--- About Kent

“I am what all Christians are: flawed and always growing. I am not immune to failure, and I don’t always do the right things, but I learn from my mistakes, and always show love to all who I know. Furthermore, through Christ I have joy knowing I have His grace even though I didn’t deserve it and His love even as I can’t imagine it. I have written devotion for the past 14 years using my life’s experiences both before and after being born again and focusing on its relevance to Biblical teachings and today’s culture.”
 

 ~Kent

Make the Change

During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.” Exodus 12:31-32
 
At various points of my life, I have dealt with situations where I was certain of something only to change my mind. It wasn’t that I really changed. However, the circumstances had changed which forced me to adjust. A few years ago, my daughter cheered for a certain team. She got along with several of the teachers at the gym, and both my wife and me formed relationships with the

Read more...

Just Do It

But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”
 
Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” Exodus 4:10-12
 
When I was growing up, gym shoes were not the fashion statement they are today. Back then, the most popular shoes were ‘Converse All-Stars.’ All the basketball players had them, and when the man they called

Read more...

The Great I Am

But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is His name?’ Then what should I tell them?”  God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the

Read more...

Who and Whose You Are

Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead My people Israel out of Egypt.”  But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”  God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the One who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.” Exodus 3:10-12
 
For a number of years, I have tried to figure out what makes me tick. This is important as a person who manages others, for a wise person once said that the most difficult person to manage is yourself. I can

Read more...

Variable – For the Long Term

One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”
 
When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush,

Read more...

More Than Enough

If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever. Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 2 Corinthians 3:9-12

Read more...

Changing Our Questions

“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”  “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where You are going, so how can we know the way?”  Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me. If you had really known Me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him!” John 14:3-7
 
Do you ever question God? There are times that I pray for things that do not come, and then I will ask why. Why didn’t a check come through the mail? Why didn’t my plan for work go well? Why is my computer still malfunctioning? These were all thoughts in my mind as things did not

Read more...

Gifted

In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Romans 12:6-8
 
One of the greatest lessons I have learned over the years is that we are all gifted. My wife for example is incredible at getting things done. She is kindhearted and loving, and when there is a goal she has set in her

Read more...

No Pain, No Gain

“You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare His Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery.” 1 Thessalonians 2:1-3 NLT
 
Derek Redmond was a great Olympic sprinter. In the 1992 Olympic Games, he was running well in his event, the 400 Meters, winning his first two qualifying heats with ease. In the semifinal, he started well, but

Read more...

Knowing Your Value

So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, Who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true word. And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession. James 1:16-18
 
This life we are given is so precious. I think about my life. There are moments of happiness and where things have gone well. There are other moments of sadness and grief. There are achievements and

Read more...