Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one LORD:” The word “here” means to hear in order to understand and consider, and it leads to hear with the purpose of action. I remember as a boy, my mom would tell me to take out the trash, and I would keep playing. As I ignored her command, she would say to me, “James, look at me and answer me, “Did you hear me?!” I would say, “I heard you, mom” She would respond, “Then do what I have told you to do.” It is not enough just to hear what is being said, we must be willing to hear for the purpose of personal application and growth. The privilege of hearing is telling others about what we have heard. Matthew 5:16 tells us, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Our actions are a reflection of our hearing, when we don’t know what to do, we do what we know to do. Learning is important, and if we are going to be characterized by changed behavior, we need to have heard the … READ MORE

Glorifying God is an outgrowth of our desires as a believer to make Him known to the world. One of Paul’s challenges in Philippians 4:9 is to do the things that we have received of him. We need to learn to receive with gratitude and loyalty. The word for Receive means to receive something as you would a gift. We recognize that when someone gives us a gift, they do it out of love, and not compulsion. We are to receive the gift given in the spirit that it was given, and learn that receiving is a motivation to giving back. As believers it is our responsibility to receive what God and other have given us, and our response is to recognize that it is our privilege to give back. There is a succession of receiving and giving mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:2 “The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faith ful men who will be able to teach others also. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are always in a cycle of receiving and giving: Responsibility and Privilege. May we learn the value of that cycle and live in it.… READ MORE

While in High School, I vowed not to attend any further education! Little did I realize that my education would take me through my B.A. in Pastoral Studies at Cedarville College (now a University) and a Master of Divinity from Grand Rapids Baptist College. From High school I went through 7 1/2 more years of education, but what I learned in all my education is that all that education did was prepare me to be an eternal learner! Paul writes in Philippians 4:9 that we are to do the things that we have “learned.” To often we play Jeopardy with the knowledge that we learn. It becomes trivia that we can impress people with, instead of information to shape us into a better person. Godliness is a lifelong pursuit, not a destination that we arrive at. As we live our lives, we are to learn the truths of God’s Word so that we can be conformed into the image of God’s Son. Learning the truth is important, but it is only valid as we apply the teachings of the Word of God to our lives. Growth is inevitable, but will our growth lead us to higher living, or will it … READ MORE