Pastor Josh's New Website

I have moved to a new website:

www.the-walking-stick.com


Stop by and check it out!

2 Timothy 2: 14- 3: 9; Dealing With False Teachers

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Quarrels only serve to divide. The Church is split into countless denominations and sects. This is not pleasing to God, and it is not helpful to the world. We spend so much time fighting among ourselves that God's work, at times, is left undone. This must end. We can start by developing good relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ, or to repair them if necessary. If we are gracious to each other that grace will flow upward until it is in every person. When God's grace is in everyone we will be able to put an end to our fighting and be able to live a life worthy of our calling and do the work God has given us. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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2 Timothy 2: 1-13; The Appeal Renewed

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him." Jesus died on the cross, but was brought back to eternal life. We can receive that same blessing if only we die with Jesus. What does it mean to die with Jesus? It means we give up ourselves, our hopes, dreams, desires, way of life, etc. We give our entire selves over to Jesus. We are to die to Jesus. In doing so we unite with him, and in uniting with him we receive his blessings: resurrection, eternal life, and a great many other things. In short, if we give ourselves to Jesus we will share in his blessings. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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2 Timothy 1: 15-18; Examples of Disloyalty and Loyalty

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The power of prayer is undeniable. Paul spends a lot of time in his letter praying for others. In this passage we see Paul praying for Onesiphorus, a beloved friend and faithful disciple. We never learn from Paul what happens to this man, but there is no denying that Paul prayed for him. There is also no denying that his prayers worked, that Onesiphorus was truly blessed. We all know people who are sick, hurting, sad, etc. We should lift them up in prayer. We should continually intercede for others asking God's blessings to be upon them. And God, who hears our prayers and loves us, will answer those prayers. Let us all learn from Paul and remember those in need in prayer. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for March 11, 2012

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday is from John 2: 13-25, in which Jesus clears the Temple. The sermon title is 'The Clearing of the Temple' and will focus on what this event teaches us today. I hope to see you all in Church on Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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2 Timothy 1: 6-14; Appeal for Loyalty to Paul and the Gospel

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." I think one of the greatest challenges facing the church right now is the timidity the church sometimes shows. We have been conditioned to lay back and let other people do what they want; we have been pushed to the point of not pushing back. As Christians, as God's children, we need to stand up for what we believe. We need to boldly proclaim the good news of the gospel. Is everyone going to want to listen. By no means. Will everyone want to have faith. No. But the Spirit of God gives us power and calls us to use that power for the glory of God. Let us all wake up, and stand up, for our faith and shout to the world the good news of Jesus Christ. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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2 Timothy 1: 1-5; Introduction and Thanksgiving

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

As I read the beginning of this letter I cannot help but imagine in my mind the look of excitement on Paul's face. That look comes from Paul's joy at seeing his brothers and sisters in Christ very soon. Paul has so much love for them that he can't wait to visit with them. This is a feeling we should have for each other. We should love each other so much that we just can't wait to see each other at our worship service, Bible study, fellowship activity, etc. No matter what the situation is our hearts should be filled with joy and excitement when we get to see our brother and sisters in Christ. Like Paul let us say to one another: 'I long to see you, so that I may be filled with Joy. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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1 Timothy 6: 11-21; Final Charge to Timothy

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah tells us that the grass withers and the flowers fade. Jesus tells us that rust and moth consume and thieves break in and steal the things of this world. In short, the things of this world are temporary. They will not last forever. Eventually they will all fall apart and become nothing. God, though, will never wither or fade. God will not be consumed by rust or moth. And nothing can take away, or separate us, from God and his love. With that in mind we should put our faith in God. We should put our effort to pursuing him. He will last, which means the blessings he gives will last. We don't have to worry about our salvation running out; we don't have to worry about our eternal life ending. God, and the blessings he gives, lasts forever. So let us focus on him and live the life he had called us to live. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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1 Timothy 6: 2b-10; False Teachers and the Love of Money

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The chasm between need and want seems to widen with every passing day. We have been convinced that we need certain things in order to survive: cell phones, televisions, fancy cars, big houses, closets filled to bursting with clothes, wealth, etc. We have been told that these are necessities to life when in fact they are not. Granted, it is pretty hard to imagine life without some of these things, but that does not make them necessary. The only thing that is necessary to have life is Jesus. He provides everything we need. If we just trust in him, and put our lives in his hands, we will have all our needs met. Jesus loves us. He loves us enough to die for us; he loves us enough to take care of us. 'Things' often lead us astray, away from Jesus. Jesus leads us down right paths, to still waters and green grass. Jesus fills our needs. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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1 Timothy 5: 1- 6: 2a; Widows, Elders and Slaves

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Widows were a major concern of the early church. Widows were defenseless, often left at the mercy of their families to receive provision, which often did not. The church, seeing this, stepped in and cared for them when almost no one else would. We need to ask ourselves who is in need in the world today and what can we do to help? God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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1 Timothy 3: 14- 4: 16; Reasons for Paul's Instructions

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul is writing these instructions to help people, which reminds us that as the body of Christ we are to care for, and help, other members of this body. On one hand this means that we are to offer a hand where help is needed. In other words, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, etc. And on the other hand it means to do what Paul does here, to help people in their journey of faith. For those of us who have been at this for a while we can assist others who are new to faith. We can, and should, teach them what it is to have faith, what it is to worship, pray, etc. Paul reminds of our call to help others, to encourage others, in their journey of faith. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Taize Worship Service

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Please join us Sunday night, March 4, at 7:00 p.m. for a Taize Worship service in the Chapel. This is a contemplative worship and prayer service in the tradition of the Taize community in France. Through scripture, prayer, song, and silence, we will engage in one continual prayer that is both communal and individual, allowing us to open our eyes and hearts during our Lenten journey. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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1 Timothy 3: 1-13; Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

If I may, I will sum this up by saying, 'Live out faith.' In order to be used by God we have to be willing to do what God calls us to do. He gives us a pretty clear picture of the kind of life we are supposed to live. In Scripture we see it, but God also continues to speak us day in and day out, reminding us of our call to live out our faith. All of us should have a burning desire to be used by God. The first step in making that a reality is by practicing faith, living it out in our daily lives. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for March 4, 2012

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday is from Mark 8: 27-38, in which Peter makes the Good Confession, and Jesus predicts his death. The sermon is titled 'Christ-Centered,' and will focus on our need to center ourselves on Jesus and Jesus alone. I hope to see you all in worship on Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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1 Timothy 2: 1-15; Instructions in Worship

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the top of the list is prayer. I cannot stress enough how important daily prayer is to the journey of faith. Prayer is a time when we place ourselves in the holy presence of God. We come there to speak with God and allow him to speak to us. We come there to ask for God's help and allow him to give it. Prayer is a time when we are guided in faith, when we are strengthened for all that lies ahead, when we are blessed to hear the voice of the almighty. Any act of worship should begin with prayer, spending time in God's presence. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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1 Timothy 1: 18-20; The Charge to Timothy to be Renewed

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul knows firsthand how difficult faith can me. Paul was arrested and tortured on numerous occasions. In the end Paul lost his life for believing in, and preaching, the good news of Jesus. So when Paul writes to Timothy '...holding onto faith and a good conscience...' Paul knows how hard that is. It is hard for us, too. Many things are easier in the 21st century with all the advances in technology, medicine, travel, etc. But faith is still sometimes a very difficult thing to maintain. We all may find ourselves in a place, spiritually speaking, when we ask ourselves if we are doing the right thing, by keeping the faith. The answer to that question, if it ever comes, is a resounding 'yes!' Even though it may be hard we must, as Paul tells us here, to maintain our faith, to not let the things of this world get us off track. We need to keep believing in Jesus as Messiah and the work he has done on our behalf. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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1 Timothy 1: 12-17; The Lord's Grace to Paul

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ came to save sinners, but not only to save us, but to change us. I love what Paul makes clear in the first part of this passage, that he used to be a sinner, but was brought to a new way of life through God's grace. That is what grace is all about. The first part of grace is that we are saved, but the second part is that through grace we are called to a life of discipleship. So we no longer are who we were before. We become someone new: someone who does not live in sin, but rather lives in God's grace. Just as Paul was brought to a new life, so are we, and that call is renewed regularly. God continues to call us out of the world and into a new life with him. We need to heed those words and renew our commitment to God and his grace. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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1 Timothy 1: 1-11; Timothy Charged to Oppose False Leaders

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

With so many voices speaking these days it is sometimes hard to figure out which is the 'real Jesus.' The best way to be Christ-centered, to be able to determine which is the real voice of Jesus, is to go right to the source. We have been blessed with not just one, but four gospels that tell us the story of Jesus. All of them together give us a complete picture of who Jesus was, what he said, what he did, why, etc. If we read, and re-read those gospels our hearts and spirits will be filled with Jesus. And being filled with Jesus is one of the first steps to being centered on him. The best way to oppose, or ward off, false teachers, is to stay centered on the only true teacher: Jesus. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 31: 10-31; The Wife of Noble Character

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

There are a lot of points to this passage, and if I may be so bold I will sum them all up by saying: a noble takes care of her husband. Now, before anyone gets upset with the onesidedness of that statement let me also say this passage can, and should, apply to husbands as well, and I will sum it up in the same way: a noble husband takes care of his wife. The idea is this, that in a marriage people are to take care of each other. Now, here is another addition: this does not just apply to husbands and wives, but to all of us: a noble Christian will take care of his/her brother/sister. We are all to care for each other, at all times, bestowing the same longkindness on those around us as Jesus did, and continues to do. Take care of each other. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 31: 1-9; The Sayings of King Lemuel

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." We have voice, all of us. It is a gift of God to use for his purpose. One of those purposes: to speak for those who don't have a voice: the poor, the widows, the orphans, and all others who suffer. They don't have the ability to speak and make their suffering known, so we need to speak for them. Not only speak, but also work on their behalf. God has given many of us the means to take care of ourselves. Many others do not have those means, which means it is up to us to provide for those who have not. We have things we can use, our voice, our resources, etc. to use to help others. Let's not be shy about using them. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 30: 1-33; Sayings of Agur

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

“I am weary, God, but I can prevail." How many times have we uttered these words, or something very similar? At times we find ourselves so overwhelmed with the stresses of life that we feel like we just can't go anymore. Can we prevail in such times? Absolutely, beyond the shadow of any doubt. Jesus is with us at all time, through the power of the Holy Spirit. And with is continual presence in our lives we have the strength to do it all: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." These are not idle words. They have meaning and power. We can do all things with Jesus at our side. Can we prevail in times of hardship? Yes. Through Christ, yes. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for February 26, 2012

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday is from 1 Peter 3: 13-22, which talks about the suffering we will endure as Christians. The sermon is titled 'Victory in Suffering,' and will focus what we are to do in the face of suffering, and the hope we have in Jesus. I hope to see you all on Sunday morning. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 29: 1-27

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy." Correction is often a hard thing to hear and heed. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and part of that relationship involves us holding each other accountable. At times, God himself will come and try to steer us back to the right path. In both cases we hear something we don't like: that we messed up. At that point we have two choices: one, to heed the correction and find the right path again, and so be restored to where we want to be; two, to ignore and stay on the path of sinfulness and isolation. Only one leads to God. While correction is hard, it is sometimes necessary, for we all, at times, wander (even if it's just a little) from God's path. Correction keeps us from wandering too far, and we need to heed it when it comes. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Ash Wednesday Service

Grace and peace to you from Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Please join us for our Ash Wednesday service tonight at 7:00 p.m. This service will officially begin the season of Lent. We will be joined in worship by Jack Sullivan, Regional Minister and President for Pennsylvania. I hope to see you all there. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 28: 1-28

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse." We do not need riches. To be sure we need resources to take ourselves and our families. But we do not need anymore than what we truly need. Jesus would have us live a life which revolves around holy living, justice, mercy, and above all, love. If we are poor, so what? God will reward our faithfulness beyond anything we could ever imagine. It is better to be poor and be who God wants us to be than to be rich and ignore our creator and his will for us. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 27: 1-27

Grace and peace to you from Our Lord Jesus Christ.

"As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart." How we live matters. First and foremost it matters to God how we live our lives. God calls us to a higher standard and we should be obedient to him. With every thought, word, and deed we should honor and glorify God. But there is also the fact that people around us watch us to see how we live. We can bring others to Christ if we live a holy life. People around us will see our relationship with God, our joy, our peace, and all the other blessings we receive. If we live out our faith, if our life reflects the love we have for Christ in our heart, then we just might bring others to a life of faith. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 26: 1-28

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!” At first glance this proverb does not seem to make much sense. However, when we read it over again it clearly points to the bad habits of a lazy person. The sluggard will look for any excuse not to do something. He will not go anywhere because he imagines something will be there to block his way. 'Why bother going anywhere when there may be a lion waiting to devour me,' he says. At times we need to kick ourselves into gear. God wants us to be active, he wants us to do things. The sedentary life is not the life for a child of God. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 25: 1-28; More Proverbs of Solomon

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

'A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.' Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit Paul mentions in his letter to the Galatians. The idea being, we need to control ourselves when it comes to temptation. This can be challenging at times because the human instinct is very strong. However, in calling on the name of the Lord we receive the strength we need to practice self-control. If we fail to practice self-control evil will enter us and leave us in ruins. Self-control, then, acts as a defense against evil. In relying on Jesus we can keep those temptations away so that we can continue to live in the Spirit and in the presence of God. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 24: 22-34; More Sayings of the Wise

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Do not say, 'I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.'" We have all been sinned against, and it is never a pleasant experience. When that happens we feel a desire to exact revenge, to pay back the person who hurt us. This is a human instinct, and while it is a natural instinct it is not one we should follow. Rather, we should follow the way of God, which is to forgive. Does this proverb sound a little familiar? Jesus said a very similar thing: 'Love you enemies and pray for those who persecute you.' Jesus says this in the context of preaching against 'an eye for an eye.' So, we get it in both Testaments, which underscores the importance of forgiving others. 'As I have forgiven you, so forgive one another.' Jesus said that, too. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 24: 1-22; Sayings of the Wise

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

'A wise man is full of strength,' this passage says. In that is much truth, for the way to wisdom is Jesus. Jesus is the only truth, he is the only wisdom. In following Jesus we show wisdom, and in following Jesus we gain strength. Strength to continue in faith; strength to do the work Christ has given us. The only true act of wisdom is to accept Jesus as personal Lord and Savior. That is, beyond the shadow of any doubt, the smartest decision anyone could make. With that decision come strength. If strength is what you need, come to Jesus. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for February 19, 2012

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday comes from Mark 9: 2-10, in which Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John. The sermon is titled 'Mountaintops' and will focus on the blessings of the mountaintops we find in the lives of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. I hope to see you all on Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 33-35; Saying 23

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

This passage warns against the dangers of leaving God's path. If or when that happens side effects occur, side effects which will leave the person in bad shape. This is a simple message, with a simple point: If you stay on God's path everything will work our just fine; if you leave God's path things will not be fine. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 30-32; Saying 22

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

When I read this proverb I hear, more than anything else, a warning to be careful what we put into our bodies. This is not necessarily a diatribe against drugs and alcohol. There are things we put into our bodies, or allow to be there, that can do a lot of harm: anger (unholy anger), fear, hatred, jealousy, and the list goes on and on. The point is that those things which we allow to be in us can ruin us. These emotions, and the actions based on these emotions, can cause a great chasm between us and God. These things can, and will, prevent us from being who God wants us to be. They will prevent us from doing what God wants us to do. With that in mind, be careful. Allow only holy things to come into your body, into your heart. In so doing to safeguard yourself against the things that will turn you away from God. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 29; Saying 21

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

We all suffer. There is no doubt about that. We all have something in life that weighs us down. When we find ourselves in those times it is difficult to imagine anything, or anyone, being able to help us. But in that sorrow there is hope. We have God. When the woes of the world come crashing down upon us we have God to help us, to give us strength, to guide us, to carry us. In the darkest times, in the loneliest times, in the most sorrowful times we could ever imagine we have God with us. If we but lean on him and allow him to help he will. God will deliver us from the woes we face in this life. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 26-28; Saying 20

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Faith is hard. In some ways it is the easiest thing in the world, but in many other ways it is the most difficult. What makes it difficult is that Christians continue to face all the things other people face in life. Temptation is the most troublesome of these. We are faced with temptation on a daily basis. For some it is food, for others sexual temptation, for others still money and material possessions. Whatever it is there is no doubt that temptation plagues us all. With that in mind we need to be watchful. We need to open our eyes and look to Jesus who managed to conquer temptation. Since Jesus was able to do that, we are as well. By the grace of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to resist temptation when it comes into our lives. Be watchful, look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 24-25; Saying 20

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

As much as we should avoid the habit of trying to guilt people there is no denying the power of saying 'your mother and I are disappointed in you.' Everyone should live their life with God in mind. In other words what we say, do, etc. should all be done with the motivation to honor and glorify God. The same is true in our relationship with our parents. We are called to obey them and love them, so when we do, say, etc. something we should do so with a mindset of pleasing them, making them proud. The world would be a much better place if people lived as though their parents were always watching. It might make us all behave a little better. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 23; Saying 19

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

We never reach the end. We never reach a point in our faith when we have learned it all. There is always something more to learn, another detail to hear about God, faith, Jesus, service, etc. With that in mind we buy wisdom; we buy it so we have it and continue to grow and learn more; and we learn more so we might have a deeper relationship with God, which will enable us to serve him better. Keep learning. Keep your mind open and allow God to fill it. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 22; Saying 18

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Kids, listen to your parents. Adults, listen to your parents. At times we are often reluctant to receive advice from someone. We are grown up, we can handle it all by ourselves thank you very much. Not to diminish anyone's strength, but there is great wisdom, and advice, to be had from those who have gone before us. Our elders have been through life; they have faced very similar situations. With that in mind we need to seek them out and ask them for guidance. Their words just might be able to help us in some way. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for February 12, 2012

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday is from Mark 1: 40-45, in which Jesus heals a leper. The sermon is titled 'Anger' and will focus on why Jesus is angry in this passage and what that anger moves him to do.

After worship we will all travel to Panera Bread in South Park Shops. We have a room reserved for our time of fellowship, which will include lunch with games and other activities to follow after.

I hope to see all of you at Sunday's festivities. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 20-21; Saying 17

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is incredibly easy to be led astray, especially when we surround ourselves with those who are not on the path of faith. Human weakness creeps in and temptation is not very far behind. Both of those things combine to make it hard for us to remain faithful. But, there is something we can do: stay away from those people who would hinder us. Proverbs says it right here, 'do not be around...' the idea being that one thing we can do to avoid temptation and sin is to keep away from those who are mired in those things. Is this easy? No. This may cost us friendships, and even, sadly, family members. But in the end we are called to a higher purpose. Not to mention the fact that we get something that supersedes all others: a personal relationship with Jesus. We may lose something, but we gain so much more in the end. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 19; Saying 16

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

I love the first word of this saying: Hear. Hearing is hard, mainly because we have so many other things going on, specifically, we have so many other 'voices' in our heads. We hear so many other things that it is sometimes difficult to hear God's voice in all of that. As hard as it may be we need to quiet the words of the world and listen for God's voice. We do this through prayer. Prayer is a time for us to talk to God, but it is also a time when God talks to us. If we take time in prayer to be silent and listen we will hear that still, small voice in side of us. That voice is worth hearing. That voice, actually the source behind it, will lead us down right paths. We just have to quiet all the other voices to hear it. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 17-18; Saying 15

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is always hope, even though it is sometimes hard to see. Our hope is in the Lord. Just as Jesus, in his ministry, delivered countless people from their suffering, so he will deliver us from our times of suffering. When? Sadly, that is not for me to say or decide. But our hope rests in the unfailing love of Jesus. In his love he will help us. In his love he will return to us. And it is in that act where we will find our true deliverance. Someday we will be blessed with a world, a life, with no suffering. We wait and hope for that day when we are called to God's kingdom. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 15-16; Saying 14

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

What a joy it is to lead someone to a life of faith. In this saying we get the sense that a father has led his son to wisdom, which serves as a reminder to us how blessed we are to be able to bring someone to faith in Jesus. We 'get' to lead people to Christ, we don't 'have' to. Our hearts should be glad when someone finds faith. They will come to know the same joy and peace we know. Their lives will be saved. If that isn't the proper motivation for evangelism then I don't know what is. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 13-14; Saying 13

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is one proverb with which I do not agree. I do, however, believe it is up to the parents to teach children the way of life and, at times, discipline them, so I will focus on that. Children are born completely helpless. They do not know how to do much of anything. The parents are responsible for teaching the child how to live life, how to do certain things. With that in mind it is sometimes also up to the parent to correct behavior of the children. If we want the next generation to be a faithful generation then we need to take an active hand in that. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 12; Saying 12

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

What better source of knowledge for us is there than Scripture. We are encouraged in this proverb to seek knowledge, to make ourselves smarter. I think we should take this passage and run with it. We are to grow in our knowledge of God. We ought to read the Bible more often. In so doing we learn more about God: who he is, what he has done in the past, what he is doing now, what he will do in the future, and what he has called us to do. Faith is a journey, and we need to keep moving forward. As we move forward we need to learn more that we might be more faithful children of God. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 10-11; Saying 11

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"...or encroach on the fields of the fatherless." The fatherless, or orphans as they were also called in Biblical times, were one of the groups of people for whom the Israelites were supposed to care. They were 'set aside' if you will, as people needing special attention. This idea is highlighted in this proverb, and we can take from this that we are still called to care for those in need. There are people in need all around us. We need to see the need and make sure we are doing all we can to fill that need, including not taking (encroaching) what belongs to someone who may be in need. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for February 5, 2012

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

We will be joined in worship this Sunday by Jack Sullivan, who is the new Regional Minister for Pennsylvania. Jack will be bringing the message for us this Sunday, and I encourage you all to attend. Following worship we will have a time of fellowship and treats so that everyone has ample time to get to know Jack. I hope to see you all on Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 9; Saying 10

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

'Fool' here can be defined as someone who does not believe in God and who would like to bring others to that way of thinking. This definition is one that keeps this verse contextual for us. In other words, we all know people who fit this description. I would like to change this verse a little though to say that while we perhaps should not listen to them we should talk to them. We should talk to them, share with them the good news of Jesus, and try our very best to bring them to a life of faith. We must be careful to not be led astray, but that should not keep us from leading others to the way of God. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 6-8; Saying 9

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our words and our thoughts are, at times, two very different things. The person described in this proverb is the type of person whose words do not reflect what is in his mind, or heart. We need to work hard to make sure our mind and voice are on the right page so that when we say, 'I will help you,' we actually will, lovingly, help the person; so that when we say 'I love you,' to our brother and sister in Christ we will actually mean it. Words are not enough, there needs to be love and kindness behind them, as well as honest to follow through with what has been said. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 4-5; Saying 8

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Money does not last forever. No matter what we do to it money will eventually cease to be worth something. Treasures on earth, as Jesus, will succumb to moth, rust, and thieves. With that in mind we are reminded, in this proverb to not spend too much time accumulating wealth that is of an earthly nature, for the wealth will not last. There is also the matter of the getting of the wealth. While we can be positive and say that most people earn their money in the right way, we can also safely say that there are exceptions to that: people who lie, cheat, and steal their way to wealth. These are activities we need to avoid. There is nothing wrong with having money, with having a certain lifestyle. However, if the love of that money causes us to forget God and our treasures in heaven, and leads us down a path of sin, then we need to make a change. It is okay to have money, but not to let the money have you. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 23: 1-3; Saying 7

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

I struggle with my diet almost every day, and I know I am not the only one. I am tempted to eat foods I know are bad for me. One thing I have discovered in my struggle is that I am an emotional eater. When faced with a difficulty I try to 'deal' with it by eating. When I find myself in that type of situation I need to remind myself of the fact that food cannot fill an emotional void. Food cannot help with a difficult time: only God can do that. Now, this is something that is true not only of food, but also obsessive spending, drugs, alcohol, or any other type of behavior that keeps us from turning things over to God. Do not try to fill a void by yourself. Rather, let God help you with those hardships. He is the only one who can truly offer relief. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 22: 29; Saying 6

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Using our tools (gifts for ministry) in the right way is a very important thing. If God has given us the gift of speaking we ought to speak for the glory of God. If God has given us the gift of teaching, we ought to teach people about God and faith. We are workers for the king of heaven. Of course we should not misuse the tools he has given us. We should use them for his glory; we should use them in the way he intended; we should use them to make a difference in someone else's life. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 22: 28; Saying 5

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the great cornerstone, and we need to make sure we do not remove him. Part of our Vision Statement at this church is that we are a Christ-centered church. This means, literally, that we center ourselves on Christ. In our faith, and in our action we need to remain centered on Christ: believing the right things, but also doing the right things, making sure we don't go off in a direction that is not in accord with the will of Jesus. Do not move and ancient boundary stone...be faithful to the rock of our salvation. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 22: 26-27; Saying 4

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is nothing wrong with saying 'no,' especially when 'no' is the right answer. We must be careful to not over commit ourselves. We have a habit of building up this persona of being able to do everything. We feel like we are super strong, that we can handle everything that comes our way. When we move to far down that road we end up not being able to help anyone because our fire has burnt out. Before we take of others we need to take care of ourselves. We need to make sure we are spiritually healthy; we need to make sure we are not stretching ourselves too thin. Pray to God. Ask for his strength, but also ask for his guidance as to what you should/not be doing. Are all the things on your plate God given? God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for January 29, 2012

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday is from Mark 1: 21-28, in which Jesus casts out a demon. The sermon is titled 'A New World' and will focus on the new world that Jesus brought into reality through his life and ministry.

Sunday evening we will gather at the church for Fellowship Night. We will be watching the film 'Amazing Grace,' which tells the story of William Wilberforce and his charge to end the slave trade in Great Britain. Pizza and other snacks will be served. We will be starting at 5:00 p.m.

I hope to see everyone this Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 22: 24-25; Saying 3

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Anger is a pretty serious problem, one that we all have at one time or another. The problem is not so much the emotion, as the actions that result from it. In this saying is a gentle reminder for us to be careful of the temper of someone else. However, this can also serve as a reminder for all of us to do a better job of controlling our own temper. We are told not to sin in our anger. So, again, it's not the emotion. God knows we cannot always be happy-go-lucky. Sometimes we have dark days. That is okay. What is not okay is hurting someone in our anger, or hurting God. When you feel anger welling up inside you say a little prayer. Come to God and ask for his help to cool down. That is a prayer God will always answer. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 22: 22-23; Saying 2

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

One group of people that gets special attention throughout Scripture is the poor. They hold a special place in God's heart and God tells the Israelites on multiple occasions to take care of them. Likewise, Jesus, in his ministry, also demonstrates a great love and compassion for the poor and commands his disciples to care for them. This is a command that continues to hold weight today. We are Christ's disciples and, as such, are called to care for those who are in need. The point is this. The poor are, to a certain extent, helpless. We, who have more than they, are not. Rather, we are in a position in which we can help them. We have things, be it money, possessions, opportunity, influence, etc that we can offer the poor to help them. We need to. We need to extend a hand of compassion to the poor, caring for them as God and Jesus have both called us to do. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 22: 17-21; Saying 1

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

These words sound like they could have come from Jesus. At the very least they serve as a reminder to keep the teachings of Jesus close to our hearts. For some the teachings of Jesus have become like a Prom Dress from high school. They have it in the closet, covered in a plastic bag, and every once in a while they will take it out, look at it, and remember how beautiful they looked when they wore it. Some people keep their faith tucked away somewhere. They don't think about it very much, and when they do it's not for a long period of time. We should keep Jesus' words close to us at all times. We should pull them out every day, read over them, learn them by heart, let them have meaning for us. Remember the teachings of Jesus every day. Keep them close to your heart. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 22: 1-16

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor." In here is a reminder for us to be generous with the gifts God has given us. There no denying the fact that there are people in the world who do not have all the necessities of life. And there no denying the fact that there are people in the world who have all, and sometimes more than, they need for the necessities of life. With that in mind we have this proverb, which reminds us that if we have all, or more than, we need we ought to share with those who do not. God has given us many things, one of which is the opportunity to care for those in need. God has empowered us to look after the world, and the people in it. With that in mind, let us all share out of what we have been given. In so doing we live out one of the greatest commandments God has given to us: to love our neighbor as ourselves. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 21: 1-31

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice." How do we please God? By doing right; being holy. God does not want us to make sacrifices (of animals); God does not want us to hurt ourselves to atone for sin; God does not want us to be the judgment bearers for the world. No all God wants from us is holiness. What will please God more than anything else is to see all of his children living out faith. And so, with every fiber of our being let us be obedient to God, doing what he would have us do that we might honor and glorify his name. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 20: 1-30

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Do not say, 'I’ll pay you back for this wrong!' Wait for the LORD, and he will avenge you." I think Jesus had this in mind when he told his disciples to forgive up to 'seventy time seven.' In other words, forgive unconditionally. Vengeance is God's. Judgment is something God alone can give. Our part if to forgive those who have sinned against us just as we have been forgiven, through Christ, for the sins we have committed against God. 'As I have forgiven you, so forgive one another.' God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 19: 1-29

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise." We are not alone on our journey of faith. God, through the power of the Holy Spirit is with us always. But we also have our brothers and sisters in Christ, saints who have gone before us, who continue to mentor us. We need to, at times, listen to their advice. They have been there before and they can help us. We are not supposed to do this alone. God gave us Jesus, but he has also given us each other. Let us lean on each other to strengthen ourselves and the entire body of Christ. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for January 22, 2012

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday is from Jonah 3: 1-5 in which Jonah prophecies to the city of Nineveh. The sermon is titled 'God's Grace,' and will focus on the grace of God that is extended to all people, including us.

We are having a baptism this Sunday, so please keep that in mind and join us for this special celebration. I hope to see you all in church on Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 18: 1-24

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Temptations come to us all, and there is nothing we can really do to avoid that. However, there is something we can do when temptations do come: call on the name of the Lord. Too often we are all guilty of the sin of self-sufficiency. We believe we can do it all ourselves, and so don't ask God for help. And so we fall to temptation. This is not how God wants it. When we are tempted God wants us to be like Jesus in the wilderness. God wants us to rely on his name, his strength, and his love. In being totally reliant on God we can defeat the powers of temptation so that we do not fall into sin. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 17: 1-28

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool bent on folly." As someone who hikes I find myself in the woods quite frequently. I was taught at a very young age to always be on the lookout for bears, especially mother bears who have been separated from her cubs. Why? Because mother bears are very protective, and if you get between her and her cubs it will not work out too well for you. That is part of what this verse is about. The other part is about not being led astray by people who do not want to do God's will. Those people, should we meet and go along with them, mess us up even more than a mother bear because these people (fools, they're called here) damage the soul. A mother bear, however ferocious she may be, can only harm the body. A fool, though, can harm our soul. Here we see the disparity of the world and faith. We need to focus on being right with God, being healthy spiritually, rather than making sure we are in a good place materialistically. What this verse is really telling us is to look after the soul, not the body. The fool (who will lead us away from God) is far more troublesome than a mother bear (who can only hurt the body). God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 16: 1-33

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD." God's path leads to good things. Faith is not a rewards based program, but there is no denying the fact that if we do God's will we will be blessed with all we need for life. Remember the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount:

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin...If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you?"

So you see? we do not need to worry, but only know that God will give us all we need if we only trust in him and stay on his path. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 15: 1-33

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good." In the Harry Potter series there is a character named 'Argus Filch' and he is the eyes of the castle. If there is some kind of rule breaking going on he knows about it and will report it. So, Filch (as he is called by the students) incites fear. God has eyes everywhere, but this is not meant to make us be afraid, but to make us feel safe and loved. God loves us enough to keep an eye on us at all times. There is never a moment when God is not watching us, when he is not with us. As such, since God knows what is going on in our lives he will, at times, intervene and keep us safe from the things that would harm us. God is watching, but this is good news for us. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 14: 1-35

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy." One of the things we always need to keep in mind when it comes to our faith is the idea that faith is not just an inward belief, it is supposed to also be an outward act. We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are called to clothe the naked, to feed the hungry, to visit those in prison, to heal the sick, and so on. In short, we are to live our faith. We are to live our lives as a reflection of God's love for us and our love for God. Don't just keep your faith inside your head. Show it to your neighbors. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 13: 1-25

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out." Jesus calls us the Light of the World. We are to be a city on a hill, shining so others will see the light and be drawn to it. This is not unlike the situation we see with those bug zappers. The mosquitoes see the light and are compelled to go to it. The difference is that when people come to our light they will not be zapped, but will be given the life, salvation, joy, and everything else they need in their lives. Let your light shine to bring others to a life of faith in Christ Jesus. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for January 15, 2012

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday comes from John 1: 43-51, in which Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael to follow him. The sermon is titled 'It's Personal' and will focus on our relationship with Jesus and what that does for us and requires us to do. I hope and pray you are all able to make it to worship on Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 12: 1-28

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

One of the nice things about being in a relationship with God is that God gives clarity to what lies ahead. Now, this is not to say that God tells us explicitly everything that is going to happen. But if we pray for God's guidance he will give it and make our path known to us. What a blessing that is; to know, essentially, that we will always be where God wants us to be, and that we will have some idea about where we are going. Not so for the 'wicked' or those who do not know God. They walk around with fear and confusion in their hearts because they never know where they are going and are never sure if they're in the right place. Just another benefit of being close to God: we know where we're going, and we know that is where God wants us to be. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 11: 1-31

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf." The things of this world cannot truly satisfy our needs. We can have all the money in the world, which will enable us to buy the biggest house in the world, with which we can stuff all the possessions of the world, but if we do not have God then there will be a gaping hole inside of us that is as big as the Pacific Ocean. We can have no money to buy the things we need, no house in which to live, and no possessions to call our own, but if we have God we will be rich beyond all measure, being blessed with everything we need in life. The real problem is that all the money, houses, possessions, etc. do not last forever, and you cannot take them with you when you go. But God stands forever. He will never fall. And when we go, we will find God waiting for us, with arms wide open ready to welcome us into his kingdom. Do not put your trust in the things of this world. Or, as Jesus says, 'Do not store up for yourselves treasures on Earth...but rather store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.' God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 10: 1-32; Proverbs of Solomon

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence." This verse is loaded with meaning. On the one hand we have a statement that presents practical advice. We can sum up this verse by saying 'nice words are good, bad words are, well, bad.' So what we have here is a saying that encourages us to say nice things. Why? Because when we say nice things we build and/or keep relationships with those around us. We are told to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and with that in mind we should say nice things to our neighbors, to show them the love we have for them. Another meaning behind this verse is that we can give people eternal life. Not that eternal life is within our power to give, but we do have the power to speak the name and good news of Jesus, which is what leads people to life and salvation. Our mouths are a fountain of life when we proclaim the good news of Jesus. With that in mind let nothing unholy come out of your mouths, but proclaim only that which is loving and faithful. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 9: 1-18; Invitations of Wisdom and Folly

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.' Fear is a tricky word, as it makes us think of the state of being afraid, but more often than not 'fear' as in 'fear the Lord' means to respect. So, to respect, or love, the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Accepting Jesus as personal Lord and Savior is the smartest thing we could ever do, for it is that decision that give us all we need for life and the journey of faith. We seek answers to life's questions. We want to know what life is all about. God can, and will, answer those questions for us. If we want wisdom, we need to come to God. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 8: 1-36; Wisdom’s Call

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"...and those who seek me find me." Beyond the shadow of any doubt the greatest blessing of Jesus coming into the world is the fact that we are now blessed with the opportunity to know who God is. We can have a relationship with him. We can come to God in prayer and in many other ways. If we seek God, we will find him. And that is thanks to Jesus. He has opened that door for us. He saw to it that the Temple Curtain was torn, which makes it possible for us to come before God. We are blessed to be able to seek God, and we are even more blessed to be able to find him. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 7: 1-27; Warning Against the Adulterous Woman

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Where to start? First off I would like to say that sin, at least the sin of adultery, is a two way street. As they say, 'it takes two to tango.' With that in mind we all need to be on our guard, men and women. We need to be careful that we do not fall into the sin with which we are tempted. The other thing I would like to say is that it is never too late to turn away. We all fall into sin at one time or another. If we do we always have a chance to turn back to God, no matter how far away we get. Nothing will ever separate us from the love of God. A very true saying. Be on your guard, but also remember to not be too proud to turn back to God. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 6: 20-35; Warning Against Adultery

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

I like the way this passage starts, by asking the reader to remember the teachings of his/her father. This places responsibility on the parent to teach children the right things to do. If we want the next generation to be good and faithful, then we had better teach them how. But this also places responsibility on us to listen to those who have taught us. We never reach a point when we can stop heeding advice from others. We should always look back and remember the teachings we have received from our parents, and Jesus, and allow those teachings to continue to shape us and make a difference in our lives. We need to teach our children about faith, but we also need to continue to listen to those who have taught us. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for January 8, 2012

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday is from Matthew 2: 1-12, which tells the story of the wise men coming to see Jesus. The sermon is titled 'Men of Wisdom' and will focus on the idea that the wise men are good examples for us to follow. I hope to see you all in church on Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 6: 1-19; Warning Against Folly

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Do good things. It is that simple. Those are our instructions from God: to do good, and faithful, things. The hard part is actually doing them all of the time. That comes through faith, and regular practice of that faith. We are blessed to know God and to be able to come into his presence each and every day. We need to take advantage of that gift. We need to come to God daily, and in so doing we will keep ourselves on the path God has laid out for us. The best thing we can do to avoid folly is to spend time in the presence of the only one who can keep us from folly: God. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 5: 1-23; Warning Against Adultery

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is not enough to 'talk the talk.' We are also called to 'walk the walk.' By this I mean we are called to live out what we believe in our heart. I am going to go out on a limb and say that all faithful Christians believe adultery is wrong. With that in mind we should walk that faith, we should live it out and be faithful to our spouses. However, this does not just apply to adultery. No, we are to live out our faith in every aspect of our lives as it applies to: stealing, lying, coveting, not trusting God, turning the other cheek, sharing our faith, and many, many others. When Jesus tells us to do something, he means it. And when Jesus tells us not to do something, he means that as well. With that in mind let us all strive to continually live out our faiths, doing only what God would have us do. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 4: 1-27; Get Wisdom at Any Cost

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The good news wisdom is free. Education is surely not, which we all know very well. But wisdom, true wisdom, as defined as faith in Jesus, comes at no cost to us whatsoever. Jesus' gift of life and salvation is a gift freely given. We do not have to pay. The invitation Jesus offers all of us to accept him as personal Lord and Savior is an invitation given with heartfelt love and compassion. We can read every book ever written, but those books would not fill us. The only thing (person) that can fill us is Jesus. His wisdom, his truth, is the only one worth having, and it is ours for the taking. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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