4-16-2022

 Good Morning All,

    Matthew 14:29; “He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus”.

    It has been a little chilly these past few days. So, in order to “feel better” I have been watching videos of summertime events, things like picnics, barbequing, and spending time at the lake. In this world there are two kinds of people, floaters, and sinkers. There are those people who go into water and can swim almost from the time that they are born. Then there are the people like me; those of us who sink straight to the bottom. Trust me I know this; I’ve done it a time or two and was fortunate to have someone there to bail me out of some serious trouble. Floating is impossible for me; sinking is really easy.

   That is part of the reason that this verse fascinates me. Here we have Peter just getting out of the boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee has an average depth of 85 feet, so some places a little deeper some places a little shallower.  Peter just got out of the boat. Yeah, he sunk like a rock, but he got out as Jesus called to him to do so.  Peter got out of the boat.

    How about you, when Jesus calls, do you “get out of the boat?”  Most of us are “safe Christians.”  We go to church; we put money in the collection plate. We take our turn at teaching Sunday School or being elder or treasurer. We take food to the potluck and buy from the kids for the fundraisers. We are safe in our boat. We are safe in our life. So what happens when Jesus calls to you, “come, get out of the boat?” How do we respond? Often times we try and deflect it. After all, there are people who are trained for that or paid for that or at least are better skilled at that than I am. I can’t talk to my neighbor or with the people I work with; what will they say?

   Our problem, our fear is the same as Peter’s was. Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and looked at the storm. We do the same thing. We look at the world, at its opinions and we listen to those who scoff and attack our faith and we can’t even get out of the boat. We keep our faith squirrelled away, safe, and quiet. Yet Jesus keeps calling you to get out of the boat.

    We always need to remember that Jesus is always greater than any wave in our life and he won’t give us a task that he hasn’t already made a path through it for us. Our only need is to trust. We need to have faith that God will give us the power to move through our challenges. God gives us the strength to get out of the boat; to leave the old behind and walk with him in faith into and through the struggles of this life. We can trust God to get us out of the boat safely and securely in his arms.

Dearest Father, too often we like the safety of the boat, and we miss the walk with you. Give us the courage to follow you and to live the life that you have laid out for us. Give us the joy that comes from trusting you. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

4-15-2022

  Good Morning All,

        Job 33:28; “He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.”

     There once was a man who had bought a puppy. He truly loved the little pup but one day the puppy got outside and ran away. The man searched and searched for the puppy but couldn’t find it. He was desperate but had no luck. Soon he thought he would never see his puppy again.

    A couple of years later, he saw a man with a dog that looked like his would. He watched as the man kicked and beat the dog. He went to the man and asked him why he treated the dog so poorly. The man replied, “It’s my dog and I’ll do what I like with it.”  The first man bent down to look at the dog and saw the dog tag on the collar and immediately saw that it was the puppy that ran away. He looked up and asked him, “How much do you want?”  “$1000”, was the reply. So the first man gave him all his cash, his watch and his computer and took the dog and walked away.

     In many ways, you and I are like that little dog. We ran away from God. We ran from the loving relationship that he had with us, and we took off and never looked back. Soon we found out that it is a cruel world out there. This new master wasn’t kind at all.  He was incredibly cruel. Often times we were near death but survived only to be abused again. Our future existence was extremely bleak.

    Then one day a kind man came and bought us for a ridiculous amount of money. The truly amazing part is that he already owned us, but he bought us back anyway. He did this just so we would know how much he loves us. He bought us away from that horrible owner, away from the pit that our life was. He brought us home and cleaned us up and fed us. He did this all out of love for us.

    So now we have a new life. A new life that is really our first life; a life living with our loving Father. We are in his kingdom; protected by his grace and mercy from the old evil owner. We no longer need to fear the old master for God, our heavenly Father, has defeated him for us.  We can live our life in the newness of light. We are no longer destroyed but are now living in his presence. This allows us to live the life that God has designed for us. This allows us to be free from the clutches and control of the old evil master. God has bought you back and declared you to be his redeemed child. Live each day with the certainty of this hope.

Gracious Father, you sent Jesus to be the price to redeem us back from our sin and debt. You have freed us from despair and the suffering under the weight of that sin. Give us the power to love and to live the life which you have given to us. Lead us to be the light in this dark world so that others may see your grace in our lives and in our heart.  Bring the lost into the fold. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

4-14-2022

        Good Morning All,

    Jeremiah 17:14; “Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed. Rescue me, and I will be rescued. You are the one I praise”

     Have you ever had someone tell you to eat or drink something because “it’s good for what ails you?”  It is really amazing all the things they tell you to try to fix whatever is wrong with you. I think what fascinates me the most is how the advice about what is and what isn’t good for you changes from year to year.  A few years ago, I had a heart attack. I was put on fish oil pills, 4 a day. They told me that the omega-3 was good for me. Now I read where omega-3 may cause some types of cancer. Coffee was good and then bad but now is sort of ok again.

    Who really knows where eggs are? They jump from good to bad like some version of a tennis match. If you add in all the folk” remedies, it would seem that everything is both good and bad for you at the same time. No wonder I get a headache, but I am told chamomile tea will fix that.

    While some of our physical ails might be helped by a little herbal tea, the contentment of our heart and soul cannot. When it comes to our soul and to our heart the only real healing comes from God. The pain that exists in our heart is not easily soothed. It takes a lot of care and a loving touch. This we receive only through Jesus.

    We see and experience so much pain in this world. Some seems so chaotic, such as a child that falls of a bike and dies of a brain injury. Some seem so self-destructive we wonder why we even do them. Yet all these actions cause a tremendous amount of pain and doubt, both of our own worth and of God’s love. We wallow in self-pity and in pain. Yet the biggest effect is that it erodes our relationships. We are no longer able to trust our family and friends, our selves or God. We see all these as enemies because of the pain which we endure.

    Despite all of our efforts, we find no comfort; we find no healing. There is nothing in this world that is “good for what ails us.”  Our only source of comfort and hope comes from Jesus. It is only through his redeeming sacrifice that we are truly healed. It is through his grace that we are rescued from the pain that the devil inflicts upon us. Through all the pain of this world we must always remember that we are God’s redeemed children and that the plight of this world will pass but God’s love will not. Our only hope is in Christ; hold onto to that everlasting truth as it will cure what ails you.

   Dear Father in heaven, you give us healing in your Word and the soothing balm of your love. Give us that sense of your touch in our lives. Comfort us and give to us the assurance of your everlasting love. Be with those who especially are struggling with health or family struggles. Give them your comfort and move us to be your arms and loving hands. In Jesus precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

4-13-2022

 Good Morning All,

         Proverbs 3:5; “Trust the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.”

    Trust is a very important but fleeting experience. Most people have the Reagan theory-trust but verify. That really isn’t trust. Trust is so crucial to some business teams and partnerships that companies send them to “trust building” seminars. These seminars have “trust building” exercises. One of these exercises involves one member standing tall with his arms crossed before him. He then falls backwards; trusting one of the other members of the team to catch him before he hits the floor.

    You have to trust one of your fellow employees. They may catch you or look at each other and say, “I thought you had him!”  That is when you find out who your friends are. You have to wonder about ever trusting those guys again. I would think that falling to the floor in a heap would really test your trust of the other guy.

    Our verse today speaks of trusting the Lord with all your heart. That can be easier said than done. It might be easy if your life is going, for the most part, in the direction. But what if it isn’t? Think of John the Baptist. He did everything that God asked him to do, and he was imprisoned by Herod. As he languished in the prison, he asked Jesus, “Are you the One?”  Jesus answered yes. Yet John remained in prison and eventually was executed there. Trusting in the lord can be tough.

    It can be very tough when we face those monumental tasks; those struggles that have no easy answer. When facing the declining health of a family member or our own, trust can be a scarce commodity. When it seems that every time you turn around, you get knocked down again and again; trust can seem like just a word.  When the people who you love and thought they loved you leave you with nothing but painful memories, trust can feel almost painful. The thing we need to remember is that in most of these situations, we aren’t really trusting God as much as we are really trusting in our own understanding.

    We may think we have it all figured out, but we really don’t. So much happens in this world that we think we can directly influence or change. The truth is that the world is nothing, but chaos and the only order is found through God. Anytime we look to the world for answers all we get are guesses or hunches at best. God is our only source of truth. God is the one who controls what happens. Things go according to God’s will; we may not like it at the time, but God’s will be always the best. We have to trust that; that has to be the basis for our faith and our hope. Trusting in God is our only true security.

Dear Father, too often we trust our own instincts and desires only to have them fail. Give us the courage and the faith to fully trust in your grace. Give us the assurance that all things work for good for those whom you love. Give extra assurance to those who are wrestling now with questions of trust. Give them peace Lord. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

4-12-2022

 Good Morning All,

         Matthew 18:20; “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

       A few friends: that is how it always starts. Then the planning; looking for new recipes to try. Then it has to have a theme; whatever that means. Then, do we have any games to play? Then it is the invitations; mailed or e-mailed. It started as a few friends and then it grew a little or maybe a lot. Most people go through this every so often. We are people who like to be with others. We are social creatures; we long for companionship. We are built to be in community.

    God created us to be part of a community. We can even look at God and see community. We see the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as a form of community. We see three persons in one God. God created us to be part of his community. We were created to live in communion with Him and in community with each other.

     The problem came about when sin entered our world. Man then formed a very twisted view of community.  We began to see each other as competitors, stepping stones, or things to be used, abused, and then disposed of. Perhaps you have been on either or both sides of that description. This is common for it is how the devil wants our world to exist. For when this type of view of people exists, we begin to withdraw from society. We experience pain so we withdraw. We experience pain so we avoid others who we see as simply wanting to use us and then dispose of us. Soon we feel that we are all alone.

    However, Jesus came to rescue us from this sin-imposed isolation. Jesus came to bring us back into God’s community. Jesus came to return us to His family. Jesus came to give us this much so after community. Listen to what he tells us in our verse “where two or three are gathered together.”  That is a small community. It is a family and the family, as God designed it, is the base unit for human community. When a family gathers together, in faith, Jesus dwells in the midst of it.

    Even in this sinful world, where some of these communities are broken; God reaches out to us in love to rebuild or build anew the communities built upon his love and grace for us. He wants us to build these communities upon the selfless love for others. He wants us to build upon the selfless love which Jesus demonstrated for us. God wants to use you to build these communities.

    So, as you go forth today, ask God to use you to build these communities, large or small, to bring about the kind of world that God desires. Ask God to use you to bring a little community to a world that knows only loneliness.

Gracious lord, you came to this world to restore the holy community of your people. Through this you give us the comfort and hope to face the struggles that the devil throws at us. Give to those who are struggling mightily the security of your community. Let them feel safe and secure. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

4-11-2022

      Good Morning All,

     Ephesians 2:8; “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God”

      Imagine, for a moment, that when you get your mail today; you receive a gift card to your favorite restaurant with a value of $7500. It is a gift from an old acquaintance, quite a gift but a gift just the same. What would you do? I don’t think you would just throw in a drawer and forget about it. First you would go there a few times with your family and really enjoy it. Next, you might think about sharing it with a few of your friends.

    Now perhaps you would call all the same friends. You really enjoy their company, and this would be a great way to celebrate.  Or would you think about some friends that you haven’t seen in a while? Maybe when you children were in an activity you became close to some of those parents but now it has been a while. This would give you a chance to reconnect. Perhaps you might invite some people you just met. Perhaps you would mix and match.

    Now after you have taken your family a few times and some friends a few times; you might look at your neighbors. Perhaps you take the widow down the block. Her husband died last year, and it has been real tough on her; she might really enjoy a little fun again. You always enjoyed their company, and it might feel good too. Maybe the family down the road who just lost their job could use a little boost. It really wouldn’t cost you anything; the card was free; they would have some fun and you would too.

    We have the greatest gift ever given; we have the forgiveness of sins and the certainty of heaven awaiting us. We have this incredible gift that God’s wants us to share. Yet many of us just put it in a drawer. God wants us to share this good news of salvation. He wants us to share with our family and our friends. People we know well and others not so well. He especially wants us to share it with those who are struggling with life right now. There is no better salve than God’s wonderful mercy.

    We are God’s redeemed children, and we have this tremendous gift that we can both benefit from and share at the same time. God’s grace is overflowing us, and we cannot possibly contain it all so we might as well share it. Share it with your family and friends but especially share it with those who are hurting right now. God’s grace will always bring comfort and hope. You don’t have to have a long sermon written out; sometimes a simple act of love or kindness speaks the language better anyway. God gives us a gift, a gift to share and this is easily done with a hug or an ear that listens or hands that carry dinner or supper to someone. We are saved by grace through faith; it is a gift, a gift worth sharing.

Gracious Lord, through your wonderful gift of forgiveness we have the hope for tomorrow and comfort for today. Give us the desire to share this gift with those around us, especially those most in need of your comfort. Open our hearts to them that we may be your ministers of reconciliation. In Your most precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret

4-10-2022

       Good Morning All,

    Luke 9:62; “Jesus said to him, “Whoever starts to plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.”

     It has been a long time since I have seen any plowing done in this region. It used to be the only way anybody farmed but most plows are just sitting in the weeds or shelterbelts now. It was always so important to start off straight. If you didn’t start straight, you never got straight. So, you had to pick a point out at the end of the field, keep your eyes focused on that point and never look back.  If you looked back, you would lose the point you were focusing on.

    Our verse uses the plowing analogy to make a point. If you keep looking back at the past, you will never see the future. This applies in a couple of ways. First, we cannot be pining or looking longingly at our past sinful life. This means that if going to a certain place or being with certain people will likely cause us to sin then we need to avoid those places or people. This can be especially difficult if they are family members or close friends. Yet if we look back, we lose sight of Jesus. Our focus must always be heavenward and not earthward.

    The second way to look at this is that we must not look back at the past with despair. This world is full of pain and sadness. Throughout our lives, people are going to disappoint us. People are going to lie to us, they are going to use us, and they will abuse us. Sometimes it will be by accident but a lot of times it will be on purpose. The world will hurt us; this we know. So, God encourages us to let the past be the past.  What is in the past of our lives should stay in the past. When we keep looking back at past pain, it returns to our current life, and we experience the pain all over again.

     So, Jesus tells us, “don’t look back, keep looking ahead.”  In other words, don’t look over your shoulder with desperation and pain; rather focus ahead with hope and confidence in God’s grace. Keep looking forward, God’s grace is always leading us forward into his eternal kingdom. Hold fast to his love and his promises; don’t let the old things drag you down. Don’t let old days remind you and keep you in the pain that used to be. Live for today with hope for tomorrow. Don’t look back; know that God’s mercy will sustain you and lift you up. Keep looking forward to the hope and the certainty of God’s everlasting love. Don’t look back on what will only cause you pain. Don’t look back and let the devil chide you and cause you to suffer for his snide comments. Keep looking forward, keep your eyes focused on Jesus. It is his love that lets us focus on the prize of heaven.

Dear Father, in this world of pain we too often look back and experience this pain again. Give us the wisdom and the courage to look forward and to not look back. Help us to see that nothing good comes from revisiting the sinful past. Guide us by your Spirit and lead us to live with you in complete communion. Be with our brothers and sisters who are especially in need of your love at this time.  This we ask in Jesus’ precious name, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret