Friday, September 19, 2008

Pastor Dale's New Blog

Pastor Dale's blog has moved to a new address. The new address is www.daleoshields.com. Please visit the new blog in your favorites, or you can subscribe to it via email and/or RSS feed directly from the homepage.

Thanks!

Monday, September 15, 2008

New Believers!

One of the most exciting things about church life is seeing people come to faith in Jesus Christ.  This past weekend our focus was on the new birth and the changes that happen in a person's life when they open their lives to Jesus and make Him their personal Savior and Lord.

It was thrilling to see so many people make the decision to step across the line of faith and turn their lives over to Jesus.  It was an amazing weekend of spiritual harvest.

As I was reflecting on what God did in people's lives this weekend I thought about a very important passage in the gospel of Matthew.  Take a look at what Jesus said:

“Now here is the explanation of the story I told about the farmer sowing grain:  The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the Good News about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the seed away from their hearts.  The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy.  But like young plants in such soil, their roots don’t go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word.  The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth, so no crop is produced.  The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God’s message and produce a huge harvest—thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.”  -- Matthew 13:18-23 (NLT)

Here are a couple of good reminders for us from this passage:
  • New believers need to be reminded that their decision to commit their life to Jesus Christ will certainly be challenged by the devil.  If you are a new believer, the best thing you can do is to quickly get connected with a Bible-teaching church and with other Christians who can help you start growing in your new walk with the Lord.  At our church we have a great 4 week study that will help you do both of these things.  It is called Basic Training.  Get signed up for it right away.  You will be glad you did.
  • All believers should be reminded that we have the privilege and responsibility to pray for and support those who are new in their faith.  We need to pray for their strength and for their protection from the traps and tricks of the evil one.  We need to pray for a great start and sustained commitment for them in their spiritual journey.
If you are a new believer in Jesus -- Hallelujah!  Get started on your pathway to spiritual growth.  If you have been a believer for a while, Hallelujah for you too!  Take up the role of a helper in prayer and encouragement for someone who has recently started their walk with Christ!

Pastor Dale

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Focused?

Focus is an amazing thing.  Think about light.  Focused light has great power.  A laser beam is, in essence, a very focused, concentrated wavelength of light.  Because of its focus, the power of the light is magnified and intensified.

The same principle applies in the way we approach our lives.  An unfocused life is like diffused light.  There is a lot of waste and limited impact.  However, when we get focused, everything changes.  We begin to see results.  In fact, growth and improvement in any realm of life starts with focus.

Focus is something we have to fight to maintain.  It doesn't happen without attention, concentration and effort.  A broad band of light becomes laser light only when strict boundaries and discipline are enforced on it.

This is true for us as well.  The kind of focus that brings positive and powerful results requires discipline.  Staying focused on the right things is a lifelong, daily challenge and responsibility.  But when we enforce the discipline of focus on our work, our relationships, our walk with God or any other area of life, we can anticipate incredible and significant growth, progress and impact.

Let's discipline ourselves to live focused lives.

Pastor Dale