Author: Scott

Today, this is a difficult topic for many of us. Including myself. As I have gotten older, I have gotten better at this one. Don’t get me wrong. I still have a long way to go. Probably something that I will be working on for the rest of my life. And I know many of us have a very difficult time with this. But, we have to work on getting bitterness out of our hearts. We have to work on getting it out of our hearts as soon as we begin to feel it. If we catch it early, it’s easier for us to move past it. If we let it sit, it will begin to fester. And then we will have a bigger mess just like a wound that has not been dealt with for a while.

Now…we might question why this is important. Why should we remove bitterness as much as we can? After all, we are seeing people hold onto anger and hatred towards each other like never before. Even among some of our elected officials. We are seeing backbiting. We are seeing sabotaging. Deliberately trying to discredit each other. It’s a real ugliness. Not everyone is doing this. But we’re seeing enough, especially in the media, that it looks like it’s the majority. It may or may not be. That is not the point though. The point is, we need to do what we can to get this out of our hearts. We need to move beyond it. But why?

We are called to serve others. We are called to love one another. We are called to look past the faults of others. We don’t have to like what they are doing. We don’t have to agree with it either. And nothing says that we must say it is ok. And I’m not saying people should not be held accountable. I believe in accountability. And I am not saying people should not be brought to justice. I believe in justice. Especially, when the Law has been broken. But holding on to the bitterness, can overtake the joy in our hearts. Holding onto it does not make the situation better. Actually, maybe just the exact opposite. Seeking revenge does not solve anything. If we let it go, it releases us. We can move past it. If we can let it go, we can focus on much more glorious things. Much more beautiful things. And that is such a Release! More than I can explain. Please believe me…I know from experience. So today, let’s work on releasing the bitterness. Let’s focus on Jesus. Let’s focus on joy. Let’s focus on love and serving others.

This morning, let’s ask ourselves an interesting question: Who is Jesus? Let’s sit back and think for a second. I’ll ask myself. Who do I think Jesus is? Who do I think he was? Then that leads me to ask you the same thing. Who do you think Jesus is? Who do you think he was?

Historians have proven that Jesus lived around 2000 years ago. We don’t question that. And the Bible teaches us about the miracles that he performed. We shouldn’t question that. We learn about the throngs of people that followed him around. Waiting for the moment to hear him speak or just to see him. The personal accounts of stories where he changed peoples lives. We read about him being a carpenter. A simple man. Leading a simple life. And more importantly, we read about him, and learn about him, being our Lord and Savior. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the key to our salvation. He is the one who died for us so we can inherit eternity with him.

So let’s go back to the questions I asked. And really think about this. Who do you say he is? Who do you believe he is? If you don’t have a relationship with him, maybe today is the day for you to start. Maybe today is the day to really dive into the Bible and learn about who Jesus was. To read more about the man that he was. Maybe today is the day for you to begin to know him. Really know him. To understand what he did for us. To know that he left paradise to come to earth to be human for us. That’s pretty powerful. To know that he paid the ultimate price for us. So maybe today is a day for you to go to your knees, and pray to him to show you who he is. To ask him into your heart. To ask him to guide you. Then I promise you, you will learn who he was. And that what he did on earth was for you.

Growing up in a military family, we were constantly being moved. Missouri, Michigan, Colorado, Texas, Germany, etc. My mother and I counted one time. I had 25 different addresses in the first 15 years of my life. I remember being situated for two weeks, then being told to grab your things. Time to move. It was actually an exciting lifestyle. Everyone around us was doing the same thing. That’s just what we thought was normal.

It really wasn’t until we moved into the civilian world that I began to feel unaccepted. The first time I remember that was in Colorado. Although I tried and tried, I wasn’t accepted. I think it was because we lived off base while we were there. I didn’t relate to the civilian families. The second time I felt that, was when we moved back to Missouri. My father had been medically discharged due to leukemia. We were no longer living in the military environment. So we moved to Carthage, Missouri. Near my mother‘s family. Let’s just say that small-town clicks are hard to break into. Eventually, I was welcomed. It took a couple years. I was welcome, but…I’m not sure I was truly trying to fit into the crowd as “me”. It’s hard to look back at that time in my life and determine if I was being myself or not.

But just imagine with me for a moment. What must be like to constantly try to gain acceptance by others? No matter what you do, you are not welcome. No matter how you treat others, you are not welcome. You don’t meet their expectations. Although you try, and try, and try. It’s never enough. There are people going through that all the time. It is unfortunate. What we must realize is that we will only feel true personal satisfaction when we find our identities in God. His love for us will never waiver. We will always be welcome. So today let’s focus on God. Let’s pray to God. Let’s surrender to God. Let’s find our identities in God. And let’s feel welcome and have a real sense of personal satisfaction.

With the ministry, I am blessed to be able to sit with veterans and just listen to them talk. Mostly talking amongst themselves and their life experiences. But every now and then, talking with me. When I am sitting there listening to them talk about their personal experiences in the military, I keep seeing a common theme. Whether they were in Vietnam, Afghanistan, or anywhere else, didn’t matter. What they experienced was very real to them. What they experienced has led to dark moments. It has led to PTSD. Anxiety. Suicidal thoughts. And more. I’m sure, that most of the veterans that we serve probably can relate. Especially those that have been in combat. Male and female. 

Hearing the stories is very humbling to me. Hearing them puts a whole new perspective on how I view them personally. My respect for them has always been there. But, my gratitude for them continues to increase. War is not pretty. It is a very dark moment. It is a very dark time. Dark things happen. I would never understand this, because I have never been there. So I don’t pretend like I know what it’s like. None of us that have never been there should think we understand. There is no way we can. The countless battles they were in. The blood shed that they saw. The friends that they lost. 

War can take its toll on people. And I’m not just talking about the deaths. One of the things that my wife has shared with me in the past is this statement: “It takes many battles to win a war.” And she wasn’t talking about wars between nations. The whole point of it was that life can be like a war. How is that? Every day can be a battle. Just as our soldiers fighting war. It takes many battles to win. Our daily lives are like this. We battle Satan every single day. Every single day! He is after us. He wants us. But let’s remember this, Jesus wants us too. Let’s remember that Jesus won the war for us. He declared victory years ago. Let’s battle every single day knowing this. EVERY! SINGLE! DAY! Let’s battle Satan, knowing that with Jesus, we win!

March Madness is in full swing. I love this time of year. Several years ago my son played basketball for a program out of Kansas City. He was blessed to be able to travel to different parts of the country and play against some of the best players in the country. One event that we went to was in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It was being sponsored by Tyson chicken. There were teams from all across the country there. Several Division I college coaches were there as well. It was the beginning of the open period. That’s the time that the NCAA coaches could make contact with the kids.

This tournament had invited a guest speaker to come motivate the kids. His speech took place in the Walton Arena. I’m not gonna mention his name. Because, I’m not a big fan of his. And what he said to the kids really struck a chord with me. Something that really bugged me. As he’s talking, he asked the kids to raise their hands if they were millionaires. Of course none of them did. He asked the people in the crowd to do the same. Of course none of them did. Well…except for the owner of Tyson chicken. Who is actually considerably more wealthy than the speaker. Which was kind of funny. The speaker was trying to point out that he was the only millionaire in the room. Then he went on to talk about how the kids had to go out and “Get theirs” in this world. Basically, telling them to put their interests and desires in front of everything else. Let’s just say that what I thought then, and what I think now, is this: He could not have been more wrong. And I think that is part of the reason why the world is in the state that it is. Putting ourselves above everything else.

We are called to serve others. We are called to put others above ourselves. And that’s in basketball too. It’s a team sport. Therefore, you play for your team. Yes, I understand personal goals. I get that. But to be successful, your team comes first. As believers, everyone else comes first. Just as Jesus did for us. Putting us above himself. To the point that he washed feet. Raising others above himself. And we all know what he did on the cross. We all know that was for us. Or at least we should know that. Believe that. We are called to do the same thing. So today, let’s do that. Let’s put others above ourselves. Let’s make it a priority to serve others instead of ourselves.

In 2023, Barbara took Anna and other women to Ashes to Beauty (Women’s Encounter). One thing I remember Barbara telling me about the weekend was something that she had written down: “As soon as you open your eyes, you’re in spiritual warfare.” I’m not sure a more true statement has ever been said. This is spot on. As soon as we wake up…THE! BATTLE! BEGINS! It happens every single day. I know I have been in some pretty heavy battles over the years.

Sometimes there are days where Satan really attacks me and Charlie 22 Outdoors. And some days, he tries his very best. Let me give you an example. One day, a few months ago, I heard about someone I know going through some very serious legal issues. No doubt he was going to have a long road ahead of him. Then I got a phone call about a simple misunderstanding with a potential landowner for one of our hunts. Let’s just say we’re probably not going to be able to use that property again. After that, I learned about some really disrespectful and lack of appreciation actions that some of our volunteers experienced. It seemed like the day was surrounded with these attacks. But you want to know something, Satan lost. He truly did. On that same day, I was with two veterans turkey hunting. And the host allowed the other vet and myself to both take turkeys. Such a blessing. They knew about what the day included. And they knew about my frustrations with it. And they told me before I left, to just focus on taking the turkey and being with my wife when I get home. So yes…Satan lost!

You see, there are two sides in this daily battle. Team Jesus. And Team Satan. We know about Team Jesus. We know what he stands for. We know what he does for us. So let’s talk about the other side. Satan is a snake. Sneaking around. Lurking in the shadows. Using opportune moments to attack us. Layoffs, debts, health issues, etc. Using our emotions against us. Anxiety, depression, anger, etc. He doesn’t do anything in the open. It’s all behind the scenes. Because, he knows he will be spotted for who he is. So each morning, let’s be sure to wake up understanding that he is coming after us. Let’s put on our armor to fight him off. But more importantly, let’s wake up knowing that Jesus has us. Let’s use Jesus as our armor! And let’s know and believe that the victory has already been declared. Satan has already lost. Our Lord and Savior took care of that for us years ago. The cross took care of that for us.

This is very unfortunate, but it’s very true. And I am sure that many of us have experienced this. I know that I have. I know that members of my family have. But, we have been betrayed by people that we were close to. People that we loved. People that we trusted. It’s so sad to live in a world where this happens. But it’s reality. On the other side of the coin is this, maybe you were the one who betrayed someone who loves you. It’s an ugly truth. But it happens.

In the Bible, we learn about this as well. Joseph is a great example. His brothers tore off his robe. And they threw him into the pit. Can you imagine? He must have felt vulnerable. That they didn’t want him anymore. He must’ve felt all alone. Sound familiar? Joseph didn’t do anything wrong. His brothers were jealous. They were angry. They lashed out because of their emotions. Their human emotions. I’m not saying it’s correct. Or it’s the right thing to do. I’m just saying that’s what happened. And I’m also saying this, God was there for Joseph.

Just as God was there for Joseph, he is there for us. He will never abandon us. Actually, it’s just the opposite. He will be with us all the way through moments like this. And even better, he will bless us. Something good will happen. Even when we are at our lowest point. Even when we experience pain like we could never imagine. Those are the times that we probably find ourselves closer to God. Because those are times that we seek him more. He doesn’t want us to suffer. But suffering is part of being part of this world. And there’s another good point about going through something like this. We will be stronger for doing so. We can build our faith for doing so. And we can witness to others more for doing so. And that is awesome.

Do you believe in the power of prayer? Or let me ask it this way, do you REALLY believe in the power of prayer? I like to think that I do. I believe that there is serious strength in prayer. Sometimes it’s easy for us to get caught up in praying just to pray. I know I have caught myself doing that. But for the past few years, I have been trying to pray prayers of expectation. Where I expect God to hear me. And one thing that I learned a long time ago…be ready for the answer. And know that God may or may not give you the answer you’re looking for. But when he does answer, you’ll know it.

I love it when I get what I call God winks. This morning was one of those times. As I was reading and writing, I am reminded of something that my pastor posted: “Prayer is the single most powerful tool we have on earth. And yet so many people misunderstand it or ignore it all together…prayer is simply our ability to talk directly to God and to listen to God tell us how to live our lives.” Spot on!

We must remember that God is our Lord and Savior. He is our father in heaven. He wants to hear from us. And a way for him to hear us is when we pray. Now…after we pray, we must learn to try listen to God‘s voice. To hear what he is saying. Or not saying. He will give us the guidance we need. But we must listen. We must look for the answer. If you don’t already, let’s make today the beginning of regular prayer to God. Let’s make today the beginning of believing in the power of prayer. Let’s begin praying prayers of expectation. Expecting him to hear us. Let’s realize that God desires to spend time with us. Let’s let God take control. Let’s put him in charge. And then let’s watch the difference that he makes in our lives.

This past weekend, I was able to attend The Sportsman Banquet held at the Neosho First Baptist Church. We had a booth there. Veterans were running it both nights. Basically, it’s a wild game feed that they host on a Friday and Saturday night each. It’s an amazing time. Full of faith, fellowship, food, and firearms. Anywhere from 400 to 600 people in attendance. This year’s speaker was Jimmy Holbrook. He is with Drury Outdoors. More importantly, he is the pastor at Overland Park Community Church. He did a great job. Talked about four points of hunting and seeking God. The final point he made is about the blood trail when hunting deer. And how Jesus spilt his blood for us. That alone requires us to seek him. Such great advice. 

Two years ago, the guest speaker was TW Norman. For this devotion, I’m going to focus on him. Years ago when I was teaching and coaching in Carthage, I was also the announcer for the football games. When TW was a senior in high school, his team from Stockton came to our school to play. Being that they were a 1A school, I was a little surprised. We were a 5A school. Considerably bigger than Stockton. As soon as he walked on the field though, it was very apparent why we had them there. That was the year he was a USA Today All American. We couldn’t stop him. But he couldn’t stop our entire team. So we won.

But the point of this devotion isn’t about football. It’s about conviction, redemption, and grace. TW talked about how he slipped away while in college and made terrible decisions. How his life did a complete 180. Going in the wrong direction. Much like mine. Our lives also are similar in the aspect of building our faith. We both felt God calling us into his arms. We both felt his love. Conviction was the first step. We both were convicted because of our sins. Redemption followed. We were redeemed by God. And then Grace. We both felt the grace that only comes from God. You can have these things too. God is there. He is waiting. And believe me, God will not stop convicting you until you act. He is not going away. I can promise you that. So you might as well act. And then after you do so, you will be redeemed and then you will feel his grace. And that is awesome.