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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What one change could you make that would radically, powerfully and positively transform your life?

If you are are honest with yourself, and if you possess some level of self-awareness, you likely have identified a number of things you would like to change about yourself.  Maybe it’s a part of your personality or temperament you wish was different.  It might be some bad habit that you haven’t been able to shake that you desperately want to overcome.  Perhaps it is a certain relationship pattern that sabotages your friendships.  What’s on your list?

While we all need change, there is one change that should be at the top of our list.  The pay-off is huge, if we will change this one thing.

This one thing is “perspective.” A change in our perspective is a priority worthy of our pursuit because perspective has power over our attitudes, emotions and motivation.  The wrong perspective drains resources from us while the right perspective fuels us.

It was a wrong perspective that caused the Israelites to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.  A negative perspective kept many of these men and women out of the Promised Land.  It was the right perspective that caused David to see a great opportunity for God when everyone else only saw the giant Goliath.  It was a wrong perspective that caused a wealthy young man to dismiss Jesus’ instructions and invitation that would have given him eternal life.

Perspective makes a big difference!

The New Testament book of Philippians is a great lesson in perspective.  The Apostle Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write this letter under some very adverse circumstances.  During the latter years of his life, he was incarcerated in the Mamertine prison in Rome for preaching the Gospel.  According to some reports, the sewage of the city flowed beneath the prison and the sight and sound of  sewer rats were ever present.

In the heat and stench of this situation, chained to 2 soldiers continually, Paul was faced with an even greater challenge — how would he choose to look at his current lot in life — what would be his perspective?

Without a hint of phoniness or super-spirituality, but genuinely and sincerely, Paul declared his perspective:

“And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped spread the Good News.”  –  Philippians 1:12 (NLT)

Instead of moaning, groaning and complaining about the “unfair” situation he was in, Paul choose a different perspective.  He saw it as something God was using to advance His Kingdom purpose.  This changed everything.  Instead of penning a note of gloom and despair, he was able to write what has come to be known as “the letter of joy,” all because of choosing the right perspective.

What’s the one thing we need to change that will make the biggest and best impact in our lives?  Perspective!

Choose to change your perspective.  You will be amazed at all the other great changes that will follow!

Pastor Dale

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As some of you know, at about 5:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 7, I experienced a cardiac event at home that resulted in me being transported to one of our local hospitals.  After several hours of observation, testing and consultation, it was decided that the wisest course of action was to transfer me to the Washington Hospital Center for a heart catheterization to get a clearer picture of what was happening.

The next day, Sunday, August 8, this procedure was done and the cardiologist discovered 2 arteries on the left side of my heart that were approximately 70-80% blocked.  They performed angioplasty on each of these arteries and placed a stent in each of them to take care of the situation.

I am grateful to God for the wonderful, professional care I received on the way to the hospital, at both hospitals, and the fine, caring people who attended to me during and following the procedure.  I am also grateful to my wonderful wife and family who were right there with me, lovingly caring for me.  And most importantly, I am deeply grateful to the Lord who graciously watched over me!

I am now at home resting and recuperating, and gaining strength day by day.  I am doing well and should be back to 110+% very soon!

I also want to thank all of you who have been praying for me.  Your love and prayers mean so much to us.  They are making a difference!

I’m looking forward to being back in full swing!

Pastor Dale

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There is a significant choice each of us make many times each day in the interactions and situations we experience.  We choose to be small-spirited or big-spirited.

What’s the difference in these two approaches to life:

Small-spirited people are:

• Petty.

• Critical.

• Stingy.

• Jealous.

• Hyper-sensitive.

• Suspicious.

• Resentful.

• Nitpicking.

• Retaliators.

• Self-centered and self-serving.

Big-spirited people are:

• Generous.

• Forgiving.

• Helpful and supportive.

• Faith-filled and faithful.

• Gracious and grateful.

The Bible is very clear about the kind of person we are called to be.  Our big-spirited God calls us to become big-spirited people.  In our responsibilities and relationships, God looks for largeness of heart!

Take a look at one passage that challenges us to large living:

“Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you.  And do not make God’s Holy Spirit sad; for the Spirit is God’s mark of ownership on you, a guarantee that the Day will come when God will set you free.  Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort.  Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ.”  –  Ephesians 4:29-32 (TEV)

What phrase best describes you — small-spirited or big-spirited?  Make a decision to become a big-spirited person.  You’ll have a lot more peace and joy, and you’ll also become a great blessing to others!

Pastor Dale

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Life contains lots of lessons.  Unfortunately we miss many of them because we are not paying attention!

God challenges us to become learners.  Take a look at one example of this:

“Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.  Love her, and she will honor you.  Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!  And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.  If you prize wisdom, she will make you great.  Embrace her, and she will honor you.”  – Proverbs 4:6-8 (NLT)

This passage tells us about the power and importance of gaining wisdom.  It implies that some people get it, while others fail to get it.  Some people prize learning while others don’t.  I want to be a part of the former group, not the latter, and I believe you do too!

To get wisdom we must develop the traits of a good learner.  Good learners have an appetite to learn.  They are teachable and humble in spirit.  They are responsive to the help, guidance, instruction and correction of their teachers.  They seek to apply what they are learning.  They listen well and look for lessons that will enrich their understanding.  They “sit at the front of the class” when opportunities for instruction come their way.  They apply discipline to their daily habits and thoughts.

In our pursuit of wisdom we must understand that there is a big difference between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God.  The kind of wisdom the Bible calls us to go after is the wisdom of God.  The right and ultimate goal of getting wisdom is to get to know God and His ways.  It is to grow in our capacity to view life from God’s perspective rather than from the perspective of our own thoughts, feelings and fleshly inclinations.  It is to act in ways that are consistent with God’s ways.  It is to develop the kind of character that God can count on, and the kind of life that God can use.

The Apostle James reminds us of the attitudes and actions God’s wisdom produces in someone’s life:

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”  – James 3:17 (NIV)

The Message paraphrase gives some us some additional insight on this verse:

“Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others.  It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two faced.”  – James 3:17 (Msg)

What kind of a learner are you?  What kind of wisdom are you pursuing and applying — the wisdom of the world or the wisdom of God?  What steps will you take to become a better learner of God’s wisdom?

Make the decision to consistently go after the wisdom of God and the fruit it produces!

Pastor Dale

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