Happy Valentines Day!

We all go through life and at times think that we are all alone in this world or do not feel loved. It could be because we have a horrible family life. It could be because we were never really loved as we were growing up. It could be because we were never really taught what love was or how it look in different relationships. It could because the love we received growing up was conditional and if we did something wrong then that love was taken away. How often do you feel that way?

As I was growing up my mom did not teach me about love. I grew up knowing she cared for me and took care of me but did not feel loved from a general perspective. She also really did not teach me how to love family. Well into my adult life I was a colder person and nothing phased me outside of my immediate circle. I really never understood how to have empathy for people. My wife is the opposite. She grew up different than I did. She felt loved by her father and it was him who taught her what love was. That made her who she is today. She is a loving and selfless person and she was like that before she ever met Jesus.

Well that being said I have something to tell you that you might have never realized. Even if you have been through not feeling loved or you still feel that way. God loves you. He cares for you right now, right this minute. He loves you so much that He sent His son Jesus to take the punishment for sin that we all deserve. This is agape love! Agape love is always shown by what it does. God’s love is displayed most clearly at the cross. “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4–5, ESV). We did not deserve such a sacrifice, “but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God’s agape love is unmerited, gracious, and constantly seeking the benefit of the ones He loves. The Bible says we are the undeserving recipients of His lavish agape love (1 John 3:1). God’s demonstration of agape love led to the sacrifice of the Son of God for those He loves. He loves you just the way you are but He wants to transform your life. That is how much He loves you.

But He does ask us to give the love He gives us to those in this world that are searching for love as well. His love should overflow out of our hearts to others. It says in John 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” This world will know we love God and God loves them by our love for each other! There are no stipulations to Gods love. Gods love is unconditional. He does not with hold His love because of what we have done in our lives. We have not done anything that would make Him say they are not worth it. We in turn are called to give the same love we receive to those in this world that need it. So when ever you feel that you are not loved remember this very important point. The God who created the heavens and the earth loves you with every inch of His being!!

Be Blessed, Dave

Hey everybody. It has been awhile. We have slipped in making regular posts. Very sorry Jenn and I have gotten busy. I was brought on as lead pastor at the church I was the discipleship pastor for a couple years so things have gotten much busier. We will be getting this blog back on our agenda because people have said they have missed reading it. Since we are coming up on new years lets get into making change.

How many people make new years resolutions? Every year at this time people look to make changes in their lives. About 40% of adults make resolutions to change something in their life. Some focus on one, some have multiple resolutions. Many do not even bother with them.

People look to change their fitness routine, eat healthier, live healthier etc… Men gear more towards their career. Woman gear more towards health related topics. The hard part for most of us is the fact that we do not stick to them. We fail year after year at changing what we had picked to change. Almost half of the people who set resolutions fail by February. A little over 20% quit by the end of the first week. Not even 10% succeed. Most say that it is losing motivation that causes them to quit. Some say that they just were not ready to make the change so they stop.

When we try to make these resolutions most of the time we try to do it on our own. We decide what we need to change. We make the plan to change it to what we think is better for us. When we take these resolutions on more often than not it is all by ourselves. Trying day after day to change for the better with no guidance or help. Well I have great news. One of the best things we can change in our lives is starting a relationship with Jesus. That relationship can give us Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Things this world cannot give us. Things people cannot gives us most of the time without conditions. If you decide to start that relationship Jesus gives us guidance and He gives us help.

The Beatitudes

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the humble,
for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

¹¹ “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. ¹² Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

In the Beatitudes from Matthew chapter 5 Jesus gives us guidance as to how we are to live to be His disciples and to show others around us the love of God for them. They are instructions that transform us both inside and out. His instruction is great because it helps us see what we need to change.

Guess what though if you start that relationship with Jesus He not only gives us instruction but He gives us help. Once we pray for Jesus to be our Savior He gives us help in the form of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us strength and everything else we need to accomplish the change we are hoping for.

Make the change today. Start a relationship with Jesus and let Him transform you from the inside out. New Year New You!

Be Bleesed, Dave

Do you have times in your life where you are so busy you lose track of what’s important? I think especially in the days we live in that can happen more often than we like it to. Nowadays so many of us wear multiple hats. We juggle so many things that can overwhelm us. Believe me I speak from experience. It’s rare I get overwhelmed very often. I do not get stressed by my schedule. I am very busy a lot of the time. However, I have lost track of what is important at times. I try very hard to balance everything going on in my life such as family, work and ministry. At times in my life I have lost sight of my schedule and was not balancing things very well. My amazing wife put me in check and helped me see that I was going off track. I have since then made it a priority to balance my schedule correctly as to not take away from time with her and my family, but still be able to work and do ministry. There are still times when I am super busy but it is counteracted by times when I have down time because of the schedule I watch pretty closely.

I am saying all of this because one of the easiest things that we lose track of is our relationship with Jesus because it is not right in front of us screaming for our time or attention. In those busy times what is not right in front of us can take a back seat. We need to pay attention and be intentional in our relationship with Jesus. We need to make HIM a priority. We need to focus on Jesus because our relationship with him is how we get through all of those crazy times in life. He is where we get our strength to help us through what life throws at us. Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. In the verse you just read it tells us to seek Him first and the things we need will be provided for us. I feel it is telling us that the strength, power, mercy and grace that we need will be there when we need it if we focus on our relationship with Jesus as well as knowing who we are, where our joy comes from, and that we are loved. All of that will get us through those times of being overwhelmed or times when we get off track.

When you get side tracked, lose site of that schedule or just get really overwhelmed with life, take a step back, take a minute and turn your eyes towards heaven and talk to Jesus. Let Him give you Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This is how you can get back on track and set your heart on what is important. Plain and simple.

Be Blessed, Dave

There are so many places in the bible that tell us lying is bad. A sin against God. Something that deserves punishment. Proverbs 19:5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape. So why do so many people in this world think it’s ok? I will be honest I used to be one of those people. I got to the point in my life I was good at it. I will tell you though as a result it messed up relationships, it took a toll on my emotional well being and it also got me in a lot of trouble sometimes.

So once I started having a relationship with Jesus I came to grips with how wrong it was and how much damage it did to so many things in life. Colossians 3:9-10 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator. When Jenn and I got together the kids were really young so we have been teaching them from a young age that lying was wrong and the damage it does to life and relationships. As well as once you get caught how you are looked at because people have a hard time believing what you say. Jenn was even taught from a very young age how wrong and detrimental lying was and it really stuck with her into adulthood.

I write this today because even though you teach your kids everything there is to know about how God feels about lying, how much it messes things up in life and the relationships it ruins you cannot make their choices for them. They still may choose to lie. They may say “What does it matter.” Lying does not just hurt the people you lie to it hurts you. It shows people what your true character is. It shows people what your heart is full of deceit. It shows and unloving heart. Matthew 15:18  But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person. 

As we go through this in our lives right now we encourage you. Pray for God to change hearts. Continue to teach them Proverbs 12:19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue, only a moment. Lies never last. They will always get found out one way or another. This verse from John pertains to know Jesus but it is also relevant here. John 8:32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Telling the truth sets you free from the harm that lying does. In your relationships, in life and especially in your own heart. God loves you and wants your heart to be set free.

Be Blessed, Dave

Do we recognize interruptions for what they are. Some are distractions some are opportunities. Don’t miss out on God’s next new thing. In the story about Peter in the book of Acts let’s unpack what we are talking about.

Acts 10:10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing something, he fell into a trance.

Peter had to overcome the distraction of hunger during his prayer time, but he also had to recognize a God-orchestrated opportunity in the call from the street.

Acts 10:18 They called out, asking if Simon, who was also named Peter, was lodging there.

We need to know the difference in interruptions. Are they distractions or opportunities? Distractions need to be removed or overcome, but opportunities need to be pursued.

Expect the unexpected. Throughout the gospels, Peter and the other disciples repeatedly expected the usual. But they were following Jesus and should have been expecting more and anticipating unexpected things. We should always expect the unexpected. Are you expecting more?

In this world I think we let the distractions of life and situations around us stop us from realizing that distractions take us away from what God is calling us to do. It also causes us to miss the opportunities God put in front of us He wants us to act on.

Are there things in your life that if you took a really close look you would realize they distract you from God’s calling on your life? Social Media, TV, Non priorities that can be managed differently and the list can go on and on. In those distractions are you missing the opportunities that are right in front of you? Because you are overwhelmed or busy with one of those distractions do you ignore the tug on your heart to give a meal to someone you see is in need? Do you miss a conversation with someone that needs to feel God’s love through you.

Lost people – those at risk, alone, hurting and hopeless – matter to God. He cared enough to send His Son to die for all of us. He has loved us from the beginning of time. He asks us to be conveyers of His love.

Pray so God can show you the difference between the distractions and the opportunities. Then step back take a look at your life and get rid of or overcome the distractions that are taking you away from the opportunities God is placing around you to show his love to the world.

Be Blessed, Pastor Dave

Jeremiah 29:11, John 13:35

Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

When we are kids we grow up expecting to become what we dream about. Some of us want to be police officers, nurses, astronauts, rock stars and even cashiers. We carry those dreams with us for quite awhile. As we get older life changes. We might have to sacrifice those dreams or our dreams might become different.

When we get to be adults and our minds have learned about life and what we want out of it we tend to project those expectations onto other people. When we form our beliefs and how we act we sometimes think others should act and speak like we do because that’s what we think is right. If we do that I promise you that we will be let down every time.

God created us as individuals. We all have different personalities, make different choices, speak differently and act differently. We cannot and should not project our expectations on others. That is not what God called us to do and that is love one another. When people don’t meet the expectations we put on them we get frustrated, angry and most of the time end up in an argument because they aren’t doing what we expected.

The reality is we are called to love others and that means listening to them. Looking at things from their perspective. That doesn’t mean you have to abandon your beliefs or change who you are it just means love them for the person God created them to be. One of His children.

Be Blessed, Dave

We are all going to have storms in our lives no matter how obedient we live. Troubles are inevitable. The important thing is how do we handle them and what do we learn from these storms. It’s easy to pretend we have it all figured out. From the outside we look like our lives are close to perfect when on the inside we may be fighting a battle so detrimental that we literally let it tear us apart.

We can try to handle the storms on our own and may be successful at doing this for days, months or even years. All the while it’s eating us alive. We try to hide behind the lie that “I can handle this on my own”, when the truth is we CANNOT handle these things on our own. God either places people in our lives to help us get through the hard times or He himself walks alongside us seeing us through.

So what if the storm you are facing not only hurts you but may also affect the people around you and your life? So you fight an internal battle each day and do your best to ignore it because if you face it, the repercussions could be detrimental.

Suppressing these internal feelings causes more damage than good. Jesus did not suffer and die on the Cross for you to live your life bound by chains. We were never meant to walk this journey on our own.

So where do you turn? Do you turn to alcohol, drugs or any other temporary fixes, or do you turn to Jesus for healing? This is what Jesus says in John 16:33, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.

In black and white, the Bible tells us we will have troubles in life, but Jesus tells us through Him we will have peace. Nothing in this life is too big for God! In Matthew 19:26, Jesus looked at them and said, ” With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”. This to me shows that all of our hope, all of our peace, and the solutions to the troubles we face come from staying in relationship with Jesus.

So no matter what you are facing today, remember GOD IS BIGGER THAN OUR HIGHEST HIGHS AND LOWEST LOWS!!

Be Blessed, Jenn

We spend so much time in our lives worrying about where the things we need will come from or how we will get through the problems we are going through. We rely on ourselves and the people around us to bail us out from time to time. A majority of those times we get frustrated when things go wrong. Do not get me wrong it is not bad to ask for help when needed because God puts people in our lives for that reason sometimes. The thing is what is your priority? Are you looking to God first in these times or are you continuously worrying about how these problems will get fixed? Are you leaning on people so much that they are getting tired of helping?

I have always been a person that has worried about money. I always stressed about my next paycheck and if I will be able to afford the bills that were due. Early in my marriage to Jenn I would constantly be on her about how much she was spending so we would not get into a hole. I borrowed from people. I know for most people this is an issue. It is also just one example of the things people stress, worry or get frustrated about.

That was until I realized after reading the verse above and many others that those worries started to disappear by concentrating on my relationship with God first. The hope that I needed to get through the problems I was facing in life came by God providing what I needed through that relationship. That relationship will provide our needs over and over again if we make it a priority. Sometimes it will not look like we want it to but God knows what we need better than we do for ourselves. Make your relationship with God first priority and He will be there for you time and time again.

Be Blessed, Dave

Hello everyone. I want to write about something today that has been bothering me for some time. What are husbands thinking? I tend to watch couple interactions on a regular basis because God has given me a passion for the man’s role in the relationship. This can go for married or unmarried. I constantly see men treat their girlfriends or wives like dirt by the way they talk to them, their actions towards them as well as making their priorities more important than hers.

This picture above is just a small list of how a husband should be. Even if you do not have God in your life, most of this list is still on point. If you love the woman you married, then you should be doing these things. If you do not have God in your life, that is the first thing you are doing wrong because you cannot truly love her if you don’t know love. 1 John 4:8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. So if you do not have a relationship with God let’s talk. Go to wethechurchministries.org and contact us. We would love to chat with you.

We are called as husbands to carry quite a bit in the marriage. Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Stop talking to them like they are beneath you! Stop putting them down, even if you think it’s a joke its not! So many women have self-esteem issues and a husband that degrades them makes their insecurities even worse! It tells us in the bible to encourage one another.

The verse above sets the example for who we are called to be as well. Jesus gave Himself up for the church (us) out of love. So He put our lives before His own. If that is the example then why is it so hard for husbands to comprehend? PUT YOUR WIFE BEFORE YOURSELF! Put them, their needs and their priorities before our own. If both of your cars need to be fixed, get hers done first then work on yours. If she needs money for the kids that comes before the latest video game. I am not saying neglect ourselves or our lives, but do what they need first. If you love God and love your wife, they come first! Clearly stated in the bible Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. The bible states it plain and simple.

I know some of you are going to read this and say “but you have no clue what my wife does to me, how she treats me. She never puts me first”. I will say to you the same thing I say to men I journey with through their walks as a pastor, the same thing I say to my kids time and time again when they fight and say well they blah, blah, blah… We don’t have to answer for the words, attitudes or actions of others!!! We will only have to answer for our own! So live by Jesus’ example. Love your wife before yourself. Put her needs (spiritual, emotional and physical) first!

Be Blessed, Dave

As we are only a couple days away from Christmas I thought about something I have been seeing a lot of in the world around me. At Christmas time we hope for and/or expect to get presents that we had on our list from the people that give us gifts on Christmas day. The anticipation builds day by day leading up to the time we are unwrapping those presents. What happens when we open that box and what’s inside is not what we expected or it’s not even something we had on our list at all. Right then even though we try to hide it the best we can we instantly get disappointed or even mad in our assumption that the person that gave us the present didn’t even read our list or just plain didn’t care what we wanted. Don’t get me wrong sometimes people are just horrible gifts givers (especially men). The thing is getting gift from someone should be about the thought and love behind the gift not what we expect from them.

I think we transfer this issue to our regular lives as well. When we have feelings we need to deal, express our emotions, hold someone accountable amongst other things I think we tend to expect people in our lives to react a certain way. We also do this when we go into a relationship and project our expectations of past relationships or other relationships around us on ours to be the same. Either one of these situations can be unhealthy to our lives.

We can’t expect people in our lives to live up to what we think they should live up to. All we can do is do what God has called us to do and love them (John 13:34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.). Our love for them should not be based on how they act in a given situation. They might not have it in them to do or say what we are expecting.

The only one in our lives that we can expect from is God. Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. and Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you”— declares the Lord —“ plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.” God’s promises to take care of us. Sometimes that might not look how we expect it but Isaiah 55:9 “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. God knows better then we do about what we need. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.

So in this life when I comes to people in your life hope for the best out of them but don’t expect. Just love them for who they are as a person. As for those Christmas presents you will be unwrapping in two days. Love what you get because someone put thought behind getting it for you. Also remember God’s gift is the best present you could ever receive His son Jesus. That is why we truly celebrate this time of year.

Be Blessed, Dave