Pastor David's Sermons

Tips for Life

6/27/09  The Bible Story series of books for young people are a set of blue books by Arthur Maxwell.  Most of us are familiar with the books, and have seen them in doctors’ offices.  They contain all the major stories and episodes of the Bible.  The stories are simple enough for a child to understand, yet profound enough for an adult to be truly blessed.  Young people are very impressionable, and they need spiritual guidance as they grow.  The Bible Story books are ideal, because a family can read the stories during family worship at the end of each day.  It is possible to grow through the series several times while the children are growing up.  What this does is solidify not only the stories and characters, but the object lessons in the stories in the children’s minds.  While the names and circumstances change over time, the same right and wrong principles are consistent throughout.  The child learns that God’s truth and God’s ways are timeless, unchanging, and that we are blessed and are happy if we follow Him.  This is where the books shine.  Over and over the same principles prove to be a blessing to Bible characters when they are followed, and their lives fall apart when those principles are ignored.  I highly recommend this series for your family worship.  It has been a tremendous blessing to my family.  God bless you as you lead your young ones in the things of the Lord.

7/11/09  A thoughtful hour a day.  Do you really want to make it to heaven?  A thoughtful hour a day.  Do you really want to experience the abundant life that Jesus talks about?  A thoughtful hour a day.  Do you really want to experience victory and power in daily living?  A thoughtful hour a day.  It all begins with that thoughtful hour with God, in prayer and reading of His Word, the Holy Bible.  It's best to start every single day with the Lord.  Read from the Bible, then pray what you have learned back to God.  This is a dialogue that you have with God, before your day begins, and before the world rushes in and fills your time and your thoughts with everything else but God.  We simply will not make it as Christians without this daily time with God.  It is a daily Bread.  The thoughtful hour you spend with the Lord today will not help you tomorrow.  It won't help you the next day either.  It is for TODAY.  God will give you just what you need for today, in that thoughtful hour. 

7/18/09  Regular aerobic exercise for at least four days a week that lasts for at least 30 minutes will do a number of things for you.  More active or fit individuals tend to develop less coronary heart disease (CHD) than their sedentary counterparts. If CHD develops in active or fit individuals, it occurs at a later age and tends to be less severe.

As many as 250 000 deaths per year in the United States are attributable to a lack of regular physical activity. In addition, studies that followed large groups of individuals for many years have documented the protective effects of physical activity for a number of noncardiovascular chronic diseases, such as non–insulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, and colon cancer. In contrast, we see a higher rate of cardiovascular events and a higher death rate in those individuals with low levels of physical fitness.  Even midlife increases in physical activity, through change in occupation or recreational activities, are associated with a decrease in mortality.  Despite this evidence, however, the vast majority of adults in the United States remains effectively sedentary. 

One of the Eight Laws of Health is getting sufficient physical exercise.  You’ll sleep better, feel better, live longer, and become stronger.

Benefits of Regular Exercise on Cardiovascular Risk Factors

• Increase in exercise tolerance
• Reduction in body weight
• Reduction in blood pressure
• Reduction in bad (LDL and total) cholesterol
• Increase in good (HDL) cholesterol
• Increase in insulin sensitivity

7/25/09  Ephesians 4:26 tells us, “In your anger do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.”  In this verse God is telling us two very important things:  1. Anger is a natural human emotion.  We should be careful what we allow ourselves to be angry about however.  Many of the things that cause anger in us are not worth the mental energy spent on them.  Jesus became angry at times, but there was always a principle or moral issue involved.  Additionally, we should not allow our anger to turn into hatred or animosity.  Remember that anger is good, because it allows us to vent our frustrations in an appropriate way.  But anger that has morphed into hatred is toxic for our minds and bodies.  2. Deal with anger today; don’t put it off until tomorrow.  There are a number of wonderful things that happen when we sleep.  Our subconscious mind goes through a healing process when we sleep.  While we sleep, we deal with our fears, our anxieties, our troubles, etc.  Our minds and our bodies go through an overhaul of sorts.  If we go to sleep at night with unresolved strife, anger, and resentment, this healing process is interrupted significantly.  Our sleep won’t be as refreshing, and we won’t be on top of our game tomorrow.  Additionally, research is showing that there is a link between unresolved anger and increased rates of disease, including cancer.  Anger turned inward often morphs into depression, over time.  So, let us express our anger in appropriate ways today, and not put off the healing of our relationships until tomorrow.