2001

December 30, 2001

A Fool’s Formula for Failure

You can chase the wind, but you’ll never grab it. You can seek for happiness and purpose in accumulating wealth and possessions, but you won’t find it. The truth is, life will never be trouble-free. The only stress-free people are in the cemetery! Job said, “Man is born for trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.” (Job 5:7)

Some people’s motto is, “Live as if there’s no tomorrow.” When what they really mean is: “Live as if there is no eternity.” Compared to eternity, this life is very brief. James 4:14 says: “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

December 23, 2001

God’s Nativity Activity

It is possible to love nativity sets and to display them in your home every Christmas without ever stopping to understand what God was doing on the first Christmas. A study of the Nativity scene and the ten elements involved. You’ll learn a personal lesson from each of these parts of the overall picture.

December 16, 2001

God’s Warning Signs on the Road to Hell

I can never escape from the fact that God has the power to throw me into hell. Most of us know John 3:16 from memory. The scariest word in that verse is the word perish. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” “Perish” means to be thrown into hell. We talk about nonperishable food and perishable food. What’s the difference? Perishable food spoils, it rots, it loses its quality. That’s a pretty graphic picture of what happens to a person in hell but the spoiling process is stretched out over eternity.

December 9, 2001

Six Marks of Dead Religion

Some people assume Jesus was a nice, diplomatic gentleman who never said anything to upset anyone. In fact, He so infuriated the religious crowd they finally crucified Him. Jesus didn’t just come to comfort the afflicted; He came to afflict the comfortable.

December 2, 2001

See the Light? Be the Light!

Have you ever thought God wants to use your distress to cause you to seek Him? The sooner you seek Him and hear what He’s trying to say, the sooner you can move on to the next stage of your journey.

November 25, 2001

One Greater Than Jonah is Here

I happen to believe supernatural miracles still occur but we shouldn’t be running around looking for one to prop up our faith. As I’ve said before, miracles do not produce faith—faith produces miracles.

November 18, 2001

One Greater Than Solomon is Here

If you asked someone who knows the Bible, “Who is the wisest man who ever lived?” They may reply, “Solomon.” But as wise as Solomon was, someone else in the Bible surpassed his wisdom.

October 28, 2001

The Danger of an Empty Life

You won’t get into heaven because your daddy was a preacher or because your mother was a saint … Being born in a Christian home doesn’t make you a Christian any more than being born in a bakery makes you a biscuit!

October 28, 2001

How to Stay Calm During a Crisis

October 21, 2001

Prayer That Just Won’t Quit

Let’s say you need a job. Pray and ask God for a job, but don’t sit at home and wait for someone to come hire you. Seek His Will and plan for your life, and then go out and knock on many doors. That’s why prayer involves an action plan. It’s not about sitting and asking; it’s seeking and knocking.

September 30, 2001

The Prayer of Jesus

We all have sinned and we continue to make mistakes and experience failure. Jesus recognized the greatest need a person has is forgiveness.

September 23, 2001

A Tale of Two Sisters

Most people tend to be a Mary or a Martha. Christian women know what I mean when I say that. Generally speaking, Marys tend to be quieter and more contemplative and Marthas are highly driven, organized and outspoken.

September 16, 2001

Facing the Future Without Fear

You may wonder, “How can I face the future without fear? I don’t know what’s going to happen!” Take a moment and write the word “LIFE.” Circle the two middle letters. Life is full of “ifs.” There is so much uncertainty. Pastor, what are we going to do IF there are more attacks on American citizens? What are we going to do IF our economy takes a nosedive? IF, IF, IF. My response is we need to do the same thing we would do IF none of those things happen. We need to completely place our lives in God’s hands. We must keep on trusting God and work on developing an intimate relationship with Him.

September 9, 2001

What Happens When You L.Y.N.?

Because there is so much crime and hatred in our world, people have become cynical and skeptical. We are so afraid of being conned or scammed we don’t trust any stranger anymore. That is a real handicap when we are trying to share the love of Christ with people. They think we have an ulterior motive. Before you can give people the Word of God, you must show them the Love of God to soften or open their hearts.

September 2, 2001

Love–Like a Good Neighbor

How does the Lord “open people’s hearts?” One way is by letting them see His love for them and the best way for people to know God loves them is when we don’t just say, “God loves you,” but when we show them.

August 26, 2001

America Makes Sodom Look Good

Most of us have computers and we are part of the new information highway carrying ideas and information around the world. But while we are seeing a technological surge in America, we are suffering from a spiritual and moral meltdown.

August 19, 2001

All I Really Need to Know I Learn as I Walk with Jesus, part 2

As you and I walk along with Jesus, He brings us closer and closer to being conformed to His likeness: self-denial; and dying daily to our own feelings and desires. As we move along, He wants us to forget the past. We can’t go back there. We must fix our eyes on Jesus and keep growing and progressing.

August 12, 2001

All I Really Need to Know I Learn as I Walk with Jesus, part 1

Have you grown older and forgotten God? It’s like the older we get the more we forget our Creator and what He’s like. Jesus said to enter the kingdom of God, we must simply receive it like a little child.

July 22, 2001

America Needs Revival for Survival

There is no shortcut to revival. There is no secret to revival. It’s part of God’s economy. When you lower the temperature of water to 32 degrees, ice WILL form. It’s just as certain when we humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face and repent, God WILL hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land. WE can’t heal America but GOD can. When we are faithful to do our part, He is always faithful to do His part.

July 15, 2001

Down in the Valley With Jesus

Why do people want to look at things from above? I don’t know if I would feel close to God in a lawn chair at 11,000 feet but I do enjoy a good mountaintop experience. When you are on a mountaintop, you see how big the world is that God made and it makes you feels smaller. In the Bible, some important events took place on mountains. Perhaps you’ve had some mountaintop experiences. Nobody wants to come down from the mountaintop. Mountaintop experiences are wonderful, but you have to be sure you leave the mountain to go down in the valley with Jesus.

July 8, 2001

Transfiguration: Preview of a Coming Attraction

The Transfiguration of Jesus is a preview of a coming attraction—the Second Coming of Jesus. It will be a powerful attraction, too, strong enough to raise the dead and to rapture living Christians. I’m not going to be around to read the Second Coming headline, because when Jesus comes, I’m going to be meeting Him in the clouds.

July 2, 2001

America’s Spiritual Heritage: What Happened?

We must remember where we come from. We must remember the fabric out of which we were cut as a nation. From the very beginning, America was a haven and a place for religious freedom and religious expression.

July 1, 2001

High Cost of Following Jesus

There’s not my way to be saved and there’s not your way to be saved–there’s only one way to be saved that’s Jesus. It’s the Jesus way. In fact, he said, “I am the way.” If you insist upon your own stubbornness, your way will be to destruction. Or my way will lead to destruction, because the Bible says we’ve all turned our own way.

June 24, 2001

Jesus is STILL Feeding the Crowd

A good cook can do amazing things with leftovers. We often consider it second-class food but God’s leftovers are special! Some of you may feel like a leftover yourself. You’ve come through a tough experience and you feel like a second-class person. God has always used leftovers, remnants. There was nothing special about five biscuits and two fish but in the hands of Jesus, it became a feast. Some would have considered the twelve baskets of leftovers scraps or garbage but they fed the disciples. In God’s hands, leftovers aren’t garbage; they are delicious.

June 17, 2001

Packing Light for the Journey of Life

We pack our suitcases to overflowing because we like having our precious “stuff” with us. But when we are loaded down with our own stuff, we often depend on our possessions rather than on God. Are you trusting God to provide your needs, or are you trusting your job, your bank balance, your securities portfolio, or your 401K to meet your needs?

June 10, 2001

Where There’s Death–There’s Hope!

One common thread running through these miracles in Luke 9 was that everyone was at the Point of Total Desperation. They were all “POTD.” Do you need God’s power? Do you want to see a miracle in your life? Then you’ve got to be “POTD” as well. What do you do when you get to the end of your rope? What do you do when your rope breaks?

June 3, 2001

Touching Jesus? Or Just Part of the Crowd?

God knows suffering makes us stronger, and it makes us depend on God. I’ve often said the name of God’s college is the University of Affliction, and although the tuition is steep, the classes and the degrees we receive are priceless. Some of you are enrolled right now in the University of Affliction.

May 27, 2001

The Day Demons Performed a Swine Dive

I think we can make the mistake of trying to determine whether our problems are demon-induced or not. Remember, we saw the Bible never uses the term “demon possession.” We are all demonized in different ways. Any obsession, addiction, or impure habit is a demonic influence that must be addressed but you must admit it–name it–before you can deal with it. You can’t just shift the blame to some “demon,” because we are all ultimately responsible for all of our actions and reactions, but admitting your problem, naming the demon, is your first step toward wholeness with Jesus.

May 13, 2001

Jesus is All You Need

From the cradle to the grave, each of us is a bundle of needs. What is your need? Do you need truth? It’s found in the word of God. But if you don’t obey it, you will lose the little that you have. Are you feeling lonely and isolated? Here’s a great big family opening our arms to you saying, “Come just as you are” we will love you and accept you the way Jesus loves and accepts you. Or do you need that inner peace and tranquility so that, like Jesus, you can sleep soundly in the midst of the storm? Come to Jesus–He really is all you need!

May 6, 2001

How to Cultivate a Teachable Heart

There is a something going on right now, invisible to the human eye, which makes it even harder to receive the Word of God. Jesus says Satan tries to “steal” the Word from you. Don’t ever be surprised if you have trouble concentrating when you are reading the Bible or when you are hearing the Bible being taught. One the enemy’s most effective strategy is distraction. At this moment, Satan would love nothing better than for you to be distracted by this building, or these screens, or the choir, or the people around you. Why? He is actively attempting to steal the Word away from you.

April 29, 2001

Lifting High the Name of Jesus

Have you ever heard it said of someone that they “stand alone?” In greatness and glory, the name of Jesus does stand alone, higher in prominence, preeminence, and position than any other name. The name of Jesus stands alone in its prominence and position because His name includes everything we need for life.

April 22, 2001

Don’t Let Greed Spoil Your Miracle

We may think greed isn’t as evil as some of the more evident sins of the flesh. But God catalogs selfish greed right beside those physical sins. Greed is actually idolatry. You would never picture yourself bowing down before a statue or some man-made god. That’s idolatry! But when you hang onto your possessions and refuse to give them up you are basically saying, “I trust my wealth more than I trust God.” People say, “well, you’ve got to save for a rainy day.” But, my friend, you can trust God during your rainy days.

April 15, 2001

What Do These Stones Mean?

When it was time for the Israelites to cross the Jordan River, it represented both the border to blessing and a barrier to blessing. Only when the priests stepped into the raging water did it stop. You have to trust God first and then He releases His power. The reason many people live on the wrong side of the river is they are waiting for God to stop the water before they step in and God is waiting for them to step right into the water. When they stepped into the water, the river stopped flowing–a miracle!

April 8, 2001

We’ve Never Been This Way Before

The word “consecrate” isn’t too familiar today, but it basically means to set your life apart for God’s use. Occasionally, I will make reservations at a nice restaurant for Cindy and myself. We will be escorted to “our table” and sometimes there is a little card on the table reading, “Reserved for David and Cindy Dykes.” That table has been “consecrated” or “reserved” for our use; nobody else is going to use it while we are there. When you consecrate yourself, you are saying, “God, my life is reserved exclusively for You.”

April 1, 2001

Get Ready to Move–Finally!

For us, Kadesh Barnea is a place where we stand with an opportunity before us. This challenge can only be claimed by faith. At Kadesh Barnea, the Israelites failed to seize the moment and claim God’s promise; as a result they wandered aimlessly for 40 long years. As members of Green Acres, standing before a great opportunity, we must avoid the attitude of fear and unbelief.

March 25, 2001

Would You Kiss the Feet of Jesus?

Have you been forgiven but you really haven’t shown your love and worship to Jesus for His forgiveness? Worship always happens at the feet of Jesus. Worship is a preoccupation with Jesus, not some form or ritual. Worship is more concerned about giving something than getting something. Do you need to fall at the feet of Jesus today and kiss them and say, “Thank you Jesus for forgiving my horrible sins?”

March 11, 2001

When Doubts Arise…

If you ever have doubts, you are in pretty good company. Sometimes those closest to Jesus expressed doubts.

March 4, 2001

God is Touched by Our Tears

Throughout my ministry, I’ve seen Jesus do the same thing. I’ve seen Jesus give a wayward rebellious son or daughter back to his or her parents. I’ve seen Jesus take a sorry, alcoholic husband, clean him up and present him back to his wife and children. I’ve see Jesus take a wayward wife and give her back to her family. Jesus is the business of healing broken relationships.

February 25, 2001

Amazing Faith! How Sweet the Sight

Just as the Roman centurion got his authority from a higher power, he recognized Jesus had access to higher authority–His Father in heaven. God has set up a clearly defined system of authority in our world. When God’s chain of authority is followed, there is peace. When God’s chain of authority is ignored, chaos and misery ensue.

February 18, 2001

How to Build a Storm-Proof Life

I have seen it happen hundreds of times. People can be going along fine in life until adversity suddenly strikes–and they find they are knocked off their feet and their foundation crumbles. This just serves to show them “something is missing.” Forget the popular TV show–we are all survivors! You are wise if you will allow that collapse to motivate you to rebuild your life upon the foundation of the rock of Jesus, because there will be more storms. What might have been the worst experience of your life actually becomes the experience leading to a new and better life for you.

February 18, 2001

God is Slow to Anger

Amos has three visions of the destruction of Israel. He intercedes on behalf of Israel twice and God relents. But Amos did not intercede a third time. Amos 7:1-9.

February 11, 2001

Do You Hear the Fruit?

FBefore you get this new heart, it is impossible to obey God and to please Him. It’s like your heart is made of stone. But when He puts His Holy Spirit into your heart, you are regenerated, made alive. And you will find He even places the desire there for you to obey Him. Have you had a heart transplant? If you haven’t, it’s impossible for you to produce godly fruit, because you still have an old sinful, human nature dominating.

February 4, 2001

The Humor of Jesus

There’s nothing funny about sin. It’s sad to see people who ignore their beams and look only at the faults of others. That’s why we must constantly ask the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin, so we can confess our sin–but it is a beautiful sight to see someone with a clear eye gently and lovingly helping someone remove a speck from his or her eye.

January 28, 2001

Back to the B.A.S.I.C.S., part 3

One of the most important disciplines of the Christian Life is the discipline of stewardship. Some of you in the investment business work very hard to understand our local and national economy so you can make wise investments for yourselves and your clients. Nowadays, you also have to understand what we call the global economy. Sharpen your pencils, because God has His very own economy, and understanding God’s economy is absolutely essential if you want to be a good steward.

January 14, 2001

Back to the B.A.S.I.C.S., part 2

If I was your neighbor and I saw your house was on fire, and you didn’t know it, what would be the kindest, most loving thing I could do? I would run to your door and warn you to get out quickly–your house is burning! We know there is a heaven and we know there is a hell. We have a sacred obligation to lovingly warn others about the danger of eternal judgement. I fear hell will be populated with people who ask for all eternity, “Why didn’t David warn me about this?” We have an obligation to tell them about the grace, love, mercy, and forgiveness of God. This should be something we do gladly and eagerly because Jesus has saved us, and we love Him.

January 1, 2001

Back to the B.A.S.I.C.S., part 1

One of the best synonyms for “fellowship” is “friendship.” You may have friendship without Christian fellowship, but it is impossible to have true Christian fellowship without heartfelt friendship. In other words, you may have some friends who aren’t believers, but koinonea (Christian fellowship) will be absent from your relationship. But some of the best and dearest friends you’ll ever have in this life (and you’ll know ‘em forever) are those with whom you have true fellowship.