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I received a free copy of the Bible in the mail yesterday. Not just any copy, a goatskin leather bound large print new Christian Standard Bible particularly designed for pastors. It was incredible to be given something of such immense value, not just the material, but the very words of God. Well...I want each of you to give someone the Bible, and the Bible I want you to give them is you. God's word is not merely to be read in the pages of Scripture, but seen lived out in our lives as his truths are written on our hearts. There is a big difference between knowing about God, and really knowing him. Show others that you know him, that they might know him too. 

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It's that time a year again that I start my Christmas shopping for others. The problem is, I'm really bad at picking at gifts for some people. I have gotten to the point that I have given up on surprising my wife, I just tell her to tell me plainly what she wants. That way I know she'll be happy with what I give her, because it's exactly what she asked for. Well...why do so many call Jesus Lord and yet not do what he asks of them? We presume that we know better than what God has already said, but God is not interested in what we think he wants,  he's interested with us doing what he already told us to do. Want to please God? Obey him. 

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I had the blessing of joining a discussion on another podcast last night with my friend Hal Hammons along with Terry & Peyton Francis. The topic was "jocks" and we used sports to springboard some very deep spiritual discussions. At one point Terry discussed Peyton's relationship with his teammates on his football team in high school. No player ever just showed up for the game, they practiced, work hard, and were always together. Well...what kind of players are we? Do we just show up for worship on Sundays, and then somehow expect for us to find success as a church? Or are we really the kind of family that God designed for the church to be? 

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We got talking about puzzles this morning after our morning study and how long it took to put some of them together. Then comes my least favorite part, after all that hard work over a period of days, weeks, or months depending on the puzzle...you pull it all apart in seconds and stick it back in the box. Well....what takes years to build only takes seconds to destroy in our life. Our reputation, a marriage, a career, all of these things are grown and last when we honor God, but even after years of work can be destroyed in a day through our foolish actions. 

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Today is Veterans Day here in the United States. We honor those who have served in our armed forces and have been honorably discharchged to come home. Their sacrifices are not forgotten, and we are forever grateful to them and their families. It is my hope that all Veterans are able to find peace & rest from their service now as civilians. Well...there are no veterans in the service of God. Even into our old age, we are called to bear much fruit. Until the day we die, we continue our spiritual fight as good soldiers. Let's answer that call, for God still has work for us to do! 

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I want to grow an epic beard, but this cowlick on the right side of my face just makes me look silly. After some research, the only answer I could come up with is that you have to grow it out enough for gravity to take effect and counter act that strange growth. Until then, I'll have to deal with this awkward stage until enough time passes to have a full & mature beard. Well...we are all doing this. No, not growing a beard, but growing spiritually. It's a process. Not everyone is in the same place in thier faith, and we all grow differently. Sometimes we have to go through that awkward stage. Don't give up and don't judge each other, give it time and we will all grow in maturity to the image & fullness of Christ. 

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My wife has now taken on the task of painting the interior of our house a new color. While it has so far been fairly easy, we've made it to the living room with 12 foot vaulted ceilings & other hard to reach places because of built in bookcases. We were not equipped to take this part on ourselves, which is why we borrowed a free standing ladder to help. All of our projects have gone something like this, where alone we couldn't do it, but with the help of others we could get the job done. Well...isn't reaching the lost just like this? Some people are hard for us to reach, but where we cannot, others can! Thank God for the diversity in his church, so that each of us being differently equipped can bring Jesus to others!

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This week, the football world was shocked when star wide receiver Henry Ruggs III drove intoxicated at incredible speeds and struck another driver. His choices ended the life of a 23 year old girl, as well as his career. He will spend the next 2-20 years in prison while his young girls family will spend the rest of their lives mourning her tragic loss. Well...do we take sin seriously? Sin is not worth the cost, which is our soul. Not only this, but our actions impact others - physcially and spiritually. This is bigger than you, and in the end, it's not worth it. 

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Susan Sparks has become one of my favorite people recently - she is my great Uncle Keith's attorney. She is a disciple of Jesus, kind, patient, and honorable in all of her work. But something I discovered blew me away - the countless hours she has poured into our case for our family have all been pro bono, that is to say, free of charge. Why would she do this? Her answer: because that's why God put her here, to help others in need. Wow. Well...we likewise as Christians have been called to do good works, and here's the catch: it's also pro bono. We do them voluntarily from a heart of love and expect nothing in return. All of the glory goes to God as we serve others just as God has served us. 

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After meeting with several attorneys yesterday in the battle for my grandmother, which praise God was finally resolved, I was taken back by a statement made by our attorney to me. When I was rejected by the opposing side as a guardian candidate because they took issue with me personally, he responded, "Sometimes you're defined by who your enemies are, and in this case that's not a bad thing." Well...how true are those words in our fight against Satan? While we strive for peace with all, in reality all who desire to do what is right will be opposed by the enemy & those who follow him. But at the end of the day, I'd rather be an enemy to the world than an enemy to God. 

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