PASTOR’S COLUMN​   11 “Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in.   12  She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.   13  “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord.” She replied, “and I don’t know where they have put Him.” 14  She turned to leave and saw someone there. It was Jesus, but sh

PASTOR’S COLUMN       3 “Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she  anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. 4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray Him, said, 5  “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.”   6  Not that He cared for the poor – he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disc

PASTOR’S COLUMN   1  “A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum the people heard that He had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and He preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to Him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd they made an opening  in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat  the man

PASTOR’S COLUMN   5  “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6   And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly  to these commands that I am giving you .  7   Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them  when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.” Deuteronomy 6:5-7, NLT 3 rd  Sunday in Lent – Living the Faith   The greatest gift any of us cou

PASTOR’S COLUMN​   27 “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out  to an isolated  place to pray.”Mark 1:37, NLT                                                                                            ​       “1 st Sunday in Lent – Finding Sacred Space”   One of the great emphases of Lent is the time-honored tradition in the Christian faith when we, the followers of Jesus Christ, devote forty-six days (inclusive of Sundays) to find a sacred space to have

PASTOR’S COLUMN​   25 “Certainly there were many needy widows in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. 26  Yet, Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead  to a foreigner – a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon.   27  And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.”   28  When they heard this, the people in the synagog

PASTOR’S COLUMN​   5 “I am black  and beautiful,  O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. 6 Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has gazed on me. They made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept!”         Song of Solomon 1:5-6, NRSV                                                                                            ​       “2nd Sunday – Expressing God’s Gift!”   The bias toward physical

PASTOR’S COLUMN​   35 “As evening came, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus to the boat an started out , leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37  But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with His head on a cushion. The disciples woke Him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that w

PASTOR’S COLUMN   31  “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us , who can ever be against us?... 37  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us.”         Romans  8:31;37, NLT                                                                                                                                                                                            “ 4 th  Sunday – More Than What Confronts!

PASTOR’S COLUMN 11  “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12  The night is nearly over, the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Romans  13:11-12, NIV                                                                                                                                            

PASTOR’S COLUMN​ 4a “Then you will know which way you are to move out from since you have never been this way before… 5  Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”                 Joshua 3:4a; 5, NIV “2 nd Sunday – Amazing Things Ahead!”   As much as we may assume things are always the same, life is fluid; it is marked by change. Joshua, who was a young boy when the Israelites left their place of slavery in Egyp

PASTOR'S COLUMN 5 "God called the light day and the evening night. And there was evening, and there was morning, the first.” Genesis 1:5, NIV "1st Sunday - "The First Day"

PASTOR’S COLUMN ​ 1 “Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw His star as it rose, and we have come to worship Him.” 10  When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11   They entered the house and saw the child with His mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasure chests

PASTOR’S COLUMN 15  “When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let us see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby lying in the manager. 17  After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18  And all who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,

PASTOR’S COLUMN ​ 2 “But you, O Bethlehem Ephratha, are only a small village among the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from  you on my behalf.”        Micah 5:2, NLT 10 “Do not despise the day of small beginnings. Zechariah 4:10, KJV ”3 rd Sunday in Advent - Purpose!”   The divine purposes of God are not delineated, nor determined, by size or quantity. God’s divine purposes will come to fulfillment in the exact man

PASTOR’S COLUMN 1 “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. 4  The Word gave life to everyone that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. 5  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.   14 So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of

PASTOR’S COLUMN 2 “The people who walk in darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.” 6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He shall be called: Wonderful Ciunselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince

PASTOR’S COLUMN 6 “ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7,NLT                                                  ​           ​                                                                                                  

PASTOR’S COLUMN 7 “ Don’t be afraid,”​ David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because  of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table…” And  Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king’s table.”        Samuel 9:7,13 NLT    

PASTOR’S COLUMN 26 “When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people first began to worship the Lord by name.”    Genesis 4:26, NLT “When To Say Thanks!” In the Biblical world, evidence of people giving thanks to God was through offerings. Throughout much of the Old Testament we see instances of people expressing their gratitude to God through gifts of food, drinks, and the sacrifice of animals. A major act of expressing thanksgiving to God often is ov

PASTOR’S COLUMN 23  “Who remembers us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever.” 24  And rescues us from our enemies, For His mercy endures forever, 25  Who gives food to all flesh, For His mercy endures forever.”       Psalm 136:23-25, NKJV                                                                                                      “God Remembers and Rescues!”   One of the needs we have in life is to be remembered . To be overlooked often causes a person to

PASTOR’S COLUMN 1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. 2  It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously  working for food to eat; for God gives rest to His loved ones.” Psalm 127:1-2, NLT “Only the Lord!”   Our extraordinary abilities as humans are incredible, but they could never exceed the greatness and worth the Lord can do

PASTOR’S COLUMN 9  “As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. 10   Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, he’s alive!” Acts 20:9-10, NLT “Awakening of a New Generation!”   In Washington Irving’s tale of Rip Van Winkle one compelling aspect of the story is how Rip, on his way to chores, fell asleep. Whe

PASTOR’S COLUMN 9  “How can we thank God enough for you in return  for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?  12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.”          I Thessalonians 3:9;12, NIV    "Favor, Increase and Overflow!"   In 13 th century England, people complained they were being cheated with weights and measures when they visited the market. This was prevalent with ba

PASTOR’S COLUMN 19 “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You...

PASTOR’S COLUMN   10 “And Nehemiah  continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods andsweet drinks, and share gifts of food with...

PASTOR’S COLUMN   11  “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor...