Incapable

God is calling each of us to do what it is that He desires for us to do. At that point, we are not incapable of doing it. He will give us all the tools necessary to accomplish His will. No longer should we be people who tell God what we can't do. Let's become people who allow God to work in our lives for His glory. You are capable of doing what God calls you to do. When you feel like you are incapable, remember: 1. FOCUS: Keep your attention directed toward Jesus and not on whatever circumstances are in front of you.

2. FOLLOW: Do what it is God tells you to do. He does not call us to understand everything, He calls us to follow Him.

3. FEAR: Be one who fears the Lord. This does not mean to be afraid of Him but to have a reverent awe that the creator of the universe wants us to participate in His plan.

4. FALL: Worship the Lord in everything you do. This is not just about singing. It is about living a life that worships Him every minute of every day. Offer your body as a living sacrifice, this is your spiritual act of worship. Rom12:1

-Pastor Dale

Wisdom

1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: ²for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; ³ for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; ⁴ for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young⁵ let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance⁶ for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. ⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

This passage at the beginning of Proverbs really breaks it down for us. Are we those who love to gain the instruction, wisdom, and understanding that the Lord wants to so freely give us or are we more like the fool, the one who despises wisdom and instruction? I think as believers we would say that we don't want to be fools. We want to be people who seek the instruction the Lord has to offer. The problem is that sometimes our actions don't line up with what we say. We learned last Wednesday that in the book of James, the main thing that James was talking about was listening and DOING. Let's not be those who say we are one thing but never back it up. Let us not be people who say with our mouths that we want to draw closer to God but in our hearts are far from Him. Let's listen to the Lord and do what He says, not because it is a requirement for salvation but because we have been saved!

Peace :)

Pastor Dale

Find The Good

¹⁹ I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.²⁰ I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.²¹ Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. ²² Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,for his compassions never fail.²³ They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ²⁴ I say to myself, The Lord is my portion;therefore I will wait for him. ²⁵ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;²⁶ it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. ²⁷ It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. ²⁸ Let him sit alone in silence,for the Lord has laid it on him. ²⁹ Let him bury his face in the dust ^- there may yet be hope.³⁰ Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,and let him be filled with disgrace.³¹ For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.³² Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.³³ For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.

Lam 3:19-33

On Sunday one of the points we went over was to FIND the good. Specifically, instead of finding all of the bad things in other people and being judgemental, we should be people who look to find the good. I think this passage in Lamentations is a good reminder for us not only to find the good in others but to remember to find the good that God continually does in our lives. The first two verses speak of the author's problems. Affliction, wandering, bitterness, and gall are the things that he lists that are obviously causes to why his soul is downcast. At that point, the author has a choice to continue to find the negative things going on in his life and focusing on them or he can do what he does which is turn his focus to the good that God does in his life. He starts finding the good and in that he IMMEDIATELY has hope. If today you find your soul downcast, read this passage of scripture and be reminded of the good that God has done, is doing, and will continue to do for you and let that give you hope. Your circumstance might not immediately change but your attitude about it can. As you read this, I challenge you to FIND THE GOOD!!

Peace :)

Pastor Dale

Peace

As I sit here this evening, I am so thankful for the peace that Jesus offers us. Philippians 4:7 says, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." This is such an amazing statement. God's peace is larger than our understanding. This peace, when accessed, allows us to get through tough times. It allows us to forgive people who have hurt us, even if they didn't ask for it. It allows us to walk through trials and persecution without letting them bring us down. In addition to that, it allows us to have peace when things are going great. When everything is falling in line. When relationships are growing and life seems to be flowing along nicely. But, do we have peace in one situation and not the other? Do we freak when bad things happen and we are OK if everything is going good? Or do we do well when things are falling apart but lack peace when things are going good, always waiting for the other shoe to drop? These are questions we have to ask ourselves. If we have peace when things are going great but not when things are going bad, or vice versa, do we really have peace? Or have we just learned how to cope in certain situations? Only you can answer that question, but what I can tell you is that God's peace transcends all understanding and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And that type of peace allows you to get through the good and the bad connected to the one who provides the peace. Peace. :)

Pastor Dale

Welcome

Welcome to my first ever blog. My hope is that I can give you some practical application during the week through this blog. I probably won't post on here daily but it will be regularly enough that you should come back and check it often. If you ever have any comments or questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me at dale@lifechangechurch.info. For today, be blessed and be a blessing. :) Pastor Dale