Video Devotionals

Friday, January 18, 2019

Live One Day at a Time

| 1:09 min read |

If you happen to be a fan or a historian of country music, you might recall a song written a few decades ago by Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson titled, “One Day At A Time.”

The words of the chorus are:

“One day at a time sweet Jesus, that’s all I’m asking from you.
Give me the strength to do every day what I have to do.
Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine.
So for my sake, teach me to take, one day at a time.”

The song comes from a very important truth in the Bible. It’s found in both the Old and New Testaments. In Psalm 90:12 (NIV) “Teach us to number our days, so that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” In Matthew 6:34 (NIV) “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Both of these verses point to the importance of living one day at a time.

There’s power in the present. Today is the most important day of your life. Better tomorrows start with your choices and actions today. When we live one day at a time, we’re choosing the wisest way to live. Don’t waste today. What you do with it is the key to a brighter and better future!

Pastor Dale

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Get Rid of Extra Baggage

| 1:34 min read |

I’m a light traveler. I’m a carry-on kind of guy.

Packing light is an art. If you search online, you’ll find lots of suggestions and instructional videos about the topic. I know! When packing a suitcase do you roll or fold your clothes? Are packing cubes the key to smart travel, or are they unnecessary? How many of what items should you pack? What should you leave behind? These are important questions to the person obsessed with traveling light!

Whether you’re a “pack everything possible” person, or like me, prefer the “carry-on” approach, when it comes to life, the Bible is clear about the best approach to travel—light is better!

The writer of Hebrews lays this case out for us in Hebrews 12:1 (NLT) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

While this verse changes the metaphor from travel to racing, the principle is the same. Light is better! Getting rid of the excess baggage is the way to go! We can’t run or travel well when we are loaded down with guilt, shame, and condemnation from the past. We don’t run or travel well with loads of resentment, grudges, and offenses toward others. We won’t run or travel well with the extra baggage of wrong priorities and distracted focus.

When it comes to your spiritual life, decide to be a light traveler. Get rid of the extra baggage. You’ll go farther, faster without it!

Pastor Dale

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Attitude Adjustments

| 1:42 min read |

You can’t think wrong and live right. Conversely, right-thinking never leads to wrong living. You get the point. As your thinking goes, so goes your life.

Your thoughts control your attitudes, and your attitudes determine much of your behavior. An attitude really is a set of thoughts about something or someone. If your attitude is good, it’s because your thoughts are good. If your attitude is bad, it’s because your thoughts are toxic and perhaps sinful.

Often people spend significant time and energy trying to climb to some level of achievement and/or recognition in life. Their goal is to rise above the rest of the crowd and make a mark for themselves. While there’s nothing wrong with achievement or recognition, we would better serve ourselves, others, and certainly, God, if we changed our focus from the level of our life altitude to the degree of our life attitude.

Airplane pilots understand the relationship between an aircraft’s attitude and its potential altitude. Altitudes are restricted by wrongly adjusted attitudes. That’s why God gave us this reminder through the pen of Paul in Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV) “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; and to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Have some bad attitudes crept into your life? Are they affecting your behavior? Are you losing altitude in your relationships, your work, your life? If so, make some fast attitude adjustments. When you straighten out your thinking, you’ll straighten out your life!

Pastor Dale

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Return to God

| 1:36 min read |

“I need to get back on track!” Certainly, you’ve said something like this at some point.

There are times when we realize that we’ve slipped, drifted, lost our way a bit and need to get back on track again.

To get “back on track” presupposes a “track.” It’s an acknowledgment of a solid, sure set of rails that will guide you where you need to go, if you’ll return to them. The key is getting back!

While we get “off track” in many ways, no area is more dangerous than in our relationship with God. Whether it is a slight drifting from God or serious rebellion against Him, being “away” from God is never a good thing.

One of the beautiful things about God is His willingness to take us back when we’ve drifted and to help us get back on track with Him. The prophet Zechariah reminded a group of people who drifted from God of their need to return, and of God’s promise to restore them. Here is what is recorded in Zechariah 1:3 (NIV) “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord.”

Note the assurance God gave them. Three times He affirmed His words to them—“This is what the Lord Almighty says…declares the Lord Almighty…says the Lord.” God wanted His people to have no doubt that He was the One calling them back because He wanted them back!

Perhaps this is what He wants you to hear today. Maybe you’re “off track” in your relationship with Him. If so, all you need to do today is to return to Him. He knows how to get you “back on track!”

Pastor Dale

Monday, January 14, 2019

Seize The Moment

| 1:33 min read |

How well are you handling the opportunities God gives you?

Every day and every moment of the day contain wonderful opportunities. An opportunity is a possibility of something good and productive waiting to be realized. Opportunities can be missed, or they can be seized. Missed opportunities often are gone for good.

The Bible describes how we are to think about life opportunities. Paul, the apostle, wrote about this in Ephesians 5:15, 16 (NIV) “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Life is to be lived carefully. To be careful is to give special attention to something. Carefulness with anything reveals respect and appreciation for it.

God tells us to live carefully because of the opportunities found in each moment. When Paul reminded us to “make the most of every opportunity” he used the Greek word “kairos.” This word can be translated “time,” but it more specifically refers to the qualities and gifts available in a moment of time.

All too often we allow our busyness, our preoccupation with personal problems and plans, and our focus on things that really don’t matter to get in the way of the opportunities in front of us. It might be an opportunity to encourage someone, send a quick note of thanks to someone, listen to someone, pray with someone, or help someone along the way. Opportunities are everywhere.

Slow down. Refocus. Live carefully. Discover the diving opportunities awaiting you in the moments of life!

Pastor Dale

Friday, January 11, 2019

Favor that Makes You Useful

| 1:24 min read |

You’re favored by God! You’re the object of God’s love, grace, and goodness. He has done, is doing and plans to do favorable things in your life!

Life changes when we believe in the favor of God—when we know that it’s real and that it’s promised to us! Our thinking and actions improve when we live with an awareness of God’s favor. Our expectations change. We begin looking for evidence of God’s presence and blessings around us.

God’s favor enables us to be fruitfully used by God to make a difference.

Do you remember Noah? Look at what the Bible says about him in Genesis 6:8 (NIV) “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

In the midst of a very evil world, God looked down and extended His favor to a man named Noah. Through His favor, God used Noah to preach to a lost world and to preserve the seed of humanity and make it fruitful following the great flood.

Do you remember a young girl named Mary from Nazareth? Look at what the Bible says about her in Luke 1:30 (NIV) “But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.’”

The favor of God in Mary’s life resulted in the birth of the Messiah. She was used by God because of the favor of God.

Just like Noah and Mary served God’s plans, God has a plan for you too. His favor over your life will guide you to do what He created you to do. Look for the signs of His favor directing your life!

Pastor Dale

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Favor for Promotion

| 1:38 min read |

You’re favored by God! You’re the object of God’s love, grace, and goodness. He has done, is doing and plans to do favorable things in your life!

Life changes when we believe in the favor of God—when we know that it’s real and that it’s promised to us! Our thinking and actions improve when we live with an awareness of God’s favor. Our expectations change. We begin looking for evidence of God’s presence and blessings around us.

Promotion is one of the blessings of God’s favor. By His favor, God can promote you far better than you can promote yourself. He can open doors of opportunity for you that are beyond anything you could imagine or could have made happen in your own efforts.

The Old Testament character Joseph is a great example of favor. After being sold into slavery by his brothers, being falsely accused of raping his boss’s wife, and being placed in prison for a crime he didn’t do, it seemed that Joseph’s life was anything but blessed. But the story wasn’t over!

Take a look at what God did for Joseph in prison. The story is found in Genesis 39:21-23 (NIV) “The Lord was with him [Joseph]; He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.”

While Joseph’s circumstances tried to hold him down, God’s favor lifted him up! The favor of God brought him a promotion. God’s favor can do the same for you!

Pastor Dale

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Favored with Deliverance

| 1:22 min read |

You’re favored by God! You’re the object of God’s love, grace, and goodness. He has done, is doing and plans to do favorable things in your life!

Life changes when we believe in the favor of God—when we know that it’s real and that it’s promised to us! Our thinking and actions improve when we live with an awareness of God’s favor. Our expectations change. We begin looking for evidence of God’s presence and blessings around us.

One of the great blessings of God’s favor is deliverance. There are times when we’re oppressed by spiritual enemies, face unyielding circumstances, and struggle with hard places in life. In these times we often cry out to God for deliverance.

There was once a king of Israel named Jehoahaz who found himself and his nation in an oppressed situation. Take a look at what he did, and what God did in response in 2 Kings 13:4, 5 (NIV) “Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord’s favor, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw how severely the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. The Lord provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram.” Notice the connection between God’s favor and the provision of His delivering power.

Are you struggling with something oppressive? Remember, you’re favored by God! Just like God’s favor brought deliverance to King Jehoahaz, His favor will deliver you!

Pastor Dale

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

God’s Favor Brings Blessings

| 1:23 min read |

You’re favored by God! You’re the object of God’s love, grace, and goodness. He has done, is doing and plans to do favorable things in your life!

Life changes when we believe in the favor of God—when we know that it’s real and that it’s promised to us! Our thinking and actions improve when we live with an awareness of God’s favor. Our expectations change. We begin looking for evidence of God’s presence and blessings around us.

What does God’s favor do for us?

The favor of God brings the blessings of God to us. Take a look at the prophetic words spoken over the Israelite tribe of Naphtali in Deuteronomy 33:23 (NIV) “About Naphtali he said: ‘Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord and is full of blessing…’”

Notice the connection between “abounding with favor” and being “full of blessing.” While this specifically referred to this tribe, the broader principle applies to us. God’s favor brings blessings!

What are blessings? A blessing is “a special favor, Mercy or benefit.” (Dictionary.com). A blessing promotes and produces “happiness and welfare.” (Merriam-Webster).

Because you’re favored by God, you’re also blessed by God. He is looking after your welfare. He’s engaged in teaching and guiding you to live your life in a way that produces genuine happiness. He’s for you, not against you!

You are favored, and you are blessed!

Pastor Dale

Monday, January 7, 2019

You Are Favored!

| 1:23 min read |

Certainly, you have asked someone for a favor at some point in your life, and likely you have done a favor for someone.

True favor involves doing something for someone that’s not required, expected or demanded. It’s an act of assistance, goodness or generosity that comes from the heart of the person extending it, with no strings attached.

God is in the favoring business—not just for a select few. God favors all His children! His nature is gracious, generous, kind and good. He continually expresses His favor to people like you! You can’t earn it, and you don’t deserve it, but He gives it anyway!

The promise of God’s favor is found in many places in the Bible. Look at what the psalm writer David said about it in Psalm 5:12 (NIV) “Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

Think about this for a moment. God’s favor is surrounding you. It’s shielding you. You are in the center of an outpouring of God’s favor in and upon your life!

Knowing and believing this, changes your attitude. It changes your perspective. It causes you to live with hope, anticipating good things from God, expecting demonstrations of God’s goodness to you.

Know and believe that, as one of God’s children, you’re favored! Hold your head up in faith and look for the evidence. It’s all around you! Declare today, “I am favored by God!”

Pastor Dale

Friday, January 4, 2019

Can or Can’t?

| 1:30 min read |

Which word best describes you, can or can’t?

Whether you realize it or not, there’s a primary voice inside your soul that is constantly communicating messages to you. It’s your self-talk. It tells you what you can and can’t do. And sometimes it lies to you.

There’s a story from the life of David that teaches us a lesson about the voices of can and can’t. Take a look at it in 2 Samuel 5:6, 7 (NIV) “The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, ‘You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.’ They thought, ‘David cannot get in here.’ Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.”

The Jebusites occupied Jerusalem at this time in history. David was called by God to conquer it and set up his home there. Ultimately the temple of the Living God would be built there. The Jebusites had an opinion about what David could and couldn’t do. But David proved them wrong. He did what his enemies said couldn’t be done! He conquered the city!

There are enemies in your life too. They regularly tell you what you can’t do and what can’t be done. They are constantly reminding you of your limitations and impossibilities. Their goal is to get us to give up without trying. Just as David ignored the voices of the Jebusites, you must ignore the negative voices telling you what you can’t do. David did what his enemies said was impossible. With God’s help, you can too!

Pastor Dale

Thursday, January 3, 2019

What Do I Do?

| 1:07 min read |

Decisions are a part of life. From the moment we rise in the morning until the time we go to bed at night, we’re constantly making decisions. Some are small and inconsequential. Others are life-shaping and life-altering.

God cares about your decisions. We see this in a number of places in Scripture. Here’s an example in the life of David, in 2 Samuel 2:1 (NIV) “In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord, ‘Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?’ he asked. The Lord said, ‘Go up.’ David asked, ‘Where shall I go?’ ‘To Hebron,’ the Lord answered.”

These verses highlight the importance of seeking God’s guidance in the decisions of life. David didn’t presume to choose his own life direction. He asked for God to guide him. He prayed for God’s will.

It’s wonderful to see what God did—He very clearly answered David! He made sure David understood what his next move was to be. David asked for guidance, and God gave it.

This is the assurance you can have too. When you need to know what to do, ask God for His guidance. Then believe that He is going to make the way clear for you. God answers when we ask!

Pastor Dale

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Healing Your Hurts

| 1:17 min read |

When was the last time your feelings were hurt by someone? Maybe it was a curse word, a harsh look or bad behavior by someone, but the result was pain—heart pain. We feel wounded on the inside. And the more we think about the situation the more intense our emotions become.

What do you do when you’ve been hurt by the words, actions or attitudes of someone? How do you get past it and move forward?

There’s a story in the Bible of a man who was deeply hurt by something that happened in his family. His name is Absalom, one of King David’s sons. Absalom was wounded by the actions of his half-brother, Amon, against his sister, Tamar. Amnon took advantage of Tamar, and unfortunately, David did nothing about it.

The hurt Absalom felt grew into strong anger toward his half-brother and father. He eventually had Amon killed and rebelled against his dad. The hurt Absalom felt ended up ruining his life. Although others were at fault, Absalom’s decision to hate instead of heal cost him everything. It destroyed his destiny! You can read the entire story in 2 Samuel 13-17.

What about you? Are you holding on to something someone did or said to you? Will you let anger and bitterness destroy your life? The choice is ours—continue to hurt or decide to heal!

Pastor Dale

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Ready?

| 1:16 min read |

Getting ready for anything is a process. It involves preparing for what’s about to happen. It involves thinking ahead and getting things in place for whatever is anticipated.

The psalm writer David spoke of the importance of spiritual readiness. He described what God does to prepare us for life’s seasons, challenges and experiences. Look at what he wrote in Psalm 18:32 (NIV) “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.”

David declared that God “armed” him. God girded, equipped and readied him for both the opportunities and potential difficulties he faced. God gave David the strength, power, and ability that made him bold and secure, even when he was surrounded with insecure situations. Because of this, David was confident that nothing could or would defeat or destroy him.

This promise wasn’t just for David, it’s for you too. God is the One who is working in your life, getting you ready, arming you with strength, power, and ability. His presence and activity in your life should give you confidence, courage, and security to face and overcome any challenge with your head held high, knowing that you’re a winner, you’re a conqueror, you’re an overcomer—victory is yours. Claim this promise in your life today!

Pastor Dale

Monday, December 31, 2018

How Helpful Are You?

| 1:43 min read |

Are you a helpful person? To be “helpful” is to provide what is needed or useful to someone. Helpful people are great blessings. It’s someone we all should want to be.

Paul, the apostle, wrote about someone who was helpful to him in 2 Timothy 4:11 (NIV) “…Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.”

Paul told Timothy to bring a young man named Mark to him during a challenging time in Paul’s life. Paul had history with Mark. Years earlier, when Paul and his co-worker Barnabas first began planting churches, Mark traveled with them as an assistant—as a helper. Sadly, because of the roughness of the task, Mark deserted Paul in the midst of the mission. Paul was deeply disappointed in Mark’s actions and refused to allow him to travel with him on his next journey. Instead, he took Timothy.

We might say that, because of his immaturity, Mark was somewhat useless during this earlier season in his life. He didn’t have the grit and perseverance to be a reliable helper. However, after the passing of time and the mentoring of others, including the apostle Peter, Mark changed. He became helpful. He was now ready for a new assignment. He was prepared to be used by God, and to be useful to Paul.

What’s the lesson for us? First, this story is a reminder for us to focus on developing the character needed to be a true helper in God’s work, and helpful to others who are doing God’s work. Second, it’s a reminder that we should never give up on someone who failed the useful test in the past. Mark is an example of someone who grew into usefulness over time.

God is looking for people who are helpful. He has wonderful assignments for folks like this!

Pastor Dale

Friday, December 28, 2018

Saved from Yourself

| 1:52 min read |

Matthew 1:21 “And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

What’s in a name? Most couples preparing for a birth spend a lot of time reviewing and deciding on a name. Naming a child is a special privilege and responsibility.

When God the Father sent His Son into the world, He chose His name. Mary and Joseph did not have the freedom to give the child any name they desired. As the angel of the Lord described to Joseph the miraculous nature of Mary’s pregnancy, he gave Joseph this divine mandate, “… and you are to name Him Jesus …”

Why did God give this name to His Son? The name “Jesus” is the Greek form of the Hebrew name “Joshua,” which means, “The Lord saves.” Following Moses’ death, it was Joshua who led the Israelites into the Promised Land. He guided them from a life of wilderness wandering into the occupation of God’s promised possession. Through Joshua, the Lord saved His people from wasting their lives and missing their potential.

While the primary ministry of Jesus is to save us from our sins, He saves us from ourselves as well. Left to ourselves we end up wasting our potential on things that have little or no eternal value. When Jesus comes into our lives He prepares and empowers us to enter into the Promised Land He has planned for us.

As you celebrate this Christmas, pause and give thanks to the Lord for saving you—from your sins and yourself. Thank Him for preparing you to possess your Promised Land.

PRAYER

Lord, how grateful we are for your name. Thank you for caring for us so tenderly and completely. Thank you for saving us from our sins and ourselves. Thank you for preventing us from wasting our potential. Thank you for empowering us to invest in things that really matter. Thank you for leading us into our Promised Land. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pastor Dale