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The five crowns (1)

Word for Today written by Bob and Debby Gass

Friday 8th August 2025

'We do it for a crown that will last forever.' 1 Corinthians 9:25 CEV

In describing our heavenly rewards, the Bible speaks of crowns. Let's look at each and see what we can learn. The first is the victor's crown. 'Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified' (1 Corinthians 9:25-27 NKJV). Paul points out that athletes who expect to win must actively train. And we, likewise, must retain self-control even in things that, although not inherently evil, can weaken our devotion to God.

A pastor explains: 'Sometimes we have to turn off the television so we can study our Bibles. We have to get up earlier in the mornings to have our daily devotions. We have to exercise self-control in what comes into our minds. We can't watch many of today's television programmes or movies - much less the streaming material accessible on our phones and computers - without violating biblical standards of personal holiness. We can't subject our bodies to drug or alcohol abuse or allow immorality to creep into our relationships. We've got to keep our tempers [and tongues] under the control of the Holy Spirit...and we have to depend on God to strengthen us in our resolutions to live disciplined lives.'

The Bible says, 'Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown' - the victor's crown.

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Scriptural advice on sex

Word for Today written by Bob and Debby Gass

Thursday 7th August 2025

'Your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives.' 1 Corinthians 6:20 CEV

Columnist Ann Landers wrote: 'Girls need to prove their love through illicit sexual relations like a moose needs a hat rack. Why not prove your love...by playing leapfrog in the traffic? It's about as safe. Clear the cobwebs out of your head! Any fellow who asks you to prove your love is trying to take you for the biggest, most gullible fool who ever walked. That proving it bit is one of the...rottenest lines ever invented...Someone who loves you wants whatever is best for you. But now figure it out. He wants you to commit an immoral act, surrender your virtue, throw away your self-respect, risk the loss of your precious reputation and risk getting [pregnant, getting diseased, or] into trouble. [Wise up!] He wants...what is best for him; he wants a thrill he can brag about at your expense. Love? Who's kidding whom? A guy who loves a girl would sooner cut off his right arm than hurt her. [In truth], this self-serving [individual] has proved that he doesn't love you [at all]. The predictable aftermath...always finds Don Juan tiring of his sport. That's when he drops you, picks up his line and goes casting elsewhere for...equally silly fish. If he loves you, let him prove his love...[at] the altar.'

Here's sound advice on sex: 'Your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honour God' (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 CEV).

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Wisdom to parent teens

Word for Today written by Bob and Debby Gass

Wednesday 6th August 2025

'Everything on earth has its own time and...season.' Ecclesiastes 3:1 CEV

How does a happy, cooperative twelve-year-old turn into a sullen, depressed thirteen-year-old? Two powerful forces account for some of the adolescent behaviour that drives you crazy as a parent. The first is linked to social pressures common at that age. And there's a second source of disruption. It's related to hormonal changes that not only transform the physical body but also revolutionise how children think. For some (not all) adolescents, human chemistry is in a state of imbalance for a few years, causing flightiness, agitation, outbursts and even depression. This upheaval can motivate a teen to do things that make absolutely no sense to the adults who are watching anxiously on the sidelines. This hormonal firestorm can destabilise their self-concept and create a sense of foreboding.

Parents often despair during the irrationality of this period. Everything they have tried to teach their children seems to have misfired for a couple of years. Self-discipline, cleanliness, respect for authority and common courtesy may give way to risk-taking and all-around goofiness. If that is where your child is today, there is good news - better days are coming! Your unpredictable teen can actually become a tower of strength and good judgement - if they don't do something destructive before their hormones settle down once more.

What should you do as a parent? First, don't draw long-term conclusions based on a short-term season. Second, let them know you love them, be patient and pray for peace of mind. 'The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds' (Philippians 4:7 NKJV).

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Honouring others

Word for Today written by Bob and Debby Gass

Tuesday 5th August 2025

'Take delight in honouring each other.' Romans 12:10 TLB

One of the real tests of character and maturity is how you react to someone else's success. That's particularly so when they succeed in an area where you failed or in which you're frustrated over not having achieved greater success.

F.B. Meyer, a well-known author and minister in England, once shared the following experience to a few of his friends: 'It was easy to pray for the success of G. Campbell Morgan when he was in America. But when he came back to England and took a church near to mine, it was something different. The old Adam in me was inclined to jealousy, but I got my heel upon his head, and whether I felt right towards my friend, I determined to act right. My church gave a reception for him, and I acknowledged that if it was not necessary for me to preach Sunday evenings, I would dearly love to go and hear him myself. Well, that made me feel right towards him. But just see how the dear Lord helped me out of my difficulty. There was Charles Spurgeon preaching wonderfully on one side of me, and G. Campbell Morgan on the other. Both were so popular and drew such crowds that our church caught the overflow, and we had all we could accommodate.'

No matter how well you do something, someone else will come along and do it better. So, here are your options: compare yourself to them, compete with them, criticise them, compliment them or cooperate with them. The last one is what Paul meant when he wrote, 'Love each other with brotherly affection and take delight in honouring each other' (Romans 12:10 TLB).

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Find your life's purpose

Word for Today written by Bob and Debby Gass

Monday 4th August 2025

'I have appeared to you for this purpose.' Acts 26:16 NKJV

In baseball, the catcher tries to distract the batter. On one occasion when Yogi Berra was behind the plate, Hank Aaron came up to bat. Yogi started in, 'Hank, you've got the writing on the bat in the wrong place. The words should be facing you.' Yogi kept going, 'You better check it.' Hank didn't say a word. On the next pitch, Hank hit the ball over the centre field fence. He rounded the bases, stepped on home plate, looked at Yogi and said, 'I didn't come here to read, I came to win.'

It's vital to know why you are here and not to let anyone talk you out of your calling or purpose. Many people say they're trying to 'find themselves'. Such a search is pointless. As one pastor states: 'If you don't know who you are, how do you know what to look for? And how would you know when you have found it, since you don't know what you are looking for? Toasters don't find themselves...A toaster...just [has] to do what the manufacturer had in mind.'

Paul had a supernatural encounter on the Damascus road where Jesus said to him, 'I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you' (Acts 26:16 NKJV). To discover your life's purpose, you must start with God as your reference point. He made you, he redeemed you, he has a plan for your life - and he will reveal it to you.

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Take responsibility

Word for Today written by Bob and Debby Gass

Sunday 3rd August 2025

'Do you want to get well?' John 5:6 NIV

Jesus asked a paralysed man this amazing question: 'Do you want to get well' (John 5:6 NIV)? Who wouldn't? You may be surprised! Kay Arthur tells of passing a beggar on a street in the Old City of Jerusalem. As he sat begging, his trouser leg was pulled up to reveal terrible sores. She writes: 'My nurse's heart brought my feet to a halt. I wanted to bend down and shield the open wound from the dust...It should be washed, medicated and dressed by someone who cared. My friend gently took me by my elbow and propelled me towards our destination. I was a tourist and did not know about these things. She then proceeded to tell me that this man did not wish to be made well. He made his living from his wound! ...I caught one last glimpse of someone who was less than what he could have been.'

The paralysed man lying helpless by the pool called Bethesda had been there for thirty-eight years. Question: how long does it take before a problem becomes a way of life? Jesus said to him, 'Get up...and walk' (John 5:8 NIV), the inference being that it's time to get up and go to work - to become a parent to your children, a partner to your husband or wife, a contributor to your community, a solution to someone else's problem - it's time to take responsibility for your life.

Are you allowing your past or present circumstances to keep you stuck and stop you from moving forward? If Jesus asked you, 'Do you want to get well emotionally, physically and spiritually?' what would your answer be? Today let Jesus make you whole!

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A word about work

Word for Today written by Bob and Debby Gass

Saturday 2nd August 2025

'Do your best to win God's approval.' 2 Timothy 2:15 CEV

Here are some lessons to empower and inspire you, for work: (1) You're here for a reason, and the most vital thing you can do is find it. (2) Follow your passion. You may not already know what it is, but make it your mission to discover it. (3) You may love Facebook, you might not like working for the company. Just because you enjoy cooking doesn't mean you will enjoy owning a restaurant. (4) Don't give up because the work is hard. Give up because deep inside you know there is something different for you to do, or you're not improving yourself or the organisation, or you know you're not supposed to be there anymore.

(5) Learn from every experience. Each job gets you ready for the work you were born to do. (6) Your present job may not be your highest purpose, but it can assist as an agent to prepare you for it. (7) In whichever job you accept after graduation, serve. Serving in minor ways affords you opportunities to serve in major ways. (8) Your dream job probably isn't the one you dreamed about. Frequently people end up in remarkable careers outside the scope of our degrees.

(9) The pursuit of your purpose is filled with difficulties, wins, detours, dead ends and postponements. Remain hopeful and faithful. (10) You may want something to happen immediately, but if it did, would you be ready for it? (11) Seeds yield to the ground so they can be utilised for a greater purpose. So, plant yourself, and let yourself be used for a harvest to benefit others.

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How do you handle fear?

Word for Today written by Bob and Debby Gass

Friday 1st August 2025

'The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.' Psalm 118:6 NKJV

Being in a position of leadership won't give you courage, but showing courage will establish you as a leader in the eyes of others. Larry Osborne said, 'The most striking thing about highly effective leaders is how little they have in common. What one swears by, another warns against. But one trait stands out: the willingness to risk.' Courage isn't the lack of fear; it's doing what you're afraid to do. It's having the power to release the familiar and advance into new territory. Roman historian Tacitus wrote, 'The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.' Courage has the reverse effect. It swings doors open, which is one of its most amazing benefits. British theologian John Henry Newman said, 'Fear not that your life will come to an end but that it will never have a beginning.'

Without the courage to begin, you have no future. Here is something ironic: those who lack the courage to take risks and those who have the courage to take risks experience the same amount of fear in life. The only difference is that those who are afraid retreat while those who show courage advance.

So, how do you handle fear? Do you embrace it or try to escape it? Do you put yourself in situations that stretch your faith? Or have you withdrawn so far into your comfort zone that you never feel fear? Only when you have answered these questions can you begin to overcome your fears. The psalmist said, 'The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me' (Psalm 118:6 NKJV)?