Daily Devotional

This space is provided in honor Joe Brooks and Coon Hunters For Christ. The PKC membership is happy to pray for you in a time of need.

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Ronnie W. Stark
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Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
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Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Sun Jul 21, 2019 1:51 pm

“If you pray to God and seek the favor of the Almighty, and if you are pure and live with integrity, he will surely rise up and restore your happy home. And though you started with little, you will end with much” (Job 8:5-7 NLT).

It may be tough for you to read a message about integrity because you’re replaying in your mind all the times you’ve fallen short, all the opportunities you had to show integrity but didn’t, all the moral failures in your life. We could all make a similar list of failures.

St. Augustine said that the confession of bad works is the beginning of good works.

If you are serious about becoming a person of integrity, the first step is to admit that you haven’t had integrity. You just admit that you don’t always keep your promises. You often gossip, and you like it. Sometimes you slack off at work. You pretend to be someone you’re not. Just admit it all to God!

A lot of people segment their lives and think they can live with integrity when they are harboring sin in one area of life, as long as it doesn’t affect the other areas. I call this the Titanic myth. The Titanic was supposed to be unsinkable because it was the first ship to segment and compartmentalize the hull. Theoretically, if the boat took on water in a certain area, you could batten down the hatch, and it wouldn’t sink the whole ship.

But folks, when it comes to your life, a hole in the boat is a hole in the boat, and eventually it’s going to sink you. That little area you thought you had under control will eventually take you down. And it will affect the people around you, because while sin is personal, it is never private.

None of us are perfect, but God doesn’t expect you to be perfect! He does, however, expect you to have integrity, and the starting point is to own up to your sins—no matter how long the list is.

God is more interested in your heart than your sins. You’re never going to be perfect. You’re never going to be sinless. But you can sin less.
That is the choice of integrity.


Talk About It

What area of your life have you chosen to keep separate or hide from your family? How has it affected you spiritually, emotionally, and physically?
Why would God want you to confess your sins when he already knows what they are?
How can your sin affect other people, even when they don’t know about it?
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
(662) 473-8413 Cell

Ronnie W. Stark
Platinum Member
Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
Contact:

Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Sun Jul 21, 2019 1:53 pm

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word” (Psalm 119:9 NIV).

In a culture that is absolutely obsessed with appearance and image, how in the world do you keep it real when so many other people are faking it? They don’t have integrity. They’re scooting by and they’re skimming and they’re cheating. They’re not keeping their promises.

How do you keep it real?

There’s only one way. You’ve got to care more about God’s approval than the approval of other people. That’s the only way you’ll ever become a person of integrity. If you care about what God thinks, you’re going to do the right thing. But if you care more about what other people think, you’re often going to do the wrong thing.

Psalm 119:9 says, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word” (NIV).

The only way you’re going to know what God approves of and what he thinks of you is by reading the Bible. You must stay in God’s Word! If you don’t, you will not have the strength and the stamina to live with integrity.

If I don’t have a daily quiet time with God in the Word, if I miss it for even a few days, I notice it—everyone notices it!—because I start getting cranky. If I don’t stay connected to God through his Word, I would not have any spiritual power to clearly explain the Word of God to you. I would not have the strength to live with integrity.

Living with integrity takes spiritual power, because what is right is often unpopular. You’re going to get tired trying to do the right thing and be real and keep the right motives, and you need to be equipped and refreshed.
You do that by reading and studying the Bible, God’s Word.

Talk About It

How does reading God’s Word give you strength?
How have you experienced the value of memorizing Scripture?
What are some of God’s promises from the Bible that can encourage you when you need to make the right but unpopular choice?
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
(662) 473-8413 Cell

Ronnie W. Stark
Platinum Member
Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
Contact:

Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Sun Jul 21, 2019 1:54 pm

Bible Study Verse
Genesis 3:12
The man said, "The woman You put here with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." (NIV)

Thoughts
Boy, does this verse trigger thoughts. Do you remember saying something like this to your parents, a teacher, or maybe to a Game Warden? "My hunting partner told me to do it, he said it was OK." Kind of sounds like Flip Wilson's famous statement, "The devil made me do it!"

Yep, good old Adam invented the oldest line ever used to shift blame to someone else for his own actions. First he tried to lay the blame at God's feet for putting the woman there, and then he blamed the woman. Wait a minute, who did God give the command to? Right again, it was given to Adam. Genesis 2:16-17 reflects, "And the Lord God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die,' "(NIV).

Adam should have known better than to have eaten the fruit of the forbidden tree, but he went along with the crowd, so to speak. He did something dumb and then tried to blame everybody else for what he did.
(Cliff S)

Action Point
Take responsibility for your actions, good or bad. In the long run it will serve you better to admit your mistake(s) than to try to cover them up or to blame somebody else for what you did. Remember, your sins will find you out!
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
(662) 473-8413 Cell

Ronnie W. Stark
Platinum Member
Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
Contact:

Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Mon Jul 22, 2019 8:07 am

“We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don’t twist God’s Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open” (2 Corinthians 4:2 The Message).

Integrity demands that every area of your life be treated with the same intensity. You have the same commitment to excellence in your marriage as you do in your career. You have the same commitment to excellence in ministry as you do in your parenting.

Let me give you six ways you can work this week to become a person of integrity. You become a person of integrity by:

Keeping your promises.
People of integrity keep their word. If they say they’ll do it, they do it. If they say they’ll be there, they show up. The Bible says in Proverbs 25:14, “People who promise things that they never give are like clouds and wind that bring no rain” (GNT).

Paying your bills.
You may not think this is a big deal, but it’s a big deal to God. Do you spend more money than you make? That is a lack of integrity. Do you get yourself in debt for things that you can’t pay off? That is a lack of integrity. Psalm 37:21 says, “The wicked borrow and never pay back” (GNT).

Refusing to gossip.
God is looking for men and women of integrity who know how to keep a secret and not pass it around on social media. Don’t talk about people behind their back. Don’t even listen to that stuff because a “gossip can’t be trusted with a secret, but someone of integrity won’t violate a confidence” (Proverbs 11:13 The Message).

Faithfully tithing.
Wherever you put your money first is what’s most important to you. Malachi 3:8, 10 says, “Is it right for a person to cheat God? Of course not, yet you are cheating me. ‘How?’ you ask. In the matter of tithes and offerings . . . Bring the full amount of your tithes to the Temple . . . Put me to the test and you will see that I will open the windows of heaven and pour out on you in abundance all kinds of good things” (GNT).

Doing your best at work.
The Bible says in Colossians 3:23, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (NLT). If you’re a believer, your real boss is God, and whether or not anybody else sees your work, God does.

Being real with others.
A person of integrity doesn’t act one way in church and another way at work and another way on the golf course. “We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don’t twist God’s Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open” (2 Corinthians 4:2 The Message)

Talk About It

How do you keep from listening to or encouraging gossip?
What promises have you not kept that you need to follow through on for the sake of your integrity?
How would you change the way you act and perform at work if God was sitting in your boss’ office and checking up on your work?
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
(662) 473-8413 Cell

Ronnie W. Stark
Platinum Member
Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
Contact:

Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Tue Jul 23, 2019 3:29 am

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.
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
(662) 473-8413 Cell

Ronnie W. Stark
Platinum Member
Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
Contact:

Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Tue Jul 23, 2019 10:16 am

“Why do you notice the little piece of dust in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood in your own eye? . . . You hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your friend’s eye” (Matthew 7:3, 5 NCV).

One of the most important life skills that you have to learn is conflict resolution. If you don’t, you’re going to spend a lot of your life miserable, because we’re imperfect people and we have conflict almost every day of our lives.

If you want to resolve conflict, you’re going to have to make the first move. That means you’re going to have to ask for God’s help, because it takes courage to approach someone you are in conflict with and tell that person you want to sit down and work it out.

Then, you don’t start with what the other person has done wrong. You don’t start with a bunch of accusations or ways that you’ve been hurt. You start with what’s your fault.

The conflict might be 99.99 percent the other person’s fault. But you can always find something to confess! Maybe it was your poor response, even if it came out of defensiveness. Maybe it was your attitude. Maybe it was the way you walked away.

You have weaknesses in your life that others see clearly but you’ve never seen. Those are your blind spots. You have weaknesses you’re clueless about. That’s why you need to come to conflict resolution with a humble heart and begin with your own faults.

Jesus said, “Why do you notice the little piece of dust in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood in your own eye? . . . You hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your friend’s eye” (Matthew 7:3, 5 NCV).

He’s saying you need to confess your part of the conflict first. What’s the piece of wood in your eye that is keeping you from seeing the situation clearly? Don’t start with the other person and all the ways they’ve hurt you until you’ve confessed your part of the conflict first.

Did you cause conflict by being insensitive? Or were you overly sensitive? Did you not show compassion for the person who was hurting? Were you being overly demanding? What are your blind spots? Once you figure them out and confess them, you’ll be ready for the next step in conflict resolution.

Talk About It

What keeps us from seeing our own sin clearly?
How do you think it affects the other person when you start conflict resolution with confession rather than accusations?
How will you move forward with resolving a conflict in your life? How will you make the first move?
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
(662) 473-8413 Cell

Ronnie W. Stark
Platinum Member
Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
Contact:

Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Wed Jul 24, 2019 3:10 am

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?
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
(662) 473-8413 Cell

Ronnie W. Stark
Platinum Member
Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
Contact:

Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Wed Jul 24, 2019 7:20 pm

“Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:4-5 NLT).

When you meet someone to resolve a conflict, you first have to confess your part of the problem. Then, you need to listen for the other person’s hurt and perspective.

We think we argue over ideas. But we actually argue over emotion. Anytime there’s a conflict, someone’s feelings were hurt. Somebody felt abused. Somebody felt slighted. It’s not the idea that causes the conflict. It’s the emotion behind the idea.

Hurt people hurt people. The more people are hurting, the more they lash out at everybody else. People who aren’t hurting don’t hurt others. People who are filled with love are loving toward others. People who are filled with joy are joyful to others. People who are filled with peace are at peace with everybody else. But people who are hurting inside are going to hurt others. They’re going to lash out.

If you want to connect with people, you must start with their needs, their hurts, and their interests. If you want to be a good salesperson, you don’t start with your product. You start with your customer’s need, hurts, and interests. If you want to be a good professor or pastor or anything else, you start with people’s needs, hurts, and interests.

Philippians 2:4-5 says, “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (NLT).

Are you often so busy trying to get the people you’re in conflict with to see your position that you’re not listening to theirs? You’re too busy speaking and not listening, so you move further and further away.

You need to intentionally switch your focus from your needs to their needs. Conflict resolution starts with the way you look at the situation. The word “look” in Philippians 2:4 is the Greek word scopos. It’s where we get our words “microscope” and “telescope.”

Scopos means to focus. The next verse says your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ. You are most like Jesus when you’re focusing on the hurts of somebody else rather than your own.

There’s an old Proverb that says, “Seek to understand before seeking to be understood.” When you’re focused on the other person’s needs and not your own, you’ll be able to get a better understanding of the situation and move forward with resolving your conflict.

Talk About It

How did Jesus set an example for you for how to look out for others’ interests?
What are some ways that you can practice showing concern for others’ needs?
How do you need to prepare yourself before you go into conflict resolution so that you are prepared to listen and focus on the other person?
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
(662) 473-8413 Cell

Ronnie W. Stark
Platinum Member
Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
Contact:

Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:44 pm

“Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God’s hand for that person. Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now” (Proverbs 3:27-28 The Message/GNT).

Love is something you do. Love doesn’t just say, “I feel sorry for what happened to that guy. Isn’t it a shame? Isn’t that too bad?” Love seizes the moment.

For instance, in one of Jesus’ most familiar parables, the Good Samaritan did several things to seize the moment. Some translations say he even “stooped down.” In other words, he got on the man’s level. He didn’t pretend he was superior, and he didn’t talk down to him (Luke 10:34).

Second, the Good Samaritan used what he had. He dressed the man’s wounds with wine and oil. Why? That’s what he had on his donkey. The wine worked okay because it’s alcohol. It’s an antiseptic. The oil worked okay because it would be soothing to the man’s wounds.

Then the Bible says the Good Samaritan dressed the man with bandages. Where did he get the bandages? This guy wasn’t a doctor. He didn’t have a first aid kit. And the hurt man had been stripped naked, so he didn’t have any clothes. The bandages were from the Samaritan’s own clothes.

The Good Samaritan did what he could with what he had at that particular moment.

The world is full of wounded people. Do you ever wonder how many people you walk by every day who are wounded? Maybe they’re not wounded physically, but they’re wounded emotionally. They’re wounded spiritually. They’re wounded financially. And they need your love. They need your kindness.

Don’t wait for better conditions. Don’t wait until it’s more convenient. Don’t put off what you know you can do for someone today. God will be with you as you seize the moment.

Talk About It

Reflect on your schedule. What in your routine might keep you from being able to seize opportunities to show kindness?
Think of someone in your life who you know is hurting. What can you do today to show kindness to that person?
How has another person been a “Good Samaritan” in your life, and how did that experience draw you closer to Jesus?
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
(662) 473-8413 Cell

Ronnie W. Stark
Platinum Member
Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
Contact:

Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:45 pm

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.
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
(662) 473-8413 Cell

Ronnie W. Stark
Platinum Member
Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
Contact:

Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:49 pm

“If you feed those who are hungry and take care of the needs of those who are troubled, then your light will shine in the darkness . . . The LORD will always lead you. He will satisfy your needs in dry lands” (Isaiah 58:10-11 NCV).

Looking out for the needs of others will always require a cost, some sacrifice of time, money, energy, reputation, or privacy. Jesus sacrificed for you, and you become more like Jesus when you sacrifice for others.

In Luke, Jesus told a parable about the Good Samaritan, who found a man beaten and abandoned by the side of the road. The Samaritan “took [the man] to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here’” (Luke 10:34-35 NLT).

He did this for a total stranger. He started by administering first aid at the scene of the crime. Then he put the man on his donkey—which, by the way, means the Good Samaritan walked. He checked the man into a motel, cared for him through the night, paid the bill in the morning, and pledged to cover any additional costs.

What did he gain from it? Nothing. He didn’t even know the guy! The Good Samaritan stepped in to help without any concern for the sacrifice it might require. His focus was on the injured man’s needs—just as Jesus is focused on your needs.

This is the way God planned it: You assume responsibility for the needs of hurting people around you while trusting God to meet your needs.

Talk About It

Why is it significant that kindness costs you something?
How has God provided for you even when you had to give something up for the good of someone else?
How is kindness an act of worship?
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
(662) 473-8413 Cell

Ronnie W. Stark
Platinum Member
Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
Contact:

Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:51 pm

“Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:4-5 NLT).

When you meet someone to resolve a conflict, you first have to confess your part of the problem. Then, you need to listen for the other person’s hurt and perspective.

We think we argue over ideas. But we actually argue over emotion. Anytime there’s a conflict, someone’s feelings were hurt. Somebody felt abused. Somebody felt slighted. It’s not the idea that causes the conflict. It’s the emotion behind the idea.

Hurt people hurt people. The more people are hurting, the more they lash out at everybody else. People who aren’t hurting don’t hurt others. People who are filled with love are loving toward others. People who are filled with joy are joyful to others. People who are filled with peace are at peace with everybody else. But people who are hurting inside are going to hurt others. They’re going to lash out.

If you want to connect with people, you must start with their needs, their hurts, and their interests. If you want to be a good salesperson, you don’t start with your product. You start with your customer’s need, hurts, and interests. If you want to be a good professor or pastor or anything else, you start with people’s needs, hurts, and interests.

Philippians 2:4-5 says, “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (NLT).

Are you often so busy trying to get the people you’re in conflict with to see your position that you’re not listening to theirs? You’re too busy speaking and not listening, so you move further and further away.

You need to intentionally switch your focus from your needs to their needs. Conflict resolution starts with the way you look at the situation. The word “look” in Philippians 2:4 is the Greek word scopos. It’s where we get our words “microscope” and “telescope.”

Scopos means to focus. The next verse says your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ. You are most like Jesus when you’re focusing on the hurts of somebody else rather than your own.

There’s an old Proverb that says, “Seek to understand before seeking to be understood.” When you’re focused on the other person’s needs and not your own, you’ll be able to get a better understanding of the situation and move forward with resolving your conflict.

Talk About It

How did Jesus set an example for you for how to look out for others’ interests?
What are some ways that you can practice showing concern for others’ needs?
How do you need to prepare yourself before you go into conflict resolution so that you are prepared to listen and focus on the other person?
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
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Ronnie W. Stark
Platinum Member
Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
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Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Sun Aug 04, 2019 1:49 pm

“We don’t know everything, and our prophecies are not complete . . . Now all we can see of God is like a cloudy picture in a mirror. Later we will see him face to face. We don’t know everything, but then we will, just as God completely understand us” (1 Corinthians 13:9, 12 CEV).

Sometimes God intentionally hides his face from us. Why? So we’ll learn to trust him and to live by faith rather than by our feelings.

For instance, when Job experienced a lot of pain and despair, he asked a lot of legitimate questions: “Why let people go on living in misery? Why give light to those in grief” (Job 3:20 GNT).

These “why” questions are human nature; we all ask them. We have this misconception that if we understand the reason behind our pain, it will lessen the pain—or at least make it easier to endure.

But Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is God’s privilege to conceal things” (TLB). The only reason you know anything about God is because he has chosen to reveal himself to you. Here’s the truth: There are some things you’ll never understand until you’re in heaven.

God doesn’t owe you an explanation for anything. God doesn’t have to check in with you first before he does something. God doesn’t have to get your permission before he allows things to happen in life. God is God, and we’re not always going to understand why some things happen.

One day it’s all going to be clear. It’s all going to make sense. You’re going to be able to say, “So that’s why God allowed that in my life!” Until then, God wants you to trust him.

Talk About It

What are some questions you need to put in the “Ask God When I Get to Heaven” file?
How does letting go of your “why” questions increase your faith?
How can you encourage someone today who has been questioning God and wondering why God allowed something to happen?
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
(662) 473-8413 Cell

Ronnie W. Stark
Platinum Member
Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
Contact:

Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Sun Aug 04, 2019 1:51 pm

Are You Teachable or Unteachable?
By Rick Warren — August 2, 2019

“At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: ‘O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike’” (Matthew 11:25 NLT).

Jesus wants us to be like little children because we need to remain teachable so we can mature and understand God’s plans. Children are eager to learn. They’re not defensive. They don’t say, “I don’t need to learn to walk. I don’t need to learn to talk. You can’t teach me anything about reading.” They know that they don’t know it all, and they’re eager to learn.

That’s how Jesus wants you to be: willing to listen, eager to learn, open to suggestions and corrections from others. Teachable people understand that it’s impossible for anyone to know everything about every subject. You don’t have time in life to learn everything from personal experience. It’s wiser to learn from the experience of others.

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:12, “Conceited people do not like to be corrected; they never ask for advice from those who are wiser” (GNT). Pride, at its root, is insecurity. Because of pride, people act like they know it all. Does that sound familiar?

When you’re afraid to show that you don’t know how to do something or how to answer a question, it may be a signal that you’re not teachable. If you get defensive when someone corrects you, it may be a sign you’re not teachable.

You have a choice: Will you be humble and open to learning, or will you live in prideful denial? Will you be teachable or unreachable? God is for you, and he’ll support you as you learn new things. And like a child growing to maturity, you can keep learning—that’s God’s desire for your life.

Talk About It

When someone tries to correct you, how do you usually react? Does your reaction reveal your humility or your arrogance?
Think about an argument you’ve had with someone. How did either of you demonstrate humility? How did it make a difference?
Why is it important to continue learning?
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
(662) 473-8413 Cell

Ronnie W. Stark
Platinum Member
Posts: 3464
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:41 am
PKC Name: Ronnie W. Stark
City, State: Water Valley, MS
PKC Member Since: 30 May 1990
Annual Membership Expires: 15 Nov 2023
Lifetime Handler Earnings: $3,480
Location: Water Valley, MS
Contact:

Re: Daily Devotional

Postby Ronnie W. Stark » Sun Aug 04, 2019 1:53 pm

Bible Study Verse
Mark 13:33
Watch! Be alert! For you don't know when the time is coming. (HCSB)

Thoughts
Anyone who is a seasoned hunter knows to always be alert, watching for your quarry. We learn a skill like this through our mistakes.

On one particular archery elk hunt, I thought I was doing my best--moving slowly and watching intently for movement or the shape or color of an elk through the trees. But, what I didn't do was to notice the huge bull elk bedded down behind a log just 20 yards in front of me. Of course, he spooked and I never even got an arrow knocked for a shot.

Jesus instructs us to be watching for signs of His return, well-grounded in our relationship with Him, and knowing what His Word says about the end times. I pray that you and I will be alert and ready with anticipation for the day He comes again! Maybe Today!
(Jimmy S)

Action Point
Just as we put in time to learn our hunting spots and the behavior of the animals that we hunt, we should be learning God's word so we will be ready for Him, without the risk of deception.
This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

(662) 417-1588 Cell
(662) 473-8413 Cell


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