Hey everyone!  Here is the video that I mentioned in service this Sunday.  It was sent to me by Tami Davids and it is certainly worth a listen.

When My Heart Is Overwhelmed from Reality on Vimeo.

Many of you have contributed to the Student’s “Youth Legacy Mission” campaign this month, donating items for personal hygiene kits.  The students will be packing these items into kits to be distributed to the homeless as St Anne’s mission this Saturday and want to invite anyone who wants to help out to come along.

The students will meet at the church at 9:30am this Saturday, September 5th to travel to St Anne’s.  They will be there from 10am to 12pm and will also help out the staff there.  Come out and join them this Saturday!

Imagine Yourself Debt FreeWe will be holding our 2nd FPU class this year starting on September 17th and finishing before Christmas!   The 13-week class is loaded with all kinds of financial knowledge, skills and ideas that can literally change your life!  For more information, check out Dave Ramsey’s FPU homepage.

If you would like to sign up for the class, the cost is $100 and includes a membership kit with all kinds of goodies in it.  Contact Matt Jones at 801-529-3009.

Did you know that Lakeside has a weekly ministry giving food to people in need?  That’s right!  Every single night of the week people from Lakeside pick up fresh baked bread from the Smith’s plant and bring it to the church.  Then, on Saturday evenings, a team of Lakesiders distribute the food to the community…no strings attached!   It’s a wonderful way to share the love of Jesus in a practical way and the rewards go beyond the smiles and the fun you have while doing it!

If you would like to get involved, contact Patricia Erdman at 801-779-1025 or just join the team this Saturday evening at 5:00pm!

Pastor Derek’s             

Devotional Journal for August 18, 2009

 

Day 8 – Trust in God is the key to life

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-9 NLT

  ⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
 ⁶Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

 ⁷Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.  Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.  ⁸Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.

 ⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.  ¹⁰Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.

 

What is the writer saying?

Rather than reasoning everything out and weighing the pros and cons, we need to trust in God and obey Him in everything.  When we do that, the choices we are to make become more clear to us.

We must not become full of ourselves, thinking that we know better than God.  The danger is that we become careless and end up living in sin.  Instead, we must have a healthy fear and reverence of God, for when we do, we will turn away from sin and evil.  Only then can true spiritual and emotional healing take place.

We must put God first in everything.  Its all His anyway so we must give the very best of what we have back to Him, rather than merely giving us what is left over.  In return, God promises to provide us with all we need.

 

How does this apply to my life?

Logic!  It can sometimes be my worst enemy.  It’s not that God asks me to set my intelligence aside or to no longer count the cost; rather, my tendency to reason things out can get in the way of simply listening to the voice of God and obeying Him.  In my own mind I can justify letting down my guard in the name of building relationships for evangelism.  I can justify giving God what’s left over rather than giving Him my best, because, after all, God knows how “busy” I am with life.  Choosing this path will only lead to frustration, disappointment, guilt and heartache.  I must again realize that in Him I find all I need.

 

My prayer:

All knowing Father,

You know the ending of my life from the beginning.  You know the days of my journey on the earth.  As it was with David, you know when I get up in the morning and when I lay my head on the pillow in the evening.  You know the consequences of decisions I make before I even make them.  Your knowledge and wisdom are perfect.  They never fail.

In spite of all this, too often I rationalize my decisions, relying on my own less-than-perfect wisdom.  But today, Lord, I commit my choices to your hands.  I choose to listen to your quiet voice.  Speak to me, O God.  Guide me this day.  And may the decisions I make be pleasing to You.

I am listening.

Pastor Derek’s             

Devotional Journal for August 15

 

Day 7 – Favor With God and Man

Scripture: Proverbs 3:1-4 NLT

 ¹My child, never forget the things I have taught you.  Store my commands in your heart.  ²If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying.  ³Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!  Tie them around your neck as a reminder.  Write them deep within your heart.  ⁴Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.

What is the writer saying?

We learn so many wonderful truths that, if followed, serve us well throughout life.  We need especially need to store those spiritual truths that we have learned from others along the way.  If we do this, the result will be a longer and more satisfying life.  We must never compromise principles like loyalty and kindness.  We are to maintain them at the very core of our being so that they become our core values.  When we do, our life will please God and others will be drawn to us, for we shall then have a reputation fitting for a Christian

How does this apply to my life?

I am told that there is a book whose titles goes something like this: All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.  As I look back on my childhood, I realize that my desire to please God was formulated in a Sunday School Class taught by Mrs. Duplessis.  I learned to share and to be fair from my parents when my sisters came along.  I learned respect for teachers and for those in authority from Mom and Dad before I was allowed to be in a Sunday School class.  To this day these form some of my core values.  But I need to revisit these principles often to ensure that they always remain at the core of who I am.  Oh that I might please the Father and that my life would radiate the kindness and loyalty of Christ, so that others might be continually drawn to Him.

My prayer:

Dear God,

Thank you so much for the parents who brought me into the world and raised me to be who I am.  But I thank you, too, for Sunday School teachers like Mrs. Duplessis, Elaine Kelly, and Weldon Vroom.  Only eternity will reveal their full impact on me.  Today I pray that I might be found faithful in your sight to live out these principles each day.  Help me to be increasingly kind and caring; loyal and supportive; grace-filled and forgiving.  May the words of my lips, the attitudes of my heart and the actions I take this day be pleasing to you.

Your son.

Pastor Derek’s

Devotional Journal 

 

Day 6 – Staying on the right path

Scripture: Proverbs 2:10-22 NLT

¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy.  ¹¹ Wise choices will watch over you.  Understanding will keep you safe.

 ¹² Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose words are twisted.  ¹³These men turn from the right way to walk down dark paths.
 ¹⁴They take pleasure in doing wrong, and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil.
 ¹⁵Their actions are crooked, and their ways are wrong.

 ¹⁶ Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman.  ¹⁷She has abandoned her husband and ignores the covenant she made before God.  ¹⁸Entering her house leads to death; it is the road to the grave.  ¹⁹The man who visits her is doomed.  He will never reach the paths of life.

 ²⁰ Follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of the righteous.  ²¹For only the godly will live in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it.  ²²But the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted.

 

What is the writer saying?

When we seek after wisdom, when we gain understanding that enables us to skillfully apply knowledge to every day life situations, we are able then to make wise choices.  Our understanding will keep us from calamitous choices and will keep us safe.

This wisdom will also keep us from the schemes of those who manipulate and mislead others with words of enticement.  These kinds of people deliberately choose the wrong over the right.  They brag about their evil deeds and really enjoy doing wrong things.  They are wicked to the core.

Wisdom will also protect you from the tempting words of the promiscuous, and from their seduction.  These people have abandoned their husband or wife and have deliberately ignored their marriage covenant made before God.  Choosing to give in to this kind of seduction leads to destroyed lives and an early grave.  Those who live this way seal their fate and will never achieve the abundant life God desires us to have.

Rather, we are to model our lives after those who choose to life clean (righteous) and godly lives.  In the end, only those who are godly and who value integrity will succeed.  The wicked will ultimately lose out.

How does this apply to my life?

As I consider my life and the years that have seemingly passed in the blink of an eye, I realize that the times of greatest joy were times when I acted wisely and made good choices that were centered in my understanding of God’s will for me.  On the other hand, the times of greatest pain and discouragement were those times when I acted foolishly and chose to do my own thing, regardless of the consequences.  Today, with more years now in the past than in the future, I must be all the more diligent to behave wisely, to draw from the understanding God has given through the years, so that I might make the right choices.  May God fill me with wisdom and find me faithful this day!

 

My prayer:

Dear God,

I have lived more years already than I will live in the future.  Yet I am reminded that my time on earth is but a moment, a fleeting vapor, compared to the eternity you have planned for all who believe.  Remind me with each choice I make that eternal consequence is infinitely more important than temporary pleasure.  Remind me, I pray, that your will for me is perfect and leads to happiness and true joy.  And this day, would you help me apply understanding to every circumstance and situation.  Grant me wisdom today so that my words, my thoughts, and my actions might be pleasing to you.

Pastor Derek’s

Devotional Journal for August 13, 2009

 

Day 5 – God’s faithfulness toward those who are upright

Scripture: Proverbs 2:6-9 NLT

⁶For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  ⁷He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, ⁸for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.  ⁹Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.

 What is the writer saying?

So what is wisdom and how can I have it?  Wisdom is the ability to apply understanding to knowledge and the true source of wisdom is God.  Victory in daily living, protection from the devil’s onslaught and direction so that we stay on course all are given to us by the One who loves us and justifies us.  It is within this relationship and fellowship with Him that we gain a more complete understanding of what is right and consistent with God’s good character; what is fair, and every good path for our life.

How does this apply to my life?

So often I look for solutions to my own problems rather than seeking God’s solution.  I weigh out the pros and cons of decisions with little regard to God’s promise of victory and protection.  The reality is this: if God is my protector, my source for victory, and the director of my life, then I must learn to follow Him with more reckless abandon, seeking only His will and His plan for my life.  He has promised direction for the just; yet, the just are to live by faith.  This is the path that pleases the Father.  This is the good path for my life: the path of faith and trust.

My prayer:

Father, you are my wisdom and my strength.  You are my provider, my shelter, shield and the leader of my life.  You continue to grow me and stretch me in the faith.  Yet, so often I wonder if you see me as being upright or blameless or even faithful.  I do know that my heart desire is to be found a good and faithful servant.  Grant, O God, that I might have greater understanding and wisdom; help me to realize greater victory in my life; lead me in every good path for my life.  I trust you to do what is best for me.  I am yours. 

Your grateful servant

Pastor Derek’s Devotional Journal

Scripture: Proverbs 2:1-5 NLT

¹My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.  ²Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.  ³Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.  ⁴Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.  ⁵Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.

What is the writer saying?

Those who read and consider Solomon’s writings are considered by him to be his offspring.  Therefore, he invites us to value these commands as a treasure. As we do that, we will block out those things that interfere (however briefly) and focus exclusively on the wisdom we find and we will concentrate on gaining understanding.  We will cry out for both insight and understanding.  We will search through these scriptures as we would for hidden treasure.  For only as we discover and understand the wisdom of these teachings, will we gain knowledge of God and understand what it means to fear Him.

How does this apply to my life?

Sometimes I only casually skim God’s Word, the Bible to find those things that are convenient.  Today I am reminded that each word and verse in the Bible is a nugget of treasure of inestimable worth.  Just as a radio tuner blocks out all other signals so that we might listen to the broadcast on a single frequency, I must practice the fine art of tuning out distractions so that I might focus exclusively on God and His truth so that He might speak to me day by day.  Only then will I gain a more mature understanding of who He is and what His will is for my life.  May my reverence for the Father grow deeper with each passing day.  For herein is the greatest treasure of God’s Word – that I might know Him!

My prayer:

Adonai, God, My Master, How easy it is to ignore your greatness and your right to be my master.  How often I try to run my own life rather than living the life of a servant.  So this day I acknowledge that you are my God and my master.  You are my Adonai.  Teach me more about you: your nature; your character; your will for my life.  Give me understanding and insight, I pray, that will better enable me to understand the challenges I face today and your plan for me and for others as I face these challenges.

Your servant.