 Good morning Church family, as we head into spring and a time of renewal have you allowed him to remove those things that have been smoldering in your heart? Recently I had the opportunity to burn my pasture. Now please understand that I am not a large rancher with thousands of acres of land. Dana and I own 7 acres that has become a haven where God comes first and being a good steward of his gifts is second. If you have been around the burning of pastures you know that dead grass from the winter before burns quickly and if the grass is native grass it burns even quicker. We have a lot of native grass that I thought I could back burn (a section away from the wind) so that when I burnt the rest I would have no problems! Well sometimes things do not go as planned. As I started the back burn it quickly decided to go against my wishes and take off to the north against the wind. My thoughts were that it would burn to the ditch and stop and all would be well. So the drama begins once it jumped the ditch and headed toward the chicken house and I saw the chickens running quickly to find shelter, so it looks like it is gonna be chicken nuggets for lunch! It was not their day to be crispy nuggets so the fire then headed to my propane tank, Oh great how will I explain this to my wife! Past the propane tank (no explosion) onward the flames went to the next fuel it could find which happened to be my compost pile. Constructed of pallets in a square it quickly caught the pallets on fire as well as the wood shavings thrown in with the rest of the garbage. I got a water hose put out the fire while the pasture burnt all the way to the property line and all the way to the highway! Later in the day I happened to see smoke coming from the compost pile, which had never been put out, smoldering under the pile of shavings keeping the fire going without flames. I finally had to tear it all apart and open the pile to put water in the center to get it out.
In our lives what do we have inside our hearts that causes the smoldering to keep the things alive that we thought had been put out. Bitterness of the past, anger in the present, feelings of doubt, hopelessness and rejection. The things that keep us from serving God fully and living our best life for him. And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: “When you have come into the land of Canaan, which I give you as a possession, and I put the leprous plague in a house in the land of your possession, and he who owns the house comes and tells the priest, saying, ‘It seems to me that there is some plague in the house,’ then the priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest goes into it to examine the plague, that all that is in the house may not be made unclean; and afterward the priest shall go in to examine the house. And he shall examine the plague; and indeed if the plague is on the walls of the house with ingrained streaks, greenish or reddish, which appear to be deep in the wall, then the priest shall go out of the house, to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days. And the priest shall come again on the seventh day and look; and indeed if the plague has spread on the walls of the house, then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which is the plague, and they shall cast them into an unclean place outside the city. And he shall cause the house to be scraped inside, all around, and the dust that they scrape off they shall pour out in an unclean place outside the city. Then they shall take other stones and put them in the place of those stones, and he shall take other mortar and plaster the house. Leviticus 14:33-42 Are we allowing the Lord to scrape the walls of our hearts, cleansing the uncleanness that is blocking us from fully serving Him. Do we allow him to open us up so that the smoldering can stop and the ignition source of our burdens can be removed? We all need cleansing from time to time. Personally it’s every day for me to ask God what David asked God to do in Psalm 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:5: Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. It’s Holy Week, personally my favorite time of the year, a time of renewal. The grass is growing and the flowers are beginning to bloom. Do you ask for renewal, do you seek Him daily for the uplifting of your spirit by just being with Him? We are in unprecedented times, times that are no surprise to God for he knew this was coming. Face every day with boldness as you step into his will and not your own. Celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior and celebrate the newness of who you are in him. Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth. Hosea 6:1-3 Have an amazing day and a blessed Easter! Pastor Marty
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 In Mark 4:1-20, Jesus tells one of His most famous parables: the seed and the sower. In it, He compares the Word of God to seeds sown by a gardener. The seed grows differently based on the quality of soil it lands on: some people’s hearts are like a path that allows Satan to come along and pluck the message away before it takes root (verses 4 and 15), others show much growth quickly and very joyful about it, but they never get Rooted (see what I did there?) and whither away quickly when the heat gets turned up (verses 5-6 and 16-17); still others have a heart very subjected to the cares of the world, and allow the troubles around them to choke out the Word (verses 7 and 18-20). Finally, there are those that have a heart ready to receive the word, put it into action, and see it increased in their lives (verses 8 and 20).
So what does this have to do with Holy Week? Well, like Holly discussed yesterday, I have always been fascinated by how quickly public opinion about Jesus changed. In the space of one week, the cries of “Hosanna” turned to cries of “Crucify Him!” Clearly, there were a lot of people with rocky soil in their hearts that week. They believed in Jesus as Messiah and were joyful to receive Him, but withered away quickly when it became clear that He was not going to live up to their incorrect expectations. And the craziest thing is that Jesus saw this coming, and chose to go to the Cross in spite, maybe even because of it! What’s the state of your soil? Pastor Jared  What’s in a Week? A pondering by Holly Woodbridge
The kids and I went through the last week of Jesus’ life in one evening a couple Wednesdays ago. It was like travelling through time at full speed. We played a game to get the events of Holy Week in order before we headed into the lesson. It can be a challenge. It is such a full week, so much packed in, so incredibly meaningful and significant. And now here we are, it has begun. Matthew 21:7-9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” The cry Hosanna means SAVE US! And these people are ready to be saved. They have been held under the oppressive hand of Rome for far too long. But that was yesterday. The beautiful hope-filled hosannas are fading away now. The vibrant palm leaves are withering on the roadside. Yesterday, Palm Sunday, they got it right. They praised the King with joyful shouts. But it’s a new day, a new week, and something is coming. Moving along through this holy week, we see Jesus clear the temple of the money changers, curse a fig tree, teach, warn, and prophesy. Passover is coming. Monday passes. Tuesday Passes, Wednesday passes as Judas plots a betrayal, the Sanhedrin plan a murder, and Jesus prepares for dinner. Time moves on. On Thursday, Jesus shares this dinner with His dear friends, it’s Passover. (Matthew 26.20-35), Later they head to a garden to pray. It is a time of precious fellowship and intimacy. But things start changing quickly. Judas arrives with temple guards, Peter lops off an ear, the disciples scatter, Jesus is dragged to the high priest, accusations are made. Things turn violent, fists are flying at Jesus, his beard is ripped out, he is beaten and thorns are pushed into his head, all while he is mocked and belittled. And he took it. It was the plan. And so Thursday has turned into Friday, Good they call it. He climbed a hill and let His own creation nail Him to a cross. He hung there, the perfect lamb. He died there and He was buried. (Matthew 27:27-54) Remember, he didn’t ride through the gates of Jerusalem as a warrior on a valiant horse. He came on a donkey. He came humbly. He came to serve. He came to die. And he did. But don’t be fooled. Those Hosannas will be answered. He will save! He doesn’t need a horse. He doesn’t need a sword. For He is most certainly a Warrior, He is most definitely a King, and He is unquestionably a conqueror. So, He does what only can be done by the Son of God. He RISES! (Matthew 28:1-7)Do you see Him? More importantly, do you know Him? It was you he came to love; you he came to save. Your cry of Hosanna has been answered. So, what can happen in a WEEK? EVERYTHING! And this can be the Week it happens for you!  Mary Anoints Jesus
12 Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 3 Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, *said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” 6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. 7 Therefore Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. 8 For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.” 9 The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. Jesus Enters Jerusalem 12 On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” 14 Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” 16 These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. 17 So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. 18 For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.”  New Names, Laughter, and Baptismal Joy
God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, you will no longer call her Sarai. Her name will now be Sarah. I will bless her and even give you a son from her. I will bless her so that she will become nations, and kings of peoples will come from her.” Abraham fell on his face and laughed. He said to himself, can a 100-year-old man become a father, or Sarah, a 90-year-old woman, have a child? (Genesis 17:15-17) We just recently celebrated a baptism service at Wannamaker Woods on Wednesday night. As many of these services as I have participated in, they never seem to get old for me. You hear the moving testimonies. You see the smiles on the faces of people. There is joy, laughter, and tears upon the countenance of those gathered. In many ways, it time travels you back to the time and place of your own baptism. There is something about baptism that encapsulates joy and laughter. There are even faith traditions where they practice immediate baptism. If you receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior, they will baptize you that same day so that all those around can experience the joy of what God has done. Jesus had it right. When a sinner makes the Lord his choice, even the angels in heaven have to stop what they are doing and have themselves a holy hootenanny. I heard a story of a minister who was baptizing a teenager one Sunday and accidentally called him by the wrongname in the water: “I baptize you, Scott, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” The young man came up out of the water and softly whispered to the minister: “Is that my new Christian name?” It really is a fair question isn’t it? When we commit to follow God’s ways, we do start fresh. There is a place of beginning again. Most of us don’t get new names like Abram and Sarai did, but all of us get the same kind of new beginning. Whether you have just recently come to the Lord, or you find yourself as weathered in faith as Father Abraham, each day is a fresh start in your journey with the Lord. New beginnings don’t have road maps like our old paths do, and so it takes a special kind of faith to embark on such a life journey. Even if, like the newly named Abraham, we fall down laughing at the thought of it. I encourage you to pray the prayer of the Psalmist today. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Pastor Donny  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! II Corinthians 5:17
I love spring! Spring is probably my most favorite of all the seasons. I live 30 minutes from the church so I have a really nice drive every day to work. I can watch the buds start forming on the branches and then the leaves begin to appear and things start to get a light green tone and I can watch as the colors start to change over the course of the week from one color hue to another. The branches that appear to be dead begin to come alive and the dismal look of winter slowly gives way to new life and lush lawns and budding trees. In my spirit I feel a newness as each day gets a little longer and I have more daylight in my days to enjoy my family and friends. I love spring! Spring reminds me of Easter and the newness of life that comes with it! Easter season for me begins with Palm Sunday where they treated Jesus like a king and Maundy Thursday when Jesus broke bread with them and then proceeded to wash their feet knowing full well that His disciple Judas was planning on betraying Him. Then Good Friday came and the long trip to Calvary where Jesus willingly gave his life as a ransom for all. It must have been a very dismal Saturday when the disciples and Mary Magdalene thought all was lost. Can you imagine what Mary must have felt when she found the tomb empty and her Lord gone? There had to have been a feeling of despair and emptiness that totally engulfed her. Then comes Easter and the day that My Savior rose from the grave! Imagine what Mary must have felt when Her Savior stood before her and called her by her name? Can you envision the scene that took place in that upper room when Jesus appeared to His disciples? Even doubtful Thomas stopped doubting and believed as he touched Jesus side. That must have been an awesome encounter! Jesus continued to stay with them for 40 days and then ascended up into heaven, where He remains until the day He returns to gather His own. We really don’t know what all took place those 40 days for John tells us in John 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. All the disciples must have felt a newness of life as they experienced all of that in person. We all can have that same experience today because He sent the Holy Spirit to be our comforter and guide and to give us the power from on high to live as we ought to live. He has given us a new life through His death on the cross! He is still calling us by name! As we enter this Easter season may we never forget the sacrifice He made for us! With spring comes the newness of life as the trees and flowers and grass come to life. With Easter comes the resurrection and the hope for tomorrow and the newness of life through the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. We become a new creation through Christ; the old is gone, the new has come! II Corinthians 5:17 So as we approach Easter this year let us focus on the resurrection and hope for tomorrow. He is risen! He is risen indeed! Pastor Fran  Isaiah 55:9-11 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
My fondest childhood memories growing up on the farm all surrounded my hopes and dreams of one day following in my family’s footsteps to farm the land. Even as an adult, (more or less, for we are all children at heart, we have only grown longer legs) my thoughts pull me back to those roots, longing and wishing that they would have came to fruition. But God’s word is true and just, for His Word and ways that He has set forth for our lives are something we can only follow by faith, not from our own understanding. It was not until during these troubling Pandemic times when we were all confined to our personal caves as it were, I once again focused on my dreams of farming, being out in the open spaces with no crowds of people, no mask, just God’s majestic creations. Yes, it was my own personal pity party, O Woe Is Me time, questioning God for keeping me from being the farmer I thought I should have been. But then God allowed me to see the sign posts (or you might recall Burma Shave signs) that he had placed before me all those years directing my life, for which I never fully realized. “Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both”. (Ecclesiastes 11:5-7) He had allowed me to be the farmer, not as I envisioned but as He had envisioned and planned all along; “The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others”. (Mark 4:14) Just as the farmer spreads seed over the entire field, the makeup of the soil content and structure is not the same in all areas. We find this to be true in God’s Word from the Parable of the Sower. There are those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it, others hear the message and immediately receive it but lacking deep roots fall away and others hear the message but it is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth. For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. (Matthew 13:14) And yet, there are others who truly hear and understand God’s Word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or a hundred times more than they had planted. So, in conclusion, We, You and I; are the farmers who plant the seeds of the Word of God into the fields we call friends, neighbors and co-workers as Christ has directed each of us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15) As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send… YOU… into his harvest. May God richly Bless you as you by prayer and faith plant His seed, that He may receive a rich and bountiful harvest. Yours in Christ, Rev. Jerry Schmid (FARMER)  FAITH
"Faith as a grain of mustard seed. . ." Matthew 17:20 We have the idea that God rewards us for our faith, it may be so in the initial stages; but we do not earn anything by faith.
Faith, by its very nature must be tried, The real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God's character has to be cleared in our own minds. Faith in its actual working out has to go through spells of isolation.
This is the most sublime utterance of faith in the whole of the Bible. Pastor Dick  Ms. Holly had the kids make a resurrection garden a couple weeks ago. I cannot believe how fast the grass grew up and soon completely closed off the view of the cross and blocked the view of the tomb. I can’t help but stop each time I look at it. It looks like a dish of grass. You can’t tell what it was actually meant to be. I don’t see a tomb, I don’t see a cross. Hmmm….every time I look at it I want to cut the grass but at the same time I like the reminder that I can’t let things get in the way of the cross. I can’t let something cause me to forget about the tomb. I hope that they will always be central to how I live my life that I will always see the cross, always see the empty tomb and remember. There’s a song that says: I see the cross of my Redeemer The tree of death on which He died To save the world, the King of heaven Gave up His throne, laid down His life I see the face of my deliverer There on the hill of Calvary His crown of thorns, His broken body The sacrifice He made for me Hallelujah, I give You glory King of my heart, Lord of my soul Hallelujah, You conquered for me My sins and death, forevermore I see the grave of the Messiah The open tomb where He has laid Behold the Son of man has risen The King of kings, ancient of days Hallelujah, I give You glory King of my heart, Lord of my soul Hallelujah, You conquered for me My sins and death, forevermore What do you need to do to see the cross, to remember the tomb? What’s in the way? What have you allowed to grow in your heart that has kept the cross out of view? The link to the song is below if you’d like to take a listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyIY2RliPvg Blessings, Pastor Delinda  This is a “before” shot!
   Notice:
Here are the sermon notes for those of you who like to follow along with the sermon from home. Be sure to watch for the notes every Saturday morning. There are notes with the blanks for you to fill in and also notes with the answers for those of you that don't like to fill in blanks. These can be printed off. Prayer Requests: Pray that our people will soon feel safe enough to come into the church building for corporate worship for Easter. Pray for our pastors as they prepare the sermons and for our worship teams as they prepare the music for this Easter season. Praise God for His many blessings on His church as we have been able to continue to bring the Word through this year long pandemic. God is faithful! Praise His Holy Name!!  "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially
to those who belong to the family of believers." (Gal. 6:10) Jesus said that people would know we are his followers by the way we love one another. This is especially true for how we treat other believers. See, most people do not expect love and kindness towards enemies. But imagine their surprise to see us disrespect and hurt one another. While we are called to be like Christ to all people, if we fail to love those who share our faith, then we've truly failed indeed. Jesus says our love is intended to change nonbelievers' view of what it means to follow Jesus. When they see love and compassion instead of hatred, Jesus says it has the potential to change people. Too often the world sees people who claim to be Christians arguing, fighting, judging, condemning, and tearing down people within their own church, denomination, or religion. I wonder if God grieves when our behavior creates an offensive and inaccurate impression of what it means to follow him. Many hear about the love of Jesus. But today, let them see it. You can influence how others see Christ by the way you treat other Christians. Let your actions speak loud. Let the people around you see the love of Jesus in all that you do. -Pastor Michael  Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise. (Ephesians 5:15)
Most are acquainted with the often quoted phrase, “Hurt people, hurt people.” The problem is when we are the ones hurt, it always seems magnified. This is especially true when the person who hurts us claims a Christian lifestyle. We are told there is a whole group of people who have left organized religion over the hypocrisy of a few. First, let’s admit people who are Christ followers are not perfect. Indeed they often do and say the wrong things. Being a Christ follower is not about pretending to be good, it is admitting you are bad. We must never forget, Jesus did not come for the perfect, but for the messed up! You should not be surprised when a Christ follower messes up, hurts you or even lets you down. Christ followers are people who know they need to seek forgiveness as well as to say, “I’m sorry” a lot. That said; we must never forget that hypocrisy is a sin, often used by the forces of evil to discourage, discount and demean God’s good people. It gives great occasion to the enemies to marginalize the church and cause far too many to turn away from the Lord. At its best, hypocrisy causes ruptured relationships within the Christian community and often finds a dwelling place in resentment, anger and bitterness. As we seek to honor God with our lives, talents and service, let’s keep Paul’s words found in Ephesians 5:15 at the forefront of all we say and do! “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise.” Pastor Holmes  “…Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.” Luke 10:41 I am a Martha. A task-oriented person. “Get ‘er done; get ‘er done right; get ‘er done right now.” That’s my motto. And that’s a problem for me, spiritually. Because “getting ‘er done” isn’t necessarily the Jesus way. In fact, it’s kind of the Pharisees’ way. Works righteousness would tell me that my value to Jesus lies in those things I do for Him, and for others in His name. But Jesus tells me to come sit at his feet. Listen to his teachings. Not be “…distracted with much serving.” So does this mean that Jesus doesn’t like me the way I am? I don’t think so, and I hope not! When I was about 10, I was playing softball and reacted inappropriately when someone tagged me – a little harder than necessary! As I looked over at the sidelines, I saw my coach’s face register disapproval. Right next to him stood my father, trying hard not to laugh. I remember thinking, “He likes me! He likes me just the way I am!” He would never co-sign my bad behavior, but it didn’t reduce his love for me. I have come to understand that serving is my love language. I am happiest doing. And I believe that, just like my daddy, Jesus loves me the way I am. The message for me is to recognize that my relationship with Him doesn’t require that I be doing. It requires that I sit at His feet and learn from Him. Whatever my personality! In Christ, Nell Ritchey  Romans 10:9-10 is a passage used in the “Roman’s Road” evangelistic tool – “…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” I’m concerned that many read this without understanding that it is in essence a very serious oath. An individual takes that oath when they believe on Jesus Christ for salvation and profess that faith willingly and openly.
A quick word study in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and Dictionary speaks directly to two key words in this passage – believes and confesses. The word translated believeis from another word meaning to have faith in a person or thing. This implies entrusting one’s spiritual well-being to Christ. This means not just believing but also being persuaded in such a way that we can trust with confidence. This signifies that we rely on our Lord and not merely express belief that He is true and genuine. The word translated confess means to declare openly by way of speaking out freely as a result of a deeply held conviction of the facts being declared. Problems can arise when we speak such an oath but still have hidden expectations and/or hidden agendas – underlying intentions or motives. The ongoing repentance process with the guidance of the Holy Spirit will assist us with these but I don’t believe He will magically just make them go away. The Spirit of Truth will continue to lead us into ever deeper understandings as we continue in a sanctified relationship with our Lord. Shalom, Pastor Bill  The Greek word Sin hamartia (G264) is derived from the root word hamartanō (G266) which historically was an archers term that means to "miss the mark".
Archery is one of those things that will always be a part of my life, I have enjoyed this sport from the very beginning when I first started shooting. Many years ago I connected with some Christian brothers and we started On Target for Christ. The concept is to use archery as a tool to connect with youth, sharing with them my past and how negative choices almost took my life. The main focus of the ministry is to share the gospel with those who may not have a relationship with the Lord. Allowing those who may not be gifted in the sports arena to try a sport that anyone could do with some proper teaching and practice. Its like our relationship with the Lord, proper teaching and practice. A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9 We can think in our minds all we want that we have life figured out, but in the end we learn that we really don’t have life figured out. It is only by the power of the blood of Christ, the grace and mercy that we receive are we able to be On Target. We all miss the mark from time to time, we are human. When our focus is on the cross and not the world we can have a better view of where our aim should be. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 Where have we placed the desires of our hearts? Who do we turn to in this life that we live? I have found that in sharing what Christ has done in my own life and the scars I carry are healing to another. I have watched a simple ministry change someone from not feeling worthy to someone who finds they are worthy, through the shed blood of the cross and the grace and mercy of a loving Father who knows that we will miss the mark but yet he loves us all the more. That their identity is in Christ not who the world says they are. It’s really cool to watch someone change in front of you and to see the transformation of a life changed. But more than that to watch them over time grow into the person God created them to be is really, really cool. I have heard it said that the two most important days of our lives are “The day we are born, and the day we find out why we were born.” May we through prayer and faith in God be the person who helps another find the “Why“ in their lives. Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, Proverbs 8:30 Have an amazing day! Marty  Sermon Notes for March 14, 2021
James on Money James 5:1-11 (Common English Bible) Bottom Line: There's too much good to do before Jesus returns—don't waste it! · Money changes things. · We can set too high of a value on wealth. · Wealth can quickly become a stumbling block for Christ-followers. · James issues a strong warning: what do you do with your wealth? · What do we do? Wait patiently. · Why? Because Jesus is comingback! · There’s too much good to do before Jesus comes back-- so don’t waste it! Blanks: James on Money James 5:1-11 (Common English Bible) Bottom Line: There's too much good to do before Jesus returns—don't waste it! · ___________________________ changes things. · We can set too _____________ of a value on ___________________. · Wealth can quickly become a __________________ _________________ for Christ-followers. · James issues a strong warning: what do you do with your ______________________? · What do we do? ____________________ _________________________. · Why? Because ________________ is ______________________ back! · There’s too much __________________ to do before Jesus comes back - so don’t _______________________ it! Notice: Here are the sermon notes for those of you who like to follow along with the sermon from home. Be sure to watch for the notes every Saturday morning. There are notes with the blanks for you to fill in and also notes with the answers for those of you that don't like to fill in blanks. These can be printed off.  What does it mean to be holy? I’ve been thinking a lot about holiness over the last week or so. I’ve heard several different names used to describe this same idea. But the way I understand it, Holiness, Sanctification, and Christian Perfection are all ways to express this one doctrine. As Leviticus 11:45 puts it, God says “you must be holy, because I am holy.”
Before Christ, holiness for God’s people was met by keeping the law. But no human can keep the law to the fullest extent, therefore no human can truly achieve holiness. That’s why Jesus came into the picture! No one could meet God’s standards except God Himself, so God came to earth himself to take care of it. So where does that put us today? In the New Testament, Holiness is usually explained in opposition to sin (2 Corinthians 7:1 and 1 Thessalonians 4:4-7 are great examples of this). Put as simply as possible, Holiness for a Christian today is living a life without sin. John Wesley, in a letter he wrote on the character of a Christian, said this: “By consequence, ‘whatsoever he doeth, it is all to the glory of God.’ In all his employments of every kind, he not only aims at this … but actually attains it; his business and his refreshments, as well as his prayers, all serve to this great end. … His one invariable rule is this: ‘Whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord jesus, giving thanks to God, even the Father through Him.’” (from A Plain Account of Christian Perfection). In other words, Holiness is making sure that every single thing that we do is bringing Glory to God. My wife and I have a book that we like to read to our daughters about the Golden Rule. In this, the storyteller sums up my thoughts on Holiness perfectly: “I said it was simple, but I never said it would be easy.” Pastor Jared  New Life: A pondering by Holly Woodbridge
The bunnies are hopping around our back yard and the crocuses have made their appearance in the front. Spring is getting ready to make its entrance. After the bitter cold of winter, we are ready. The restoration begins. New life brings hope, it brings joy, and it restores. I shared some words from Psalm 51 with one of my sons the other night as we talked about struggles in our faith. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Three of our church children are getting baptized at our church celebration on the 24th of this month. I had the privilege of sitting with them and listening to their beautiful testimonies of faith. They get it. They get this new life idea, this gift of restoration. They get that God is in the business re-newing. Sometimes we need to be reminded. We get stuck, we get wilty, we even head toward ...dead. At times like this we can join the psalmist as he prays, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” As Spring approaches and we continue through Lent, let it be a time of prayer, self-examination, repentance, and restoration. Easter is coming. Let the New begin.  A Lenten Haiku
In the Wilderness Bare Banquet of Less and Least Sustains Hungry Souls Anticipating Easter, Pastor Donny  A MIST A VAPOR
Have you ever wondered about Gods marvelous creation we call water? Water can change from any one of three states into another, those being water, ice or vapor. With that being said, here is a question for you to ponder over: From the time when God created water in the beginning, has there ever been any new water on this planet we call earth, or is it the same water just cycling through the various forms, from water, to ice or evaporating into steam then returning in the form of rain or a frozen form of rain? Now consider the scripture from James 4:14 Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. We are here on this earth only for a little while but when we reach the end of life; unlike water vapor, we will not return as an ice cube or a snow flake, but we will be changed in some way, then seeing heaven and hell for real, but only entering into one. Unlike water changing states based upon heating or cooling, our choice, yours and mine, is a choice each of us can make now, for we can ill afford to wait until our days have ended at which time it is too late. Choosing Christ now is the simplest choice to make, just say YES. Matthew 6:19-21 encourages us to Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. If our heart is in the Lord, there will our treasure be, but if it is in earthly things, or self, there in will our final state be. Our treasures cannot be of this world but must lie in our investing spiritual virtues in the lives of others. I recall a dear lady, Granny Hurst, whom many years ago persisted in investing in the lives of myself and my family. This precious saint never failed to call each and every time the church doors were open and we were not there. She would call, pray, tell us we were missed, and loved us in her heart. Like it or not, I could count on her calling. How are you investing the abilities and talents you have in the spiritual lives and wellbeing of others? Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, but Gods knows your heart “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds." Romans 2:4-6 May God keep you in His precious Grace and Bless you as you serve Him! Yours in Christ, Rev. Jerry Schmid  Hebrews 13:5, 6, 8 Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence, the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
A year ago this time we were experiencing things in our world that I couldn’t believe was really happening. The shutting down of businesses and churches and having a stay at home order in place was the new normal. Face masks were being manufactured by the thousands and disinfected wipes and toilet paper was a treasured commodity. (Still haven’t figured out what toilet paper had to do with the Coronavirus!) Everything in our world was being turned upside down! Some of us were fixing makeshift offices in our homes so we could work from home. Some essential workers were still on the job. We were all glued to our TVs and our phones to see how the numbers were climbing and how many cases were reported in our city and state. People were starting to hunker down in their homes in this new normal environment we were forced into. But, no matter how high the numbers went, no matter how many shelves were empty, no matter how many businesses and churches suffered losses, one thing remained the same! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Today we are still experiencing the effects of the Coronavirus as thousands of lives have been affected by sickness and death, by financial loss and stress. Today the focus is on the vaccines and who gets them and who is scheduled to get them in the coming days and weeks. Businesses and churches have opened their doors to a near normal routine and families are being able to see their loved ones after a year of just being able to peer through the glass. There is still chaos in the world and there are still masks that have to be worn and social distancing that has to take place, but no matter what, one thing remains the same, Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever. When all this erupted last year God gave me the promises in Psalm 91 and Hebrews 13 to stand on. As I have stood on those promises so many times over the last year I am still constantly reminded that no matter what happens, no matter how many changes take place, no matter what, Jesus Christ is my helper and He will never leave me or forsake me, for He is the same yesterday and today and forever! I am a person that likes consistency. I like routines and knowing what is coming and knowing what I have scheduled. I know that every morning I will be going to work by 8:00 AMand I will be leaving work at 5:00 PM. I know what needs to be done on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and etc. I know what bills have to be paid when and I can count on payday coming twice a month. I like routines. When all this happened a year ago and everything was up in the air as to when we could leave our homes, when we could return to work, when we could worship together again, I struggled with all the uncertainties. But one thing I could count on and knew for certain that no matter what, Jesus Christ would never leave me or forsake me and He is the same yesterday and today and forever! No matter what is going on in your world today, you can count on that promise too. No matter if you are facing surgery, having health issues, facing financial difficulties, struggling with the loss of a loved one, struggling with parenting your children or having difficulty in your marriage. Jesus Christ is still the answer to all of those issues. He is faithful. He will never leave you or forsake you. Just put your trust in Him to see you through that surgery, those health issues, those financial woes, heal your broken heart, heal your marriage and give you the strength to deal with the challenges of being a parent. For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever! Praise His Name! Pastor Fran  Sermon Notes for March 7, 2021
Knowing Who You Are James 4:11-17 March 7, 2021 The One Thing: Respect and treat everyone the way you want to be respected and treated. · There is a proper way to correct a fellow Christ follower. James 4:11 Ephesians 4:29 · To be a judge one must have a holistic outlook. James 4:13-14 Matthew 7:1-2 · How should plans be made? James 4:13-14 Proverbs 16:9 · Remember we do not control the future. James 4:15 · Give praise and credit when and where it should be given. James 4:16 · There is never a plausible reason for sin. James 4:17 Knowing Who You Are James 4:11-17 March 7, 2021 The One Thing: Respect and treat everyone the way you want to be respected and treated. · There is a _________________ way to ____________________ a fellow Christ follower. James 4:11 Ephesians 4:29 · To be a _____________ one must have a __________________ outlook. James 4:13-14 Matthew 7:1-2 · How should __________________ be made? James 4:13-14 Proverbs 16:9 · Remember we do not ______________ the _______________. James 4:15 · Give ___________________ and ___________________ when and where it should be given. James 4:16 · There is never a _____________________ reason for sin. James 4:17 Notice: Here are the sermon notes for those of you who like to follow along with the sermon from home. Be sure to watch for the notes every Saturday morning. There are notes with the blanks for you to fill in and also notes with the answers for those of you that don't like to fill in blanks. These can be printed off.  JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
"For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" (Romans 5:10) I am not saved by believing; I realize I am saved by believing. It is not repentance that saves me, repentance is the sign that
Never! I am put right with God because prior to all, Christ died. When I turn to God and by belief accept what God reveals I can accept, Instantly the stupendous Atonement of Jesus Christ rushes me into a right relationship with God; and by the supernatural miracle of God's grace I stand justified,
The salvation of God does not stand on human logic, It stands on the sacrificial Death of Jesus.
Pastor Dick  The Family Ministry team just finished up a month of focus on Gods number one law, love. Love God and love others as you’d love yourself.
My husband and I have been trying to practice this with our kids, leading by example and have recently had several opportunities with our neighbors. We are slowly reaching into their lives, learning about them and showing them the love of Christ. The other day we took a walk with the boys and noticed one of our neighbor (an older gentleman, widower of 8 years and not in perfect health) had a “new” mailbox...it was duct taped to a saw horse, apparently it had been hit at some point the day before. Andy said “Eh, he’ll probably hire someone to fix it.” I said “Well if he tries it himself we need to help.” The next day, the boys woke up from their nap and we headed out to play. I noticed our neighbor was out there with the posthole diggers. I told Andy, “He’s trying to do it on his own”. Andy said “Let’s go.” We helped dig the new hole, unscrew the old mailbox, put together and set the new post and clean up. We expected nothing in return, just trying to be the kind of neighbors God would have us to be. We didn’t receive anything in return but as we left his house and were walking down the road to ours, Riko in his four octaves higher than everyone else voice said, “Bye, we love you!” And Zinho said “Wuv you” muahhh and kissed the air. My neighbor smiled with such a joyful heart and chuckled “Love you too.” That was better than anything else we could have imagined. My favorite part of our recent series was near the end last week. We talked about these questions in a bit of a different context but I want to ask them to you, asking how have you shown love to your “neighbor” and remember anyone can be your neighbor... Where are you putting others first? How have you been putting yourself first? What would God have you change when it comes to loving Him and loving others? Matthew 22:36-40 Pastor Delinda  Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. (Rom. 8:5-6)
Have you ever found yourself looking for full-time benefits from a part-time investment? For example, can you work out just once a year and still be physically fit? What if you told your spouse that you loved them only on your anniversary? Would they believe you? Probably not. We want to be physically fit, but not change our diet or exercise. Sometimes we drift into this same kind of thinking in our walk with Christ. We want the blessing of an abiding relationship with Christ, but don’t really want to “live according to the Spirit.” We want the benefits of Christ’s power, but only if we can keep some of our selfish desires. But Scripture is pretty clear: we cannot be a double-minded Christian and expect to grow in our faith. The convenient path of a cultural Christian will not lead to a life governed by the Spirit. How do you know if you’re a cultural Christian? You might say, “I occasionally go to church. I try to be a good person—you know, not over the top like those weirdos who take religion too seriously. I give a little money. I believe in God and all that stuff.” Believing in God doesn’t mean you live by the Spirit. If you’re always trying to fit in, attempting to blend in, not wanting to stand out because of your faith, then it is probably time to re-evaluate your commitment. Today, I encourage you to have a full-time, single-minded faith—a mind set on what the Spirit desires. Be all-in for the living God and let the Spirit govern your mind. -Pastor Michael |
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March 2023
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