Articles with spiritual fitness

Religious Liberty Commission Report Addresses Violence Against Houses of Worship

Americans should view religion as an “essential support” and always remember “the Creator who made us and bestows our rights….The Constitution protects religious liberty not by exiling religion from public life, but by preventing government from controlling it.”

[ Read the SemperVerus article, US Department of Justice Task Force Reports Steps to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias in Government ]

So says the 224-page Presidential Religious Liberty Commission Report: Americans’ First Freedom published June 26, 2026 that identifies emerging threats to religious liberty, and makes recommendations for upholding “Federal laws that protect all citizens’ full participation in a pluralistic democracy, and protect the free exercise of religion.”

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100 Essential Bible Passages to Know

Here’s a basic approach to reading through the Bible during the year.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of THE BIBLE ]

Read two passages a week for 50 weeks and in a year you’ll see the “big picture” of the Bible. Bookmark and return to this post weekly as a guide to help you study from your own Bible, or click the selected passage to open the reading online in a new window. Click the links below to read each passage.

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The Required Reading List of the Historically Classic and Bible Texts for Texas Public Schools

The Texas Board of Education on June 26, 2026 approved a required reading list of around 200 wide-ranging texts for its K-12 English and literature curricula in public schools across the state—perhaps the first of its kind in the US. The titles are appropriate for people of all ages to read for a well-rounded education.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Free Online Educational Resources to Grow Your Spiritual Knowledge ]

The list includes only 20 or so Bible passages and many more non-biblical and classical books such as Jack and the Beanstalk, The Life of Paul Revere, Winnie-the-Pooh, Aesop’s Fables, tales about Native Americans, a children’s version of Don Quixote, Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, Treasure Island, Declaration of Independence, A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution, The Gettysburg Address, The Man in the Arena, Great Expectations, Pride and Prejudice, Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, biographies of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, poems by Langston Hughes and Robert Frost, and many more classics. Multiple titles are mandated for each grade, and each one must be read in its entirety. The reading list will take effect during the 2030-31 school year.

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Kairos: The Wisdom of Knowing When to Act for Strategic Impact

Kairos (καιρός) is an ancient Greek word that refers to a decisive, appointed, or opportune “right time.” It appears over 80 times in the New Testament to describe a divine moment when God intervenes or when a crucial window of opportunity requires a specific, faithful response.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Strive for Readiness ]

Kairos vs Carpe Diem:  While both phrases encourage active engagement with the present, the Latin phrase Carpe Diem (“seize the day”) is about acting on any moment, whereas Kairos is about recognizing the right moment on which to act. One pushes you to create your own opportunity, while the other reminds you to wait for the opportune time.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Understand the Times and Know What to Do ]

Carpe Diem is a proactive call to action rooted in the philosophy that time is fleeting. It encourages you to take control of your destiny, take risks, and maximize every single day—regardless of the external circumstances.

Kairos isn’t about rushing to force a moment; it’s about having the wisdom and intuition to spot the perfect, fleeting window of opportunity and acting decisively when the “time is ripe.” Kairos is the perfect, strategic moment.

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Lt. Col. Dave Grossman on 3 Types of Aggression

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is a US Army Ranger, paratrooper, and former West Point psychology professor. He holds a Black Belt in Hojutsu—the martial art of the firearm—and has been inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. His distinguished military and academic career has made him one of the foremost authorities on human aggression, violence, and the psychological effects of combat.

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He’s the author of more than a dozen books, including On Spiritual Warfare, which is described this way:

“Evil from the world, the flesh, and the devil preys on those we love and stalks our every move. If we’re not fighting back, we’re losing. In On Spiritual Warfare, the sequel to On Spiritual Combat, Dave Grossman and Chris Pascoe guide Christians through operations of advanced spiritual warfare. Battle the forces of evil with 22 intensely practical WARNORDS, or military “warning orders,” drawn from the writings of Luther and Erasmus.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Self-Defense Body Armor for Spiritual Warfare ]

“These strategic warnings and tactical orders will equip you to

  • recognize and fearlessly confront evil,
  • confess and repent of your own sin,
  • serve others as you become sanctified, and
  • mature into a triumphant spiritual warrior of God.

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

“Filled with Scripture, powerful hymns, battle prep questions, and practical direction, On Spiritual Warfare is the map you need to successfully complete your mission from God. You become victorious as a Christian by living virtuously. Victory through virtue!”

[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Ministry of Protection: Why Church Safety Teams Matter and How Serving in the Ministry of Protection Brings Clarity to the Calling ]

The following is an excerpt appropriate for church security team members (“sheepdogs” as Lt. Col. Grossman calls them):

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