God's Gift of Autumn

September 2019

Message from Pastor Tom,

It’s October already… can you believe that! This year is going by so fast. The leaves are starting to change, the holidays are just around the corner, and it’s harvest time again. I know we will soon be so wrapped up in the coming holidays sharing fellowship with family and friends, Trick-or-Treating, then thoughts of turkeys baking in the oven for Thanksgiving dinner, all that Christmas shopping, so many more holiday memories to make. What grand fun there is to be had by all.

Now on the other hand, I would like to ask you this. Are you taking the time to enrich your life as well by spending time with God? It has been proven over the centuries we can make better decisions knowing regardless of what we face, God can and will redeem our experiences for our ultimate good. The only way to do this however, is to make the time to do so. I know you are asking me how do you expect me to do that with my family to take care of? I already have a daily schedule which is full and then there is all the volunteering I do for church and my community. Christians believe me, I fully understand. However, who has given you the time to do all this? The answer is simple, Our lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I have known people who go to church, bow their heads to pray and hear sermons, but many are not growing spiritually. Every growing believer should sense a deepening hunger for Christ. As we experience more of Jesus, who is the bread of life (John 6:35), our desire for Him will increase. Believers dwelling closely with the Savior will notice their discernment of sin sharpens. Faulty teaching and thinking become more obvious as we accumulate truth within our spirit. Our area of love should continuously expand. In time, the Holy Spirit enables us to care for people who previously were either unnoticed or difficult to accept.

Christians sometimes often don’t stop to think how their choices can hurt or destroy someone else’s faith. They try to justify their behavior, saying God doesn’t convict them for it, and we all know this is not true. While they don’t necessarily indulge in sinful acts, their spiritual defenses have grown strong enough to let them do things they wouldn’t have done in the early stages of their spiritual walk. These believers fail to realize younger Christians are watching how they live out their faith. When “weaker” ones follow their example, they see their ship of faith may capsize because of a conscience that becomes troubled or confused, rather than strengthened. Paul confirms this when he blames the “stronger” Christian for these shipwrecks. He says we are responsible not only for our actions, but also for the effect of those actions. In the end, we are to care more about the, “brother for whose sake Christ died” than about our own wants or desires, "So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ” 1 Corinthians 8:11-12.

I ask you this family, do you have a hunger for God and have an increasing awareness of sin? Is your love available only for those who match your personal standard of performance? As I said earlier, some people go to church, bow their heads to pray and hear sermons, but many are not growing spiritually. Do you really find yourself caring about them, or for the difficult people who do not know Christ? Does your unwavering devotion to Christ lead others to trust our Savior? These are important questions to ask when evaluating your spiritual growth. Too many Christians have a commitment of convenience. They’ll stay faithful as long as it’s safe and doesn’t involve risk, rejection, or criticism. God loves us and He gracefully and gently builds our confidence in Him. Our trust grows when we realize how faithful He truly is, which makes our assurance even greater as we mature and our faith deepens.

So let’s take time to relish God’s gift of Autumn by drinking in the splendor and beauty of the changing colors while we enjoy the crisp cooler temperatures, and become refreshed and renewed. As a result we can grow together as stronger Christians and practice our commitment to Christ both privately and publicly. The time you spend alone with God will transform your character and increase your devotion. Then your integrity and godly behavior in an unbelieving world will make others long to know the Lord.

Heidi and I pray God will richly bless you and your family this October. I truly thank you for taking the time to read this message and hope it spiritually enriches you.

Blessings from a pastor and his wife. 

“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples” Psalms 96:3 NIV

Focus On God

September 2019

Message from Pastor Tom,

Summer is quickly coming to a close and will soon be behind us. School has started and most parents are breathing a sigh of relief. Soon the brilliant colors of autumn and the smell of fall will be in the air. This is the perfect time for us to turn our Focus on God. As the world is growing darker and darker, God needs our attention now more than ever. In a message I once gave, I spoke about how first and foremost everything in our life needs to be centered on Christ. Jesus deserves our attention and should be our sole object of worship. Whether you worship God or golf, or some sort of collectable, whatever you treasure most defines your life.

A famous preacher once said a successful man is one who finds out what God wants him to accomplish with his life, and then fulfills it. This is a very profound statement. I believe the true measure of a person’s success is not social status, a bank account balance, influence, or fame. It is simple obedience, doing what God wants us to do. We affirm Jesus Christ is the only proper object of our deepest devotion. We want to declare like the Psalmist, "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” Psalm 73:25-26.

Christian, if we want to be prepared for the unexpected in this chaotic world, then we must discipline ourselves to seek God every day, acknowledging both His Lordship and our dependence upon Him. By examining our habits and reflecting on our life, we can know whether our attention is on the Lord or on other things. If we start our day thinking about God instead of our own plans, regularly reading and applying Scripture, then we demonstrate a heart that is pursuing Him. Of this you can be certain, the stories and principles we find in the Gospels are just as applicable today as they were in Jesus' day. It takes God’s divine power to live the Lord’s way. In order to draw on His strength, believers need to develop an attitude of humility, trust and determination. As the Lord wants us to trust and depend on Him, He may at times ask us to remain in an uncomfortable situation or take on a task that seems far beyond our capability. While God knows how to solve your problem, He may choose to require your cooperation, possibly even asking you to do something that seems unreasonable. In either circumstance, relying on God will bring us the inner courage to choose His way. 

I’m sure most of you would agree the disciple Peter is an inspiration for all of us right now in today's time, God does not choose servants who are solid rocks with no cracks or crevices. Instead, He selects people who have weaknesses, faults and failings, (preaching here to myself) who need to be forgiven repeatedly. The Lord looks for believers who are teachable, willing to repent, and prepared to surrender to His greater will. So now is the time to Focus on God, as God has gone to great lengths to put His truth into written form and protect it down through the ages so we can spend eternity with Him. It is foolishness to ignore His Words. We must remember the goal is not to focus on the path or try to find our own way. Instead, we are to fix our eyes on the One who is not only our guide, but also our destination. It will be Jesus who welcomes us home with open arms when we finish the race and cross into eternity.

Heidi and I pray God richly blesses you and your family. I thank you for taking the time to read this, and hope it spiritually enriches you.

Blessings from a pastor and his wife,

“I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all, but whatever I have placed in

God's hands, that I still possess.”                                                                

 Martin Luther

God's Discipline

August 2019

Message from Pastor Tom:

I hope all of you had a great Fourth of July! I truly hope you are still praying and thankful for our godly, wise leaders, our military and first responders who have stood courageously through many difficult times in our history, and for the principles for which our nation was founded. The lives lost and the pain they endured has not been in vain. Our time and mindset in history may have changed over the years, however one thing time has not erased, 'God's Discipline, Painful Now, Fruitful Later'.

Just as in the in the past, all of mankind has one thing in common, we all experience God's holiness, which is sometimes expressed in suffering and pain. God uses it to draw the lost, as well as you and I to Him. In addition, God uses it as a tool for eliminating hindrances to our sanctity, helping us to grow in faith and make us increasingly like Christ. Apostle Paul testified about how his persistent thorn taught him reliance upon the Lord’s grace and strength (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Instead of us believing we can handle things on our own, we should learn as Paul, to depend more fully on God when our circumstances leave us powerless. Believe me I am preaching to myself. Last month I was reading Charles Stanley devotion where he stated, "God wants us to be a living example of the conduct and character of Jesus Christ. For this reason, He uses suffering to sift, sand, and prune whatever doesn’t belong in our life.” Yet in those hard seasons of change, He not only sustains us, God's goodness is shown by providing all we need in order to carry on.

Bare in mind God's goodness is a great barrier against yielding to temptation, helping us resist the devil’s attempts to lead us astray. We need look no further than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who meets our needs in every way. The big question, are you meeting His needs?? Once we start to doubt God's goodness or ignore His teachings, we will be attracted to the evil one's ways. A good example is when Moses warned Israel not to forget God's goodness when they started to enjoy the blessings of the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 6:10-15). We all really need this warning today. God's love for us has shown, He gives only good gifts, and the way God gives is good. He gives continuously and God never changes. The next time you are tempted, please meditate on the goodness of God in your life. If you have needs, wait on the Lord. Through His Word, God has entrusted to us the knowledge of who He is, what He is doing, and how the future will unfold for mankind. The Scriptures were intended to lead us into a growing personal relationship with our heavenly Father and to empower us for productive service as Christ’s ambassadors. In this position, we are called to follow Jesus’ example in glorifying God our Savior focused not on ourselves, but on the heavenly Father, whose plan is to reach the entire world with His saving grace.

Remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, the pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8). The purification of our heart is an ongoing process. Sometimes it takes difficult situations to identify the things that keep us from happiness in our relationship with God.
Heidi and I pray for the Lamb of God to richly bless and keep you safe from harm. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope as always it spiritually enriches you.

Blessings from a pastor and his wife

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. James 1:2-3

Freedom in the Lord

July 2019

Message from Pastor Tom:

As we get ready to commemorate the adoption of our nation’s Declaration of Independence by celebrating this 4th of July, let us be thankful for the godly, wise leaders who have stood courageously through many difficult times in our history, and for the principles for which our nation was founded. This month we are reminded of those who have sacrificed for our freedom, all giving some, and some giving all. Yet Jesus, our Lord and Savior, will never ask us to sacrifice more than He did for us. So as we prepare to celebrate, let us also turn to God for help in remembering where true freedom is found. Through His Son, Jesus Christ and never forget we are “One Nation under God” for a reason. God’s grace is not a license to sin; instead, it’s a reason to continuously pursue righteousness. Our bad attitudes, uncaring actions, and unkind speech do not fit who we are as children of God. We’re new creatures in Christ; we were bought for a price and set free to live as partakers of His grace.

John 8:34-36 stated, “Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed’” (NIV). Jesus is plainly reminding us that all who practice sin become slaves to that sin, and we all know every one of us has sinned at one time or another because we are all sinners! It doesn’t matter the sin, how big or small, how bad or not. All sin is sin and no one sin is worse than another, as James 2:10 reminds us, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” Because we are all sinners, we are consequently slaves to sin. This means we know the right thing to do, but we don’t always want to do the right thing. We become stuck in our sin and are therefore not free.

But we have hope. Jesus can set us free from our sin! He can give us a greater freedom than we could ever have on earth. Jesus sets us free from our sin when we admit we are sinners and want to be free from the burden of sin. He lived a perfect life and then died on the cross taking the punishment for our sins in our place. When we believe Jesus is the Truth and know what He did for us is true, then we will be set free. The Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts giving us freedom from our sin so we want to do what is right. When we believe and follow Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are given eternal freedom from our own sin, and when Jesus sets us free from sin, we will for all eternity be free indeed!

Paul confirms this in 2 Corinthians 3:17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”  He is reminding us true freedom is not our right to do whatever we want, but true freedom is only found when we turn to Christ. For when we do, the Holy Spirit frees us from the penalty of our sin and the devil’s power, allowing us to begin God’s work in our lives. It is by God’s spirit we are given the freedom to become a Child of God, able to understand God’s Word and to serve Him properly. Our Nations motto “In God We Trust” should not be taken lightly. When we trust God, we will experience no greater feeling of independence than the freedom from sin and death that Jesus provided for us through His ultimate sacrifice. We must pray for the opportunity to lead others into the freedom that can only be found by knowing our Lord and Savior, allowing ourselves to become bold Christians willing to share the Good News of Christ with all who will listen. We need to pray daily for the strength to live our lives in ways that will glorify our Lord, and to be a blessing in someone else’s life. So let freedom ring this 4th of July for both our nation’s Declaration of Independence, and our freedom to worship our loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! 

Heidi and I pray you will all have a joyous, safe and blessed holiday weekend, and you will take the time to pray for our country that is so much in the need of God's awesome Grace.

Blessings from a pastor and his wife.

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

Men of Integrity

June 2019

Message from Pastor Tom:

Blessings and Peace. Last month we honored our mothers and our military personnel on Memorial Day. This month we turn our attention to honor our fathers in all they do for us. I find in recognizing our dads during such occasion as this, it is also a great way to allow the Lord to work on us and soften our hearts along the way.

So with Father’s Day fast approaching, I have a few questions for you to ponder. How is your honesty, integrity, actions, and purposes in your life gentlemen? Where is your accurate account, as your life becomes center-stage this month? The Bible provides an accurate account of our Heavenly Father’s character, actions, and purposes. Together, the Old and New Testaments teach us man’s problem is sin and the only remedy is faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Through the Bible, we learn what happens at the moment of our salvation. Our sin’s penalty is reconciled as paid, its power over us is broken, and the Holy Spirit becomes our daily constant companion. So does your unwavering devotion to Christ lead others to trust your Savior?

Too many Christians have a commitment of convenience. They’ll stay faithful as long as it’s safe and doesn’t involve risk, rejection, or criticism. Instead of standing alone in the face of challenge or temptation, they first check to see which way their friends or family are going. What kind of witness is that? Who will want to follow our God if we ourselves won’t follow Him? Our response can draw others to Jesus, or push them away. We need to practice our commitment to Christ both privately and publicly. I truly preach this to myself, as the Holy Spirit has laid this on my heart to share with you. I know the time you spend alone with God will transform your character and increase your devotion. Then your integrity and Godly behavior in an unbelieving world will make others long to know the Lord. I find through His Word, God has entrusted us with the knowledge of who He is, what He is doing, and how the future will unfold for mankind.

The Scriptures were intended to lead us into a growing personal relationship with our Heavenly Father and to empower us for fruitful service as Christ’s Ambassadors. As men of integrity and leaders of our families and church, we are called to follow Jesus’ example in glorifying our God in heaven, focused not on Himself, but on the Heavenly Father whose plan is to reach the entire world with His saving grace.

No matter what, your prayer life can become effective and dynamic if you’ll approach the Lord with a clean heart, align your requests with His will, and believe He will do what He says. Then you’ll be able to pray with absolute confidence, knowing He will hear and answer your petitions. The Father’s will includes different tasks for His children to accomplish, according to the way He’s planned for each one to function. Meditating on scriptural principles and examples will help us discern what He has in mind for us. Just as Jesus’ work was to do the will of His Father, this is our calling as well.

Fathers, in determining the course of your life, please take time today and every day to listen to the Lord, to partake of His wisdom, and to determine what He is saying to you personally. In so doing, you will orient your mind to His priorities, will, and thinking. As Christ increases in our mind and heart, we’ll discover our self-focus decreases and He becomes the delight of our lives. Oh what a father you will be!

Heidi and I understand all fathers are under much pressure and go through a lot working to provide for their families, leading their wives, being a father, and just being a man. It is our prayer God will bless you graciously as we honor all fathers on this special day. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and as always I hope it spiritually enriches you. Have a most joyous Father’s Day, as it is now your time to be a little pampered.

Blessings from a pastor and his wife

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15