Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
8 15 2025
Just a side note: Courageous Men’s Group begins on Monday, August 18th,
in our Land O Lakes Campus at 7 pm to 8:30.
Please join us for Free Food and Great Fellowship.
“If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
— 1 John 2:15
First Love or Forgotten Love?
The Apostle John’s words are blunt, piercing, and without compromise. The “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) disguises himself in the very pleasures and pursuits that surround us daily—success, recognition, comfort, entertainment, even ministry. These are not always evil in themselves, but they can quietly rob us of what God values most: our first love.
We live in a culture—especially men—that prizes achievement. We want to get ahead of the next car on the highway, arrive first, do more, be more. Even in church life, we can become skilled workers for God while quietly drifting from intimacy with God.
The Lord’s words to the church at Ephesus still ring true today:
“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”
— Revelation 2:4
How far off center are you? Ten percent? Thirty? Fifty? How much do you love your prayer time…the place where you speak to God? How much do you love your Bible—the place where God speaks to you?
Jesus warned us:
“Without Me you can do nothing.”
— John 15:5
A church, a ministry, or a Christian can be filled with good works, yet if the tender love for Christ in the inner room is missing, Scripture says nothing else matters (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
When Prayer Becomes Optional
I’ve heard pastors, missionaries, and seasoned believers confess with shame: “My prayer life is weak.” Some call it busyness; others avoid the truth—that they’ve grown lukewarm and left their first love.
Confession, in its truest form, is the humble acknowledgment of the wrongfulness of our actions. But shame is different. Shame whispers, You are unworthy. You are unlovable. It pushes us to hide rather than run into the Father’s arms.
Yet God says:
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
— Psalm 103:12
Shame says, You are defined by your failure.
God says, You are defined by My forgiveness.
Deliverance and Our Part
Deliverance means two things:
- Knowing I am forgiven through Christ’s sacrifice.
- Walking in obedience to His Word.
Salvation is a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9), but our ongoing journey—after deliverance—calls for active obedience, pursuing Christ daily, and reflecting His love through prayer, discipleship, and service.
This is not to earn salvation, but to live out the transformed life He purchased for us with His blood. This journey is fueled by the Holy Spirit and anchored in the choice to put God first.
Friend, the greatest tragedy is not the unbeliever who rejects God—it’s the believer who has grown comfortable without Him. Good works cannot replace love. Ministry cannot replace intimacy. Achievement cannot replace worship.
Jesus is not asking for a busier you. He is asking for a closer you.
Return to your first love. Shut the door, open His Word, and talk to Him as if your life depended on it because it does. “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
— James 4:8
Matt West Don’t Stop Praying
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r0eA49MZ0w
I will be hosting an Online Discovering Jesus 5-week class starting on Tuesday nights
Sept. 2nd, at 7pm ONLINE for people of all ages. Please send me a note if you would like to attend or know someone who would like to grow their faith. If you have a big screen at home, you can create a time to invite friends or neighbors who would like to join you in a Home Group for 5 weeks. Let’s get creative.
If you’d like to share this with someone, here’s the signup link:
http://eepurl.com/gKlklD To browse the complete devotional library, visit:
https://fearlesslycourageous.com
