again, this might be the perfect place to develop self control, wisdom, communication, silence, and being reserved. We may look at a circumstance like this and deem them beneath us.
00:08:05
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And so it must be a negative experience or a predicament that I should not be a part of, right? This might be what some people are thinking. I'm here to tell you, I'm here to say to you, are you sure? Are you sure?
00:08:24
Speaker
I'm also here to tell you, how else is God going to prepare you? Remember, before you can go up to high places to make a difference, God has to hum you. Your character needs to be developed. If your character is not developed, your character will not sustain you in high places to be effective.
00:08:51
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Again, your character will not sustain you in high places to be effective if it is not developed, if it is not fashioned, if it is not harnessed.
00:09:09
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Some things require just a different outlook, a different way of carrying yourself. And I think it will land well if you develop these skills. Because God is going to use every bit of your skills, your talents, your abilities to do His will. To do His will.
00:09:38
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So don't be en alarmed. I say take the opportunity to learn from this experience and turn it into a net positive.
00:09:51
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The second way I was blessed is I received some positive feedback and recognition on episode 165, let the truth set you free part two. The unpackable Matthew chapter 10 verse 28.
00:10:08
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was a blessing to someone. And I want to say, you know, as followers of Christ, when you are obedient, when you are obedient, what you believe God has laid on your heart to share.
00:10:25
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And then you see the effects of how someone one can come along and hear it. And then feels led to reach out to you and tell you how much they were blessed by what it is that you had to say. It's a blessing. It's a amazing feeling. And I appreciate it because the truth of the matter is.
00:10:49
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It wasn't all me. I didn't say it on my own, but God used me as his instrument to do his will. And that to me is an honor. It truly is.
00:11:08
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Again, the reason why I begin the podcast with reflection on how God has been a blessing to me each and every week is because I believe he deserves the glory, the honor, and the praise. Another reason is it gives me the opportunity to reminisce. And by reminiscing, I am shown how good God is, how real he is on a daily basis.
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And finally, time and time again, I truly believe we need to be encouraged as being reflective. If you decide to reflect, you will notice the presence of God with you daily.
Spiritual Recognition and Prayer
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If you decide to reflect, you will know the presence of God daily.
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And only if you pay close attention to the details of your life, you will start to easily notice that God is here and he's blessing you and he's looking out for you. So I suggest that you give it a try and see how his grace and his mercy is over your life. And it's in the little things.
00:12:27
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The little things that you deem to not matter. He's a God that looks at the big picture and he's a God that is concerned with the small details. Amen. Now, of course, this leads us right into prayer. So I'm going to get started with that. Oh God, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for life.
00:12:50
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Because as I continue to live it, I learned what it's like to have it. I learned what it's like to have you in it. And man, I don't mind testifying to anyone about how your presence has made a difference in my life because it's truly amazing. What's great about you Lord is I have had the opportunity to reflect and see how when you weren't in my life, how lost I truly was.
00:13:20
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I was in need of guidance and direction. And I thought by leaning on my own understanding, I would be successful. And boy, was I wrong. Lord, you have allowed me to see both sides and you have given me the opportunity to choose. So Lord, I pray today that each and every one will come to discover how you have given them a choice.
00:13:53
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Lord, as we go to your word today, bless all eyes, all hearts, all minds, all mouths.
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to consider what it is that I have to share today. Bless every listener, including their family, their friends, their enemies. And Lord, we don't take this opportunity for granted, but we appreciate the opportunity to speak life into those who have a willingness to listen. And with that being said, we say this in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
00:14:31
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So today we're going to continue with the gospel of Matthew series.
Matthew Chapter 10 Discussion
00:14:35
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And yes, we are still in the 10th chapter of Matthew, which means chapter 10 is a chapter that's been filled with so much insight, wisdom, knowledge, understanding. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to miss any of it. As a student of the word, I believe that there is more to be discussed. So I'm looking forward to revisiting those books.
00:15:00
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as I believe there is so much revelation to be discovered that God has not revealed to us and he probably won't reveal to us and yet I'm excited for the opportunity. You know, after much preparation and study, I landed on wanting to discuss Matthew chapter 10, verses 29 to 31. It was these three verses that I wanna focus on.
00:15:28
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It's these three verses that allows us to continue because we left off at Matthew chapter 10 verse 28. Of course I will be reading this passage out of the English standard version and this is what it says.
00:15:46
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are not two sparrows sold for a penny, and not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father, but even the hairs on your head are all numbered.
00:16:00
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Fear not therefore, you are more value than the many sparrows. I read again, are not two sparrows sold for a penny and not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father, but even the hairs on your head are numbered or numbered. Fear not therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows. So let me start by saying this.
00:16:32
Speaker
When I read these three verses, I didn't see anything in them. I actually thought there was nothing to discuss. And then as I read these three verses again and again and again, something happened. God opened up my eyes and I saw something worthy of discussion.
00:16:58
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I then began to do Matthew seven seven. I seeked out and I found, and I just kept on seeking and I found something and that something was revelation. That of course was a blessing to me.
00:17:20
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And that is why I'm sharing it to with you today. I'm sharing with you this today because I believe it can be a blessing to you. Again, it was Matthew 7, seven. seven that urged me to keep on seeking and I found something. That something was revelation and it was a blessing to me and I hope that it will be a blessing to you. Now as a critical thinker, I always found it to be interesting when Jesus would begin with a question. Honestly believe that can be a great way to start a conversation because it's a tactic
00:18:00
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and that tactic will start engagement. a questioning A question that is posed among active participants will lead to a response. Again, a question among active participants will lead to a response. And I honestly believe that Jesus, the teacher, wants us, the students, to be curious when we read and study what he has said. And if we are curious, it's going to be hard not to ask questions, not to wonder.
00:18:47
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With questions comes a desire for information, clarification, and understanding. When you look at the first half of verse 29, the question is actually rhetorical.
00:19:02
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Jesus is talking to his disciples and the reader, you and I, and I could just imagine, I can picture how him saying this with a look
00:19:16
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was confirmation to know that his disciples were all engaged in what he had to say. He couldn't have asked this question without knowing that they would agree with what he was saying, which means I believe he used the rhetorical question as a starting point to be, to really bring something to his disciples attention. I'm gonna say that again.
00:19:44
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He couldn't have asked this question without knowing that they would agree with what he was saying, which means he used the rhetorical question as a starting point to really bring something to his disciples' attention and also to read his attention. And I hope so far you're following me.
00:20:11
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His rhetorical question was a guide or a lead into something that I believe was much more important. And I think that that is masterful when it comes to communication. Now, if you have yet to understand what I'm talking about so far, I want to provide you with an example to understand what I have said thus far. So here's an example. The company or the organization And their scheduling is from Monday through Friday. Let's say today's Friday. You have a group of 30 coworkers on break and everyone is hanging out in a break room, having discussions, right? The boss comes in, passes through.
00:20:56
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the break room and begins to greet every everyone. And then all of a sudden he stops and he says, you know, I can't wait to hang out with my wife and my kids, my family. And then he says, isn't tomorrow Saturday? And guess what? Mostly everyone confirms it. So here lies the question.
00:21:24
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This is the question you have to ask yourselves. Did he really lose sight that it was Friday? And then ask yourselves, did he really not know that tomorrow was Saturday? Or did he say that all to get their attention?
00:21:45
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Did he say it all because he was looking for confirmation and I would give him the engagement that he wanted to say something important? Was that a rhetorical question? When you study communications, there are hints a person gives for the attention of full engagement because the idea might be to say something more meaningful. But before you do that, you have to set the stage to get everyone to everyone's attention, okay?
00:22:15
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And I've seen this happen plenty of times to know that it's a real thing, right? Again, teachers use this approach to catch the attention of their students because you also have moments and times that when teachers send students out into group work, in order to catch their attention, they do a lot of things. I remember in middle school, they used to do a clock game. I remember in high school, they used to get really silent.
00:22:45
Speaker
And the hope was that everyone would be silent so that they would continue on with what they had to say. Now, when you think about the rhetorical question that Jesus is posing, it tells you that he's aware of his surroundings, especially when ah when it comes to the marketplace. The first half of verse 49 reads, once again, are not too sparrow, so for a penny, which means that Jesus was also aware of the value of the sparrows in his own community.
00:23:16
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I believe it was Luke chapter two verse 52 that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and also in favor with God and man.
Rhetorical Questions and Communication
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And I would say that part of being wise.
00:23:31
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is being mindful and aware of the prices and the changes that are happening on produce and animals in the marketplace. And that has everything to being in touch with where you reside. Another example of the awareness that Jesus has shown is when he knew that he needed to pay The temple tax again, Jesus was not clueless. He was well aware with what was going on. And so he complied.
00:24:03
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with society's demands. I want to take you to that text. We haven't gotten there yet, but I think it's apropos. Matthew chapter 17, and we're going to look at verses 24 through 27. And it says, on their arrival to Caparium, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and asked him,
00:24:25
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Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax? Yes, he does, Peter replied. Then he went into the house, but before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him. What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?
00:24:47
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They taxed the people they have conquered, Peter replied. Well then, Jesus said, the citizens are free. However, we don't want to offend them. So go down to the lake, throw in a line, open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver corn. Take it and pay the tax for both of us. Amazing, truly amazing.
00:25:35
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Okay, let's dig even deeper. What's the value of a penny during that time, during the medium for times? It all depends on the translation you're reading, to be honest. So a copper coin called an ass was worth 1 16th of a denarius.
00:25:57
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A copper coin called an Az was worth 1 16th of a denarius. In the New Testament, the word penny is a translation of the Roman denarius, a silver coin, which was worth around 15 to 17 cents. You may not know this, but the denarius was the primary Roman silver coin and was used as daily pay for Roman soldiers.
00:26:30
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So one denarius was the daily wage of an unskilled labor.
00:26:38
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200 denarii will be roughly equal event to seven months wages. Okay. So a little history and distinction between the value of a penny, which was a denaria and a copper corn, which was worth one 16th of a denarius.
00:26:56
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Now, when we get to the other half of verse 29, it says, not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father. Again, if he's not one of them, then he's speaking of the sparrows, will fall to the ground apart from your father, which means that no spiral or sparrow. By the way, spiral is how it's said in the British language. Sparrow is how it's said in the English language.
00:27:27
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Which means that no sparrow will ever make a move that God isn't ah aware of. So let's talk about sparrows now, right? Sparrows are birds that are small and old and they are considered a world bird related to weaver birds.
00:27:49
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We were birds are tropical African songbirds. And I believe at some point we all have heard sparrows, especially in the morning. And I think we've taken it for granted and we've never truly taken the time out to know their value.
00:28:17
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But we will get to that in a second. I promise you that. Now history tells us that the Hebrew people generally considered sparrows, birds, unimportant. And that was because of how many they were.
00:28:34
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Some Hebrew people were even annoyed with them because of their busyness and tendency to nest around people's homes. Now I can understand that, but guess what they didn't know about sparrow birds?
00:28:51
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But guess what they didn't know about Sparrow words that we know now, right? A lot of science has helped us tremendously. And now we are no longer ignorant, but educated on their value. But guess what is consistent? Guess who created them? Guess who understood their value?
00:29:17
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That will be God. So let's unpack this.
Nature and God's Care
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Sparrows play a vital role in the food web and ecosystem balance by eating a variety of plants and animals. Sparrows help pest control.
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right sparrows eat small insects and worms that can destroy plants such as calabellas and beelets sparrows eat seeds and grains including crops like corn, oaks, weeds, as well as livestock feed and discard for food in the cities Guess what else they do? They help with pollination. Sparrows help plants flourish by visiting flowers and transferring pollen.
00:30:15
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Sparrows are prey for larger birds like hawks and snakes. They can also impact populations of native birds such as bluebirds and some woodpeckers by taking over their nesting.
00:30:32
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cavities all those sparrows do not belong to the family of water birds they can swim very fast sparrows have beautiful voices and they're chirping of course can be heard all around which is what i'm saying sometimes we wake up early in the morning and you hear chirping going on that's a sparrow
00:30:59
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Kestis, did you know that sparrows even helped save New York City's trees when they were being destroyed by green inchworms?
00:31:10
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So, look at how valuable they have been. Look at how valuable God created them to be. So when we read the other half of verse 29 it reads, and not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father. It goes to show you how much love God has for his own creation. I mean, the details that go into what he created is amazing. They're part of the food chain. They're part of the ecosystem development.
00:31:48
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How did we learn this through science? But who knew it way before science even studied what God created? God. He knew their value. He knew their importance. So while people may overlook sparrows,
00:32:03
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God always sees them. Not only does he only see them, he cares about them. The truth of the matter is God values everyone and everything he has made no matter how small or uncommon or insignificant. Based upon what humans think, God sees them as much more valuable and important.
00:32:29
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Go to verse 30 it says, but even the hairs on your head are all numbered. This to me just shows how detailed God is and wasn't creating us. And again, what science does is to study of what God created. Now science is able to then discover things that God already knew about us. For an example.
00:32:56
Speaker
Did you know that the amount of hair on a person's head can vary by individual, but the average person on their head has anywhere from 100,000 to 150,000 hairs on their head? Of course, we gotta be respectful to those who have elected to shave or cut it off. But to know that God knows each number of hairs on your head to a T is specifically, in my mind,
00:33:26
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amazing and yet special.
00:33:32
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Do you know that many hair follicles on your head can range to 4 million and a half on an adult human? Again, fascinating statistically.
00:33:51
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And yet God knew about it way before we even had any approximates. Let's finish with verse 31, which says, fear not therefore you are of more value than many sparrows. So in closing, the takeaway should be that God truly cares for everything that he has created.
00:34:16
Speaker
Whether that be something small, like worms, bugs, or like the text says, sparrows, or something that reflects him, right? Humans, we are created in his image and therefore we bear the Amalgo Day, deserving dignity and respect. And that is the image of God. You know, the wonders of God's work is all around us. And I believe it's easy to ignore it when we get caught up and what we have going on. That is selfishness, right? We get caught up in our own problems and issues that we don't take the chance to see what God is doing and what he's done.
00:35:04
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However, I've always encouraged you to reflect. And if you reflect, and just sit back and observe, we can be amazed by what God has created.
00:35:20
Speaker
You know Romans chapter 1 verse 20 tells us that every part of what God has created reflects his creativity for it says, for since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen being understood from what has been made so that people are without excuse. In Psalms chapter 40 verse 5 points out God's abilities for it says many Lord my God are the ones you have done the things you have planned for us None can compare with you where I speak and tell you your deeds They would be too many to declare Job expresses God's love and care for us in chapter 12 verses 7 through 10 and it says that But ask the animals, and it will teach you. Or the birds in the sky, and it will tell you. Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you. Or let the fish in the sea inform you, which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this. And his hand is life and of every creature in the breath of all mankind. And on that note, we will close out in prayer. No need for devotional time. Actually,
00:36:37
Speaker
As a matter of fact, I'm going to audible that. Here is a passage that just came to mind and I think it's Apple poll here. Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 26 through 28 in the NLT.
God's Purpose and Human Perception
00:36:52
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Again, 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 26 through 28 NLT. Remember dear brothers and sisters that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.
00:37:06
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Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And He chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.
00:37:31
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So here's a small prayer to help you throughout the
Closing Prayer and Reflections
00:37:34
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week. Heavenly Father in Jesus name, as we work and as we live, I ask that you remind us that whether we are liked or disliked, that should not be our concern, but rather the focus needs to be on pleasing you, Lord God. Remind us that our audience It's just an audience of one, and that is you, Jesus. All those in agreement say, in Jesus' name we pray, amen. And of course, like what we always do at the end of every podcast, and that is until next time, the Truth and the Matters podcast audience, be careful, be vigilant,
00:38:16
Speaker
and watch for as we depart from one another, but never the presence of the Lord. Talk to you next time. God bless.