Real Men, Real Faith, Real Growth.

Chad Dupin
Feb 2
4 min read

Given our busy lives, if we cannot find the time to rest physically, we can gain comfort from the words in the Psalms, knowing that if we remain faithful in making time for God, He will help carry us.

Even if only for a few minutes each day, checking in with God and quieting our minds and hearts helps.

"Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him." Psalm 62:5

OK, here are a few questions. Do you read the instructions before putting something together? Do you ask for directions or go it alone when going somewhere? We know we don't. We were reading this week that the answer to these questions from most men is NO. Hey, we are guys; we will figure it out on our own. We laughed because we both admitted that we often must return to the instructions or ask for directions.

This discussion led us to a devotion emphasizing the wisdom and insight that come from spending time in the Word daily. It reminded us that the Bible is the ultimate instruction book for life. If we take time to read and absorb what we read, the Bible is the most reliable place to hear God speak to us and get instructions and directions on how to live.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105

"Blessed are those who hear the teaching of God and obey it." Luke 11:28

Here are a few Bible facts we found. It's amazing when you think about it:

God took over fifteen hundred years and used forty-five authors to write it.
It is the best-selling book of all time – over 500 MILLION copies distributed yearly.
There are more than 6 billion Bibles in print.
Over the years, men and women have given their lives to preserve the Bible.
There is NO other book like it.

If you are like us, getting into the Word regularly is not easy. So many other things can take priority. As we said earlier, there is no time even to rest! It is like training a new muscle. It takes commitment and time. It is the best investment of time ever!

Committing with another person or a group of guys to get into the Word daily helps. Accountability from others enables you to stay diligent and get after it each day. We have been doing a daily devotion for years and now have created an easy way for all of you to connect in a daily devotion with other guys in our Seven24 group. Give it a try. No long-term commitment. What is the downside? Below is a link to connect to the current study we are doing.

Last week's Fist Bump focused on the importance of unity in today's world. We have been thinking about this when we see the events taking place each day—so much conflict and lack of unity. This week, we read a quote from Mother Teresa that caught our attention and made us think about UNITY and the power of working together.

“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” ― Mother Teresa.

We all need to be on God's team. If we put God's priorities first and put all our desires behind them, think how much more unity there would be in the world.

It's a crazy thought. Remember before the last Lions game, when almost everyone you saw wore a Lions jersey? It was crazy. OK, what if everyone who is a Christian puts on a jersey to show unity across countries, denominations, Republicans, Democrats, races, genders, etc., that we are ALL on God's TEAM?? Think about how we might look at each other differently.

It's not likely to happen, but this week, let's think about how we reflect a TEAM/UNITY mentality in all we do. How can each of us, in our own way, bring more unity to our little part of the world?

Look at these verses as we head into a new week. Think about unity and how we can gain wisdom from the world's most published and read book.

"And let us consider how we spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another." Hebrews 10:24-25

"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied Grace." 1 Peter 4: 8-10

We also want to thank all the guys who participated in our event at SkyZone this past Thursday night. We had over 15 dads and close to 40 kids. It was a blast. We are discussing another event with dads and kids in the future. Come on, Grandpa/Papa, we also want you to participate in these.