Antioch Odessa
February 1, 2026
  • How Great Thou Art
  • I Believe
  • Doxology (Amen)
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    Good morning. Grab your Bibles and turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. I’m glad that you all survived the blizzard of 2026 and we are back together again this Sunday.
    As we have read Paul’s greeting and glowing praise to this church at Corinth it would be easy to think that Paul would continue to encourage this church, however these verses that we will look at today show us the deep trouble that the church was in, and Paul’s strong rebuke against division and foolishness. Nothing breaks God’s heart more than divisions in His church. We are all aware of churches that have split or are divided and typically these churches are filled with dissension. What we see is that when it comes to church division the problem is that hate begins to replace love and chaos drives out peace.
    The problems of division have existed down through history and as far back as the New Testament times. When we stop and look around we soon realize that divisions and quarrels are a part of life. Little children fight and squabble over toys. Teenagers fight over video games and positions on the football team or cheerleader squad. Friends fight, parents fight, businesses fight, cities fight, and even nations fight.
    Story: Several years ago I heard about 2 different churches who both came from different denominations that were located right down the street from each other. These 2 churches thought that it would be better for them both to merge and become one church, rather than 2 struggling churches. This they thought was a great idea, however once they merged they began to fight over a rather crazy issue. The issue was centered around how they would say the Lord’s Prayer. One group wanted to say, “forgive us our trespasses’ while the other group demanded, “forgive us our debts.” So, they both split up. The local newspaper found out about this and wrote that one church went back to its trespasses while the other church returned to its debts.
    At the very center of squabbles and division is our pride and selfish nature. Mankind is naturally sinful because from birth we have a desire to live for ourselves. In fact, we are continually tempted to fall back to our self-will, our self- interests and personal gain. James tells us this about where quarrels and division come from.
    James 4:1–2 ESV
    1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
    As news came to Paul about these divisions he was very upset about the churches condition. Paul knew that this church should come together to reconcile their indifferences and center their hearts and minds on Christ Jesus. We too must do the same as we look to the founder and perfector of our faith. Quarreling will come, however it clearly robs us of joy and effectiveness, and it robs God of glory. The first need of the Corinthian church was harmony and so this is why Paul takes time to address the importance of unity among believers.
    ​
    1 Corinthians 1:10–17 ESV
    10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
    ​

    1. Be on guard against quarrels.

    1 Corinthians 1:10–11 ESV
    10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.
    Paul now takes time too exhort or appeal to his Christian brothers and sisters who are there in Corinth. This may come across as a harsh rebuke but Paul’s intention here was to speak words of wise council so that this church would not continue to be divided and quarrel. This is exactly why Paul refers to them as brothers. Paul’s desire of course is that they agree and be united in the same mind and same judgment. So, Paul has in mind here the churches unity in Christ and not their favorite preacher or person. Paul actually explains this to them in verse 12.
    We see the same thing happening in our world today don’t we? There are so many people today who are mesmerized and sucked into the instagram rock-star preachers who can attract the crowds with their one line statements and rev up the crowds to feel good. In our entertainment culture this can look good and even seem good, however the Word of God often takes a backstage or not even shared at all. This is such a tragedy. When people glorify the messenger or pastor, what they are ultimately doing is distracting people from the message of God and His Words. Here at Antioch we have a low view of man and a high view of God and His Word.
    The emphasis here is that there be unity within this local body of believers and that they should all agree or be in agreement about the things of God. Now you may be here today and say well what are those things Pastor? For a church to be spiritually healthy and effective they must have doctrinal unity. There are many churches today who try and stay away from doctrinal issues or don’t even address them and because of that there is much confusion and chaos in churches throughout our land. This means we must know what God’s word says in all matters and of course on the primary issues like how someone is saved. Paul insists here that the Corinthians and all believers have doctrinal unity that is based on the Word of God. This is exactly why Paul appeals to them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Church, there must be an agreement on God, His will, and His Word!
    The word “divisions” here is where we get the meaning schism. This means to tear or rip. To separate. We know that there can be many divisions today that tear or separate the church and this is typically over doctrinal matters. This why the church must have godly leaders to help lead and direct like Paul and Apollos were doing there in Corinth. If churches are not careful they can tend to line up with certain teaching styles or leaders to whom they agree with and eventually this can turn into a popularity contest like what we see happening here in Corinth.
    This is why Paul instructs the church to be complete or united and of the same mind. Church we must be in agreement on the essentials of the faith and not torn apart and in disharmony. Let me just share a few helpful verses with us before we move on.
    Psalm 133:1 ESV
    1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!
    Acts 4:32 ESV
    32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.
    One of the greatest ways to watch out for division is to put aside our own interests and putting the interests of the Lord and His people above all else.
    ​

    2. Be on guard against cliques.

    1 Corinthians 1:12 ESV
    12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
    Here in verse 12 Paul lists 4 different factions or cliques that were dividing the church. As this church began to grow we learn that there were several parties that developed in the names of these individual men. Paul came to learn about this from Chloe, who was probably a very prominent person in the Corinthian church.
    The first group we learn about is the “Popular Paulites” group. These followers loved Paul and enjoyed him while he spent a year and half with them in Corinth. The second group of people were part of the Apollos Fan Club. We learn about Apollos back in Acts chapter 18. When he arrived in Corinth he helped those who had believed through grace, because he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by and through Scripture that Jesus was the Christ. Apollos was not only very wise in the knowledge of Scripture, but he was also very eloquent. Paul also mentions the “Cephas Clan” fan group. These were follower of Peter. Peter was of course the most prominent among the original 12 disciples. and he exercised considerable influence in the Aramaic-speaking Jewish Christian community. The fourth clique was the pious and self-righteous group that thought they had a special and unique claim on Christ. Of course they had the right name, but they did not have the right spirit. They might have thought like some groups today that there was no need for human teachers or other leaders within the church.
    My point here is that each group was very vocal and outgoing about who they were following. I am following Paul, well I am following Apollos, oh yeah I am following Peter, well you guys are all losers because we are following Jesus. What we see here is that people gathered together through whom they were given the saving message. Whoever evangelized these people and taught them they began to grow loyal too.
    What we see here is that eventually the natural result of all of this was contention, quarrels and a divided church. Please here me today loved ones, of course we know that it is only natural to have special affection and care for the person who led us to Christ or took time to disciple us and fed us God’s Word for many years. I am not trying to discredit pastors, elders, or Sunday School teachers. We are so thankful and blessed for these people in the church. But sometimes such affection can become misguided when it is allowed to segregate us from others in the church. We must watch out for pride and division!!! The only cure for fighting and division is to ask God to renew your heart and to love God and His people.

    3. Be on guard against conceit.

    1 Corinthians 1:13–16 ESV
    13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)
    Pauls central focus here is that the church must come to understand that they are one in Christ. Evidently over time pride or conceit had crept into this church and allowed the Corinthians to quarrel and form cliques. What we see here in these few verses is that because of their pride they began to boast about who baptized them. Apparently these people began to believe that the clear sign of their faith rested not only in their baptism, but also in the baptizer. This ordinance of Christ should have marked the believers there in Corinth in unity in one body, however it now was the basis for their arrogant boasting.
    Paul was very quick here to address this problem by stating two important facts. First of all Paul had not died for their sins, and second of all no one had been baptized in the name of Paul. Paul takes time here to help us see that he personally had baptized very few people who came to know Christ there in Corinth. Paul mentions Crispus, Gaius, and the household of Stephanas.
    My point here is that Paul is not talking bad about baptism or trying to say that people should not be baptized. He is not declaring it a pointless ordinance. His point is that he hadn’t personally baptized many of the new Christians because people could then say they were baptized in his name. Clearly these people in Corinth had lost focus. They allowed the act of baptism as their visible response to the gospel message to overshadow the message of the Father who sent His son to die for their sins, rise from the dead, and give new life by His Spirit.

    4. Notice the solution.

    1 Corinthians 1:17 ESV
    17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
    Pauls final point here in verse 17 was also the solution to this division. Paul gets right to the point by explaining that God had called Paul to ultimately be a preacher of the gospel. Paul was not sent by the Lord to start any kind of cult of people who had been baptized by him. Jesus had personally come to Paul and sent him out for this very purpose. The Lord allowed Paul to go to many places and to tell those whom he met about the good news of Jesus. Why? So, that their eyes and hearts would turn from darkness and see the light of Jesus. That men and women would see their sin and turn to the Savior. Paul’s calling was to preach the gospel and bring men and women to the oneness in Christ, not baptizing people to create certain cliques around Paul.
    Conclusion: Let me ask you today, where is your focus? Is Christ at the center of your life, or is there something else that has your focus? Listen to what the author of Hebrews tells us.
    Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV
    1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
    ​
    Let me close by asking you 4 Questions to Consider:
    -The first question to consider is this. Are my eyes focussed on the material things around me? This can often lead to greed and materialism. This is the lust for more stuff, more gadgets, and more money. If this is your main focus, you will continually feel dissatisfied. Paul took time to warn others not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but focus on God.
    -Second, are my eyes focussed on circumstances? When we begin to focus on our circumstances this often become a way for self-pity and pride. Good circumstances tend to give us a false sense of security, while bad circumstances lead us to feel anxious and depressed. Turn your attention and focus away from the things of this world and focus them on Christ.
    -Third, are my eyes focussed on myself? It is so easy today to focus our attention on ourselves. I have often noticed in my own life when I am selfish I am not thinking about God and my concern for helping others out. This can so easily create disunity in the church. So, what are we too do?
    Philippians 2:4 ESV
    4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
    ​
    -Finally, are my eyes focussed on others? The Corinthians turned their attention from Christ to His workers. They made leaders their idols. They made people objects of their worship. In our day and age this is easy to do. We have such easy access to follow people, listen to people, and even go hear and see them. This kind of personality-driven ministry always leads to disillusionment.
    Psalm 118:8 ESV
    8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
    By turning the eyes of your heart and mind to Christ, we are better able to help serve and love the body of Christ and to be unified instead of divided.
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    (Close in Prayer)

      • James 4:1–2ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:10–17ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:10–11ESV

      • Psalm 133:1ESV

      • Acts 4:32ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:12ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:13–16ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:17ESV

      • Hebrews 12:1–2ESV

      • Philippians 2:4ESV

      • Psalm 118:8ESV

  • All My Boast Is In Jesus
  • Take My Life And Let It Be
  • God Is Faithful (Psalm 114)
  • We Give Thanks (Psalm 107)
  • How Deep The Father's Love For Us
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    For those of you who have braved the cold weather and icy street I am so glad that you are here with me today. For those of you watching on-line stay warm. I want to talk to you about something so exciting this morning because we as believers have been given some wonderful blessings. The title of our message today is, “The Blessings of Belonging to Christ.” When I do funerals or see people who have no hope and are so lost in this world I am always reminded and thankful of my hope in Christ and that my identity is founded in Jesus and not myself or in the things of this world. When we as believers understand who we are in Christ we begin to know that there are great benefits in belonging to Jesus.
    Grab your bibles and turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. As I stated last week the main focus of this first letter to the church at Corinth is having a foundation in truth for godly living. Why is this so important? Because it is extremely easy to not live for Christ today.
    If the Lord has truly changed our lives and we have come to see our sin and our desperate need for Christ than we are truly God’s saints, we are His holy ones, we have been set apart to bring honor and glory to God. This means that we are no longer conformed to this world but that we our conformed to obey and please the Lord Jesus Christ with all of our heart, soul, and mind. As God’s saints there will come a time as we grow in our relationship with Christ that we see the benefits that we have as believers.
    ​
    1 Corinthians 1:4–9 ESV
    4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
    ​
    Let me share with you 4 Blessings of belonging to Christ.

    1. We are Blessed by God’s grace.

    1 Corinthians 1:4 ESV
    4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
    1 Corinthians 1:6 ESV
    6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—
    Each and every believer has much to be thankful for but first and foremost we are always thankful for God’s grace shown to us through our salvation. Paul is truly thankful here to not only these Christians in Corinth but to God who had redeemed him.
    It’s important here that we understand the word grace. Of course this word was used in most of Paul’s greetings but this word grace shows us much more in that each Christian has been favored in regard to God saving men and women through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. God’s grace is totally undeserved and unmerited. Let me say that another way. God’s saving grace is free and unearned. However, we must see our need to be forgiven of our sin in order to fully understand God’s grace. The problem for every human being is that we are all sinners, and there is no one who can hide or escape sin. We are all guilty and helpless and because God is not only loving but just He cannot just ignore or look away from our sin. It must be punished, and its penalty is death. Church we must all understand today that because of the Lord Jesus Christ and His death our sins have been atoned for. Grace is a gift from God that we cannot go out an earn, and we never deserve it. That is what makes grace grace. If you know Jesus today and He has truly changed your life than you must understand that God has forgiven all of your sins, past, present, and future. In Christ, all of our guilt and shame are removed. That is what grace truly is. Paul was eternally grateful for the grace of God which was given in Christ Jesus.
    In verse 6 this testimony about God’s grace concerning Christ was confirmed. As Christ changed the hearts and lives of believers the Holy Spirit would empower the apostles and then all of Christ’s disciples to be His witnesses. The apostle John tells us this.
    1 John 5:11 ESV
    11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
    Real life, true life, is found in Jesus. Church family when you stop to take time and think about your life, no matter what you have gone through or are going through, we are blessed and can thank God today for the grace that He has shown us through saving us.
    ​

    2. We are Blessed by the gifts God has given to us.

    1 Corinthians 1:5 ESV
    5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—
    1 Corinthians 1:7 ESV
    7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
    In the Lord Jesus Christ we have everything that we will need for this life. Now there are many times where it can feel as if we are empty or we need something in this world to help us get through the difficult days. This week people thought we need more toilet paper, water, milk, and eggs. People waited in line for hours to get propane. However, in Christ we have all that we need and we realize just how blessed we truly are. Peter reminds of this in his letters.
    2 Peter 1:3 ESV
    3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
    Notice here that Paul uses the word “Enriched.” He uses this word to describe the Corinthians condition. When we think of this word we might think of money and wealth, but here it refers to spiritual wealth. This church and it’s people were spiritually wealthy because of the gifts and spiritual leaders in their church. Imagine having the Apostle Paul as your pastor and even Apollos who was known as a mighty man in the Scriptures who was a great leader there in the church. Clearly what we see here is that the Corinthians were spiritually gifted.
    Among the many things that God gives us and that we have in Christ, Paul shares two primary gifts.
    -All Speech.
    -All Knowledge.
    Speech = When it come to our speech you need to know that God has given every believer the ability to speak and use your words for Christ. This is so important because there are many times we don’t know what to say or even how to say it. This past Tuesday I was asked to pray before our School Board and many members of our community. I was nervous about what to pray about and how to say it. That morning I read this passage for my quiet time.
    Matthew 10:19–20 ESV
    19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
    I had nothing to be nervous about. Many times we as believers can fail the Lord by not speaking for Christ because we may think I don’t know what to say or I am afraid to say it. Remember when we witness and share our faith the Holy Spirit will give us exactly what we need to say. We have no excuses for not giving a testimony about Jesus. We are called to speak with boldness. Whether we are experienced or not, may we be willing to use our words to help others know about Jesus.
    Knowledge = Another wonderful gift that the Lord gives to each believer is all knowledge. We may not know everything in the Bible or feel like we have an answer for every question, but we are given everything we need to know to speak effectively for the Lord. If there are things you feel that you want to know more about ask the Lord to help you learn those things and study to be an approved workman.
    We know that Paul prayed for the Ephesians that God would give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. Paul said this in Ephesians 1.
    Ephesians 1:17 ESV
    17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
    Paul even prayed for the Colossian church this way.
    Colossians 1:9–10 ESV
    9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
    Church, God has given us the words and speech, but we must actually open up our mouths in order to use those gifts for Him. Likewise, God has also given us all knowledge, but we need to use it for Him. Just as Christ has blessed us through our salvation, He also has blessed us through His gifts. God graciously provides exactly what you and I need as we journey through this life as well as the ability to grow in the knowledge of Him in order to do exactly what He wants us to do.
    We have much to be thankful for today. We are thankful for the gifts of speech and knowledge. As well as other spiritual gifts. Some of you have been given the gifts of teaching, preaching, exhortation, administration, helps, and giving. So, take time to thank God for those gifts. Also keep in mind that we have been called to be responsive to the Holy Spirit and to use the gifts that He has given us. Just like food and exercise help us to physically grow, we have been called to grow in our knowledge of God and use our gifts for Him to grow in our spiritual lives.

    3. We are Blessed by knowing that Christ will return.

    1 Corinthians 1:7 ESV
    7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
    As we think about the blessings of our salvation and the spiritual gifts God has given us the best gift is yet to come. Our greatest joy is looking forward to the revealing of Christ or the return of Christ. Right now every believer watches, waits, and hopes for the Lord to return. Many of us this week were awaiting this severe storm. When was it going to arrive. How bad would it be. So, we all know what it is like to anticipate something. But to enter a new life with Christ will be so much better. Why? Because our true home, our true citizenship is in heaven. Paul said it this way to the Philippians.
    Philippians 1:23–24 ESV
    23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.
    To be with Christ is far better! Just like Paul eagerly awaited to be with Christ we too await the Lord’s return. And we can be confident that Christ will someday return. You may ask why should we be joyful about that day. Well first of all Jesus will finally be crowned Lord of Lord’s and King of Kings. Someday every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Also the Lord’s return will bring the final defeat of Satan. There is coming a day where Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire for all eternity. However, one of the greatest blessings is that for each believer who continues to endure until the Lord’s returns we look forward to our glorification where we will have new bodies in a new heaven and new earth. We will live a life of everlasting joy in the presence and glory of our Lord. When Christ returns He will confirm or establish us as blameless before God the Father. Church, God is faithful to His sovereign will through whom you were called and if we are called we are justified and if we are justified we are being sanctified and as God sanctifies us there is coming a day where we will be have bodies that will be glorified.

    4. We are Blessed by knowing that God is faithful.

    1 Corinthians 1:8–9 ESV
    8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
    Paul was able to praise God not only for the saving grace given to the Corinthians but also to himself. Now Paul assures these believers that God will continue to sustain them and keep them in that grace till He calls them home.
    Church, we must know that God is faithful to those whom He has called or saved. God is faithful even when we are not. God is faithful even when we are fickle. Because God has declared us as righteous or justified us, He also continues to sanctify us and sustain us to the end.
    As we eagerly await for the Lord’s return, we enjoy many blessings here on earth. We enjoy that God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with Christ. Here is the really cool thing church, God called us into an eternal relationship with Jesus and this is based solely on His sovereign grace. This relationship with Jesus is based not on our own efforts, but wholly on the faithfulness of God who will sustain you to the end.
    One of the most important blessings of our journey in this Christian life is experienced each day with the promise that God will never leave us or forsake us. He is with you to the end. Paul explained it this way in Romans chapter 8.
    Romans 8:38–39 ESV
    38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    ​
    (Close in Prayer)

      • 1 Corinthians 1:4–9ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:4ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:6ESV

      • 1 John 5:11ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:5ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:7ESV

      • 2 Peter 1:3ESV

      • Matthew 10:19–20ESV

      • Ephesians 1:17ESV

      • Colossians 1:9–10ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:7ESV

      • Philippians 1:23–24ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 1:8–9ESV

      • Romans 8:38–39ESV

Antioch Odessa
acc.it@antiochchristian.org
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http://www.antiochchristian.org
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