Video Devotionals

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Photography 101

| 1:14 MIN READ |

Everybody’s a photographer in today’s world. The development and proliferation of smartphones give us all opportunities to capture memorable moments.

There’s a big difference, however, in photography and outstanding photography. Anyone can take a picture, but it takes skill, practice, and artwork to create something inspirational. Good photographers know and practice some things that others often do not.

Two key parts of photography are frame and focus. A sharp photo is well-framed and adequately focused. When time and attention is given to these steps, an image has a higher possibility of communicating its story.

Frame and focus are critical parts of life too. To have a strong, impactful life, you need a clear spiritual and mental frame of reference. You need to think the right way and value the right things. You also need proper focus. This refers to the attention you give to the right priorities.

Jesus spoke of the kind of life that is properly framed and focused in Matthew 6:33 (NLT) “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

What adjustments do you need to make to your frame and focus? Make them now, and your life will improve!

Pastor Dale

Monday, January 27, 2020

Attention Please!

| 1:49 MIN READ |

Are you easily distracted? The world we live in is a distracting place. Sights, sounds, and appeals constantly vie for attention. Our focus shifts easily and regularly. Poor attention often keeps us from the most important things in life.

At its bottom line, attention is actually a choice. We choose who and what we give focus to. Improving our life starts with improving our focus.

Of all the persons and things calling for your attention, there is One that is most important to respond to — God. Everything in life gets better when God has our attention. The greatest days in your life begin when you respond to God’s call to attention.

Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, learned this lesson. For years he and the nation of Judah focused on and appreciated the rule of King Uzziah. This king did lots of good things for this small country. Then things changed. The admired king, the one many put their trust in to protect Judah and keep it prosperous, died. Isaiah described the subsequent events in Isaiah 6:1 (NIV) “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord…”

Isaiah’s attention may have been too focused on King Uzziah. When the king died, Isaiah’s attention was redirected. God got Isaiah’s attention, and wonderful things happened because of it. His life was purified by God, and his calling was confirmed by God. Isaiah’s life turned in a new direction.

What has your attention? Are you focused on your own needs, problems, pains, and pursuits? Are you trying hard to get the approval of others? Are you caught up in getting more and more things, while missing the most important thing, your relationship with God? What has your attention?

Hear God’s voice calling you today — “Your attention, please!” When God gets your attention, your life will always change for the better!

Pastor Dale

Attention Spiritual Sight Spiritually Blind Vision

Friday, January 24, 2020

Peer Pressure

| 1:43 MIN READ |

It’s something everyone battles. We all want to be accepted. We want to be a part of the group. It’s called peer pressure, and it’s not reserved for the young. It’s a very real adult problem.

The basic component of peer pressure is the desire and drive to “be like” and to “be liked.” It’s extremely powerful. It causes people to do all kinds of things, often violating their better judgment, discarding values they hold dear, and contrary to their faith and convictions. Who could measure the number of bad decisions made by people because of peer pressure?

This problem isn’t a contemporary one. It’s always been an issue. The Israelites in the Old Testament made lots of bad decisions because they wanted to “be like” and “be liked” by others.

One example is seen in the story of Israel’s move from a theocracy (God as their King), to a monarchy. It happened during the days of Samuel the prophet. This poor decision is credited to peer pressure. Take a look at a part of this story found in 1 Samuel 8:4, 5 (NIV) “So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel … They said … ‘now appoint a king to lead us such as the other nations have.’” And continuing in 1 Samuel 8:19, 20 (NIV) “But the people refused to listen to Samuel. ‘No!” They said. ‘We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations …‘“

This decision led to lots of problems for the Israelites. It was the result of wanting to “be like” and “be liked” by other nations.

How about you? What influence does peer pressure have in your life? Do you compromise morality to be accepted? Do you hide your faith for fear of being ostracized? Let’s choose the pathway of bold living that pleases God above all others!

Pastor Dale

Acceptance Peer Pressure Persuation Pressure

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Anxious Thinking

| 2:00 MIN READ |

“What if …?” These two words kickstart a common problem called anxiety. For some, the struggle is quite intense. The mind continually scans life’s horizons for threatening, foreboding possibilities looming in our future. Once the threat is perceived, rumination begins. Our mind fixates on the negative and convinces us that our concerns are real. It’s not long before we’re reacting emotionally and physically to a catastrophic imagination. Anxiety then morphs into fear, which locks us down and tortures us ruthlessly.

Maybe you’ve been there. Maybe you are there. If so, what do you do? There are no quick solutions to anxiety issues. Overcoming them involves a variety of steps and stages. One of these is the decision to consistently confront our thinking with truth—specifically the truth of God’s Word. It’s a fight, but a fight worth fighting. When you rise up against anxious thoughts with the promises of God that counter them, they don’t like it. They resist. They protest. They scream. They demand to be believed. Don’t give up. Authoritatively declare and affirm God’s love, care, promises, provision, mercy, and grace no matter how loud anxiety yells.

The psalmist David had his moments of anxiety. Look at what he said about dealing with it in Psalm 119:49, 50 (TPT) “Lord, never forget the promises you’ve made to me, for they are my hope and confidence. In all of my afflictions I find great comfort in your promises, for they have kept me alive!” And in Psalm 94:18, 19 (NIV) “When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

Are you anxious? Here’s a prayer for you, “Father, in the name of your Son, Jesus, I pray peace over every troubled mind. I ask you to calm the storm raging inside. I declare today that you are loving, good, merciful, kind, gracious and powerful. You have us in the palm of your hand. We trust in you. Let peace rule, I pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Pastor Dale

Anxiety Anxious Fear Stress Thoughts Worry

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Directions

| 1:34 MIN READ |

Maybe you’re old enough to remember the days of paper maps? Getting to a desired destination required following marked lines on a road atlas. More times than not, you had to add another element to navigating a new area. It’s called the “stop and ask someone how to get somewhere” approach.

Getting anywhere in life requires directions. You need to know the way to the place you want to go. It’s true in the natural aspects of life and the spiritual ones too.

The most important questions you’ll answer in life are about God. How do I get to Him? How can I have a personal relationship with Him? How can I be sure that I will spend eternity with Him? No questions deserve attention more than these.

The Bible gives us clear answers. It provides us unambiguous instructions and directions. Jesus answered these questions for us. Look at three things Jesus said that provide spiritual direction to us:

John 14:6 (NLT) “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’”

John 3:16 (NLT) “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

John 20:30, 31 (NLT) “The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.”

The directions are clear, the choice to follow them is ours!

Pastor Dale

Destination Direction Guidance Journey

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Start Right

| 1:49 MIN READ |

Good endings are helped by good beginnings. They often go together. A competitive runner or swimmer quickly learns the importance of using the starting block effectively, and the potential it has for helping win a race.

When it comes to faith, we also need a good beginning. We need to start with the right thinking, the right focus, and the right facts.

It’s interesting that the Bible provides us the right start to our faith. The first four words in God’s letter provide us the proper starting block for life and faith. Note Genesis 1:1 (NIV) “In the beginning God … “

Think about these four words. It’s the right starting point for everything. It affirms that all of life, all we are, and all that we need is found in God. It presents God as personal to us, caring about us, and involved with us. It is a declaration that everything begins with Him, and not with us! It turns our eyes and hearts away from ourselves and upward to Him!

R.A. Torrey made this statement about this verse, “This one phrase changes the way you think about everything if you believe it.” He continued with this commentary, “Look through the microscope or telescope and you see God’s intelligent design — proof of God’s existence …“

Believing that “God is” is the foundation of faith. The inspired writer of Hebrew made this clear in Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

The psalm writer, David, was straightforward and clear when he wrote these words in Psalm 14:1 (NLT) “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’…“

To get the right start in life, in relationships, in any and everything you think and do, start with God. The Bible starts there, and we should too!

Pastor Dale

Beginning Starting Right Trajectory

Monday, January 20, 2020

Waiting Well

| 1:50 MIN READ |

“Hurry up!” This phrase should be acknowledged as the mantra of our age. The pace of living has intensified, and the expectation for answers and results has increased. Fast, faster and fastest are the targets.

While there’s a positive side to speeding things up, there are some negative consequences too. Especially in the spiritual part of life.

Certain spiritual processes take time. You can’t form character overnight. You can’t always break long-standing habits quickly. You don’t renew your mind in one fell swoop! All these things take time. Sometimes a significant amount of it.

The need for speed in the spiritual realm, accompanied by the frustration of waiting isn’t new to our generation. It’s an ancient issue. Look at one of David’s prayers, prayed thousands of years ago, recorded in Psalm 13:1-3 (NIV) “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death …“

While this string of “how long” questions sound a bit like a pity party on David’s part, they also sound quite familiar. I’m fairly sure I have asked similar questions at times, and I bet you have too! When going through hard stuff, answers and breakthroughs never seem to come quickly enough. It helps to remember that the wait is worth it. When David comes to the end of this psalm he concludes with these words in Psalm 13:5, 6 (NIV) “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.”

Are you in a hurry for something to happen? Tell God but wait well! Trust God’s unfailing love. What He does, He always does on time!

Pastor Dale

Patience Time Waiting

Friday, January 17, 2020

Improving Your Memory

| 1:26 MIN READ |

It happened to me recently. Someone asked me the name of a person I know well, and for a few seconds, I blanked! I couldn’t remember at the moment someone I knew well.

It’s probably happened to you too. If not in your natural world, perhaps in your spiritual world. In a trying moment, when you needed to respond to a situation the right way, you responded the wrong way. You forgot the principles and practices you knew to be true and right.

All of us have the tendency to forget the things we need to remember and remember the things we need to forget. We easily lose focus of spiritual truths when in the heat of battle.

The psalm writer described this in Psalm 106:21 (NIV) “They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt.”

This verse refers to the failed memory of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. Instead of actively recalling their past history with God, and finding comfort and hope for their present challenges, they did what we often do. They forgot. Their memory lapse led to grumbling, complaining and a number of other destructive choices. Their failed memory sentenced them to forty years of drifting from their destiny.

What about you? How’s your spiritual memory? It’s wise to improve it. Remembering what we need to remember when we need to remember it, prevents unnecessary problems, pain and delays in our journey!

Pastor Dale

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Solid and Secure!

| 1:31 MIN READ |

Thunderstorms are a common occurrence in many places. They often blow in and sweep through quickly, leaving debris behind. When warned of strong ones, it’s wise to tie down your yard items. The intense winds toss around things that aren’t secured.

The Bible reminds us that the same thing can happen to us. There are all kinds of spiritual storms in life. They sweep through with force and intensity and toss around unsecured parts of our soul. We prepare for them by becoming spiritually solid and secure.

Paul, the apostle, wrote about this in Ephesians 4:13, 14 (NIV) “… until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind …”

To be spiritually solid and secure you must be spiritually mature. Growing up spiritually means that you have learned essential spiritual principles and you consistently seek to live them. It means that you know God’s Word, and recognize ways of thinking that contradict it. It means that you nurture your personal relationship with God through prayer and worship. It means that you are a vital part of a local church, contributing to the health of the body of Christ.

When you’re spiritually mature, you’re solid and secure. It doesn’t mean that storms don’t come. It doesn’t mean that storms never disturb you. It means that you make it through them unharmed!

Pastor Dale

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Repaired and Restored

| 1:21 MIN READ |

Occasionally I enjoy watching television programs showing the restoration of old cars. The storyline is predictable. An old car is found in a barn somewhere, purchased by someone with a vision for its restoration, and shipped to a garage, where the work begins.

In most cases, there is a twofold process needed to produce the glorious end result the new owner wants. First, there is the repair work. Second, there is the restoration work.

The repair work involves straightening frames, replacing metal destroyed by rust, overhauling the engine, and a variety of other projects. Once essential repairs are done, the restoration work begins. Old parts are brought back to life. Interiors are upholstered, and original paint colors are applied. The end result is an antique car looking like it just came from the showroom.

God does similar work in our lives. He finds us in our deteriorated condition. He rescues us from dead-end spiritual places. He begins the process of repairing and restoring us.

David writes about the joy he experienced when he thought about this restorative work of God in Psalm 14:7 (NLT) ”Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel? When the Lord restores his people, Jacob will shout with joy and Israel will rejoice.”

Think about it. God is repairing you and restoring you! It’s a reason to rejoice!

Pastor Dale

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Living with Longings

| 1:08 MIN READ |

What are you longing for? A longing is something you want, desire, and crave consistently. It usually refers to something you ache for in your heart. It represents a need or perceived need in your life.

Most folks have longings. It’s part of being human. No one ever has everything they want in life.

Actually, longings are good for us. They make us think about what’s really important in life. They develop perseverance in us. They help develop the discipline we need to live faithfully, in the face of disappointments and emotional pain.

The greatest potential benefit of longings is allowing them to lead us to God. David, the psalm writer, learned this lesson. Look at what he wrote in Psalm 38:9 (NIV) “All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.” The Passion Translation reads this way, “Lord, you know all my desires and deepest longings. My tears are liquid words and you can read them all.”

What are you longing for? What are the unfulfilled desires of your heart? Take them to God. Pour out your inner pain to Him. You’ll find He’s more than enough. He satisfies, and He saves!

Pastor Dale

Monday, January 13, 2020

Turn Pressure Into Prayer

| 1:27 MIN READ |

What pressures are you facing? The word “pressure” refers to “the burden of physical or mental distress; the constraint of circumstance; the stress or urgency of matters demanding attention.” (Merriam- Webster Dictionary).

Pressure comes in many forms—mental, financial, emotional, and relational. It wears away at our strength and energy. It muddies thinking and distorts our perspective. It drains us.

What’s the best way to handle pressure?

We get some answers to this question from the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel. The first chapter of this book tells the story of a lady named Hannah, who was under great pressure. Although she was deeply loved by her husband, she was unable to bear children. While this created certain pain and pressure for her, it was made worse by her husband’s second wife, Peninnah. She was a cruel, belittling woman.

Take a look at the pressure Hannah faced from her nemesis. It’s recorded in 1 Samuel 1:6, 7 (NIV) “… her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year … her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.”

How did Hannah respond to this kind of pressure? The Bible tells us in 1 Samuel 1:10 (NIV) “In her deep anguish, Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.”

Hannah turned her pressures to prayer. When she did, God heard, answered and helped her!

Are you under pressure? Take it to God in prayer. He’s the One who will get you through it!

Pastor Dale

Friday, January 10, 2020