Lessons on Hospitality and Service

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What does it look like for a home to become part of God’s work?

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Not just a place of comfort, but a place where faith is strengthened,

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relationships are formed, and the gospel is shared.

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In Romans chapter 16, verses 3 through 5, Paul offers a personal glimpse into

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the lives of Priscilla and Aquila.

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He calls them fellow workers in Christ and points to something remarkable,

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the church that met in their house.

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Their home was not simply where they lived. It was where ministry happened.

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Through their example, we see that hospitality is not just an act of kindness,

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but an act of service that advances God’s kingdom.

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This is Lessons on Hospitality and Service today on Bible Bites.

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Faith, one bite at a time. I’m your host, Randy Black.

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Today, we turn to Romans chapter 16, verses 3 through 5, as we conclude our

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study of Priscilla and her role in the early church.

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In previous episodes, we’ve seen her partnership in ministry and her involvement

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in guiding Apollos toward a fuller understanding of the gospel.

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Now, we see another important dimension of her faith, her commitment to hospitality and to service.

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In this passage of Scripture, Paul greets Priscilla and Aquila as fellow workers in Christ.

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He acknowledges that the church met in their home.

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These few verses reveal a powerful truth. Their home was not just a private

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space, but a place where believers gathered,

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where relationships were strengthened, and where the work of the gospel continued.

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Their example challenges us to consider how our own lives and homes can be used for God’s purposes.

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Hospitality, it’s not simply about opening a door. It’s about opening our lives

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in service to others and creating space for God to work through us,

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Before we dive into the scripture today, let’s open up with a word of prayer.

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Heavenly Father, we thank you for the example of faithful servants like Priscilla

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and Aquila Who used what you had given them to serve others and to advance to your kingdom him.

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Lord, teach us to have hearts of hospitality and willingness to serve.

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Help us to see our homes, our resources, and our time as opportunities to honor you and to bless others.

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Give us eyes to recognize where you are at work and the courage to participate

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in that work with humility and faithfulness.

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As we study your word today, open our hearts to understand the importance of

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service and fellowship within the body of Christ.

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May your spirit guide us and shape us to reflect your love in the way we welcome and care for others.

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We ask these things in the name of your son, Jesus. Amen.

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As Paul begins to close his letter to the Romans, he takes time to personally

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greet several individuals who played significant roles in the life of the early church.

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Among them, he writes, greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus.

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This simple greeting carries deep meaning.

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Paul identifies them not just as friends, but as fellow workers,

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co-laborers in the mission of the gospel.

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Their relationship with Paul was rooted in shared service, sacrifice,

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and commitment to Christ.

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He goes on to say that they laid down their own necks for his life.

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While the exact circumstances are not detailed here, this statement reveals

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the depth of their devotion.

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Priscilla and Aquila were not casual participants in ministry.

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They were willing to risk of their own lives in service to others and for the sake of the gospel.

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Their faith was active. It was sacrificial, and it was deeply committed.

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Paul then adds something especially significant. He greets the church that is in their home.

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This brief phrase gives us a window into how early church functioned.

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Before dedicated church buildings existed, believers gathered together in homes.

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These homes became places of worship, of teaching, of fellowship, and of encouragement.

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Priscilla and Aquila’s home was one of those places.

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Their willingness to open their home meant that they were providing space not

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only for people, but for ministry itself.

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Their hospitality created an environment where believers could grow in faith,

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support one another, and continue the work of the gospel together.

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This reflects an important truth about hospitality in the Christian life.

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It’s not merely about offering comfort or convenience. It’s about making room

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for God’s work to take place.

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By opening their home, Priscilla and Aquila were actively participating in the

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life and growth of the church.

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Paul’s words also show that their impact extended beyond one local gathering.

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He notes that all of the churches of the Gentiles gave thanks for them.

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Their service had wide-reaching influence.

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Through their faithfulness, they contributed to the spread of the gospel and

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the strengthening of believers across many regions.

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In just a few verses, we see a powerful picture of what it means to serve God

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through everyday faithfulness.

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Priscilla and Aquila worked alongside others, sacrificed for the sake of Christ,

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and used their home as a place of ministry.

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Their lives demonstrate that hospitality and service are not secondary aspects of faith.

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They are essential expressions of it.

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Priscilla’s example in this passage highlights that service in the Christian

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life is not confined to public roles or visible platforms.

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Alongside Aquila, she demonstrates that faithful service often takes place in

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everyday settings, using what God has already provided.

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Their home became a place where believers gathered, and where the work of the

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church continued, showing that ordinary spaces can become instruments for extraordinary

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purposes when they are surrendered to God.

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This passage also emphasizes that true hospitality is an expression of spiritual commitment.

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Priscilla and Aquila did not simply offer their home out of convenience or social custom.

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Their willingness to open their home and open their lives to others was rooted

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in their dedication to Christ and to his people.

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Hospitality in this sense becomes an act of ministry, one that creates opportunities

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for encouragement, for discipleship, and fellowship within the body of the believers.

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Another important truth is the connection between service and sacrifice.

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Paul’s statement that they risked their lives for him reveals that their faith

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was marked by courage and selflessness.

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Their service was not limited to what was easy or comfortable.

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Instead, they were willing to give of themselves fully, trusting that their

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lives were in God’s hands.

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This reminds us that meaningful service often requires us to step beyond our

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comfort and to prioritize the needs of others.

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The passage also reveals the far-reaching impact of faithful service.

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Though their acts may have seemed personal or local, you know,

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opening their home, supporting fellow believers, the influence of Priscilla

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and Aquila extended to many churches.

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Their faithfulness contributed to the growth and the strength of the early Christian

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community in ways that went beyond what they could see.

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This serves as a reminder that when we serve God faithfully,

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He can use our actions to impact others far beyond our immediate surroundings.

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Ultimately, this passage of Scripture teaches that hospitality and service are

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essential expressions of a life devoted to Christ.

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They reflect a heart that is willing to be used by God, whether in public ministry

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or in quiet, behind-the-scenes faithfulness.

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Through Priscilla’s example, we’re reminded that when we open our lives to serve

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others, we are participating in God’s ongoing work in the world.

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The example of Priscilla and Aquila invites us to carefully consider how we

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view the role of our everyday lives in God’s work.

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It can be easy to separate what we consider ministry from the ordinary rhythms

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of life, yet the scripture challenges that distinction.

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Their home was not set apart because it was extraordinary in appearance,

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but because it was surrendered in purpose.

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This invites us to reflect on whether we see our own homes, our schedules,

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and our resources as tools that can be used for God’s kingdom or simply as spaces

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reserved for our own personal comfort.

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This passage also presses us to examine our attitude toward hospitality on a deeper level.

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In a culture that often values privacy, convenience, and control over our time,

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the idea of regularly opening our lives to others can feel burdensome.

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Yet, biblical hospitality is not about having the perfect environment or the ideal circumstances.

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It’s about a willing heart. Priscilla and Aquila demonstrated that hospitality

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begins with availability, a readiness to welcome others in even when it requires

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adjustment, sacrifice, or intentional effort.

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Their example challenges us to ask whether we are making room in our lives for

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fellowship and encouragement or unintentionally closing ourselves off from opportunities to serve.

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There’s also a deeper reflection to be made about the nature of service itself.

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Paul’s acknowledgement that they risked their lives reveals that their commitment

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to Christ was not dependent on ease or on safety.

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Their service was rooted in conviction, not convenience.

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This raises an important question for us. Is our willingness to serve shaped

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primarily by what is comfortable or by what is faithful?

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Genuine service often calls for sacrifice, sacrifice of time,

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of energy, of resources, and sometimes even personal security.

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Priscilla’s example reminds us that a life devoted to Christ is one that remains

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open and obedient even when the cost is significant.

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Another important consideration is how we view the impact of our faithfulness.

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Priscilla and Aquila likely could not see the full extent of how God was using

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their home and their service to strengthen the early church.

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Yet, Paul’s words make it clear that their influence reached far beyond their

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immediate surroundings.

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In the same way, much of what God accomplishes through us happens quietly and without recognition.

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This challenges us to remain faithful, not for acknowledgement,

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but out of devotion to Christ, trusting that He is at work in ways that we may

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never fully understand.

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Finally, this passage of Scripture calls us to reflect on the connection between

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hospitality and the mission of the church.

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The early church was built in part through gatherings in homes where believers

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worshipped, learned, and encouraged one another.

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Hospitality was not separate from the mission. It was a vital part of it.

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When we open up our lives to others, we create space for discipleship,

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for spiritual growth, and for the strengthening of the body of Christ.

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Priscilla’s example reminds us that when we make room for others,

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we’re also making room for God to work in and through those relationships.

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As we prepare to close out the episode, let’s go to prayer one more time.

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Lord, we thank you for the example of Priscilla and Aquila and the way they

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faithfully use their lives in service to you and to others.

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Help us to see that all we have, our homes, our time, and our resources can be used for your glory.

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Give us hearts that are willing to serve even when it requires sacrifice or

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stretches us beyond what is comfortable.

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Teach us to practice hospitality with sincerity and with love,

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creating space for encouragement, for fellowship, and for spiritual growth.

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Lord, shape us into people who are faithful in both the seen and the unseen moments of service.

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May our lives reflect a willingness to be used by you in whatever way you choose,

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trusting that you are at work through every act of obedience.

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We ask that you would use our homes and our relationship to strengthen others

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and to advance your kingdom.

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In your son Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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Before we close today’s episode, I want to share one more brief thought with you.

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If Bible Bites has encouraged you in your walk with Christ, we are truly grateful.

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This podcast exists because of a desire to faithfully share God’s Word and to

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create space, much like the homes of believers in the early church,

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where people can grow in faith and in understanding.

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There’s a few ways that you can support this work. First and most importantly,

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As we conclude today’s episode, we’re reminded that a life of faith is often

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expressed through simple, faithful acts of service.

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Priscilla’s example shows us that hospitality is more than opening a home.

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It is opening our lives for God to work through us.

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When we make room for others, we create opportunities for encouragement,

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fellowship, and the growth of the church.

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The scripture today challenges us to view what we have not as our own,

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but as something entrusted to us by God for his purposes.

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Whether through a conversation, a shared meal, or a welcoming space,

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each act of service becomes a way to participate in his work and to strengthen those around us.

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Next time on Bible Bites, we begin a new study titled Living Water,

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Jesus’ Encounter with the Samaritan Woman. It’s based on John chapter 4, verses 1 through 16.

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In this powerful account, we’ll see how Jesus meets a woman at the well and

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offers her something far greater than physical water, the gift of living water

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that satisfies the deepest spiritual need.

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Thank you for listening to Bible Bites. And join us on that next episode as

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we work to inspire faith one bite at a time.