Daily Devotional

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Proverbs 12:27
The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt. (NIV)

Thoughts
The big ten-point stepped quietly out of the woods and began to walk slowly down the field-line. With great caution, he tested the wind and kept his head moving as he watched the open field carefully. Finally, he was broadside, a muzzleloader sounded off, and my brother had his biggest buck to date.
(Brian H)

Action Point
That big buck encounter didn't just happen. You see, I've left out some details in that story. I left out the hours we spent scouting and glassing that field. I didn't tell you about the time spent setting up a stand, clearing shooting lanes, trimming limbs, and figuring out prevailing wind directions. I didn't mention that we worked to figure out how to walk in to that stand so that we would remain undetected. The moral of this story is that it took hard work for this big buck encounter to happen.

The Bible has something to say about laziness as well, look at Proverbs 12:27. Wow!!! That passage paints a great picture for all of us hunters. But, it's a picture that is a metaphor for life.

My paraphrase would go something like this: "Do everything that you do in life to your best ability." Perhaps you wouldn't categorize yourself as lazy, but what about those remarks that goes like this: "For what I'm paid for this job, that's all that I'm going to do." How about this one: "Nobody knows if I finish my paperwork or not. Nobody's checked it, so why bother?"

The correct attitude is that God gave us abilities and we should do everything that we do to the best of OUR ability, but do it for HIS glory. Whether hunting, working, or anything else, you won't roast your game unless you are diligent.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

God Has Written Your Final Chapter
By Rick Warren — 10/20/2022

“Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.”

1 Peter 1:3-4 (NLT)

It’s easy to look around the world and not see any reason for hope. But God’s Word is clear: You have real reasons to hope. The first chapter of 1 Peter gives five of those reasons. I’ve described two of them the last few days in these Daily Hope devotionals:

God chose you before you chose him, and
God always treats you with grace and mercy.
The third reason is this:

God has secured your future. No matter what happens for the rest of your life, if you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, God guarantees your future. You will never be able to lose your salvation.

The Bible says, “Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay” (1 Peter 1:3-4 NLT).

An inheritance is what you’re given because you belong to a family. Usually, it’s given to you at someone’s death. It’s like a birthright.

Peter gives five words and phrases to describe your inheritance in heaven:

Priceless: Its value is so great that you can’t even measure it.

Kept: You need a reservation to get into heaven, and you can only make that reservation through Jesus. Once you put in your reservation, it can never be canceled.

Pure: It isn’t fake. It’s the real deal.

Undefiled: It can’t be corrupted. You can’t lose it—ever.

Beyond the reach of change and decay: It won’t wither, die, or lose its value.

God has already written the final chapter of your life. You’ve got a reservation that you cannot lose! You can believe that, trust that, and put your hope in it.

Talk It Over

Why is it so important to be able to trust that God’s gift of salvation is secure?
Have you ever struggled to believe in the security of your salvation? What helped you overcome those concerns?
How does knowing that your future is secure change how you live today?
You can have the assurance of salvation

The Bible says you can get to heaven only by trusting in God through his Son, Jesus Christ. You cannot earn your way into heaven: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Isaiah 6:5
Then I said, "It's all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven's Armies." (NLT)

Thoughts
Completely camouflaged from head to toe, I sat in my place of ambush! I thought I was the complete predator, the ultimate hunter! I thought I was undetected, unseen, ready to pounce upon any opportunity given me by the unsuspecting prey.
But, I was wrong! A hen turkey came walking into the setup. Next thing I knew, she had me pegged! I was busted! I was found out! I was exposed!
(Jack M)

Action Point
There are many in the world who think that God does not see and know. They think their sin is hidden; their actions unknown to any other.
But, they are wrong. God does know. We are indeed BUSTED! As Isaiah found out in the passage above, we are unclean. "Doomed. It's all over." [(NLT) paraphrased by the author for emphasis.] If you are still in your sin, you are BUSTED!!!
Realize and agree with God that you are unclean, a sinner who needs forgiveness. Accept God's remedy for sin. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!!!

[Ronnie W. Stark]

No Matter How Badly You Mess Up, God Offers Mercy
By Rick Warren — 10/19/2022

“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.”

Titus 3:4-5 (NLT)

No matter what you’re going through, you can live with hope. That’s the consistent good news of the Bible.

In 1 Peter 1, you can find five reasons to live with hope. In yesterday’s Daily Hope, we looked at the first reason: God chose you before you chose him.

Today, we’ll look at the second reason: God always treats you with grace and mercy.

Peter wrote to those who were already believers, “All honor to God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; for it is his boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of being born again” (1 Peter 1:3 TLB).

Peter didn’t just say that God is merciful. Peter praised God for his “boundless mercy.”

The more you understand God’s mercy and grace, the more you—like Peter—will be amazed by it. It’s completely undeserved. It’s totally unmerited. It’s not something that you could earn or work for. It’s just a free gift.

God’s mercy is based on his love for you. And you can’t make God love you any more than he loves you right now. You also can’t make him love you any less. That means his mercy toward you will never change.

God’s Word, the Bible, says, “When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-5 NLT).

This is extremely important to understand. When you make mistakes as a believer, God doesn’t get mad at you. God doesn’t want to get even with you. God doesn’t start planning to mess up your life.

Here’s what God does: He always acts in mercy toward you. Why? Because you’re covered in the blood of Jesus Christ when you have accepted him as Savior.

Because of Jesus, God responds in mercy every time you mess up. And that can give you hope.

Talk It Over

It’s difficult for many people to accept God’s grace and mercy. Why do you think this is so?
You often hear about God's unconditional love. But how does it make you feel to know that God's mercy is unconditional, too?
What person in your life needs to hear about God’s grace and mercy? How can you share that message with them this week?
Have you trusted Jesus for your salvation?

The Bible says that you can only get to heaven by trusting in God through his Son, Jesus Christ. You can’t earn God’s love or work your way into heaven. The Bible says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Ephesians 6:16-17
In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God's word. (HCSB)

Thoughts
Each Spring I watch these elk--they bunch up during antler drop and stay together until early Fall. During that time, they progress from antlerless to soft new antlers; then finally, begin to spar with one another, sharpening the antlers and their skills. When they part ways for the rut, the sparring becomes battle, sometimes ending in death.

We are like these elk--if we don't practice the Word each day, our defense is puny, and we are sparring Satan with a dull pocket knife.
(Byron S)

Action Point
If you read and study the Word each day, you will be given a sharp two-edged sword with which to go into battle.

Be ready with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God!!!

[Ronnie W. Stark]

When You Fear Death
By Rick Warren — 10/30/2022

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.”

1 John 4:18 (NIV)

God is a God of radical freedom. In fact, the Bible says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1 NIV).

What does God’s freedom give you? Over the last few days, we’ve learned that it gives you a clear conscience, direct access to God, and the power to do what’s right. It also gives you freedom from the fear of death.

Death is a universal fear, yet it’s a fear that few people want to face. It may be tempting to go through life pretending you’re not going to die. But only a fool would go through life unprepared for what they know is inevitable.

Here’s the good news: Jesus came to set you free from the fear of death.

Hebrews 2:14-16 says, “For only as a human being could he die and in dying break the power of the devil who had the power of death. Only in that way could he deliver those who through fear of death have been living all their lives as slaves to constant dread” (TLB).

I can say, in all honesty, that I am totally free from the fear of dying. Why? Because I know God, and I’m not afraid of him. I’ve been his friend for more than 60 years. The only people who are afraid of God are people who don’t know him. The better you get to know him, the less you’re afraid of him, because God is love.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18 NIV).

How could you fear someone who loves you unconditionally? How could you fear someone who thinks about you more than you do? God knows every detail of your life. He even knows how many hairs you have on your head! So why would you be afraid to go be with him forever?

If you know the Lord when you die, you’re not leaving home—you’re going home! You’re going where you were meant to be for all eternity, to “the kingdom [God] prepared for you since the creation of the world” (Matthew 25:34 NIV).

Praise God, you can live free! You can live without guilt, able to talk to God anytime and anywhere, free to do what is right, and confident there’s no need to fear death—all because you belong Jesus.

Talk It Over

How has this devotional given you a new perspective on dying?
In what areas do you live as though this life is all there is?
What is one small or big way you can prepare your heart today for the inevitability of death?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”(NKJV)

Thoughts
The alarm was set for 4 am, but sleep was overtaken by thoughts of hiking the Grand Canyon’s Rim to Rim in a day. Do I have enough water, food, band aids, head lamp, etc. Our leaders stressed how important the training the past 8 weeks would be and the intake of food and water during the hike. This became a reality as the hike endured late into the evening. Fatigued overcame some of the hikers, they physically hit a wall, not because of lack of training, but because of lack of food and water. Until they rehydrated and consumed food they were not able to finish the hike.

Our spiritual nourishment has a great parallel to our physical. We need the word of God to feed us as we do his work and draw from the living water to not hit a wall spiritually and become fatigued.

John 4:34 “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish his work.” (NKJV)

John 4:14 “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, (well water) but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water spring up into everlasting life.” (NKJV)

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (NKJV)

To be able to endure the hike of life that God has set before us, reading the Word of God and being with Jesus will nourish our Spirits to do the will of the Father. If you are feeling fatigued spiritually then re-nourish at the table, He has set before you.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

To Really Change, You Have to Know the Truth
By Rick Warren — 12/06/2022

“Use the truth to make them holy. Your words are truth.”

John 17:17 (GW)

If you want to be transformed, you can’t be conformed.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 3:18-19, “Don’t fool yourself. Don’t think that you can be wise merely by being relevant . . . What the world calls smart, God calls -” (The Message).

If you want God to transform your life, then you have to choose not to conform to what society and culture say you should be or do. But you can’t make this life change on your own power.

Changing your life starts by changing the way you think, and that’s not something you can do by yourself. Ephesians 4:23 says, “Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes” (NLT).

How does the Holy Spirit do that?

Real change requires learning the truth. You may already know these famous words of Jesus: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NLT).

But did you know that the night before Jesus went to the cross, he prayed, “Use the truth to make them holy. Your words are truth” (John 17:17 GW).

God uses the truth of his Word to make you complete.

The secret to personal change is not willpower. It’s not about making resolutions.

The secret to personal change in the hard areas of your life is knowing and applying the truth—which you’ll find in God’s Word, the Bible.

If you spend time in the Word of God, soaking your mind with the truth, the Bible promises this: “Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or . . . made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will lovingly follow the truth at all times . . . and so become more and more in every way like Christ who is the Head of his body, the Church” (Ephesians 4:14-16 TLB).

The more you get to know Jesus, the more truth you’ll know. And you’ll find yourself moving past the lies you’ve been believing. You’ll grow, change, and transform more into the likeness of Christ. And you’ll realize that the truth really does set you free.

Talk It Over

Many people think that following God’s Word brings bondage because of all the rules they have to follow. But how does following God’s Word actually bring freedom? When have you experienced that freedom in your own life?
How are you making time in your life to “soak” your mind with the truth of God’s Word? If you’re not doing that, what new habits do you need to start this week?
What lie—what thought that you believe—is keeping you in bondage? How has God’s Word brought you freedom from that? If it hasn’t, begin applying the truth of God’s Word to that lie today.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Matthew 5:5 -
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (NIV)

Thoughts
One of the most difficult aspects of fly fishing for me to learn was what I’d term “strength under control.” I’d often get so excited about a strike that I would set the hook too hard. One time, I happened to do this under a power line and ended up losing all my flies and entire leader. On another instance, I caught a fingerling and ended up chucking him about 10 feet downstream (don’t worry, he swam off!).
One of the hardest things for men to learn in life is “strength under control.” Jesus talks about this in the beatitudes. We often equate meekness with weakness, but the biblical meaning of the term is not weakness, it is “strength under control.”
Jesus’ life was a perfect example of this. Though he could have displayed his glory to people in unlimited power, though he could have destroyed his opponents and rescued himself from the cross, he took the form of a servant, submitting himself to death. Jesus possessed meekness, “strength under control.” (Ryan I)

Action Point
Find one way to submit your strength in the service of someone you love and to the glory of Jesus today.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

It’s Time to Clean House
By Rick Warren — 12/07/2022

“We must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up.”

Hebrews 12:1 (GW)

Real change requires cleaning house.

If you’re one of those people who can’t find the motivation to get your physical house clean, then cleaning your spiritual house may seem like a bigger task. But this is where you need to use your best energy—because God wants you to spend your life becoming more like him. And becoming more like him sometimes requires you to make difficult changes.

The Bible says it like this: “We must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up” (Hebrews 12:1 GW).

To decide what you need to clean in your spiritual house, you just have to figure out what needs to change in your life. Ask yourself questions like: What is slowing me down?

If you want a healthy body, then maybe you need to keep healthier food in your house or create a meal plan. Or maybe you need to commit to regular exercise, even if you start small with 15 minutes a day.

If you want a healthy mind, then you may need to unsubscribe to some magazines or block some channels. You may just need to delete some apps or put healthier boundaries around your screen time.

If you want a healthy schedule, then you need to decide what’s most important to you. Then you can eliminate some less-important activities—sometimes even good ones—so that you can focus more on what matters most to you.

If you want a clean heart, then you need to spend time in prayer, asking God what you need to confess and then confessing those things. This can be the most difficult step of spiritual cleaning. Through confession, you’re recognizing and rooting out sins that cause unhealthy habits throughout your spiritual house.

The Bible says in Ephesians 4:22, “Get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to—the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires” (GNT).

It’s time to clean house—but it’s not a one-time practice. Just like you have to regularly clean your physical home, you need to make a habit of asking the hard questions to identify what spiritual rooms need a good cleaning. Then, with God’s blessing, you get to work.

Talk It Over

Why is it important to spend time in prayer before you try to clean up any area of your life?
In what area of your life do you find it most difficult to make changes?
Spend some time today talking to God about where you need to do some cleaning in your life. Confess your sin to him and ask for grace to do the hard work of change.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
“For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Thoughts
I love using trail cameras. When I was a kid I had a trail camera that had a roll of film in it that took 20 photos. I would leave the camera out for about a month, go change the film, take the film to Walmart, wait about a week, and then go get the photos. Finally, after about a month and a half, I could see 20 photos! Trail cameras have come a long way since then. Now my camera sends the pictures directly to my phone within minutes of taking a picture.
Dlain T.

Action Point
I use trail cameras to have an idea of what’s going on at my hunting spots when I’m not there. We need to have a “trail camera” set up in our lives to bring to light the things we need to change for us to be more Christ-like. Without checking ourselves we can fall out of touch with what God wants for our lives.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Christmas Comes With a Choice
By Rick Warren — 12/23/2022

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

John 1:29 (ESV)

Redemption is when somebody pays for your sins so that you can be forgiven and walk away justified. They do your time. They pay your penalty. All the things you’ve done wrong are paid for by somebody else.

That’s what Jesus Christ did for you. Jesus didn’t just come to Earth at Christmas. He also lived a perfect life so that his sacrifice was enough to satisfy God’s judgment. All of your sins were paid for on the cross.

One day, Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. When John saw him coming, he announced, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 ESV).

Every Jewish person knows the symbolism of this verse. Once a year in the Jewish faith, a perfect, spotless lamb was sacrificed at Passover to represent the redemption of the world.

After Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sin, there was no longer a need for any symbolic sacrificing of animals. But before Jesus’ death and resurrection, the lamb that was sacrificed for the sin of other people had to be spotless. Only a perfect life was acceptable enough to die for all the people’s imperfections. And that is why Jesus—the Lamb of God, who lived a perfect life—could satisfy the justice of God toward sin through his death.

When the religious leaders who wanted to crucify Jesus brought him to Pilate, the Roman governor interviewed Jesus and acknowledged that he was totally innocent: “Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him’” (Luke 23:13-14 ESV).

Pilate found no fault in Jesus. He didn’t see any sin or crime that Jesus should be punished for.

If you have not acknowledged that Jesus Christ has a right to be Lord over your life, what do you find wrong with him? On what basis do you reject what he did for you? On what grounds do you reject him as your Savior?

Pilate gave the people an opportunity to decide what they were going to do with Jesus. After the Roman soldiers tortured Jesus, he “came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, ‘Behold the man!’” (John 19:5 ESV).

Just as the people in Jesus’ day were invited to “behold the man,” God invites you too to behold Jesus, the one who has taken away every sin you’ve ever committed or will commit.

Christmas comes with the best news ever—and a choice: What are you going to do with Jesus?

Talk It Over

Do you believe that Jesus has the right to be Lord over your whole life? Why or why not?
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus but also points to his crucifixion and resurrection. Why is it important to acknowledge all of those at Christmastime?
Who can you share the best news ever with this week so that this Christmas becomes the most meaningful one yet for them?
What is your choice about Jesus?
The Bible says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

Christmas offers you a choice. Will you accept God’s gift of salvation through Jesus or not?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
“…She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke 2:7, NIV)

Thoughts:
A month ago, I had the privilege of going out hunting with my brother in the mountains of Montana. We ended up trekking over 10 miles, but we weren’t able to come back with an animal. We had a great time enjoying God’s creation and looking for animals. As we were making our way back, we saw some hunters, but my first thought was “Wow, look at the nice gear they have”! I immediately started to think: “I need to get some new gear, my stuff is old, outdated, and uncool”. Instead of being grateful for what I had, I started becoming jealous of what they had. Cody L.

Action Point:
I believe it can be easy for us to fall into wanting materialistic items, especially around the time of Christmas. I’ve seen people (even grown adults) be ungrateful for not getting the materialistic items that they wanted. Sometimes I think we need to sit down, and just be thankful for what we have. Breath in our lungs, roof over our heads, shoes on our feet, and food on our tables. Jesus who is the King of everything, humbly came to us in a manger, in a barn, wrapped in raggedy cloths. This Christmas I hope we will all be grateful for what we have, and not focus on what we do not. Because we all have the best gift of all in the gracious love of Jesus.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Take Time to Behold Jesus at Christmas
By Rick Warren — 12/22/2022

“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:9-11 (ESV)

There’s a big difference between glancing at something and gazing at something. When you gaze at something, you’re doing what the angel instructed the shepherds to do—you’re beholding it.

At Christmastime, most people will give God a glance. They might start humming “O Come, Let Us Adore Him” because it’s playing on the store speakers as they do their Christmas shopping. Or they notice the nativity scene someone has placed in their home, with baby Jesus at the center, and they give it a glance.

During the busyness of the Christmas rush, not taking time to behold the best news ever can be easy.

What is the best news—the Good News—that God wants you to behold this Christmas?

It’s this: You are not an accident. Your parents may not have planned you, but God planned you. God made you to love you. If God had not wanted to love you, then he wouldn’t have created you. You wouldn’t be taking your next breath!

The 80 or so years you have on Earth are short compared to eternity. In fact, this life is preparation for eternity. God wants you to live with him forever in heaven, but to do that, you’ve got to have a relationship with him here on Earth.

How do you have a relationship with God? It starts with beholding him.

It’s the message the angel brought to the shepherds on that first Christmas: “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’” (Luke 2:9-11 ESV).

Behold, God came to Earth. That’s a big deal! At Christmas, God became a human so we could see what he’s really like.

You can know a lot of things about God just by looking at creation. But there are some things you’d never know about God if it weren’t for Jesus. If Jesus hadn’t come to Earth, you wouldn’t know that God loves you, forgives you, and has a purpose for your life.

If you want to know what God is like, take a long look at Jesus. He is the full picture of God’s grace.

Behold your Savior. Then you can make him Lord of your life.

Talk It Over

In practical terms, what does it mean to behold Jesus?
What are the distractions that keep you from beholding Jesus at Christmas?
How will you make a relationship with God your priority during the Christmas rush?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. NIV

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. NIV

Thoughts
Too-weet, too-weet—maybe you’ve heard the calling of the hen wood duck or maybe the high-pitched wheezing whistles of the drake wood duck. They are very vocal waterfowl and can be found in the fall woods in sloughs, creeks, beaver ponds, or anything that holds water. If you are close enough, sounds of splashing water and raid chattering can be heard; lots of times, it sounds like a party is going on. I like to slip in on them and see them. They are the most beautiful waterfowl on the planet—in my opinion. The drake is handsome with a dark, flashy green head, and the hen is pretty with a white eye ring and dark blue feathers on each wing. Though they are pleasing to the eye and the ear, if I had the choice of seeing or hearing them, I would have to see them. A thousand words cannot adequately describe their loveliness. Andy D.

Action Point
As a Christian, bible-believer, and churchgoer, your life is a sermon. Others are listening to what you say and watching what you do. We all need to live in a manner where we act in a way that agrees with the things we say—yielded to Christ. The only sermon many will see is your life, and I guarantee they need to see that sermon in addition to hearing it.