Ep 61: A Good Journey (w/ Alan Bush)

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Well, good morning, I'm Daniel
Dalp and this is for your Sunday

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Morning Drive, the short podcast
with the goal of providing your

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motivation, your drive, and your
encouragement on the way to

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worship and recentering your
mind on the spiritual things on

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those hectic Sunday mornings.
We are brought to you by the

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Ministry League network of
podcasts.

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You can always check out
Ministry League and all the

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great resources that they offer
both through their app or

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through ministryleague.com.
I hope you're having a good

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morning and I'm sending you
greetings today from Western

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Kentucky Youth Camp.
Evelyn and I are there this

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weekend, so I'm leaving you in
good company today.

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If you saw the episode title,
you know that we have something

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special in store.
We're joined this morning by

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Alan Bush.
Alan is a dear brother in Christ

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and he serves as the senior life
Education and Counseling

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minister at the Washington Ave.
Church of Christ here in

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Evansville, IN, where he also
serves as an elder.

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Alan is a good friend and mentor
and was so, so crucial to my

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Christian development as he
served as my youth minister when

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I I was growing up.
I love his heart and I know you

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will be blessed by his message.
Alan, I sure appreciate you

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being part of the show today and
sharing some great thoughts.

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Let's go ahead and get into the
episode.

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This is episode 61.
A good journey.

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Let's go to church.
Are we there yet?

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As a youngster, my family
travelled regularly to my

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grandmother's house in a small
community of Bradyville,

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Tennessee.
It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive

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from our home, which meant there
was the regular questions asked

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with young people in the car.
Dad, how much longer or Dad, are

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we there yet?
We all love getting to see and

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be with my grandmother, my
uncles, aunts and cousins, but

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it was the getting there which
was always the burden.

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But once we got there,
everything was great.

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My brother and I would scout out
our surroundings, climbing over

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some rock fences, carefully
navigating through some cow

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pastures and heading down to a
couple of different creeks in

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which we would play.
The destination is always better

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than being on the road getting
there.

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The Apostle Paul, while he was
on this earth, had several

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journeys that we call Paul's
missionary journey.

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He made three of these journeys
in which he travelled through

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various regions of Galatia,
Asia, Macedonia, Acadia and

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Syria.
His plan for these trips was to

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teach the inhabitants about
Christ and to establish churches

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in those areas.
I'm sure that as he travelled

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from one city to the next that
he was anxious and excited about

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getting there and beginning his
work.

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Yet there was another journey
which Paul took which possibly

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was the most difficult of all
his journeys.

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It was when he travelled to Rome
from Jerusalem as a prisoner.

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Due to Paul's teaching about
Jesus, the Jews attempted to

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kill him, yet for his protection
the Roman soldiers took him

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under guard, took him to a Roman
court where Paul appealed his

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case to Caesar.
Therefore, Paul begins his

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journey to Rome.
It was a rather difficult

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journey.
It took many months of

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travelling.
At one point he was even

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shipwrecked.
Acts chapter 27, verses 13

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through 44.
And while on the island of Malta

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he was bitten by a poisonous
snake.

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Acts chapter 28 verse 16.
Yet Paul survived and he

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prevailed.
The last part of his strip was

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on the Roman Rd. from Putiolai
to Rome.

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This road was called the Appian
Way and it was built and used by

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the Roman military in
facilitating troop movements.

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It was also a trade route used
for commerce.

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As Paul travelled on this road,
several Christians came to him

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and assisted him with whatever
his needs might have been.

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Acts chapter 28, verses 13
through 15.

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It is amazing, but sections of
the Appian Way are still

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preserved today and you can
actually visit what is now an

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archaeological site and walk on
the same Rd. on which Paul

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walked so many years ago.
Paul's journey was filled with

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difficulties and hardships.
However, when he got to roam,

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even as a prisoner, he did so
much for the Lord and for the

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Lord's church.
Acts chapter 28, verses 30 and

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31.
Then Paul dwelt 2 whole years in

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his own rented house and
received all who came to him,

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preaching the Kingdom of God and
teaching the things which

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concerned the Lord Jesus Christ
with all confidence, no one

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forbidding him.
Possibly right now you're on a

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road making your way to Bible
class and worship.

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I'm thrilled that you're going
to be with faithful Christians

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this morning, and it is my
prayer that you and your family

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will recognize the benefits
which you will receive as you

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gather with other faithful
Christians and praising and

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glorifying God.
Yet we are traveling on another

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journey, and it is a lifelong
trip.

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Paul's lifelong journey was not
always easy, however, he had one

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purpose in mind, to serve and to
honour his Lord and teach the

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Gospel of Christ to anyone who
would listen.

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We might not know where our
journey in life will lead us.

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However, as we are honouring and
serving the Lord, we know that

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whatever roads we travel, our
Lord will be with us and we,

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like Paul, can do so much for
him.

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So whatever roads you might
travel in life, I pray that you

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will allow Christ to direct all
your paths with His divine

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light.
Psalms 119 One O 5.

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Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.

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I promise you, if you follow the
light that is found in God's

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Word, your destination will be
well worth it.

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So ask yourself the question,
where are you headed?

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Alan shared some great thoughts
with us today.

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Now it's time to hear yours.
And remember, you can always

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share any comments or thoughts
that you have about the

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discussion questions at for your
Sunday morning dr.com.

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Our questions for today are
where are we headed spiritually

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this morning?
If heaven is our desired

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destination?
Are we making the journey

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fruitful for the Lord?
And what have been some of your

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highs and lows while on the
straight and narrow?