Daily Bible Reading:

1 Chronicles 29:12

Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.

Colossians 1:11-12

Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Sitting Duck
David Chadwell

We have an expression to describe the person (a) who is in serious danger and (b) has zero chance of escaping that danger. The expression is "sitting duck." The sitting duck has no chance of escaping the hunter. Ducks fly with agility and speed. Ducks swim gracefully, but not with speed. Ducks run ugly and slow. A duck sitting in the water or on land has zero chance of escaping the undetected hunter.

The uncommitted Christian who is not actively serving God is a "sitting duck." Satan is the hunter. When we choose an existence that spiritually "sits" rather than "serves," 100% of the advantage is given to Satan. The "sitting" Christian will be wounded. "Sitting" certainly will result in great pain, and it can result in death.

Serving God is not merely a spiritual responsibility. Committed service to God in Christ gives God 100% advantage. God delivers us from evil in Jesus Christ for specific reasons. (1) It allows God to express and fulfill His love for us. (2) It allows us to express and fulfill our love for God. (3) It allows us to receive forgiveness. (4) It gives us the privilege of being members of God's family and citizens of God's kingdom. (5) It permits God to use us and our physical existence to achieve His purposes. We must never forget Christians exist to serve God's purposes.

Nothing will transform you or your life as will serving God. Congregations filled with servants grow. Christian individuals who are servants grow. Christian servants advance the purposes and objectives of our loving God and forgiving Savior. Every achievement God has accomplished in this evil world used human servants. Every achievement God will accomplish in this evil world will use human servants.

In the year 2000 we wish to dedicate Sunday Bible classes to a study of Christian service. We want to encourage each Christian to be God's servant. This is a clear, stressed, major theme in the Bible. God's Son, our example, was a servant. As God's sons and daughters, we are to be servants. To be God's servants, we must (a) surrender to God and (b) become "whole life" stewards. Beginning in January, these four themes will be the basis of our adult Sunday morning Bible classes.

Source: Chadwell, David. 'Sitting Duck." http://www.westarkchurchofchrist.org/chadwell/1999/b101099.htm