In this episode of Bible Bytes, we delve into the miraculous fulfillment of God’s promise to Sarah and Abraham as recounted in Genesis 21:1-7. Host Randy Black guides us through the story of Isaac’s birth, highlighting the unwavering nature of God’s promises and the perfect timing of His interventions. Despite Sarah’s advanced age and initial disbelief, God’s faithfulness shines through, transforming doubt into joy and laughter. This narrative serves as a powerful reminder that human limitations are opportunities for divine miracles, and that faith requires both trust and obedience.
We explore five key takeaways from the scripture, emphasizing that God’s promises are steadfast, human limitations highlight His power, and true faith leads to obedient action. Sarah’s testimony of joy and laughter not only reflects personal fulfillment but also inspires communal rejoicing. As we reflect on our own lives, we are encouraged to trust in God’s timing, remain obedient after receiving blessings, and share our testimonies to strengthen the faith of others. Join us in prayer as we thank God for His unwavering faithfulness and seek to deepen our reliance on His promises.
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Speaker 1: We gather here today with open hearts and minds To grow in faith and truth in every
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Speaker 1: Every word we find the pages of the word alive and full of grace Inspiring faith with him as we seek his face Bible
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Speaker 1: Bible bites In starting faith one bite at a time With every verse we find our way
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Speaker 1: To live our lives in his life and shine.
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Speaker 2: Welcome to Bible Bites, the podcast where we work to inspire faith.
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Speaker 2: One bite at a time.
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Speaker 2: I’m your host, Randy Black.
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Speaker 2: Throughout the Bible, God’s promises stand as unwavering pillars of hope
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Speaker 2: Even when human circumstances seem impossible.
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Speaker 2: In Genesis chapter 21, verses one through seven
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Speaker 2: We witness the long-awaited birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah, a fulfillment of a divine promise given decades earlier
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Speaker 2: Their journey reminds us that God’s timing is perfect and his word never fails, even when our faith is stretched thin
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Speaker 2: Today’s episode is going to focus on the miraculous fulfillment of God’s promise to Sarah, teaching us how trust
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Speaker 2: Patience and divine faithfulness intertwine.
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Speaker 2: As we do every episode
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Speaker 2: Let’s open up with a word of prayer.
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Speaker 2: Heavenly Father, we come before you with hearts open to your word.
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Speaker 2: Teach us today about your faithfulness through the story of Sarah and Isaac.
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Speaker 2: Help us to see that even when when hope seems lost, your promises remain sure.
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Speaker 2: Strengthen our faith to trust in your perfect timing and your sovereign plan for our lives.
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Speaker 2: May this lesson in this episode draw us nearer to you
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Speaker 2: and deepen our reliance on your steadfast love.
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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: Genesis chapter 21, verses 1 through 7.
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Speaker 2: Then the Lord took note of Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah,
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Speaker 2: as he had promised.
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Speaker 2: So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.
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Speaker 2: Abraham
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Speaker 2: Named his son who was born to him, the son whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
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Speaker 2: Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
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Speaker 2: Now Abraham was a hundred years old.
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Speaker 2: When his son Isaac was born to him, and Sarah said, God has made laughter for me.
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Speaker 2: Everyone who hears will laugh with me.
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Speaker 2: And she said, Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse?
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Speaker 2: children yet I have given birth to a son in his old age the opening verse
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Speaker 2: powerfully sets the tone.
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Speaker 2: Then the Lord took note of Sarah as he had said.
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Speaker 2: God’s action is intentional and deliberate
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Speaker 2: He had not forgotten Sarah, even though she had long since passed the age of childbearing.
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Speaker 2: This phrase echoes throughout Scripture, where God remembers his people
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Speaker 2: Not because he ever forgets, but because the time for his intervention has arrived
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Speaker 2: This is a fulfillment of Genesis chapter 18, verse 10, where God promised that Sarah would have a son by this time next year.
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Speaker 2: Sarah’s conception and the birth of Isaac occurred at the appointed time.
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Speaker 2: God’s promises are never random or accidental.
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Speaker 2: They are meticulously timed according to his sovereign plan.
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Speaker 2: As Ecclesiastes 3.
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Speaker 2: 1 says, there is an appointed time for everything, and there is a time for every matter under heaven.
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Speaker 2: This miraculous nature of Isaac’s birth emphasizes that God’s purposes are not thwarted by human limitations
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Speaker 2: Sarah’s physical inability to conceive served to magnify the power of God rather than diminish hope.
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Speaker 2: Romans chapter 4, 19 through 21 speaks about Abraham’s faith, saying, He did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.
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Speaker 2: Abraham believed that what God had promised, he was also able to perform.
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Speaker 2: Verse 3 in this piece of scripture shows
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Speaker 2: Abraham naming his son Isaac, which means he laughs.
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Speaker 2: This name is significant because it reflects both Sarah’s initial laughter of disbelief from Genesis 1812
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Speaker 2: and the joyful laughter that now erupts at God’s miraculous provision.
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Speaker 2: God’s command to name the child Isaac was a constant reminder of the transformation from doubt to faith
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Speaker 2: From sorrow to joy.
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Speaker 2: In verse 4, we see a focus on Abraham’s obedience in circumcising Isaac
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Speaker 2: when he was eight days old, as God had previously commanded, in Genesis chapter seventeen, verse twelve.
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Speaker 2: This act shows Abraham’s continued faithfulness to God’s covenant
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Speaker 2: Obedience immediately following the receipt of a blessing demonstrates a heart truly aligned with God.
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Speaker 2: Faith is not only believing in God’s promises, but also walking in obedience to his instructions, a principle reinforced in James 2, verse 26.
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Speaker 2: Which says, For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead
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Speaker 2: Verse 5 here highlights that Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born, underlying the miraculous nature of the event
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Speaker 2: In human terms, this was impossible.
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Speaker 2: Yet, in God’s hands, age and circumstances are irrelevant
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Speaker 2: This truth encourages us to believe that no obstacle is too great for God to overcome when fulfilling his promises.
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Speaker 2: Sarah’s joyful exclamation in verses six and seven shows a heart overwhelmed by the goodness of God.
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Speaker 2: God has made laughter for me, she says, indicating that the joy she now experiences will not be private.
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Speaker 2: It will cause others to rejoice with her
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Speaker 2: Her rhetorical question, Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children?
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Speaker 2: emphasizes the improbability of the event, underscoring that it was only possible through divine intervention.
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Speaker 2: Luke chapter 1, verse 37 echoes this truth when it says, for nothing will be impossible with God.
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Speaker 2: We have five key takeaways from this scripture today.
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Speaker 2: Our first is that God’s promises are steadfast and certain
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Speaker 2: God’s promises do not expire with time or diminish because of our doubts.
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Speaker 2: What He speaks, He will fulfill
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Speaker 2: Even if years pass without visible evidence, God remains true to his word.
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Speaker 2: Sarah’s story is a testament that God’s delays are not denials
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Speaker 2: Next is that human limitations are opportunities for divine miracles
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Speaker 2: Sarah’s barrenness and advanced age were no hindrance to God.
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Speaker 2: Instead, they served to highlight his power
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Speaker 2: Our weaknesses, hardships, and limitations are opportunities for God to demonstrate His glory and for us to grow deeper in faith
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Speaker 2: Our third takeaway is that faith requires both trust and obedience.
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Speaker 2: Abraham did not merely believe God’s promise.
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Speaker 2: He acted on it through immediate obedience, such as circumcising Isaac.
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Speaker 2: True faith leads to actions that align with God’s commands, proving that trust is not passive, but is active.
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Speaker 2: Our next takeaway is that God’s fulfillment brings overwhelming joy.
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Speaker 2: Sarah’s laughter turned from skepticism to overwhelming joy.
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Speaker 2: When God fulfills his promises, the results often exceed our expectations, and fills our hearts with praise and testimony that others can then share in
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Speaker 2: Our last takeaway is that our testimonies inspire and strengthen others.
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Speaker 2: Sarah’s testimony was not only personal, but communal.
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Speaker 2: Her experience of God’s faithfulness caused others to rejoice with her.
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Speaker 2: In the same way, when we share what God has done
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Speaker 2: We build the faith of those around us and we glorify his name.
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Speaker 2: When we consider our own lives,
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Speaker 2: How many promises of God have we doubted because of our own human reasoning?
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Speaker 2: Like Sarah, we may laugh in disbelief at the very idea of certain blessings coming true.
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Speaker 2: thinking our age, condition, or situation is too far gone.
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Speaker 2: But God’s word remains true above our circumstances
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Speaker 2: Isaiah 46.
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Speaker 2: 11 reassures us when it says, Indeed I have spoken, indeed I will bring it to pass, I have planned it, I will certainly do it.
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Speaker 2: Furthermore, Sarah’s story invites us to reflect on the importance of waiting on God without losing hope.
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Speaker 2: Waiting can be painful and can be filled with uncertainty, but it is in the waiting that our faith is refined
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Speaker 2: Psalms 2714 encourages us.
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Speaker 2: Whenever it says, wait for the Lord.
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Speaker 2: Be strong and let your heart take courage.
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Speaker 2: Yes, wait for the Lord.
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Speaker 2: God is never late.
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Speaker 2: He is always perfectly on time.
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Speaker 2: Obedience after receiving a blessing is another key point.
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Speaker 2: Abraham did not slack in following God’s command to circumcise Isaac.
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Speaker 2: Similarly, when God fulfills promises in our lives, we must continue walking in faithful obedience
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Speaker 2: Not becoming complacent, but maintaining a heart of gratitude and of reverence
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Speaker 2: Lastly, the laughter that Sarah speaks of reminds us that God’s blessings bring life, joy, and testimony to his goodness.
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Speaker 2: Where there was once barrenness and mourning, there now is laughter and songs of praise.
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Speaker 2: Our testimonies can become a source of encouragement
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Speaker 2: and faith building for others, inspiring them to trust in God’s miraculous power.
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Speaker 2: Let’s close out our study of the Scripture with a word of prayer.
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Speaker 2: Father God in heaven, thank you for being the God who keeps every promise
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Speaker 2: When we struggle to believe, you remain faithful.
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Speaker 2: Teach us to wait patiently, to trust wholeheartedly, and to obey willingly
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Speaker 2: Fill our lives with the laughter of fulfilled promises and the joy of seeing your mighty hand at work.
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Speaker 2: Let our stories of your faithfulness encourage those around us and bring glory to your name.
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Speaker 2: We give you all the praise.
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Speaker 2: Honor and thanks in the mighty name of your Son Jesus.
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Speaker 2: Amen
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Speaker 2: On the next episode of Bible Bites, we’re going to have our final look at Sarah.
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Speaker 2: When we look at Sarah’s laughter.
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Speaker 2: And seeing that as the as giving us the ability to find joy in God’s timing.
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Speaker 2: Our main scripture that we’ll focus on is Genesis chapter 18, verses 9 through 15.
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Speaker 2: So please join us on the next episode of Bible Bites, the podcast where we work to inspire faith
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Speaker 2: 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: In starting faith one bite at a time.
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Speaker 1: 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
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Speaker 2: Enjoy this value for value worship track from Metro Life Worship.
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Speaker 2: Everything you do.
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Speaker 3: This is the Lord to win, and it’s mine.
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Speaker 3: Marvelous, marvelous, we see a hand moving.
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Speaker 3: It’s miraculous, miraculous.
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Speaker 3: There is a wave coming, and it’s breaking.
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Speaker 3: And it’s marvelous, marvelous in our eyes.
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Speaker 3: Everything you do is perfect.
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Speaker 3: You are awesome.
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Speaker 3: Magnificent Everything you do, everything you do, everything you do is perfect, yay.
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Speaker 3: I hear the chains breaking, and it’s marvelous, marvelous, we’re rising up again.
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Speaker 3: Freedom is miraculous, miraculous.
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Speaker 3: The promise of revival is breaking out over us.
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Speaker 3: This is the Lord’s
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Speaker 3: Do it as marvelous, marvelous in our eye is that you are a man and a bigger
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Speaker 3: Everything you do, everything you do, everything you do is perfect.
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Speaker 3: You are awesome, God, you are in the
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Speaker 3: Let’s shout it, everything you do, everything you do, everything you do is perfect Alright you ready to sing tonight?
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Speaker 3: There we go, let’s say, you do all
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Speaker 3: Can I hear you sing that say?
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Speaker 3: Do all things well louder Say you do all Hey you do all things well He does all things well
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Speaker 3: My father does all keep everything is new Everything is due to make well kids
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Speaker 3: Can you all things well?
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Speaker 3: Everything is everywhere.
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Speaker 3: Jesus, you are comfortable.
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Speaker 3: Everything I do Hey you are all so
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Speaker 3: Everything you do, you do everything you do is perfect If you believe that tonight’s with a shot
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Speaker 3: Come on, double time it like this, here we go.
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Speaker 3: Tell the Lord, you do all things, you do all things well
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Speaker 3: Stay You do Yay Could you all kids all things well Could you all be best for the dance?
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Speaker 3: Could you all think well?
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Speaker 3: You do all things well You do all things well You do all things well
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Speaker 3: Oh yes it does come on let’s just dance one.
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Speaker 3: Everything you do is perfect.