Video Devotionals

Monday, March 26, 2018

You are Covered

This week we’re preparing ourselves for the remembrance of Good Friday and the Celebration of Easter Sunday. With this in mind, we will turn our attention to a very important part of the story of Jesus, His sacrificial death on the Cross.

Jesus’ death was the fulfillment of the Old Testament event called the Passover. As God was getting ready to release His people from Egyptian slavery, He executed a final plague against the Egyptians. It was the death of the firstborns. In Exodus 12:1-13 we see God’s instructions to the Israelites. On the night the death angel was to pass through the land of Egypt, God’s people were told to take the blood of a sacrificed lamb and paint in on the doorframe of their houses. The promise was clear. God said, “When I see the blood, I will passover over you, and the death angel will not touch you.”

The blood of the lamb had power! Jesus came as our Passover Lamb, and His blood has power today. It provides us the power of protection. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, the power of His blood protects us from God’s righteous judgment for our sins. We are protected by the blood!

Pastor Dale

Friday, March 23, 2018

Self-control

Every good car needs at least two things that work well — an engine and the brakes. If you’re missing either of these you’re in trouble. You’ll either never get going, or never know when and how to stop. There are lots of people who have strong engines but no brakes. They are missing a vital part of a healthy, successful life — self-control.

Self-control is the willingness and ability to put the brakes on your desires, your emotions, your drives, your urges, and your passions. It’s the willingness and ability to stop yourself short of an accident. It’s also the wisdom to know when to apply the pressure on yourself before you get into trouble. the Bible teaches us that self-control is an essential character trait for us to develop. It will save us from all kinds of problems.

Proverbs 16:32 (NLT) “Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.”

Pastor Dale

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Failure

Jeremiah 8:4 (NLT) Jeremiah, say to the people, “This is what the Lord says,: When people fall down, don’t they get up again? When they discover they’re on the wrong road, don’t they turn back?”

One of the realities of life is failure. You can’t go through life without experiencing it. It’s something that comes with living and growing. You didn’t learn to walk without falling. You didn’t learn to ride a bike without some skinned knees. You likely haven’t passed every test you were given in school, or successfully completed every project you were assigned. The fact is, we all fail. If we don’t learn how to handle failure the right way we’ll have a miserable, frustrated life.

Recovering from failure starts by remembering that failure is an event, it’s not a label. It’s something that happened to us, and not something that has to define us forever. When you fail you must shake off the shame, get rid of the guilt by owning the failure while receiving forgiveness. You must mine the gold of your mistakes and make the lessons a deposit in your wisdom account.

Pastor Dale

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Troubled Times

What kind of trouble are you experiencing in your life? We hear it all the time, “I’m having trouble on my job.” Or “I’m having trouble in my marriage.” Or “I’m having trouble with my kids.” Or “I’m having money problems.” Trouble comes in many forms. And it comes to everyone! What do we do with trouble when it shows up in our world? We need to remember some very important promises from God’s Word.

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble.” (TLB)

When troubles show up at our door, we need to know Who to turn to for help. the Bible reminds us that God is “a tested help in times of trouble.” That means that you’re not the first person in history to experience trouble. Many others have been where you are, and many of them discovered what you too can discover, God can be counted on to help troubled people facing troubled times. Run to Him today!

Pastor Dale

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Faith

I often hear people say, “I wish I had more faith.” While I understand what they’re saying, the statement actually misses the point of how our faith increases. Faith is not something you get more of, it is actually like a muscle that gets stronger the more it is used. It grows by exercise. There really is only one way to get more faith, and that is to use the faith you already have, no matter how small it is. How do you use the faith you have? By daring to believe God’s Word, and proving that you believe it by obeying it.

When we obey God’s Word we’re using our faith. We are saying that we believe God’s way is the right and best way to live. Our obedience is proof of our faith. And the more you obey, the more your faith will grow. Don’t wait to get more faith, use the faith you have and watch it grow!

James 2:26 “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds [actions] is dead.”

Pastor Dale

Monday, March 19, 2018

Another Level

Ephesians 4:23 “ … Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”

We often hear people talking about taking something in their lives to another level. It might be a job, a skill, a habit, a relationship — but going to another level is something lots of folks want to do.

There is one thing that could take every part of your life to another level. That one thing is your attitude. An attitude is your mental orientation — your mindset about something — the way you think about yourself, God, other people and life. Even slight positive adjustments in our attitudes can make a huge difference for us. Just thinking more about the good you do have rather than what you don’t have quickly and radically changes the direction of your attitude and emotions. Small, positive attitude tweaks pay big dividends!

Pastor Dale

Friday, March 16, 2018

Roots

Every tree or plant survives and thrives because of something unseen — a strong, healthy root system. Root systems are invisible but invaluable! Fruit can’t be produced without good roots. When you have bad fruit, you need to inspect the condition of your roots. What are life roots? We’re rooted when we are committed to, settled, planted and engaged in the right spiritual and relational activities. We’re properly rooted when our hearts are genuinely dedicated to the things that are right and healthy. Develop deep spiritual roots and you’ll have good life fruit. Colossians 2:7 “Let your roots grow down into Him [Jesus], and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught …”

Pastor Dale

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Little Things

Sometimes the biggest things you do are actually the small things. Jesus taught and demonstrated this lesson many times. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus was with His disciples sharing a meal. The custom of the time was for someone to make sure each dinner guest was properly refreshed by washing the dust and mud from their feet. On this occasion, none of Jesus’ disciples had volunteered for the job. So Jesus did. He went around the table and, one by one, washed the feet of all the disciples, including Judas. He showed the greatness of His character by His small, servant-hearted action of washing feet.

Think about this in your life. Remember that sometimes the biggest things you’ll ever do are the small things you do to lovingly serve others. Go wash some feet today.

Pastor Dale

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Keep Going

One of the temptations we all face at times is the temptation to quit. When life is hard, challenges are big, disappointments are strong and pain is deep, our natural inclination is to bail out, walk away, give up and let it go. It might be a job we walk away from, a marriage we quit, a friendship we drop, a goal we dismiss. It’s easy to think that quitting is the quick and easy way out of the tough things in life. The reality is, quitting almost always creates more problems than it solves. It often keeps us from growing into bigger, stronger people. The prizefighter James Corbett was once asked, “What’s the most important thing to do to be a champion fighter?” His response was, “Fight one more round!” The secret to a championship life is to refuse to quit! Galatians 6:9 “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

Pastor Dale

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Overcoming Sin

Have you been discouraged because you can’t seem to break a particular bad habit? Sometimes we find ourselves failing in some area over and over again. These repeated failures make us feel miserable and hopeless. We find ourselves living under the dark clouds of shame and condemnation. The enemy of our soul tells us that we will never overcome this sin and weakness. The hopelessness turns to resignation and deep despair. We not only fail, we label ourselves as a failure! How do we come out of this spiritual and emotional mess? We must believe again! We must let God’s Word revive hope in us again. What should we believe? God’s promise. In Jesus Christ, we can claim the promise of Romans 6:14 “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” Believe it. Get up and get going again! Victory is on your horizon!

Pastor Dale

Monday, March 12, 2018

Insecurity

How does insecurity affect you? All of us long to be accepted. We all struggle with the fear of rejection. We all have our insecurities. Insecurity affects people differently. The fear of rejection causes some to limit their interactions with others. They isolate themselves from social situations that could potentially cause them pain. Other people become the life of the party, seeking to win attention and acceptance by their outgoing persona. Either way, insecurity hinders authentic relationships. What’s the cure for insecurity? What you can’t get from people you can get from God. Remember, God loves you. God is for you. Romans 8:31, “… If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Pastor Dale

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Watch Out For Weariness

When was the last time you were super tired — bone tired?

Tiredness is often more than physical. We sometimes suffer with tired minds and emotions. There is an inner kind of fatigue that can be very dangerous.

There are many stories in the Bible about the negative impact and effects of fatigue. Here’s one example:

Genesis 25:29-34 (NKJV) Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.” And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

This is the familiar story of Esau selling his birthright to his twin brother, Jacob. In one brief moment, Esau traded his future destiny and blessings to satisfy a temporary appetite.

The story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of soup starts out with a very telling statement, “…and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary…”

The Hebrew word for “weary” is “an adjective meaning faint, weary, exhausted. It describes a person becoming weak from hard work and needing nourishment; or from exhausting travels … It is used of a weary soul, or life, needing good news.” — (Complete Word Study Bible)

Weariness of spirit, soul, and body puts people in very vulnerable positions. In this situation, Esau’s weariness completely clouded his perspective, distorted his sense of values, and severely diminished his judgment. In a moment of weariness, Esau gave up a precious gift from his father. He sacrificed long-term blessings for a quick fix. His weariness sucked him into a dark hole of deception. The choice he made in this weak moment cost him one of the greatest gifts ever given to him.

Weariness can do these kinds of things to us. Tiredness can trick you into thinking strange thoughts. It can warp your perspective of what’s important. It can completely turn your priorities upside down. Fatigue will force you into a corner where foolish compromises seem to be your quick way out. A lot of great people have suffered at the merciless hands of spiritual, emotional or physical depletion.

What’s the solution for tiredness? What overcomes weariness and the potential pitfalls it longs to lead us into? Here are a few ideas:

• Recognize weariness for what it is.

Had Esau simply realized that he was tired, this awareness could have put him on notice to beware. When you’re aware, you can beware. Tune in to the inner voice of tiredness. Recognize its presence in your life. How do you know when you’re dangerously tired? What are the signs of significant fatigue in your life?

• Avoid unwise interactions and postpone important decisions.

Esau should not have talked to Jacob when he was tired! He should have been smart enough to realize that shrewd Jacob would take advantage of him in his weakened condition.

When you’re tired, avoid the interactions that can get you into trouble. Postpone important decisions until you’re rested and ready to make good ones.

• Remember that a tired mind and worn out emotions usually don’t tell you the truth.

In his weariness, Esau’s heart and mind said, “You’ve got to have some food. You’re going to starve if you don’t get it. Who cares about a birthright when you’re starving!”

A short reality check would have saved Esau from lots of pain and regrets. The truth was, he wasn’t about to starve! He was hungry, but he wasn’t starving. He could have waited for food. His tired mind and worn out emotions were lying to him. They will lie to you too!

Watch out for weariness. Don’t let it rob your blessings!

Pastor Dale

Friday, July 21, 2017

How Can I Love God More?

I suppose every sincere Christian believer has asked themselves this question at some point, if not at many points in their spiritual journey: How can I love God more? I have thought about it often, especially in low moments of spiritual failure, weakness or defeat. My soul cries out, “Lord help me love you more!”

Jesus actually addressed this question during His ministry time on earth. He gave us insight into one thing that is critical if our love for and devotion to God is going to grow deeper.

The answer is found in a story Jesus told after a specific and significant event in His life. Jesus was invited to dinner at the home of one of the Jewish religious leaders named Simon. This man, along with most of his spiritual colleagues, was quite self-righteous. He had a lot of knowledge about the Old Testament scriptures, was quite conscientious in keeping the law of God, and felt pretty good about his personal spiritual condition.

Then something unusual and unsettling happened. In the midst of this special meal, an uninvited lady showed up. This was no ordinary lady. She had a “reputation.” The gospel writer Luke described her as “a certain immoral woman.”

Without fanfare or spoken words, this woman broke open a very expensive bottle of perfume, knelt behind Jesus, at His feet. Suddenly the sound of her sobs filled the room. Her profuse tears fell on Jesus’ feet. She used her tears to wash His feet, wiping away the dirt and dust from them with her hair. She then proceeded to pour her precious perfume on the clean feet of Jesus.

As he watched all this happening, Simon, the “super spiritual” religious leader, began having some very ugly thoughts about Jesus. His judgmental, critical spirit generated some serious questions about Jesus’ character.

Jesus, who knows our thoughts, knew what Simon was thinking. In response, Jesus told this story that actually answers our original question:

Luke 7:41-48 (TLB)  Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people – $5,000 to one and $500 to the other. But neither of them could pay him back, so he kindly forgave them both, letting them keep the money! Which do you suppose loved him most after that?” “I suppose the one who had owed him the most,” Simon answered. “Correct,” Jesus agreed. Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look! See this woman kneeling here! When I entered your home, you didn’t bother to offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You refused me the customary kiss of greeting, but she has kissed my feet again and again from the time I first came in. You neglected the usual courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has covered my feet with rare perfume. Therefore her sins — and they are many — are forgiven, for she loved me much; but one who is forgiven little, shows little love.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Here we find our answer, and a very important lesson in our spiritual journey. The depth of our love for Jesus is determined, in large degree, by the awareness of our own deep sinfulness and need for forgiveness. This lady, although impure and unclean, humbly came to Jesus with repentance and worship and discovered the kind of relationship with God that religion can never get you. In a matter of a few moments in Jesus’ presence, with a broken, contrite heart, this woman found inner peace and fell in love with God in a way Simon the Pharisee had never known! Simon knew the Law. This lady found and experienced God’s grace!

The more you learn about the incredible, indescribable, amazing grace of God in Jesus, the more you’ll love Him!

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found; was blind but now I see.” — John Newton

Pastor Dale

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Ready Or Not?

So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. — Matthew 24:42-44 (NLT)

Preparation is a key part of life. When significant, important activities, events, decisions or responsibilities are ahead of us, it’s wise to prepare. In military terms, soldiers in training are reminded that those who sweat in preparation are less likely to bleed in battle. Preparation is one of the ways you pave a path to a better future.

To prepare for something is to get ready, be ready and stay ready. It’s the wisdom to look ahead and understand what’s on the approaching horizon and to take positive action before you arrive there. A key phrase in this definition is “take positive action.” Preparation is never passive, it’s always active.

Preparation is also a statement of faith and belief. You know that someone believes an event is going to happen when you see them preparing confidently and intentionally ahead of time. You know that a person truly trusts in a promise when you see them getting ready in advance for its fulfillment.

During the final week of Jesus’ earthly life, what’s commonly known as His Passion Week, Jesus had a conversation with His disciples about preparation. On Tuesday of that week, after an intense morning at the Temple in Jerusalem, Jesus took His disciples up on the Mount of Olives, directly east of the old city. In that peaceful setting, Jesus talked about some not-so-peaceful days to come. He spoke about preparing for them. Jesus gave some sobering instructions and warnings about getting ready, being ready and staying ready for the day when He would come again.

There are few topics that stir more interest, intrigue, and sadly in some cases, skepticism, than the Last Days, or the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. “When will it happen? How will it happen? How will we know it’s about to happen? Is it really going to happen?” All common questions when the subject comes up.

While Jesus talked that Tuesday about certain signs of the Last Days and His Second Coming, He strongly emphasized one main thing: Get ready! Be ready! Stay ready!

Jesus reminded us that His death on the cross was not the end of His story. Not only would He rise from the dead and ascend back to heaven, He would, absolutely, no-doubt-about-it, come again! No one can predict the day, the hour or the moment, but it will happen. We are to live every day prepared for that day!

Are you ready, or not?

Pastor Dale

Friday, February 24, 2017

Heart Change

Has your heart changed recently? One of the goals of spiritual growth is continual, positive heart change. Our hearts should be getting better, purer, bigger, and humbler over time. We need to do some regular heart checks to make sure our ”insides” are consistently heading in the right direction.

We need some help in this process. The good news is that God specializes in heart help! Take a look at the following Bible verse:

1 Samuel 10:9 (NIV)  “As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.”

For Saul to become Israel’s king, he needed a heart adjustment. He needed some “inside” work before he started his “outside” work as king. God always starts on the inside. When you’re stuck in something external, it’s often because something needs to be addressed in your heart.

People’s hearts are changeable. Some times they change for the better, and some times they change for the worse.

The changing of a person’s heart involves the changing of their thoughts, perspectives, interpretations, attitudes and pursuits from one orientation to another. It’s true, what’s inside determines the output and outcomes of a life.

When evil gets into someone’s heart, destructive things happen. When a person allows seeds of hurt or anger a place in their heart, it changes them in bad ways. Over the years I have watched many nice, kind people turn into hard, cold, grudge-bearing souls, all because of an offense toward someone. At times these changes are extremely obvious, and at other times subtle but real. Unhealed heart wounds and unchecked heart sin transform people for the worse.

I have also watched hardened, resistant, wounded, sullen, prideful and poisoned people become soft, pliable, loving, healed and helpful people, all because of a positive heart change. As certainly as good hearts can go bad, bad hearts can become good, through God’s grace and power.

Nothing can substitute for a positive heart change. When the orientation of one’s heart is changed by God toward God, great things follow. When bad things are cleaned out of someone’s heart, space is made for the good!

Is your heart changing for better or worse? Ask God to help you grow a better, purer, bigger and humbler heart!

Pastor Dale

Sunday, December 11, 2016

December 11 | Family

Luke 1:39-40 (NLT) A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town 40where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. Shortly after receiving the news that she was to carry the Christ-child, Mary headed to the home of Elizabeth, the soon-to-be mother of John the Baptist. Elizabeth was Mary’s relative, perhaps an aunt or cousin. Mary and Elizabeth were family.

It is interesting that the first impulse of Mary, having received the news that she would give birth to the Messiah, was to tell her relatives. The anticipation of the first Christmas brought family members together.

Christmas is a time when families come together. Family holiday gatherings often are the highlight of the year. They can be fun, pleasant times when kids and grandkids, uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, cousins and all sorts of extended kin share a meal, exchange some gifts and generally enjoy being with each other.

For some families, these gatherings are not so enjoyable. They can be disappointing and painful experiences. Instead of sharing love and laughter, the holiday atmosphere is sometimes filled with tension and strife. Ugly interactions reopen old emotional wounds.

Resentments between family members are rekindled. Hateful, hurtful words are spoken. Dysfunctional family patterns are displayed.

When Christ came, He gave us the opportunity to join His family. When we make Jesus Christ our Lord, we become a part of the family of God. We have a Heavenly Father who loves and accepts us unconditionally. Jesus Christ watches over us as our big brother (see Hebrews 2:11). We are a part of the greatest family of all!

This Christmas, enter into the joy of your Heavenly family. Prayerfully look for ways to share the message of Jesus’ coming with your earthly family also. Let God’s love fill you and flow through you to others.

Lord, thank you for adopting us into your family. We are comforted when we think about your love and care for us. Help us share your love with our earthly family. May you heal hurts from the past and reconcile broken family relationships during this Christmas season. In Jesus’ name, Amen.