May, 2024

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#Hope#Hospitality

Thursday, May 23rd, 2024

I come to the end of the month where I have focused on women in the Bible. Today is about two women who were at different stages of their lives. One who is very old and childless. The other still seemingly relatively young and not focused on having a child at all. One we know quite a bit about; the other very little.

Sarah and Lydia. A patriarch’s wife. A seller of purple.  The one (Sarah) would echo the Scripture found in Lamentations 3:22-23: “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” In Ecclesiastes 3:112 it says, “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” The other would say, “Tell me about the Savior.”

Both women have something to teach us. Sarah teaches us about hope. Lydia teaches us about hospitality. Both needed their hearts changed and put in tune with God’s heart and plan for their lives.  Nothing is too small for God’s kingdom. No matter what you do. Evey little bit-fixing a meal, writing a note, teaching a class, greeting a new person, cleaning up after a pitch-n, opening your home for a meal, whatever you are doing-is never too small for God’s purpose.

Join me/us Sunday in person if you are able to. If not, join us online. I would love to hear from you.

Posted in Christian living, Friendship, hope, Hospitality, Sermon Series/Topic | Comments Off on #Hope#Hospitality

#HardActstoFollow

Thursday, May 9th, 2024

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! And that begs a question: “How is it that Pastor Bill is preaching on mothers and well…he is a not a mother?”  That is a very fair question to ask. 🙂 The past several years I have taken the “easy” way out and had several women contribute to the service. I gave serious thought about doing that again this year but decided to give it a rest for a year. 

Women, especially Christian women, are told to follow the examples of other women. For the Christian women they are encouraged to be like so and so (you fill in the blank) in the Bible.  Or they are told to be like the Proverbs 31 woman. Talk about an impossible task! Yikes!  Ask a woman who is her favorite woman in the Bible and you will hear Ruth or Sarah or Deborah or Esther or perhaps other well-known ones.  This whole month I am preaching on different women in the Bible. Last week I preached on Rahab and the woman caught in adultery in John 8. I was surprised with the positive response from it. (And I’m still getting it). 

This week, Mother’s Day, I decided to take one we often hear about (Ruth) and two who are mentioned often in the same breath (Mary & Martha). Simply put Ruth is a story of redemption and Mary and Martha (with special emphasis on Martha) is on being a servant. Not a slave but a servant. I look forward to sharing Mother’s Day with the ladies-and one in particular 🙂 – but also talking about how Ruth and Mary and Martha serve as examples for us.  Please join us in person if possible. If not, I would love to welcome you to our live stream. If you do watch, I would love to read any feedback you may have. Our services are at 9:00 and 10:45 a.m.

Posted in Christian living, Family, Sermon Series/Topic, Story | Comments Off on #HardActstoFollow
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Sober Cycle

Monday, May 6th, 2024

SOBER CYCLE REVIEW

First things first. I confess I have never had a drink of any type of alcohol. None. So it is a legitimate question for you to ask, “Why then are you reading this book and now doing a review of it?” Fair enough. That was the first question I asked myself when I read the original version. (This is a second edition of that book and I’ll mention at the end what is different). Here is my answer: As a pastor, even though I have never had any issue with alcohol (the first sentence tells you why), I know there are people in the churches I have pastored in the past and even now in this current one, who have had struggles with alcohol. The cold, hard truth that also comes into play is that there are other addictions besides alcohol-porn, tobacco, meth, cocaine, sex, lying, etc.- that are just as treacherous and just as gripping on a soul.

Sherry and I share a kinship-we both love cycling. That is what drew me to the first book to begin with. When I heard she was coming out with this second edition, I immediately pre-ordered it (then waited). I’m going to be honest…I have no clue if any of the print/story part of it is new. It has been a couple of years since I first read it. But that was a good thing. When I picked up this second edition it was like reading it for the first time and I HAD TROUBLE PUTTING IT DOWN…for the second time. I remembered how it started and obviously know how it ended, but all the material in between was like reading it for the first time. What I really appreciate about Sober Cycle is the brutal honesty and transparency Sherry showed. That shows the transformation which has taken place in her heart because she certainly had no transparency or honesty while in the throes of her alcoholism. From the people I have spoken with about their addiction that is a big part of it-hiding and lying.

Sherry is very upfront, not only about her struggle with alcoholism, but also how she finally broke that chain. She calls her ministry She Surrenders for a reason. It was the moment she surrendered her struggle to the Chainbreaker (Jesus) that she finally began to experience victory on a permanent basis. No more binging. No more alcohol-free day(s)/month(s) only to revert back to what she was.

I’m proud to know Sherry, even though we have never met face-to-face. My guess is if that ever happens there will be big smiles, lots of laughter, and maybe even a bike ride in the picture. I have given away a number of her books to alcoholics as well as their families. I don’t see that changing in the future. This will be my go-to book to encourage and help anyone I know who is struggling or loves someone who is. I recommend you buy a copy, read it, and then find someone to pass it on to, especially if they are a struggler with this, or any, addiction for that matter.  

What’s new?  There is a book club study guide to work through. There is a short Q & A section. But perhaps more importantly, there is a short blurb (page and a half) about Selah House Recovery, a place for women to go who need help recovering. I’m a firm believer that our experiences were never meant to be kept to ourselves. Selah House is Sherry’s effort to give back and help other women who are chained to this insidious monster.

Posted in Book Review, Compassion, Cycling, Faith, Family, Opinion, Second Chance, Story | 2 Responses »
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#OutofthePit

Thursday, May 2nd, 2024

Have you ever wondered if you have gone too far? Even worse, have you ever wondered what you would ever do with the skeletons in your closet?  Skeletons don’t have to be about immorality. While it is true that something “big” like an affair, addiction to pornography, an abortion, or addiction to drugs or alcohol get the headlines, there are other skeletons. Lying. Plagiarism. An issue with anger. An event from the past not involving immorality.  But here is what is so important to hear and believe: no closet is covered so deeply that God’s grace can’t reach it and clean it out and rearrange it.

The two ladies in this week’s message have messy closets. One is a prostitute. One is caught in the act of adultery. The story of Rahab is found in Joshua 2 and 6 and Matthew 1. The story of the woman caught in the act of adultery is found in John 8.  Both are discussed freely and fairly. From the Pit to a Future (Rahab). From the Pit to Forgiveness (John 8).  Some might wonder why? Why in the world would you talk about these women? Simple. God’s grace run deep. It reached them and set them free and on the right path.

We all need that encouragement. We all need that reassurance. Please join us this Sunday in person at 9:00 and 10:45. If you unable to, please join us online. I look forward to hearing from you.

Posted in Christian living, Forgiveness, Freedom, Grace, Sermon Series/Topic, Story | Comments Off on #OutofthePit