Here is a brown bear I ran into several years ago on the Russian River in Alaska while on a fishing trip.  The fish were in and I could hardly wait to get my line wet fishing for this massive run of sockeye salmon.  I heard people talk about “The Falls” on the Russian River.  It is a 2 mile hike to reach the falls where tremendous amounts of salmon stack up before attempting their journey over this natural barrier.  Many people won’t make this hike though.  It’s not because it’s a rather difficult hike.  It’s because when you arrive, there are already fishermen there…the four legged kind.  What can I say…I had to go!

The day didn’t disappoint.  I had one of the most amazing fishing experiences of my life.  I caught so many fish that my arms burned with pain while my heart was filled with pleasure.  Yes, there were bears.  But they were so concerned about the salmon that they really didn’t care much for the fishermen who braved the journey.  Was the hike a risk?  Yes.  But, taking this risk I was rewarded with some of the greatest memories of my life.  Not to mention some pretty amazing pictures as well.

Our faith journey with Jesus will require us to take risks in order to continue following Him.  Jesus doesn’t stay in the land of the familiar.  He is constantly calling us and taking us where we’ve never been before.  He wants us to have experiences with Him that will be beyond anything we have ever imagined.  What are some of these risks you may ask?  There may be times when He asks us to risk our reputations; risk our security; and even risk rejection from others in order to experience all He has.  Following Jesus is not always predictable, safe, logical, linear, orderly, or with a list of details about what’s ahead.  It’s a journey all about faith and trust in the One we call Savior.

As you consider what you’re willing to risk in order to follow Jesus, consider one final thought.  The reality about this risk I am referring to is really no risk at all.  It is a “perceived” risk.  It is a risk that only exists in our minds.  Why do I say this?  Because the safest place to be in life is next to Jesus following Him.  Where is the risk in this?  It seems a lot riskier to live my life resisting the direction Jesus is calling me to go then it is to embrace walking with Him into the unknown.

I for one do not want to miss out on the adventure that awaits me as I follow Christ.  May God give you the desire and the courage to risk whatever you perceive to experience more than you can ever imagine!

Pastor Dale

So here I am with a Steelhead on the Deschutes River just a few weeks ago.  Why am I sharing this picture with you?  Because this day trip to one of my favorite rivers reminded me of something very important.  It was God’s way of illustrating a critical life principal to me once again.  What was it?  KEEP ENJOYING THE GIFT OF LIFE!

This may not sound very spiritual to some of you…but it is.  Look what the Scripture says!

Ecc. 8:15 “So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.”

I Tim. 6:17 “…put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.“

Honestly, I can get so driven and so focused that I stop enjoying life.  I allow the demands of being the Lead Pastor of Foothills to basically consume my entire being.  What happens is that my life becomes completely filled with ministry issues only and I begin to lose Dale.  I begin to lose who I am.  I am more than a Pastor.  God made me to enjoy the outdoors; a great river; beautiful mountains; majestic elk; warm sunny beaches; great friends; an amazing family; and of course, a great cup of coffee.

Life is a gift from God.  He created a world that would provide enjoyment for us.  God could have made sunsets ugly, or a Steelhead gray, or the world in black and white.  No!  God created everything for our enjoyment!  He created a world with such tremendous variety there is something for everyone.  When we are laughing and having fun in the world He created, I believe we are putting a smile on His face.  Yes, having fun is spiritual.  Having fun and enjoying life is God’s will for those He created.  Enjoying life reminds me of who I am.

So for those of you who need permission to enjoy life; here it is.  God gives you permission.  In fact, He wants you to discover ways to get out of the routine that is robbing you of who you are and enjoy the gift of life again.  Don’t let this holiday season be one of stress, anxiety, and a haggard pace.  Go do something fun!  Find your smile again.  Rediscover laughter, wonder, and a fresh appreciation for this amazing world God created for our enjoyment.  C’mon!  Make the choice.  Maybe you can share some fun pictures with me.

Choosing to enjoy life…fish on!

Pastor Dale

Isn’t this true?  The world may set aside one day a year to be thankful, but as followers of Christ, being thankful should be a lifestyle.  Being thankful should be part of our character.  We of all people have good reason to be thankful 24/7/365 days a year.

Now I realize no one has a perfect life or gets to experience a pain free existence.  But this doesn’t mean we have to wait until everything is favorable before we are thankful.  The Bible tells us to “give thanks IN all circumstances.”  Regardless of the circumstances, I can still choose to be thankful.  WHY? Because as a follower of Christ, I have so many things that I possess that circumstances cannot affect.

Circumstances cannot affect the love of God upon my life / the presence of God/ the power of God / the promises of God / my eternity / my inheritance / my rewards / my eternal future / or my complete forgiveness.  Here’s a start of what to be thankful for if you are struggling thinking of anything!

If you want to think about circumstances, just thank God that regardless of your income, you are richer than the vast majority of the rest of the world.  You have more opportunities before you than any other country.  You have freedoms unlike any other country.  You are secure more than any other country.  I know this nation is not perfect, but I am thankful for it nonetheless.  I wouldn’t trade for anywhere else in the world.

There is something else about being thankful.  It can transform your life.  How?  Because it is something God commands.  Choosing to be thankful despite the circumstances keeps our hearts tuned to the heart of the Father and therefore, transforms our heart.  Stop waiting to “feel” thankful.  By faith CHOOSE to be thankful and watch God bless you with a thankful heart.

May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving this year.  My prayer is that we choose to not to be thankful only one day a year.  We have so much to be thankful about.  May it be an every day experience!  May we be known as a thankful bunch of people.  May it simply be who we are!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Pastor Dale

Here’s what Jesus said…

Matt. 6:31-33 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Just because someone calls themselves a Christian does not mean they are seekers of God’s Kingdom.  In fact, I have a frustration…an agitation…maybe even a soap box.  I might even call it a complaint against many believers today.  Here it is.  (Please know that I love all of you reading this.)  PLEASE!!!  All those who call themselves followers of Christ, it is time to embrace and seek after the right Kingdom!  What I see continually are those who have given their lives to Christ and yet have not left the old kingdom they once belonged to.  They think like the world, act like the world, reason like the world, and embrace the values of the world.  Their lives do not experience the presence and power of God because they have yet to leave the fallen world and seek after God and His Kingdom.  God’s presence and power that is available to all believers in Christ is only for His Kingdom not this earthly fallen kingdom.

So how do I know which kingdom I seek after?  Let’s find out!

1.  Is following after God and His Kingdom your greatest pursuit?

2.  Do you trust and obey God’s word despite circumstances?

3.  Do you submit your life, your goals, your future under His authority and the authority of His word?

4.  Do you look for ways to better understand and follow His Kingdom agenda?

5.  Is following God’s will for your life a priority so that you rearrange your life in order to follow it?

6.  Are you willing to delay fleshly gratification in order to be obedient to God’s word?

7.  Are His values your values?  Are His priorities your priorities?  Do you love what God loves?

Please understand that I am not trying to be critical.  I simply want people to understand that there are only 2 kingdoms that we can seek after.  The Biblical fact is that if we are not seeking after His Kingdom then we are seeking after the other one.  I’m not saying someone isn’t saved.  I’m not saying they don’t have eternal life.  All I’m saying is that often, people are seeking after the wrong kingdom.

You may be thinking; “So what?’  “What’s the big deal?”  The big deal is that you are missing EVERYTHING!  Every truth in the word of God, the riches in Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, the presence of God, the joy of seeing His Kingdom become a reality in this life, being used for His purposes, and seeing your own life be radically transformed according to God’s plan.  You’re missing all the promises of God’s word becoming real in your life.  You’re missing a supernatural existence with the Living God.  You’re missing the greatest joy you can ever experience in this life.  You’re missing becoming a witness to others of the reality of God.  AND, this is just the beginning!

Will you consider what kingdom you really seek?  Will you reflect upon which kingdom you’re really in?  There is so much more to experience with Christ.  You simply must decide to leave this earthly kingdom behind.  If you will just decide, God will begin to show you what it looks like.  It’s a process, but you have to begin the journey somewhere.  Today could be the beginning of the most exiting pursuit you’ve ever been on.  Trust me…you’ll never regret it!

Seeking After the King and His Kingdom

Pastor Dale

I believe there is an epidemic problem among believers in Christ today.  Their understanding of God is too small.  They don’t really know the God of the Bible.  I constantly hear and see Christians saying things and doing things that indicate what they believe about God is rather insignificant.  Their knowledge of God has little or no impact on their decisions, actions, feelings, stress, life direction or worldview.  Why do I say this?  Statistically, those who say they are Christians have lives that resemble any typical unchuched person.  They have the same stresses, problems, fears, life satisfaction as unbelievers.  Why?  Their God is too small!  What we believe about God is probably the single most influential issue of our lives.  What we believe about God impacts everything in this life.  Therefore, if this is true, we’d better believe the right thing.

Listen to Isaiah 40

Who else has held the oceans in his hand?  Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?  Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? ¹³ Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord?^[a]
Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? ¹⁴ Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice?  Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice?

¹⁵ No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales.
He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. ¹⁶ All the wood in Lebanon’s forests and all Lebanon’s animals would not be enough to make a burnt offering worthy of our God. ¹⁷ The nations of the world are worth nothing to him.  In his eyes they count for less than nothing— mere emptiness and froth.

¹⁸ To whom can you compare God?  What image can you find to resemble him? ¹⁹ Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains? ²⁰ Or if people are too poor for that, they might at least choose wood that won’t decay and a skilled craftsman to carve an image that won’t fall down!

²¹ Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand? Are you deaf to the words of God— the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant? ²² God sits above the circle of the earth.  The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!
He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them. ²³ He judges the great people of the world
and brings them all to nothing. ²⁴ They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and they wither.
The wind carries them off like chaff.

²⁵ “To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.

²⁶ Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name.  Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. ²⁷ O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?  O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? ²⁸ Have you never heard?  Have you never understood?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.  He never grows weak or weary.  No one can measure the depths of his understanding. ²⁹ He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. ³⁰ Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. ³¹ But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

WOW!

Now remember, this is the God that loves you unconditionally who sent His Son to dies on a cross for you so you could have an intimate relationship with Him.  This is the God who will NEVER leave you or forsake you.  This is the God whose awesome power is available for you.  This all-powerful God is the One who cares about every detail of your life.  This all-knowing God is the One you can rely on for wisdom and direction.

Now, what were you stressed out about again? What you believe about God changes everything.  Maybe it’s time to get a bigger God?

Hanging on to an all-powerful, all-knowing, ever present God who loves me.  Here’s praying you are too!

Pastor Dale

As I reflect on where we are at as a church I continue to hear God say to me loud and clear; “Stay the course!”  In other words, keep running, don’t stop, stay on track, press forward, or a host of other similar phrases.  We are right where God wants us.  Now is not the time to deviate from the present direction.  Now is the time to simply keep running the race God has set before us.

As we rejoice in the $70,000 offering that many of you contributed to this weekend towards our KAC goal, we all realize we still need more funds to complete the project.  This offering puts our total to around $87,000.  We still need $113,000 to go.  Now is not the time to be discouraged.  Now is the time to stay the course and trust God.

Staying the course is not easy.  There are countless opportunities to quit along the way.  What God has called us to is glorious but it is not easy nor is it for the faint of heart.  The course is not a level one either.  It is filled with hills and valleys, obstacles to overcome, and adverse conditions to put up with.  At times as we run this race, it’s easy to begin asking ourselves it is all worth it.  Is the course worth the effort, the sacrifice, and the discomfort at times?  It is in these moments we must remember the words of our Great Coach; the Author and finisher of our faith.

Heb. 10:35-36 “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

You see…it is worth it.  Persevering on God’s course does pay off.  The promises that we cling to will one day be our reality!  Therefore, keep running.  Stay the course!  The race isn’t done yet.  There’s a lifetime still ahead of us.  God will be faithful.  He will supply.  He will give us everything we need to stay the course.  We just need to make sure we keep running the race.

Staying the course with you,

Pastor Dale

Hey…I’m back!  I realize I haven’t written anything in quite some time.  My apologies.  Life has been quite the adventure for the past several month.  Fall programs beginning, moving our offices off site, our building construction projects, 6 funerals, 3 weddings, and a host of other details that have been consuming.  I like this picture because this is how life has been lately.  It’s been a wild ride.  This image also got me thinking.

Life is a lot like white water rafting.  It’s fast moving; you can’t go backwards; you have to pay attention; you must adapt to the river; the scenery is constantly changing and it’s safer to travel together.  If you like to whitewater raft, then embracing the challenges of a changing river is just part of the adventure.

I believe that the journey God has us on as a church is like whitewater rafting.  Embracing the ever changing circumstances, culture, needs, challenges and economic climate is all part of the adventure.  Churches and people that can trust God and embrace the changes navigate safely through the rapids of life.  Those who live in fear, panic, and denial, usually get dumped out and they are left swimming for shore.

Foothills is in the midst of a season of great change.  We are in the midst of the rapids.  Honestly, I have been feeling the spray of the water in my face lately as we have navigated some pretty tough rapids.  God has shown me that for Foothills to embrace change their Pastor must embrace change as well.  God has been impressing upon my heart in the past few months just how much I need to change, grow, and mature.  How can I expect the people of Foothills to embrace change unless their Pastor does?  This season of change is not merely altering the size of our classrooms and auditorium.  It is a time to alter the condition of our hearts and the impact of our lives for His Kingdom. This is what will help us navigate safely in the future.

Where is God asking you to change?  How is God speaking to your heart?  Embracing change is not the exception to the Christian life; it is the norm.  Rom. 12:2 tells us to not be conformed to this world…BUT RATHER…let God transform you into a new person!  You see…embrace change.  It’s only by allowing God to transform us do we navigate safely.  To resist godly change is to invite disaster on the journey of life.  You see, the changes that God brings to our lives are the skills and maturity we will need after the next bend in the river.  If we refuse to grow, then we don’t have the maturity to navigate what’s ahead.  The result?  We go swimming!

May God give us all the grace and endurance to embrace the changes He is accomplishing in our lives so that we successfully navigate the waters ahead.  Here’s embracing change with you!

Pastor Dale

Fall is almost here and at Foothills, this means everything is about ready to rev up into high gear.  Ministries that took breaks, scaled back, slowed down, and relaxed a bit are on the verge of embracing the intensity of ministry for the next 9 month run.  This year we have an added dimension with our remodel projects.  It is our need to increase the amount of space to accommodate the increasing numbers of people God is bringing.  This brings us to the urgent need of volunteers.  We cannot move in the direction God has called us to go with the same level of volunteering we had last year.  It simply won’t get the job done.  God is increasing our numbers.  This translates into increasing more volunteers.  This is not a luxury…it is a NECESSITY!

The vision that God has given us is a sacred trust.  We must be committed to becoming good stewards of this vision.  Part of being a good steward is to be committed to doing your part in volunteering in a ministry at Foothills.  We all must refuse to be spectators and embrace a role and participate in the vision.  If you say you are committed to Foothills, committed to the Lord, and committed to the vision that He has called us to and you are not serving somewhere, you are fooling yourself.  You merely have “lip service” not “real service”.  It’s time for some of you to grow up and let go of being so self-centered and embrace maturity and become others centered.  A non serving follower of Christ is a contradiction in terms!  Sorry to sound a bit harsh but some of you just need the shock!

We need help everywhere as the church grows, but I want to challenge many of you to consider 4 key areas where if we don’t increase in volunteers, the vision of the church will be hindered this year.  God is bringing in so many families that if we don’t increase the number of volunteers in our ministries aimed at their children, we will lose the opportunity to impact them for Christ.  We have tremendous needs for more volunteers in Nursery / Preschool / Kids Church and Student Ministry.  The numbers of kids in some of these ministries at the end of summers is concerning.  Just last week during one of our services we had 29 preschool kids in one class.  At the 8:30 service there were 18 babies in the nursery!  This doesn’t mention the K-5th grade or the Jr. High and High School students.

Since God is entrusting these people to us we have a responsibility to minister to them.  C’mon folks!  Let’s simply embrace what God has commanded us to do in His word…Serve!  It is no longer enough to support Foothills from your chair.  It is time to support it with your hands and feet.  If you are reading this and you’re not involved, may God move you to get in the game.  If you are involved and know others who are not, it’s time for you to get vocal and help motivate others to embrace their role.  If more people do not get involved we will fail in this next step of faith as a church.  It’s not about how much the pastor or staff can do.  The Bible says that many hands make light work.  The more hands we have involved the more we can advance the Kingdom of God in our area.  We need you and we need you now!

Looking forward to serving along side of you this year,

Pastor Dale

Rev. 3:8  “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.” (NLT)

There are times during our faith journey where God sovereignly puts open doors of opportunity before us.  These circumstances are orchestrated by His hand for his purposes and for His glory.  It is our responsibility as followers of Christ to recognize these Divine opportunities and by faith, walk through them.  The Lord has placed an open door before Foothills and we are walking through it.

By now I’m sure you’ve heard about Foothills purchasing the Green House Cafe’ behind our building on Main Street.  After months of prayer and seeking after the heart of God, He opened a door to purchase this building and expand the ministry and influence of Foothills in the Molalla area.  We are now about to start 3 remodel projects.  We will be remodeling our current office space for expanded Kids Ministry.  We will be expanding the auditorium to fit another 200 chairs, and we will be remodeling the Green House for a new administration building. As for the Cafe’, we will be keeping that part of the building a Cafe’.  Yes, it is our plan for Foothills to have it’s own Cafe on Main Street.  How fun!

As exciting as all this is, this journey will still require faith.  Even wide open doors require faith in order to walk in obedience and fulfill what God desires.  Remember, after God delivered the nation of Israel out of Egypt and through the Red Sea; after He destroyed the Egyptian army, He led them right out into the desert where there was no water.  This great opportunity still required them to learn to trust God and walk by faith.

As Foothills takes another step forward through this open door, we must remember that it will require a tremendous amount of faith and trust to accomplish what’s on the other side of this door.  Open doors never mean everything is smooth and predictable.  They usually mean there is a tremendous amount of growth that we will need to embrace on the other side.

Therefore, let’s walk through this open door together.  Let’s embrace the growth God desires in our lives.  Let’s realize another piece of our destiny.  Let’s see the Kingdom of God advance in the Molalla area.  God is the One who has placed this open door before us.  Let’s walk through it well and fulfill all He has for us!

Walking through this door with you,

Pastor Dale

Following God is like white water rafting.  It’s an adventure.  As Foothills enters another Fall season in a few weeks, God has us positioned for the next great adventure.  Following God is not static, motionless, or boring. God moves, God flows, and sometimes, you had better just hold on for the ride.  This is where we’re at.  I will be giving many more details regarding this movement in the coming weeks, but today I want to share 3 qualities this adventure requires.

The first quality is faith.  It take faith just to get into the “spiritual raft” with Jesus and go on His adventure.  Most people just watch from the river banks.  This is not what God has called this church to.  He has called us to get into the raft of faith and trust Him for the journey.  Of course there are risks, challenges, scary moments along the ride.  The waters are not always calm and serene.  He has called us to travel where others have not.  We have to trust our river guide.  He knows where He’s taking us.  Jesus is taking Foothills forward into new territory.  Faith is what keeps us in the raft!

The second quality is fellowship.  Notice in the picture it is a group of people in the raft not one person.  The faith journey Jesus has us on is one where we travel together.  All the people in the raft are working together in unity accomplishing the goal together.  This is how Foothills must continue to function.  We must continue to work together in unity for the purpose for which He created Foothills.  Loving relationships, cooperation, teamwork and unity must be the relational dynamics of Foothills if we are going to successfully finish the journey.  Notice everyone has a paddle.  Everyone is working.  Everyone shares the work.  This isn’t a pleasure cruise.  It’s an adventure that requires teamwork.  Where God is taking Foothills will require an even greater commitment to relationships.  We can’t accomplish this alone.  We need each other.

Finally, the last quality is fun.  That’s right…fun!  The people in this picture are having a blast on this adventure.  If we are willing to live by faith and be committed to fellowship along this journey, it’s going to be a pretty fun ride.  Following together Jesus isn’t a drag.  It’s the greatest adventure we could ever be on.  This next year will be challenging at times.  It will require us to work on our relationships.  We may corporately hold our breathe in some white water.  But we will get to see the might and power of our God in ways we never have.  We will see transformation.  We will see things accomplished that others will be amazed at.  We will be the ones raising our oars in triumph as we experiencing being “more than conquerors through Christ who loves us”.  That’s pretty fun if you ask me!

Get ready Foothills.  The next great adventure is about to begin.  Grab your paddle and each other.  We’re about to push off into the river

.

Paddling with you in the raft,

Pastor Dale