January 13 – When Being Bold Feels Risky

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Welcome to Bible Chat, where we
have devotional conversations

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rooted in Scripture and relevant
for today, January 13th.

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When being bold feels risky,
there are moments when doing the

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right thing feels like stepping
onto thin ice.

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You know what you believe, you
know what God is asking of you.

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But saying it out loud, living
it openly, or standing firm in

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it can feel risky.
You wonder what it might cost

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you.
Friendships, reputation,

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opportunities, or acceptance.
In those moments, staying quiet

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feels safer than being bold.
Jesus understood that tension.

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In Matthew chapter 10, verse 16,
He tells his followers, Behold,

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I am sending you out as sheep in
the midst of wolves.

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So be wise as serpents and
innocent as doves.

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That’s not a comforting image.
Sheep are vulnerable.

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Wolves are aggressive.
Jesus doesn’t pretend the world

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will always be welcoming to
faith.

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Instead, he calls his followers
to live with wisdom and purity,

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clear conviction without
cruelty, courage without

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compromise.
A few verses later, Jesus says

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something even more honest.
In Matthew chapter 10, verse 22,

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he says, And you will be hated
by all for my name’s sake, but

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the one who endures to the end
will be saved.

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That’s not about chasing
conflict or attention.

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It’s about understanding that
faithfulness sometimes brings

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resistance.
Choosing Jesus may not always

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make you popular, but it will
always make you secure in Him.

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Proverbs chapter 3, verse 34
gives us a steady anchor in the

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middle of that pressure toward
the scorners He is scornful, but

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to the humble He gives favor.
God isn’t impressed by mockery,

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pride, or arrogance.
He draws close to humility.

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When you choose to depend on Him
instead of protecting your

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image, His favor rests on you.
Humility isn’t weakness.

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It’s strength rooted in trust.
Being bold for Jesus doesn’t

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mean being loud or
argumentative.

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Sometimes the boldest thing you
can do is quietly live with

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integrity when everyone else
cuts corners.

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Sometimes it’s choosing kindness
when sarcasm would earn laughs.

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Sometimes it’s standing firm in
your values when compromise

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would be easier.
God sees every one of those

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choices.
Yes, boldness can feel risky,

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but you’re never alone in it.
Jesus doesn’t send you out

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without His presence.
He walks with you, strengthens

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you, and promises that endurance
has eternal value.

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When you choose faith over fear
and humility over approval,

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you’re standing in a favor that
lasts far longer than people’s

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opinions.
Let’s pray.

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Heavenly Father, you know how
hard it can feel to stand for

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you when the pressure is real.
Give me courage when boldness

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feels risky, and wisdom to live
with both truth and love.

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Help me choose humility over
pride and your approval over

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people’s opinions.
Strengthen me to endure.

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Trust you fully and remain
faithful no matter what comes in

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Jesus name, Amen.
What if the ache you feel for

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more is actually God calling you
deeper?

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Thirst for God is a powerful
Seven Book prayer scripts series

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inspired by Psalm 63, created
for believers who refuse to live

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on spiritual leftovers.
This is a journey from longing

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to encounter, from dryness to
delight.

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Seek teaches you how to pursue
God with passion and

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intentionality.
Savor trains your heart to

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recognize and enjoy His presence
in every season.

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C Opens your spiritual eyes to
God’s power, glory, and beauty

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at work in your life.
Satisfied leads your soul into

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fullness, strength, and deep
contentment in Him alone.

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Sing ignites joy, gratitude, and
worship that rises naturally

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from intimacy with God.
Stay anchors your heart in

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steadfast devotion when
distractions try to pull you

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away, and Stand equips you to
remain firm in God’s justice,

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protection, and victory.
With over 210 prophetic

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series helps you cultivate daily

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a lifestyle of holy pursuit.

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If you’re spiritually hungry,
weary, or simply longing for

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more of God, this is your
invitation to drink deeply.

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Order Thirst for God on Amazon
today or visit prayerscripts.org

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and begin your journey into
deeper intimacy with the God who

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satisfies.
Now I invite you to spend time

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with God in today’s three-year
Bible reading plan.

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Proverbs Chapter 3 verse 34
World English Bible.

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Surely he mocks the mockers, but
he gives grace to the humble.

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Matthew chapter 10 World English
Bible He called to himself his

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12 disciples and gave them
authority over unclean spirits

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to cast them out and to heal
every disease and every

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sickness.
Now the names of the 12 apostles

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are these, the first Simon who
is called Peter, Andrew, his

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brother James the son of
Zebedee, John his brother

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Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas,
Matthew the tax collector, James

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the son of Alphaeus, Lebius who
is also called Thaddeus, Simon

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the Zealot and Judas Iscariot
who also betrayed him.

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Jesus sent these 12 out and
commanded them saying don’t go

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among the Gentiles and don’t
enter into any city of the

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Samaritans, rather go to the
lost sheep of the House of

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Israel.
As you go, preach saying the

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Kingdom of heaven is at hand,
heal the sick, cleanse the

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lepers and cast out demons
freely.

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You received, so freely give.
Don’t take any gold, silver or

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brass in your money belts.
Take no bag for your journey,

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neither 2 coats nor sandals nor
staff, for the laborer is worthy

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of his food.
Into whatever city or village

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you enter, find out who in it is
worthy and stay there until you

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go on.
As you enter into the household,

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greet it.
If the household is worthy, let

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your peace come on it, but if it
isn’t worthy, let your peace

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return to you.
Whoever doesn’t receive you or

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hear your words.
As you go out of that house or

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that city, shake the dust off
your feet.

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Most certainly, I tell you, it
will be more tolerable for the

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land of Sodom and Gomorrah in
the Day of Judgment than for

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that city.
Behold, I send you out as sheep

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among wolves.
Therefore be wise as serpents

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and harmless as doves, but
beware of men, for they will

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deliver you up to councils, and
in their synagogues.

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They will scourge you, yes, and
you will be brought before

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governors and kings for my sake,
for a testimony to them and to

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the nations.
But when they deliver you up,

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don’t be anxious how or what you
will say, for it will be given

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you in that hour what you will
say.

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For it is not you who speak, but
the spirit of your father who

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speaks in you.
Brother will deliver up brother

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to death, and the Father his
child.

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Children will rise up against
parents and cause them to be put

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to death.
You will be hated by all men for

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my name’s sake, but he who
endures to the end will be

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saved.
But when they persecute you in

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the city, flee into the next.
For most certainly, I tell you,

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you will not have gone through
the cities of Israel until the

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Son of Man has come.
A disciple is not above his

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teacher, nor a servant above his
Lord.

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It is enough for the disciple
that he be like his teacher and

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the servant like his Lord.
If they have called the master

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of the house Beelzebul, how much
more those of his household.

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Therefore don’t be afraid of
them, for there is nothing

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covered that will not be
revealed or hidden that will not

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be known.
What I tell you in the darkness,

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speak in the light, and what you
hear whispered in the ear

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proclaim on the housetops.
Don’t be afraid of those who

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kill the body but are not able
to kill the soul.

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Rather fear him who is able to
destroy both soul and body.

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In Gehenna, aren’t 2 sparrows
sold for an Asarian coin?

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Not one of them falls to the
ground apart from your father’s

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will, but the very hairs of your
head are all numbered.

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Therefore, don’t be afraid.
You are of more value than many

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sparrows.
Everyone, therefore, who

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confesses me before men, I will
also confess him before my

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Father who is in heaven.
But whoever denies me before

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men, I will also deny him before
my Father who is in heaven.

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Don’t think that I came to send
peace on the earth.

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I didn’t come to send peace, but
a sword, for I came to set a man

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at odds against his father, and
a daughter against her mother,

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and a daughter-in-law against
her mother-in-law.

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A man’s foes will be those of
his own household.

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He who loves father or mother
more than me is not worthy of

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me, and he who loves son or
daughter more than me isn’t

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worthy of me.
He who doesn’t take his cross

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and follow after me isn’t worthy
of me.

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He who seeks his life will lose
it, and he who loses his life

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for my sake will find it.
He who receives you receives me,

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and he who receives me receives
him who sent me.

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He who receives a prophet in the
name of a prophet will receive a

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prophet’s reward.
He who receives A righteous man

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in the name of a righteous man
will receive a righteous man’s

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reward.
Whoever gives one of these

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little ones just a cup of cold
water to drink in the name of a

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disciple, most certainly I tell
you, he will in no way lose his

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reward.
Thanks for joining us on Bible

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Chat, where Scripture meets
everyday life.

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If today’s devotional encouraged
you, share it with a friend and

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be sure to follow the podcast so
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conversation.
Until next time, stay rooted in

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truth, anchored in hope, and
walking daily with Jesus.