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‘Keeper’ is a strange and surreal puzzle video game. But even doubters will likely say it’s a, uh, keeper.

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Tricia Goyer encourages Christians to embrace happiness in the Lord. She describes her painful past as an unmarried teen mom, the dangers of trying to be perfect and striving to do more rather than celebrate all the good God has done. Tricia also shares stories about navigating the trauma of her 7 adopted kids and learning to trust God for the results.

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Tricia Goyer talks about the moment she gave her life to Jesus, even after she’d made some poor decisions.

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The Apostle Paul says, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:27 NIV). When you make God’s story yours, he covers you in Christ. You wear him like a vest. Old labels no longer apply. How about these new labels: Royal priest. Free from condemnation. Secure. God’s coworker. God’s temple. God’s workmanship. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe.

Psalm 103:12 reminds us not to mess with the old clothes any longer. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (NIV). When God sends your sins to the east and you to the west, you can be sure of this: he sees his Son and not your sin. In fact, Isaiah 43:25 says he “remembers your sins no more.” How do you like that outfit?

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I guess it's possible to get lost in a computer. There was an article I read a while ago that talked about how some business leaders were complaining about this emerging problem with some of their computer people. They were talking about computer technicians who just kept going deeper and deeper into programs, and spending lots of time on sophisticated functions that didn't really have anything to do with getting their job done. One of them had an interesting name for it - "the rapture of the deep" they called it; lost somewhere in that computer; making the computer an end in itself rather than what it's supposed to be, which I think is a means of getting a job done. You know, some people get lost in the Bible too.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "A Headful of Bible."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from James 1, and I'm going to begin reading at verse 22. "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." I think this verse is talking about people who know the Bible, but are fooling themselves. That's kind of scary, isn't it? I mean, we're Bible people. But it's possible to be self-deceived and in the process of getting to know the Bible you get self-deceived. Why? Because you've forgotten that the purpose of studying the Bible isn't just to know the Bible; it's to do it; it's to be changed by it, like looking in the mirror. What needs changing? You don't just get information. If you looked in the mirror this morning you probably took action!

So, like the computer buffs, they remember Bible facts, they discuss theology, they look for deeper and deeper meanings, they analyze the Bible, they dissect the Bible, they learn big words for things in the Bible, but they're getting lost in biblical space. To be sure, we should never take God's revelation lightly. It demands, it requires serious study. That's good. But the ultimate objective is not to know it; it's to do it.

2 Timothy 3:16 - "All scripture is God-breathed" - good, good. "...and is useful..." Oh, it's supposed to do something, it's not just something you know. Maybe you've been slipping into a state of let's call it uh... passive loyalty to the Bible. Oh, you've got the head part going. Yeah, you're strong in Bible information, but maybe you're weak on application. Maybe when you were a younger Christian you didn't know much about it, but you were applying it. It was changing you, wasn't it? Maybe the balance has shifted.

There are three ways to read the Bible. You can read it for information, you can read it for inspiration, and you can read it for transformation. And that last one is what God has in mind. When you pick up the Bible, are you asking every time you read it, "What connection does this make to something I'm going to face today?" Start a spiritual diary, and in it you write two things: What did I read today; what is God saying here and put it in your own words... not Bible words. And then, what am I going to do differently today because of what God said?" The Bible isn't just to be mastered. It's to be obeyed.

So don't get lost in a spiritual rapture of the deep. Oh yeah, go after the deep things of God to be sure, but only so they can deeply penetrate the way you live. Otherwise, you could be very deep but very dead.

In Nepal, the country’s gender gap is widening as illegal sex-selective abortions continue to claim the lives of unborn girls.  Abortion was legalized over two decades ago in Nepal, though sex selective abortions remain illegal. Unfortunately, these laws are rarely enforced.  

Cultural preference for sons means many families choose to end pregnancies when the baby is female, leading to far more boys than girls being born. In the last year, nearly 17 percent fewer girls were born than boys, a dramatic imbalance that experts warn could have serious long-term social consequences.  

Abortion is often used just like this to discriminate against the most vulnerable.