10-31-2025

Good Morning All,

        Ezekiel 33:7; “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.”

     As we look at the resurrection accounts in the gospels, many look for places where the accounts differ.  I find interesting the things that are similar and even more intriguing to me are when the similarities exist even today.  One of the common elements in the resurrection accounts is one of fear.  The disciples hide for fear of the Jews.  Now before we get too irate at the disciples let’s remember that they had just watched or heard that Jesus was killed in a most horrific manner.  Their beloved teacher, their rabbi, was murdered and, for all the disciples knew, they were next on the target list.  You can almost imagine Peter and the other Galileans, recognizable by their accent and maybe dress and skin coloring, feared recognition and being executed in the same way.  They feared for their lives.  When or if you feared for your life, would you be any better?  I doubt that I would.

    Yet even today, fear seems to be a very common factor for us.  We look around us and it causes us to fear.  We watch the news and see Christians around the world killed, in horrific fashions, for their faith.  We see a media and a culture that is more and more hostile toward our faith.  I read an article a few weeks ago where the author listed a number of job/occupations that Christians should not be allowed to have because “their simpleton beliefs render them unable to properly perform them.”  So, what do we do?  Many of us cower behind locked doors for fear of _____ (you can fill in the blank).  What should we do?  Trust Jesus.

    One of the issues that I think many of us have is that we don’t fully understand what God wants us to do.  We think that we have to go out and explain everything that God does and we have to be able to clearly and concisely debate, discuss, convert and save every single man, woman and child that we meet.  That is not what God tells us.  God wants us to simply tell the world who Jesus is and why he matters to me.  If the other person denies, rejects, refuses, or attacks Jesus; let them.  In our verse, our job is to warn them.  If they don’t heed the warning, it is their loss.  In the next few verses, God tells us, “if you fail to warn them, it is your sin but if you warn them and they fail to hear; it is their sin.”  We have no need to fear.

    We have no need to fear our inadequacies; it is not about you or me rather it is about Jesus.  It is not about what I think you should do or live but rather it is about the relationship between man and God.  How do you stack up to God?  I am a sinner and need God’s forgiveness every single day and I trust his promise that I have that.  If the other person doesn’t think he needs the same, well; that is his choice.  It is the wrong choice but it is his choice.  We are only the messenger so do not fear; it is already our victory through Christ.  We have won; believe it.

Father, give me courage to speak your word.  Give me courage to give your message of hope and salvation to this broken world.  Guide me and guard me by your Holy Spirit.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

10-30-2025

Good Morning All,

          Matthew 6:6; “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

    I remember a story about a little boy who had a hard time in school.  He wasn’t that popular; he wasn’t that smart and he wasn’t that athletic.  He didn’t have the newest clothes or toys and he never had any money to buy anything at the store.  Most days he would just kind of mope through the day except on Thursdays.  On Thursdays, he seemed a little more alive, a little happier with life.  He would hurry home from school because it was Thursday.  He loved Thursdays because on Thursday his mother would take the eggs she had collected into town and sell them.  After she did this, she would buy him a piece of hard candy.  When he got home, his mother would give him some lemonade and the piece of candy.  Then they would sit and talk about the day and what was happening.  Thursdays were alright; it made up for the rest of the week.

    The little boy had something to look forward to and he saw it as a time of leaving the boring and sometimes painful day behind.  He loved the quiet time with his mother.  He liked the candy and the lemonade.  He liked telling his mother about the day and how she listened and would make him laugh.  We all need times like that.  We need times when we can get away from the weight of the day.  We need some time to refresh our batteries.  For us as Christians, we have a thing that we call prayer that can serve the purpose well.

   When Jesus told his disciples to go into the room and close the door, it was not out of embarrassment or fear.  Rather it is meant to ring about our focus.  We do not need or want any distractions at this time.  This includes praying in a manner that is more designed to impress the world rather than open our heart to God.  It can be a time of great healing for us as we speak of our fears and our sorrows and though we know that Jesus isn’t a genie who grants us wishes and solves all our problems and he is not an ATM machine that simply spits out rewards for prayer. God’s plan is too big for that, and somehow it includes the hard times as well as the good times. But Jesus does promise never to leave us or forsake us, and sensing that kind of closeness in prayer can be a powerful thing for us when we to feel accepted, loved, and cared for.

    We may face struggles and pain but we do not face them alone.  With prayer, especially if we take time to truly pray, more than a quick thank you for lunch or a short “I need” petition but rather a time of prayer that is regularly scheduled; we can feel a closeness to God that may be absent otherwise.  Regular daily prayer can train our mind to seek God and his peace and hope first and by seeking him first; we will find the contentment that we desire.

Father, we look to you for all of our needs and you fill them.  Lead us by your Spirit to seek a closer time with you and a deeper sense of hope in your Word.  Lead us to know that you hear us and that you answer all our prayers.  You know the plans that you have for us and they are plans to prosper us.  Lead us to trust this promise.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

10-29-2025

Good Morning All,

                John 14:16; “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,”

      In our world today, there seems to be more and more open hostility toward the Christian faith than ever before.  This may or may not be true but it certainly feels that way; it sure seems that at every turn we are mocked, denounced, attacked, ridiculed, and rejected.  It was a few months ago when a young man, seemingly full of himself like young men can be, told me quite emphatically that, “I don’t need your God.”  Now I am not sure what he expected; I would guess an argument of some sort; but he didn’t get one from me that day.  I looked at him and said, “Good for you” and that was the end of it.  I am not sure if he was disappointed that I didn’t argue or if he thought he had won because I walked away or if it left him confused but it ended right there. He didn’t need God so good for him.  As for me, I need God, I rely on God, God is my source for all of my needs.  That young man may have believed he had a better source but I don’t believe that so I rely on God.

    Our verse is one of those verses that are really interesting because we don’t really have the right word in English.  The word here is “Helper.”  In other translations it is “advocate,” “counselor,” “comforter,” “assistant.” “Intercessor” and the list goes on.  The word in Geek is Paraclete or Parakletos.  The word really means all of these and even more.  The word roughly means “the one who walks along beside and guides.”  It very accurately defines what and who the Holy Spirit is in our life.  The Holy Spirit is to lead us to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth and give us divine strength needed to enable us to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom. 

     I often explain life as a journey or a walk.  Because of God’s grace and mercy for me, he gives us the Holy Spirit to lean on, to look to for guidance and one who gives us a deeper understanding of our faith.  The Holy Spirit is the one who “reminds us of what Jesus said.”  He reminds us of Jesus’ promises and his words of comfort and hope.  I know I need this and I know many others who do as well.  I know families whose parents or grandparents are struggling greatly with health issues.  Some have children or siblings who are struggling with different addictions.  Some are struggling with a loss of love from their spouse or other family.  Often, I hear, “I don’t know how unbelievers make it; I couldn’t do it without God.”

    The young man who I talked to probably only thinks he has things figured out or maybe he has yet to experience one of those life events which really knock us down.  Yet for those of us who need God; He is there walking with us giving us the love and support that we so desperately need.  He has promised us this.

Gracious Lord, I need you every hour.  I look and listen and often see and hear only pain and cries of sorrow.  It is only through your Spirit that we can see the hand of comfort that is yours.  Reach out to all who are hurting or struggling with the effects of a broken world.  Hold them close to your heart.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

10-28-2025

Good Morning All,

        Deuteronomy 30:19; “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.”

      If there is one thing that we have in the United States it is choice.  You cannot ever just order something without the person waiting on you asking you a lot of questions.  Even a glass of water will often get the question of lemon or no lemon.  Sometimes ordering coffee can take longer than drinking it.  If you go to a restaurant and order a hamburger and fries, well even lawyers ask fewer questions.  So, we are used to choices and we make then; sometimes they are not always the best choices in the world. 

    One of the amazing things about our forgiveness is that we now have a choice.  When we were lost, we had no choice.  We were only lost.  We were left to go on the journey of life alone.  We were unable to call upon God for his grace and peace.  We had no hope.  We were lost.  We had no options.

    Jesus’ death and resurrection changes everything, even our ability to choose.  Jesus came to bring us life even abundant life.  Jesus came to bring you into the kingdom of God and to give you his peace and hope.  It is yours, given to you by grace through faith.  You can hold it, cling to it, rely on, relish it and revel in its tremendous joy.  It is yours unless you don’t want it; then walk away.

    We still walk on our path of life, the journey which began at our birth and will change either upon our death or Christ’s return whichever comes first.  Jesus has brought us back into God’s family.  God has sent his Spirit to walk with you, to guide you along the way and to keep you mindful of all that God has, is, and will do for you in this life and beyond.  God offers to hear our prayers and to answer them.  Jesus came to lift the burden of hopelessness.  He came to give you all this.  He came to give you the blessings to live this life as a redeemed child of God.

    Yet you can walk away.  You can choose to remain in the old life.  You can choose death.  You can choose to walk through life on your own.  You can face all of life’s struggles and challenges on your own but why?  You have been given the wonderful mercy of God, why walk away?

    Many do; but that is what a choice is, staying and clinging to God’s wonderful mercy or walking away and facing life alone.  We have the choice; we get to choose.  God gives us our salvation but we can throw it away or we can cling to his promise and live in his peace.

Gracious lord, you came to this world to redeem us from sin.  You give us the freedom to live in your righteous kingdom or to turn our back and walk away.  Guide me by your Spirit to cling to you.  Guide me to trust in your wondrous promise.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret          

10-27-2025

Good Morning All,

             1 John 1:9; “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

    Every river, lake or ocean has what is called the “high water mark.”  This is the line or level where the water reaches its highest point.  It often leaves an interesting picture.  Above the line can be the dirt and the debris which the water does not wash away and below the line is the cleansed wall or bank.  This is especially true in rivers where the water is moving constantly.  You can see the rocks which are polished below the line but rough and dirty above the line.  What exists above the line is above the scouring effect of the water.

    Do you listen to preacher tell you that all your sins are forgiven but wonder about a few?  Do you think that there are some that are simply above the high-water mark?  Do you think that there are some sins, which you commit, that go unforgiven?  Then do you feel even worse because you doubt God’s forgiveness?  If it is any consolation, you are not alone.  Most Christians, at some point in their life, feel this way.  Some feel this way more often than others, maybe you are one of them.  This feeling leads to guilt and guilt is the devil’s best friend.  You may feel that there is something in your life that is just beyond any forgiveness.  It can lead to a couple of things.  First, we may feel that, deep down, God is punishing us here on earth for this sin.  It might be that you don’t feel the same health as you think you should.  Perhaps a friend or neighbor seems to always have more than you do.  Perhaps it seems that the neighbors always get more timely rain than you do.  You constantly feel under a cloud.

    This probably isn’t occurring but guilt will lead us to see it. Guilt does many things to us.  It can even be more debilitating if we let the devil convince us that our sins are soon to be revealed to God and everyone and when they are everyone will look at us in disgust and abandon us as quickly as they can.  This kind of guilt can separate us from those around us as we are afraid to get too close for fear they will see the hidden sin.  They will see where the high-water mark is and know what sins are not washed away. 

    Always remember that God’s ways are above your ways and the blood of Jesus washes higher than any sin you have.  The blood of Jesus will always scour clean your heart and soul; it already has.  All you need to do is to cling to this truth.  All you need to do is to cling to the reality that ALL your sins are forgiven, not just a few or just the little ones but all of them.  God wants you to live free from sin so that you can live in his kingdom in joyful service to him.  God wants you to live in hope and in peace.  No sin is ever higher than God’s mercy; nothing is higher than Jesus.

Father, too often I try to hide from you because I think I have sins too hard to forgive.  Guide me by your Spirit to trust fully in the promise of your salvation.  Give me the comfort of your grace that I might rest in your loving arms and content in your mercy.  In the precious name of Jesus our risen Savior and King we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

10-26-2025

Good Morning All,

    Psalm 103:12; “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us."

    When my wife and I were early in our marriage we lived in a trailer on the same farm as my parents.  It was your typical “starter trailer home;” it had thin walls and not the greatest windows.  One warm summer night, we started to smell something and that something smelled horrid.  It was pungent; skunky pungent.  In the morning, the smell was still there.  We looked out the window and about 10 feet from the back door was a dead skunk; a very dead, ripe, stinky skunk.  It was very unpleasant to be near the skunk so we wouldn’t use the back door.  We wouldn’t use the area and it was very disgusting.  In order to fix the situation, I had to scoop up the dead skunk with a shovel and haul it far, far, FAR away.  I even had to scoop up some of the dirt.  We poured some perfumy, good smelling stuff on the ground so it didn’t smell bad anymore.

    Getting rid of the stinky skunk wasn’t really pleasant; but if we would have left it there, we would never have used our back door or that entire section of our yard.  We had to get rid of the stench in order to take our backyard back to our usage.  Sin is just like that; sin is a stinky, smelly thing.

    Our sin sits before God like a stinky, dead skunk.  That stinky skunk kept God away from us.  We were too repugnant to be in God’s presence.  This smell would never go away on its own; the only way for the smell to go is for the sin to go.  This is what God did; he removed your stinky sin from you, as far as the east is from the west. In order that you can stand before God and not be repugnant. God removed the sin by having the blood of Jesus remove it and replace the stink of sin with the sweet aroma of His righteousness.  That is how we are able to have a relationship with God, he removes the barrier, the awful stench; that prevented it.

    God tells us that we must do the same with those around us.  If we want a relationship with others, we must be willing to get rid of the stench.  When we allow sins that others commit against us to remain, they only serve to foul the area and make it unusable.  The stench keeps us apart.  It gets in the way because it keeps reminding us of the pain we once had.  It is better to forgive and get rid of the smelly problem.  By letting go of the sin that others did to us; by forgiving them, we get rid of the dead skunk.  Sin only separates us from relationships, both from God and others.  The only way to heal these relationships is to remove the sin.  God did this for us by having Jesus bear our sins and take them far, far, FAR away.  This frees us to see that this is the best way to deal with the stench; send it far, far, FAR away.

    Gracious Lord, you have removed our sins and the stench they cause in order to return us to your presence.  By this gift, you free us from the bandage of sin; you free us to forgive others and restore them to a loving relationship with us.  Guide those who refuse to throw away the dead skunk.  Show them the peace that is theirs through your gracious act.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace

Pastor Bret

10-25-2025

Good Morning All,

       Matthew 16:18; “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

    Jesus said, “I will build my church.”  Well sort of, anyway.  Jesus didn’t speak English; he spoke Aramaic.  This verse was originally written in Greek.  Neither use the word “church;” that was a later translation.  The word in Greek is “Ecclesia” which means the “out called.”  It was translated in the Middle Ages to the German word “Kirche” meaning church.  Yeah, this I kind of boring but there is a point.

    We are the “out called.”  We are the people who Christ called and made into his body.  We are living, active beings.  We are not an institution or an organization; we are the body of Christ.  We are the people whom he has gathered together, from all over, to do his work here on earth.  We are gathered together based on the same proclamation that Peter made.  Peter proclaimed to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!”

    We are part of the body of Christ; not by wisdom, might, wealth or any other man-made thing.  We are part of the body by faith.  If we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord; we are saved.  It is that simple.  We are then part of the body.  We are called out of the sinful world and gathered together as the redeemed, forgiven body of Christ.

    We are called to action.  We are called to make a difference in the lives of those around us.  The Word of God in the hearts of men changes lives!  Your life is changed; the lives of those who you touch are changed.  God in your life, Jesus as your Lord changes the lives of people.  We go from hopeless, lost creatures to hopeful, saved children of God.  We are gathered as living, breathing beings.  We are called out of the sinful world into God’s grace-filled kingdom.  From here we reach out to those around us, one at a time, as each has need or is willing to hear.  We are the physical presentation of Jesus on the earth.

    Jesus calls us to be an active heartbeat in the world.  He calls us to make a difference in this world.  This is what our faith should mean to us.  When Jesus came to this world, he made a difference in the lives of people everywhere.  Now, until he returns, he wants us to make a difference in the lives of those around us.  Show them God’s compassion.  Show them God’s mercy.  You have seen it; you have experienced it.  God wants you to be an active force for his love in your world.  Be it your neighbors, your family, and friends, or just the people you interact with on daily basis.  Be the living presence of Christ in the life of those around you.  It doesn’t require money or fame or strength; it only requires faith, the rock upon which we are built.

Father of grace, you bring us together to be your hands and your arms; to be your presence here on this earth.  Stir us up, by your Spirit, to reach out to those who are in need of your compassion, your mercy, and your love.  Bring peace to this world and give hope to all.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

10-24-2025

Good Morning All,

        Luke 18:13; “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

     When I first started to take classes at the seminary there was a standard joke told by all the professors the first time they talked to us.  Apparently, it was in the “joke of the day” file of the morning announcements because each one told it.  We laughed harder when the president of the seminary or one of the deans of faculty told the joke than we did when one of the associate professors told it.  The joke was this.  “Now that you are going to become ministers you expect to be invited out to dinner more often.  People will invite you and feed you just so they don’t have to say a table prayer.”

    It was funny the first time but not so funny the fifth time.  Yet there is a certain amount of truth in this statement; many people will do almost anything to get out of praying, especially in public.  So why are we so intimidated by praying?  For many, it is the “public” part that really throws us but almost as many have trouble praying.  I remember talking with a woman who struggled with prayer.  “I just don’t know all the right words.”  This is a common theme for many.  We don’t know all the “church words” and how to use them.

    The first thing to remember is that prayers which are part of the liturgy of the church have been written and honed throughout the centuries.  These are specially written for certain times and events.  Yet this should not deter our personal prayer.  The thing to remember is that prayers are not meant to impress your neighbor or even God but rather they are to speak from the heart.  Our verse is from the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying.  The Pharisee speaks loudly and boldly about how good he is.  This is for the benefit of those who are listening.

   Yet the tax collector never lifts his eyes to heaven and asks for mercy.  Notice his prayer is only seven words long.  Our prayers don’t need to be any longer than that.  “Father, forgive me for I am a sinner.” “Father, I am frightened; please comfort me.”  Father, I am in pain; please heal me.”  “Father, I am in sorrow and sadness; please console me.” “Father, thank you for this blessing.”  None of these are long or “churchy” but they express our needs and fears.  They express our joys and happiness.  This is what prayer is; it is telling God what it is in your life, right now, that causes you to lose sleep or cause you to cry or cause you to shudder.  Tell God, as simply as possible.  That is true prayer.

Father, too often we do not know the words to say.  We think we are inadequate and that we lack the skill to pray.  Father give us the courage to see that you desire our prayers and that through them you bless us.  Guide us by your Spirit to boldly come before your heavenly throne and seek your grace and that we can be confident of your mercy.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

10-23-2025

Good Morning All,

           Mark 9:27; “But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.”

    If you are old enough, you might remember when President Johnson spoke to the American public and delivered the line, “My fellow Americans, I come to you tonight with a heavy heart.” He went on to explain how painful being president of the United States had been.  He eventually stated he would not run for reelection.  He claimed it was because he didn’t want the presidency to be drug down by the politics of the discussion.  I think most people just thought that he was worn down by being president.

    I think most of us agree that being president is heavy on the heart.  I am always amazed at how much those men age while in office.  Look at Bush and Obama, they were fairly young looking when they began their terms but have aged incredibly.  The stress of the job must be beyond most of our comprehension.

    There are many times when in our life, we feel we live with a heavy heart.  There are times when we look around and with a sigh, wonder what can come next.  I have an older vehicle that I drive.  My “check engine” light is always on.  I have tested it and replaced the part but the light is still on.  My mechanic tells me it could be any one of a half-dozen things that make the sensor go off.  I can live with it but I know people who have a doctor tell them the same thing.  They try this or that but the doctor is never sure if it will help, hurt, or leave no change.  My SUV is one thing but a person’s health is different.  Facing this can cause a heavy heart.

     Struggling with personal relationships that can be troubling and painful.  Spending most of your time alone, even if you are part of a family, can cause a heavy heart.  Struggling with every day bills (can this winter get any longer or more expensive?) or a job that seems less than satisfactory (if you have a job); or just getting up in the morning because you feel depressed about the way life has been dealt can cause a very heavy heart. 

    When we look at this, we might be saddened.  Yet everyone experiences this at some time or another.  You see it when you see some people turn to alcohol or drugs as a way to dull the senses.  You see it when they tend to be abusive to those around them.  You see it when a person tends to just fall out of touch with all the people.  These are the answers that don’t work.  Yet we have one that does.  Jesus will lift you up and will lift your heart.

    Through his death on the cross, by being lifted up himself, Jesus has freed us from the power of the devil.  The devil will still tempt and tease us but he cannot torment us unless we let him.  Christ has made him powerless.  Our hope and our salvation are secure in God’s plan of salvation for us, especially made for you.  By trusting God to provide for us and by relying on his mercy, he will lift up our hearts and carry the weight for us.  We need to rely on God’s grace to carry us through.

Father of grace, you lift us up out of the mire and the filth of this broken world.  We ask that you never let us fall.  Be with those who are feeling heavy-hearted at this time.  Be with them and comfort them with your Spirit of hope.  Use us as your hands to bring them comfort.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret      

10-22-2025

Good Morning All,

     Romans 6:23; “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

      I would be one of the first to admit that my musical taste is somewhat eclectic. I enjoy the classics, old rock, and roll, country-old and new, jazz, gospel and weird or strange or comical.  One of the more weird/comical sings is one called “Homegrown Tomatoes” by Guy Clark.  The chorus goes like this: 

Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
And that's true love and homegrown tomatoes.

 

    I always like that chorus.  “Only two things that money can’t buy and that’s true love and homegrown tomatoes.”  There is true in that.  If you buy a tomato, no matter who grows it, you have a purchased tomato.  If it is given to you, you still haven’t grown it at home.  If you think about it a little, it all makes sense, at least as much as it can.

    True love can’t be bought either.  That is something that is freely given.  You can purchase loyalty or even respect but you cannot buy, earn, or even really deserve love.  True love is something that exists within your soul within your nature.  That is one of the greatest “natures” or traits of God; He is, by nature, a loving God.  He wants to love us and for us to love him.  That is why the gift of eternal life is freely given.  It is born out of God’s nature; his loving nature which desires us to be his dear children.  It is born out of his desire for us to return to him and to be faithful to him.

    That is something that many of us struggle with.  We cannot seem to understand that we cannot do anything to earn or deserve salvation.  It is freely given by God.  We don’t go looking for it; we don’t seek it out; we don’t figure it out; we don’t have a sudden thought and decide to follow Jesus; we are completely incapable of that.  All we have is God’s true love, given to us freely by a loving, gracious and merciful God.  The fact is we don’t have enough to ever pay for our sins.  We don’t have enough money, or tears, or good works.  We lack what we need.

     That is why God’s true love is such a wondrous gift and really beyond our imagination or understanding.  How can God truly love us, even when we daily turn our backs to him, how can he continually forgive us and call us back into his presence?  We cannot explain but we can believe it; we can trust it with our lives because this is the only hope we have.  We only have his grace, freely given to us by a loving God.

 Father of all grace, you freely give us salvation and guard us by your Spirit.  Strengthen us to see that it is only through your love that we are saved.  Help those who are still struggling to see your grace and to trust only in your promise.  Lead them by your grace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,                                

Pastor Bret  

10-21-2025

Good Morning All,

     John 3:16; “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

     A story relayed to me a while ago. It was an amazing event to attend. The man was clearly slowing down but at the age of 93; he had the right.  He was one of the most respected theologians ever.  He had a bachelor’s degree in theology as was his masters’ and doctorate.  He had studied and taught at all the prestigious universities all over the world.  He taught at Oxford, Yale Divinity, and Notre Dame.  He had numerous honorary degrees along with all the real ones.

    He was retiring from all teaching.  He had been emeritus for a number of years but his love for the Bible and his yearning to learn and to teach were so powerful that he simply wouldn’t quit.  There were many days when the candidates who were writing their doctoral theses would sit around and listen to him speak of his studies.  He could take one verb in a verse and teach about the intricacies of God’s love revealed to us by that one verb.  But today he was finally going to be done.  He was receiving one last award from the school where he had served as the dean of theological studies for over 20 years.  He shook hands with the President of the University and walked up to the podium.  He looked out at the hundreds of colleagues, friends, students, and well-wishers.  This was going to be his final sermon.

    So, as he stood there looking out on all these people; he began to smile.  He started in with a low and strong baritone voice.  He began with the statement, “I have studied God’s Word for over 70 years.  I have studied with the greatest theologians in the world.  I have studied and studied and as my last sermon I want to share with you the absolute greatest biblical truth ever.”  All those in attendance began digging for paper to write on, they placed their phones on video recording; no one wanted to miss what this brilliant man had to say.  There was not a single sound in the auditorium as they waited for him to speak again.  He looked and smiled.

    I want to give credit to the instructor who first revealed this to me.  In all my studies nothing has ever surpassed this.  So, I would like to thank Mrs. Henderson, my kindergarten Sunday School teacher.  He stopped, took a drink of water, and then began to sing in a very strong baritone voice. “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so; little ones to him belong they are weak but he is strong.  Yes, Jesus loves me; yes, Jesus loves; yes, Jesus loves me; the Bible tells me so.”  He smiled, said thank you and then went and sat down. 

    There was stunned silence, after about 45 seconds, he stood and went back to the podium.  “It really is that simple; no matter how much you study, never, never, never, ever, no not ever can you forget that single truth.  Everything else pales in importance and everything else is of no value.  Without God’s love, we have nothing.”

Gracious Father, we give you thanks for your incredible mercy, that unending and undying love that you have for us.  Help us to cling to that love and to believe you when you call us your dear children.  Father, your love prevails.  Be with those who do not know this love.  Bring them home.  In the loving name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

10-20-2025

Good Morning All,

     Psalm 4:3; “But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.”

     I send these emails out on Yahoo.  Every time I log in there seems to be an advertisement for a cellular phone.  They have “4G” or “5G” or “6G” or whatever number they throw in to impress you.  Apparently, I am supposed to get one of them.  Every so often there is an ad for an iPhone but not very often.  It seems that the most common ad is for Verizon.  This is the one where they compare the coverage of the different carriers.

    They had the ad on TV a short time back.  They showed the coverage area and then the person was supposed to guess what the shape was.  Of course, only Verizon had enough signal coverage to show that the map was of the United States.  According to the map, I should be able to go anywhere in the United States and if I called you; you should be able to hear me.  However, I bet if I go to a place like Hope, South Dakota or maybe Mahto, South Dakota; it could get difficult to hear me.  The coverage could be a little weak there.

    Of course we can have trouble just about anywhere.  If you travel down a hill into a valley, it can get kind of spotty.  Sometimes the weather can be fickle as well.  Of course, my biggest trouble is that my battery is usually weak.  So, then I have trouble with that.  All in all, the cellphone is a handy gadget but I really hate having to rely on something that works most of the time.  You wonder if it will work when you really, really need it.

    Fortunately, when we really need to place a call to God, He always hears us.  This is his promise to us as his dear children.  He will always hear us and, when we pray in faith, he will answer us.  Sometimes this takes the form as a quieting of our fears or a release from the stress that we feel at the time.  By giving our fears, a voice and speaking them to God, he will calm us.  He will guide us to see that, while the problems look big now, they are never bigger than God.  This is part of God’s answer to us.  It isn’t a bolt of lightning that flashes across the sky rather it is the peaceful calm that God, and only God, can give us.  The peace that the world cannot give.

    So, we can and should call to God in all trouble and in all sorrows.  We should call to God to guide us, guard us and to protect and to give us peace.  He is never out of range and we are never out of his coverage area and the wonderful thing is that the battery is never dead.  God hears you when you pray; so pray.  God wants you to pray to him; so pray.  God uses prayer to give you comfort and peace; so pray.  It is one of his greatest gifts that he gives to you so don’t be afraid to use it.

Gracious Lord, you hear us when we pray even when the words do not flow you look into our heart and hear us.  Give us the courage to come to you often with our hopes and fears, our wants, and our needs.  Be with those who are especially in need of your mercy.  Cause them to call upon you so that they may receive your peace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

10-19-2025

Good Morning All,

       Matthew 17:20; “He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

     He was called “The Great Blondini.”  He was an acrobatic daredevil who would dazzle people with his stunts on a tightrope over Niagara Falls.  One time he stopped in the middle of the rope, sat down, and cooked an omelet.  He first crossed Niagara Falls in 1859.  Yet one of his greatest stunts occurred a few years later.

   People had come to look forward to his antics.  He was a great showman who played to the crowds.  Once he asked if the people thought he could go across the tightrope while pushing a wheelbarrow.  Everyone there gave a rousing cheer of support.  He then asked if they thought he could do it blindfolded.  Again, a loud and rousing cheer went up.  He then paused and looked at the crowd and asked if they thought someone could ride in the wheelbarrow.  Once more, everyone shouted their approval.  He then asked, “Who wants to go first?”  There was dead silence.

    The people had faith but not very much.  They thought he could give someone a ride in the wheelbarrow across the span of Niagara Falls just so long as it wasn’t them.  Faith is defined by Christians as the desire to embrace God’s promise of forgiveness.  It is that desire that God gives us to trust in the promise of forgiveness and salvation.  This is the working and simple definition of faith that we use in Confirmation class.  Faith is the desire to trust in God’s promise.

    This desire must counter the desire to trust ourselves.  This sinful desire of not trusting God is the devil’s ploy.  From the time of Eve until Christ’s return, the devil will always ask, “Did God really say?”  Faith turns away the desire to believe the devil and to believe in God.  Faith takes the promise that God makes to us and holds onto it as tightly as we can.  We embrace it gladly and with the confidence of God’s promise of forgiveness. 

    The beauty of faith is that it doesn’t take much.  We are never measured by how much faith we have; it is only necessary to have faith.  Yet growing our faith should be an earnest desire and goal of the Christian.  The deeper the faith the tighter we can cling to God’s promise of salvation and forgiveness.  The stronger the faith we possess, the greater we will be able to fight off the devil’s attacks and temptations.  A strong and growing faith will aid us in the battle against the world and what it throws at us as well.  Faith, the desire to trust in God’s promise, will help us prevail against the devil by God’s grace.

Father, give us faith the size of a mustard seed.  Help us to move the mountains of doubt and despair that hinder us.  Bring us closer to you so that we may cling even tighter to you.  Help those who feel the embrace as weak or not there.  Guide them by your Spirit.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

10-18-2025

Good Morning All,

           Isaiah 53:5; “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

     “The things we so for Love” was a song by a group called 10cc.  It was a lover’s lament about how crazy it was for him to be in love with the girl that he was in love with.  He tried to call her but the lines were down (old song).  He is convinced that she wants to break up with him but she comes to him and wants to make up and start over.  The poor guy is lost but he is completely in love.

    There isn’t much we wouldn’t do for the one or ones that we love.  If one of our children needed a kidney transplant, we would be the first to volunteer.  If a sibling needed a bone marrow transplant, we would be tested immediately in order to help.  We understand the idea of enduring something painful in order that someone we love would then be able to live a better life.

    This is how we should look at what Jesus did for us.  He did it out of love.  Our verse is part of what is called the “Suffering Servant” of Isaiah.  Isaiah explains how the Messiah will come as a servant and suffer the punishment that we deserve.  This is done entirely out of love; similar to what a parent or a family member would do for one of their beloved except at a greater level.  It was done for us out of love and not out of duty.

    The reason we want to look at this is because we should respond to what Christ did for us out of love and not out of guilt.  Too often, we look at what Jesus did for us and we feel guilty.  Rather we should look at what Jesus did for us as the ultimate act of love.  It is this love that we should then emulate as we interact with those around us.  We should interact with and through love not through guilt or duty.

   Think how our interaction with those around us was out of love and not out of duty.  It would be more spontaneous and inviting.  It would be freer in coming and more open to response.  It could also encourage a greater level of reconciliation as those whom we love would be encouraged to love us back and to then love others around them.

    So, as we travel through this Lenten season and we look at the suffering of Jesus.  Try not to feel guilt but rather feel love.  Don’t look at what Jesus did for you and think “I owe him big time” rather look and think “that is how you love someone.”  If we respond to love with love, our life will be far more content and far more peaceful.  For the things we do for love are borne out of desire and hope.  Hope that comes from Christ.

Father, in Jesus we see love in its purest form.  We see love in its total perfection.  Help us to respond with love and not with guilt, to respond with love and not from a sense of duty.  Help us to respond to those around us who are in pain or lonely, lost or in despair.  Guide us with your love to show them the love that you give to us.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret