Pastor’s Messages (Page 2)

When we moved back to the Northwest after serving six years as missionaries in Uganda, I was amazed at how busy and lonely everyone was. We had gone back in time, living in a developing country where community was necessary for life to continue. Every person I passed on the path in the jungle would stop and we would talk for at least five minutes. It would be extremely rude to do anything different. When we came back home, I…

Staying In Step With The Holy Spirit When I was a senior in high school, I was meeting regularly with my guidance counselor. I Talked through the next steps I would take to achieve my goals. The Holy Spirt is our Guidance Counselor, and He is very active in communicating with Hs people. It’s time to connect with your guidance counselor for the right path that He has prepared for you.   2 Timothy 3:16-17  All Scripture is inspired by…

What stops you from asking God to forgive you? Ecclesiastes 7:20 Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins”. God ready and willing right now, to give you another chance. That’s a foundational truth of Christianity. We’ve all been foolish and messed up.How has guilt affected you mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Some of us know what it is like to live…

Beware of the Pharisees Heart Philippians 3:3  For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, The Pharisees were the religious leaders of the Jewish people who went after Jesus in attempts to keep their control over the people. The rules were most important. We don’t have to earn God’s love by jumping through the right hoops.…

Bold And Persistent PrayersEphesians 6:18-20 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. 19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep…

Does prayer really work? Psalm 33:10-11 The Lord foils the plans of the nations;    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,    the purposes of his heart through all generations. Have you ever heard a voice whispering that prayer is a waste of time. Satan may be trying to convince you that God isn’t even listening. The truth is God loves to communicate with His children and He is powerful enough to answer our prayers. The will of the Lord is greater than…

Living Your Best Life On the social networking sites, people say they are living their best life, but depression and anxiety are statistically off the charts. How can so many people be so depressed in reality and so happy on social networking? “#Living my best life”, isn’t really living at all. How can we actually, not virtually, live our best lives? Philippians 3:7-9      7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more,…

Genesis 12:1-4 1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.  2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 4 So Abram went, as the LORD…

Forgiveness And Trust Are Two Different Things James 5:16 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Why is it so difficult to rebuild trust with someone who hurt you? Forgiving someone doesn’t mean we make ourselves a doormat or that we blindly trust that person we forgave. Forgiveness can take place instantly, but trust will take some time.…

The Boomerang Of Bitterness? When I was twelve, I lived in Australia for a year. One of the things I learned to do was throw a boomerang. It’s harder than it looks. Most of my family never learned but I was determined. Before I learned how to throw it correctly, I spent a lot of time chasing a weirdly shaped stick. Once I learned how, I enjoyed the process. We all have emotional and relational wounds. Sometimes they are intentional…

Do you have assurance of your salvation?John 5:24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. What makes us sure of our salvation? The promise of God’s Word. We can trust the promise of God’s word because God cannot lie.What was the exchange of words between the repentant man and Jesus, when they were being crucified on…

Living Free Of Anxiety And FearWhen we let our feelings lead our lives, it’s easy to get stranded on the island of anxiety. So, how can we live free of anxiety and fear? 1 John 4:15-18 15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who…

The Blessing Of Salvation2 Corinthians 5:17-18Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:Salvation is God’s work from beginning to end. All we do is believe God truth from His word and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We have a God who loves us so much that Christ…

Are You Lonely Or Homesick?Why is music so popular and powerful? One of the main reasons is, it’s a way to share the pain of loneliness and disappointment. Country music is great at this. My dog died, my wife left me, and I lost my job, boom, boom, boom, boom. When we are lonely, it can almost feel good to feel bad, so we listen to another song and wallow in our misery. All this leads to the question I…

WHAT DOES GOD SEE WHEN HE LOOKS AT YOU? 1 John 4:16b-21 God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not…