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I try to do at least one devotional per month on rest.  God wants us to work, you can find the phrase, "if a man won't work then he shouldn't eat" in the Bible.  Yet God also wants us to get the rest that we need just as we have to let soil rest.  If you only grow a certain type of plant on a parcel of land, it can deplete all of the nutrients in the soil, but, if you will give the soil a year of rest after several years of using the soil to grow crops then the [...]

There was a young man named Joe who was in high school.  Joe's final exams were drawing near but he refused to study for them.  He thought, "Oh I know that stuff, I'll get by just fine."  He would go hang out with friends and he would celebrate that graduation was coming up shortly.  Then the night before exams he decided to study.  He skimmed through every one of his textbooks and through his previous tests.  He went to school the next day and took some exams.  He passed the tests, but barely.  He passed, as some would say, "by the [...]

"But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple."  Psalm 5:7.  The previous verses in Psalm 5 were talking about how God does not take pleasure in wickedness, and how sin cannot be with Him.  Then David writes this verse.  He did not write, "but I, by my righteousness" or even, "but I, because of my perfection,"  David wrote, "but I, by your great love."  We cannot be near God without His forgiveness.  There is no way we could get to heaven on our own, because of our sin.  But [...]

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."  Isaiah 43:19.  Our dog passed away yesterday evening and I told Mom that the time I normally would feed him I would use to read on top of when I read in the evenings.  I know that one chapter in my life has been written, and now I'm turning the page to see what God has next.  I know that through my dog's passing that God is making a way in the [...]

Tonight I just want to go over some reasons why I believe our pets will be in heaven when they die.  First off it mentions that Christ will return on a white horse when He comes to set up His Kingdom on the earth for the thousand year reign.  That means there will be at least one animal in heaven, so it would make good sense that other animals will be there.  Secondly, God allowed His people to bring their animals to the promised land.  He did not abandon those animals, He told His people to bring them.  Also, God is [...]

There's an old saying that goes, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going,"  I got to witness that tonight.  I was at a competition this evening and watched a friend of mine having a hard time.  Yet, I also saw perseverance in her that I've not seen many times personally.  Even though it was rough trying to compete, she still did all that she could do and I'm proud that she is on my team.  I couldn't ask for any better.  There will be times when we face trials in life that seem hard if not impossible to overcome, [...]

I love to help others at the archery range when I can.  I want to do what I can so that others can become a better shot.  Whether I'm showing somebody how to fix something, or just talking to them, I want to do what I can to help them.  As Christians, we should strive to talk to others about Christ.  He is a friend who can help us solve any problem that we may face.  In fact He solved our greatest problem, sin.  Because of our sin, we cannot get to heaven, so Christ came to earth, lived a sinless [...]

I want to ask fellow believers in Christ a question.  What are you full of?  I'm being serious here, what are you full of?  Are you full of yourself, or are you filled with the Holy Spirit?  Are you arrogant or humble?  Many Christians struggle with being full of themselves instead of being filled with Christ.  There are some who appear to be more of a self-righteous theist than a true born again Christian.  This should not be something that is considered normal for Christians.  Christ calls us to be humble to others, to be forgiving, and to Love others as [...]

What do you call exciting?  Many may think of parties or drugs.  Some may think of something more along the lines of going to amusement parks.  Maybe racing, or catching that big bass.  Some may enjoy getting to go hunting and spending time in God's country.  I particularly like the last two.  For me, I do love the outdoors, no matter what it is I can enjoy my time being in God's creation.  There is something more exciting than going hunting or fishing for me though, and that is to see people come to Christ.  I love hearing about people getting [...]

Christ was a well known individual during His three year ministry.  He stood out from the crowd for His Love, compassion, and His wisdom.  Since we are to be like Him, as Christians we should stand out from the crowd because of our Love, compassion, and wisdom.  People were easily able to identify Jesus, and people should be able to identify us easily as well.  We are not to think that we are better than others, rather we are to be humble towards others.  However, we are to be different, we are to be set apart.  Just as Christ set examples [...]