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Thursday, June 8th, 2023
TV shows are inundated with commercials hawking this-or-that (purpose of them to begin with) telling us our life will be better if we do this or take this supplement. You get the idea. “I was once where you were but since I started using (____) my life is changed.” They want to let us know that our life will improve drastically.
Don’t you wish getting control of fear and anxiety were that easy? “Here, take this magic pill or do this simple thing and all your anxiety will disappear.” While no commercial can promise a 100% success rate, neither can I claim to solve the issue of fear and anxiety with a simple formula. As I said in last week’s message, the solution to worry is not a plan, but a Person.
The 4:8 Principle (Philippians 4:8) will work well, but we still have to remember the Person behind it all. There is another verse that plays into this: “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion…and take every thought captive to obey Christ.“ The Bible reminds us that we choose what we focus on. We can focus on our problems or we can focus on Jesus who will help us deal with those problems. The key is remembering all the amazing things God has already done in our lives. Remembering what God has done for us is a massive weapon for defeating anxiety and depression.
Joshua is the poster child for this scenario. Remember what God has brought you through and remember what God has promised you. Go back to go forward. That is my sermon this Sunday. Please join us in person or via live stream at 9:00 and 10:45.
Posted in Anxiety, Christian living, Fear, Health, Sermon Series/Topic, Story | Comments Off on #GoBacktoGoForward
Thursday, May 18th, 2023
After a one-Sunday hiatus due to Mother’s Day, I will be back this week continuing the series I’ve entitled Faith Over Fear. This will be sermon #2 in the series and as you can see by the title of this post it is called “Who Me? Worry?” My Scripture is Matthew 6:25-34.
In Googling the “Top 10 Anxieties for 2023” the most recent statistic came from December of 2022. According to Ipsos, the top vote getter was inflation. It was followed by poverty and social inequality, crime and violence, unemployment, and financial and political corruption. Climate change tied with worry about taxes. Coronavirus is still at one of the lowest levels since it was added in April 2020. That is quite a change from the list I found from 1990: AIDS, drug abuse, nuclear waste, the ozone layer, famine, homelessness, the federal deficit, air pollution, water pollution, and garbage. Added to all lists is since 9/11 global terrorism has been one of the leading causes of anxiety.
I realize a list is just that…a list. All lives are different and our stressors and stress levels are different. But we are all human and one commonality is stress and anxiety. Different levels to be sure, but it is there nonetheless. This passage in Matthew is quite a treatise on Jesus’ ideas on worry. My hope Sunday is to enlighten us all to the truth and hope Jesus gives us when it comes to worry.
I hope to see you this Sunday at 9:00 or 10:45. If not in person then via live stream.
Posted in Anxiety, Christian living, Faith, Fear, Health, hope, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic, Story | Comments Off on #WhoMe?Worry?
Thursday, March 30th, 2023
I suspect all of us from time to time have heard or even used the expression, “Famous last words.” We use them to sorta say, “Yeah. So you say.” “I’ll clean my room” or “I’ll take out the garbage” or “I’ll clean the garage.” And we say? “Yeah, yeah, yeah, famous last words. As I prepared for this message and was thinking about Jesus’ last words, I decided to do a little research, aka Google it, on famous last words. 🙂 I found some irreverent ones. I found some thoughtful ones. I found some ironic ones. And I found some sad ones. (I would encourage you to look them up yourself). I’m actually going to give some examples during the introduction part of my sermon.
Jesus’ words “It is Finished” are loaded with meaning, often misconstrued. Each of Jesus’ last words tell a story, a truth, to know and remember. My desire this Sunday is to explain what that phrase means and why it is so important for us to get it right.
I just want to say this: In His dying moments, the mind of Jesus was filled, not with hopeless despair, but with a sense of accomplishment. His imminent death was not something inflicted upon Him by others, but something He Himself had achieved! That is why He could say, “It is Finished.”
Please tune in if possible. In person or via live stream. Our services are at 9:00 and 10:45. They are live streamed on the church’s FB page and also YouTube. You can find those links at the church’s website. I’m looking forward to preaching on these last words of Jesus.
Posted in Death, Doctrine, Easter, hope, Jesus, Sermon Series/Topic, Story, The Cross | Comments Off on #ItIsFinished!
Thursday, March 9th, 2023
Quick: Word association. Disciple of Jesus. Failure:
PETER
It is hard to disassociate Peter’s name from failure. But the fact remains: all of them failed. All of them ran. Peter gets notoriety because his was so public. Brash. Bold. Boisterous. Braggart.
Peter is not alone though. We all have failed. We all have made promises to be faithful and to stand tall, only to see ourselves do a face plant. History is marred with failures. So is Biblical history.
But failure is not the end. You have heard it said in some way, I’m sure: “Falling is not failure; not getting back up is.” But the great part about Peter’s failure and what he realized is that there is forgiveness in spite of failure.
I’m guessing that no one’s failure is more highlighted than Peter’s. I’m preaching on The Sting of Failure this Sunday. But I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of leaving Peter flapping in the breeze. Jesus didn’t and I certainly won’t. Nope…Jesus restored him and made him the leader of the ragtag band of disciple/apostles.
Please join us at 9:00 and 10:45 either in person or online as we live stream our services. I know many will be traveling this week due to Spring Break in our school system, but I hope you will join us via the live stream.
ONE MORE THING! REMEMBER TO TURN YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD THIS SATURDAY NIGHT FOR DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME.
Posted in Forgiveness, God, Grace, Opinion, Preaching, Second Chance, Sermon Series/Topic, Story, The Cross | Comments Off on #TheStingofFailure
Thursday, December 22nd, 2022
Talk about unexpected news! How about good unexpected news!
The weather event that was supposed to come starting last night (Wednesday) and affect us through the whole week is not materializing (at this point). The cold temps (single digits)? Yes. The blanket (more like a heavy comforter) of snow? No. I’m okay with that!!
We will be offering both a Christmas Eve and a Christmas morning worship to our folks. The CE service is from 6-7:00 and the Christmas morning service is from 10-11. Both will have common elements. The only difference will be the songs which will be sung and how they will happen. And if you are unable to attend or would simply like to join in, the Sunday morning service ONLY will be live streamed.
My topic will continue the 4-week series I’m preaching with this being the 3rd one: The Unexpected News. The Gospel is for all people-rich, poor, clean, unclean, whole, blind, deaf, prostitutes, immoral- you name it. I will be looking at the very familiar Scripture (to most) in Luke 2: 1-17 where the angel announces the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, then he is joined by a whole chorus.
It is hard to believe next Sunday brings us to the end of 2022. My last sermon in this current series will on January 1. Then I start a series on Revelation. Now that ought to be interesting……Hmmmmm.
Join us this weekend if you are able to. If not, join us on line Sunday morning. You can go to the church’s website for information on directly connecting to the live stream.
Posted in Christmas, Church, Jesus, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic, Story | Comments Off on #UnexpectedNews
Thursday, December 15th, 2022
There are a lot of truths which make us feel Christian doctrine is confounding. The Trinity for one. Who of you totally understands it? Certainly not me! He is three-in-one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To understand it is hard enough; to explain it so it can be understood? Above my pay grade. 🙂
God made flesh is one which boggles the mind and has us grasping for answers to understand how God could come to earth in fleshly form. ‘Course it is easy to say, “God can do whatever He wants to do,” but that still does not help us understand it any better.
There are more I can add but I’m guessing none is more difficult to understand, and to wrap our mind around than the two I want to deal with this Sunday. “God made flesh” is one; He was one person with two natures is the other. He was born of a virgin and He was fully God and fully man.
They might appear to be heavy topics for a Christmas message (and they are), but they are absolutely essential, not only to our Christian faith, but to truly realizing the meaning behind this holiday. It will not be an easy topic to preach on or to listen to, but one that is essential.
Join me please in person if possible. If not, join us at 9 & 10:45 as we live stream both services. Meanwhile, may I ask you to pray for me, for us? Thanks.
Posted in Christmas, Doctrine, Jesus, Sermon Series/Topic, Story, Truth | Comments Off on #UnexpectedChild
Thursday, November 3rd, 2022
It was around 2017 when Will and Teresa Reed returned home on furlough from the mission field in Africa. By the time they came home they were hurting. From the trauma of a hostile environment that caused them to move 3 times, to being personally traumatized, as well as severe exhaustion that came from a baby who never slept, they needed to come home. It was during that time they came to visit OVCF as one of their supporting churches. All of that combined caused some severe anxiety and PTSD, which the counselor told them they needed to deal with. It was recommended they stay home and heal.
It is now 2022 and with the necessary healing taking place (and also the birth of two more children), Will and Theresa sense God calling them back to Africa under the auspices of the mission organization, SERGE. It was the same one they were involved with before. Their plan is to return, Lord willing, to Nairobi, Kenya to serve with SERGE as counselors/helpers/support (and any other words that fit that description) in 2023.
Will is preaching this Sunday and will also tell the story of their healing and subsequent “call” to return to Africa. Pastor Ryan, Diana, Jo and I had lunch with them almost 2 months ago to renew our ministry with them. The leadership of OVCF is committed to putting them in the mission budget for 2023. The folks need to meet them and see what a genuine and real couple/family they are.
Please pray for Sunday. For Will as he preaches. For them as they consider their move and raise the funds to do so. And pray for the church as we are challenged to follow God’s calling on our lives, no matter where it leads. Join us if you are able to in person. Or you can’t, then please watch the live stream at 9 and 10:45.
Next week I start a 4-week series on Feasts with a Purpose. I’m going to take a look at two different OT feast each week and how they show us Jesus and apply to Christ-followers today. Join me won’t you?
Posted in Faith, Family, Health, Missions, Sermon Series/Topic, Story | 2 Responses »
Thursday, October 27th, 2022
No, that is not my age. And to be honest, I would not want to go back there. I wouldn’t mind the health and vigor I had back then as a freshman in college, but I wouldn’t want to be that age for anything. Not with the way things look in today’s world.
18
That is how old the church I pastor, Owen Valley Christian Fellowship, is this month. No one is really sure what date since it was over a short period of time when OVCF was birthed, but they do know it was in the month of October! 🙂 So the date we celebrate has sort of jumped all over the month. But what matters is not when, but what now.
This Sunday Pastor Ryan and I will be tag-teaming it for the message. Over the past 6 months or so, the leadership has been tweaking the Mission and Vision of OVCF. We plan to share that with the folks on Sunday. I will share it here next week in a series of posts.
If you happen to be reading this, I would like to invite you to join us at 9 and 10:45. We also live stream both services. And while you are here, please join us for a pitch-in following the second service. We would love to have you. During the meal we plan to share some information on the proposed building.expansion project and also honor our volunteers.
Please be praying for OVCF, for the leadership and for us to know and fulfill God’s design for us here in Owen County and elsewhere.
Posted in Church, Miscellaneous, Sermon Series/Topic, Story | 2 Responses »
Friday, October 14th, 2022
I started a new and short series last week called Wake Up Sleepy Head! It is on the church and the need for a revival-locally and globally.
This week my sermon is called Standing Strong. There is no question, no doubt, that the church is under attack. Without sounding political, Tulsi Gabbard just left the Democrat Party. One of the things she talked about was how Christians are under attack. I do not know what her religious affiliation is to be honest, and it really doesn’t matter to me. She spoke truth in that one statement. The church and Christians are under attack. If we say anything, do anything, propose anything that goes against the “woke” agenda, we get cancelled or persecuted and called all kinds of names.
I believe it is just the start of it all. More is to come. So it behooves Christ-followers and the church to stand strong. We can expect it; prepare for it; and stand firm. Or we can take the road out of town. The early church had to stand strong. It wasn’t easy for them; it isn’t and won’t be for us. There are some things which cause a church to lose its edge. But there are also some ingredients we need to stand our ground.
I plan to cover both of those this Sunday. I also plan to boil it down to one very important issue. I plan to blog about that here and on my other blog this coming week. Until then, I hope you will join us Sunday at 9 and 10:45.
Posted in Church, Faith, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic, Story, Truth | Comments Off on #SleepyHead#StandingStrong
Friday, August 19th, 2022
Let’s be honest here for a moment. For most people, especially in today’s world, mourning is not seen as a virtue. In fact, for many men, to show tears is out of character. I can remember only seeing my dad cry once and that was after his heart attack and a visit Jo, Tami (she was barely a month old), and I made. We had traveled from Akron to my folks’ home in PA to visit. Now a days, it is becoming even harder and harder not just to find men, but also women, who are unafraid to shed some tears. It is often seen as a sign of weakness.
And yet, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (NASB2020)
What does that mean? Does it mean we should be constantly in “cry mode?” Does it mean we should go around with tears in our eyes so people can see us crying (sort of like being showy like the Pharisees)? Everyone one of us experience or will experience pain and suffering of some kind. What should we do?
Mourn, of course. Jesus said it was okay to do that. I remember a song from years ago sung by J.D. Sumner: “Tears are a language God understands.”
But when Jesus tells us “Blessed are those who mourn” what does He mean? What is He giving us permission to do? It is far more than just shedding tears. I hope to untangle that this week and with God’s help shed some light in this sometimes dark tunnel.
I’d be honored if you could join us at 9 or 10:45 in person or via live stream. If you care to watch it another time it is on the church FB page and YouTube channel. You can access those by going to the church’s website.
Posted in Christian living, Compassion, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic, Story | 2 Responses »
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