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Day 310, or November the 6th. Never hold a grudge.

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Our thoughts today are rooted in Acts chapter

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15, verse 38. But Paul did not think it wise

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to take John Mark, because he had deserted them

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in Pamphylia, and had not continued with them

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in the work. And now the big picture surrounding

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this verse. The first missionary journey is completed

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and lasts two years. It is followed by the Jerusalem

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Council, which resolves some of the established

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regulations of Judaism that were proving to be

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stumbling blocks for some converts. Soon after

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this, the second missionary journey begins. This

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will last three years and takes the northern

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route through Lebanon and Syria, and then west

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into modern Turkey. And now today's action step.

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We don't know the details of why Paul didn't

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want to work with John Mark, who was Barnabas'

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cousin, according to Colossians 4 .10. The text

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doesn't help us, but it is clear that Paul would

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not contemplate working with him, as he had previously

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let the team down. 15 .38 I am sure Paul could

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justify his actions in his own mind and before

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God. But if his attitude had slipped into a grudge,

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then it would have been detrimental to the work

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of God. Happily, we can glean from Paul's last

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letter to Timothy that John Mark and he were

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reconciled, but we don't know the details. 2

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Timothy 4 .11 tells us, Bring Mark with you when

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you come, for he will be helpful to me in my

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ministry. Disagreements can easily slip into

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grudges. and before you know where you are, they

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have become feuds and are almost insoluble. All

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workplaces, schools, homes and church fellowships

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include people who are not easy to get on with.

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That's why Jesus commands us to love one another.

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We have no choice if we want to go on with Christ

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and be useful. If you are holding a grudge inside

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or outside the church, you must resolve it even

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if it means eating some humble pie. We need to

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hold on to Christ and not grudges, and then we

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can grow.