Daily Devotional

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Resurrection Sunday may be different this year, but no matter our current situation, it is still a time to rejoice! Even an invisible enemy such as COVID-19 cannot take away what Jesus has done for His followers. Jesus paid a debt for us that no one else could ever pay so that we could know him and be in heaven with Him for eternity. God gave the perfect sacrifice, His only Son, and if we believe in Him, then we will be forgiven and saved from our sins.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16 (KJV).

To be saved, you must believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for everyone’s sins, including your own, and receive Him as your personal Savior so that one day you can be with our heavenly Father. If you believe Jesus died on the cross to save you from your sins, you also need to admit you are a sinner – as we all are. Romans 3:23 (KJV) says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

As believers, we must repent of our sins. “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, ‘Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 4:17, KJV). There is a reason John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the world in the same manner in Matthew 3:2 (KJV) by saying, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

I was taught if the Scripture mentions something once, we better pay attention, but if it is written more than once, we better pay careful attention.

If you have never confessed your sin and belief in Christ, take time to do it right now. Jesus is the only way to be saved from your sins and receive eternal life. The Bible says that if you are willing to confess your sins to God, then He is willing to forgive you.

Jesus’ last words before dying on the cross were “It is finished” (John 19:30). To suggest that more needs to be done to earn your way to heaven is the same as saying Jesus died for nothing. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV).

Nails were not what held Jesus to the cross. Jesus had the power to come down from that cross, but He knew this is what had to be done for His believers to be saved. He died on the cross for you and me because of His love for us. He loved us that much!

Then on the third day, he rose from the dead. This is the good news that Christians celebrate: His resurrection! He is alive! And one day our Savior will return. He sets us free from our sins! “Jesus saith unto him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me’” (John 14:6, KJV).

If you know of someone who is not saved, please pass this on to him or her. Share the greatest gift of all with that person: a relationship with Jesus Christ and eternal life. Also, share this with your brothers and sisters in Christ so they may use this to share with others.

God commands that we share the gospel with others. We need to help one another become passionate followers of Jesus Christ. With everything that is going on around our country and in the world, I cannot think of a better time than now to share the good news with everyone!

For a powerful resource to use while witnessing and for more answers as you seek to know Him, go to http://knowhim.afr.net.

Have a meaningful Holy Week and blessed resurrection celebration!

[Ronnie W. Stark]

God’s Love Changes Everything
By Rick Warren — April 11, 2020

“I love you with an everlasting love.”

Jeremiah 31:3 (GW)

Nothing you’ve ever done or will ever do can stop God from loving you. God said in Jeremiah 31:3, “I love you with an everlasting love” (GW).

Do you know how long everlasting is?

It’s forever. You can’t make God stop loving you; he will love you forever. His love isn’t based on what you do. It’s based on who he is. The only reason you’re alive is because God made you to love you.

That’s why God sent his Son: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NLT).

God wants you to know his love. Even more, he wants you to feel his love.

God’s love will transform you when you feel it. It turns somebody who is hateful, bigoted, or racist into a kind, gentle, and loving person. When God's love hits your heart, it changes you.

If your life hasn’t changed, then you don’t know God. You can’t have somebody as big as God come into your life and not be changed by it.

When God's love comes into your life, it changes how you react to everyone else. When you truly understand and experience the love of God, you can’t help but pass it on to others.

In fact, Jesus described it like this: “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35 HCSB).

But it starts with God’s love for us.

The most amazing conversion in the Bible is of a guy named Saul, who was a religious extremist that killed Christians. One day, on his way to Damascus, he encountered the resurrected Jesus.

Jesus said to Saul, "Why are you persecuting me?"

Saul fell to his knees and said, "My Lord and my God."

The man who had once been a religious extremist became the apostle of love. Saul, now known as Paul, wrote most of the New Testament, including some of the most beautiful words on love ever written, 1 Corinthians 13.

The everlasting, completely free love of God will do that. It changes lives.

Has it changed yours?

Talk About It

When you consider that God’s love for you lasts forever, how does it impact how you live your life?
God doesn’t want us to just know his love; he wants us to feel his love. Why do you think it’s so important we experience the love of God?
What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in yourself or others after experiencing God’s love?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verses
Matthew 27:12-14
When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge-to the great amazement of the governor. (NIV)

Thoughts
It's Good Friday. My thoughts have gone back to a day a little over two-thousand years ago when Jesus was asked that question: Don't you hear what they're saying about you? Don't you have anything to say in your defense? Jesus amazes them when He makes no reply. I stand in awe when I think of that scene. If I were in the field and a game warden was asking me questions, I would answer them, wouldn't you? If that had been me instead of Jesus, I would have said something. I would have been throwing everything I could back at the accusers. I would have had my attorney there blasting the accusers, quoting laws and legal precedents.

But Jesus made no reply. He stood in silence. Silence. Why? Because a decision had been made. It was made the night before in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prayed, "He went away a second time and prayed, 'My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done,'" Matthew 26:42 (NIV). Jesus knew the need, and Jesus knew the consequences for all mankind if He refused the cross. There in the garden, He had a choice; and by being obedient to the Father, He chose to love us, to die for us, and to take the burden of all of our sins on Himself. Jesus made this choice in spite of knowing all of the suffering that awaited Him in the next few hours.

Hebrews 5:8 says that Jesus was made perfect through His suffering. Because of His perfection, we can have eternal life with Him. Jesus made a commitment. He kept it, He suffered during that horrible night, and later on the Cross. Because of His suffering, we have this day, Good Friday; and three days later, we have Easter - triumph over sin and death. Praise God for Jesus' obedience, even to death on the Cross!
(Cliff S)

Action Point
As you go through your day, be aware that you are God's witness to the world around you. Be prepared to answer those who ask you why you are a follower of Jesus. Tell your world about the love and forgiveness that you have found in Jesus and that they can have the same.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verses
Romans 6:13
And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. (NKJV)

Thoughts
Tools and gadgets are part of outdoor fun. We all have a bag, a vest, a tackle box, or maybe even a garage full of them! They make outdoor times more productive and enjoyable.

Going through catalogs helps get us through times of "cabin fever" between seasons. We all know that there are specialty tools with a specific purpose and function. If we need a certain job done, we must have that particular tool to do it.

Outdoor shows feature myriad varieties of such tools; and part of the enjoyment in attending these shows is to learn about the new ones, and to purchase what we need.
(Jack M)

Action Point
Our bodies are tools. We choose if they are tools for good or tools for sinning. Certainly these influences - good or bad - may be upon ourselves or others.

God has specific functions for each of us. We are intentionally constructed for His purposes. He invites us to join Him in His work here in this world to accomplish unique things for His glory.

He rewards and disciplines us for what we do, whether we choose to do good or to use our bodies for evil. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad," II Corinthians 5:10 (NKJV). But His intent is for us to use our bodies as tools to accomplish good as He defines it.

I choose to use my body for good and for His glory. Which purpose will you choose? Will you choose to use your body as a tool for good or for sinning?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

To Gain Insight into God’s Word, Learn to Meditate on It
By Rick Warren — April 22, 2020

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Joshua 1:8 (NIV)

There are so many things you can do to unlock the gifts the Bible offers. You can read Scripture, study it, and memorize it. But you should also meditate on it.

Second Timothy 2:7 says, “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this” (NIV).

When you reflect on the Bible—when you meditate on it—God gives you more insight into his Word.

What does it mean to meditate? It simply means to think seriously about something. It means you engage your mind.

Wondering how to meditate? If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate. Worry is simply negative meditation. When you worry, you take a negative thought and go over and over it in your mind. And the more you worry, the bigger your thought gets.

In meditation, you do the same thing with Scripture: You go over and over a passage of the Bible in your mind. But unlike with worry, meditating on Scripture produces positive results.

One of the ways you can meditate on Scripture is by doing what I call “pronouncing” it. Say a Bible verse aloud over and over again. Each time you say it, emphasize a different word.

Take Philippians 4:13, for example: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV). The first time you say the verse, emphasize I. The next time emphasize can. And so on, until you emphasize the last word of the verse.

Each time you say the verse, its meaning will be nuanced in a different way.

Another tool for meditating is a reflection bridge. Beneath every story in the Bible is a timeless principle, and the reflection bridge helps you find it. First, you read the story and ask what it meant when it first happened. Then you ask what timeless principle it’s teaching. Then you personalize it by asking what it means to you today.

The Bible promises tremendous blessings if you spend time meditating on it: “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8 NIV).

Take the time now to develop the habit of meditating on God’s Word, and you’ll reap the benefits for the rest of your life.

Talk About It

How are worry and meditating on Scripture similar? What positive results come from meditating on God’s Word?
Choose one Scripture verse and practice “pronouncing” it, saying it aloud several times and emphasizing a different word each time. What does God teach you through meditating on a Scripture verse in that way?
Choose a story from the Bible. Use the “reflection bridge” process described in today’s Daily Hope to meditate on that passage. Write down your insights, or share them with a friend.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Mark 13:36-37
If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'" (NIV)

Thoughts
My son taught me the art of looking for game with binoculars. It is truly an important part of what we do as hunters. We scout for game ahead of the season; and during the hunt, we always look for our trophy. Watching and doing it right pays off.

In my reading this morning, I noticed how the word "watch" kept popping up. It appears three times in Mark 13 and 14. The Greek word for "watch" used in these verses is "vigilant", keep watch or stay awake. Webster's adds emphasis by saying: alertly watchful, especially to avoid danger. Jesus was making a point in this parable by using the word "watch" three times in the same manner for added emphasis.
(Byron S)

Action Point
We can see here that there is a difference in the kinds of "watching" that we do, simply by the use and meaning of the word. No problem in the Greek - they spell the words differently in order that the reader could discern the differences. The word "watch" as it is used in Mark is telling us to be vigilant in order to avoid danger. The Holy Spirit continues this theme in Acts, I Corinthians, Colossians, I Thessalonians, I Peter and Revelation - each time saying, be vigilant.

We can strengthen our vigil by staying in God's Word each day and applying the knowledge He gives us to world affairs. Stay current, keep watching; and remember what you learned as a child - practice makes perfect.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

God Wants to Show You His Perspective—Through the Bible
By Rick Warren — April 25, 2020

“This plan of mine is not what you would work out, neither are my thoughts the same as yours!”
Isaiah 55:8 (TLB)

Imagine that you’re driving up a mountain. The road is twisting and turning, and you’re stuck behind an incredibly slow car. You think, “If I could just see around the corner, I could pass this car.” Then a helicopter flies by and the pilot radios down, “I can see two miles ahead. It’s okay for you to pass.”

What’s the difference between you in the car and the pilot in the helicopter? Perspective.

The pilot had a much bigger perspective than you. So he could help you know the next move to make.

Your relationship with God is the same. He has a much bigger perspective on your life than you do.

God wants to share his perspective with you, and he does that through the Bible.

God’s perspective helps you understand the big picture—the reasons behind what he does and what happens in the world.

Without God’s perspective in your life, life can be full of constant frustration. You spend your days asking questions you can’t answer: Why is this happening to me? Why is that happening to other people? What is the purpose of this? What is the meaning of life?

The answers to those questions are found in God’s perspective.

Have you ever tried to do something, thinking it would work out, but found that it didn’t? You lacked perspective.

Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a person, but eventually it ends in death” (GW).

By gaining perspective, you get outside your own way of thinking and learn to think like God does.

Psalm 103:7 says, “He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel” (NIV). The people of Israel saw what God did—the opening of the Red Sea, the manna, the miracles with water, and more.

But God let Moses understand the “why” behind what he did. He gave Moses his perspective.

How can you get perspective? By studying God’s Word.

Talk About It

To study God’s Word, you need to do more than just read it. You need to ask questions and to use a pen and paper, or a note on your smartphone, to record what it says. Pick a chapter of the Bible today and study it. Write down what you learn about God’s perspective.
What problem are you just seeing from your own perspective? Study God’s Word today to gain God’s perspective on it.
Think of a time when God helped you gain his perspective on a situation. Spend time in prayer thanking him for sharing his perspective with you.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (NIV)

Thoughts
The past few months have found me dabbling in the art of taxidermy. I have been searching out any and every one of God's creatures I can get my hands on to try to preserve it as beautiful as God meant it to be when it was roaming the earth.

While performing this art, I have found out exactly how important it is to have a sharp kife and to keep it sharp. This verse is telling us that if we wish to be productive and do more of what God has called us to do, it is necessary to associate with people who are more Godly than we are and those who use their days more productively under His direction.
(Dave F)

Action Point
Just as iron sharpens iron - happy, positive people will inspire you to be more positive and happy. People who are truly serving the Lord will inspire you to be more faithful and subservient.

Try to spend time with people who exhibit those qualities which God may be strengthening in you.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

The Bible: God’s Owner’s Manual for Life
By Rick Warren — April 24, 2020

“The scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the man of God and fit him fully for all branches of his work.”
2 Timothy 3:17 (PHILLIPS)

Having the right equipment is often the difference between success and failure. To insert a screw, a carpenter doesn’t use a knife. When you’re under anesthesia, you don’t want your surgeon using a chainsaw. A climber on Mount Everest won’t use dollar store equipment.

Professionals are picky about using the right equipment as they know it can be dangerous if they aren’t.

Life can be dangerous, too, so it’s essential that you use the right equipment.

One of those pieces of equipment is the Bible. It’s like God’s owner’s manual for your life. Like any good owner’s manual, the Bible gives you instructions and you can consult it when you need help.

Second Timothy 3:17 says, “The scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the man of God and fit him fully for all branches of his work” (PHILLIPS).

There are four simple reasons you need the Bible:

To help you know God. Nature shows us how God is powerful, creative, and organized, and how he likes variety. But God reveals many other things about himself through the Bible. To know what God is like, we need the Bible.
To teach you the truth. In this age of truth decay, who are you going to trust? Politicians? Twitter? The media? Jesus says, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 TLB). When God speaks through the Bible, he offers eternal truth that you can count on.
To show you how to live. The Bible is God’s big instruction book. It includes the guidance you need to make life work.
To give you spiritual strength. God will always give you the power to do what he asks. You’ll find that power in the spiritual truth of his Word.
You never know what the day will bring you. But whatever it is, make sure you’re equipped with the Bible, God’s owner’s manual for life.

Talk About It

Make a list of different ways you can get to know God. What do you learn about God in the Bible that you can’t learn anywhere else?
The Bible was written thousands of years ago. Even so, how is it a more reliable manual for life than current sources like news media or your social media feed?
The Bible gives you instructions, and you can consult it when you need help. Think of a problem or question you’re facing. Spend some time reading through the Bible with that situation in mind. See what God teaches you there.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Moving from Spiritual Milk to Maturity
By Rick Warren — April 23, 2020

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
John 13:17 (NIV)

D. L. Moody was a great evangelist and Christian educator in the late 19th century. He used to say, “The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.”

You can receive God’s Word with an open heart. You can memorize it. You can meditate on it. And once you finish those things, you will have loads of Bible knowledge. But the ultimate goal is for God to use the Bible to change your life.

Jesus told his followers: “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17 NIV).

The book of Hebrews has strong words for people who don’t apply the Bible’s principles: “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness” (Hebrews 5:11-13 NIV).

Think about your own life. Are you consistently applying the Bible truths you have learned? Or are you still learning the basics?

Hebrews goes on to say: “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity”(Hebrews 5:14–6:1 NIV).

Do you see there how you move on to maturity? It’s not by constant Bible study or constant conference-going. You become mature by intentionally, constantly applying what you’re learning in Scripture. You have to put your knowledge into practice.

If you have been practicing what you’ve learned, then it’s time for you to start teaching other people. Teaching is one of the fastest ways to grow in spiritual maturity. God doesn’t need you to be a perfect teacher; he just needs you to be available to him.

I challenge you to make three commitments today:

Begin a regular program of Bible intake by reading it, studying it, memorizing it, and meditating on it.
Accept God’s Word as the final authority in your life and start doing what it says.
Join a small group Bible study where you can learn and teach.
Do these things, and you’ll see Jesus’ promise in John 13:17 becoming true for you: “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (NIV).

Talk About It

Spend a few minutes in prayer, committing to growing in maturity through knowing, applying, and teaching God’s Word. If you’re not sure what to say, start with this: “God, from now on I’ll accept the Bible as the ultimate authority in my life. What it says, I will do to the best of my knowledge. I want to take in your Word regularly. Help me to memorize it. Help me to learn to study it. Help me to find a small group of other Christians where I can learn and teach. Amen.”

You may not feel ready to teach through a whole book of the Bible or preach a sermon, but if you’ve learned and applied any of the Bible, you can teach that to someone else. What’s something God has taught you that you need to pass on to someone else?

God offers you salvation

And today is the day to accept it. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Right now God is ready to welcome you. Today he is ready to save you” (TLB).

How do you accept salvation? You turn from yourself to God. You trust Christ to come into your life, forgive your sins, and make you who you were always meant to be.

If you’re ready to accept God’s salvation, you can pray a prayer like this:

Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.

If you just prayed to accept the gift of salvation through Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

To Develop Strong Convictions, Get to Know the Bible
By Rick Warren — April 26, 2020

“Oh, that they would always have such a heart for me, wanting to obey my commandments.”
Deuteronomy 5:29 (TLB)

A conviction is a belief that shapes your behavior. It’s something you believe so strongly that it determines the way you act. While an opinion is something you’ll discuss or even argue about, a conviction is something you’ll die for.

The people who’ve made the greatest change in this world—for good or bad—were not the smartest or the wealthiest. They were those with the deepest convictions.

Our society says every value is up for grabs. It says you can do whatever you want, with no moral absolutes.

But the truth is that if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. Today we need people with conviction who know what they believe.

But is it even possible to know right and wrong in this day and age of relativism? Is it possible to know good from evil?

Of course it is. Some things are absolutely right. Some things are absolutely wrong.

How do you know right from wrong? Use the Bible, God’s owner’s manual for life.

Hebrews 5:14 says, “Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (NIV).

People who know truth are the ones who feast on the solid food of God’s Word. The Bible helps them know right from wrong.

When U.S. Treasury agents are learning to distinguish real bills from counterfeit ones, they don’t study counterfeits. They spend their time studying real bills. Then, when counterfeits come along, the agents recognize that those counterfeits aren’t the real thing.

It’s the same way with the truth of God’s Word. You don’t have to know everything that’s false. You just have to know the truth of the Bible. Then, when falsehoods come along, you’ll see that they don’t square up.

As you get to know truth, you’ll develop conviction. You’ll share God’s values.

The Bible says, “Oh, that they would always have such a heart for me, wanting to obey my commandments” (Deuteronomy 5:29 TLB).

You get a heart for God by developing convictions. And you develop convictions by getting to know God’s Word.

Talk About It

How would you explain the difference between an opinion and conviction? What are some of your opinions? What are your convictions?
How has the Bible helped you develop a specific conviction you hold?
People who change the world are people with conviction. Spend time in prayer, asking God to help you become a person of conviction who values the things he values.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Make Your Decisions Using the Light of God’s Word
By Rick Warren — April 27, 2020

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

There’s no doubt about it. Today we’re faced with more decisions than ever before. We live in a multiple-choice culture.

And decisions are significant. Sometimes even little decisions are like the hinges that let a giant door swing—they seem so small but can completely change the direction of your life.

When I was in college, I decided at the last minute to go to a meeting. I arrived late and sat in the back row. The only other person in that row was a woman named Kay. After the meeting, I asked her out on a date. And eight days later we were engaged. A seemingly insignificant decision shaped the direction of my whole life.

Since decisions matter so much, we must be wise in how we make them. The book of Proverbs says: “If you want better insight and discernment . . . learn the importance of reverence for the Lord and of trusting him . . . He shows how to distinguish right from wrong, how to find the right decision every time” (Proverbs 2:3-5, 9 TLB).

How do you listen to God when making a decision? Look at his Word. I like to call this the Ideal Test. Do your decisions and actions line up with God’s will? Are they in harmony with God’s Word?

You have two choices about who your ultimate authority will be: the world or God’s Word—what other people say or what God says.

If you base your decisions on current popular opinion, you’ll always be on shaky ground because culture changes every day. On the other hand, if you base your decisions on God’s Word, you’ll have a solid foundation because his truth never changes.

Recently I went up into the attic of our house. The attic light had burned out. I was walking around in the dark and kept bumping my head. “I need a flashlight,” I thought. Sometimes when you’re making a decision, you may feel like you’re bumping around in the dark. Fortunately, God’s given you a flashlight: the Bible.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (NIV).

And when the light of God’s Word makes your choice clear, just obey—even if you don’t understand. I don’t understand electricity, but that doesn’t stop me from turning on lights and watching my television. I don’t understand the physics of internal combustion, but I still drive a car.

You don’t need to understand why God says what he does in the Bible to benefit from it. You just need to obey his instruction and follow his principles. He gives his instructions for your benefit, and you’ll be blessed as a result of following them.

Talk About It

What seemingly insignificant decision in your life has ended up being like a small hinge that swung open a giant door?
Have you been making decisions based on the world’s advice or God’s Word? What’s one step you can make today to look to God’s Word in your decision-making?
Think of one particular decision you need to make. Spend some time looking through God’s Word and see what he has to say about it.

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Bible Study Verse
Matthew 17:27
"But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours." (NIV)

Thoughts
Can you imagine Jesus speaking to you, asking you to go fish, and assuring you that He would put a fish on your line to pay your taxes?

He did this for Peter! He does this for me! I'm one of the fortunate ones whom He has "called" to fish for a living; so I am one who must trust Him with each cast I make. This is only possible because of:

Knowing that He is the Provider of all my needs.
Learning to trust Him with the unseen underwater world.
Believing that He will make the bass' mouth open to provide for my family (and for taxes).
Action Point
Have you learned to trust in Jesus? "Rejoice in the Lord, ALWAYS. I will say it again: REJOICE! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7

TAKE ALL THINGS TO GOD! Trust Him today,even in the outdoors!

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Unshakable! Thriving No Matter What Hits You

Study What’s Real to Detect What Isn’t True
By Rick Warren — May 18, 2020
“Since only your rules can give me wisdom and understanding, no wonder I hate every false teaching.”

Psalm 119:104 (TLB)

The only way to really know what’s fake is to know what’s real.

Many people today fall for foolish ideas because they don’t know the truth. And because they don’t know what’s authentic, they can’t spot a lie.

That’s why it is so important to study God’s Word. By knowing biblical truth, you’ll be able to spot false teaching.

The psalmist wrote, “Since only your rules can give me wisdom and understanding, no wonder I hate every false teaching” (Psalm 119:104 TLB).

By the time a typical American student graduates from high school today, he or she will have spent more than 30,000 hours in front of a screen (including video games, tablets, laptops, and TVs).

Any guess how long it takes to read the entire Bible—all 66 books? It takes just 80 hours.

We have the time. The question is, how will we use our time? God gave us his Word to give us the wisdom we need to live a fulfilling and productive life.

Make the most of this awesome gift by making time to study it today and every day.
Talk About It

How have you seen other people become wiser through consistent Bible study?
What keeps you from spending more time reading the Bible?
Think of the activities you do most consistently. How important are they compared to Bible study?

[Ronnie W. Stark]

Unshakable! Thriving No Matter What
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5:11-12 (NIV)

When we follow Jesus, we will face trouble. It’s guaranteed! You’ll be harassed, persecuted, rejected, and ridiculed because of your faith.

But that’s not the end of the story. The Bible says that Jesus endured the torture of the cross “for the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV).

You, too, must focus on your future reward if you want to get through your temporary troubles.

Imagine the scene at the end of history. Everyone who has ever lived will one day kneel before Jesus Christ. Everyone will say, “Jesus is Lord.” Some will praise him because they’ve done so all their lives. Others will praise him in judgment to themselves because they’ve denied him all their lives.

Every professor who ridiculed you because of your faith and every friend who tried to convince you to abandon your faith will one day praise Jesus. Every entertainer who made a mockery of God’s name and every politician who opposed his ways will praise him (Philippians 2:9-11).

Everyone will one day bow before Jesus.

At that time God will also reward you for staying true to him despite the harassment and criticism you faced for your faith.

Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12 NIV).

Whenever you face persecution, you’re in the same category as Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Moses.

Just like those great prophets of old, you’ll one day experience an eternity with God, full of unimaginable joy. The harassment, persecution, rejection, and ridicule you face now for Jesus’ sake won’t compare to the reward of eternity with God.

Put your hope in this truth so that when life gets tough, you can endure.
Talk About It

When has harassment, persecution, rejection, or ridicule drawn you closer to Jesus?
What temporary troubles are you facing right now that are distracting you—or could distract you—from your future reward?
How does keeping future rewards in mind help you deal with difficulties in this world?