7-4-2026

Good Morning All,

     Micah 6:8; “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

       If you have ever worked for a large corporation or belonged to a board of a non-profit organization, you are probably familiar with a mission statement. A mission statement is to be the guiding principle when making plans for the organization. As a country, I always believed that the Preamble to the Constitution was an excellent mission statement.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

    Those men who met in Philadelphia in 1787, laid out their plan and vision for a different type of governance with three branches of government with co-equal checks and balances that were designed to accomplish these goals. It is intended to work for the common good of the people who live here. It is to share in providing those things which we all need, common defense, justice for all, and a general welfare where each has the opportunity to prosper from his labors. Are we perfect, not by a long shot, but we should always strive to live up to this high ideal for a nation and a people.

    In many ways, we as Christians have a mission statement as well. Some may choose a different verse and that is fine but I would think that it would be close to this one. As a Christian, as we look around at the world we live in, how are we to live and act in this world. First, we are to do justice. Justice in the Bible is much more than punishing wrongdoing. It is about making sure that all people have a chance to try. All people are to have as fair an opportunity as anyone else.

    We are to love kindness. Some translations use the word mercy here. This means that all our actions, our words, and our plans show mercy to others. We should have mercy when one of our neighbors needs help to keep up. We should have mercy in the enforcement of our laws. We should show mercy to those most in need of God’s care.

    The third statement listed is to walk humbly before God. In the Bible, to be humble means to recognize that all we have is from God and that we are totally reliant on His merciful kindness. None of us are “self-made” all of us have received blessings from God which He gives us to be prepared and willing to aid our neighbor in need. It is interesting how these two documents intersect and interact.

Gracious Father, we give you thanks for the blessings you give us. Today, we give thanks for our country. Guide us by Your Spirit so we may live out these statements and verses. Guide us to humbly serve you by helping our neighbor, seeking justice with mercy, and loving all people as Your children. In the precious Name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

7-3-2026

Good Morning!

      Mark 1: 15; “and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

     It is always fascinating to watch how we measure time.  Sometimes, time can move so slowly that we question if it moves at all.  Think of those times when you had to wait; like a 5-year-old waits for Christmas to arrive.  There are times in our life when time just seems to vanish.  Think of an evening with old friends.  Think of a sporting event that has a clock to time it.  As the fans watch the game, they would look at the clock.  The team that was ahead kept wondering if they were shutting the clock off because it seemed that no time was coming off the clock.  The fans of the team which was behind couldn’t believe how quickly the time went.  They were sure that they didn’t put enough time on to start with. 

    So, the Apostle Mark has Jesus telling the world that the time is fulfilled.  What does he mean?  He means that this is the exact right time for the events which are occurring to happen.  Everything is in place.  The players who are of any importance are present; the people are ready to go. The time is right.

   The kingdom of God is at hand.  Whenever you see the phrase “the kingdom of God” or “the kingdom of heaven,” don’t think in terms of a thing or a place.  The kingdom of God is an action taking place.  The kingdom of God is a verb and not a noun.  The kingdom of God is Jesus entering this world and taking back the broken and hurt creation and restoring it to its proper place.  The kingdom of God is the reconciliation of man back to God.  It is about God coming into your life and changing your life so that you now have hope for life.  The kingdom of God is about changing you into the redeemed child of God who can be confident of your salvation and live with hope for tomorrow.  The kingdom of God is alive and active in this broken world bringing peace and comfort where none exists.

   So, what do we do? The answer is “repent.”  Repent means to change or to alter.  Repent means to turn around.  So rather than look away from God and only at ourselves, we are to turn toward God and seek after him.   Repent means to grab hold of God’s reconciliation and to trust fully in him.  To repent is a response to the active work of the kingdom of God.  It is the response to God’s invitation to be free from sin.  It is the invitation, at just the right time, for you to be part of God’s holy family.  It is the response to God’s grace that gives to us the opportunity to live in his loving presence holding onto his mercy.  Repentance is having all the time to grasp God’s steadfast goodness and to cling mightily to his love.

Father of all mercy, in you we have hope.  Father, we ask that you bring about change in our lives.  Bring us to the knowledge and understanding of your great mercy.  Strengthen our faith for those times when nothing makes sense.  Cling to us Father so that we may cling back to you.  Guard and protect us and give us peace as only you can.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret          

7-2-2026

Good Morning!

      Exodus 15: 25a; “And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.”

      “Sweet Water.”  This was one of the most important things for the settlers of the plains to find.  It meant that they, and their animals, could survive.  Some water would be poisonous but often it would just be brackish and bitter, usually because of a high alkali salt content.  This may have been what happened to the Israelites in our story.  The Israelites were in the wilderness after leaving Egypt.  They were thirsty and they came to a place they called Marah.  The name means “bitter” or “bitter water.”  The Israelites did what they would do often; they grumbled against Moses.

     It is always kind of interesting.  The Israelites had just crossed the Red Sea and saw how God had protected them from Pharaoh’s army.  They had just witnessed God’s power through the might of the plagues.  Yet in three days, they grumbled and showed a lack of faith after witnessing such incredible power.  Moses prayed to God for help and God delivered.  God made the bitter water sweet.  He delivered the Israelites, again.

    There are many times in our life when we feel like we are at a spot that is bitter water.  There are times when we experience struggles in life, sometimes they even pile on top of each other.  We may question, we may grumble, we may doubt God’s grace and favor.  It might be struggles with children or other family members.  It might just be a collection of different stresses in life.  A job that is tougher, a crop that isn’t worth as much as you need, it could be a visit to the doctor that requires you to change your lifestyle; any of these can leave a very bitter taste in our mouth and we experience Marah.

    Yet we know that God has made it sweet.  It might still be a stressful event but we know that these events do not define us or really control us.  They twist us, they plague us, they cause us pain and discomfort but they do not define us or our relationship with God.  We are always in God’s loving arms.  We always have his comfort and his promise of eternal salvation.  We have the sweetness of his mercy.  He took our life, bitter from sin and gave us the sweetness of his wonderful mercy for us to drink from.  We receive the refreshing, energizing drink of that sweet water that enables us to go through the pain of the day.  God is for us, making our future sweet with the hope of salvation.  God is for us; no one can be against us.

Father, in you we have the blessings of today and the hope for tomorrow.  Keep us safe from the pain of suffering in this life.  As we do, keep us strong in our faith that we may know your peace, we may know your comfort, that we may know your unending grace.  Be with those who are especially experiencing bitterness at this time.  Help them to see the sweetness that is your mercy.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

7-1-2026

Good Morning!

       Psalm 30:3; “O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.”

     The other day I was watching TV and I saw a commercial that made me chuckle.  It was the one about the people who had their cell phone batteries dying so they needed to find an electrical plug in so they could recharge the batteries.  The tag line was about being a “wall hugger.”  These people had to carry their power cords with them and then fight over the plug ins so that they could recharge so that they had to stay close to the wall because the cords were short.  It showed one person tripping over a cord and the like.

    I giggled because I am finding myself more like this all the time.  I have recharger cords in both vehicles that I drive so I can recharge as I drive.  I have a cord by my office chair for the same purpose.  We have one in the bedroom and one in the kitchen.  I can pretty much plug in wherever I am.  The only thing I haven’t done is to plug in in a very public place like an airport or restaurant.  Of course, I don’t go to airports so that one was easy.  Yet more and more having a charged cell phone becomes more and more critical.  Checking the power level often and knowing how long you have is important.  When the battery goes dead, we are out of touch and for many that is almost debilitating.

    So, it is vital to keep the batteries charged and at full strength.  You never know when that will be important.  The same can be said of our faith life.  We need to keep our faith batteries fully charged.  You never know when it will be important.  We recharge them through God’s grace.  He provides us with the things we need to do this.  He gives us His Word to read so that we may hear his words of comfort and hope.  He gives us his body and blood in the form of bread and wine in order that we may be nourished; that the emptiness of this life may be filled with his grace.

   God continually recharges us with hid great gift of mercy.  It restores us filling our spirit with hope and our soul with comfort.  Even in the greatest depths of despair God continues to come to you with his grace to lift you up.  In his grace he continually rejuvenates you to continue on the journey that he has laid out for us.  God mercy is there for us to strengthen and preserve us.  God’s mercy is alive and active in our lives serving to buffer us from the wind and storms of this life.  God’s mercy will charge your batteries so that you may proceed.  So, utilize his wonderful grace and mercy.  Read and listen to His Word to comfort you and to reassure you, receive his body and blood to nourish you.  Speak to him in prayer that you might know his unfailing love.  The God who loves you beyond all things is here to comfort you and to lead you home.

Father of all wondrous blessings, give us that due sense of your unfailing love.  Give to us that most wonderful sense of peace that we receive only from you.  Keep us invigorated and strong.  Be especially with those who need to be recharged at this time.  Keep them in your arms and bring them to the full comfort of your grace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret        

6-30-2026

Good Morning!

     Ephesians 2: 10; “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

     So, what do you want to be when you grow up?  It is a question that we ask our children as they grow up.  It often starts as an interesting way to play with children and to help them grow in their imagination.  As they are young, they want to be cowboys, superheroes, princesses, and the like.  As they get older, we encourage them to start looking at things that they enjoy, have a passion for or an affinity to do.  As they get older, we encourage them to look at what it takes to pursue the job or occupation that they desire.   How much schooling does it take?  Where are the jobs located?  Do you like the other parts of the job and not just the “glory” parts?  Do you have the skills needed for this job or do you need to begin dream number 2?  All these go into the ultimate answer, what do you want to be when you grow up?

    As a Christian, what do you want to be when you grow up?  How you view Scriptures helps determine how you answer this.  Do you read the Bible and think “I am a trumpet” or do you read it, “I am a singer”?  There is a difference.  Some think that the Bible says that God has planned your entire life out; he has decided this is what you will do, so there is nothing for us to do.  When God decides you will do something; you will do it.  These people think they are trumpets.  They are simply instruments that God uses to accomplish his plan or goal.

   Or do you read the Scriptures as telling us that God gives us gifts and talents.  God gives to us the skills and he gives us the wisdom to choose and he gives us the freedom to respond.  These people think they are singers.  God gives to them and they respond to God.  God makes us partners in the spreading of his kingdom.  God has given to you the task of spreading the message of reconciliation throughout the world.  God has made you a light to the world and he wants you to shine in this world. 

   I would encourage you to be a singer.  God has given to us as his children so much that we should desire to give to others.  He gives us all sorts of talents which can be used in many different ways; much like a singer can sing a song in different ways.  He can sing it to different melodies, different octaves, solo or part of a group; these are just a few ways to sing a song.  God gives us the gifts so don’t be afraid to try.  Many people refuse to move because they are afraid that they can’t do it or will do it wrong.  This is the devil at his best work, keeping God’s children from acting on behalf of God in this world.

    So go out and be a singer, joyfully sharing God’s mercy and grace.  It might be as grand as going to some foreign land as a missionary or it might be telling your grandchild about Jesus.  All are God’s work and all are part of God’s plan, the spreading of the kingdom of heaven.  Trust God to give you the skill, the desire, and the strength to go forth in the works he has laid out for you.

Gracious Father, move me by your Spirit to go boldly out into the world and to share your mercy.  Give me the courage to respond to your call and to use the gifts that you give to me to bring your salvation to those in need.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

6-29-2026

Good Morning!

     Philippians 4:7; “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

      Why does “stuff” happen?  I get that a lot.  From confirmation kids to our oldest members, why does “stuff” happen?  Why do small babies have to be born sick or weak?  Why do some people, who only seem to suffer, keep on living?  Why does it seem that the bad people succeed while the good people seem to struggle?  Why do some people seem to only hate?  Why do so many seem to not care about anybody or anything?  Why does it seem that the world is falling apart?

     We have lots of questions and we seldom have any answers.  Why did this person die so young?  I really do not know.  Why does that person continue to live when it seems that they are only suffering?  I really do not know.  There is much that I do not know.  Sometimes that can be troubling but in reality, I can find a lot of comfort in this fact; I really do not know.  Many people, especially non-believers, cannot understand why or how a Christian can take comfort in not knowing everything.  It is really pretty simple.  We only need to remember one thing and always keep that in our mind.  We need to remember one of the most fundamental facts of the Bible.

    God is God and I am not.  Throughout the Bible we are reminded of this; God is God and I am not.  God is the creator; we are the created.  In the Book of Job, God asks Job, “where were you when I laid out the foundation of the world?”  In Isaiah we are told that God’s ways are not our ways and that he is higher than us than we are over grasshoppers.  God is God and I am not.  I can take comfort in that fact.

    Since God is God and I am not, I can turn all the responsibility of keeping everything straight over to God; I don’t need to do it; even if I could, I don’t have to worry about that.  God is God and I am not.  I trust that God, who has been merciful to me and to all mankind, will continue to shower us with that mercy even if it does not make sense at the time because God is God and I am not.  I take hold of the faith that God gives to me and cling tightly to him because he has promised to love me and to care for me and to let nothing tear me from his hand.  I trust this because God is God and I am not.

    God gives us the peace that the world cannot give us because when we cling to him in faith, we cling to the God who is God overall and who has all things in his hands.  He has promised me mercy and salvation so no matter what is now; no matter what now looks like; I can rest assured that God has everything under control because God is God and I am not.  That is His promise, that is his truth and that is our comfort.

Father of love, in you we have peace.  We have peace because you give us that peace that the world does not know because you give us the faith to hold onto you.  Guard us by your mercy and keep us mindful that you are the God of love who delivers us and protects us.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

6-28-2026

Good Morning!

       Proverbs 29:25; “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”

        As my sons were growing up, I used to follow sports a little more closely.  I would watch the games and listen to the other parents as the fortunes and successes of the team were discussed.  You would hear conversations like, “We’ll do fine until we play team “x;” as soon as we play them, we will lose.”  The parents were sure of this and often told the players this as well.  So, the players would begin the game with the assumption that they would lose.

    I have always wondered how much that impacted the game.  If one team is convinced that it cannot defeat the other team; will the first team play without giving the best effort they can?  If the first team expects to lose, does it do all the pregame mental and physical preparation as intensely as it does when it expects to win or at least to compete?  Or does the team that expects to lose simply go through the motions of playing?  I really do wonder about the psychology of this.  When we think our opponent is unbeatable, how do we react?

    This is what the proverb in our verse is about.  Fear can paralyze us.  It can cause us to stop trying.  It can cause us to turn away.  It can cause us to shun the things that we desire.  It can cause us to avoid the things that we want to do.  It is usually fear, either of rejection or of ridicule, which causes us to shy away from expressing our faith in the public part of our life.  It may be at our job or at the places where we do business or the times and places when we interact with friends.  We may hear the comments of others and then shy away from what we truly believe and confess.

   God encourages us to stand strong.  We are always safe in his loving arms.  He has defeated all of our enemies.  We have no need to fear man; we only need to trust in God’s wonderful grace.  We know his truth and we know of his love for us.  We have his promise of salvation.  We have his promise of eternal life.  This can and should give us the confidence to face all the snares and fears that the world throws at us.  We are to walk by faith; faith in the risen Savior that we are redeemed and guaranteed our salvation.  We have nothing to fear; God has given us the victory that cannot be taken away.  In Him alone we have this great truth and promise.

Gracious Father, too often I walk in fear of what others think or say.  There are too many times when I hide and shirk about what I am to do or say.  Forgive me when I fail and give me the strength to go forward in the confidence of your truth.  Lead me to be the voice of grace and hope in this dark and lost world.  Grant me the spirit to walk by faith in your eternal love.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret