11-2-2026

Good Morning!

         2 Samuel 12:13; “David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”

     In the early to mid-1970’s, there was a variety comedy show called “The Flip Wilson Show.”  He had many different characters that he would play in the sketches that they did.  One was when he would dress up as a woman, her name was Geraldine Jones.  She was flamboyant to say the least.  She would get into some sort of fix or trouble and her retort would always be, “the devil made me do it.”  If she was late getting home from a party, well the devil made me do it.  If she backed her car into somebody else’s, well the devil made me do it.

    It was kind of funny because for a while it was kind of a catch phrase for a lot of people.  In many ways it still is.  It is handy to say and it solves a lot of problems.  It also shows what is wrong in human society.  If something is wrong, it is not my fault.  The devil made me do it.  I had no control.  It was as if some force had taken control of my body and made me say those cruel things, made me steal those items, made me get drunk or high, after all, the devil made me do it.

    We like to blame the devil or anyone else for that matter.  It makes us the victim.  The victim is always the oppressed one who suffers at the hands of others.  The events that occur to a victim are beyond the control of the victim.  Someone who is robbed at gunpoint can do little to stop the perpetrator.  The victim is always at the mercy of circumstances and situations which are beyond his control.  He cannot stop it; he has no control; the devil made him do it.

    The problem with thinking we are the victim is that it is untrue.  The devil did not make me do it; I made a choice to sin.  I actively opted for sinning.  I decided which path to follow.  The devil may make suggestions but I choose the path.  Our answer is not what Geraldine Jones said, our answer is what David said, “I have sinned against the Lord.”  I did it, I made me do it not the devil.  My sin is my sin, I caused it, I did it.  It wasn’t someone else’s fault.  That other person didn’t make me sin, I sinned.  That other person didn’t make me do it, neither did the devil; I did it I chose to sin.  I chose because I am weak.  I chose because my sinful nature makes it impossible to choose otherwise.

    But God has mercy on us.  He says to us what Nathan said to David, “The Lord has put away your sin.”  God has taken your sin and forgives you.  This is the only way it will work.  We are too weak to fight it on our own, so God does it for us.  Now he gives us the power to say “no” to the devil.  Because of his grace the devil did not make me do it.  His grace will lead us away from sin if we follow.

Father of grace, I am before you as a broken sinner.  I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed.  But I find refuge in you and safety in your arms.  Protect and strengthen me from the devil’s attacks.  Be with those who are most vulnerable at this time.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,                                                          

Pastor Bret   

11-1-2026

Good Morning!

     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.”

      There once was a branch on an apple tree.  It always produced the largest, sweetest apples on the tree.  The apples were always plentiful and easy to reach.  One day a group of moths landed on the branch and began speaking to the branch.  The moths told the branch how important he was.  They told him that the tree would be nothing without him.  No other branch produced as good of fruit as he did.  (Meanwhile, the moths laid their eggs on the branch where it was hooked to the tree.)

    The branch began to think that it was very important.  The moths were right, it thought.  None of the other branches produced near the fruit that this branch did.  Without him this tree would not produce much fruit at all.  (Meanwhile, the eggs had hatched and the larvae were beginning to eat through the bark.)

    So, the branch began to demand that the tree listen to what it wanted.  It wanted to choose what other branches were part of the tree.  It wanted to decide which type of apple it produced.  It demanded to produce apples when it felt like it.  It wanted to go its own way.  It began to think that it didn’t need the tree.  After all, its fruit was the best of the tree.  (Meanwhile, the larvae had burrowed most of the way through the branch.)

    Soon the branch didn’t want to be with the tree.  It even wondered if the tree could possibly survive without the branch being attached.  Then one day a storm came along.  The wind blew harder than ever.  The tree stood tall and the other branches waved in the wind.  But the branch that had the best apples snapped and fell to the ground.   No big deal thought the branch; now we will see who needs who. 

    Soon the leaves on the branch began to wilt.  The apples that were on the branch began to rot.  The branch dried up and soon was tossed in the fireplace to heat the house in the cold of winter.  Meanwhile, the tree stood tall and strong. 

    In the spring, many different branches began to produce large and sweet apples.  The tree stood tall and the apples were sweet and large on all the branches.  The tree really didn’t need the branch but the branch became ash without the tree.

    We are the branch.  God feeds and gives us the nourishment to produce fruit.  Think of all the great things that God has given you.  Think of the talents and skills you have; all are gifts from God.  Without God, we are but something to be thrown into the fire.  We need to be connected to God just as the branch needs the tree.  His love and grace are our only hope.

Dearest Father, without you we are lost.  All that we have is from you.  Through you do we produce all the fruit that we have.  All that we are, all that we receive, all that there is, is a gift from your benevolent hand.  Guard us with your Spirit.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret