"A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, & be patient w/ difficult people." 2 Tim. 2:24 (NLT)

Making A Good Impression

What kind of impression do you make on others?

As a teenager, I learned something about impressions.  For several years I had an interest in crafting leather goods.  I bought a set of leather sculpting tools and stamps and expressed a bit of creativity making a variety of items like belts, guitar straps and wrist bands.  Using the tools and striking the stamps with the proper hammer, I would imprint and impress certain designs, names and phrases on the wet leather.

I soon discovered that once struck, the leather is permanently marked.  There are no second chances or changes.  The impression that is made is the impression that lasts.  Needless to say, I wasted lots of leather in the early stages of my craft.  Over time I became much more careful with the use of my tools.  With greater care, the mistakes and waste significantly decreased and my efforts actually made me a little spending money during college!

What does this story have to do with your life now?  Lots!

Every day, whether we realize it or not, we make impressions on others.  The Apostle Paul reminded us of this:

” … Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”  –  1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT)

The Greek word Paul used for “example” is very instructive.  It is a word meaning “a mark, print or impression.”

Through our words and life patterns we make an impression on others — we leave marks or prints on their lives.  We can imprint them for good or evil.  And many times, whatever impression we make on someone lasts — there are no opportunities for re-do’s.  If we get it wrong, if we strike them the wrong way, we may not have an opportunity to correct the mistake.  I am sure that you, like me, have longed for a chance to change a comment made, an attitude exhibited, or an bad example set, but couldn’t.

Paul used three words to describe the way God wants us to impress others.  We are to mark them with our:

  • Love.
  • Faith.
  • Purity.

When people interact with us, they should walk away impressed with the way we love God and people, the depth and sincerity of our faith, and the moral purity and integrity of our character.  These are the prints we want to leave behind — impressions that we never regret and opportunities that we never waste.

How about you?  What marks are you making on others?  When people encounter you are they impressed with your love, faith and purity?

Let’s decide to do everything possible, trusting in God’s grace and power in us, to make a good impression on the people He places in our lives!

Pastor Dale

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Troubled?

What’s troubling you?

Trouble is a part of life.  It’s something everyone experiences.  No matter how perfect someone’s life looks from the outside, everybody has their personal troubles — troubles that fame, fortune or friends can’t fix.

Trouble comes in many different forms.  Our hearts and minds can become anxious, disturbed and agitated by lots of things.  There are relationship troubles, financial troubles, health troubles —  the list goes on and on.

Being a Christian believer doesn’t insulate us from these things.  They’re a part of life.  Take a look at what Jesus said about the inevitability of troubles:

” … In this world you will have trouble … ” – John 16:33 (NIV)

The difference between a Christian believer and an unbeliever is not found in the presence or absence of trouble in their lives, but in how they respond to it.

Jesus taught us that, while we will have trouble, we need not be troubled.  Trouble doesn’t mean that you have to be troubled!

Jesus emphasized the difference between the troubles we face and the way we are called to handle them.  He showed us that, although trouble is inevitable, being troubled isn’t.  We can choose another path — the path of trust and peace:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, trust also in me.” – John 14:1 (NIV)

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you … Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27 (NIV)

So how do we go through troubles without being troubled? We must do the right thing with them!

The psalmist gave us the prescription for dealing with our troubles:

“I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.” – Psalm 120:1 (NLT)

When facing troubles our tendency is to take them upon ourselves by worrying and fretting over them.  Or we take them to others, hoping to find a source of help.  The psalmist provided us with another alternative.  From personal life experience he learned that the best thing to do when trouble came his way was to first take them to God.

What’s troubling you today?  Instead of using your energy in worry, fretting and fear, take your troubles to God.  Cry out to Him.  Put your trust in Him.  There’s an answer waiting for you!

Pastor Dale

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The High Value of Helpers

What kind of helper are you?

Behind the greatest accomplishments. organizations and movements are relatively unknown, unsung heroes — great helpers.  These “quiet giants” work in the unnoticed places, supporting and serving others with an untiring and undeterred commitment to the mission.  Nothing ever happens of any significance without such helpers.

There is no doubt that one of the most respected and fruitful leaders of the first century church was the Apostle Paul.  His multiple missionary journeys resulted in many church plants.  Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul penned no less than 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament!  His spiritual stature, character, wisdom, endurance and tenacity are a model to all believers.  But Paul acknowledged the importance of helpers in his ministry.  He could not have done what he did without people like, Timothy, Titus, Silas, Epaphras, Aristarchus, and many others.

At the end of Paul’s letter to the believers at Colosse, he wrote about some of these folks.  He started his acknowledgements with a short note about a man named Tychicus.  Take a look at what Paul had to say about him:

” … He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work.”  –  Colossians 4:7 (NLT)

This brief statement tells us a lot about a man that we otherwise know very little about.  Tychicus was:

  • “Beloved” by Paul. There was something about this man that exuded love and that caused people to love him.  He was a lovable man.  He behaved in ways and demonstrated attitudes that made it easy to love him.
  • A “faithful helper” to Paul. The Greek word used for “faithful” means “worthy of belief, trust or confidence.” Tychicus never let Paul down.  He was a man Paul could count on, and a man that Paul did count on.  The Greek word for “helper” is one that basically means “servant.” It was used to describe someone who served practically, and one who proactively pursued opportunities to be a help to others.
  • A man who continued in service with Paul. Paul said of Tychicus, “He is a beloved brother … who SERVES with me in the Lord’s work.” “Serves” speaks of a continuing action.  It was something Tychichus had been doing and continued to do.  The adversity of Paul’s incarceration in Rome for preaching the Gospel had not discouraged or diminished this man’s service in the Lord’s work.  He continued in service.  Paul knew he could count on him!

What lessons can we learn from the example of this “beloved brother and faithful helper” to the Apostle Paul?  One lesson is to understand the value, significance, and great importance of Kingdom Helpers!  While very few people rise to the prominence of the Apostle Paul, we can all be like Tychicus.  We can all learn to be “a beloved brother/sister and faithful helper who serves!”

What kind of Kingdom Helper are you?

Pastor Dale

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The Wake of Words

What kind of trail do you leave with your tongue?  What size wake is left by your words?

The dictionary defines a “wake” as “a trail of disturbance left by the passage of something.” It is the potential turbulence we leave behind when we have passed through a place, situation or engaged in a particular interaction.

Nothing causes more unsettling and dangerous wakes in other people’s lives than our words.  Angry words, insulting, demeaning words, insinuating words, unkind words, words of judgment, critical words, side and snide comments, sensuous, flirtatious words, gossipy words, profane, dirty words, chats that become unhealthy chatter, and the like — these have a horrible and destructive impact far beyond what we can imagine.

The Bible is very clear about the demonic, hellish nature of an untamed, undisciplined tongue:

” … the tongue is a small thing … But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.  And the tongue is a flame of fire.  It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body.  It can set your whole body on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.”  –  James 3:6, 7 (NLT)

How much damage is done every day by words?  How many hearts are broken, how much productivity is lost, how many relationships are scarred, how much conflict and dissension is ignited and fueled, how much potential is robbed, all because we fail to rein in an unruly tongue?

The Apostle Paul wanted to help us avoid such destructive wakes that come from our words.  Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he gave us a simple instruction to live by that will save us from a lot of pain and keep us from generating terrible turbulence with our tongues.  Take a look at what he had to say:

“Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”  – Colossians 4:6 (NLT)

“Be gracious in your speech.  The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.”  – Colossians 4:6 (Msg)

Think about the wake left behind by your words.  Make a decision that your comments and conversations with others will always be gracious.  Determine that, instead of leaving a trail of turbulence, you will pave a pathway of blessing with your words!

Pastor Dale

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How’s Your Heart?

What does it take to attract God’s attention?  What kind of person pleases God?  There are many qualities that God finds attractive in people, and all of them start in the heart.

There is a man in the Bible who teaches us lots of valuable lessons about the positive things that get God’s attention.  His name is David.

After the moral and spiritual decline of Israel’s first king, Saul, God determined to raise up someone new to take his place.  As the Lord searched the population of Israel, He found a young man that attracted his attention.  The Lord spoke to Samuel the prophet about his find, and Samuel reported the news to King Saul:

“But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart.  The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”  –  1 Samuel 13:14 (NLT)

What disqualified Saul from being Israel’s king?  Why did God decide to remove him from his office?  Saul had allowed his heart to become soiled with sin, rebellion, hardness, independence, bitterness and jealousy.  Saul’s outward disobedience to God was simply the manifestation of what had already happened in his heart.

Sadly, this same thing happens to many people today.  Over time, through the thoughts we entertain, the choices we make and the influences around us, our hearts can become polluted with something sinful or sour.  This process is usually very subtle.  Unfortunately, lots of folks never recognize that this has happened until these forces have done their destructive work, robbing from us the best of God’s blessings and causing us to miss a significant part of His plan for our lives.

What qualified David to be Israel’s king?  Why did God decide to place him in this important leadership position?  Because the Lord looked deeply into David’s heart and found it to be clean, uncontaminated and unsoiled.  There was no venom of the spiritual adversary in his soul.  There was no poison in his spirit.  There was no spiritual independence or rebellion in his character.  God looked at David’s heart and saw a heart like His!

What does God see when He looks deeply into your heart?  What ugly stuff lies in the dark crevices of your spirit and soul?  What things inside of you may be hindering the work God wants to do in and through you and the blessings God desires to give you?  What heart issues threaten to disqualify you from fruitful and fulfilling service for Jesus Christ and His Kingdom?

We see the passion David had for a pure heart in one of the prayers he penned:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”  –  Psalm 139:23, 24 (NLT)

God looks closely at our hearts.  When he finds someone who pursues a clean, pure, unpolluted heart He has found someone He can employ for His purposes.  With the Lord, everything begins and ends with the heart!

How’s your heart?

Pastor Dale

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