11-14-2026

Good Morning!

        Genesis 3: 19a; “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground”

     We all know what sweat is.  Perspiration is what happens when it is warm or humid and the moisture forms on the body.  Sweat is the result of exertion.  It means that somewhere along the line, it was hard, arduous work.  It was a labor that caused us to groan as we did it and ache when we were done.  Part of that ache was knowing that tomorrow; it would happen again.  It was the price we paid.

    When God first placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, work wasn’t really work.  Tending was more of watching and enjoying.  He didn’t have weeds to pull or thorns to fight.  There was no need for Roundup or 2, 4D.  He didn’t need a hoe or a tiller to clean up the weedy spots.  What he ate was all around him; plentiful, tasty and fresh.  He had it all, literally; until sin stepped in.

    From that point on human existence was changed.  Cracks began to form, problems arose.  When man sinned, creation also paid the price.  Weeds, thorns, droughts, storms and the like appeared.  All of a sudden, eating became a job.  Finding food took work, often extensive work.  It took time as well, sometimes meaning food was lacking for a day or two.  It became a lot of work just to eat and survive.  The painful part was that often that sweat, that aching labor would go for naught.  The painstaking planting was destroyed by animals or weather or other people who were stronger and took it away.  Life got tough in a hurry and stayed that way.

    Yet God had a plan from the beginning.  It was to send his Son into the world to sweat for you.  There is a certain symmetry when we read in Luke that as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “His sweat became like great drops of blood.”  Jesus did all the hard labor for our salvation.  Jesus did the painstakingly agonizing work of our salvation.  He received the lashes that carried the life blood from his body.  He carried the cross, laboring under its weight until he could carry it no more.  He hung on the cross with the weight of the sins of the world on his shoulders making the labor excruciating.  He died as he could sweat no more as there was nothing left to give.

   Yet in his mercy, he paid that price so you wouldn’t have to.  Through his grace, he gives the victory won, the price paid, the promised mercy delivered so that you might be healed.  He did this so the rip in the relationship with God might be healed.  He poured all the sweat that goes into making a relationship work in so that we might be restored before God.  Through his love, his sweat, we are made whole again.

Father of grace, our life is difficult and hard because of our own sin.  Yet you wonderfully restore us through the love that is Jesus.  Give us the wisdom to trust in your love and in your love alone.  Be with those who are struggling with the battles of life.  As they sweat and struggle send them your Spirit of comfort and hope.  Give them the certainty of your love.  In Jesus precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

11-13-2026

Good Morning!

      Psalm 119:11; “I have stored up your word in my heart; that I might not sin against you.”

     I watched a show on television the other night.  It was about survivalists.  Survivalists are people who expect some sort of calamity that will lead to a breakdown of the government and society.  The survivalists have homes or camps or compounds somewhere away from heavily populated areas where they have stored up non-perishable food and water and guns and ammo.  The survivalists are prepared to stay in these homes for years.  The television show was about “survivalist experts” who rated and ranked the ideas of the participants.  I watched this show and mused about the concern of these survivalists.

    Then I thought back to my youth when almost every community had a “civil defense center” where canned food and water and Geiger counters were stored.  This was in case there was a nuclear attack and you needed a safe place to hide.  There were also pamphlets about what to do in case of an attack.  Farmers were supposed to wait about six months and then scrape the top two inches of soil, which would have been contaminated, off and then begin to farm again.  No one ever said what to do with all that dirt.

    So, we prepare ourselves for disasters; maybe not to this level but we do prepare.  Most people who drive in real winter conditions have some form of survival gear in their vehicle.  They may have blankets, water, canned soup in their vehicle in case they get stuck in inclement weather.  Most of us have flashlights or candles in case the electricity goes out.  We need to prepare for some potential disasters in our faith life as well.  There will be times in our life when we will be vulnerable to the devil’s attacks and we need to be prepared for them.

    The best way to prepare for the devil’s lies is to always have God’s truth at hand.  We can do this by reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word.  We can do this by prayer.  By the careful reading of God’s Word, we will store up God’s Word in our heart.  God’s Words become the first thing that comes to mind when the devil’s assaults come and they will come.  They will come at the worst time for you.  They will come when you are grieving a death, suffering a setback at work, when a relationship is going through a rough time, when health questions arise; they will come.  The devil will try to weasel his way into your life, whispering into your ear any lie he can think of trying to cause doubt.  All it takes is doubt, like he gave to Eve, “Did God really say?” 

   By storing up God’s Word in our heart, it becomes the first thing we think of in our head. So, when the devil challenges we have God’s truth to come to the forefront.  We will remember, “Cast all your anxieties on him for he cares for you;” or “When my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I” or “So do not fear for I am with you do not be dismayed for I am your God.”  Trust God.

Father give me the certainty of your Word and the confidence to trust it when the attacks occur.  Be with those who are in battle at this time.  Guard them with your Spirit and bring to mind all your promises.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret          

11-12-2026

 Good Morning!

      Ephesians 6:11; “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil”.

      Do you remember this one?

                                        Oh, I may never march in the infantry,

                                        Ride in the cavalry, shoot the artillery,

                                        I may never fly o’er the enemy.

                                        But I’m in the Lord’s army!

    We used to sing that at Sunday School and loved it. It had the mandatory actions that you performed for each section. We sang it fairly well; we knew the words and, like most kids, we liked the actions. I don’t know if we listened to the words that closely or not, but we sang them.

    The words are very true; we are in the Lord’s army. Maybe not so much because of the actions we take but more because of the actions the devil takes. Often times, people like to think that by being a Christian we are immune to the devil’s assaults. Some like to believe that nothing bad will happen in our lives because we are Christians. Sometimes, when a person begins to come to worship and to faith, they stop soon afterwards because life didn’t get any easier.

    The real truth is that your life may actually get harder. The attacks by the devil will actually increase. At first, you may question this but realize that the saints who are heaven are safe. The devil can never touch them there. Those in the world who are lost or are unbelievers, the devil already has; he doesn’t need to engage them. That leaves the true believer, you and me, as the place where the battle rages; we are the front-line battlefield where the shelling (or scheming) is fierce.

    This is why Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. You are in the battle zone; you are the target. The devil will taunt you and attempt to beguile you with his lies. So, we must be ready to go into battle each day. This is where our daily repentance as we remember the blessings of our Baptism fit in. This is where our daily devotional and prayer life comes in. This is putting on the armor in order to do battle with the devil.

    Without God’s armor, we are helpless. Without God’s protection, we will fall early and easily. Yet God has promised to guard and protect us. God has promised to give us the tools and the strength to withstand the devil’s onslaught. We only need to trust in God’s Word and hold fast to his promise. Through this, we will ultimately be victorious. It is by God’s grace and his benevolence that we will always come out the victor.

Gracious Father, we stand up to the devil because of your mercy and grace. Guard us with your holy hand and strengthen us as the devil attacks. Be with those who are especially vulnerable and in tremendous need of your protection. Hide them in the shadow of your wings. In Jesus’ precious name we pray amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

11-11-2026

Good Morning!

          Psalm 121: 1-2; “I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

    I love old western movies.  I love the ones when there are usually settlers trying to cross the southwestern part of the United States.  Just as they get out in the middle of nowhere; something bad happens.  Sometimes a wheel falls off or the horses run off or the chased by a band of renegades who are trying to kill them.  They usually end up in a box canyon with no way out.  They are running out of water and are usually getting ready to shoot the last bullet they have.  They all have their pistols with the one last bullet that they save for themselves rather than be captured and tortured.  It is as bleak as it can get.

    Then it happens.  You know it is coming but it is still great.  You hear it first before you see it.  You hear the bugle playing “charge!”; then you hear the rumble and the thunder of the horses’ hooves.  I’ve always thought how intimidating that must have been to the enemy who was either on foot or at least on the ground.  I read one time that the mounted riders would yell and “whoop” and make all kinds of noise.  All this would have struck fear in the hearts of the enemy.  The cavalry arrives!  The bad guys are driven off; the hero kisses his horse and the west is safe again.

    Yes, the movies are formulaic.  They all follow the same pattern but so do most movies series or genres.  There is tension but there is always resolution.  You can always count on the cavalry to arrive and save the day.  It works great in the movies but sometimes, in the real world, it is not that simple.  Sometimes you don’t hear the bugle.

    Usually, when we find ourselves in some form of distress; we look around for help and want the cavalry to arrive.  We keep looking for some intense show of force or change.  We want God to do something dramatic; we want the cavalry to arrive in just the nick of time.  But why do we want that?  Why do we want it in just the nick of time when the cavalry arrived years ago on Calvary? 

    When Jesus died upon the cross, carrying your sins upon his back for you, God sent the dramatic thundering rescue for you.  The devil and his minions shook with fear and ran away in terror.  Their reign was over.  The yelling of the angels in heaven at Christ’s victory would have added fear in their hearts and torn them apart.  Their dark and treacherous way was now exposed to the harsh light of truth and Christ stood victorious over them and the victory was handed to us.  We don’t have to wait for the cavalry; it has already arrived!  So, as we face those challenges of life; we can do so trusting that God has already delivered us.  God has already redeemed us and God has already saved us.  He arrived long before our need arrived.  His salvation for us is secure.

Father of grace, we long for the safety of your arms.  Help us to see that the victory is already won and it is ours.  Give us the courage to face life with the confidence of your mercy.  Guard those who feel the attacks of the devil the most and give them the certainty of your arrived mercy.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret         

11-10-2026

Good Morning!

      Habakkuk 2:4b; “but the righteous shall live by his faith.”

    What do you live by?  Some people live by sight.  They claim that they have to see it.  They claim that they have to have visual contact to assure that something is real or not.  If they can’t see it; it doesn’t exist.  Yet how many things do we not see but we know they exist?  They may be small or far away or exist in total darkness; yet we know they exist.  We experience the result of the actions of these small particles.  We know electrons exist by the shock we get from them; yet we never see them.  So, living by sight might not be that great.

     Some live by touch.  They need to feel things to know that they are real.  They need the wind in their face or the spray of the rain to know it is real.  If it cannot be held or touched it is not real because reality has substance.  Yet how do they explain the pain of a heartbreak?  How do they explain sadness or happiness?  We know these exist but we can’t touch them.

     Some people live by knowledge.  They claim that they must have complete understanding of something for it to exist for them.  If they don’t understand it, they reject it.  Everything must fit into their way of thinking.  The problem with this is that it leaves no room for the fact that none of us can ever know everything.  How do we explain new ideas or objects?  We can only deny them if we follow the idea that if I don’t know it then it cannot exist.  It also leaves no room for learning. 

    So how do we live?  Scriptures tell us that the righteous shall live by faith.  But what does this mean?  The easiest way to think of this is that faith means the desire to trust in God’s promise.  The righteous are those who God has declared to be holy, separate from the sinful world.  So, we live, separated from the sinful world, because we trust in God’s promise of forgiveness and salvation.  We trust God to deliver on his promises and we separate our self from the world.  This can be a challenge.  When all your friends call abortion a choice, fidelity an old-fashioned idea, or homosexuality a lifestyle, what do you do?  God calls these sins and calls us to flee from them.

    They are sins because they go against God’s will and design.  They destroy the gifts that God has given to us.  They pull us back into the pit of despair that God has pulled us out of.  There are others than the three listed and the three listed aren’t any worse than any others.  Sin separates us from God.  It is that simple.  Yet God brings us back into his family by forgiving our sins.  By faith, by trusting God’s promise to forgive, we remain in that family but we must remain faithful to God’s promise and his call to righteousness and holiness.  We are to be his people in this world, a light in the darkness, hope for the hopeless and comfort for the hurting.  We live by faith because we trust in God’s promise.

Wonderful Father, your mercies are new to us each day.  Thank you for giving me the ability and the desire to trust in your promise.  Thank you for declaring me righteous in your sight.  Help me to live the life that you have laid out for me.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

11-9-2026

Good Morning!

      John 10:10; “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

    A few years ago, I had an interesting discussion with a young man. We were talking about faith, God’s promise of forgiveness of sins and eternal life. He looked at me and said, “so what?”  “I get it that heaven is great but what about this life; am I stuck here until I die?”  “What is in it for me now?”  “Right now, all I hear is rules to live by and when I die; I get heaven.”  “Get back to me in a few years when I am older and I’ll start then.”

    Well, I was a little taken aback. My first thought was about how kids these days (yes, my ACTUAL thought) only want instant gratification. That is what’s wrong with the world today; it is all about me and now. They only think about now and what’s in it for me now. They never take the perspective about looking for future good. I could have added that we never know when death may occur, but what teenager doesn’t think that they are almost immortal and that nothing bad will happen to them. Then I started thinking about his question about now; what is in it now?

    That is when this verse came to mind. This is part of John’s discourse on Jesus as our shepherd. Jesus is our caretaker, protector and defender. We have that now. This is part of “have life and have it abundantly.”  We have many blessings from God, because of Jesus and the atonement we receive through his death and resurrection. We receive the gift of fellowship with our fellow believers. This is the flesh and blood expression of God’s love for us here on earth. We receive God’s promise of sustenance, of being provided for. This can and should give us a sense of peace as we face struggles and trials. God will provide.

    God gives us the comfort that we need as we face the struggles of life. When we fear or worry or feel consumed by guilt, we can know it is the thief (the devil) who comes to destroy you. We know that the devil’s only goal is to cause us pain and all pain comes from him. Yet Jesus’ plan is for us to have life, right now, and to have it abundantly. His death does more than give us eternal life; it restores us to God’s family. It is the beginning of our life of glory with him. Through it, we have the start of this wondrous event. We don’t have to wait until we die; we can enjoy the greatest truth ever; God’s redemption of his people is occurring in us, for us and to us.

    So that is what we have now with so much more waiting for us tomorrow. We have God’s promise for tomorrow, but we have his blessings for today. The promise is secure and we have abundant life.

Father of mercy, we give you thanks for the many blessings of this life. You give us life more abundantly. Be with those who do not know the wonders of your blessings, those who listen to the devil and his lies and miss your grace. Bring them safely home. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

11-8-2026

Good Morning!

      Genesis 1:26; “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

    I was watching the TV the other day and was listening to a guy tell me I needed to get a reverse mortgage.  It sounded so easy just a couple of minutes and they would be sending me money “for the rest of my life.”  Cool beans, I could use money for the rest of my life.  I am just not sure that will happen, at least from that.  I am pretty sure it wouldn’t work.  I could always try the second most common method of estate planning- the lottery.  I don’t think that works either.  But something might; not sure.

   So how do we plan for the future?  For many of us, a better question is how do we plan for tomorrow?  Can I pay off my VISA with my MASTERCARD and still get flier miles?  It is easy to get drawn into the web of deceit from the world.  Easy payment, easy credit; just worry about it tomorrow and live it up today.  The finances are bad enough but it also impacts our relational life as well.  I have my needs; my kids can fit in later.  I need to go to the “Y,” go to by book club, go on my weekends to “get away from it all;” I’ll take care of me first and what is left over will be good enough for my spouse, children, family, and friends.

    The tough thing is that we end up depriving those people from the provision that they need.  They need our love and our time.  We know it but the sinful nature that still lingers in us and around us keeps trying to pull us down.  We lose sight of what our real needs are and who supplies our needs.

    From the very beginning God has supplied our needs.  Read the story of creation in Genesis 1.  Notice how God lists what he creates.  Why not just say, “God did it all”?  Because we see clearly what God has done.  We read the complete listing of what God has provided for us.  He created it and then gave it to us.  Even before we ask, even before the need is there, God provides for us.  We even see in this passage God’s love for us.  We are in his image.  His love is so great for us that even after we sinned, actually even before man sinned; God had a plan for rescue.  Even before the foundation of the earth was laid God had a plan to save you.

   So, we see, we don’t really have to worry about what God will provide for us, because he will.  What we need to do is to let go of the “stuff” that we clutter our lives with.  Part of “dominion” is to take care of all of creation.  People are part of creation and not just a part but the very special part; the part that is called “very good” we need to take very good care of those people that God puts into our life.  We need to care for them first, even if it means we have to take second sometimes.  They are God’s gifts to us; for us to cherish and love.

Father of love and mercy, you give us the things we need to support this body and life.  Guard us with your Spirit and lead us into a contented life of love for you and those whom you give us.  Be with those who are struggling with the battles of want and greed.  Bring them safely home.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret