Video Devotionals

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Don’t Lose Perspective

| 1:39 min read |

One of the most important things to keep in life is perspective. Perspective is especially hard to maintain when going through problems and pain.

When life gets hard, it’s important to keep our perspective. When it seems that God is nowhere to be found, it’s important for us to look for signs of God’s presence and activity in our lives.

In the early chapters of the book of Exodus, we find the Israelites enslaved to the Egyptians. It seemed like God was absent. But He wasn’t. During their toughest time, God was still present and at work. We’re told that the more the Israelites were oppressed, the more they multiplied. Even when Pharaoh commanded all Hebrew baby boys to be killed, the Israelite midwives feared God more than they feared Pharaoh and baby boys were preserved. One very special baby boy was born during this time. His name was Moses. He would eventually become Israel’s deliverer.

Look at the story in Exodus 2:5-8 (NIV) “Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. ‘This is one of the Hebrew babies,’ she said. Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?’
‘Yes, go,’ she answered.”

When it seemed that God wasn’t at work, He was working! We need to remember this. In the midst of our problems and pain, our perspective needs to be adjusted. Although it may seem that God is absent. He’s not. He’s working things out for you!

Pastor Dale

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

The Value of Self-Inspection

| 1:11 min read |

The tough times of life are often some of the most instructional times. They provide incredible opportunities for learning and growing. There’s nothing like hard times to show us what is in us. There’s nothing like trials and pain to show us the cracks in our character. These situations can give us insight into the parts of our lives that desperately need attention.

One of the best things you can do when challenges come your way is to do some self-inspection. Ask God to help you see the areas of your life that need to change. Jesus gives us an insight of the kind of things that live inside us in Mark 7:21-23 (TLB) “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts of lust, theft, murder, adultery, wanting what belongs to others, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, pride, and all other folly. All these vile things come from within; they are what pollute you and make you unfit for God.”

God allows us to go through certain things in life so that what’s lurking within us can become obvious to us, not to shame us, but to help us to address them and be delivered from them. Don’t waste your painful moments. Look within, gain insight and grow!

Pastor Dale

Character Choices Difficulty Heart Pressure Self

Monday, August 27, 2018

What To Do When Life Is Hard

| 1:22 min read |

It’s amazing how quickly life can turn on us from good to bad, from easy to hard. All it takes is one phone call, a doctor’s report, a negative interaction or conversation with someone, an unsettling letter, email or piece of bad news. Every day, in someone’s life, storm clouds roll in.

Exodus 1 tells us the story of Joseph as the Prime Minister of Egypt. Everything went very well with Joseph and his family for many years. Even after Joseph died, God’s people enjoyed great blessing, favor, and fruitfulness in the land of Egypt. Then something happened that changed everything, Exodus 1:8 (NIV) “Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt.”

This one verse represents a turning point for God’s people in Egypt. Suddenly, the Israelites’ sunshine turned to darkness. With the change in the Egyptian government came a terrible change in attitude toward the Israelites. Practically overnight they went from freedom to slavery. Yet God didn’t forget them or forsake them. He eventually delivered them.

There’s an important lesson in this for us. As a believer of Jesus Christ, you are not immune to hardness, trouble, difficulties or pain. Being a Christian doesn’t guarantee a continually rosy life. There are times when life gets hard. In the hard times never forget that God hasn’t forgotten or forsaken you!

Pastor Dale

Discouraged Doubt Encouragement Life Remember

Friday, August 24, 2018

What You Don’t Know…

| 53 secs read |

I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you!” No statement could be more deceptive. The reality is, what you don’t know can kill you. You can’t make good decisions if you’re ignorant. God’s Word reminds us of this; Hosea 4:6 (NIV) “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.”

The root word for ignorance is “ignore.” All too often in life we ignore the things we should pay attention to. Ignorance causes people to live foolishly instead of wisely.

We’re foolish when we ignore God’s Word. We’re foolish when we ignore the help and guidance of good, godly people. We’re foolish when we ignore the voice of the Holy Spirit in us. We’re foolish when we ignore the growth opportunities God gives us.

Remember these words from Proverbs 19:20 (NLT) “Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.”

Pastor Dale

Deception Ignorance Knowledge Unknown Wisdom

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Growing Up

| 1:40 min read |

What do you want to be when you grow up? Most kids are asked this question. Answers range from doctor to fireman to sports champion. Growing up is usually associated with what people do as adults rather than what people are as adults.

Growing up is not about graduating from school and getting a job. There are many people who daily operate in the adult world but are still kids spiritually and emotionally. They have never grown up internally. They still pout when they don’t get their way. They bicker with people around them. They’re jealous of what others have and get. Their internal world is controlled by impulsiveness or by bitter, angry, vengeful emotions. Bottom line, they are physical adults on the outside but still childish on the inside.

Growing up on the inside is God’s plan for your life. The more mature you become spiritually and emotionally, the better relationships you’ll have and the better decisions you’ll make. Mature people have good judgment. They have learned the value of self-control. Their lives are not dictated by their feelings. They own responsibility for their actions and attitudes.

Growing up is a choice. Paul, the apostle, talked about the decision he made to grow up. Look at his words in 1 Corinthians 13:11 (TPT) “When I was a child, I spoke about childish matters, I saw things like a child and reasoned like a child. But the day came when I matured, and I set aside my childish ways.”

One of the most important days in your life is the day you decide to grow up. While maturity is a process that takes time, it starts with a decision to be done with childishness. Let today be that day for you!

Pastor Dale

Actions Attitudes Calling Choices Emotions Growth Maturity Personal Growth Responsibility

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

The Blessings of Patience

| 1:18 min read |

No one likes to wait. We want what we want now. We live in an instant society—and an impatient society. For example, recent studies have confirmed that about 47 percent of visitors to a website expect it to load in less than 2 seconds. 40 percent of people click off a website if it doesn’t load in 3 seconds!

What we often don’t think about is the downsides of impatience. Impatience causes people to get into bad relationships. It causes people to buy things they don’t need or can’t afford. It makes people run ahead of God’s plans and trade long-term blessings for short-term pleasure.

We find the story of a very impatient man in the book of Genesis. His name was Esau. He was the firstborn of twin brothers and received a special birthright from his father. Sadly, one day Esau impatiently traded his birthright for a bowl of soup to satisfy his immediate appetite. He gave up his future destiny because he was unwilling to wait.

We’re warned not to follow his example: Hebrews 12:16 (NLT) “Make sure no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.”

Don’t let impatience cause you to do something similar. Don’t lose your future blessing because you’re unwilling to wait. Understand the blessing of patience!

Pastor Dale

Decisions Destiny Needs Patience Waiting Wisdom

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

The Power of Purity

| 1:21 min read |

I recently purchased a pair of white tennis shoes. While I enjoy them, I face the constant challenge of keeping them clean. It doesn’t take much to spot them and spoil their appearance.

Sin is like this. It spots and spoils us. It blemishes our life. It robs us of the “beauty” God created us to demonstrate to the world.

God hates sin. He hates it because of what it does to people. Think about cancer. If you’re like me, you hate cancer. Why? Because of what it does to people. Sin is like this. God hates it because of the horrible consequences it brings in lives.

One of the terrible consequences of sin is blindness and deception. When we open our lives to sin, we lose accuracy in our perceptions and judgments. Sin causes people to call right things wrong and wrong things right. It twists our thinking and causes us to make more bad choices.

The Bible warns us of the deceptive nature of sin; Deuteronomy 11:16 (NIV) “But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord.”

When we find ourselves entertaining and practicing sinful behavior or attitudes, the best thing to do is get clean again. We do this by confessing our sins to the God who loves us, accepting His forgiveness, and choosing to live His way again. Remember, impurity robs you of power. Purity connects you to God’s power!

Pastor Dale

Clean heart Dedicated Heart Impurity Purity Renew Serve Sin

Monday, August 20, 2018

The Curse of Insecurity

| 1:07 min read |

Have you ever thought about the negative impact insecurity has on your life? At the root of insecurity is fear. Fear and insecurity make people do lots of foolish things.

The fear of rejection causes people to compromise moral values to be accepted by some person or group. The fear of change keeps people from growing, learning and expanding their lives. The fear of the future robs people of peace. Insecurity and fear cause us to make all kinds of bad decisions.

The opposite of fear is love. The Bible teaches us this. 1 John 4:18 (NIV) “… perfect love drives out fear …” When we truly know that God loves us and has good plans for us, we are set free from insecurity and fear. We are able to make better decisions. We are able to trust God’s care for us and trust the guidance God gives us. Love produces trust, and love and trust drive out insecurity and fear!

Are you secure in God’s love, or is insecurity controlling your life? Rest in the love God has for you. Trust the good plans God has designed for you. Let His perfect love drive out all insecurity and fear from your life!

Pastor Dale

Decisions Fear Insecurity Love Morals Peace Rejection Relationships trust Values

Friday, August 17, 2018

The Fountain of Wisdom

| 1:04 min read |

Do you remember the name Ponce de Leon? He’s associated with a search for the fountain of youth. Supposedly, he located it near St. Augustine, Florida. Unfortunately, the existence of such a fountain is a myth.

Although there is no fountain of youth, there is another kind of fountain that is far more valuable. It’s the Fountain of Wisdom. And this Fountain is available to you.

The Fountain of Wisdom isn’t a place or thing, it’s a relationship! It’s found through a personal connection with God. Look at Proverbs 2:6 (TPT) “Wisdom is a gift from a generous God, and every word he speaks is full of revelation and becomes a fountain of understanding within
you.”

Think about this. Whenever you need wisdom for any situation, there is a Fountain from which you can freely get it. God is ready to provide you the wisdom you need for every part of your life. It comes from developing a personal relationship with Him and discovering the principles of wisdom He has given us in His Word.

Are you drinking from the Fountain of Wisdom? He’s available to you!

Pastor Dale

Consult Direction Relationship Wisdom

Thursday, August 16, 2018

How to Become Wise?

| 1:15 min read |

Bookstores are filled with “how to” books. A quick web search on “how to” articles or videos yields thousands of links. We all appreciate practical help when we are trying to do something new, or something we’re unfamiliar with.

The Bible teaches us what we need more than anything else. We need wisdom! Proverbs 4:7 (NLT) reminds us of this: “Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.”

If “getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do,” how do we get it? At the risk of sounding simplistic, I believe the first step in getting wisdom is really wanting it! You need to be hungry for wisdom before you actually find it. Hunger for wisdom makes you teachable. It makes you humble. It puts you in the position of being a student rather than a teacher. It makes you a listener and a learner. Hunger transforms you into someone who is always seeking growth.

How hungry are you for wisdom? Are you a teachable person? Do you think of yourself as a student or a teacher?

The best teachers are students first! The greatest leaders are learners. To rise to the heights of wisdom you must go low in humility. When you grow a hungry, teachable heart, you’re on your way to wisdom!

Pastor Dale

Desire Growth Humility Learn Teachable Wisdom

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Filled Up

| 1:06 min read |

When you look at the fuel gauge on your car do you prefer seeing the needle at “Empty” or “Full?”

“Full” is always better!

What’s true for your automobile is true for your life. You operate best on a full tank. The fuller your tank, the further you can go in life.

Paul, the apostle, understood the importance of being “filled” with the right spiritual resources. Look at one of his prayers for the believers under his care, and for us too: Colossians 1:9 (NIV) “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives …”

Paul prayed that we would be filled with the “knowledge of God’s will” through being filled with wisdom and understanding. He also reminded us that the Holy Spirit is available to fill us up with these resources.

As you begin each day, ask God to fill your spiritual tank with “the knowledge of his will.” Ask Him to fill you with wisdom and understanding, and trust that He will hear and answer you!

Pastor Dale

Knowledge Understanding Wisdom

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

The Characteristic of Great People

| 1:06 min read |

Have you ever wondered what causes certain people to rise to greatness?
Greatness is not found in fame, fortune or possessions. Greatness is all about living your highest and best life—the life God called you to live.

The Bible describes one characteristic associated with great men and women. It is wisdom! Take a look at a few examples:

Joshua found greatness through wisdom: Deuteronomy 34:9 (NLT) “Now Joshua … was full of the spirit of wisdom …”
Solomon understood the importance of wisdom. It was the first thing He asked God to give him when he was appointed Israel’s third king: 2 Chronicles 1:10 (NIV) “Give me wisdom …”
The Old Testament story of Joseph reveals a man who walked in wisdom: Acts 7:10 (NLT) “… God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom …”
Daniel and his three friends were known for their wisdom: Daniel 1:17 (NLT) “God gave the four young men and unusual aptitude for … wisdom …”
Jesus, as a young boy living in the home of Joseph and Mary, grew in wisdom: Luke 2:52 (NLT) “Jesus grew in wisdom …”

When you grow in wisdom, you prepare your life for greatness!

Pastor Dale

Great people Leadership People Quality Wisdom

Monday, August 13, 2018

The One Thing Guaranteed to Improve Your Life

| 1:15 min read |

Very few people are completely satisfied with their life. Most of us would like for something in our life to be better.

There is one thing that is guaranteed to improve the quality of our lives. When we make better decisions, we end up with a better life! The quality of your life will be determined by the quality of your decisions. When you improve your decisions, you improve your life.

When it comes to decision-making, especially making key decisions in life, the Bible divides people into two groups—wise people and foolish people. Foolishness always produces problems and pain, and wisdom always produces good fruit. Wisdom doesn’t necessarily always make your life problem-free, but it does make it productive and fulfilling.

This is why the Bible exalts the positive power of wisdom. Proverbs 3:13 (NLT) reminds us of the benefits of wisdom, “Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding.”

We are told that pursuing wisdom is the most important thing we can do. Proverbs 4:7 (NLT) challenges us to go after it; “Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.”

To make your life better, make wiser decisions. Ask God and He will help you!

Pastor Dale

Better Life Decisions Growth Improving Life Quality Wisdom

Friday, August 10, 2018