IV – Know

US Presidential Message Supports National Shooting Sports Month

US President Donald Trump has issued a Presidential Message celebrating August as National Shooting Sports Month®NSSF®—The Firearm Industry Trade Association—celebrates President Trump’s commitment to preserving Second Amendment rights and is enthusiastically encouraged by his pledge to keep alive the American tradition of responsible firearm ownership for law-abiding citizens for future generations.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of the SECOND AMENDMENT ]

“We recommit to the eternal truth that our constitutional rights do not come from the hands of government, but from the hands of Almighty God.” President Donald Trump

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Important Judicial Decisions Regarding Self-Defense Law ]

“What a difference an election makes. We now have a White House administration that celebrates our national character of responsible firearm ownership and the freedoms that ‘define our Republic,’ which is a sea change from the previous administration that attacked our Second Amendment rights and demonized the firearm industry,” says Joe Bartozzi, president and CEO of NSSF. “The firearm industry is grateful to President Trump for his commitment to protecting our liberties and freedoms and his celebration and encouragement of all Americans to participate in the shooting sports.”

“For as long as I am President, the Federal Government will abide by the premise that the God-given right to bear arms shall not be infringed.” President Donald Trump

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Brief Answers for People Who Are Against the 2nd Amendment ]

The following is the Presidential Message:

Free Online Educational Resources to Grow Your Spiritual Knowledge

The fourth element of the five SemperVerus components is KNOW, which emphasizes the importance of educating yourself throughout your life to take advantage of knowledge in a variety of subjects to become a well-rounded individual contributing to your own well-being and of those around you. The SemperVerus principle reads:

IV. Know: becoming a life-long learner to clearly, and with certainty, apprehend situations from which to benefit personally and others.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Bible TL;DR? Try The Concise Bible! ]

That includes the importance of knowing spiritual matters in general—and the lessons of the Bible in particular—to develop and strengthen your soul. Scripture tells us to:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Spiritual Fitness: How Long Does It Take to Read the Bible? ]

Knowing the Bible is foundational to living a meaningful, productive, and positive life:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Latest Biblical Archaeology Research ]

In his book, The God Who is There, Christian philosopher and apologist Francis A. Schaeffer says, “The Christian is the real radical of our generation, for he stands against the monolithic, modern concept of truth as relative. But too often, instead of being the radical, standing against the shifting sands of relativism, he subsides into merely maintaining the status quo. If it is true that evil is evil, that God hates it to the point of the cross, and that there is a moral law fixed in what God is in Himself, then Christians should be the first into the field against what is wrong.”

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Self-Defense In Spiritual Warfare: Know Your Enemies ]

How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:9-11

The internet offers a multitude of free resources to deepen your knowledge and understanding of the Bible. Here are a few that SemperVerus recommends:

US Federal Workers Are Now Allowed to Express Their Religious Beliefs

US federal agencies are now required to protect religious expression in the government workplace, according to a new wide-ranging memo—marking one of the most sweeping moves in decades to defend faith and freedoms in the civil service, reports Fox News Digital.

The memo is in keeping with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14202 in February and Executive Order 14291 in May. The former aims to eradicate anti-Christian bias in the United States and announce a task force to review government policies and practices that may discriminate against Christians and to recommend actions to protect religious liberties. The latter establishes the task force to enforce the historic and robust protections for religious freedom enshrined in federal law.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of SPIRITUAL FITNESS ]

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on July 28, 2025, sent the memo, titled Protecting Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace, to government agencies, telling federal workers they are now at liberty to display Bibles, crucifixes, or mezuzahs on their desks; pray in groups while off-duty; invite colleagues to church; and speak about their religious beliefs, even to the public, without fear of reprisal.

New Website Address for Church Security Institute Network

If you lead or volunteer on a church security team, or are interested in matters pertaining to self-defense, an informative resource you should be aware of is Church Security Institute Network.

It’s a ministry resource that provides churches, houses of worship, ministries, private schools, and businesses with information and assistance in strengthening their security and safety practices.

Its founder is certified protection professional Bob Chauncey, who built it on two biblical principles:
       The Need: “The prudent foresee danger and take precautions…” Proverbs 22:3
       The Action: “We prayed to our God and posted a guard…” Nehemiah 4:9.

The website has recently moved to a new URL. The new site is ChurchSecurityInstitute.net. Until past articles are merged into the new site, also visit its previous address: ChurchSecurityInstitute.wordpress.com.

— Get the SemperVerus booklet, The Case for Biblical Self-Defense

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of CHURCH SECURITY ]


Learn about the Sheepdog Church Security certification program for your church safety team


Invite SemperVerus® to present its 5 life-changing success-generating components—prepare, aware, be, know, do—to your organization to inspire and motivate your members.

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