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Sometimes when life knocks us down, it actually serves as a wake-up call: an opportunity to open our eyes, pay attention, and make a change. In 2 Corinthians 7, the Apostle Paul describes what happened when he gave a wake-up call to a group of young Christians. Would they respond with godly sorrow that leads to repentance or with worldly sorrow that leads to death?In this message, Dave offers these suggestions for how to respond when someone gives us a wake-up call of hard truth: Listen without getting defensive. Ask God to show you the truth in it. Confess what you need to.Take the next necessary steps.Seek out someone to hold you accountable.Text: 2 Corinthians 7Originally recorded June 7, 2015, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.

One of the qualities that demonstrate maturity is the ability to bounce back when life knocks you down. We call that ability...resilience, and we need resilience in pretty much every area of our lives, don't we?!In this message, Dave talks about developing resilience in ministry - recovering from the disappointment and discouragement that so often comes when we pour ourselves into others. We'll look at the testimony of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4 and the three expressions that enabled him to keep going when the cost of ministry threatened to take him out. He focused on:the treasure of God's grace contained in his fragile body, the power of God that gives the capacity to keep going, and death and life, the reality that when we pour out our lives in service to God and others, we die a little. But it's only through death that life can emerge.Text: 2 Corinthians 4Originally recorded May 24, 2015 at Fellowship Missionary Church in Fort Wayne, IN.

Every one of us has…or will…experience pain, loss, disappointment, or betrayal. Such crushing pressures are part of life in a broken world. But God promises to comfort us if we will turn to Him in our troubles. His comfort enables us to bounce back, to build resilience. And as we receive God’s comfort, we can, in turn, comfort others with the comfort we have received.   Text: 2 Corinthians 1:1-9  Originally recorded on May 17, 2015, at Fellowship Missionary Church in Fort Wayne, IN.

Let’s face it: life is hard.  And while most of the time you may be able to withstand its pressures, sooner or later every one of us will come close to a breaking point. How do you survive those moments?  How do you bend but not break?  How can you get back up when life knocks you down?  It takes something known as RESILIENCE. In this message, Pastor Dave looks at the painful, traumatic experiences the Apostle Paul faced on his second missionary journey and the words of encouragement God gave him that helped him bounce back: Don't be afraid. Stay on task. You're not alone.Text: Acts 18:1-10Originally recorded on May 10, 2015, at Fellowship Missionary Church in Fort Wayne, IN.

In this message, Pastor Dave wraps up his series on Elijah by focusing on the final mission of the prophet’s life – discipling his successor. There is a lot we can learn about being and making disciples from the relationship between Elijah and his protégé. Lessons that can help us as we seek to fulfiill Jesus’ Great Commission to go and make disciples…who make disciples…who make disciples.Lessons for disciplers include ask God for a name, give high invitation along with high challenge, and monitor the enthusiasm of your disciple’s response.If you’re in a position to be invested in by another, look for the opportunity to be discipled, determine to prioritize the privilege, and position yourself as a learner and servant.Text: 1 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 2:1-15Originally recorded April 6, 2014, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.

Have you ever hit a point in your life where you’re so exhausted, so discouraged, so depressed you’re just ready to quit? Maybe you’re there right now. If so, you’re not alone.In this message, we’re going to explore the darkest season of Elijah’s life. We’ll take a look at the pitfalls we need to look out for, such as the low that follows a high, the peril of physical and emotional exhaustion, and the danger of separating ourselves from strengthening relationships. We’ll also discover the ways God tenderly met Elijah in his weakness…and will meet you in yours.Text: 1 Kings 19:1-21Originally recorded March 30, 2014, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.

In this teaching, Pastor Dave explores one of the most dramatic moments in Scripture. Right up there with the parting of the Red Sea, David and Goliath, and Daniel in the lion’s den is this story…the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. But this is more than simply an exciting story. It’s filled with challenges for each of us in the spiritual battles we face every day. We’ll discover that sincerity isn’t the measuring stick of truth; that every god you depend on other than the Lord of heaven will one day disappoint you; and that you should never underestimate the potential of one life dedicated to God.Text: 1 Kings 18Originally recorded March 23, 2014, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.Resources:Map

When you hear the word “idolatry” – what comes to your mind? Likely you think of pagan rituals and statues of wood or stone. Something that happened back in Old Testament days or maybe in undeveloped parts of the world. But surely idolatry is not something WE struggle with today. I don’t have any idols in my life! …or do I?In this episode of his series on the prophet Elijah, Pastor Dave takes us to the foot of Mount Carmel and exposes the American idols that threaten us today.Text: 1 Kings 18Originally recorded March 9, 2014, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.Resources:Map

What do you do when the thing you’ve depended on to get you through a hard time dries up? Moreover, why would God allow that to happen to His child? In this teaching, we learn that sometimes God forces us to leave the comfort of the known in order to get us to the place He wants us to be. For Elijah, God took him down an illogical path to an illogical place where he encountered an illogical person.In this episode, Pastor Dave will frequently be referring to a map. If you'd like to follow along, you can find a copy of that map at www.DaveDeSelmMinistries.org/podcast/003.Text: 1 Kings 17Originally recorded February 23, 2014, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.

For all the courage and commitment Elijah showed in confronting the evil king and queen, he wasn’t ready yet for the battle that was still to come. God needed to do something deep in the man before He could do something great through the man. Elijah had to go through a time of focused solitude, experience total dependence, and be challenged to unconditional obedience.Text: 1 Kings 17Originally recorded February 16, 2014 at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.

Pastor Dave sets the stage for the story of one of the most remarkable characters in the Bible. What enabled this “man just like us” to have the courage to stand up to the most powerful, evil couple of his day?  He was convinced of the reality of Jehovah, that he was a representative of Jehovah, and had the resources of Jehovah.1 Kings 16:29-17:1Originally recorded February 9, 2014, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.