daily exercise program
Daily in the Word
Daily in the Word is the Radio and Internet ministry of Dr. Paul Chappell, Senior Pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church and President of West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster California. Visit www.lancasterbaptist.org for more information.
- Daily in the Word for Sunday, November 16, 2008
Integrity: What is it?
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.”
Psalm 26:1Integrity is keeping my commitment even when the circumstances surrounding my commitment have changed.
Booker T. Washington describes meeting an ex-slave from Virginia in his book Up From Slavery: “I found that this man had made a contract with his master, two or three years previous to the Emancipation Proclamation, to the effect that the slave was to be permitted to buy himself, by paying so much per year for his body; and while he was paying for himself, he was to be permitted to labour where and for whom he pleased.
“Finding that he could secure better wages in Ohio, he went there. When freedom came, he was still in debt to his master some three hundred dollars. Notwithstanding that the Emancipation Proclamation freed him from any obligation to his master, this black man walked the greater portion of the distance back to where his old master lived in Virginia, and placed the last dollar, with interest, in his hands.
“In talking to me about this, the man told me that he knew that he did not have to pay his debt, but that he had given his word to his master, and his word he had never broken. He felt that he could not enjoy his freedom till he had fulfilled his promise.”
Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching. While the freed slave could have gone back on his promise, he displayed integrity and followed through with it. Integrity means giving your employer an honest eight hours of hard work; integrity is attending church even when your relatives decide to plan a big event on Sunday.
Integrity is never separating the life you live from the words you speak. Be consistent. We all have influence on others. Those we influence will perceive whether we live hypocritically or whether our lives are obedient to 1 Peter 1:15 which says, “…be ye holy in all manner of conversation.”
Someone once said, “Integrity is keeping my commitment even when the circumstances surrounding my commitment have changed.” As Christians, our commitment is first to Jesus Christ. No matter if the circumstances surrounding our lives change, we must keep our integrity by staying true to our Lord.
Do you have integrity in your life? I can promise you the devil will test your integrity between now and the end of the year. Determine to remain faithful to God no matter what else comes your way. Pray right now and ask God to help you end the year right by keeping your integrity.
To hear Daily in the Word, the daily radio broadcast of Dr. Paul Chappell, or to subscribe to the daily podcast, please visit dailyintheword.org.
Daily Bible Reading
Ezekiel 3-4 • Hebrews 11:20-40 - Daily in the Word for Saturday, November 15, 2008
The Dead Duck
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
Matthew 18:21–22God’s holiness demands justice, but His love shows mercy.
A little boy who was visiting his grandparents was given his first slingshot. He practiced in the woods but he could never hit his target. As he came back to his grandma's backyard, he spied her pet duck. On an impulse, he took aim and let it fly. The stone hit, and the duck fell dead.
The boy panicked. Desperately he hid the dead duck in the woodpile, only to look up and see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all but she said nothing. After lunch that day, his grandma said, “Sally, let's wash the dishes.” But Sally said, “Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn't you, Johnny?” And she whispered to him, “Remember the duck!” So Johnny did the dishes.
After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, he finally couldn't stand it anymore. He confessed to his grandma that he'd killed the duck. “I know, Johnny,” she said, giving him a hug. “I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. I wondered how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.”
Could your Christian life be compared to Johnny’s life? Always living in fear your sin or failure will be found out? Why live in slavery to sin when you can enjoy the freedom Christ offers you?
As His children, He wants us to come to Him and confess our sins. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” There is no sin in our lives that God doesn’t already know about. He was there when you committed it!
Many Christians avoid repenting for their sins because they fear God’s wrath and judgment. Although God is a holy God and hates sin, He loves you as His child. Like Johnny’s grandmother, He stands ready to forgive you if you only ask.
Are you “hiding” some sin from God right now? Friend, realize He knows about it and more than anything He longs to forgive and restore you, not punish you. Repent of your sin to God and seek His forgiveness right now. Also, thank Him that as a loving Heavenly Father He offers you forgiveness each time you fall.
To learn more about Pastor Paul Chappell and his ministry, please visit paulchappell.com.
Daily Bible Reading
Ezekiel 1-2 • Hebrews 11:1-19 - Daily in the Word for Friday, November 14, 2008
True Friendship
by Dr. Paul Chappell“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”
Proverbs 27:17
When you become the right kind of friend, you will naturally attract the right kind of friends.
American representative Jesse Owens seemed sure to win the long jump at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. The year before he had jumped 26 feet, 8 1/4 inches—a record that would stand for twenty five years. As he walked to the long-jump pit, however, Owens saw a tall, blue-eyed, blond German taking practice jumps in the 26-foot range.Owens felt nervous. He was acutely aware of the Nazis' desire to prove "Aryan superiority," especially over blacks. At this point, the tall German introduced himself as Luz Long. "You should be able to qualify with your eyes closed!" he said to Owens, referring to his two jumps. For the next few moments the black son of a sharecropper and the white model of Nazi manhood chatted.
Then Long made a suggestion. Since the qualifying distance was only 23 feet, 5 1/2 inches, why not make a mark several inches before the takeoff board and jump from there, just to play it safe? Owens did and qualified easily. In the finals Owens set an Olympic record and earned the second of four gold medals. The first person to congratulate him was Luz Long—in full view of Adolf Hitler.
Owens never again saw Long, who was killed in World War II. "You can melt down all the medals and cups I have," Owens later said, "and they wouldn't be a plating on the 24-carat friendship I felt for Luz Long."
A friend is a great thing to have—people who share in your victory, give comfort in your defeat, spend time with you, help cheer you up when you are down, and share in your pain.
Good friends are often hard to come by. People who lift you up and encourage you in the Lord are truly interested in helping you as a friend. Do you have someone like that in your life? Have you ever thanked them for being a good friend to you?
Not only should you be thankful for good friends, but you should strive to be the right kind of friend. Think about your friendship to others. Now ask yourself these questions:
Do I encourage my friends to attend church/read their Bible?
Do we talk about spiritual things just as much as other topics?
Do I create a sweet, godly attitude in my friends or do I promote anger?
Are my friends drawing closer to God because of time they spend with me?When you become the right kind of friend, you will naturally attract the right kind of friends.
Have you ever thanked your friends for being a friend to you? Take time to give someone a call or write a note of thanks today. Also determine to be a godly influence on your friends. Make sure that you are using your influence on them to draw them closer to Christ.
To learn more about Pastor Chappell's books, Sunday school curriculum, and spiritual leadership resources, please visit strivingtogether.com
Daily Bible Reading
Lamentations 3-5 • Hebrews 10:19-39 - Daily in the Word for Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Acres of Diamonds
by Dr. Paul Chappell“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith c