11-30-2025

Good Morning All,

             Zechariah 13:1; “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.”

      I sat and listened as the speaker was telling about his journey of faith.  It had been a rocky journey.  He divorced his wife of 15 years and abandoned his children.  He left a good paying job and wasn’t working at the time.  He had turned to alcohol to dull some of his pain and was living on hand outs.  This was the shape he was in when he began to talk to one of the volunteers at the shelter he was staying at.  The volunteer steered him to a pastor who steered him to a counselor who began the process of healing this man. 

     Two years before the man’s divorce, he was in a car accident.  He wasn’t seriously hurt but a child in the other vehicle died.  The investigation claimed it wasn’t his fault but he could not shake the guilt.  It kept him awake at night; it caused him to lose concentration at work so his performance suffered.  He withdrew from his wife, his children, and his family.  He quit his job; he quit his marriage and he wanted to quit life.  He told his counselor that he was just a dirty person.  The stain of his actions could not be washed away.  He felt he deserved to wander alone for what he had done.  The counselor opened his Bible and started looking at verses like the one we use today.  God opens a fountain to cleanse his people.  John speaks of God cleansing us from all unrighteousness.  Eventually, the Spirit worked in this man’s heart and he began to heal.  He was healed because he was cleansed by the blood of Jesus. 

     There are many of us who always feel dirty.  We look at our life and some of the things we have done and we wonder if we could ever be clean.  Maybe we were a little too wild and carefree.  Perhaps you caused pain to someone.  Perhaps you stole from your parents or another loved one.  Maybe you were the class bully; maybe you have something in your past that is just painful to remember and the guilt remains so the stain remains and you feel dirty and full of uncleanness.    

     Yet we are cleansed.  We are cleansed because God saw our uncleanness and sent Jesus into this brokenness to heal us.  He uses Baptism to remind us that we are clean.  We are washed and purified.  In Baptism we die to sin; our sins are drowned and we are raised to new life in the resurrection of Jesus.  In the resurrection, we look forward to our new life in Christ, forever forgiven and cleansed from all our unrighteousness.  We are cleansed of the stain of sin.  We are named, claimed, washed, and redeemed by his love.  In his mercy, we are cleansed.

Father of all cleansing, when I am dirty and unclean, you send your Spirit to go forth in the washing of my Baptism and I remember your words; I remember you claimed me as your own.  Help me to see your love, help me to cling to your truth.  Help me to cling to the certainty of your love.  Move the hearts of those who feel so dirty and unloved.  Bring your healing and your peace into their life.  Guard your children this day.  In the precious name of Jesus our risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

11-29-2025

Good Morning All,

        Romans 8:34; “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”

       When I visit some of the members in our congregation who no longer have a partner, whether through death, divorce, or whatever manner, they often speak of the loneliness that they face.  They acknowledge that the daytime is pretty tolerable and the evening can drag out some but the thing they dread is facing situations alone.  If they go out to eat, they go alone.  If they have an appointment, they face it alone.  When they have a decision to make, they make it alone.  Oh, they can ask a friend or a relative but it isn’t the same.  The friend would usually just support the decision made or stand back when an event occurred.  Every event in their life is faced alone.  Any type of concern or worry is entirely theirs and theirs alone.  They get up and go out into the world alone and it can be very daunting.

     Most of us do not like to do things alone.   We don’t like to enter unknown rooms by ourselves; we don’t like to begin totally new ventures by ourselves.  We like companionship.  Humans are social creatures.  This goes back to our very creation where God spoke that “it is not good for man to be alone.”  It can be very painful.  Being alone can feed into our greatest fear; that we are truly alone, separated from God.

    This is part of the reason that Jesus came into this world.  He came that you and I would not have to be alone.  He came to open the path of reconciliation between man and God, between you and God.  He came so that we could approach God’s holy throne with all confidence and hope.  He tore the curtain in the temple to open the path and to reveal that nothing stands in our way.  We are free to come into his presence.

    Yet, Jesus does so much more.  He not only opens the door for us but he enters in with us and for us.  He speaks for us; he pleads for us; he intercedes to the Father for us.  He goes with us to the Father’s throne to plead our cause.  He goes with us to plead for mercy, to ask for strength, to seek comfort and hope.  Jesus goes with us every step of the way.  He speaks what needs to be said.  He speaks on our behalf even when we are not sure of what to say.  He speaks the words that we need in order that we might be healed and made whole again. 

    We never have to face this time alone; Jesus is always present for us.  First, He clears the path for us so that our journey is made possible to the Father’s throne where we can plead our fears and God has promised to listen to us.  Secondly, He does not send us down this path alone but He attends to us as we journey.  He picks us up and holds us as he guides us on our way home.

Father of all love and grace, in you we have hope.  We give thanks that Jesus has opened the path to your grace and leads us home.  When we do not know what to pray, Jesus prays for us, interceding for us.  There are so many times that we do not know what to say; yet you hear us and answer us.  You sustain us with your love and for this we praise your name.  In the name of Jesus our risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

11-28-2025

Good Morning All,

    1 Thessalonians 5:11; “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

       I remember back to my track and field days.  I was a thrower; I threw the shot put and the discus.  Rarely, very, very rarely, did I run.  The thing I remember was that our coach always wanted us to stand around the inside of the track when we were not participating in our event.  He wanted us to cheer on and encourage the runners as they ran.  We were there to tell them to keep going, keep running, they were gaining on the runner ahead of them.  We were to tell them their time as they ran and encourage them to keep running, to keep striving for the victory line.  I always wondered about this, was it valuable or not.  I had the runners tell me that it helped.  The words of encouragement lifted them a little.  It didn’t always make them run faster but it made them feel better as there were people cheering them and supporting them as they ran.  They said they didn’t feel so alone in the struggle to continue to run the distance.

    Encouragement is one of the greatest things we, as Christians, can provide for each other.  It is one of the most basic elements of our life together.  It costs us nothing and yet provides so much.  To hear from another Christian a word of support or encouragement lifts the spirit of the one who is under duress.  It might be someone who is battling an illness or some struggle within a relationship.  It might be an attack for bring a Christian and finding yourself ostracized from a job or a career.  One may even be held accountable in a court of law because of your faith.  It may even reach a point such as exists in foreign lands where death because of your faith is a strong possibility.  Any event, from mild to extreme, can cause one to suffer and to experience pain in some measure.  God tells us to encourage one another.  Offer prayers for those who are in need of encouragement; personally, if possible.  Offer them words of support and encouragement as often as possible and give them physical aid if you are able.

    The devil uses these attacks in an attempt to separate you from God.  The devil seeks to lead you astray.  The devil seeks to make you think that you are alone and abandoned by your family, your friends, your church and above all by God.  It is one of the devil’s best tools.  The devil loves to lie to you and to lead you away from God’s loving embrace.  This is why God encourages us to encourage one another.  There is strength in numbers and there is strength in unity.  If we stand together, all of us, we are mightier than the devil because of Jesus’ victory over him.  We must remain safely in God’s protective arms shielded by his mercy and grace.  God gives his Church strength in the unity of faith and the power of the Spirit.  When you see someone falling behind or suffering from attacks; encourage them with God’s good grace and lift them up so they may continue steadfast and faithful in God’s mercy.

Father, help me to encourage my brothers and sisters.  Lead me to those who need me and lead those to me who I need.  Lead us to lift each other up in prayer, in hope, in action and in deed.  Lead us to care for those who are under attack from the world.  Guide us to encourage them to continue to stay close to you.  In the precious name of Jesus our risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

11-27-2025

Good Morning All,

         Psalm 106:1; “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

    This time of the year, many of us pause to give thanks. We may gather around a table and share a meal with family and friends as a way to say, “Thank you.” We may or may not have a specific person, place, or thing that we are thanking but we engage anyway. We gorge on a great meal, satisfied we are doing what we should, how we should. But is this all it is about or is there more?

    Our verse is one of many “thank” verses in the Book of Psalms. There are around 45-50 psalms of thanksgiving and around 45-50 psalms of lament. (A lament is a cry to God about some injustice we are experiencing.) We might be tempted to look at that and conclude that our life is half complaining to and half thanking God for what is going on in our life; but I think we should see it a little deeper than that. In both settings, whether lamenting or giving thanks, we are looking to God for all good things.

    In our laments, we experience pain or suffering and we usually think it is unjust. When this occurs, Scriptures invites us to turn to God, lay open our hearts, and cry out our pain. We do this because God and only God can fix our situation. Plus, God has promised to hear us and to act upon our behalf. So, our response, even in times of difficulty, pain, suffering, and injustice is to give thanks to God. Not because we are suffering but because God has promised to bring healing and restoration to us. So, in all things, we give thanks because God has promised healing.

    Thus, to a Christian, giving thanks is more of a spiritual discipline to help us always remember that all good things come from God and that bad events do not last forever. That our blessings are many because of a good, gracious, and merciful God who has chosen to love us in spite of our failures, foibles, and shortcomings. In spite of our sin, God has chosen to love us, to care for us, to protect us, and to deliver us.

    As we gather around the table, we are thankful to God our heavenly Father. We are thankful for the earthly things, health, wealth, family, and friends but we are especially thankful for God’s good and gracious hand that has redeemed us from death and the devil. God wants you in his kingdom, to be part of his holy family. His love for you is that deep. So, cling to God and his mercy. Give thanks that his strong arm does defend you and his loving heart comforts you in all your struggles.

Gracious Father, we give you thanks for the abundance which we receive from You. Help us to always remember that You are with us and that in You we have nothing to fear. Keep us ever focused upon Jesus, our rock and redemption. In the precious Name of Jesus, we pray. Amen!

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

11-26-2025

 Good Morning All,

     John 15:4; “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”

    We live in a very impersonal world.  It seems like we are simply a number.  We are just one of a thousand, or million or billion; it really doesn’t matter, we are just a blob in the crowd.  We often times are not even a face in the crowd; we are simply a blob. Think of when you are walking in a mall or a store; do you really see each person well enough that you could identify them later on?  There might be the one exception; there might be someone who is exceptionally tall or is dressed in a fashion that is unforgettable but for the most part we can look at a crowd and not see a single person.  When we look at a crowd and see nothing, we assume that this is how we are seen as well. 

     We often see our faith in the same manner.  We tend to think that God looks at the world and simply sees a blob of humanity.  We assume that all of our prayers are simply a buzz that God hears similar to what we hear in a crowded room.  We tend to think that we are just a faceless and shapeless blob in the midst of a bunch of other faceless and shapeless blobs.  This allows us to tend to view our devotional time, our prayer life, and our willingness to trust God to simply be one of a thousand, or million or billion.

     Yet in our verse, Jesus speaks to his disciples, and thus to us, and told them that the branch, singular, must abide in the vine.  We need to see our relationship with Jesus as singular.  Our relationship can be experienced in a stronger fashion if we see that we are in a personal relationship with Jesus and not just as a blob relationship.

    I remember talking to a guy who spent his devotional/prayer time at a kitchen table.  He would always pour 2 cups of coffee or 2 glasses of iced tea and set one in front of himself and one in front of a chair across from him.  His goal was to visualize Jesus as sitting at the table with him.  Now he didn’t do this to lessen God but to personalize God.  He saw this as part of the personal invitation that Jesus extends to each of us.  He saw it as God being willing to enter his house and his life.  He saw this as a way to bring about a more personal understanding of his relationship with God.  He can see himself as a branch connected to the vine.  He sees himself as a person, loved and claimed by God, abiding in God’s loving arms.

    This idea, or something similar, may help you to see your relationship with Jesus in a more real and concrete and not as “one of the masses.”  By seeing it as personal, it might help you to cling to your faith in a stronger fashion and with greater certainty.  You are the branch connected directly to Jesus.

Loving Father, open my eyes to the certainty of your love.  Open my eyes to see you as wanting to talk to me and to listen to me.  Open my heart to loving you in truth and in purpose.  Open my heart to your amazing love and peace.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

11-25-2025

Good Morning All,

       Psalm 139: 23; “Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!”

     We speak the words almost every Sunday but do we pay attention.  “I, a poor, miserable sinner confess all my sins and iniquities.”  I wonder how many of us think “yada, yada, yada, let’s get this thing moving.”  I almost wonder if it is Freudian when we are supposed to say, “heartily sorry for them” do we really say, “hardly sorry for them”?  There is just something about the confession of our sins that we just don’t like.  We would probably prefer to avoid it; it seems so self-abasing.

    One of the greatest struggles we have with confession is that we have to admit that we are truly sinful.  We can’t say, “I’m not that bad” because we are “that bad.”   We tend to like to look around and wonder who really needs to make this confession of sins; we might even offer a guess or two but the truth is that three out of three people need to make the true and honest confession of faith.  So next time look to your left and count one then look to your right and count one and remember you are number three. 

     The real reason we need to make a true confession is that we cannot begin to fix what is wrong in our life if we do not recognize what is wrong.  That is why David wrote this psalm.  He is asking God to study him to study his heart and lay open all the festering sin so that it might be cleansed.  Know my heart; do we ever really say this?  Do we really want God to search our thoughts and our attitudes?  Do we really want God to know what my words and my actions really are?  Do we want to confess the things that I shouldn’t have done?  Do we want to look at what we neglected to do?  Do we confess the times that we ignored God’s Spirit prompting us to act according to his will?

    Until we truly go before God and confess our true sins, we will never be fully rid of them.  We may even deny that they really are sins or if they are sins then maybe they are “not so bad” and that that we are “hardly sorry for them.”  As long as we avoid true confess, we miss out on the fullness of God’s grace.  We miss out on some of the joy and the freedom that knowing that we are truly repentant and asking God to help me to change from my sinful ways, from the ways that are harming our relationship with God.  Only through true confession, which leads to true repentance, can we heal our faults and correct our failures and bring new life to our existence.

Father, search me; search my heart that all the sin and the evil may be removed.  Give me a clean heart, Oh Lord and renew a right spirit within me.  Guide me to your throne.  Bathe me with your Spirit and lift me up as your righteous child.  Lead me to do your will. In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

 

11-24-2025

Good Morning All,

       Acts 4: 29-30; “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

   Have you ever watched one of the reality TV shows where they ask you “what would you do?”  They set up a situation and see how you would react.  One of the situations has a mother yelling at her child in a grocery store.  One situation has a customer berating a waitress.  One situation has a person yelling at a homeless person on the street.  They use a hidden camera and watch to see how people react.  Some intervene while most simply stay out of the situation.  More people will defend the child more than the other two.  Most people just walked away from the homeless person.  This is about what you expect.

    So, what do you do when real life strikes?  I was at the local grocery store recently.   As I was getting in my pickup, a couple about three vehicles down started arguing and they were not quiet about it.  Apparently, the wife was going to walk off with one less bag of grocery than they paid for.  The checkout guy caught them and gave the bag to her.  The husband berated the wife about how forgetful and careless she was.  He used a fair amount of colorful adjectives to reinforce his opinion.  She was not shy in reacting to his commentary and was just as colorful.  The argument continued as they got in their vehicle and drove off.  I stood there somewhat baffled.  As I drove away, I thought; that could have very easily become violent.  It still might have later on.  What would I have done?  Would I have scurried away or would I have intervened?  In all honesty, I am not sure.

    In this situation and in many others, it might do us to remember this prayer of the early church.  When faced with persecution, threats of death or imprisonment they prayed this prayer.  “Grant to your servants to continue to speak your words with all boldness,” how often do we miss an opportunity to speak God’s truth, to let God’s Word be spoken to bring healing because we were afraid, because we were not bold?  How often do we avoid speaking because we are unwilling to stand up?

    We need to boldly speak God’s Word.  We need to speak God’s Word so that his healing Spirit will go forth throughout the world.  In order to do this, we need courage and power; we need the power of the Holy Spirit to move us to speak God’s love to a broken and corrupt world.  We need to speak with our mouths and our hands, our arms, and our shoulders.  God’s Word must be heard and it is heard best when compassion abounds.

Father, send your mighty Spirit and give to me the boldness to speak to this broken and dying world.  Stretch your hand, O Lord, and bring healing to the land.  Bring healing to the broken marriages, to the hurting souls, to the lost and to those who have hardened their hearts to you.  Move among us, revive us that Your Word may be boldly and confidently spoken to the brokenness that so many know.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

11-23-2025

Good Morning All,

       Matthew 18:28; “But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’”

    Most of us have heard the admonition “if it sounds too good to be true; it probably is.”  Most of us, if we know, would not buy something that was “too cheap.”  If someone offered to sell you a house for half of what the other houses in the areas sell for, you would ask “what’s wrong with it?”  It would be the same with a car, a boat, just about anything we buy we usually try to follow the maxim “If it is too good to be true, then it must be.”  But what happens if it really is a good deal?  Do we trust it or do we think that somewhere there is a catch?

    I wonder sometimes if this unforgiving servant thought this was too good to be true.  When you look at the amounts owed, they are absurd.  A talent was equal to what an average worker would earn in twenty years.  This man owed 10,000 talents or roughly the sum of money an average worker would earn in 200,000 years.  A denarius was equal to one day’s pay.  So, the second man owed about 3 months’ worth of wages.  We often make the same accusation of the unforgiving servant; he should have been so grateful for his forgiveness that he would readily forgive his neighbor the paltry sum he owed but he does not.  Maybe he thought that the king would wake up one day and realize how much he forgave and change his mind.  He owes the king and usually the king can change the rules or the deal whenever he feels like it.  So, the unforgiving servant simply thought he had received a deal that was too good to be true so he went out and began to collect money owed to him.  He might have done this in order to get some money together so he would have a little something to bargain with the king.  He could pay a little as a show of good faith and buy some time.  He might have been a bargaining and a practical man and he just couldn’t fathom someone forgiving that much debt.

    We go through life doing the same thing.  We don’t fully trust God’s great promise.  We listen as the devil tells us that when knowledge of our sins get out and the people know who we are and what we have done; God will reject us and withdraw his grace.  This is why we are slow to forgive; deep down we do not feel forgiven.

    Yet this is one case where it is not too good to be true.  God’s love leads him to forgive the sins of the ones whom he loves.  We have complete forgiveness and we need to completely trust his love and mercy.  This is why Jesus willingly came to earth and to die for us; it is because of his love and because of this love we can forgive others who harm us.  God’s love moves mountains for us.  It empowers us to forgive and to free us from the devil’s control.

Father, your love for me is beyond my understanding.  Give me the strength to fully grasp your mercy.  Give me the power to live my life as fully forgiven.  Give me the power to fully forgive.  Send your Spirit that I might be your child and show your love to those around me.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

11-22-2025

Good Morning All,

        1 Corinthians 15:57; “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

   It is always an exciting and electric time during a ball game, especially the championship game.  It is that moment, late in the game, when the victory is assured.  During a football game it is when the losing team has to surrender possession of the ball and they have no timeouts remaining to stop the clock.  During a basketball game it is when the point difference is too great for the time left to play.  During a baseball game it is when the closer pitcher comes in and gets each successive batter out with little effort exerted.  You can feel the intensity in the crowd.

    It starts off with a low rumble and slowly grows louder.  Those who are there to cheer on the victorious team begin to stand and yell and chant out the superior qualities of their team.  With each passing second the excitement builds.  It builds in the fans; it builds in the players; it even begins to show in the coaches.  Everyone begins to display their exuberance.  The fans begin to yell louder and louder.  They begin to jump and to wave their arms in total joy.  The players begin to hug each other and pat each other on the back.  They begin to wave at the crowd and make their interactions with the crowd more boisterous.  The coach will either take off the headset he has been wearing all game or simply sit back and watch with a smile on his face.  The victory is assured and it is only a few moments away.

    We as the church should be at this same fervor pitch.  The victory is at hand and it is secured.  It is a time when we should be standing and cheering and celebrating our victory over the devil, over the world and over death.  We have been given the victor’s crown and, with it, we have eternal life.  We really are just running out the clock.  The devil and his allies cannot defeat us.  Their loss was guaranteed on Calvary and it was signified to the world when the tomb was left empty.  The victory is ours so why are we so muted in our response?

    Why do we sit back and waver as the world charges forward?  Why do we act as if the world and the devil are winning?  We can and should go forth with all boldness and with all confidence.  We can go forth and go about reclaiming the broken ones that are still out there in the world.  We can boldly go forth and seek out the hurting and the lost and tell them of the victory that is ours, already assured by the death and resurrection of Jesus.  We are the champions, guaranteed by God through his promise.  We are the victors delivered by the blood of Jesus.  We have the victory now we can go and live like champions!

Father, lead me in the paths of your righteousness.  Lead me to live as the victor of this life.  You have given your Son to be my Savior; give me the strength to live in this new life.  Help me to see the needs of others and let me be your face to show them your mercy.  Lead me to the paths of the people who need me and lead those people to my path that I need.  In your mercy, lift us up.  In the precious name of Jesus our risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret  

11-21-2025

Good Morning All,

       Acts 1:9; “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.”

   “And He ascended into heaven.”  We say it every time we say the Creed; but do we think about it as we say it?  Or are we like the little girl who told her Sunday School teacher that she wanted to be like Andy.  The teacher, somewhat puzzled, asked “Andy who?”  The little girl responded the Andy that ascended to heaven.  We don’t think about the Ascension much, it falls on a Thursday so it pretty much gets lost.  Yet it has tremendous significance in our life even today.

    Just think of the poor disciples.  They are getting to the end of the most incredible 2 months in the history of the world.  First, they experience the pain at the death of Jesus.  They spend a couple of days in total and abject sorrow.  They are afraid that the Jews will come for them next and they do not know where to turn.  Suddenly, early in the morning of the first day of the week, they are told that Jesus is alive and wants to talk to them.  Later that evening, Jesus appears and speaks to them and over the next forty days; he appears to them, eats with them, blesses them, and teaches them the meaning of Scriptures and how they apply to Jesus.  We are now at the end of that forty-day time period.  Everything is coming to a culmination.  Jesus guides them out to a hilltop and there gives one last admonition, a blessing and then ascends into heaven.  It is here that Jesus reigns.

    In the Creed we say that Jesus “sits at the right hand of the Father.”  This is a figurative term which means that the power and the authority of the Father are exercised by Jesus.  This is where we get the phrase “right hand man.”  So, we have Jesus, our Lord and Savior at the right hand of God protecting his church from the onslaughts of the devil and the world.  We will always be safe within the body of Christ regardless of what the world throws at us; the victory is ours.

    It also means that Jesus is there, in heaven, present before the heavenly throne of the Father.  He is there pleading for us, interceding for us as our beloved priest.  Jesus is before God praying for you, praying for your needs, and praying for your safety in this world of troubles.  As the Easter hymn says, “what comfort this sweet sentence gives!”

    So, we have Jesus, ascended into heaven praying for us and then exercising the very power needed to protect us.  We are his and he defends us with his mighty and righteous arm.  We have hope that can withstand all that we face in this life.  Jesus, our protector and defender, guards us with his Spirit as we travel through this life.  Rest in his unfailing love.

Gracious Lord Jesus, through your death and resurrection we have hope and through your ascension we have power to withstand all that the devil throws at us.  We have nothing to fear because of your tender mercy which upholds and sustains us.  Be with those who are battling the devil at this time.  Free them from his attacks and give them the peace that only you can give.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

11-20-2025

Good Morning All,

       Luke 11:9; “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

     If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.  That is an adage that we have been taught since we were very young.  It is meant to imply that we should not give up easily.  We should persevere in our struggle and we should get back up if we are knocked down (another old adage).  We, especially in the United States, have been told over and over that, with enough hard work, we can succeed at anything.  Yet many of us do not proceed this way in our prayer life; many use the “one and done” method and it often starts with the “pony prayer.”

    Most of us as a child said the “pony prayer.”  You know, “Dear God send me a pony. Amen.”  We prayed it and: no pony.  Now what?  Do you try again or do you walk away certain that this “prayer stuff” is for the birds.  This is one place where our verse can play a part.

    As we look at our verse, the meaning changes a little when we see that the phrasing in the original Greek puts a little different spin on it.  We read, “ask,” “seek,” “knock, and that is as far as we go.  Yet originally, it meant to continue what you are doing so it really says, “keep asking,” “keep seeking,” and “keep praying.”  It adds the quality of being persistent in our prayer life.  We are not to give it the old once over but we are to continue to pray and not give up.  We are to be persistent in our prayers but not for the reason that many assume.  Our prayers do not “wear God down” rather our persistent prayers wear us down and God uses our prayers, our earnest heartfelt prayers, to draw us closer to him.  Prayer is about us talking to God; yet God uses true prayer to draw us closer to him and persistent prayer does just that.

   So, pray to God and ask for a better life and keep asking, in our prayers we will soon find that, perhaps, what we seek is not that good for us.  Perhaps we will realize where our true happiness and contentment lie.  We keep asking and God answers us.  The answer may be “yes;” it may be “no” or it may be “not now” but we get an answer and it will always be the answer that points to our best interests.  God is always faithful and we can find comfort in that fact.  He wants us to have life and to have it abundantly.  He will always answer our prayers.

   So, keep praying and keep listening to what God is saying to you through his Word.  Keep up this “holy conversation” and God will use it to draw you closer to him and to strengthen your faith.  Don’t stop asking God will answer.

Father of all mercy, your mercies are new to us each day and they roll over us like a river.  Strengthen our search, Lord.  Move us by your Spirit that we keep asking, keep seeking and keep knocking. Draw us closer to you that we may be strengthened in our faith and trusting you to always answer our prayer.  Bring comfort to those who are in pain or sorrow.  Give them your peace.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret      

11-19-2025

Good Morning All,

       Isaiah 25:6; “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.”

    We all have one or at least had one; maybe you are becoming one.  You may even be a full-fledged member- “the grandma who doesn’t know ‘whoa.’”  You know the type; you never leave the table without at least three helpings of everything.  If you pause to catch your breath, they ask, with a very pained look, “You’re not done yet, are you?”  Whatever you do; don’t tell them that you are done.  No one gets to be done.  If you tell them that you liked something, they will make a whole another batch and send it home with you.  You will NOT leave their home empty-handed; you will take the leftovers even some food that didn’t make it to the table because there wasn’t room for it.  As you leave the house, you are pretty sure you will not eat this coming week. 

    The generosity of this type of grandma is incredible.  Many have one simple trait.  They love to cook.  You add in the factor that they love the people that they are cooking for and the combination makes for plates that will never hold the portions.  While they are the subject of family jokes and quibbles; nobody misses a meal!  The food, the fellowship and the love that is exhibited by the host draws us back again and again. 

    Our heavenly Father engages us in much the same fashion.  We see God’s extravagance, not so much in a meal beyond measure, but in the depth of his grace.  God forgives our sins and he is not stingy!  He pours it on; he ladles it on; he slathers us with his mercy.  He does not hold back.  He forgives and forgives and he forgives us with grace that isn’t even on the plate yet!  No matter what we have done; it is in the past.  The feast is waiting for us.

    While God does promise to provide for our physical needs, it is the forgiveness of our sins which shows us the height and depth of God’s grace.  His love overflows even the most wretched of sinners.  He is not stingy with his mercy; it is poured out on us with the largest ladle imaginable.  He serves up forgiveness and quenches our desire for healing and he does it in the richest and most precious method possible; he does it with the sacrifice of his only Son.  Through this all-availing action, through the death of Jesus which paid all the price of our sin, God chooses to nourish us and to bring us back into his loving family and to live graciously in his kingdom.  Feast on God’s mercy and taste the richness of his love.  Taste and see that it is good.

Father of all good things, you feed us with the luxury of your incredible love.  In you we feast on the richness of your grace.  We never cease to be in awe of your love.  Be with those who hunger for your healing.  Be with those who are starving because of sin.  Send your Spirit that they may know you and know of your forgiveness.  Heal them with your touch; feed their souls.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

11-18-2025

Good Morning All,

      Acts 10:44; “While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.”

      I was watching a video the other day that showed a variety of pranks being played on people.  Many of these involved water being dumped on someone in many different ways.  Some were using buckets that were tipped off of door frames.  Some were buckets of water being poured out of the second or third story of a building.  One involved a huge water balloon that completely drenched the man and his friend who was standing beside him.  It was funny to watch, probably more so because I wasn’t the one getting wet.

    Yet if we keep that image, the image of a bucket of water being poured out onto a person and the person being completely drenched by the water, this is a good image of how the Spirit works in our life.  First, we want to see how, when the person gets drenched, it is someone else who does the drenching.  The recipient just stands there and gets wet.  He doesn’t go door to door and asks, “Can you get me wet?”  That would probably get him a quick trip to the local police department.  No, it can be somewhat more unexpected.

    The Spirit of God goes out from wherever the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus, and his saving sacrifice, is preached.  The Spirit enters the hearts of those who hear the Word.  In the hearts of those listeners, the Spirit begins the flame of faith.  Now in some, the flame is blown out and rejected by the listener.  Yet in some, the flame takes hold.  Faith grows as the listener clings back to this wonderful promise from God.  Faith grows because the Word is preached and as the Word is sent out into the world; God has declared that it will not return empty.  It will fulfill its task either to condemn or to bring salvation.

    All believers have had the Spirit fall on them.  For many, it was a soft landing.  We grew up in the church, guided by faithful parents and the message of God’s salvation grew in our hearts and our lives.  Some came to have the Spirit dump fully and dramatically on them.  Perhaps you remember the story of the young man who finally heard the story of God’s grace while he was lying on the floor of the Hughes county jail.  For some it is dramatic and for some it is a calmer ride but for all the Spirit is poured on you; it falls on you because of God’s love for you.  As we get wet from it, we can run away and try to dry out or we can rest in the cooling and refreshing effect that it would have on a hot summer’s day.  God pours his Spirit on us through his Word; we can relish it or reject it.  We can cling to it and have it as our source of comfort and hope or we can walk away and try it on our own.  Clinging to God’s grace through the faith which he instills is the method to live in his peace; choose wisely.

Father, you pour your Spirit on us so that we might be filled with your Word and enliven with your faith.  Fan the flames of the spark that you kindle.  Build us up so that we may grow closer to you.  Build us up so that we may always trust you.  Continue to fan the spark that exists in those who are hurting now.  Send them your healing.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret      

11-17-2025

Good Morning All,

   Acts 1:8; “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

     This is one of the “biggies” in the Bible.  This is one of those verses that have a great impact on what it means to be a Christian and what it means to be a follower of Jesus.  “You will be my witnesses;” that is a powerful statement.  It can be a statement that brings out fear in many a person’s heart.  Its beings fear because often times we have visions of traveling to some far-off distant land and becoming a missionary.  That thought can terrify most of us.  I cannot count the number of people who have asked me, “How do you stand up in front of people and talk the way you do?  I could never do that in a million years.”  Yet Jesus tells us to be his witnesses; how?

    That is a question that has been around for a long time.  Many people have always felt inadequate in being witnesses.  They look at the lack of education, their fear of speaking in public, their lack of understanding or of insight and many other reasons for shying away.  It was common for the “common” man to feel completely unable to be a witness and therefore, someone who falls far short of what Jesus desires from us.  Yet Luther saw it differently and saw within the Scriptures a different truth than what was being expressed at the time.

    Yet Luther saw that the Bible spoke to all people.  It speaks to the clergy, to the farmer, to the slave, to the slave owner to the widow and to the married and the unmarried and to everyone.  In fact, Scripture not only speaks to the person but it actually speaks to the situation that the person finds himself in.  Luther called this idea “vocations.”  It is where we are at any given point in time.  For example, I am a son, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a father-in-law, a brother, a pastor, a neighbor and so on.  But I can also find myself as a customer in line, a driver in heavy traffic, someone who has been put on hold or any one of a hundred different situations.  In each and every one, I can witness to my faith in Jesus.

    A few weeks ago, I was in the checkout line at our local Walmart.  The person ahead of me was incredibly rude to the poor young clerk and berated her the whole time she was there.  This person took an inordinate amount of time to check out and left verbally assaulting the young lady.  When it was my turn to check out, the young clerk apologized for the delay.  Now I could have picked up where the other one left off or I could witness to my faith and tell her that I understood it wasn’t her fault and that I was sorry she had to endure that from the other person.  Fortunately, the Spirit moved the second choice and a young lady’s heart was lifted.  Did she get a huge testimonial?  No, but she did receive compassion and those behind me in line did as well and all who commented said the same thing and a little mercy was shared by all.

Lord Jesus, you call us to be witnesses.  Move us by your Spirit to see that every event in our life is an opportunity to share your love and to have compassion.  The world knows neither; let your light shine through us as we spread the kingdom of God to all who we meet this day.  Move us to have compassion on all.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret      

11-16-2025

Good Morning All,

                 Psalm 23:1; “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

There is a difference in the way we think and the way we should proceed.  Some think one path or method is correct while someone else has a different view.  One example is in how we view the Word of God.  Some see it as a static monograph which only delivers information and thus requires human influence.  Others see the Word of God as alive, active, and dynamic.  They recognize it as the creative and re-creative power of God.  Another difference is that some see the Bible as a book of anecdotal information which gives good advice.  Others read it in a different light.  They read it as God speaking to them in a way that will give them comfort, guidance and hope for their life.  They see a difference in just memorizing the Bible for advice and living in a biblical context and understanding.  There is a difference between believing that God’s Word is right and knowing that it is true. 

   So, in order to follow this line of thought we look at a very familiar verse from the Bible.  The 23^rd Psalm is among the most read, most memorized, and most familiar portion of the Bible.  It is only rivalled by the birth account of Jesus, the Feeding of the 5000, the parable of the Prodigal Son and the resurrection accounts.  Yet some look at this from an entirely spiritual event.  They read it as never in need of another God.  They see it as Jesus being this other-worldly guidance program that will provide for them in the afterlife.  They think that all they have to do is to endure this life and, after they die, everything will be wonderful and they are right to a point.  Everything will be wonderful when we live with Christ.

    Yet this psalm, especially this verse, tells us so much more.  “I shall not want.”  I shall not want for guidance in this life.  God has a plan for you.  He has a plan to prosper you.  We need to listen and more importantly to hear what he is saying and then follow his will.

    I shall not want for renewal.  I am continually renewed and this occurs from the inside out.  It begins with God’s Spirit which dwells within us and seeks to renew us to be new creations in Christ.  This occurs on a continual basis as the active Word of God re-creates us every moment of ever repentant moment.

    I shall not want for courage.  This is especially true as the world bombards us with negative and divisive attacks.  The courage to love ourselves is a vital element for our survival here in this life.  Jesus died for you because he loves you.   You are valued by God and you should value yourself.

    I shall not want for joy.  God has promised to bathe us in the oil of joy as he fills our table and an overflowing cup.  Having joy is one of the surest methods of knowing God’s presence.  Through our total surrender to Jesus, we will we know his will for us in this life as well as the next.

Gracious Lord, in you we have no wants.  All our needs are met by your loving providence. Guide us by your Spirit and give us peace, joy, and the certainty of hope that you desire us to have.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

11-15-2025

     Good Morning All,

       Matthew 6:26; “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

      If you were walking down the street and you saw a penny on the sidewalk; would you stop and pick it up?  Most probably wouldn’t but at what amount would you, a dime, a quarter or does it have to be paper money before you even look?  As I thought about this, I realized how much my actions depend on the circumstances.  If I am in a hurry, I probably wouldn’t even see the penny.  When I am in a hurry, I tend to be in my own little world in my own little mind.

    If I am not in a hurry, it would depend on the crowd.  If it was crowded, I probably wouldn’t stop to pick it up.  It would make a scene and what would they think, a grown adult stopping to pick up a penny.  I would just keep moving; it is just a penny.  After all, it is just a penny and I am too busy and too important to be bothered by them.  I even usually leave them at the counter when I buy something; who really wants to bother with them anyway?

    There are times when I feel like that penny on the sidewalk.  Nobody bothers to pick me up.  Sometimes I get stepped on or worse.  I just lay there not worth the effort to bother with.  My fate as a penny is probably just to be swept into the storm drain during one of the sweeping scenarios that occur in a city.  I feel that way when it feels like I am alone.  There is so much to do and it feels like more just keeps getting piled on.  I feel the weight of the world and I am left alone; the penny that no one will pick up.  Maybe if I was a quarter, I would be more important and someone, anyone, would pick me up.  Maybe if I was shiny and new I could catch someone’s eye but I am old and dull and a little beat up by the way I have been used through the years.  There are times when I feel like that penny; perhaps you do as well.

     The cares of the world, the weight thrown upon us can be unbearable.  Maybe someone has abandoned you.  You just weren’t worth the effort to them; you were only a penny that they wouldn’t pick up.  Maybe your job decided that you weren’t worth keeping.  Maybe it feels like the world has left you behind.  The technology is past you and you can’t afford it anyway.  Your friends speak of trips to the Bahamas or Mexico and you can’t begin to afford that.  You feel like a penny, left on the sidewalk, waiting to be swept into the sewers.

    God sees you and knows that you are worth picking up.  God sent Jesus to rescue you, from the streets, even from the very sewer where you ended up.  Jesus reached down and picked you up and claimed you as his.  He claimed you as his own because he values you.  He was not too busy or too embarrassed to pick you up.  You have great value to him and you always will.  You have enough value that God sent his Son to die for you.  He will never abandon you or leave you to bear the pain of this world by yourself.  His love for you lifts you up and gives you peace.  He gives you hope.

Father, you sent Jesus to pick me up from the sorrows and pain of the sewers that was my fate but now I wait for his return so that I may have eternal life with him forever.  Guard me until that day.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.  

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret