https://www.guidelines.org/encouragingwords/

Encouraging Words, PO Box 2035, Mission Viejo, CA (2026)

06/22/2026

The River of Life Is Still Flowing for You
By: Darlene Sala
June 22, 2026

Are you in the middle of a battle zone right now with the bullets flying? Or is this a dry period in your life when absolutely nothing seems to be happening?

In life we experience both kinds of situations. And the Bible says God is sufficient for both—for intense problems and for periods of complete barrenness. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him,” wrote the Psalmist. “He will be like a tree planted by the water …. It does not fear when heat comes …. It has no worries in a year of drought” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

There are two different kinds of circumstances: heat and drought. Heat speaks of intense trials. During those times you struggle as you are attacked by problems that come at you, one after another. No sooner do you catch your breath from one crisis than another hits you.

On the other hand, drought pictures those dry times when you feel like nothing is taking place in your life. Either way, if the roots of your confidence go deep into God, you will find that He is sufficient.

Where is your confidence and trust? Be honest. Is it in yourself? In fate? Or in God? Do your roots go down enough to draw from the River of Life? Or are you just hoping for a few sprinkles from Heaven? Jesus said, “To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life” (Revelation 21:6).

Right now, whether you are experiencing heat or drought, don’t live in a state of spiritual dehydration. Let your roots go down into the resources of God. The Water of Life still flows to refresh you. In God, you will have what you need for heat—or for drought.

Listen at: https://www.guidelines.org/sermons/the-river-of-life-is-still-flowing-for-you/

06/15/2026

The Creator of the Universe Can Be Known by You
By: Darlene Sala
June 15, 2026

You’ve probably met someone who seems to know everybody who is anybody—all the “important people.” No doubt, this person has found that name-dropping highly impresses people. “Yes, I know the ambassador well. As a matter of fact, we had lunch with the President last week.” As unappealing as it is, name-dropping is a way of getting attention.

Jeremiah says wise men may boast of their wisdom, strong men may brag about their strength, and a rich man may show off his possessions. But if a man wants to boast, only one thing is worth boasting about: God says, “Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

Actually, when a person boasts about what he has, he’s taking credit for what God has given him. He couldn’t be wise, strong or rich without God allowing it.

But God says there’s great value in knowing Him. J.I. Packer wrote a book called Knowing God that has blessed and challenged many. Even the title is fascinating. That the God who never had a beginning, the One who made all things out of nothing, is knowable by the human beings He created is amazing. Yet Paul says God “has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9).

Not sure how to begin getting to know Him? Take a Bible concordance, you probably have one in the back of your Bible, and look up one of the characteristics of God, such as His love or faithfulness. Then look up the scripture verses listed there and write down what you learn about God. I think you’ll be amazed.

One last step: talk to God about what you have discovered. Ask Him to help you to understand Who He is and what He has written. After all, you’re talking to the Author of the Book!

Listen at: https://www.guidelines.org/sermons/the-creator-of-the-universe-can-be-known-by-you/

06/08/2026

God Wants Your Heart, Not Your Hustle
By: Darlene Sala
June 8, 2026

“God put me on earth to accomplish a certain number of things,” someone wrote, “and right now I am so far behind I will never die!”

We laugh at that, but if you’re a person like me, who always feels that you could be doing more than you’re doing, stop for a minute. Is “more” always better?

Maybe you’re thinking, “If I were just a little better organized, I could squeeze more (oh there’s that word again) into my life.”

Thousands of dollars are spent on seminars every year to help people maximize their lives. These training classes are often helpful. In fact, it would be hard to attend any of them and not pick up some useful pointers that would make us more efficient.

Not surprisingly, most of us carry the same idea into our spiritual lives as well. We attend retreats and gatherings. We read articles. We try new methods of Bible study and experiment with new prayer journals. All of this we do to improve our Christian life. Sometimes it helps, and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes we just come away saying, “Those are great ideas, but I just can’t do it all. I’m ‘maxed out’ already.”

Maybe God doesn’t care whether or not we get more done. I don’t see anywhere in scripture where it says we’ll get a greater reward for having done more. The rewards come for faithfulness, not quantity of tasks performed.

What does God really want from us? Listen as He asks, “For who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?” (Jeremiah 30:21). Wow! What a challenge! Being close to God!

Yes, we have battles to fight and schedules to keep. But there is something “more” that we need: Far more than better organization, we need to be near to His heart!

Listen at: https://www.guidelines.org/sermons/god-wants-your-heart-not-your-hustle/

06/01/2026

You Are Not Forgotten—You Are Loved
By: Darlene Sala
June 1, 2026

When you go through a long period of pain and hardship, you begin to wonder if God really cares. You think, “He must have given up on me. Perhaps among all the billions of people in the world He has to keep track of, He has forgotten me.” That’s a scary feeling!

But that’s exactly how the Children of Israel felt. In the Bible you can read where they said, “The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me” (Isaiah 49:14).

What does God say in reply when you feel this way? He answers with deep compassion, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” (Isaiah 49:15).

What a strong picture of His love! No mother ever forgets the child she has borne, even those who have given up their babies for adoption. Even those who have aborted a baby in the early months of pregnancy. Yet God says, though a mother would forget, “I will not forget you!”

Then He adds one more phrase for emphasis: “I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:16 NLT). When elementary school kids get a crush on a girlfriend or boyfriend, they often write their initials on their hands. It’s a semi-secret way of identifying with that person.

But God in the person of Jesus Christ has more than our names written on His hands. He has nail prints on those hands to prove His love for us! He suffered far more than the pangs of childbirth to make us His children. His pain of death on a cross left scars that will forever be a reminder of His love.

“Greater love has no one than this,” said Jesus, “that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus did just that for you. And you can be sure that the One who died for you will never forget you or forsake you.

Listen at: https://www.guidelines.org/sermons/you-are-not-forgotten-you-are-loved/

05/18/2026

Seek God First—Even in Financial Stress
By: Darlene Sala
May 18, 2026

Do you have a financial need? Not just money to go shopping—a real need?

Some of Jesus’ disciples did. So, they went fishing—all night on the Sea of Galilee. John tells about it in John 21. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

“Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Jesus knew exactly where those fish were!

A similar thing happened when the taxes were due. Peter reminded Jesus about the approaching deadline to pay them. Jesus told Peter to go to the lake and throw out a line. “Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin,” He told Peter. “Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours” (Matthew 17:27).

Clearly, if God knows where the fish are, surely He can meet your need as well. Perhaps the reason He has not yet answered your prayer is that He wants you to seek Him, not just the money. If you have a child who cares only about your money and what you can give him, and he never gives you a hug or tells you he loves you or wants to be around you, you get tired of just forking over the cash. When you pray, be sure that God knows it’s not just the money you’re after.

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus gave us the basis for having our needs met when He said: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Your need is no surprise to your Father. Seek Him instead of His gifts, and in His time, He will meet that need.

Listen at: https://www.guidelines.org/sermons/seek-god-first-even-in-financial-stress/

05/11/2026

Your Need Is Not Beyond God’s Reach
By: Darlene Sala
May 11, 2026

When you have a big need, God can seem far, far away. That’s because your need is so close to you—blocking your vision of everything else, including God. When that happens, it’s time to step back and get a new perspective.

Over and over in the Old Testament, we read God’s words that “by his mighty hand and outstretched arm” He did something for His people. Whether it was to free them from slavery or foreign oppressor, God said He would reach out His arm and act on their behalf.

That leads us to ask, “How long is God’s arm anyway?”

Honestly, I don’t know the answer. But I can assure you that based on what God’s Word tells us, it is long enough to meet the need in your life that right now seems so enormous to you.

The prophet Isaiah said, “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save” (Isaiah 59:1). Those words were written by the man who saw the Lord with his own eyes. If Isaiah says the Lord’s arm is long enough—and he was an eyewitness—then we can trust his testimony.

While Job was facing overwhelming difficulties, his friend Elihu told him that God is beyond our understanding and beyond our reach. From a human standpoint, that is true. We certainly cannot reach up to heaven to bring God down to us. But even though our arms aren’t long enough to reach God, his mighty arm is long enough to reach down to us and lift us from the pit of our neediness.

Jeremiah wrote, “Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:17).

Friend, that includes your need. Take heart from the fact that absolutely nothing is too hard for the God of creation, whose mighty hand and outstretched arm reaches down to where you live.

Listen at: https://www.guidelines.org/sermons/your-need-is-not-beyond-gods-reach/

05/04/2026

Obedience Is a Leap—But God is There to Catch You
By: Darlene Sala
May 4, 2026

After speaking to a group of single young adults, I asked them if they had any questions. A young girl stood and candidly asked, “I’m not a very obedient person. What should I do about this?”

I thought to myself, “You dear honest girl! You have just summed up the human race! I’m not a very obedient person either, and neither is anyone else in this room!” The prophet Isaiah said it like this: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6).

Yes, I want my way! It’s the biggest struggle of my life—doing what God wants each moment instead of what I want. It takes courage and faith to put your life in God’s hands and obey Him completely.

If you, like the young girl, are not a very “obedient person,” try this advice: “When you wake …, offer your whole self to God, soul and body, thoughts and purposes and desires, to be for that day what He wills.”

Turn over to Him the foundation of your will—the heart. He says, “My son [or daughter], give me your heart” (Proverbs 23:26). And who would ever be more trustworthy with your heart than the God who made you and sacrificed His Son so that you might have a relationship with Him. God, more than anyone else, wants the best for you. After all, He loves you!

Obeying God sometimes feels like jumping off a high dive. “Here we go, Lord! Whee!” But remember when you abandon yourself to Him, you jump right into the ocean of His love. He is there to catch you and hold you. Take the plunge with a daring heart into the arms of His love, and He will make sure you are safe in life’s deep waters.

When you get right down to it, what more secure place could there be?

Listen at: https://www.guidelines.org/sermons/obedience-is-a-leap-but-god-is-there-to-catch-you/

04/27/2026

Bring God into Every Task, Big or Small
By: Darlene Sala
April 27, 2026

I admit it—I’m a habitual list-maker. Rarely do I get everything crossed off my list. But as someone wrote, “The Lord didn’t do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?”

The number one item on my to-do list is my personal time with God. But I’ve discovered that this time can become very routine: first, read a chapter of the Bible, and, second, run through my prayer request list. Done! Devotions checked off! I’ve made God happy, and now I can get on with the next item on my list!

But is that really what it takes to make God happy? Where does the Bible say, “If you want to please Me, you shall read one chapter of the Bible every day. Then you shall recite to Me the list of everything you want.” I don’t think that’s what God had in mind!

What, then, are God’s priorities? A man once asked Jesus that question, and He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39).

If you’re a stay-at-home mom, your to-do list may include unexciting jobs as doing the laundry and buying groceries. If you’re a career woman, your life isn’t necessarily filled with exciting duties either. Yet, you can hallow all these jobs by loving God while you do them.

As you go about your work, look for opportunities to show genuine love to those you meet: the clerk whose eyes reveal heartache, the delivery person whose gruff response reveals his frustration with life, or that obnoxious neighbor who probably just needs a friend.

Love God, and love others—it’s really pretty simple. Yet it’s what matters most to God. Think about that today as you go through your to-do list.

Listen at: https://www.guidelines.org/sermons/bring-god-into-every-task-big-or-small/

04/20/2026

Let Go of That Chip on Your Shoulder
By: Darlene Sala
April 20, 2026

A friend told about a party she and her grandmother attended. The grandmother had been chatting for some time with a relative. Suddenly the elderly lady came up short: “I shouldn’t be talking to her. I’m mad at her!”

“Why, what did she do to you?” asked my friend.

After a long pause, her grandmother admitted, “I can’t remember!”

Like my friend’s grandmother, many of us have a chip on our shoulder from a hurt that has never healed. A tight band around the heart that constricts the flow of love. A caustic acid that eats into a relationship until little is left of what once brought joy.

I wonder why we hold on to hurts. Maybe because we actually enjoy mulling over how right we were and how wrong the other person was. Perhaps the person has never asked for forgiveness, so we reason that we aren’t obligated to forgive until she does.

Usually, though, we hold on to hurts because of pride. “Why should I go to her? It was her fault! If I approach her first, it means I’m admitting I was wrong—and I wasn’t!” Scripture is plain, however, about who should make the first move. Jesus said, “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the fault.”

You really have nothing to lose—and a lot to gain! First, you may regain a relationship with that person. Jesus said, “If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back” (Matthew 18:15 NLT). Second, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have done what God wants you to do. And third, you may give someone else the courage to follow your example.

That chip on the shoulder? Settle it once and for all. If you do, no longer will your conscience remind you of unfinished business.

Listen at: https://www.guidelines.org/sermons/let-go-of-that-chip-on-your-shoulder/

04/13/2026

Be Patient: God Will Supply Your Needs in His Timing
By: Darlene Sala
April 13, 2026

A young woman called me on the phone utterly discouraged. “My husband works hard, and so do I,” she explained. “But we never seem to get ahead financially. I look at my friends and see them remodeling their homes and sending their kids to the best schools. I used to go shopping with these friends, but now we don’t shop at the same stores anymore. God has all power; He could meet our need. So why doesn’t He?”

I didn’t have a quick answer. I just wanted to hold this young woman in my arms because I knew she was hurting. Then we began to talk about her options.

When it seems as if God is not meeting your needs, we have two choices: turn away from Him and become bitter, or to turn to Him even though we don’t understand.

It’s pretty obvious that turning from God is never a wise choice. That leaves us with Option #2: to rely on Him. When you choose to wait on God, you give up depending on any logical reason you can figure out for what is happening. You simply say, “Dear God, I will ask You to solve this problem, but if You don’t meet my need the way I think You should, I will trust You anyway. You must have a reason I can’t see.”

Wondering what happened to my friend who called on the phone? Well, at her point of despair, God supplied her need through a source she had long given up on. Oh, she’s hasn’t become “rich,” but her needs have been met and her faith has grown.

Dear one, don’t give up. Paul assured us, “This same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches” (Philippians 4:19 NLT). He didn’t say “when,” but he did say God would do it. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12), until the answer comes.

Listen at: https://www.guidelines.org/sermons/be-patient-god-will-supply-your-needs-in-his-timing/

Encouraging Words

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