Words From Pastor Josh

Proverbs 22: 26-27; Saying 4

2012-01-27T11:13:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-26T11:27:00.001-05:00

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

2012-01-26T11:05:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-25T10:48:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-24T10:16:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-23T11:00:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-22T11:22:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-21T11:09:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-20T11:05:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-19T11:26:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-19T10:59:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-18T12:06:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-17T11:07:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-15T10:34:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-14T10:26:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-13T10:23:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-12T10:39:00.001-05:00

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

2012-01-12T10:17:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-11T10:52:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-10T13:04:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-09T10:58:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-08T10:14:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-07T10:10:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-06T10:04:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-05T10:20:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-05T09:57:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-04T10:51:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-03T12:06:00.002-05:00

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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Pastor Josh on Vacation

2011-12-25T10:54:00.001-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

I will be on vacation from December 25-December 31. If you need anything while I am away please contact one of the church elders. There will be no posting while I am on vacation. Posting will resume on January 3, 2012. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 3: 1-35; Wisdom Bestows Well-Being

2011-12-25T10:44:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways." Advent and Christmas are about peace. Jesus would have us love one another as we love ourselves. We would not kill ourselves. We would not hit ourselves. We would not hate ourselves. In faith there is no place for violence and hatred. There is room only for love. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 2: 1-22; Moral Benefits of Wisdom

2011-12-24T10:40:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men..." In Proverbs 'wisdom' and 'faith' can, in some ways, be used interchangeably. Faith can save us from the ways of wicked men. Faith is what keeps us grounded on what is right. Faith keeps us mindful of what God would have us do. We know what unfaithful people do, because they have no one holding them accountable, because they have no one to please but themselves. Our faith will keep us from falling into that kind of life because our faith keeps us grounded on Christ, who will lead us where we need to be. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Christmas Eve and Christmas Sunday

2011-12-23T10:57:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

This Saturday we will be having a Christmas Eve worship service at 7:00 p.m. During this service we will hear from the bell and chancel choirs, we will read Scripture, and we will hear the good news of Christ's birth. At the close of the service we will light the church by candles as we sing 'Silent Night, Holy Night' and we will close the worship service by singing 'Joy to the World.' Refreshments will be served following the service. Please join us.

On Christmas Sunday we will once again gather at church to worship. We will worship at 10:00 a.m. The Scripture passage is Matthew 1: 18-25, which tells the story of Christ's birth. The sermon it titled 'Silent Night, Holy Night' and will focus on the good news of Jesus' coming.

I hope everyone is able to make it to both of these services. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 1: 20-33; Wisdom's Rebuke

2011-12-23T10:36:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the same way we should teach our children faithfully we also need to listen ourselves. One thing I know for sure is that we never reach a point when our faith is complete, meaning there is always something more to learn. God still speaks, Jesus still teaches. We, adults included, need to open our ears and listen to what is being said to us. In doing so we grow in our relationship with God, which will enable us to better instruct others. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 1: 8-19; Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

2011-12-22T10:26:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching." This says as much about our responsibilities as parents as it does about our children's responsibility to listen. As parents we are to raise our children in faith, with love. We are to teach them what they need to know not just in faith, but in life that they may be intelligent and responsible. If we want the world to do well after we are gone we will do all that we can to make sure the children of this world know how to care for the world, and all that is in it. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Proverbs 1: 1-7; Purpose and Theme

2011-12-21T12:22:00.003-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Proverbs is a book of 'one liners,' brief sayings that serve as instructions for us as we go through life and our journey of faith. It is the 'one liners' that we remember the easiest. They are short and catchy, which makes it easier for them to stick in our minds. As an example, we may not remember all the commandments Jesus gives, but we do remember the words of the Greatest Commandment. So it is with the book of Proverbs. In this book are brief words of wisdom, instruction, warning, etc. all of which are intended to help us in our relationship with God. As we begin this book I invite you to think about some of the things you have already learned: a one or two sentence phrase from a relative, friend, pastor, Jesus, etc. Search your mind and find those things you have been taught. Then use those sayings to increase your faith. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Esther 10: 1-3; The Greatness of Mordecai

2011-12-20T11:34:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

This book end on a little bit of a sad note. Mordecai has been promoted to 'second to Xerxes,' but we are not told what he does with that position. We know that Moredecai told Esther to keep quiet about her faith, which means he may have done the same thing. Esther is one of only two books in the Bible that do have the word 'God' (Song of Solomon is the other), and I think that says something. Mordecai and Esther end up being figures who do not practice their faith fully. Why? Because they are both in position to share their faith with the world but choose not to do so. There is a time for self-preservation, but not necessarily within our relationship with God. Someday we may be in a place where we can influence other people, when we can share our faith with them. We need to seize that opportunity. We should not shy away from our faith. It is who we are: God's children. Let the whole world know, come what may. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Esther 9: 20-32; Purim Established

2011-12-19T11:37:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

And so the Jews set aside these days to remember when they were delivered from the hands of the evil Haman. The Jews had other days of remembrance, most notable was Passover, when they remembered being delivered by God from the death of the firstborn and their flight from Egypt. As Christians we have the same types of days: Easter and Christmas. We claim these days as the foundation of our faith, our relationship with God. And on these days we celebrate like there is no tomorrow. But what do we do on the Monday after Easter, and on December 26? Do we continue to celebrate, or do we begin to return to our regularly scheduled programming? The idea behind these days of remembrance is that we are to remember the source of the day every day, not just on that one day on the calendar. As Christians we should celebrate, every day, the good news of Jesus' resurrection. As Christians we should celebrate, every day, the good news of Jesus' birth. Remember, and celebrate, every single day, the good news of Jesus Christ and the countless blessings we have through him. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Esther 8: 15- 9: 19; The Triumph of the Jews

2011-12-18T11:18:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Forgiveness and mercy are the things that set us apart from other faiths. In this passage we see the Israelites taking their vengeance on their enemies, and we see them do it in a very gruesome way. We are called to forgive, unconditionally, and infinitely, those who sin against us. We are not to take vengeance. Rather, we are to turn the other cheek and show mercy. God has forgiven us for sinning against him. God has, if you will, turned the other cheek to us. Let us do the same. Let us follow our calling to not take vengeance. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Esther 8: 1-14; The King's Edict in Behalf of the Jews

2011-12-17T11:13:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

All things work for good for those who love God. Words that are so simple, and yet teach us all we need to know about how God works. The Jews love the Lord, and because of that God looks after them. They are blessed because of their faith in God, and because of God's faith in them. The same is true of us. If we remain faithful to God; if we show our love for God at ever opportunity, then God will take care of us in the same way he takes care of the Israelites throughout the Old Testament. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Esther 7: 1-10; Haman Impaled

2011-12-16T11:08:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

God's justice be done. Haman did nothing but sow deceit and try to bring harm to Mordecai and Esther. Haman plotted and schemed, but in the end all of that brought him to his own destruction. In that there is a lesson: for those who have sinned against us, let God deal with them as he may. It is not up to us to be judge, jury, or executioner. Instead, we are to trust in the power, love, and justice of God to prevail over our enemies. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Sunday, December 18, 2011

2011-12-15T11:23:00.001-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

This Sunday the message will be brought to us by the choir. They will be performing a concert for us during the worship service. Please join us for this special worship service. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Esther 6: 1-14; Mordecai Honored

2011-12-15T11:03:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Good deeds are often rewarded, and the same is true of faith. However, it is not our good deeds that are rewarded, but our faith. Good deeds will not move us closer to the front of the line in heaven. Rather, our faith, our belief in Jesus as personal Lord and savior is what saves us. So it is not our good deeds that are rewarded, but our faith in Jesus. And our reward for that faith is a place in God's kingdom. Just as Mordecai was rewarded for his deeds, we will be rewarded for our faith. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Esther 5: 9-14; Haman’s Rage Against Mordecai

2011-12-14T11:12:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Haman provides lip service, meaning that he says all the right things, but his heart is in another place. He does not care about Esther, or Xerxes. He cares only for himself. Many Christians today are guilty of 'lip service.' They worship on Sunday mornings, and they claim to be a faithful person, but do very little to show their love for, or service to, God. We need to be very careful to avoid this kind of lifestyle. In some ways it is easy to get there. Salvation is a wonderful thing, but it can make us lazy. Why be good if we're saved, we might find ourselves saying. And laziness is one step away from lip service. We get to apathetic to faith and God that we stop living the kind of life God wants us to live. 'Be perfect, as your father in heaven is perfect.' Jesus gives us those words and expects us to follow them at all times. Work hard, then, on your faith. Show God your love and serve him, always, as best you can. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Esther 5: 1-8; Esther’s Request to the King

2011-12-13T12:15:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sometimes, when dealing with those who sin against us a more indirect approach is necessary. Simply confronting someone with an accusation is not always a good idea. It puts people on the defensive. One of the most important things to do is make sure the person knows they are still loved by you and by God. To get someone away from sin you must use grace; the same kind of grace God used with us to remove sin as a barrier to our relationship with him. Grace is just about the best way to do anything, and this is especially true of moving someone away from sin. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Esther 4: 1-17; Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help

2011-12-12T11:39:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Esther does everything in her power to help her fellow Jews here, even though it is a great risk to herself. She embodies the command set forth in Scripture to place others first. Esther, then, is an example for all of us to follow, in that she put her own well-being at risk to help those who were in need. Our concerns are secondary. The needs of our neighbor supersede any that we might have ourselves. Jesus tells us 'the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.' Let us all strive to make that a reality by putting the concerns of others above our own. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Esther 3: 1-15; Haman's Plot to Destroy the Jews

2011-12-11T12:19:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus tells us that we are to be reconciled to our brother before we come to God in prayer. Granted, Haman has not intentions of praying, but how much simpler would everything have been had he only gone to Mordecai to see what the problem was and what, if anything, could be done to work it out. Instead, though, the problem escalates into a near massacre, all because two people could not talk to each other. Being reconciled to each other is an important thing. If there is a problem we need to resolve it. If we an issue with someone then we need to talk about and find a solution. If we don't we might find ourselves in a situation like Haman and Mordecai, a situation that is out of control. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Esther 2: 19-23; Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

2011-12-10T12:12:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Like King Xerxes we all sometimes find ourselves on the receiving end of hatred and evil plans. We have enemies, as Christians. There are people who do not like us because of our faith, and there are people who do not like because they don't like anyone. Regardless of the circumstances the fact remains that there are people in the world who, for one reason or another, want to do us harm. The first thing we can do in that type of situation is turn it over to God and trust that he will take care of those who would wish to hurt us. This is not a guarantee, though. Then comes the second thing: to remember that there is nothing anyone can do to hurt our soul. That has been claimed by God. They may use words, they may even use weapons, but they cannot hurt the part of us that God has claimed for himself. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Annual Christmas Party

2011-12-09T12:28:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

This Saturday, December 10, 2011 we will be having our annual church Christmas Party. We will get started with an Italian pot-luck dinner, which will begin at 5:00 in the Fellowship Hall. Following that we will move to the chapel where we will sing Christmas Carols, hear a message (through a humorous skit), and have a special visitor for the children. I hope you can join us for this event. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Esther 2: 1-18; Esther Made Queen

2011-12-09T12:05:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Poor Esther. Yes, she gets to become a Queen, but at what cost. She is, essentially, a slave, forced to do a King's bidding no matter what it may mean to her. Can you imagine living that kind of life? It is too simple a thing to call that a difficult life. And yet, through all of that Esther perseveres. She does not publicly declare her faith, but she does move forward with her life. She does not let her hardships in life keep her from living life. On our journey of faith we find ourselves in difficult, sometimes seemingly impossible, situations. These make us question our faith, and our resolve. Jesus never promises an easy journey. What he does promise, though, is that he will be with us every step of the way. What he does promise us is that if we persevere and do not give up we will be blessed beyond all imagination. Keep moving forward, come what may. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for December 11, 2011

2011-12-08T12:25:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament Lesson for Sunday is from Isaiah 61, in which Isaiah gives the good news in regards to the work of the Messiah. The New Testament lesson is from John 1 in which John the Baptist gives some testimony in regards to Jesus, the Messiah to whom Isaiah referred. The sermon is titled 'Joy' and will focus on the joy we have through Jesus. I hope you are all able to make it to worship. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Esther 1: 1-22; Queen Vashti Deposed

2011-12-08T12:00:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Of course, we never get a reason from Queen Vashti as to why she does not come when Xerxes summons her. We are left to assume then that Xerxes said or did something Queen Vashti did not like. With that in mind we can look at Queen Vashti in a fairly positive light. She stood up for what she believed in, even though she knew the consequences would be most severe. So it is with our faith. These days wearing your faith on your sleeve is a way to attract a little bit of trouble. Does that mean we stop doing it? No. It means we do it more boldly. We should stand up for our faith, we should continually share the good news of Jesus with those around us. No matter what. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 13: 20-25; Benediction and Final Greetings

2011-12-07T11:48:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." We have been equipped for all God has called us to do. By the blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit we have all the strength we need for our faith. What we need to continually do is pray and ask for God's guidance. We need direction to match the strength we already have. Pray, therefore, and God will point you in the right direction. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 13: 1-19; Concluding Exhortations

2011-12-06T11:48:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

I usually end up going with the first verse, or couple of lines, of the passage for the lesson, and I do it again here. 'Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.' Think of how you love your siblings, if you have any. And think of how they love you. Now, take that feeling of love and transfer it to anyone else: your friend, your neighbor, your co-worker, your tennis partner, your enemy, etc. Take that feeling and love that person with all you have to give. In this way you live out the second greatest commandment, you honor and glorify God, and you make the world a better, more faithful, place. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 12: 18-29; The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy

2011-12-05T11:08:00.003-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

'See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks.' God is still speaking. Perhaps God does not speak through as many burning bushes as he used to, but he is still speaking to all of us none the less. Our call is to hear. We need to open our ears to hear what God is saying to us. This comes through prayer. Prayer is not just a time when we speak to God. Prayer is also a time when God speaks back to us. We simply need to quiet our voices and spirits and listen, then we will hear God's voice. And the words we will hear will be glorious. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 12: 14-17; Warning and Encouragement

2011-12-04T11:13:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

'See to it...' The idea behind this is that we are supposed to help each other in faith. Faith is not easy. Being obedient is not easy. Moving forward is not easy. That is why God has given us each other. We are supposed to give each other encouragement. We are to hold each other accountable for sin. God has called us all to a life of faith, and with that in mind we are to help each other in faith. 'See to it...we all remain faithful to God.' God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 12: 4-13; God Disciples His Children

2011-12-03T11:08:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

What this really means is that God is still very much active in the world, and in our lives. He has not left us, he has not abandoned us. Is it always pleasant when God teaches us something? No, but the good news we have a God who loves us enough to be involved in our lives. We follow a God who loves us enough to help us, sometimes by correction, as we go through life. Discipline is hard, but the good news is that God is here, in our lives, to discipline us in the first place. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 11: 1- 12: 3; Faith in Action

2011-12-02T11:03:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

This chapter (plus a little more) is like a 'who's who' of the Bible. We get glimpse after glimpse of hero after hero from the Bible. One of the greatest things about Scripture is the people inside it. They stand out even now, thousands of years later, as witnesses to the power and love of God. But they also stand out for their faith. We are to imitate Jesus, but there are some other folks in Scripture we could take a lesson from as well: Noah, Abraham, and Moses, just to name a few. Read about these people, and learn from them lessons in faith. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for December 4, 2011

2011-12-01T11:17:00.003-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament lesson for this Sunday comes from Isaiah 40: 1-11, in which God promises to send someone to prepare the way of the Lord. The New Testament lesson is from Mark 1: 1-8 in which John the Baptist begins his ministry. The sermon is titled 'Peace' and will focus on the peace God brings to our lives. I hope to see you all on Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Hebrews 10: 19-39; A Call to Persevere in Faith

2011-12-01T10:58:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The journey of faith is long and hard. We suffer as we go through life. Sometimes due to persecution. Sometimes due to the natural lives we live. And sometimes suffering comes because God asks us to do something very difficult. Whatever the source of the hardships there is no doubt there are many. They abound, truly. What we need, sometimes more than anything else, is perseverance. We need that strength and endurance to continue to move forward. How do we get it? By remaining close to God, spending time with him every day. In so doing we get the strength we need, which will help us to persevere. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 10: 1-18; Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

2011-11-30T13:49:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"I have come to do your will, my God." Jesus was, and still is, perfectly obedient to the will of God. Jesus went to the cross, even though he did not want to (Father, let this cup pass from me). I died on the cross to forgive the world of sin because that is what God wanted him to do. No matter how hard it was Jesus went to the cross, in obedience to God. In all things we are to model our lives after Jesus. We are to follow his example and imitate him. Specifically, we are to model Jesus' obedience to God. We are called to follow God, to do his will, regardless of what that means for us in our own lives. Jesus came to do God's will. We are called to do the same. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 9: 11-28; The Blood of Christ

2011-11-29T11:47:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

'...so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many...' Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He died so we wouldn't have to die; he was punished so we wouldn't have to be. The only way for us to avoid punishment and receive salvation is to accept Jesus as personal Lord and Savior. Jesus has done everything for us. All we need to do is first get on, and second stay on, the path Jesus has laid out for us: the path of faith, which leads to salvation and eternal life. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 9:1-10; Worship in the Earthly Tabernacle

2011-11-28T16:04:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

For the Israelites in the Old Testament it was the Ark of the Covenant, for Christians it is the communion table. The point is this: a big part of worship is looking back to see what God has done for us in the past. This should not be limited to worship. God has done a lot for the world, but he has also done a lot for each of us as individuals. We need to take time to look back and see what God has done for us. Once we have done that, go and worship God. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 8: 1-13; The High Priest of a New Covenant

2011-11-27T11:09:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is a New Covenant with Jesus, a New Testament. In the Old Covenant there was the Levitical Law, circumcision, animal sacrifice, and all of these things were done as a way to 'get good' with God. But when Jesus comes he makes a New Covenant, a covenant in which he is the only sacrifice. A covenant in which we are forgiven from sin and are freed from the Law. A covenant in which our faith in Jesus is what sets us apart. This New Covenant is sealed in the blood of Jesus. And this New Covenant is a lot better than the old one. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 7: 11-28; Jesus Like Melchizedek

2011-11-26T11:04:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens." Jesus is perfect, which means we do not have to be. Part of the idea behind the law is that the Israelites were supposed to be perfect. Well, their sin got in the way and prevented them from being able to do that. Then Jesus comes along and lives every letter of the Law. He follows all the commandments, including the one about loving God more than anything else. What this means for us is that Jesus us the fulfillment of the Law. Jesus lived the Law perfectly, which means we do not have to. This means we are freed from those rigid commands. This means we are free to live a life in God's grace. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 7: 1-10; Melchizedek the Priest

2011-11-25T10:58:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Melchizedek serves as an object lesson for us. Here is a man we know next to nothing about. He meets Abraham on the road, and just like that Abraham gives Melchizedek a tenth of the plunder. We are given no other information about Melchizedek, but given the fact that he was given so much we can safely assume he did something to deserve it. We, on the other hand, have done nothing to deserve the salvation God gives, and yet we have been given complete salvation. God did not say, 'I forgive you for one tenth of your sins.' What would that even look like? No, God has erased all of our sins. Even when we did nothing, nor would do anything in the future, God gave us everything. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 6: 13-20; The Certainty of God’s Promise

2011-11-24T10:54:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

When God makes a promise we can know beyond the shadow of any doubt that it is going to come true. We make promises to each other. We try to keep all of them; but every once in a while we don't come through. Something gets in the way: traffic, work, forgetfulness, money (or lack thereof), etc. We should not beat ourselves up over this. We are just human after all. That being said, God keeps all of his promises to a 't.' We can count on it. When God tells us he will do something we can believe it. That is our hope; that is our comfort. God's promises are sure and true. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for November 27, 2011

2011-11-23T11:15:00.003-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament lesson for this Sunday is from Isaiah 64: 1-9 in which the Israelites are given a prophecy of the coming Messiah. The New Testament lesson is from Mark 13: 24-37 in which Jesus shares with his disciples that he will come again. The sermon is titled 'Hope' and will focus on the hope we have of the coming one.

This is the first Sunday of Advent, the season in which we prepare for the coming of the Christ-child. We are having Hanging of the Greens this Sunday. We will start with a pot-luck breakfast at 9:00 a.m. and then will spend the rest of the morning leading up to worship decorating the church for Advent. Please join us for this special event. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 5: 11- 6 12; Warning Against Falling Away

2011-11-23T10:48:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

When I was in High School and College I ran cross country. The races were, of course, difficult, but nothing was more difficult than the practices. Why? Because we ran double, and sometimes more, the distance we had to run in the race; usually about 10 miles. That is a long way to run, and there isn't an easy way to do. Through the run the temptation is there to simply stop running, to give up. But I knew it would make me better for the races, so I kept going. So it is with faith. Faith is like a long distance run. We run very far, and we run for a very long time. Along the way things happen that make us want to stop moving, to give up. We must press on, though. We must continue to run, to move forward. We cannot fall away, or things will get worse for us. We'll lose Jesus. Keep running. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 4: 14- 5: 10; Jesus the Great High Priest

2011-11-22T11:21:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the great High Priest. The job of the Jewish High Priest, in Jesus' time, was to intercede on behalf of the people. His job was to make a sacrifice and say prayers that would 'square' the Israelites with God. Jesus does that for us. He prays for us (see John 17), and, of course, he made a sacrifice on our behalf. Jesus is our Great High Priest. He sees to it that we are freed from sin; he sees to it that we are right with God. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 4: 1-13; A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

2011-11-21T11:49:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rest. We all need it, but rarely seem to get it. All of us are invited, though, to rest in God's presence. We are encouraged to come before God's throne of grace and lay our burdens at his feet. In doing so we take the rest that God offers. We are able to rest because God is going to take care of our problems for a time; he is going to carry our burdens so we don't have to. We all need rest at one time or another. When you do, make sure you accept the invitation from the Lord and take the rest you need in your life. Let God bear your burden. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 3: 7-19; Warning Against Unbelief

2011-11-20T11:44:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Believe in Jesus. We have all the reasons we need to take that step. Jesus has done everything for us. He has filled every true need we could ever have. Like the disciples, let us get out of the boat and follow him. And for those of us that have, let us daily renew our faith, our belief in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 3: 1-6; Jesus Greater than Moses

2011-11-19T11:41:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's think for a moment about Moses' ministry. He delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. He led the Israelites through the wilderness to the Promised Land. Granted, Moses did many more things than that, but those are the highlights. Jesus delivered the world from bondage to sin, freeing all of us to live a life of holiness. Jesus has also led us through the wilderness to our own Promised Land, the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus has done an awful lot for us. Let us praise him for those works. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 2: 5-18; Jesus Made Fully Human

2011-11-18T11:38:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

What does it mean to say that Jesus was fully human in his time here on earth? It means that Jesus experienced everything humanity has to offer. What this really means is that Jesus can help us in our lives. Jesus, who has been through everything we have, can guide us and give us strength in the 'human times' in our lives. Jesus can say to us 'I know how you feel,' because he does know how we feel, because he has felt what we felt. Jesus being human means we have a Lord on our side who has gone through what we go through. This give us a Lord who can truly help us as we go through life. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for November 20, 2011

2011-11-17T11:47:00.003-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday is from Luke 17: 11-19, in which Jesus heals ten lepers. The sermon is titled 'Attitude of Gratitude' and will focus on our need to be thankful for all God has done for us. I hope to see you all in worship on Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 2: 1-4; Warning to Pay Attention

2011-11-17T11:33:00.003-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is so easy to get distracted. We often chastise our children for not paying attention to us when we are speaking to them, but then, as Christians, as God's children, we sometimes are guilty of the same thing. There we are following Jesus and everything is going quite well until something shiny comes along. This shiny thing, whatever it is, pulls us away from Jesus. We need to be strong, we need to be focused, to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus so that we do not get distracted, so that we do not get pulled away from him. When something shiny comes along, ignore it, and look all the more intently at Jesus. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 1: 5-14; The Son Superior to Angels

2011-11-16T12:05:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" Angels are real, and they come to us all. Perhaps not in white robes with wings on their backs, but God sets people in our path to teach us, encourage us, lift us up, etc. I have had several in my own life, and even though now some of them are gone their ministry to me continues. I invite you this day to think about the angels God has sent into your life. Think about them, and remember what they brought to your life. Then give thanks to God for sending an angel your way. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Hebrews 1: 1-4; God's Final Word: His Son

2011-11-15T10:39:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

God never gives up. In the Old Testament we see God do many things to try and get the attention of the Israelites: He delivers them from Egypt; He leads them to the Promised Land; He calls prophet after prophet to try and get them back on track. And when none of those things really worked, which is evidenced by the fact that Israel continued to lose their way, God sent Jesus, his one and only Son into the world to save the world. God could have given up on the world, he could have given up on the Israelites. God could have chosen to wash his hands of the whole thing. But he didn't. Instead, God sends Jesus. God never stops working for us. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 65: 17-25; New Heavens and a New Earth

2011-11-14T10:32:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Something new is coming. God is going to make, and give us, a new heaven and a new earth. We may not know all of the details, but one thing we can know for sure is that these places are going to be places of perfect peace and joy. That sounds like the kind of place I want to live. And it certainly points to the power and love of God. He loves us enough to create something new for us. Someday we will all be joined in that place. And what a wonderful day that will be be. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 65: 1-16; Judgment and Salvation

2011-11-13T11:16:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The point of this passage is simple: those who believe in God will be blessed, and those who do not will not be blessed. This means we have a choice. We have a decision as to whether or not we will believe in, and follow God. We know what will happen if we serve the Lord. We know that road leads to heaven. And we know what will happen if we choose the other path. Choose for yourself this day whom you will serve. We are called to make that decision. What will yours be? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 63: 7- 64: 12; Praise and Prayer

2011-11-12T11:11:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise and prayer are really the backbones of our relationship with God. It's simply polite to say thank you when someone gives you something. And when good manners are used a relationship stays solid, because the one who does the kind thing feels appreciated and more inclined to do more kind things. So, when we praise God we are really saying 'thank you.' God will hear that, be appreciative and continue to bless us, most of all with his presence. In prayer we talk to God. We allow God to get to know us, and we get to know God, for God speaks back to us in prayer, if only we listen. If you seek to grow in your relationship with God practice prayer and praise daily. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 63: 1-6; God’s Day of Vengeance and Redemption

2011-11-11T11:05:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

'...mighty to save...' God is power, and God is love. And both of those attributes mean for us that God is strong to save us. He has the power to do it, and he has the love for us to want us to have salvation. We do not follow a weak God who is not able to do anything. We follow a God who created all we see around us. We follow a God who has power to save us from sin and the forces of evil. Our God is mighty to save. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for November 13, 2011

2011-11-10T11:20:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday is from Matthew 25: 14-30, in which Jesus gives the parable of the bags of gold. The sermon is titled 'Survivor Man' and will focus on our need to recognize our gifts for ministry, and to use them. I hope to see you all on Sunday morning. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 62: 1-12; Zion’s New Name

2011-11-10T10:57:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God." We are precious to God. We are not random people that do not mean anything to God. We are worth more than the most precious of jewels, the most beautiful of stones. For anyone who feels less than worthy, less than loved, read these words and know God loves you. God loves you so much he gave up his one and only son to save you. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 61: 1-11; The Year of the LORD’s Favor

2011-11-09T11:47:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you read those first three verses very carefully you should notice that Jesus managed to accomplish all those things in his ministry. Jesus was very busy throughout his ministry, but more than that he was very caring and compassionate. Jesus loved every person he met and so wanted to help them in any way he could. In all things Jesus is a model for us. We are to imitate Jesus in our faith, but also in how we live out our faith. We should imitate Jesus' compassion and commitment to ministry, to helping people. The first three verses of this passage should speak not only about Jesus, but about us as well, his disciples. We should do all the things that are talked about in this passage. In short, we should imitate Jesus' ministry. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 60: 1-22; The Glory of Zion

2011-11-08T11:13:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Even in the darkest of times there is light. What is that light? It is the light of Christ, shining in all of our hearts to ward off the darkness; to send away the powers of evil and despair. Jesus shines, and he shines in all of us. When we find ourselves in life's darkest valleys we have the good shepherd with us, and he will continue to guide us with his light. What we need to do is open our eyes. We need to look and see the light that Jesus shines and move towards it. We need to see the light of Christ and follow that light which will lead us out of darkness. 'Arise! Shine! For your light has come.' See and follow the light of Christ. It will lead you out of darkness. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 59: 1-21; Sin, Confession and Redemption

2011-11-07T10:43:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

All three of these things are part of the journey of faith. First we sin. This is not meant to make anyone beat themselves up. We do not need to go around shouting 'woe is me.' It is just to say that all sin and fall short of the glory of God. In response to that sin, though, we need to confess. We need to come before God in prayer and confess what we have done. In so doing we humble ourselves before the Lord and recognize our own shortcomings. But then comes the best part: redemption. We are saved from sin even before we commit the sin. We are given God's grace, we are blessed with the cross. By the sacrifice of Jesus we have been saved from sin. Praise be to God that we have redemption to overcome the sin in our lives. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 58: 1-14; True Fasting

2011-11-06T11:41:00.000-05:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

'Shout it aloud, do not hold back.' That is the mentality we should have when it comes to expressing our faith. We should hold nothing back. Our love for the Lord should be so great that we cannot keep quiet about it. That is a form of true worship: to tell the world about the love of God and the salvation he brings to the world. Shout it aloud, do not hold back! God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 57: 14-21; Comfort for the Contrite

2011-11-05T11:36:00.000-04:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is comfort for those who follow God. It comes in a variety of ways, and we have all experienced it at one time or another. God comforts those who come to him. He does so because he loves us, because it breaks God's heart to see his children in such pain and turmoil. And so God comes to us in our times of need. He comes to give us the comfort, the hope, that we all need as we go through life. Allow God to comfort you. Do not try to do things by yourself. Rather, accept the love and care God is more than willing to give, and allow those things to help you through whatever trial you are in. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 56: 9- 57: 13; God’s Accusation Against the Wicked

2011-11-04T11:31:00.000-04:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

And so is a life without a relationship with God. I don't much care for this description. What I mean is I will not be signing up for anything like this anytime soon. We all know what a life with God is like, and we know what a life without God is like. In our scripture passage for this Sunday's worship service is the verse, 'Choose for yourself this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.' I love that verse, and I think it is very appropriate for this passage as well. Choose God, or the world. We know where both roads lead. We need to make the right choice. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for November 6, 2011

2011-11-03T11:46:00.003-04:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday comes from Matthew 25: 1-13, in which Jesus gives the parable of the 10 Bridesmaids. The sermon is titled 'Fair Weather Faith' and will focus on our need, our call, to be in faith for the long haul. I hope to see you all on Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 56: 1-8; Salvation for Others

2011-11-03T11:26:00.002-04:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Salvation is close at hand." Jesus very close to all of us. Of course, Jesus has already been here and made his salvation available to the world. But that does not mean Jesus' work is finished, and it does not mean he is far away. Jesus is here, right next to us, every step of our journey of faith. Salvation is close at hand, Isaiah says. It might as well say 'Jesus is close at hand,' not just as a source of salvation, but as a source of comfort and hope as well. Extend your hand and Jesus' and he will bless your life. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 55: 1-13; Invitation to the Thirsty

2011-11-02T10:44:00.002-04:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Before we come to Jesus we are empty inside. We are not sure what it is, but we know there is something missing inside of us. There is a hole in us that cannot seem to be filled by anything, or anyone, else. And then we come to Jesus and he gives us water, water that truly satisfies. We come to Jesus and he gives us food, food that truly fills. We come to Jesus and we get everything we need, everything we have always been missing in our lives. This is also true for those of us who already believe. As we walk on our journey of faith we get tired, we get thirsty, we get hungry. And when we do we can come to Jesus and receive all the nourishment we need; we get the water, and the food we need to keep moving forward on our journey of faith. Come to Jesus all you who are tired, thirsty, and hungry and Jesus will fill that need beyond anything you could ever imagine. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 54: 1-17; The Future Glory of Zion

2011-11-01T11:01:00.002-04:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is not escapism to have hope for tomorrow. There are those who say that having hope is simply an act of not living this life. I say that to have hope is to have great faith in God. For in hoping that things will turn around is to believe wholeheartedly in the power and love of God. God create the world and has power of it. And someday God will redeem the world in such a way that there will be no suffering. This is not escapism. This is faith. Faith in the power and love of God. God, who is love and loves us, and who has power over the world will one day deliver us from our suffering. God bless you.

Pastor Josh
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Isaiah 52: 13- 53: 12; The Suffering and Glory of the Servant

2011-10-31T10:36:00.002-04:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

There are so many things to pull out of this passage which explains in such great detail the person and work of Jesus. The one that has always been so significant to me is 'by his wounds we are healed.' I like that because of the positive connotations behind. Jesus healed us, he made us whole, he restored us to proper relationship with God. Jesus covered us with his love and secured a place for us. He healed us from the sins we have committed and the damage those sins caused us. Now we are free. We are free to have a relationship with God. We are free to live in God's grace. We are free to be God's children. By his wounds we are healed. By his wounds we have everything. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 51: 17- 52: 12; The Cup of the LORD’s Wrath

2011-10-30T10:29:00.000-04:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

As God's children we should work very hard to not make God mad. Granted, our salvation is secure, but that does not mean we do not have to please God. We should live a life of holiness in gratitude for what God has done for us. God will not revoke our salvation, but we should still live every second of our lives for his glory. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 51: 1-16; Everlasting Salvation for Zion

2011-10-29T10:27:00.000-04:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

One of the great things about the salvation that comes through Jesus is that it is not going anywhere. There is no sin we can commit that will take away from the salvation Jesus brings to all of us. We have eternal salvation. We do not need to worry about losing it; we do not need to worry about it wearing out. No, we can rest, for eternity, knowing we are saved by the blood of the lamb. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 50: 1-11; Israel’s Sin and the Servant’s Obedience

2011-10-28T10:22:00.000-04:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus seems far away sometimes. Not in terms of his physical location, but in terms of his holiness. Jesus is so holy it seems we will never be able to attain that. There is a disparity between how we live our lives and how Jesus lived his. But there is hope. The divide that stands between our holiness and Jesus' has been bridged by the cross. Through the power of the cross we have the ability to be holy and perfect, to be faithful, to be the people God would have us be. There is no more divide. We can live like Jesus. We can be perfectly obedient to God's will through Jesus Christ our Lord. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Sunday Scripture and Sermon for October 30, 2011

2011-10-27T10:38:00.002-04:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Scripture passage for this Sunday comes form Joshua 3: 7-17, in which Joshua and the Israelites cross over the Jordan River, which has been stopped, into the Promised Land. The sermon is titled 'Children of God' and will look at how the Israelites were blessed to be named Children of God, and how we receive those same blessings as well. I hope to see you in church on Sunday. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 49: 8-26; Restoration of Israel

2011-10-27T10:15:00.002-04:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

The hope of things to come can do a lot for someone, or, in this case, a group of people. Israel is on the outside looking in, literally. They are out of the Promised Land, but they receive the promise here that God will restore them to their former glory. They receive the promise that God will restore them to the Promised Land, that they will once again be his people. That hope got Israel through some very difficult times. They struggled being away from God. The Israelites found themselves in the deepest pit of despair. And yet when they hear these words they are lifted up beyond all measure. The same is true for us. We sometimes find ourselves in dark times. And when that happens we need a word of hope, we need to reminded of God's love and power. And when (yes, when!) God reminds us of that we have hope: hope that things will get better. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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Isaiah 49: 1-7; The Servant of the Lord

2011-10-26T11:01:00.002-04:00

Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are all servants of God. In the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) we believe in the Ministry of All Believers, which means we are all called to continue the ministry of Jesus Christ: to heal the sick and comfort the suffering, and to share the good news of Jesus with those around us. Like Isaiah we have all been called by God into faith and into service. Let us take up that call; let us go forth and do the work God has given us through Jesus. Let us, as God's Children, and Christ's disciples, serve the Lord with all we have to give. God bless you.

Pastor Josh

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