![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/dog2-225x300.jpg\")
A dog requires constant<\/strong> training. Training Bear to do something once is not enough. He must be constantly reminded and lessons need continuous reinforcement.<\/p>\nHe will obey the commands we have taught him as long as we are consistent. He will get a toy, sit, stay, etc. when we give him the command. If we slack off he quickly reverts to his “untrained” ways.<\/p>\n
I have noticed that people (or is it just me?) are much the same way when it comes to serving God. If we stay focused on His word, remain faithful in our service, are sincere in our worship then our lives are much better. We find ourselves less likely to drift into our “untrained” ways when we become inconsistent in these things.<\/p>\n
Another lesson I have learned is that some things that seem like great ideas to my dog are repulsive to me! Yesterday my dog was in the backyard. I looked out the window and saw him rolling around on his back. We immediately called him into the house. The repugnant odor arrived before he did. He had rolled in some other animal’s poop. His fur was matted down and he stunk! The look on his face was pure pleasure. He thought rolling in poop was a great idea!<\/p>\n
When we sin we must remember that God is repulsed by what we have done. We have spiritually “rolled in poop” and He is not <\/b>pleased. We must not allow ourselves to believe what we have done was a great idea. God is highly displeased!<\/p>\n
There is one last lesson I have learned from Bear that I would like to share. He really does want to please us as his masters. You can see in his face and in his body language when he realizes he has done wrong. You can equally see when he knows he has pleased us. It seems to bring him joy when we are happy with him. He has a strong desire to hear words of praise and get rewarded with petting and head-scratching!<\/p>\n
We ought to feel remorse when we have done wrong. We should feel the guilt and pain of sin! We should also desire to please our Master in all that we do. However, more than a scratch on the head and words of praise we ought to desire to hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord!”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Rob Speer A dog requires constant training. Training Bear to do something once is not enough. He must be constantly reminded and lessons need continuous reinforcement. He will obey the commands we have taught him as long as we are consistent. He will get a toy, sit, stay, etc. when we give him the command. If…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[54],"class_list":["post-40875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-obedience"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":31232,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-difference-between-a-man-and-a-dog\/","url_meta":{"origin":40875,"position":0},"title":"The Difference Between a Man and a Dog","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 26, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by\u00a0Jeffery Kingry Sentry Magazine, June 2000 Mark Twain once quipped, \"If you find a shivering, starving dog, take him home to your hearth and make him prosperous, he will not bite you if you attempt to pick him up. This is the main difference between a man and a dog.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/man-and-dog-300x169.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":94020,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-god-be-charged-with-murder\/","url_meta":{"origin":40875,"position":1},"title":"Can God Be Charged with Murder?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton with the help of Copilot The biblical answer is \"No,\" and Scripture gives multiple reasons why. The Bible consistently teaches that God cannot be guilty of murder, because murder is the unlawful taking of life, and God, as the Creator and Judge of all life, has\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":61048,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-are-so-many-afraid-to-call-a-dog-a-dog\/","url_meta":{"origin":40875,"position":2},"title":"Why Are So Many Afraid to Call a Dog – \u201cA DOG\u201d?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 29, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Brian A. Yeager When one reads of false brethren and those teaching errors (false teachers\/prophets) throughout the word of God you find that they were labeled, at times, in colorful ways. Of the watchman in Israel, Isaiah penned the following: \"His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":57469,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/irresistible-grace-and-matthew-2337\/","url_meta":{"origin":40875,"position":3},"title":"Irresistible Grace and Matthew 23:37","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 30, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by Bryan Sharp In Matthew 23:37 Christ proclaims: \"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!\" Jesus is bemoaning\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":45820,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/where-should-i-live\/","url_meta":{"origin":40875,"position":4},"title":"Where should I live?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 29, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, I found your question and answer page and have been reading sermons and many of the answers you have replied with. I am struggling with a problem that is weighing very heavy on my heart and mind. My husband and I currently are living in separate homes about\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":48149,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-you-deal-with-a-woman-who-brings-her-dog-to-worship\/","url_meta":{"origin":40875,"position":5},"title":"How do you deal with a woman who brings her dog to worship?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 30, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: We have a lady who has been attending worship with us for over a month. She has since placed her membership with our congregation. This morning when she entered the building she had a little Chihuahua dog in her arms. She stated that it was her service dog and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40875"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40875\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}