Asking for a Friend, Week One

Published: Nov. 8, 2019, 4:35 p.m.

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And God blessed them. And God said to them,\\xa0\\u201cBe fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.\\u201dGenesis 1:28\\xa0(ESV)

The\\xa0Lord\\xa0God took the man\\xa0and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it\\u2026\\xa018\\xa0Then the\\xa0Lord\\xa0God said, \\u201cIt is not good that the man should be alone;\\xa0I will make him a helper fit for\\xa0him.\\u201d Genesis 2:15-18 (ESV)

And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Genesis 2:25 (ESV)

The Spirit of the Lord\\xa0God\\xa0is upon me, because the\\xa0Lord\\xa0has\\xa0anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and\\xa0the opening of the prison to those who are bound;\\xa02\\xa0to proclaim the year of the\\xa0Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;\\xa0to grant to those who mourn in Zion\\u2014to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning,the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the\\xa0Lord,\\xa0that he may be glorified. 4\\xa0They shall build up the ancient ruins;\\xa0they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Isaiah 61:1-4\\xa0(ESV)

18\\xa0And Jesus came and said to them,\\xa0\\u201cAll authority\\xa0in heaven and on earth has been given to me.\\xa019\\xa0Go therefore and\\xa0make disciples of\\xa0all nations,\\xa0baptizing them\\xa0in\\xa0the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,\\xa020\\xa0teaching them\\xa0to observe all that\\xa0I have commanded you. And behold,\\xa0I am with you always, to\\xa0the end of the age.\\u201d Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

16\\xa0From now on, therefore,\\xa0we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.\\xa017\\xa0Therefore, if anyone is\\xa0in Christ, he is\\xa0a new creation.\\xa0The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.\\xa018\\xa0All this is from God,\\xa0who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us\\xa0the ministry of reconciliation;\\xa019\\xa0that is, in Christ God was reconciling\\xa0the world to himself,\\xa0not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us\\xa0the message of reconciliation.\\xa020\\xa0Therefore,\\xa0we are ambassadors for Christ,\\xa0God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.\\xa021\\xa0For our sake he made him to be sin\\xa0who knew no sin, so that in him we might become\\xa0the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (ESV)

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