Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
2 7 2025
“Being faithful and effective to what God has called you to do”.
Praise Report: We had 220 men show up this Monday for our Courageous Mens Group. We want to welcome all of you new readers to our Devotional Family.
I received a few Prayer Shoutouts regarding my 99-year-old mom. Born 1925.
Thank You, We need them.
We took her to Hospice on Tuesday for her last days.
She sleeps almost all the time. She was mildly awake today to say,
I love you more!
Praise him in your storm.
Job 42:10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
My Mom drew her strength from living in His Holy Word. I pray you will follow her example.
Part II 7 Reasons to Read the Bible.
God desires you to be successful
so why aren’t we quick to show ourselves approved?
Why don’t they study? Why don’t WE study?
Lack of motivation?
The more you don’t ..the more you’re NOT motivated!
Lack of understanding of how critical it is to live free?
Boredom when reading? Or do they “Think it’s Irrelevant?”
We may own a bible but don’t have enough wisdom
to have the bible own us.
Let’s look at the next 4 ways of Why God Wants us to Read His Word
4. Reading the Bible is Training and instructs us in right living.
1 Tim 3: 16 17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: [17] That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
The Bible is there, so you know what is true and what is wrong. It corrects us.. I know, we don’t like that word. Correct! But why wouldn’t you want that?
John 7:17 When we will do his will. Our true motive will be exposed…
Embrace correction.
5. Protects us from sin and deception:
In relationships, you are either growing or distancing yourself from them.
In order to be healthy, we must be obedient regarding spending time in God’s word!
But where do we spend most of our time?
Barna Research brought a mind-blowing and scary survey.
Listen.
The 15 to 23 age group spends 2760 hours in ave screen media a year. 53 hours a week. So what is informing you? God or the world?
Look at this. Churchgoers take in spiritual content a total of 291 hours a year 5 ½ hrs a week. And that includes 2-3 hours of going to church. The Same Age Group
College is drawing our kids away from God. Why only 5 hours a week, you will not have the fortitude to stand for God or be protected in making wise decisions
We know enough to own a bible but not enough for it to own us.
Did you know, you can read half the books of the bible in 30 mins or less? You can read 26 of them in 15 mins. You can read cover to cover in 72 hours. Compare that to the screen time of our lives!
Another study.
More Encouraging: They surveyed 40k general people – 8 to age 80 to prove the significance and the difference it makes as we engage with scripture. The profound discovery they were not even looking for.
If they read the bible one time a week, It had a negligible effect.
2xs a week, still a negligible effect
3 times a week, we get a small blip.
4 times it spikes off the charts. You would expect gradual. Rise 1 2 3 up 4
But look at this:
Feeling lonely drops by 40%
Anger issues 32%
Bitter relations with kids – Marriage drops 40%
Alcohol 57%
Feeling spiritually stagnant. 60%
Porn 61%
Sharing faith rises 200% Discipleship rises. 230%
Neurological patterns actually change in all these areas.
Ps 119 mess. You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, 11 I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.
How can one lead or live life without God’s instruction manual?
Do We drift on purpose or unconsciously?
When we get out of reading the word of God and don’t read for a week … we will drift and go off-course. Reading isn’t what you do to remind yourself that God is good. NO!!
This is war. A battleground.
We need armor…direction… strength…stamina…and discipline.
6. Reading the Bible – Reveals God’s nature and his attributes. The devil twists the truth and gods nature.
Name some characteristics of God…
We all have them good and bad.
God has no bad ones!.
He is 100% consistent, He never changes. Hebrews 13:8
We must know that.
Romans 11:33 NLT “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!”
Infinite, the all-powerful – Always present. Sovereign – Holy…
So proceed with reverence.
2 Cor 13 14 Faithful, – love – HE IS LOVE, self-existence – self-sufficient – judges rightly – merciful – good and immutable (never changes )
The goodness of god. Luke 18 19. “There is none good but god.”
7, Reading the Bible: reveals God’s plans and purposes. For you and all His children.
How can you succeed without that?
8. Not lastly… It Provides healing and life to our physical body.
Read and learn about Jehovah Rapha our healer. Ps 30: 2
God’s promises are alive in my Mom and in you too. For me and my house… we will praise the Lord for the great work he has done. He said to grab ahold of His word and make it personal … to you. Do not be moved by what you see, hear, or think! Hold fast to his promise and he will be there when the smoke clears. Come pray with me for my Mom peace and your’s too!
Who else has a prayer need? Share it below!
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlTJyHox-_A
Fall Like Rain // Passion //
Lesson condensed from Desiring God by John Piper
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