Hi, friends. I'm Annie F. Downs. Let's read the Gospels. The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament in the Bible. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

These are the stories of Jesus Christ's life on earth, the friendships, the parables, the sacrifices, the meals, the miracles.

Each month we read all four books. As you know, we have finished Luke, John, Mark, and now Matthew, we've only got two more days left.

Make sure you're subscribed so that you don't miss when we jump into May and just a couple of days and start all over again.

And if you get a chance to rate and review the show, that just helps so much, especially with a new month coming, and we have new friends jumping in.

Tell them how much you love the show. Here's how it works. I usually read you three chapters a day, but to finish out this month, we're only doing two today.

So we will read two chapters. You can listen or read along in your own Bible or online, and then I'll write. That's it.

So today is April 29th, and it is day 29. And I will be reading Matthew, chapters 25 and 26. And this month, I'm reading from the message.

Matthew 25. God's kingdom is like 10 young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom.

Five were silly and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps.

The bridegroom didn't show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep. In the middle of the night, someone yelled out, he's here, the bridegrooms here, go out and greet him.

The 10 virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins said to the smart ones, our lamps are going out, lend us some of your oil.

They answered, there might not be enough to go around, go buy your own. They did, but while they're out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived.

When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked.

Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door saying, master, we're here. Let us in.

He answered, do I know you? I don't think I know you. So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.

It's also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities.

To one, he gave $5,000 to another $2,000 to a third, $1,000, depending on their abilities. Then he left.

Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master's investment. The second did the same, but the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master's money.

After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them.

The one given $5,000 showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him. Good work. You did your job well from now on. Be my partner.

The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master's investment. His master commended him. Good work. You did your job well from now on. Be my partner.

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