June 19, 2024

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20

A lot of times as Christians we believe that our first priority is our own personal holiness. That’s our first mistake, our mission is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love what the Oklahoma Sooner head softball coach said in an interview “The Lord woke me up and was like, You’re doing this all wrong. You are not here to win games. You’re here to open the door, here to win souls.”

I remember when someone approached me and told me that my job was to bring all of the young people to this church. I laughed and thought, no, that is our job! You see, the early church was not perfect, but one thing they did well was that they were all contributors rather than consumers. Every single person was committed to serving the church, developing new relationships on the outside, maintaining a good reputation, and then sharing the gospel, converting more and more people. Their life was only worth saving souls for Christ, everything else came second.

The key point to spreading the gospel is to build new relationships, go out and make new friends who are non-believers, avoid staying in a church bubble, and be comfortable being uncomfortable. Church, you see, is more than just sitting in a pew; it is bringing God’s love, grace, and righteousness into your workplace, family, and relationships. Being a hard worker, maintaining high morals, and having a good reputation. Church and worship begin when we leave the pews and become a worthy example to others. Believe me, people notice this about you.

In my own life, I’ve seen countless lives changed simply by being a great friend and loving them where they are while sharing Jesus with them in life’s toughest moments. You see, we often believe that we don’t know enough about God’s Bible to share our thoughts about him with others, which is why we rely on his Spirit and power to give us the words. You rarely argue with people who have had a change of heart, but showing them love and grace changes everything and makes them more willing to embrace the gospel.

Here is Pastor Tim Keller’s advice on sharing Christ; “identify the need in their lives and how Jesus gives them hope in that need.” 
 
Pastor Chance

Read more

June 18, 2024

Inside all of us, there is a little child. Some of us are better at hiding it than others. That little child is scared of the unknown, afraid of the opinions of others, and just wants everything to be okay. When things look scary as a child, you go under the covers, when we are adults we mentally and emotionally crumble and anxiety plagues our thinking and decisions. Depression is a feeling where hope is lost, a deep pain in our heart that is caused by the belief that this feeling you have will last forever. This makes us feel like life is not worth living. Is that you?

Elijah had this same feeling where after witnessing Gods greatest miracle in his life he found out the the King’s wife Jezebel was out to kill him. This news filled him with panic and he fled to the woods. Finally after on the run Elijah said “I have had enough Lord, take my life and I am no better than anyone else.” Then an angel appeared to him, and said “get up and eat” He saw some baked bread and a jar of water so he ate it and laid down again.”

The the angel said again “Get up and eat and drink more or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” – 1 Kings 19:4-8

Oftentimes we get depressed because we are not content with what God has blessed us with. We often compare ourselves to others just like Elijah but on social media which kills our joy. Maybe something caught you off guard or just another thing happened the way you didn’t want it to go. When we feel hopeless, this is where the child within us wants to ball up and cry just like Elijah.

But just like Elijah God knew this difficult season was coming, and when you feel like you cannot go on, Jesus always gives you enough strength to carry on. The quote “God will never put you in something you cannot handle” is a lie. God always puts us through things we cannot handle because that’s the point. To be reliant on him for absolutely everything.

This week, I hope you understand these key things; your life ends in joy-filled paradise, this season is not forever, the Lord is close to the brokenhearted (psalm 34:18), he works all things for our good (Romans 8:28), and that he does his best work in us during our most vulnerable times where we lean into prayer and rely on him the most. Tough times reveal the realness of our faith, and it builds it. Otherwise, we would never need God. Finally take heart in knowing that Jesus is hugging that little child in you, comforting you with his words “You have my peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! For I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).
 
Pastor Chance

Read more

June 17, 2024

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

Life’s most important questions can be answered by the words from our Lord “Come to me”. Yet, that is the last thing we usually do. Why do you think God allows difficult seasons, delayed answers to prayers, or even trials? Our hearts are filled with little God-shaped holes in our hearts which makes us desire the things only God can give. Satan uses the sinful things of this world to distract us, and our flesh craves these things to fill the void. Satan, manipulates the blessings of God and twists them to harm you not just overnight, but in the long run. Furthering the distraction from God and the continued enslavement of the future generations of your bloodline. Yes, if you think Satan is only focused on you, you are wrong.

Notice how Jesus never says “Don’t do this” or “Don’t do that” he only says “come to me”. He says this because his main desire for your life is for you is to not find the answers in anything else other than him. He is the answer, this builds complete reliance upon him in your life. Do you find yourself going to anything other than Jesus? If so, do not be surprised when God reengineers your crisis again until you surrender to him and be totally reliant on him. In that crisis, you will hear the gentle whisper of Jesus through the Holy Spirit telling you to “Come to me” and you will be drawn to him and changed, personal contact with Jesus changes everything.

The rest that God is talking about is not him telling us that he will hold our hands and sing us to sleep. He is saying that he will get you out of bed, out of the inertia of exhaustion, and out of the state of being half dead while you are still alive. He gives us a new purpose, “a new song to sing, it is a hymn of praise to our God” – Psalm 40:3, and a peace of mind that can only be given from him. You can access this peace anytime you like.

The life of a saint in not for you to experience a different life, but to experience life differently. Don’t play games with God, be like a child by asking him first every question, for wisdom, thanking him for every blessing, praising him for every joy, leaning on his love for every heartache. The will of God is for you to “come to him” and relying on him for absolutely everything because he is the only one you need.
 
Pastor Chance

Read more

June 14, 2024

Thank you for hanging with me on this journey through Paul Simon’s “Seven Psalms.” I encourage you to give it a close listen sometime when you have a half hour to soak it it in. While I love our worship music, I have always been intrigued and inspired by mainstream artists who are not afraid to explore matters of faith in nontraditional ways. God doesn’t limit his voice to the sacred, but allows it to be heard in everyday music if you listen closely. In the song, “Sacred Harp,” two travelers pick up two hitchhikers and ask them where they are going. The women answers enigmatically:

The sacred harp

That David played to make his songs of praise

We long to hear those strings

That set his heart ablaze

Their destination is wherever music brings peace and healing, passion and hope. This is an apt summation of  Paul Simon’s life. Seeking this sound has not led him to write one genuine worship hymn. But it has inspired him to write songs that have blessed and inspired, encouraged and united. This summer, let us also “long to hear those strings that sets his heart ablaze.”

Pastor Andy


Read more

June 13, 2024

Know for many upbeat songs like “Feeling Groovy,” and “Graceland,” Simon has his moody side too. The opening lyrics of “Your Forgiveness” are haunting:

Yesterday’s boy is gone

Driving through darkness searching for

Your forgiveness

I’m less sure that people are seeking forgiveness today as they seem to justify everything they do based on their own rules. But honest people are those who realize that they are sinful and broken and cannot heal themselves. Being forgiven by someone brings healing and wholeness, even more so when that someone is The One. But where can the seeker find forgiveness? Simon seems to turn to baptismal imagery as a possibility. We are reminded that God’s gracious washing of us in baptism and feeding of us in communion are reassurance of that those who seek forgiveness, receive it in abundance.

Dip your hand in heaven’s waters

All of life’s abundance in a

drop of condensation

Dip your hand in heaven’s waters
 
Pastor Andy

Read more

June 12, 2024

Paul Simon’s song, “My Professional Opinion,” reflects his tongue in cheek thoughts about the current divide we are experiencing in our country. While Simon has never sought to be political, his songs like “Sound of Silence,” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” have prophetic power. He’s teasing us to “slow down, you’re going too fast,” as this culture war continues to accelerate. The song ends in an unlikely couplet:

All that really matters

Is the one who became us

Anointed and gamed us

With His opinions

What a powerful thought-that what matters most right now is for us to remember that God became us! He sent his Son to a broken world to bring healing and hope. Those who believe have indeed been “anointed” with a new spirit of love and invited to let go of our opinions and take on the mind of Christ! The most powerful witness of Christians today must be that no matter what dividers us, God unites us. 
 
Pastor Andy

Read more

June 11, 2024

The second of Paul Simon’s “Seven Psalms” feels like it is inspired by the love poetry of the Song of Solomon. The Song of Solomon can be read completely as a rather steamy interchange between lovers. The Jews adopted it as a love story between Israel and Yahweh. Here, Simon may be speaking of his relationship with his wife and singer Edie Brickell. Or is he using that to describe the intimacy and security of a relationship with God?

I lived a life of pleasant sorrows

Until the real deal came

Broke me like a twig in a winter gale

Called me by my name

“A life of pleasant sorrows,” is an interesting description of life before or without faith. Not totally bad but totally empty until the “real deal” comes. Being broken “like a twig” can certainly be part of the experience of coming to faith yet we also remember the healing power of Jesus when he calls Mary Magdalene by name at the tomb. How has faith come to you and how does it feel to know he knows your name?
 
Pastor Andy

Read more

June 10, 2024

I won’t be playing Paul Simon’s new album “Seven Psalms” at any pool parties soon, but I think it will be my summer song of 2024. It’s a long song, 33 minutes, made up of seven songs (psalms) he wrote after a night time vision. He’s not a typically religious person, but the songs are filled with fresh and interesting spiritual ideas I want to explore this week. Here is a section from the first psalm “The Lord” that clearly takes its inspiration from Psalm 23.

I’ve been thinking about the great migration

Noon and night they leave the flock

And I imagine their destination

Meadow grass, jagged rock

The Lord is my engineer

The Lord is the earth I ride on

The Lord is the face in the atmosphere

The path I slip and I slide on

The first four lines are about the large number of modern people leaving religion, the great migration. What will they find when they leave the “flock.” He imagines some might find grass but others jagged rock. In non-traditional terms he affirms that he chooses to follow the Lord who is his engineer and the path he slips and slides on (remember his song, “Slip Sliding Away?”) At 81 years old, Paul Simon makes a vague but personal confession of faith that just might resonate with others who long to have a Lord. How would you describe the Lord you trust in?
 
Pastor Andy

Read more

June 7, 2024

I have been watching a series on the History Channel called Alone. They leave individuals alone on an island off of the coast of Canada to see if they can survive the weather and the animals. Half a million dollars is waiting for the individual who can outlast all of them. Four of them tapped out in under twenty four hours due to howling wolves and roaming bears. One contestant said “I didn’t sign up to be stalked by a bunch of bears.” The video camera that was next to his tent showed two big black bears sniffing right next to his tent. Though they did not attack him they seemed too curious in him and he called for the rescue crew to extract him out of his area. Had he stayed, there may have been a day of reckoning in which he would only have his knife to try and keep away two black bears that would want him for food. In our text today Amos reminds the people of Israel that a day was coming when a man would flee a lion only to find a bear or sit home in safety only to be bitten by a snake. 

18 Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! 

      Why would you have the day of the LORD? 

      It is darkness, and not light, 

      19 as if a man fled from a lion, 

      and a bear met him, 

      or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, 

      and a serpent bit him. 

      20 Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light, 

      and gloom with no brightness in it? 

  21 “I hate, I despise your feasts, 

      and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 

    Amos 5:18–22 (ESV)

Sometimes in life we wish for punishment or the Day of the Lord to come on those who have offended us, caused us pain, or have gone against those commandments of God that we believe are the important ones to be followed. Yet we fail to look at ourselves in a mirror. We fail to remember our own failings and shortcomings with others and especially with God. In war when bombs are dropped from a plane the ground troops always need to make sure they are not dropped too close to them or they will suffer the same catastrophe as their enemies. I wonder if instead of the Lord bringing harm or the Day of the Lord on others that we should instead pray for forgiveness and blessings that might flow over them and onto us. For when we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We should never forget that we too were not deserving of the love of God and His forgiveness poured out to us. If we want to be more like God then less days of judgment and more days of forgiveness.

Pastor Aaron Kruse


Read more

June 6, 2024

Henri Nouwen once said, “What we see, and like to see, is cure and change. But what we do not see and do not want to see is care: the participation in the pain, the solidarity in the suffering, the sharing in the experience of brokenness. And still, cure without care is as dehumanizing as a gift given with a cold heart. (Henri J. M. Nouwen, Out of Solitude, Ave Maria Press, 2008, pp. 35-36)

Matthew 25:35–43 (ESV): 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

The quick response to so many is “I will pray for you.” As kind as this may sound, at times we do not need prayer but the touch of a hand who heals our wounds, the meal cooked for us out of love, the quiet payment of a bill that cannot be paid, or the hour spent as one listens to a heart being poured out. Care of another is not a means of efficiency or of transactional value. Care for another is the cost of sacrifice and of time spent. Love always costs us. Yet, the cost somehow frees our souls from being encased in the cold tundra of transactional relationships.

Pastor Aaron Kruse


Read more
^