“The reality however, is found in Christ.” — Colossians 2:17b
According to Webster’s Dictionary the definition of reality is, “The world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to that which is merely imaginary.”
I’ve been meditating on three realities about how awesome Jesus is; they have motivated me to want to share them with others.
Posted in A Word from the Pastor by admin
“The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…” — Exodus 34:6-7a
During the past year, I’ve come to know that Grace is a lot like an amazing pair of socks (from a company called Stance). If you have ever worn Stance socks, you know what I am talking about! Can I hear a resounding, “AMEN!”?
For years, I had heard about this particular brand of socks. A few people told me they were the most comfortable socks they had ever owned. Not only that, but they had all sorts of cool designs. I had seen them here and there and even checked out their website; I never bought a pair. Well, everything changed last year.
Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton
“If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” — 1 Timothy 3:15
Recently, as I was studying through 1 Timothy, I was struck by the Apostle Paul’s illustration of a pillar. Why a pillar? There’s no big theological concept behind the word; it doesn’t carry any special meaning. A pillar is, quite simply, a pillar. It has one job — to hold up whatever is on top of it. That is exactly what they are known for.
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It’s amazing how personal our God is! There are points in our lives when we have discouragement, times of doubt, times we question if God is really listening to us. Or, has He just tossed us aside? These thoughts are real and we can wonder if we are the only ones who think them?
Reading through the Psalms (Chapters 42 – 43, NLT), the Psalmist writes about how he is feeling doubt and discouragement. His enemy is all around him, taunting him; he is alone. He has the real sense that God has tossed him aside and isn’t answering his prayers.
Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Tony D'Amico
This week, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in a narrow 50-48 vote. He will now take his seat next to the other eight Supreme Court Justices in our nation’s highest court. Some people are encouraged, some are disappointed, some are protesting, and some don’t care. Donald Trump is the President of the United States of America; it seems like at least a few times a week we hear about something he tweeted, said, wore, or did. Again, some people are happy, some are mad, some are protesting, and some don’t care.
How should we, as Christians, respond to our government leaders and those in authority over us? In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, we can glean some instruction from Paul. He says, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” What exactly does that mean for us? How do we respond?
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Recently, I have been thinking about God’s power. Mainly, I think, because our world is in desperate need of healing and the only one who can do that is God. In fact, one of His names is the God Who Heals, or the Great Physician.
It’s important to pray for healing and to grieve for people around the world who are in all kinds of horrendous situations. By praying, I think we wield more power to help change the world, and individual lives, than we can even grasp or imagine. As Christians, we are incredibly blessed to be connected to the only true Power Source of the universe. You might think Rocky Mountain Power has some authority, but they ain’t nothing… let me tell you about the real deal… Jesus! These verses say it all: “Tell everyone about God’s power. His majesty shines down on Israel; his strength is mighty in the heavens. God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!” — Psalm 68:34-35
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Have you ever thought about how easy it is to destroy something compared to creating it? I was reminded of this during a recent house project.
We decided to replace our old, wooden, patio stairs as part of a backyard project. The stairs were about 10 years old and the bottom boards were starting to rot. One evening, I decided to demo them. I took a circular saw, pry bar, and hammer; I destroyed and removed the old stairs in about one hour! After I finished my demolition work, I was struck by how quickly I was able to do that.
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Posted in A Word from the Pastor by admin
During my final teaching of our David series, I talked about the amazing love of God. It made me think about, dwell on, how much God loves me. It says in 2 Thessalonians 3:5, “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” God gave me two thoughts regarding this verse.
First, my heart can be directed. And second, it should be aimed toward the fact that God loves me. Seems simple, doesn’t it? But, somehow, it was profound for me. I’ve tried to lead my heart into this amazing truth. One way I’ve found to do this is to take time to review Bible verses on God’s love. Even singing hymns and songs about His love during my morning quiet times has been so good.
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Last week, I was absolutely crushed to hear of a 30-year-old man who committed suicide in California. I know it is the extremely tragic and unfortunate truth that this sort of thing happens daily, but reading this particular story hit really close to home. This man was very close to my age, he was a husband, a father of three boys, and he was also a pastor at a church. The more I read about his story, the more my heart broke for him, his family, and his church. Thinking about the whole situation has brought to mind some thoughts I’d like to share.
The first thing I’d like to acknowledge is that this life is NOT easy. I don’t think we should sugar coat it. I’m not saying that it’s all bad, but it sure ain’t all simple. The daily pressures of just being a contributing member of society alone can be awfully heavy. Then, on top of those forces of life, we as Christians, have to pick up our cross daily and choose to follow Jesus (against the flow of culture around us). Again, I’m not saying it’s bad, in fact, I’m convinced this is best thing in the world. But, I think we are remiss if we try to brush it off as just a nice stroll in the park.
Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” — Philippians 4:8
The Apostle Paul reminded the Philippians that it was a good thing for them to regularly think about the things that would inspire worship and thankfulness to God. I wanted to remind us of that, too!
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