In this episode of Bible Bytes, we examine the story of Miriam’s pride and its consequences as recounted in Numbers chapter 12, verses 1 through 15. Host Randy Black guides us through the narrative where Miriam, driven by pride, challenges Moses’s authority, leading to God’s rebuke and her temporary affliction with leprosy. This story serves as a poignant reminder of how pride can disrupt our relationship with God and the unity among His people. Through prayer and reflection, we explore the importance of humility and obedience, recognizing God’s sovereign choice in appointing leaders and the dangers of allowing pride to cloud our judgment.
We also examine the themes of God’s justice and mercy, as seen in Miriam’s eventual restoration following Moses’s intercession. The episode highlights key takeaways such as the power of intercession, the consequences of sin, and the path to restoration through repentance. Listeners are encouraged to walk humbly, trust in God’s defense, and intercede for others, following the example of Moses. Join us as we learn from Miriam’s mistake and strive to live faithfully and obediently before the Lord.
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Speaker 1: We gather here today with open hearts and minds to grow.
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Speaker 1: Faith and truth, in every word we find The pages of the word, alive and full of grace, inspiring faith with him as we seek his faith.
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Speaker 1: Bible bites, Bible bites, installing faith one bite at a time with everyone.
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Speaker 1: First we find our way to live our lives in his light and shine.
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Speaker 2: Welcome to Bible Bites, the podcast where we work to inspire faith one bite at a time.
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Speaker 2: I’m your host, Randy Black.
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Speaker 2: Pride is a subtle but destructive sin that can cause even faithful believers to fall into error
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Speaker 2: In Numbers chapter 12, verses 1 through 15, Miriam allowed pride to overtake her judgment, challenging Moses’ authority as God’s chosen servant.
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Speaker 2: The result was God’s rebuke and a period of painful discipline.
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Speaker 2: This account reminds us that pride not only damages our relationship with God, but can also disrupt the unity of his people.
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Speaker 2: Today’s episode will explore Miriam’s mistake and apply its lessons to our walk as Christians who seek humility and obedience before the Lord.
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Speaker 2: Before we get into the scripture, let’s dive in with a word of prayer.
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Speaker 2: Heavenly Father, we come before you acknowledging that pride can so easily creep into our hearts.
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Speaker 2: Help us to learn from Miriam’s mistake, to walk in humility, and to honor the leaders you have placed in our lives.
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Speaker 2: Give us ears to hear your word today and hearts that are ready to obey.
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Speaker 2: In the name of your son Jesus, we pray.
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Speaker 2: Amen.
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Speaker 2: In this passage, Numbers chapter twelve, verses one through fifteen, we find Miriam and Aaron speaking against Moses because of his Kushite wife.
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Speaker 2: But the deeper complaint was rooted in pride.
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Speaker 2: Has the Lord really spoken only through Moses?
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Speaker 2: Has he not spoken through us as well?
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Speaker 2: We see that in Numbers chapter 12, verse 2.
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Speaker 2: Their jealousy and desire for equal authority blinded them to God’s sovereign choice.
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Speaker 2: Pride often works the same way in our lives, leading us to compare ourselves with others.
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Speaker 2: instead of being content with God’s unique call on us.
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Speaker 2: Proverbs chapter sixteen verse eighteen warns us Pride goes before destruction
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Speaker 2: and the haughty spirit before stumbling.
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Speaker 2: The Lord responded immediately, calling Miriam, Aaron, and Moses to the tent of meeting
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Speaker 2: God descended in a pillar of cloud and declared their unique relationship he had with Moses.
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Speaker 2: We see that in Numbers chapter 12, verse 8.
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Speaker 2: With him I speak mouth to mouth, that is, openly, and not using mysterious language, and he beholds the form of the Lord
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Speaker 2: Unlike other prophets who received visions or dreams, Moses alone had direct and intimate communication with God.
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Speaker 2: This was not a privilege Miriam or Aaron could claim.
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Speaker 2: God’s rebuke reminds us that He appoints leaders and He grants authority according to His will, not human ambition.
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Speaker 2: Our role is to walk humbly, recognizing his order rather than resisting it
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Speaker 2: When the Lord departed, his anger burned, and Miriam was struck with leprosy.
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Speaker 2: We see that in Numbers 12, verse 10.
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Speaker 2: But when the cloud was withdrawn from above the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow.
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Speaker 2: Her punishment was public and undeniable.
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Speaker 2: Sin, especially pride, often carries consequences, not just for the one who sins, but for the whole community
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Speaker 2: Israel could not move forward until Marian’s restoration.
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Speaker 2: This illustrates the seriousness of sin and God’s holiness in dealing with it.
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Speaker 2: Hebrews 12, verse 6 reminds us, for those whom the Lord loves, he disciplines, and he punishes every son whom he accepts.
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Speaker 2: Yet, even in judgment, we see God’s mercy.
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Speaker 2: Aaron pleaded with Moses, confessing their sin, and Moses interceded on Marian’s behalf in Numbers twelve, verse thirteen.
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Speaker 2: O God, heal her, please.
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Speaker 2: God granted healing, but but required Miriam to remain outside the camp for seven days as a lesson and a time of purification
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Speaker 2: Her discipline was temporary, and her restoration complete.
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Speaker 2: This balance of justice and mercy shows that while pride leads to punishment, repentance opens the door to healing.
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Speaker 2: As 1 Peter 5, verse 6 teaches, therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time.
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Speaker 2: We have some key takeaways from our scripture today.
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Speaker 2: The first is that pride blinds us to God’s order.
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Speaker 2: Miriam’s challenge to Moses was not just about his marriage, but about his authority as God’s chosen leader.
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Speaker 2: Her pride caused her to overlook the fact that
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Speaker 2: God had uniquely appointed Moses to a role that no one else could fill.
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Speaker 2: In our own lives, pride often tempts us to question or undermine the people God has placed in positions of leadership
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Speaker 2: whether in the church, in the workplace, or in our homes.
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Speaker 2: When we elevate our own opinions above God’s order, we risk falling into the same error as Miriam
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Speaker 2: This call for us is to walk humbly and to recognize that God works through his chosen vessels in ways that may not always align with our own expectations.
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Speaker 2: Our next takeaway is that God defends his servants.
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Speaker 2: One of the most striking aspects of this story is that Moses did not have to argue or defend himself
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Speaker 2: Instead, God stepped in and spoke on Moses’ behalf, making clear the unique relationship he had with his servant.
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Speaker 2: This reminds us that when we are living faithfully before the Lord,
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Speaker 2: We don’t need to fight every battle with words or self-defense.
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Speaker 2: God himself will vindicate his people in his time and in his way
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Speaker 2: Our responsibility is to remain faithful, to serve with integrity, and to trust that God will defend the truth and the work he has called us to do
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Speaker 2: Our next takeaway is that sin brings consequences.
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Speaker 2: Miriam’s leprosy was immediate and severe, a public sign of God’s displeasure with her pride and rebellion.
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Speaker 2: This shows us that while sin may begin in the heart, it rarely stays hidden.
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Speaker 2: It eventually bears fruit that not only affects us personally, but also impacts those around us.
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Speaker 2: In Miriam’s case, the entire camp of Israel had to wait seven days for her restoration before they could move forward
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Speaker 2: Similarly, our sin can delay progress in our families, our ministries, and our communities.
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Speaker 2: Sin is never a private matter.
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Speaker 2: It always has consequences
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Speaker 2: God’s discipline may feel harsh at times, but it is meant to awaken us to the seriousness of sin and to turn our hearts back to Him.
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Speaker 2: Our next takeaway is that restoration follows repentance.
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Speaker 2: Though God disciplined Miriam, he did not abandon her.
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Speaker 2: Through Moses’ intercession, God granted healing, though he required a period of separation from the camp.
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Speaker 2: This reveals the heart of God’s discipline, not destruction, but restoration
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Speaker 2: For believers today, that is a reminder that when we humble ourselves, confess our sins, and repent, God is faithful to forgive and restore us.
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Speaker 2: As 1 John 1, verse 9 promises, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, so that he will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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Speaker 2: The pathway back from pride or any sin is always open through repentance.
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Speaker 2: And God delights in restoring his children
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Speaker 2: And our last takeaway from our scripture today is that intercession is powerful.
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Speaker 2: When Miriam was struck with leprosy,
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Speaker 2: It was Moses who cried out on her behalf in verse 13, Oh God, heal her, please.
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Speaker 2: This prayer moved the heart of God, leading to Miriam’s healing and eventual restoration
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Speaker 2: Moses’ example reminds us that when others stumble, our response should not be to condemn, but to intercede
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Speaker 2: Christians today are called to pray for one another, lifting up those who fall and asking God to restore them.
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Speaker 2: James 5, verse 16 says, The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
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Speaker 2: Intercession
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Speaker 2: Is an act of love that reflects the heart of Christ, who himself intercedes for us before the Father
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Speaker 2: Miriam’s story warns us of the subtlety of pride.
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Speaker 2: It began with what seemed like a simple complaint
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Speaker 2: But quickly revealed a deeper challenge to God’s chosen order.
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Speaker 2: Pride has a way of creeping into our hearts when
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Speaker 2: we compare ourselves to others or desire recognition that God has not given us.
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Speaker 2: As believers, we must be vigilant against this temptation
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Speaker 2: and instead choose humility, remembering that God alone appoints roles and distributes his gifts according to his perfect wisdom.
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Speaker 2: We also learn that God Himself is the defender of his servants.
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Speaker 2: Moses did not need to retaliate against Miriam or Aaron.
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Speaker 2: Instead, he trusted God and God vindicated him.
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Speaker 2: This challenges us to resist the urge to fight for our own recognition or control.
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Speaker 2: Instead, we can live faithfully confident that
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Speaker 2: God sees, hears, and will defend those who walk in obedience to him.
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Speaker 2: The consequences of Miriam’s sin remind us that
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Speaker 2: Sin is never contained.
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Speaker 2: Her leprosy delayed the progress of the entire nation, showing that our choices affect more than just ourselves.
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Speaker 2: In our daily walk, we should consider how pride, rebellion, and disobedience may hinder not only our growth, but also the work of God in our families, churches, and communities
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Speaker 2: God’s discipline is a call to seriousness about sin and a reminder that holiness matters
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Speaker 2: Yet the story does not end with judgment.
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Speaker 2: Miriam’s eventual healing reveals God’s heart of mercy.
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Speaker 2: He disciplines in love, not for destruction, but for restoration
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Speaker 2: For Christians today, this should give us hope and assurance.
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Speaker 2: No matter how far we fall, if we repent or return to Him, God will forgive and restore us
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Speaker 2: His grace is always greater than our sin.
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Speaker 2: Finally, we see the power of intercession.
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Speaker 2: Moses’ prayer for Miriam demonstrates the heart of Christ, who continually intercedes for his people.
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Speaker 2: As believers, we are called to stand in the gap for one another, praying earnestly for those who stumble and asking God to bring them back into fellowship
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Speaker 2: Rather than criticizing or gossiping about others’ failures, we should follow Moses’ example and lift them up in prayer
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Speaker 2: Intercession not only brings healing to the one who has fallen, but also strengthens the unity of God’s people.
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Speaker 2: Before we preview our next episode, let’s go to the Lord in prayer one more time.
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Speaker 2: Lord God, we thank you for the lesson of Miriam’s mistake.
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Speaker 2: Keep us from pride, and help us to walk in humility before you and before others.
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Speaker 2: Teach us to respect your order, to trust in your defense, and to remember that your discipline is for our good.
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Speaker 2: May we always be ready to intercede for others and rejoice in their restoration
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Speaker 2: Strengthen us to live humbly, faithfully, and obediently as your people.
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Speaker 2: In the name of your Son Jesus, we pray.
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Speaker 2: Amen.
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Speaker 2: On the next episode of Bible Bites, join us so that you may discover how Rahab’s bold faith and a simple scarlet cord changed the fate of her family.
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Speaker 2: and help set the stage for Jericho’s fall.
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Speaker 2: You can find that in the book of Joshua, chapter 2, verses 1 through 21.
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Speaker 2: So come back for the next episode of Bible Bites, the podcast, where we work to inspire faith one bite at a time.
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Speaker 1: Bible bites.
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Speaker 1: Bible bites.
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Speaker 1: Take one bite at a time With every verse we find our way To live our lives in his life and shine
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Speaker 1: Bubble bites, bubble bites, inspiring faith one bite at a time.