Seize the Moment – Day 1324
Be a Motivated Learner!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, November 1.
Are you paying attention? What motivates you to stay focused in your devotion time? Since he is beginning a new section of his book, Solomon, like a wise teacher, grabs your attention with some incentives in Proverbs 22:17-21:
Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge; for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, that they may be ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the Lord, I have taught you today, even you. Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, to make you know the certainty of the words of truth that you may correctly answer him who sent you?
Solomon knows that it’s easy to get distracted when reading (or listening) to verse after verse of wisdom sayings, so twenty-two chapters into his thirty-one-chapter book, he refocuses his students on why they should pay attention. This is important because the crucial ingredient to effective learning is motivation. A motivated learner has found a reason to remain focused on the instruction of their teacher. The promise of something better keeps us motivated to learn and grow. Solomon gives the following three reasons why you should diligently heed his instructions:
- Your life will go better! Memorize these truths and apply them to your everyday life circumstances. You will make wise and discerning decisions that lead to God’s blessings.
- You will trust God more! There is nothing more valuable to a person’s well-being than having a right relationship with God.
- You will be valuable to your community! Wise people are essential workers in any workplace or community because their words are trustworthy, and their actions are reliable.
Seize the moment and apply the wisdom of Proverbs 22: be a motivated learner and you will diligently heed the words of truth!
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1323
Trust God for His Victory!
Seize the moment and apply the wisdom of Proverbs 21: trust God for His victory! It is done!
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1322
Embrace this Season of Your Life!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, October 30.
I love my long grey beard. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but it’s grown on me. It’s distinguished; it’s colored by wisdom (Proverbs 16:31). We live in a culture that idolizes youth and beauty, and rewards novelty and sensuality, but the Bible calls us not to find our identity in that which passes like the seasons (Proverbs 31:30). Instead, the Bible calls us to grow closer to Jesus in every season. When you make spiritual formation (Christlikeness) your primary ambition – the gaining of wisdom and the training of godliness – you will embrace every season of your life as a gift from God.
There are different reasons for each season, and we gain insights on what those are when we look at creation. There can only be the new life of spring after the deep power of winter’s rest, and we can’t reap the harvest until we’ve experienced the abundant growth of summer. Solomon explained in Proverbs 20:29, “The glory of young men is their strength, and the honor of old men is their gray hair.” I encourage the youth, as Paul exhorted his protégé in 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” Use the spring and summer seasons of your life to grow strong and sow good seed, in preparation for the harvest seasons which will come later.
I encourage the mature to embrace the gift of their autumn and winter seasons to reap what has been sown, and to trust the investment of their lives (like good seed) to burst forth with good fruit. Walk in the way of righteousness today, and you will grow closer to Jesus in every season of your life.
Seize the moment and apply the wisdom of Proverbs 20: embrace this season of your life!
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
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Proclamation, Preparation & Positioning
Proclamation, Preparation & Positioning
Deuteronomy 32:2-4; Ephesians 5:15-19; Philippians 4:5-9
Today is going to be a different type of Sunday. We are starting the service with each point of the message being reinforced with our worship in song. For those taking notes, the three key points are 1) Proclamation; 2) Preparation; and 3) Positioning. These three “P’s” will help us in both our prayers and our praise.
I. PROCLAMATION: Moses told the people of Israel
“Let my teaching fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew. Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on young plants. I will proclaim the name of the Lord; how glorious is our God! He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!”
When we proclaim something, we are making it known to those around us. When we pray, we are to proclaim who God is to us. When we sing our praises, we are to lift our voices and proclaim the goodness and the greatness of our God. In Psalm 71:19-19, the psalmist David writes:
O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me. Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with you, O God?
He also writes in Psalm 105:1-2:
“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.”
And then in Psalm 145:4-7, we are told to:
“Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness.”
Finally, we are encouraged by John, the beloved disciple in 1 John 1:1-2:
“We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.”
So, as we prepare to lift our voices in worship, remember we are all to proclaim praise to the One Who was, Who is, and Who always will be.
Worship in Song 1: Living Hope, Goodness of God, Trust in God
II. Preparation: Preparation is important for both heart and mind.
QUOTE: “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.”
1 John 1:9:
Ephesians 5:15-19: “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.”
*Previous verses warned us not to live like we used to, because we are to live our lives to please God.
“So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.”
However, we are also told in scriptures to bring everything to Jesus. 1 Peter 5:7 states:
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
AND…we are to care for one another. Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 12:25:
“This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.”
This is not an either/or thing, but rather a both/and. We as the church are to be here to help one another as we see Christ transforming people’s lives and their stories. BUT, it is also important that each person take responsibility to turn EVERYTHING over to God by preparing our hearts and our minds.
Worship in Song 2: Lavish, Who You Say I Am
III. Positioning: Surrendering our wants and desires
“Christ demands first place. There’s no room on the throne of your heart for two gods.”
– Billy Graham
Philippians 4:5-7:
“Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
I want to close out the service with a response time. Coming to the altar is not a sign that you have done something, but rather you making a public demonstration of presenting yourself as a living sacrifice, making sure that your sacrifice is still on the altar! Position yourself with a fresh surrender.
Worship Set 3: Hold On to Me, It is Well with My Soul
If you would like to watch the service in its entirety with the music, click HERE.
If you would like to watch just the message, click HERE.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1320
Today’s song focus will be
Trust in God
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB95)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.”
Inspired by famous hymns written by Fanny Crosby and Phoebe Knapp, Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, Brandon Lake & Mitch Long wanted to create a new worship song that was both a declaration and a proclamation of God’s faithfulness to His children. In a time where trusting God is becoming more rare and more challenging, this song helps us all declare with one voice that even though we may be shaken, we will still trust in God.
I trust in God, my Savior,
The One who will never fail
He will never fail
We need to wake up with the words of this song in our hearts and on our lips. He is always there when we need Him. When we seek Him, we will always find Him ready to help us. So let’s declare our trust in God!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Ken reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
If you would like to listen to this song, click on this link:
Trust in God
Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine
He’s been my fourth man in the fire time after time
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood
And what He did for me on Calvary is more than enough
I trust in God, my Savior
The one who will never fail
He will never fail
The one who will never fail
He will never fail
Perfect submission, all is at rest
I know the author of tomorrow has ordered my steps
So this is my story and this is my song
Praising my risen King and Savior all the day long
I trust in God, my Savior
The one who will never fail
He will never fail
I trust in God, my Savior
The one who will never fail
He will never fail
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
That’s why I trust Him, that’s why I trust Him
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
That’s why I trust Him, that’s why I trust Him
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
That’s why I trust Him, that’s why I trust Him
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
That’s why I trust Him
That’s why I trust in God, my Savior
The one who will never fail
He will never fail
Oh, I trust in God, my Savior
The one who will never fail
He will never fail
I sought the Lord
[Bridge]
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord (And He delivered me from all my fears)
I sought the Lord (From everything)
And He heard and He answered, oh
That’s why I trust Him, that’s why I trust Him
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered
That’s why I trust Him, that’s why I trust in God
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Seize the Momment – Day 1319
Listen Closely for the Word of Peace!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, October 27.
I was recently talking on the phone with one of our beloved homebound members, who told me how bothered she was by all the horrific scenes of death on the news. Later that same day, a younger man told me how distracted he was by the escalation of violence in the Middle East. We are living in difficult days, with divisive political rhetoric making it worse, so I am praying that we will remain focused on our calling as disciples of Jesus. We are His church, ambassadors of Jesus, ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). We are called “peacemakers,” as Jesus preached in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
With so many angry and loud voices coming at us, we must listen closely for God’s message in all the noise. Solomon taught in Proverbs 19:20-21, and 27, “Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days. Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand. … Cease listening, my son, to discipline, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.” Train yourself to listen well for the counsel of God through Bible reading, prayer, and spiritual friendship. Be a part of a church that helps you focus; helping you to not get carried away by the passions that war within you, which cause conflict and quarrels (James 4:1-3). Solomon explained in Proverbs 19:3, “The foolishness of man ruins his way, and his heart rages against the Lord.” The first step to being a peacemaker is to invite the Prince of Peace to rule over your heart and mind (Philippians 4:6-9; cf. John 14:27). Invite Jesus to calm the storm of your life (Matthew 8:23-27; cf. Hebrews 12:11).
Seize the moment and apply the wisdom of Proverbs 19: listen closely for the Word of Peace!
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1318
Be a Close Friend to a Few!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, October 26.
I was at a leadership conference years ago when I heard a pastor teach about congregational care in a way that lifted a heavy burden from my shoulders, “Do for one person what you wish you could do for everyone.” Pastors are taught to show no favoritism, so, in many ways, we are trained to do for everyone what we have already done or plan to do for another person. Often, that philosophy twists into a crushing weight of meeting people’s expectations, preventing pastors from responding in the Spirit. Proverbs 18:24 explains a better way forward, “A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
It is humanly impossible for one person to be a close friend to everyone, and to each of their families, but it’s not impossible for the people of the church to stick close to one another. Let the Spirit lead you to build loving relationships, which are closer than a brother. We are called to do life together as a church, but none of us has the bandwidth to be a friend to everyone in the church. Only Jesus can do this, so be a friend of God, listening to the Holy Spirit’s leading, and be willing to be friendly to all while sticking closer than a brother to a few. Love them like you wish you could love them all, and everyone will get great congregational care. Jesus commanded us in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1317
Trust God in the Fire!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, October 25.
God is doing a good work in you, but it’s a painful process. Proverbs 17:3 uses the imagery of God as a smelter, “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests hearts.” The ministry of Jesus Christ is forged in this prophetic imagery, as foretold in Malachi 3:3, “He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness.” The following story explains the promise of this prophecy:
A woman made an appointment with a silversmith hoping to better understand this verse. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought again about the verse that says, “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.” She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment, then asked, “how do you know when the silver is fully refined?” He smiled and said, “Oh, that’s easy – when I see my image in it.”[1]
Seize the moment and apply the wisdom of Proverbs 17: trust God in the fire!
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
FOOTNOTE:
[1] Jerry D. Ingalls, Live on Mission Today: Battle Drills for a Christ-Centered Life (New Castle, IN: AGF Publishing, 2023), 227. Read “Battle Drill #25: Endure the Refining Process” (223-231), to learn how this truth applies to your everyday life so you can live a Christ-centered life to the glory of God.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1316
Humble Yourselves in the Presence of the Lord!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, October 24.
The heart posture of sin is pride – the arrogant attitude that says, “I don’t need God. I’ve got this, thank you very much.” Essentially, pride is when you are on the throne of your own heart, serving as your own savior. This unwillingness to bow before God has consequences, as Proverbs 16:5 clearly communicates, “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; assuredly, he will not be unpunished.” There is a way that is pleasing to the Lord; it is the heart posture of humility, which is an attitude of believing God for who He is and trusting Him to be your savior. In Proverbs 16:17-20, Solomon demonstrated this connection between humility and trusting God:
The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he who watches his way preserves his life. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud. He who gives attention to the word will find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
Take time today to ensure it is Jesus Christ who sits on the throne of your heart. This is the beginning of wisdom – to trust the Lord to be your stronghold (Psalm 18). He is your protection from the evil one, who seeks to seduce you into thinking that you are all that you need to make life work for you. James 4:6-7 makes this clear, “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
Seize the moment and apply the wisdom of Proverbs 16: humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord (James 4:10)!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
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Seize the Moment – Day 1315
Cultivate a Joyful Heart!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, October 23.
There is something powerful about joy – it strengthens your spiritual vitality, mental health, and emotional well-being. I was at the high school sectional volleyball tournament recently, and as I watched senior Alaina Bowman lead the New Castle team to victory, I was caught with the fact that they all played better when they were happy. Their minds were focused, their bodies more responsive, and their teamwork more cooperative. This observation applies to our everyday lives. There is a positive flow of power that happens in us, and between us, when we are joyful, as Solomon highlighted in Proverbs 15:13-15, “A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on folly. All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.”
Joy is a firm foundation on which to build our lives. It is not a reaction to circumstance; rather, it is the rock on which we stand. As Nehemiah reminded God’s people as they returned from Babylonian exile, “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). There will always be something to be upset about, but we must learn to move forward with resiliency. Joy gives our minds an increased focus, our bodies an enhanced responsiveness, and our team a greater fluidity. Paul commanded in Philippians 4:14, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” You will strengthen the church, our team, when you build your life on God, because “in [His] presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11).
Seize the moment and apply the wisdom of Proverbs 15: cultivate a joyful heart and you will strengthen your spiritual vitality, mental health, and emotional well-being! Be the kind of person that leads our team to victory.
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.
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