2-3-2026

Good Morning!

            Proverbs 12:18; “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

     As children we were all told the old adage “Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never harm me.” Or maybe your version was “Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never harm me.”  This tells us that we are not to worry about what someone says about us as simple words cannot harm us.  Well welcome to the 21^st century!

    I think most of us have been there at one time or another.  Our mouth took off long before our brain was engaged and we made some offhand unfair or cruel comment about someone only to see them standing behind us.  I know I have and I felt about two inches tall after I did it.  It’s strange; you don’t know whether to make a big deal about it being a joke or just try and ignore it and hope it goes away.  I can remember some of the times that I coached baseball.  I would watch in horror as some adult (?) would yell and scream at a 10-year-old for striking out or dropping the ball.  I remember the pain in that child’s eye.  Sticks and stones will break your bones but words will kill your spirit.

    This is why I think one of God’s greatest gifts is the gift of the soothing comforter.  There are people who just seem to have a way of gently encouraging people.  They have a way of getting the person to smile, even under some pretty harsh situations.  It can soothe a very hurt and savaged soul just to have kind words spoken to them, especially after words of hurt have been hurled.  And we seem to have more hurled at us each day.

     I read an article about how children today are being “cyber-bullied.”  They are tormented day and night by other kids on the internet through text messages or Instagram.  I listened to a story on the radio about a man whose fiancée was killed by her jealous ex-husband.  One twisted and sick lady began an attack on him on a gossip website.  She had four different avatars or identifications on the site.  She would act like she was carrying on a conversation between the four of them.  He had to leave town; his children were shunned and the parents of his now dead girlfriend refused to speak to him.   It took three years to get it all straightened out.  Words can cause a lot of pain.  Yet the opposite is true as well.

    The right words at the right time can bring about comfort, encouragement, or hope.  The right word can calm fear or engender a desire to strive and to try to do your best.  The right word will bring about healing.  So, as you go about today, do some healing.  Say something kind especially to those who need it like the waitress or the store clerk or the mailman or the young gal with two little ones who looks so frazzled.  Using God’s gift of healing, using the soothing and kind words that He gives us to bring about a smile and some peace.

Gracious Lord, enable us by your Spirit to speak the words of kindness and love that you give to us. Help us to make the world a little less painful for those who battle the pain of unkind words.  Give them your Spirit of comfort and use us to be their hope.  In the name of Jesus our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

2-2-2026

Good Morning!

Matthew 26:11; “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.”

       “Limited time only!”  That phrase seems to make us sit up and pay attention.  If a movie or a band is playing for a limited time only, well we just have to figure out why this is so important.  Sometimes it is just an advertising gimmick, like the store that is continually going out of business.  Yet sometimes, it is a limited or even a once in a lifetime chance.  If you got a chance to visit the President of the United States, that may very well be a once in a lifetime event.  If you witness a celestial event, like Halley’s Comet, that might be a once in a lifetime event. 

    The woman in our story saw Jesus as a once in a lifetime.  This story occurred shortly before Jesus was crucified.  The woman came and poured expensive oil on Jesus’ feet.  Some of the disciples, especially Judas Iscariot, criticized her for “wasting” money and not giving the money to the poor.  Jesus stated that the woman has done a beautiful thing.  “The poor you will always have but I won’t be here long” was the gist of what Jesus told them.

    Initially, we might see this as a contradiction.  Earlier, Jesus told a rich young man to “sell all you have and give it to the poor.”  So now what does this mean?  First, we need to see it for what it is.  This woman is glorifying God with her offering.  What she is doing is bringing honor and worship to Jesus.  She isn’t trying to impress anyone; this is an honest and heartfelt expression of her faith.  This is the exact thing that we should do, have an honest and heartfelt expression of our faith.

    Most people are offended by this, supposed, slight to the poor.  All this statement really means is that as long as there is sin in the world, there will be the poor.  There will also be the orphaned, the widowed, the chronically sick, the emotionally distraught and so on.  As long as sin is in the world there will be troubles and struggles. Yet this doesn’t mean we ignore them or look the other way or think “I can’t help them all so I won’t help any.”  This can paralyze us.  What this passage is encouraging us to do is to have an honest and heartfelt expression of our faith.

    How do we do that?  Well, if you see Jesus, you can pour oil on his feet like the woman did.  Yet if we never have that once in a lifetime event, we can do this by living a life that shows our faith.  We can care for the poor, the orphaned, the widowed, and all those who struggle with the challenges of life.  We can pray; we can worship God in spirit and truth; we can be part of the active body of Christ.  The real issue here isn’t how do you do this (express your faith) but that you do this (express your faith).

Father in heaven, send your Spirit to guide me that I may express my faith in the manner that may bring glory to you.  Help me to focus on your grace that I may boldly confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord.  Help me to live this truth in my life.  In the precious name of Jesus our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

2-1-2026

Good Morning!

          1 Thessalonians 5: 18; “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

       Have you ever had one of “those days?  You know; the kind of day that starts out bad and then seems to go downhill from there.  It might start with the electricity flickering enough to mess up the alarm clock so you oversleep for half an hour.  Then you stub your toe or cut yourself shaving or you spill coffee on your work outfit and now you have to change clothes.  You go to get in the car and it either won’t start or has a flat tire or both.  Sometimes you have one of those days and it is a day like that which often makes it hard to give thanks in all circumstances.

     We have days like this.  It seems that things just begin to pile on top of each other.  While it happens, we can be really frustrated but a few days later; we will often snicker when we think about it.  It might take some time to get the proper perspective on the event but we do.  Yet these little events should help us see that, most of the time, our lives go fairly smoothly.

    Yet there are times when it is very difficult to give thanks.  We look at our lives and wonder how do we give thanks?  We may have health problems or finance problems or relational problems; all these can make it difficult to give thanks.  We look at the world around us, maybe our neighbor’s new car or listen to their tales of wonderful trips and then look at our lives and wonder what is there to give thanks for.  So why would we give thanks in all circumstances?

    The first thing we need to look at and remember is that our circumstances are beyond this earthly life.  Our circumstances involve our heavenly life; for our life has changed dramatically. When Jesus walked out of the tomb everything changed.  We no longer fear death or are we terrorized by the devil.  When Jesus walked out of the tomb; it became a new day, a new life, and a new existence. 

     So, our circumstances are to be viewed differently.  Our circumstances are now being God’s holy and redeemed children.  We are in this circumstance every day and this is why we should be thankful in all circumstances.  Every day, we are living in our new life, freed from sin and the power of the devil.  No matter what he tries to throw at you, it will never stick because you have been washed in the blood of Jesus.  We are cleansed, thoroughly washed.  We are new creatures in God.  We know that our circumstance will not change; we are in God’s care and nothing will ever change that.  Our hope, our future is secure.

    So, if your car doesn’t start or your alarm doesn’t go off; well, you are still living the life of a redeemed child of God.  But at a much deeper level, if your spouse leaves you or you get cancer; you are still a redeemed child of God and we can give thanks for this blessing.

Father of grace, we give you thanks for the mercy that you give to us through Jesus.  Help us to always give thanks to you.  Help us to see that all our problems truly do pale when we see your glory given to us because of Jesus.  Help those who do not experience this certainty and this comfort.  Guide them by your Spirit to know your peace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

1-31-2026

Good Morning!

       Matthew 7:7; “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

       There is an old story often told about prayer.  There once was a man who lived his life believing in Jesus and trusting in the promise of his eternal salvation.  Much of his earthly life was a struggle from one incidence to another.  So, when he died and went to heaven, he was greeted by St. Peter and shown the mansion that he was going to spend eternity in.  The man was in awe of the size and scope of God’s blessings for him in eternity.  As they opened the door to look around, the place was filled with boxes, hundreds, and hundreds of boxes.  The man asked St. Peter about the boxes.  St. Peter replied, “These were the blessings that were yours for the asking while you lived on earth.  We will move them soon as you do not need them now.”

     This little piece of fiction is designed to tell us about prayer.  Jesus, repeatedly, asks us, begs us, and pleads with us to pray.  Yet how often do we?  How many times have we faced difficulties or battles and tried to cope with them on our own rather than trusting God and placing our fears in his hands?  How many times do we turn away from God rather than toward him in prayer?  Prayer is a great blessing that God gives to us yet often I hear people say things like, “I have done all I can do; now it is up to God.”  It has always been up to God.  Or maybe, “The only thing left is to pray.”  That is where we should start.

     The problem that most of us have with prayer is that we limit it.  We define a prayer as being answered only if it goes the way we want when we want it.  If we pray for a new job but don’t get it, we think the prayer has failed.  If we pray for rain and don’t get it, then our prayer went unheard.  What we need to see is that through prayer God seeks to change us and our heart.  He seeks to give us the comfort and the solace that we need if only we would ask for the grace to receive it.

   We need to ask God to change our heart and not our situation.  We need contentment more than we need a bigger paycheck.  We need patience more than we need a faster response.  We need to see that we need to change more than that others need to change to suit us.  We need to know that healing is not always physical but is more often spiritual and emotional reconnecting.  We need to see that God answers our needs and not always our wants but when we trust in God to answer our prayers; he will faithfully do so.

    We need to trust that God’s will is the best for us even when in the short term it looks differently.  Trust God and then ask him for his bountiful blessing; he will shower you with them like a gentle spring rain.

Father of all blessings, we are often slow to come to you for the many blessings that you would shower upon us.  We walk away from you and your amazing love.  Guide us to trust in you.  Be with those who struggle and battle on their own and suffer from the loneliness that this causes.  Bring them to the safety of your loving arms.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

1-30-2026

Good Morning!

     Luke 19:10; “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

  I am somewhat of a “trekkie;” that is, I like to watch “Star Trek.”  I like the old TV series with Kirk and Scottie and Sulu.  I like it because the special effects are kind of cheesy but the story line is usually predictable.  One of the shows was about a civilization that was controlled by a computer.  The whole purpose of the civilization was to obey the computer.  So now Kirk has to figure out how to destroy the computer without interfering with the civilization.  A tricky plot indeed.  But in the end, the computer was foiled and the civilization went on to develop as it should and it only took an hour to resolve.

     Unfortunately, we can’t solve most of our problems in an hour.  Most of our struggles can take years to develop.  It may take a few days for them to mushroom into something hugely out of control but they usually fester for years.  It might be the slight cuts of disrespect to our parents or our spouse.  It may be the cold and callous way we act toward others.  Or it might be our dietary and exercise habits over the years that have led to high blood pressure and cholesterol problems.

     We may have been less than friendly at work or maybe put in just enough effort so they wouldn’t fire us.  There are many ways our struggles begin but they will always take a painful twist because of our sin and because the devil really enjoys our pain.  He even takes minor disturbances and makes them seem huge.  Think not?  Have you ever thought of a problem that nagged at you and didn’t let you sleep?  How big did your imagination make that problem?  This is usually how it goes.  The devil loves to take those festering problems, caused by our sins, and make them blow up right in our face.  That is the devil’s sole purpose; to torment you and to drive you from God.

    Yet Jesus came to earth for one sole purpose and that was to buy us back.  He came to save the lost, you and me.  He came to bring us relief from the devil’s taunts and attacks.  He came to save us from sin and the pain that it can cause in our life.  He came to bring us back to God’s family.  Through his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead, he blazed the path for our eternal life and our peace with God.

    The struggles of the world are still here but they do not separate us from God and we can face them knowing that God’s love will always be there for us.  It is his grace that sustains us through our battles, through the eruptions of pain which will occur.  God’s grace will guide us along.  Jesus came to find you; rest in the comfort of the knowledge that he will never lose you.

Father of all mercy, through your wondrous grace we are found.  You have sent Jesus to make us your own dear children.  Guide us by your grace as we battle the devil and the pain which he brings us.  Be with those who still feel lost.  Shine your light of mercy upon them and give them the comfort of your peace.  In the precious name of Jesus our risen savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret          

1-29-2026

Good Morning!

     Psalm 90:12; “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

       I was visiting with a younger mother the other day.  She and her husband have three children, two boys and a girl.  She has a job, he has a job and the children participate in just about everything.  They have soccer and spring baseball and softball.  They have dance, music in school and one set of piano lessons.  She has everything plugged into her smartphone which is synced to her husband’s phone.  She belongs to a couple of civic groups and is willing to help with the youth at her church.  I got tired listening to her.

    I asked her if they ever had time to eat together as a family.  She replied, “Oh yeah, real often, we go through the drive through on the way to a game somewhere.”  Well, I guess it is family time.  Yet does it really count?  One of the unfortunate side effects of trying to have everything is that when you get it, there is no time.  If you have and do everything, there truly isn’t enough time in the day and there really isn’t time in your life.

   We seem to think that in order to be happy or successful we have to have everything, do everything, and leave nothing for tomorrow.  Yet the one thing that truly suffers is our relationships because these need to be built on people and not on things.  I talked with a counselor one time who was seeing an increase in couples in their mid-40’s through early-50’s who had no idea how to interact or communicate with each other.  They were married in their early to mid-20’s, had a family, chased kids for 15-20 years and when they became empty nesters; they were left empty.

    In our verse, God is telling us to plan wisely.  The most important parts of life here on earth are the relationships that we form.  God gives us the gift of faith.  He gives us the forgiveness of sins.  He gives us the gift of reconciliation.  He wants us to foster out loving relationships with those people who he places in lives.  He gives us the time, the energy, and the wherewithal to make them satisfying relationships.  Yet we can’t keep putting “things” ahead of people.  We can’t keep thinking that having our children in one more event or that our belonging to one more club is the answer.  We have to stop seeing stuff as the answer to the hard work that relationships are.

    Relationships can get messy every so often.  This will happen when sinful people are put in the same room.  Yet God’s love for us is to have solid loving relationships here on earth as a dim reminder of the love that God has for us.  It is also to give us a helpmate here on earth.  It is to give us someone to share the glad and the sad moments with.  Our life should be about each other and not about stuff.

Gracious Lord, we see in you the perfect relationship between Father and Son.  Help us to strive for this type of relationship here in this life.  Give us the wisdom to pick people over things.  Be with those who are struggling with their relationships at this time.  Help those who are lost in the shallowness of possessions and guide them by your Spirit back into your loving arms.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

1-28-2026

Good Morning!

          Deuteronomy 10:18; “He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.”

      His name was William Wilberforce.  I would guess most of us do not know who he is.  He was a leading abolitionist in the United Kingdom.  He lived from 1759-1833.  He was a very influential leader who made it his total and sole ambition to rid the kingdom of slavery.  He was driven by his faith in God.  The truly amazing thing about him is that at the time of his death; his zeal had changed the debate within the kingdom, and the western world forever.

    The debate about helping people, those who were poor and homeless, those who were widows and orphans; that debate went from do we help to how do we help.  The debate was no longer do we, as a society or people, have an obligation to our fellow man.  The true question became the method to deliver this help.  It was truly a watershed time for most of western civilization.  Wilberforce’s compassion and his zeal for aiding the downtrodden moved the greatest kingdom at that time to become a more compassionate kingdom.

    This is exactly what God instructed the Children of Israel to do; to be compassionate.  They were to leave the gleanings (the leftovers from harvest), the edges of the field, and any grapes or olives that they dropped on the ground for the orphans, the widows, and the alien (sojourner) in their land.  They were not only supposed to not hurt them but they were expected to care and show hospitality to them.

    When we read the writings of the prophets later on, when they are laying out the accusations of unfaithfulness that God states to them, it is often that they mistreated the poor and the underprivileged.  This action was the result of their overall unfaithfulness to God.  The sin of cheating others, especially those who were unable to defend themselves, was an outward sign of inner corruption.

    That is how God views our good (or bad) works.  Our works are only the outward sign of what is truly in our heart.  When Jesus told his disciples that in their giving “the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.”  This is as much a call to have kindness and charity be such a part of life that it is as familiar as breathing.  Our work, before God, is to reconcile with our fellow man and to care for each other and to really mean it.

    God calls us to action and not to lip service.  He calls us to show the love that we receive to those who we have contact with.  We may debate how best to do it but we should never debate whether it is the right thing to do.  Love one another; love your neighbor as yourself.  These are the new commands that Jesus gives us.  Now we need to act.

Father of love, give me a compassionate heart and a willing spirit.  Move me to help my neighbors with true love and not grudgingly.  Guide me to share the bounty of your gracious gifts.  Guide us to those who are in need of your bounty and in need of your grace.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret