Video Devotionals

Monday, February 24, 2020

Handling Grief

| 1:29 min read |

Loss is tough. Any major loss creates a strong emotion called grief. Grief is real, and it’s normal. It’s part of the process of dealing with, and eventually healing from the losses in your life.

The Bible refers to grief in several places and in several ways. It’s described as being “cast down, broken-hearted and crushed in spirit.” God’s Word gives us hope to hold on to in times of grief. Look at the following verse in Psalm 34:18 (NIV) “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

What a promise! In our moments of loss, we have a God who doesn’t desert us. He comes close to heal and deliver us. He shows up to help us overcome the pain of our losses.

It’s helpful to understand how to handle grief and heal from it. How does this happen? It starts by honestly expressing our grief to God. Don’t deny your grief, express it to God. He’ll listen and draw near to you.

God comes near to us in our grief through the comforting presence of His Holy Spirit. In our pain, we sense Him gently wrapping His arms around us, assuring us of His love. He also comes to us in our grief through the comforting presence of supportive family and friends. He brings people into your life that can help you walk through the dark valley of grief into light and hope again.

When the waves of sorrow break on your soul, call on the One who can comfort you and turn to the people He has placed around you. He’s the Healer of the broken-hearted!

Pastor Dale

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

The Hole In Your Soul

| 1:22 min read |

Many people spend their entire life either searching for the one personal relationship that will cure the pain in their soul, or in trying to make someone in their life give them the love, attention, affirmation, and approval they long for.

What we fail to understand is this. The deepest need in our life isn’t a need for relationships with people. It is our aching need for a relationship with God, our Creator.

There is a lady in the Bible who learned this lesson from Jesus. John 4 tells the story of the Samaritan woman and her interaction with Jesus Christ at a well. She went to the well to fetch water and met Jesus there. He told her about living water—a spiritual water that would satisfy the deepest longing in her soul.

This lady had spent her adult life looking for love and soul satisfaction in the wrong places. She had been married 5 times and was living with a man who wasn’t her husband. Her relationship history points to lots of failure and pain.

When she met Jesus, she found satisfaction that none of her human relationships could ever give her. She discovered that there was a hole in her soul that only God could fill.

The same is true for you. There’s a hole in your soul that only God can fill. Open your life to the living water only Jesus can give. You’ll find the satisfaction that no person or thing can provide.

Pastor Dale

Monday, February 17, 2020

What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do

| 1:03 min read |

Many times we find ourselves facing a decision that baffles us. We don’t know what to do. After weighing pros and cons and talking to others, we’re more confused. Our direction seems cloudy, foggy, extremely unclear. We don’t know what to do.

What do you do when you don’t know what to do? The Bible tells us in James 1:5 (NIV) “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

In this verse, we’re given instructions and a promise. When we don’t know what to do, we are reminded that God is available to help us, guide us, speak to us and direct us. To access the wisdom of God we must go to Him. He must ask Him for it. When we ask, we need to believe and trust that He will answer us. We ask, we trust, we wait and we watch. We can be sure that the answer will come.

Are you trying to make an important decision, and you don’t know what to do? Have you exhausted yourself trying to find the answer? Ask God. Trust God. Wait on God. And watch for the answer. It’s on the way!

Pastor Dale

Friday, February 14, 2020

Name and Fame

| 1:18 MIN READ |

In pop culture, fame is largely about name recognition. People pursuing celebrity status often expend huge amounts of time and money getting their name out—branding their identity. Why? Name and fame go together. People work hard to make a name for themselves.

One name needs no self-promotion—God’s name! God’s name is great, not because of His self-centered, self-branding efforts. His name is great because He is great. No one or nothing compares to Him. He is set apart from all things and all others.

Take a look at this reminder found in Jeremiah 10:6 (NIV) “No one is like you, LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.”

One of our primary assignments as believers is to proclaim the greatness of God’s name in all the world. Through our words and through our works, we are called to make His glorious name known. Instead of living for the fame of our name, we’re to live for the fame of His name—the matchless name of Jesus!

Remember who He is! Paul reminded us of His great name in Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV) “… God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Pastor Dale

Thursday, February 13, 2020

So Good!

| 1:14 MIN READ |

It’s a popular expression. It describes events and experiences surpassing our most positive expectations. That was “so good” we say!

Goodness also describes the actions and nature of people. When someone shows unexpected or undeserved kindness to us, we call them “good.” When someone displays generosity to us, we think of them as “good.” When someone goes out of their way to help us, we appreciate the “goodness” they demonstrate.

The Bible shows us a God who is good. James, the New Testament writer, says it this way in James 1:17 (NIV) “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father …”

The psalm writer echoed this assessment of God’s character and nature in Psalm 34:8 (NIVP) “Taste and see that the Lord is good …”

Why is it important to remember God’s goodness? Because it transforms the way you relate to Him. It changes the way you pray. You approach God with greater confidence. Admitting sins to God no longer is a frightful thing, it’s a helpful thing. You’re confessing your failures to a loving God. It increases your peace. You know you’re secure with a God who is good! Praise becomes more natural and consistent when you trust the God who is good!

God is good! He is so good!

Pastor Dale

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

See the Light

| 1:09 MIN READ |

About seven decades ago, a singer named Hank Willams, Sr. introduced a song which has been re-recorded and sung by many over the years. In 1948, “I Saw The Light” was released by Williams. The song lyrics describe a moment of spiritual insight and transformation. Here are a few of the words:

“I’ve wandered so aimless, life filled with sin
I wouldn’t let my dear Savior in
Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night
Praise the Lord, I saw the light.
I saw the light, I saw the light
No more darkness, no more night
Now I’m so happy, no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light.
Just like a blind man I wandered alone
Worries and fear I claimed for my own
Then like a blind man who God gave back his sight
Praise the Lord, I saw the light.”

Throughout the pages of the Bible, God is described as light. Light is, obviously, the opposite of darkness. Light is not only what God gives to people; it is who He is!

Because God is light, when we spend time with Him, He sheds light on us. He helps us to see things that we otherwise couldn’t see. He reveals things to us about life, ourselves, and His plans. When you’re with Him, you’re able to “see the light!”

Pastor Dale

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Weight Check

| 1:45 MIN READ |

Visit a doctor, and most likely, you’ll be required to step on one of those dreaded “doctor scales.” I am convinced the medical profession has conspired to produce these deceptive devices. There’s no way I weigh as much as these contraptions say I weigh!

What is weight? It’s your body mass. Technically, it’s the “gravitational force of attraction on an object …” (Encyclopedia Britannica) The more mass, the higher the weight. You likely didn’t need to be reminded of this!

When it comes to the Bible, the word “weight” is defined a bit differently. It’s associated with the concept of glory. The glory of something is how heavy or weighty something is. It represents how much power or influence something or someone possesses; how much capacity and ability a person has in their nature and character. This is why the word is used scripturally in connection with God. God is described as glorious—weighty!

Isaiah, the prophet, experienced the weight of the glory of God. Look at his encounter with God’s glory in Isaiah 6:1-3 (NIV) “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim…And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’”

When Isaiah saw God’s glory, it transformed him forever. He was impacted by the weight of who God was and is. He realized that nothing or no one compared with the weightiness of God. Nothing was beyond His power and ability to do. He was Supreme, Superior, Set Apart from anyone and anything else.

Today, open your eyes to the weightiness of God. When He “weighs in” to your life and situation, things always change for the better!

Pastor Dale

Monday, February 10, 2020

The Difference a Day Makes

| 1:07 MIN READ |

A single day can change life as we know it. We all can look back on key days when something significant occurred. Life changed.

It was true for the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. He described what happened to him one day, and the year it happened in Isaiah 6:1 (NIV) “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord …”

King Uzziah was one of the relatively good kings of Judah. He did lots of positive things for this tiny nation. The day he died was a sad day for the country. Although it was also a sad day for Isaiah, it turned out to be one of the best days of his life. Why? Because Isaiah’s focus shifted from thinking about, and likely serving an earthly king to serving a Heavenly King. In one day, in one encounter with God, everything changed in Isaiah’s life. When his vision turned from earth to heaven, he found new meaning and a new calling for his life.

The best way to change life for the better is to change your life focus. In one day, and with one decision—the decision to look from earth to heaven—your life can and will shift trajectories. This day will become one of the best days of your life!

Pastor Dale

Friday, February 7, 2020

Permanent Celebrity Status

| 1:30 MIN READ |

Our world is preoccupied with celebrities. Pop culture elevates folks who have high profile achievements, significant wealth or envied popularity or status. People exalt them, celebrate them, and sadly make them their idols and life models.

People can appropriately be celebrated and appreciated for their accomplishments. Yet the reality is, there’s always someone on the heels of the rich and famous who will eventually push them out of culture’s spotlight, taking their place for the next season.

There is only One who never loses fame. There is only One who never loses honor. There is One, and only One who is eternally worthy of glory, praise, and worship. There is only One who has permanent celebrity status. The psalmist said it this way in Psalms 97:9 (NIV) “For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.” John, the apostle, described his vision of the worship in heaven with these words in Revelation 4:9-11(NIV) “Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.’”

Take time today to worship the only One who is worthy of your worship!

Pastor Dale

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Tune In

| 1:24 MIN READ |

How do you find your favorite radio station? You tune in.

In past years, you tuned in to your desired station by carefully turning your radio dial. Often it was a tedious process. Getting the dial to precisely the right frequency was essential to receiving the clearest signal and best listening experience. If your dial was slightly off, you had to deal with lots of static and bleed-over from other stations. Thankfully, digital tuning has solved these issues!

Hearing God is more like analog tuning than digital. It requires some effort and careful attention. We have to “dial-in” to the Holy Spirit’s voice.

A young boy in the Bible learned this lesson. His name was Samuel. You can read about his experience learning to listen to God in 1 Samuel 3:1-10. God sought Samuel’s attention, but Samuel had to learn to listen for God’s voice.

God is always seeking our attention. He wants to talk to you. I don’t mean this in strange or weird ways. His voice is heard through His Word, and through reminders of His Word throughout the day. This means that we must get His Word inside us, so, in key life moments, the Holy Spirit can whisper God’s promises and instructions back to us.

Are you getting God’s Word in you? Are you listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit reminding you of God’s Word throughout the day? Let’s all learn to tune in to the frequency of heaven!

Pastor Dale

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Windshield or Rearview Mirror?

| 1:34 MIN READ |

It’s often been said that people live their lives looking in one of two possible directions: some live life facing forward — looking through the big windshield of the present and future. Others are living life backward. They are driving their lives with their eyes focused on the rearview mirror — the past.

Living in the past will always keep you from your best life and future. Think of the consequences of trying to drive forward with your eyes focused backward. It’s an accident waiting to happen!

There’s a lady in the Bible who paid a high price for a backward focused vision. She’s known as “Lot’s wife.” When God told Lot and his family to leave Sodom and Gomorrah because of the coming judgment against these cities, He specifically told them to head out of town and never to look back. God was reminding them to leave behind the past and move toward their future.

Sadly, Lot’s wife disobeyed these instructions. We’re told what happened as a result in Genesis 19:26 (NIV) “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” Many years later, Jesus used this event to remind us of the importance of forward vision. Look at three simple words spoken by our Savior in Luke 17:32 (NIV) “Remember Lot’s wife!” Looking back hinders us. People pay a high price for living a life focused on the past!

What about you? Does your focus need to change? Are you preoccupied with the pain of your past, the mistakes of your past, or perhaps the glory of your past? Shift your focus forward to the present and future. You’ll discover God there!

Pastor Dale

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Response Requested

| 1:19 MIN READ |

When was the last time you reached out to someone and didn’t receive a response? It happens quite frequently in today’s world. A text, a post, an email, or a call is ignored or responded to superficially. Depending upon the relationship, this can hurt feelings. It’s done to us, and it’s done by us.

There’s a spiritual application of this too. The truth is, God is always reaching out to us. Daily, God tries to get our attention. He uses people, circumstances, life events to call to us. Sadly, we often fail to respond. When we fail to respond, it hurts God’s heart, and we miss many blessings.

There are many examples of this in the Bible. Let’s look at one found in Matthew 9:9 (NIV) “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”

Matthew was a tax collector in Jesus’ day. One day, Jesus passed by his toll booth, and simply said to Matthew, “Follow me!” Matthew faced a decision. What would he do with Jesus’ invitation? Would he respond, and how would he respond.

Without hesitation, Matthew hopped up and began his life journey with Jesus. His response to Jesus’ request changed everything in his life.

Look and listen today for Jesus’ call to you. When he calls, respond to Him. Your life will be better for it!

Pastor Dale

Monday, February 3, 2020

A New View

| 1:10 MIN READ |

Often the greatest change we need in life is a change of perspective. When we see things in a different light, with a new set of eyes, life often improves dramatically.

In the Bible, we find a man named Saul of Tarsus. When we’re first introduced to him he’s a Christ hater. He persecuted Christians with intense zeal. He was determined to stop this Jesus movement, stamping out its message of the Messiah.

Then something incredible happened. One day, as he was on the way to arrest Christians into Damascus, Syria, everything changed. The Bible describes this moment in Acts 9:3-5 (NIV) “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied.”

Although physically blinded by this encounter with Jesus, Saul’s spiritual eyes were opened. He had a new view! It changed everything about his life and his future!

Is it possible that you need a new view of something in your life? Ask God to help you see from His perspective. His view is always the best view!

Pastor Dale

Friday, January 31, 2020

Vision or Sight

| 1:23 MIN READ |

Helen Keller, an American writer and teacher who happened to be both deaf and blind, made this powerful statement, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight, but no vision.”

There are many people with perfect eyesight, but very little spiritual insight. They lack vision of God, His Word, His will, and His work in their lives.

During Jesus’ day, there was a group of people who were well-schooled in theology. They knew God’s laws and rules, but they had no vision of Him in their hearts. Jesus had some tough things to say to them. Look at two examples of Jesus’ words about them:

Matthew 13:13-15 (NIV) “… Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand … they have closed their eyes …”

Matthew 15:14 (NIV) “… they are blind guides …”

On the other hand, Jesus commended those who had spiritual insight. In Matthew 13:16 (NIV), we find these words of the Savior to His followers, “But blessed are your eyes because they see …”

Many blessings in life are linked to the level of our spiritual vision. People with good spiritual vision see and believe in God’s love, God’s promises, God’s grace, God’s truth, and God’s power. They are more influenced by what they see in the unseen world of God’s Kingdom than by what they see in the seen world around them. Their gaze is heavenward!

What about you? How’s your spiritual vision?

Pastor Dale

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Time for Reflection

| 1:22 MIN READ |

One of the valuable activities of life is self-reflection. While some people are better at it than others, we all need regular quiet times to think about the influences in our lives, the choices we’re making, and the better ones we need to make.

Healthy reflection involves asking yourself penetrating questions and answering them honestly. More importantly, it involves inviting God to search your heart and show you important things about yourself and your spiritual condition. The goal of reflection is insight into the activities, motivations, and state of your soul. The purpose of the insight is improvement, growth, and genuine transformation of life.

David, the psalm-writer, revealed to us some of his prayers of reflection. In Psalm 19:14 (NIV), he recorded this prayer we would do well to consider and pray in times of reflection, “Let these words of my mouth, and this meditation of my heart, be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer.” Then in Psalm 139:23, 24 (NIV), we find another prayer inviting God’s help and insight in David’s time of personal reflection, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Have you had a reflection time recently? If not, schedule it and do it. It’s a powerful reboot for your spiritual life.

Pastor Dale

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

A Flourishing Life

| 1:35 MIN READ |

Some words perfectly describe the kind of life we all long for. One such word is “flourish.” To “flourish is, “to grow luxuriantly; to achieve success; to reach a height of development or influence.” (Merriam-Webster) The origins of the word are associated with flowers. A flower at its peak of health and blossom is said to be “flourishing.”

God wants you to flourish also. He made you to bloom—to reach the peak of your potential. Just as a flower only flourishes when certain conditions are met, we only flourish when the right conditions are in place.

The Bible describes many things critical to a flourishing life. One is described in Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) “Where there is no vision, the people perish…”

While this verse emphasizes the missing ingredient to a flourishing life, we learn about the element that’s necessary for this. It’s vision! Specifically, it’s spiritual vision. Without it, we will perish.

Spiritual vision includes seeing and obeying the commands of God, the principles of God, and the promises of God. It involves insight into God’s purposes and plans in your life, and a decision to pursue them. Doing so causes us to flourish.

Is your life perishing or flourishing? If it’s the former rather than the latter, it’s time for a change—a change in your vision. Who and what are you looking at and looking to for direction? What’s driving your life? If it’s anyone or anything other than God, shift your vision to Him. Ask Him for vision, seek His Word, and ask God to help you see and follow His will. As you do, expect your life to blossom!

Pastor Dale