8-7-2026

Good Morning!

        Luke 12:7; “Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

        “Was it worth it?”  This question is often asked and not always in the best circumstances.  It often is asked by parents of children who get into trouble for something they did.  It is asked by teachers and coaches for the same reason.  Sometimes friends ask it as a way of conveying that there was a cost, perhaps a high cost, for some perceived benefit.  It may have been the breaking of a date with one person in order to go with another.  It might have been trying to take something we weren’t entitled to have.  Whatever the event, eventually the facts would come out and someone will inevitably ask that question; “Was it worth it?”

     Was it worth it?  There may have been times in your life when you asked that question of yourself.  Maybe you placed a great value on that promotion at work, that piece of land to own, that “extra” loving relationship.  Was it worth it?  Was the pain and suffering worth it?  In the long run, it never is.  Not only does it cause pain to those around us, but it can also destroy our self-image and our self-worth.  Sometimes events in the past can cause us to decide that it wasn’t worth it and now we aren’t worth it either.  We are at that point where we have no value to anyone, anywhere.  At least this is what the devil, the world and our own sinful nature wants you to feel like.  They want you to think that you are worthless so that any decision that you make from now on will be based on your own poor self-worth.

    Yet you are worth it.  God values you deeply.  He values you enough to send his Son to die for you in order to redeem you from the price of sin and to remove the guilt that the devil and the world can hold over you.  Jesus died for you; was it worth it?  It is according to God and his love.  You are worth it.  God values you enough to leave behind his glory and power to be born into a world of pain and poverty, to live and die as the payment for your sins, for your failures.  He rose from the dead and left the tomb empty as a sign that we will do the same someday.  All because God says you are worth it. 

    The devil and our sinful nature will try to keep you down; to try and drag up past failures to make you question your value, your value before God and your own personal value.  Yet never doubt how much God values you.  Never doubt how much God loves you.  Are you worth it?  The spread of arms of the loving Savior says so.

Gracious God, to you alone belong all glory and honor.  We give you thanks for the blessings of today.  We give you thanks for the value that you place on us.  Help us to know this value and to hold that value for ourselves and for each other.  Help us to lift up our brothers and sisters through your grace and mercy.  Use us to show the world just how much you truly value your children.  Move us to bring others to the knowledge of the value you place on them.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

8-6-2026

Good Morning!

     Romans 9:16; “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”

   We like things that we can count on, that are dependable.  You may be someone who relies on your cell phone.  It has all your important upcoming dates on it, it may have notes for grocery shopping, you may use it to record portions of a meeting or a class, you may use it for all your reference information using the search part of it for all the information you may need.  We rely on it almost entirely but we understand that there are limits.  There are places where we do not get a good signal so our phone doesn’t work or perhaps the battery is dead so it can’t be turned on.  We rely on our phone; we even depend on it but there are times when we know it won’t work.

    Most of us realize that we can depend on someone only up to a point and after that we cannot depend on them.  We can depend on the mail, or FedEx, or UPS, unless the weather is horrible somewhere in the shipping channel.  I won’t be late for an appointment; unless I have a flat tire or am delayed by a train.  Most of us realize that reliability is still only a percentage of the time.  It might be as high as 90-95% of the time but there still is a point where we can no longer depend on the other person.

   So, we often feel that, at some point, we need to rely on our own skill and wit.  This can be a source of fear and worry; what if we can’t provide the rest of the material or strength of idea that is needed?  This is what can keep us from sleeping at night this is what can cause us to worry about tomorrow; who can we depend on at times like this?

    It is at times like this that we need to remember that our salvation, our hope, and our comfort depend on God, wholly and completely.  We can rely on his wondrous grace and mercy at all times and in all conditions.  There is nothing that can ever stand in the way of God’s love for you.  There is nothing that can prevent God from giving his grace to you.  There are no weather problems, there are no reception troubles, there are no flat tires or road obstructions; nothing can prevent God’s mercy to you.

    This is because God’s mercy, poured out on you, depends on God and not on you.  God’s love for you is the result of his loving nature and his desire to love you.  It does not depend upon your actions or words.  It does not depend upon how much you give to the church or how often you attend.  It depends upon God and the love that he has promised you.  We do not deserve God’s love but we always receive it.  Trust in that love to sustain you and to give you peace.

Father, your grace for us carries us through all we need.  Your grace supplies our comfort in times of trial and in times of sorrow.  Your grace gives us hope.  Keep us safe in your loving arms.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

8-5-2026

Good Morning!

              Isaiah 64: 6a; “We’ve all become unclean, and all our righteous acts are like permanently stained rags.”

          “The opposite sides of the same coin;” I use this phrase fairly often.  I find that for most people; their greatest character strength is also one of the character weaknesses.  For example, someone who views themselves as a person who takes charge and makes decisions quickly may struggle when asked to follow directions or to serve in a subordinate role.  A person who likes to look at the “big picture” often struggles when trying to deal with the details of the situation.  The phrase “the opposite sides of the same coin” usually describes two truths that are more closely related than we may think.

     Our verse tells us that none of our “righteous acts” can ever impress God.  Nothing we do, no matter how many times you go to church services, no matter how many times you read the Bible, no matter how many prayers you have said, no matter how much money you have given to the church; none of these events impress God.  There is no number of homeless people that you have given food or shelter to that has God impressed by your actions.  The hours you spent in the food kitchen do not raise God’s perception of you.  The kindness you show to strangers, the honor and respect you show to your elders, the generosity that you show to people who can never repay you; none of these make God sit up and think, “There is a great person.”

    There are a lot of people who get depressed when they see this.  Deep down, we want God to be impressed when we tell him, “What a good boy am I.”  When we think that God doesn’t give us a little star by our name when we perform one of these actions, it can be kind of a letdown.  Yet the beauty here is that, more often than not, we live on the opposite side of the same coin.

    It is true that God doesn’t pat you on the back for the number of times you went to church; he also doesn’t hold it against you when you slept in because you stayed up too late the night before.  He doesn’t think more of you when you stop and help the homeless but he also doesn’t think less of you when you don’t stop.  We don’t gain God’s favor by being good but the much better news is that we don’t lose God’s favor when we fail to be good.  God’s grace is poured out upon us for one reason- God loves you. 

   So why bother doing good things if these things don’t impress God?  First and foremost, these good things for others are a wonderful response to God’s love.  Secondly, we never know when the Holy Spirit will use one of those times to move the heart of the person you helped.  Thirdly, God calls us to be the light to the world, to show them what God’s love looks like.  Think about how much God loves you then try and do that for your neighbor.

Father of all mercy, I am thankful that you do not hold my failures against me.  I thank you that your love depends on you and not on me.  Help me to respond to your love by showing love to my neighbor.  Help me to share your grace with those around me.  Lead me to those who are in most need of your loving and peaceful Spirit.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret         

8-4-2026

Good Morning!

              Hebrews 6:19; “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,”

      A few days ago, I was watching one of the old swashbuckling movies about a pirate who really wasn’t a pirate.  He was really a member of the English navy who had attacked some Spanish ships but it turned out that England and Spain were no longer at war so he was branded a pirate.  He was trying to get to England to clear his name.  During a key moment in the movie, our hero ties himself to the deck of the ship so he could steer the ship during a huge storm.  He had them tie him to supports for the steering system and then fastened a rope to the floor and then a chain was attached to his leg and it was fastened to the ship.  In the end he made it through the storm and guided the ship through the dangerous shoals.

    I don’t know if you have ever faced a time in your life when the wind and the rain and the huge waves of life are buffeting you about but if you have; you know the feeling of hopelessness.  There are few feelings in this world that leave us as empty and as lost as feeling that we have no hope.  There is no greater sense of loss.  There is no greater sense of being completely isolated and alone than when we feel a situation is hopeless.  It can be a job that disappears, it can be a relationship that is crumbling, it can be health issues that are overwhelming us, it can be a summer of no rain; there are many ways to experience hopelessness but there is only one way to have hope.

   The writer of the Book of Hebrews uses this logic for our hope.  God made a promise to Abraham and God took an oath upon himself to keep that promise.  Now we know that God is unchangeable so any promise that he makes; he keeps.  He made a promise to Noah, He made a promise to Abraham and he made a promise to you.  The promise to you was that of eternal salvation with him.  It is also a promise of love right now.  We don’t have to wait until we die for God’s promise to give us comfort, to give us hope.

    We can, and should, tie our self to God’s promise.  We can anchor our self in God’s perfect grace, his promised mercy to us, and his amazing love to give us hope.  No matter what we face, no matter what we fear, God’s perfect promise is there for us.  We are never alone and our life is never hopeless.  God has promised to care for you as a Father cares for his children.  His love for you knows no bounds.  His love for you has no limits.  We can always turn to this promise; we can cling to this promise; we can rely on this promise to give us his grace and mercy.  God’s promise will never fail you; it never has and it never will.

Father of all hope; help us to keep our anchor in you.  Help us to keep our hope secure.  Though the world and the devil attack us, keep us attached to you.  Be with those who are fighting the battles of life, especially those who feel that they are losing the battle, give them the hope of your sacred promise and give them comfort and peace.  Give them your loving and precious peace.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret    

8-3-2026

 Good Morning!

     Joel 2:27; “You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.  And my people shall never again be put to shame.”

      While watching a few tournaments and series over these last few weeks, I was intrigued by the number of times the success or failure of a team was deemed to be with one player.  The announcers would go on and on about how this player or that player was hurt so the success of this team was certainly hindered by the absence of the player.  The announcers were convinced that without this player in the midst; the team would most likely lose.  Sometimes they would almost wax poetic about how the team would have certainly won if that one certain player had played.

    If you want to insure victory, it is important to have a champion.  It is important to have the one who will bring about certain victory.  This champion must always be in the game for without him victory will never be grasped.  The sweet taste of victory can be ours if we have that one great champion in our midst.  As long as this champion is in our midst, fighting for us, we will never be ashamed.

    At the time that our verse was written, the Israelites were suffering from humiliation and defeat.  There lands were taken; their crops were taken or destroyed.   They were a defeated people but God had not forgotten them.  In their misery, God did not leave them to simply twist in the wind.  He sent the champion to free them from their oppressors.  He does the same for us.  He sent Jesus to be our champion.

    We were being humiliated by the devil and the world and our sinful nature.  This evil group set out to torment us, to leave us in as much pain as possible.  This group was entertained by our suffering and we are unable to defeat this group on our own.  So, God sent Jesus to be our champion.  God sent Jesus to guarantee our victory in this fight.  God sent Jesus so that we would never have to suffer the humiliation or the torment of the devil again.  We have the sweet taste of victory because of Jesus and the victory that he gives us over sin, death, and the power of the devil.

    The only tools that the devil has left in his arsenal are the lies that he tells us in order to deceive us.  He can only whisper his lies in order to cause us to doubt.  That is all he really has, lies, and doubts.  God has given us the victory over the devil.  God has given us the promise of eternal life.  We have the great champion Jesus to insure our victory.  We will never be put to shame.

Gracious Father, because of your great love we have the victory over the devil and death.  These no longer hold us for we are in your hands.  You give us the blessings of this life and the promise of a greater tomorrow.  Be with those who are in pain at this time.  Give them the comfort of your Spirit that they may know the certainty of your presence in their midst.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret     

8-2-2026

Good Morning!

              Luke 15:8; “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?”

      It happens almost every Christmas.  Grandma or Grandpa is generous to the grandkids. But they are hard to shop for, so they just give them cash. Every year, when the unwrapping is done and all the paper is gathered up and in the garbage bag, someone panics.  Someone is missing the money from Grandma.  The frightened party changes from year to year but the expression is the same, sheer panic.  Soon everything is turned upside down.  All of the garbage bags are dumped out and gone through carefully.  We go through every piece, until someone excitedly shouts, “I found it!” Another Christmas is salvaged.

    Perhaps you have done this as well.  Most of us have.  We have misplaced or lost something of value or of importance so we scour the place, we empty trash bags, turn pockets inside out, dump drawers; we search until we find it.  The greater the value, the harder we search.  If it holds some sentimental value, like a keepsake, we will go to all lengths to find it and retrieve the item.

    Our verse speaks of such a situation.  The coins here probably refer to the marriage headdress that a woman would wear.  So, in essence, this woman has lost her wedding ring.  She was desperate to find it.  So, she swept her house until she found it.  She would have gone to any lengths to find it and she would have been ecstatic when she found it.

    This verse also describes the search that God does for his lost children.  He will overturn every drawer, empty every garbage bag, sweep every speck up to find you and to claim you as his child.  He sent Jesus to pay the way and then he began the search for you.  He looks every place that you hide.  He looks in every corner that there is.  He knows your pain and your fear and he seeks you out.  He will not stop until he finds you because you are of such great value to him.

    God loves you so much that nothing will deter him from seeking after you.  No matter how many times you get yourself “lost” God will keep looking for you.  He seeks you out and calls you back.  He looks in all the places where we fall.  He looks in the painful times and in the sorrowful times to seek you out, to pick you up and to place you back on your path.  No matter how lost or dirty or how much self-destruction that you have caused; God never stops loving you and looking for you and cleaning until he finds you.  You are more precious than jewels to him.  His love never ends.

God of all mercy, we are often lost and harmed.  We inflict upon ourselves much pain and sorrow.  We hurt others, we deny you and we make a mess of our life.  By your mercy, restore us we pray.  Be with those who do not believe that you seek them out.  There are none so lost that you do not constantly seek them.  Bring them to the full knowledge of your mercy.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret 

8-1-2026

Good Morning!

    1 Corinthians 1: 21; “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”

     I think most people have one.  Most of us have that one friend that, for whatever reason, makes us smile.  Whenever we see him, our hearts are lifted and our day is brightened.  This friend can usually elicit a smile if not a total laugh from us.  This friend always seems to have an aura of lightheartedness about them.  They seem to lift us from the doldrums upon their appearance.  Which leads to my question; do we have a playful God?

    As I look back over the years, I am always amazed at how someone would come along at just the right moment to restore my spirit.  It might have been a phone call or a letter; it might have been an email or even a real in the flesh moment when someone near and dear or even someone seldom known would help to lift me up would.  As you think of that, think back to your own life and how often someone comes along to offer a lift to our mood or spirit.  Perhaps, if we are truly honest and observant, there were times when we didn’t want to have our spirits lifted and we brushed off the attempt.

    It is somewhat of a sad truth in that many times we would rather stay in our sorrows and doldrums than be lifted out of them.  We would rather wallow in self-pity rather than enjoy God’s gracious world.  The devil will feed into this and so do some of those who like to aid him.  Yet God offers us something better. He offers us some joy and contentment when the world and the devil want us to be sorrowful.

    The devil and the world will always try to use complicated ways to bring you down.  They will always try and tie all the pain together into one long chain and then fasten that chain to you in order to bring you down and to cast a pall over your life.  Yet God offers us a different way and, sometimes, he delivers it through a smile or a joke or a kind word from a friend.  God uses the beauty of a sunrise or sunset in order to provide us with a sense of peace.

    So, God takes the simplicity of his creation, a smile, or a kind word to overcome the confusion and anger that the devil tries to cause.  The more confusion that the devil can cause; the more he likes it.  This draws more people down, causes sadness and sorrow.  This gives the devil what he wants, gloom, doom, pain, and suffering.  Yet God comes to us with the simple laugh of a child or a smile from a friend to give us a lift of joy in this world.

    We can receive this gift from God because it is built on his eternal truth; nothing can separate us form his love.  Nothing can pull us out of his loving hands.  There is nothing on this earth, above or below it that can pull us from God’s incredible love.  Because this is true, God does not need the complex because the simple is so true.   Through all this the devil gets more and more complicated to deceive you; maybe God is playful after all.

Father, you lift me up with the simple joys of life.  Guard and protect me from the devil that I might always enjoy the life you give me.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret       

7-31-2026

Good Morning!

    Romans 8: 26; “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

       I was watching the news the other day.  One of the stories was of a set of parents whose teenaged daughter had gone to school and did not come home.  They were anguished with the details.  They were pretty sure that she had run away.  They thought that she was in trouble somehow and had fled.  She may have been in the company of a man twice her age.  The pain in their eyes, in their voice and even in their posture as the stood and talked to the news reporter was evident.  They leaned on each other, wondering and suffering.

    There are times when we see this.  It often occurs when something happens that we simply cannot comprehend.  I hear it in the voice of those whose loved ones are suffering and the doctor’s prognosis is not good.  I hear it in the voice of those whose loved ones have laid suffering for years and yet are not called home.  I hear it in the voice of the person whose spouse just walked away without even a goodbye or an explanation.  I hear it in the voice of children who feel unloved.  We see the pain, the suffering, and the confusion.

    How do we approach this?  How do we offer comfort?  How do we receive comfort?  Many question this.  Where is our comfort?  We know that our comfort, our only comfort, and hope is Jesus.  We know that Jesus is our hope far more than just offering it or providing it; Jesus is our hope.  He is our only hope but when we suffer, how do we access that hope?

    Scriptures tells us to “stay in the Word.”  We do this by prayer and by the reading/hearing God’s Word.  Yet, if we are like the parents looking for their daughter, what do we ask?  Probably the best thing to ask for is God’s peace.  We may not know where to turn but we know that we are in turmoil and what we need is for that turmoil to end.  It ends where God’s peace begins.  It begins when we see that, as God’s children, we remain his beloved family.

    The God who loves you like that will never close His ear or turn His head.  He mourns alongside you and laughs with your joy.   He seeks to enfold you and those whom you love, even when you have wandered away.  He loves you in a way beyond what we will never understand and He will answer your cries. Even as we cry, maybe without even knowing what or how to cry, God hears our spirit and our heart.  He hears your sorrow and sends you his peace.  It may be painful but it will not last forever; only God’s love lasts forever.

Father, there are so many times when I do not know what or how to pray; yet you hear me.  You send your Spirit to comfort me.  You send your Spirit to bring me peace.  It is your peace that I need and it is your peace that I desire.  Be with those who are especially troubled in their heart and in their life.  Send them your Spirit we pray.  Give them and to all your healing.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

7-30-2026

Good Morning!

       Mark 16:6; “And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.”

    There was a small group gathered at one of the local assisted living centers. The “birthday boy” had turned 101 years-old and they were celebrating. He was still very active and enjoyed playing cards with anyone who would play. (I didn’t, he played for blood!). Everyone was asking him about all the changes that he had witnessed in his lifetime. He witnessed many events and changes. He witnessed a world war (served in it, Thank you sir!) many “conflicts. He grew up during the Great Depression.

    He experienced 18 presidents, and 24 South Dakota governors. He witnessed the TVA, the CCC, and the growth of Social Security. The rural electrification and the coming of the telephone, the computer, international flights, the space program with a man walking on the moon and the birth of 5 children, 18 grandchildren, 45 great grandchildren, and 7 great, great grandchildren. So, some of the staff were trying to get him to tell them about the greatest event. He said that is easy, “the greatest event that I have ever experienced was the Resurrection of Jesus! That changed me forever!”

    I have to confess, I didn’t see that coming; but after he said it, I should have known. He is a man of unshakable faith. The real amazement came from some of the staff. To them, church was something “you did.” You checked off the box that said, “I went to church, I am good for this week.” He lives it, every day. He clings to his faith; he breathes his faith, and his faith lives and breathes in him. He will interact with the staff and the other residents, and his faith will show. He is fully confident that Jesus is risen from the dead and now lives and reigns to all eternity.

    Christ is risen!! He is risen indeed!! Does that cry speak of a whole new world to you? It should!! Jesus conquered sin, death, and the devil. He paid for our sins so that we would not have to pay. He opened the door of heaven to all believers. We no longer need to fear death. It is now only a door, or a good nap. One day, God will awaken everyone from this nap, and we will enter into his eternal perfect creation to live with Him for eternity. Our whole way of looking at the world should be completely different because of this phrase. The collusion of the sinfulness of this world, our own sinfulness, our own guilt, and fears do not need to dry us to despair. In all things, Christ is the victor, and we are more than conquerors through Him. Jesus came to give us life; let us go forth in the peace of the Lord!

Gracious Lord and Savior, on this day you opened the door of your most gracious kingdom to all believers. Give us the joy of your salvation. Lead us to proclaim your saving name to all the world that all may know your love. Defend us, protect us, and keep us under your sheltering wings until the day of your glorious return and our entry into your eternal kingdom. Through Jesus, our risen and reigning KING, AMEN!

God’s Peace!!

Pastor Bret

7-29-2026

Good Morning!

               Isaiah 40:8; “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

       I admit it. At a very certain and basic level I am a cynical, skeptical pessimist.  This is especially true with almost any guarantee that comes with a product that I purchase.  I feel a little sorry for the poor salesperson who tries to sell me the “extended warranty.”  If they ask me if I want it, I say “no, thank you.”  If the salesperson is smart enough to let it go everything will be fine but it never takes long if they keep trying to sell me the “you simply can’t live without this warranty;” I start to get a little growly.  One time, I didn’t buy the product I took up to the sales counter because the gal won’t take no for an answer when asking about the warranty.

    I didn’t used to be such a cynical, skeptical pessimist.  I used to follow the rules.  I kept the sales receipt.  I kept the original box.  I sent in the paperwork.  Yet after a few fails, I could never remember where I put the box or where the sales receipt.  A couple of times, the company went out of business.  A couple of times, the store where I bought it went out of business and there was no way to return it to the “point of purchase.” A couple of times, the salesman never stopped again to make sure everything was working right.  It took a few times of the “lifetime warranty” to fall through that I stop believing in guarantees.

    This is part of what our verse is telling us.  The verse before this tells us that people are like the grass.  People fade away.  The promises, the guarantees, the “absolute certainties” that many a man claims to speak or possess tend to fade away.  We see that all around us.  Are eggs healthy or unhealthy this week?  Is coffee healthy or unhealthy this time around?  When I was in high school in the mid 1970’s, scientists told us we were entering the next ice age; we were experiencing global cooling; now we have global warming.  They may be right or they may be wrong but I am not going to get too excited because they will certainly change.

    Man’s thoughts may be correct or incorrect but God’s Word stands the firm forever.  God’s Word never fails.  Through His Word, God promises and delivers to us eternal life.  He promises and delivers to come into our life and to bring to us healing.  He promises and delivers to bring about the restoration of his creation to perfect completion.  We are his people; we are safe within his loving embrace.  God’s Word is forever; we can trust that to be true.  God has always kept his promises and he always will.

Father of all mercy, you alone stand forever.  You alone are the only truth as all others wither away.  Your Word stands forever.  In it we have hope.  We ask that you guard and protect those who are listening to the false promises of this world and are confused and lost.  Bring them safely back into your loving kingdom.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

7-28-2026

Good Morning!

  1 John 4:18; “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

       I remember as a kid I would stay up late on Friday nights and watch the old movies that used to come on after the 10:00 local news.  They were usually from the 1950’s and earlier; a lot of times they were black and white.  Once in a while they would be foreign.  This was my first experience with the mouths moving but not matching the words.  There were a variety of movie types.

    One that I vividly remember starred Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing.  It was entitled “Scream and Scream Again.”  I sat there and watched the whole thing and then sat in my bedroom with the light on all night.  That was one of the scariest movies that I have ever watched.  I still think the old movies are scarier than the new ones.  The old ones relied on camera angles, careful editing, and solid acting.  Today it relies on computer graphics and effects.  Yet as I watched that old Vincent Price movie; I was very afraid.

     There may be different times when you were very afraid and did not have anything to do with a movie.  Sometimes the most fearful events occur in real life; events that can cause us to leave a light on all night and to sit in fear.  It might be a sudden illness or a sudden death.  It might be a prolonged illness.  It might be a loss of a job.  For some it is actually a stretch of time where their life is going fairly smoothly.  These folks are just waiting for life to turn against them.  We live in fear and we live in fear because we fear punishment.  We fear punishment for sins we have committed.  We know these sins and the devil knows these sins and he reminds us of them any chance he gets.  We live in fear.

    Yet Jesus came to remove the fear.  Jesus came as God’s perfect love faced all the challenges that we face, even facing down the devil and death itself with God’s perfect love.  In that perfect love, whole and complete, God displayed that perfect love by giving the victory that Jesus earned over death and the devil to us.  He gives us the victory and along with that he gives us love and peace.

    Yet since we are not yet perfect, we still experience bouts of fear.  We still fear even when we know that we have nothing to fear.  When this fear occurs, we can only look to God, clinging solely and totally to his grace.  When we cling to God, through faith, we trust his perfect love to conquer our fears.  It is what we have and it is all we need.  Our imperfect love will fail but thanks be to God that he gives to us the victory.

Father, when my fears arise, lead me to look only unto you.  Guide me by your Spirit to rely on you.  Be with those who are in fear right now.  Calm their fears, give them peace.  Lead them into your wondrous light.  This we ask in the precious name of Jesus our risen Lord, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

7-27-2026

Good Morning!

             Luke 17:5; “The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

           A number of years ago, I coached kid baseball.  I really enjoyed working with the kids and trying to get them to have some level of success when they played the game.  When they were quite young, the 5- and 6-year-olds, they were easily encouraged.  I remember one young guy who tried to catch a pop fly.  He ran in about 5 steps and the ball landed about 15 feet behind where he started from.  He had a dejected look and I told him he made a good try and he would catch the next one.  He smiled and said he would.  Yet as the players got older, it got tougher to convince them.  One of the greatest principles that I coached with was the idea that you have to have faith in yourself.  If you believe you will fail then you probably will.  You need to believe in your skill to have a chance.  Most of the players came to understand this but some never believed in themselves.  In some ways, our faith life works the same way.

    Doubt attacks us in many ways.  One way is that doubt can feed our own selfishness.  Faith requires that we trust others, in this case we must trust God, by doubting, we make ourselves the only one we trust even when we know we are too weak.  This is part of the devil’s deception and part of our sinful nature causing us to look inward and not outward.

    Doubting becomes easy especially if we neglect listening to God and his Word.  Even a few days away can allow the devil to ask, “did God really say?” and we are left wondering, doubting what we know to be true.  These doubts continue to feed our inward-looking curve; and our doubt grows and our faith weakens.

    Yet what is almost the most devastating thing is that doubting can be contagious.  As those around us doubt, we begin to question as well.  If the person beside us has doubts, it can cause us to think that we may be wrong and cause us to lose confidence.  It can cause us to lose faith.  Doubt is easily one of the devil’s favorite tools.  It is equal to envy and greed.  It feeds our selfishness and weakens our trust in God’s promises.

    This is why we need to cry to our Lord, “Increase my faith!”  We need to constantly renew our listening to his promises.  We need to constantly recharge our faith by reading his Words pf grace, hearing his Word spoken to us and through the regular reception of his sacrament.  God gives us the tools to strengthen the faith he gives us and we must use them.  Doubt is a powerful tool that the devil loves to use but it cannot overcome the wonders of God’s incredible grace.  Even as we doubt God’s mercy is actively seeking us to come back to him and trust his promise to protect us and to never abandon us.  Our faith will strengthen as long as we always remember that God is greater than any battle and stronger than any doubt we may have.  Just keep praying for an increase in faith.

Father, build our faith.  Strengthen us by your Spirit and remove our doubt.  Guard us with your mercy.  Send your Spirit of hope to those who struggle with doubt and fear.  Bring them home to your loving arms where they may be safe and at peace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret         

7-26-2026

Good Morning!

   Isaiah 41:9; “you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off.”

       “Mr. Irrelevant.” This is the title they give to the very last person selected in the NFL draft.  The 256^th player drafted to play in the NFL.  You get the impression that the janitor is sweeping the floor; the lights are being shut off; they are taking down the signs; the reporters are gone except for the one who fell asleep in the back; the draft is over except for this last pick.  This guy rarely lasts more than a couple of weeks and then he is cut from the team.  He only gets picked because this is the number of picks that are made.  The first 100 or so picks will all get a good opportunity to play professional football but this guy usually goes home to his normal job.  He will always have a little memory of the chance to play but the reality is that he is not good enough to play.

    That is how the devil wants you to think of yourself; as “Mr. Irrelevant.”  First, he wants you to think that you are not even close to being good enough for salvation and, if you have a shot at all, it won’t last.  As soon as God knows you, he will cut you from the team.  The devil wants you to always think of past mistakes and past failures.  The devil wants you to think “if God knows how bad I really am; he’ll kick me out tomorrow.”  The devil wants you to think that your only chance is to hide from God and be left alone.  The devil wants to lead or drive you to the ends of the earth, to get away from God.  The devil wants you to run and to never stop running, looking for some place to hide.

    Yet God does not view you as “Mr. Irrelevant.”  God chose you and he will not cast you off. 

He sent Jesus, born as a man to live the life of a man.  He ate, he drank, he slept, he felt sadness, he knew pain and sorrow.  Jesus knows every fear, pain, sorrow, disappointment, or rejection that you have ever experienced.  He knows your life but more importantly he knows your heart.  He places his Spirit in you so that you may desire Him; that you may desire to follow God’s will.  He forgives your sin and forgets your past so that you may live in his holy and loving presence.

    You will never be irrelevant to God.  You are the one who Jesus came to earth to redeem from sin, death, and the tyranny of the devil.  God chose you; it was no accident or mistake; God chose you because he loves you.  He chose you and because of his constant grace, he will never abandon you.  He will never leave you to face the devil by yourself.  You never need to face your fears, your sorrows, your pain by yourself.  You are important to God.  Trust his love and mercy; it is always there for you to give you hope.

Gracious Father, your mercies are new every day.  You lift me up from the pit to live with you in your loving arms.  Protect me from the devil and his assaults.  Keep me safe in the shadow of your wings.  We ask that you defend all those who are under attack at this time.  Keep them secure in the certainty of your grace.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret   

7-25-2026

Good Morning!

   Matthew 7:3; “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

    I remember a time in college when my roommate and I were not getting along very well.  I didn’t really know what was going on.  All of a sudden, he was really grumpy.  Every morning, I would get up and get ready for class.  Now it was an 8:00 am class but I would roll out of bed and down the hall to the showers.  I would take my clothes and dress there and only return to the room to get my books and coat and leave my towel.  I had done the same thing the semester before and it didn’t faze him but now, he was grumpy.  I remember going to class and wondering what his problem was.  I thought maybe he was spending too much time downtown at the local establishments, getting in too late and maybe this was his problem.

    I kept wondering how I would deal with this issue.  I liked the guy I had for a roommate.  He was funny and friendly.  He didn’t demand anything; he was a “live and let live” kind of guy.  All of a sudden, he wasn’t.  Maybe he had some disease or was going through some traumatic life altering event.  Whatever the problem was, it had to be his; I couldn’t think of anything that was different this semester from the last semester.  I can remember praying that God would fix him so everything would be right.

   One day, I was doing some reading so I decided to make some coffee.  I filled and plugged in my percolator.  It soon started doing its thing.  GURGLE, GURGLE, SWOOSH!!  GURGLE, GURGLE, SWOOSH!  My roommate walked in just as it was going.  I said, “Man that thing is sure noisy.”  He said, “yeah, every morning.”  I then realized I would often start the coffee maker, go to the shower, and then come back and take a cup of coffee to class.  It perked while I was gone but he was trying to sleep.  He didn’t need to change; I did. 

    There are many times when we seem to be at odds with our spouse, family, friends, or co-workers.  We are quick to ask God to “change them and fix their mistakes so things can get back to normal.”  We may even think that they may be beyond hope.  Yet how often do we try and see it from their point of view?  We are quick to place the blame on someone, anyone, but on our own actions.   Yet deep down, we know that we are all sinful and that we probably play a part in the friction.

  So, God invites us to pray and to repent.  He then calls us to go to our brother and to fix the problem.  Even before we worship him at his holy altar, God calls us to reconcile with our brother.  To God, healing this relationship is that important; that God would have us wait in our worship until we have healed the rupture. 

Father of grace, lead me to see that failures in relationships can only be healed by your love and grace.  Guide me to apply your grace to those around me, especially to those whom I have offended and hurt.  Lead us to forgive those hurts and to let them go.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret      

7-24-2026

Good Morning!

               1Timothy 2:1; “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.”

      I remember visiting with one of the area school superintendents a few years back and offering my empathy to him for one of the toughest tasks that he has; deciding whether to cancel school because of the weather, start school late because of the weather or just go as scheduled.  This is one of the “no-win” situations.  Someone will always think the decision you made was wrong.  Of course, some of this “wisdom” gets offered after the fact.  They may see that the forecast was wrong and that, later in the afternoon, the decision to call off school, made at 6:00 am, was premature.  I would not want that job.

   I started to think of other jobs that I am not sure I would want.  I remember a local fire chief who said how much he hated accident calls at 8:00 am.  “It is highly possible to be a school kid driving to school and that I will know them.”  He didn’t like those prospects and I don’t know that I would either.  I thought of the young nurses’ aides who work long and thankless hours in our nursing homes and hospitals; I don’t know if I could do that job.  I thought of someone who answers suicide prevention hotlines and the pressure on them to have the right answer at the spur of a moment.

    There are a lot of jobs out there that I don’t think I could handle.  There are some very stressful jobs; jobs that require decisions that can, and often do, impact hundreds to thousands to millions of people.  I don’t think I would enjoy that job.  There are jobs that are very dangerous but very necessary for the general safety of society; we need them but I am thankful I don’t have to do them.  That is what I was thinking when I opened my bible and found this verse.

   “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.” When you think of those jobs and tasks that need to be done but that you just don’t think you could ever do them; pray for those individuals who do them.  Pray for those people to whom God has given the vocations that you and I would not like to do.  Some are dangerous, some are stressful, some are emotional draining and taxing but all are jobs that I am thankful that I do not have to perform.  I am thankful that God enables someone to do these tasks and we should all pray for them.  We should pray that God will send his Spirit to help them withstand the stress and the strain that these jobs can exert on someone’s life, relationships, health, and general wellbeing. 

   I remember was wag saying that he prays for our elected leaders; twice as hard for those he didn’t vote for.  Perhaps, when we see a job or task being performed that we are thankful we aren’t performing; we should say an extra prayer of thanks for the ones who do.

Father, thank you for all those people who do the tasks that I cannot.  Keep them safe, keep them strong under the stress, keep them in your loving arms as they serve as your hands in this world.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

7-23-2026

Good Morning!

     Psalm 9:2; “I will give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart.   I will tell about all the miracles you have done.”

 

                                   “I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,
                                      To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.”

 

     This is the chorus from an old and familiar hymn.  The hymn is based on a two-part poem by Katherine Hankey.  The first part of the poem has the author asking for “the story” because of the sadness and the pain that she feels.  In the longer second part the entire story of the Bible is unfolded; from Adam and Eve all the way through our eternal life in with Jesus.  The poem was written while the author was recovering from an illness. 

     The hymn “I love to tell the Story” is a favorite of many.  Yet it leaves open the question, do we?  Do we love to tell the story?  Do we truly enjoy sharing the story of God’s love with those around us?  Many do but many don’t as well.  Yet the telling of the story is one of our great tasks, and joys, in this life.  Scripture tells us that “faith comes by hearing;” if we are going to hear someone has to tell.  This is the way that God has chosen for his wonderful message of hope and salvation to be spread from one to another.  He wants you to tell someone; just like someone told you.  That is how your faith began.

   Someone told you the story of Jesus and his wonderful love for you.  This story unfolds throughout the entire Bible as God reveals himself to us.  This story is about how God’s mercy unfolds in your life and how God is restoring you and bringing you healing in this broken and sinful world.  These are the miracles that you can share with others.  These are your stories so tell them.  They may not seem as incredible or dramatic as some but God works in your life in many ways usually subtle and quietly.

    Yet the amazing and loving events of your life, the events which we give thanks to God for; these events show us his grace poured out upon us.  We give thanks for those people in our life who love us and care for us.  We give thanks for the guarantee of salvation and the hope and peace which that gives us.  We give thanks for our redemption and return to God’s family.  There are many things to give thanks to God for.

    Yet an important part of thanks is telling others.  Telling others of God’s mercy in our lives; this is part of giving thanks; the expressing of God’s incredible grace which abounds in our life.  I love to tell the story of Jesus and his love.

    Father of all mercy and grace; stir up in us the desire to tell others of your love.  Stir up in us the love of telling those around us of your mercy and grace.  Send your Spirit to move those who hear us to come to faith in you.  This we ask in the precious name of Jesus our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret