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A solid house foundation provides essential structural support by evenly distributing the weight of the home, which includes dead loads, such as the walls and roof and live loads, the occupants and furniture, to the soil beneath. It prevents uneven settling, sinking, or collapse, while acting as a barrier against moisture, pests, and natural disasters like floods or earthquakes. Once the foundation is complete it is covered up and forgotten about and as long as it is correctly constructed you don't even give it a second thought. Without a solid foundation, homes suffer from cracked walls, uneven or sloping floors, doors and windows that stick or won't close, and long-term, costly, and sometimes dangerous structural damage. A solid foundation in a church is built on Jesus Christ, acting as the cornerstone for all teachings, beliefs, and actions. It represents an unshakable spiritual base, built upon biblical truth, obedience to God's word, and, ensures stability against life's challenges. 

Matthew 7:24-25 ESV Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 

No one else can live the life you’re building and you can’t live the life anyone else is building; but we’re all building. The question is, are you doing it wisely? The answer depends on whether you’re building your life on a solid foundation. Jesus illustrated this point by describing two builders, one wise and the other foolish. The difference between the two isn’t about their intellect but their understanding. While the first man wisely built on rock, the second man foolishly built on sand.

Matthew 7:26-27 ESV And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

While the first man wisely built on rock, the second man foolishly built on sand. You see wisdom isn’t knowledge, it’s recognizing what to do with what you know. The foolish man just wanted to get his house up. He didn’t consider the unstable nature of his foundation and his house couldn’t withstand the wind and the rain. The wise man went to the expense of digging down before building up. He put in sweat equity and it paid off! Here’s the point, our lives can look similar on the outside yet have a crucial difference below the surface. You can even claim faith and attend church regularly, and still be a foolish builder. We each choose whether to base our lives on the Solid Rock, Jesus Christ, or on the shifting sands of personal preference and cultural acceptance. Building your life on a solid foundation requires sweat equity. It requires following Christ in complete obedience. 

James 1:22-25 CSB But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works, this person will be blessed in what he does. 

So, what are you doing with what you know about God and His Word? Has He brought to mind an area of your life that’s not in total submission to Him? It’s foolish to ignore it, because at some point a storm will come and test your foundation. Going along with culture might be e

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When I was young I spent many a Saturday morning in front of the television set watching cartoons. Some of my favorites were the Road Runner and the Coyote, Speedy Gonzales, Marvin the Martian, The Tasmanian Devil, Elmer Fud, Yosemite Sam, Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig. The Looney Tunes cartoons got their start in 1937. The Iconic cartoons had a signature ending. Porky Pig would pop out of a drum stuttering “Th-Th-Th-That's All Folks!” How many times do you find yourself with a similar ending to your prayers? I do my best when I am praying by starting off giving God a list of all the big things in my life that I am thankful for. Then I shift my prayers to asking God to heal all those I love. Usually I end my prayer by asking God to forgive me when I fail him and to make me a better servant. Finally, just like the character Porky Pig, only without the stutter I end my pray with a hearty Amen, or a That's All God! If, Amen, means, the end or that's all, what am I saying to the minister when I shout out Amen in the middle of his sermon. Am I calling for an end to the preaching? What does the bible say about the word Amen?

1 Peter 4:11 ESV Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

The Hebrew word translated amen means truly or so be it. Nearly half of the Old Testament uses of amen are found in the book of Deuteronomy. In each case, the people are responding to curses pronounced by God on various sins. Each pronouncement is followed by the words “and all the people shall say Amen” These are found in Deuteronomy 27 verses 15 thru 26. This indicates that the people applauded the righteous sentence handed down by their holy God, responding, So let it be.

Deuteronomy 27: 15 ESV Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’ 

Most of the New Testament writers use amen at the end of their epistles. The apostle John uses it at the end of his gospel, two of his three letters, and the book of Revelation, where it appears nine times. Amen in Hebrew means so be it, truly, or certainly, serving as a declaration of agreement, affirmation, and faith at the end of prayers, signifying, yes I believe it or let it be so. 

1 John 5:14 ESV And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 

When Christians say amen at the end of our prayers, we are following the model of the apostles, asking God to, please let it be as we have prayed. So when we say amen at the end of our prayers is means a lot more than just, that's all God. By saying amen at the end of our prayer we are asking God to let it be so and we are saying that we fervently believe that God is capable of answering all our prayers we are saying let it be so! Don't forget this fact all prayers should be prayed according to the will of God. Then when we say amen, we can be confident that God will respond and grant our requests. Can I have an Amen to that!!!

1 Peter 5:11 ESV To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

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Many last will and testaments during the 19th century began with this quote, “Knowing the uncertainties of life and the certainty of death….” The certainty of death has been a human constant since the fall of Adam and Eve into sin. Yet in the twenty-first century, death often seems a taboo subject. Even the word “death” has become infrequent in our speech. In an effort to avoid the difficult topic of death people have come up with many phrases to use in place of saying my loved on has died. Some will say their loved one has passed away, they have gone home or gone on to a better place, they are at rest or at peace, they have left us, departed or are no longer with us. The most common terms used in place or saying someone has died is to say that have passed away or kicked the bucket. The truth is while most of us say we are comfortable talking about dying and death, the reality is that many of us are not making any preparations as it feels a long way off or something that will cause unnecessary and difficult emotions, both for us and the people around us. The truth of the matter is this, the scriptures tell us that death is an appointment you have to keep.

Hebrews 9:27 ESV And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.

We all have this one thing in common, death. It doesn't matter if your as smart as Albert Einstein or your not so smart, like me. It doesn't matter if as rich as John D. Rockefeller or your a homeless person living on the street. It doesn't matter if your the Pope or your Charles Manson. Physical death is an absolute certainty for all of humanity. Death is the great equalizer!

Ecclesiastes 9: 2-3 ESV It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is, as he who shuns an oath. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

All people share this same destiny. Ultimately, our lives and the appointed day we will die are in God’s hands, so we must appreciate life and make the most of it while we still have breath. In Ecclesiastes Solomon says, if your still living there is hope, “for a living dog is better than a dead lion.” 

Ecclesiastes 9: 4-5 ESV But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.

The key to grasping the meaning these verses is understanding their cultural context. In ancient times, dogs were not cute and cuddly pets. Instead, they were looked down on with contempt and considered unclean, revolting scavengers. Conversely, lions were esteemed as regal, valiant, powerful hunters, the king of beasts who ruled and roared at the top of the food chain, while dogs crouched and groveled at the bottom. Since death is the great equalizer, it is foolish to spend our days in meaningless pursuit of things like power, fortune, and notoriety. Death diminishes the majestic lion to a position below that of the living dog. God gives us one life, one priceless opportunity to know Him and receive His gift of salvation. If you never think about death and your eternal fate, you will miss the chance to spend eternity with Him. 

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The “I love Lucy” show aired from 1951 to 1957. Lucy and Ricky Ricardo slept in separate beds on the show to comply with 1950's television censorship codes, which considered it indecent to show a married couple sharing a bed. While they occasionally appeared in twin beds pushed together, network standards forced them apart to adhere to conservative moral standards. Television producers and networks in the 50's followed strict guidelines, which deemed it poor taste to show a man and woman in the same bed. Flash forward 75 years to 2026 and tune into a soap opera around lunch time and within minutes you will see men and woman in sexual explicit scenes. According to a recent Gallup poll, 54% of Americans say the state of moral values in the country is poor, a record low. The study is based on more than 12 million surveys administered to people around the world between 1949 and 2021, argues that people have felt this way for at least 70 years. 

Genesis 1:27 ESV So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 

Man was created in God's image and part of that image is to reflect the moral image of God. The way we know difference between right and wrong is our knowledge of God’s law. Without the 10 Commandments, the world would descend into chaos, characterized by rampant murder, theft, and a lack of respect for authority. Scripture tells us that in the end times people will turn away from God, which will result in perilous times.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 

When society abandons biblical principles, it loses its moral compass. Many people don't even remember the 10 commandments. Walk up to a stranger on the street and ask them to name the 10 commandments and what they come up with is vastly different. The will get some correct, like don't kill, don't steal and don't commit adultery, however after that they’ll have rules about being true to yourself and don’t judge anyone. The Bible also says that God wrote His law on our hearts, so even if you can't quote the 10 commandments you really have no excuse.

Romans 2:15 ESV They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. 

A generation or two ago, homosexuality, divorce, and adultery were not accepted, even considered sinful. Nowadays, both homosexuality and divorce are considered normal. Without God's law we are left to follow the whims of society which tend to change frequently, which is what happened to the Israelites a couple generations after conquering the promised land.

Judges 17:6 ESV In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. 

The people abandoned God, and within two generations they were doing what was evil in the sight of God.

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I must begin by saying that this devotional is written to myself as much or more than it is to those who may hear it. I have always thought that if I have a question, a quandary, an uncertainty, or a difficult dilemma that I am struggling with, I bet someone else is facing a similar problem. Here is my hearts cry, my difficult question, does the devil focus his attention more on me when I am being faithful, than he does when I am not? Over the last 5 to 6 years I have grown considerably in my walk with Christ. Don't get me wrong, I still have a lot of growth to do and I am far from a saint, but I am a much more devoted and faithful person now than I was say 10 or even 20 years ago. Yet life just doesn't seem to be getting any easier. As I look back on those days when I wasn't following God's will for my life at times it seems like I had less difficulties and trials. It is my belief that when you step boldly into your God-given purpose, the enemy takes notice. Satan hates nothing more than when you stand with Jesus waging spiritual warfare against the darkness of this world. In Revelations the bible says that Satan brings charges against God's people both night and day.

Revelation 12:10 ESV And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 

When you step boldly into your God-given purpose, the enemy takes notice. Satan hates nothing more than those who stand with Jesus waging spiritual warfare. On the other hand if you don't focus your attentions and passions on growing spiritually you pose little or no threat to Satan. He is God's enemy and therefore the enemy of Christians as well. When you focus your life on Jesus Christ you draw the attention of the enemy. Satan will target your relationships, your faith, your finances, even your sense of self-worth. If you ignore your weaknesses or refuse to examine your heart, you give him a foothold.

Ephesians 4:27 ESV And give no opportunity to the devil. 

The Bible calls us to examine ourselves, to test our faith, and to make our calling and election sure. In 2nd Corinthians 13:5 scripture tells us to examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. So let's take a look at ourselves! Many times we wake up and the first thing we do is what? Check our phones! Our first thoughts are not with God, it’s with the world. Do you think it’s any wonder that many believers are then overwhelmed by the chaos of the world? When was the last time that the first thing you did after you got up was to get on your knees in prayer and have a few moments of silence, focusing your thoughts your heavenly Father. We need to do this so that we are putting on the full armor of God, but instead we pick up our electronic devices and check social media or we turn on the TV to see what the news media is sensationalizing. To answer my own question from earlier, Does the devil pay more attention to me when I am being faithful, well the answer is yes!

1 Peter 1: 6-7 ESV In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

So if you find yourself in a battle that seems unwinnable or insurmountable, or it just feels like your gonna loose this one, just remember this. Place your faith in God and he will fight your battles for you and one day every knee will bow

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One of my greatest struggles is working with God rather than for God. God cares deeply about our work, our impact in this life, not because he needs us to serve him or work for him, but because he wants to work with Him. He wants to give us a picture of His goodness and love at work in the lives of others, and He wants to deepen our relationship with Him by identifying and empowering us in our unique calling. “Work” typically has a negative connotation in my mind. I associate work with something I have to do, but don’t really want to do. But with God, the word “work” couldn’t be more different. Work is designed to be the expression of our abundant, life-giving relationship with our heavenly Father. God doesn’t call us to work out of obligation or to earn his love, but to live our lives in response to his love. It’s for this reason that Scripture is clear about God’s intention for the marriage between faith and works. 

James 2:26 ESV For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. 

What is our faith if it doesn’t produce action? What is the nature of our relationship with God if it doesn’t cause us to live differently? Often we have a misunderstanding about what it is God would have us do if we were to truly submit our life fully to Him. Often we believe if we were really to hand over our life to God in faith he would call us to do things we don’t want to do. Maybe we believe he’d call us to a foreign mission field, or to live our lives in a manner that is not as comfortable as we hoped it might be. If you are truly walking in faith and fully submitting your life to God then the desires of your heart will change. The things that used to make you comfortable before turning your life over to God, like money and possessions, won't seem nearly as important to you. Remember this, there are many ways God can use you. The are many different “works” that you can do to serve God. Not everyone is called to be a preacher, teacher or missionary in a foreign country. You can serve God by doing something as simple as loving on the people you work with and living a holy life. The life you live may be the only bible some people every read! Maybe God is calling you to something you don’t fully understand yet, but if you say yes to him, the very calling that you possibly feared most may turn into the dream you didn’t know you had. God calls us to a life of works because he loves us and has designed us for such a purpose.

Ephesians 2:10 ESV For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 

The work God is calling you to is perfect for you because He is the one who formed you and knows you. Have faith in perfect will of your heavenly Father. Choose to live a life of good works. And experience the joy of living every minute of your day with intentional and eternal purpose. This advice is meant as much for myself as it is for those who may hear it. I tend to be a bit of a control freak and I like to make a to-do list and plan out my day in a manner that makes me feel good. Plans that make me comfortable. I need to learn to let go and be more willing to follow God's will for my life, no matter where it may lead me!

Titus 3:14 ESV And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. 

We are saved by faith alone but a faith that is real is never really alone. What would your life look like if you chose to do your work filled with purpose of the Holy Spirit? All you have to do is choose to live your life with a different perspective. Enjoy your days working and bearing the frui

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When I was a child my Grandpa Miller used a lot of idioms, which is to say he used a lot of figurative language, sometimes vivid and descriptive phrases, to get his point across. A couple of his commonly used phrases were, “Well isn't that just crooked as a dog's hind leg,” and another was; “Now that's just as slick as snot on a Teflon door knob.” His Country or rural phrases are burned into my memories. One of the things my father used to tell me that is burned deep into my memory is; “Don't slouch, throw those shoulders back, son.” This one is so deeply ingrained into me that even now as a 60 year old man, when I am a bit tired and I begin to shrug my shoulders and hang me head, I hear that voice in my head and I look around, then I stand up straight and through my shoulders back. Now I am certain that if you ask my father if he remembers saying this to me, he probably will say, “well maybe I said it once or twice and I am sure it needed to be said,” but I am certain he probably doesn't remember it as vividly as I do! No matter what the truth may, both the figurative language of my grandfather and my father's drill sergeant like orders, “throw your shoulders back son,” are memories I will never out live. I say all that just to ask you, what are you telling your children and your grand children that they will remember even when your dead and gone?

Proverbs 22:6 ESV Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. 

God created the family. His design was for a man and a woman to marry for life and raise children to know and honor Him. Adoption is also God’s idea, and He models this in His adoption of us as His children.

Romans 8:15 ESV For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 

Ephesians 1:5 He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.

Regardless of the means by which they enter a family, children are a gift from God and He cares about how they are raised. Several places in Scripture give specific instructions to parents about how to raise their children. Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Psalms 103:3 says, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” Proverbs 29:17 says, “Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.” I could go on all day, but I think you get my point, the bible is filled with instructions on how parents are to be raising their children. God desires that as parents we fill our homes and our children's minds with his truth, and his truth is way better than any book man has ever written.

Psalms 127:3 ESV Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward. 

So what are you teaching and saying to your children? What are they hearing you say? Remember a picture and your actions are worth a thousand words. The real goal of good parenting should be to produce wise children who know and honor God with their lives. 

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When I was younger I was working in the kitchen and cut the first finger on my left hand all the way to the bone. I was living in a very rural community and I went to the doctor, who was bit older and near sighted. He stitched me up and I survived but the tendon in that finger was damaged so that I can no longer straighten the tip of my finger. Genesis 32 recounts the story of Jacob in an all-night wrestling match. Alone in the desert wilderness, Jacob had the ultimate restless night. A stranger visited Jacob, and they wrestled throughout the night until daybreak, at which point the stranger crippled Jacob with a blow to his hip. Even then, Jacob held on. He must have known there was something supernatural about this stranger, because he demanded a blessing from him.

 Genesis 32: 29-31 ESV Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 

Jacob does what many of us do. In our weakness and as we walk through the Valleys of fear and doubts we wrestle with God. Jacob was separated from everyone and from his worldly possessions, and that’s when he wrestles all night for what is truly important. It was a struggle that left him crippled. It was only after he ceased his struggling, that he realizes he could not go on without God. Then he finally received God’s blessing. So the moral to this story is never trust someone that doesn't walk with a limp! Trials and tribulations are an inescapable part of human life, testing our resolve and challenging our faith. Frequently the difficulties of our lives change us forever. Sometimes, like Jacob, we are left physically crippled, but many times we are emotionally crippled. No matter how difficult our life is James tells us that we are to rejoice in the trials and tribulations.

James 1: 2-4 ESV Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

If I was allowed to ask God just one question it would be, why did I have to suffer through the death of my two infant sons? If there is one question you want to ask God, what would it be? The number one question, many people would like to ask God is, why is there suffering in the world? And, why does God allow the righteous, the Christian, the believers to suffer?

2 Corinthians 1: 3-4 ESV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 

So if you are walking today in the valley of despair, If you like Jacob have wrestled with God and came out with a limp, consider it a blessing rather than a curse. Because tragedy has happened to you, it helps you to see those around you that are walking with a limp. It gives you a greater sense of oneness with others who have experienced tragedy. You can feel for them and have a greater understanding of their situation. Because you have been comforted by God in the midst of your difficult days, you in turn may be able to comfort others. 

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We hear the term, forgive and forget, but how can we forget? Don’t you wish there was a delete button for your brain? We can choose to forgive the person who has hurt us and not allow the memory to control our lives. So in that sense, we can forgive and forget. It is very hard to do, but it is possible to forgive those you have hurt or wronged you. That being said the one person I have the most difficulty forgiving is myself! On March 8, 1988 my son Jerry Craig was born. He had a rare genetic disorder that caused him to be a bleeder and need frequent transfusions of blood platelets and had suppressed immune system. He lived for 3 months and spent only 1 day out of the hospital. The doctors told me that he would never have a normal life but with medical help he might survive a while longer, but they were unsure how to treat him. My wife and other two daughters were suffering because I was unable to provide for them both physically or emotionally because all my attention was focused on my sick son. So I made the difficult decision and told the hospital staff to treat my son as if he was a healthy infant. He got the care and nutrition that any every child his age would receive and within a week he got sick and passed away. For many years after his death I blamed myself. I could not forgive myself I felt like I had caused his death.

Psalm 103:12 ESV as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 

Many people are trapped because they can’t forgive themselves. I don't think that I am alone. For years I felt trapped. Because I could never hear her my son offer me forgiveness, because he was no longer with me I felt trapped and unable to release myself from my guilt. Why can’t you release yourself from your sin? Is it because the weight is too much? Because you know you haven’t changed? Because the ripple effects of your sin can’t be reversed? I have good news! You don’t need to forgive yourself, because you can’t forgive yourself. There is no category of self-forgiveness in the Bible. And what a freeing truth! Your shame and guilt does not depend on your ability to forgive yourself. There are two—and only two—biblical categories of forgiveness: forgiveness of others and God’s forgiveness. Horizontal and vertical. Horizontal forgiveness marks us as Christians. Seeking to forgive of others is not optional. Forgiving one another is not optional.

Colossians 3:12-13 ESV Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 

As important as horizontal forgiveness is, the forgiveness of those who have hurt you, even more fundamental is vertical forgiveness, which comes from God alone. After committing the heinous double sin of adultery and murder against Bathsheba and Uriah, David cries out to God.

Psalm 51:4 ESV Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. 

David realizes that as awful as his sin is horizontally, it’s much worse vertically. He has profoundly offended God by devaluing one life and snuffing out another. But what never hear David struggling with? The process of self-forgiveness. He doesn’t entertain for a second that he must forgive himself. Once he’s sought forgiveness from God, he must release himself from his sin. So forgive and forget your sins because the Almighty God already has!

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What is at the center of your life? What is it that you strive for? What is the one thing that anchors your life? I would venture to guess that a large portion of the world centers their lives around their careers and the size of their bank accounts. Some may focus their lives around their children. Behind every Olympic athlete is a parent or two, who have encouraged and pushed their child through tens of thousands of hours of grueling training to keep them on track. Jim and Cecille Adrian watched their 23-year-old son Nathan qualify for the 100 meter freestyle with the fastest time in the preliminary rounds. They drove about 100,000 miles in four years, taking vacations in about 15 different cities in the US, and flew 100,000 air miles or more “and that's just the start," Jim Adrian told ABC News. "It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it.” On the day this parent will stand at the Judgment seat of Christ to receive his rewards, do you think his investment in his child will pay off?

2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

So back to my original question, what is the center of your life? There are 31,174 total verses in the Bible. Psalm 118:8-9 are the 15,587th and 15,588th verses. The very center of the Bible. Do you suppose that it is just random chance, or maybe it’s God’s way of winking at us, but these two verses in the very middle of the entire Bible seem to capture well the bottom line of faith. Where the rubber meets the road.

Psalm 118: 8-9 ESV It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

There are really only two basic religions among men, one of which is man-centered and the other one God-centered. One is based on evolution; one on creation. One is humanism; the other is theism. The Bible begins by setting forth God as Creator in Genesis 1:1 and ends by invoking the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in Revelation 22:21.

Revelation 22:21 ESV The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

But mankind’s greatest and most basic sin has always been that of seeking to replace God with man. Ye shall be as gods, was the lie that Satin told Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden which resulted in the fall of man.

Genesis 3:5 ESV For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

Paul teaches us in Romans 3:23, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. In Gods eyes all people are created equal. It's only people who elevate and devalue other people. The center of the Bible is teaching us an important lesson; TRUST GOD, not men. We have been given a gift of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Don't let faith in men keep you from the gates of heaven. Put your faith and trust in the One who loved you and died for you. 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! It is infinitely and eternally better to trust in the Lord, than to put your confidence in men. 

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