Keeping Unity
July 29th, 2010
Unity is tough to come by and pretty easy to loose.
So, when you HAVE it you have to KEEP it.
The Apostle Paul agrees: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit…” (Ephesians 4:3).
In an effort to foster unity please join us on August 7 @ 6 pm @ Riverfront Park for UNITED.
See you there.
Blessings,
John
Riverfront Schedule
FamilyFest 10am-4pm hosted by Family Building Blocks has kids zumba, animals, health information and more.
Fun & Fellowship 4-6pm come early to park, have a picnic with friends, play frisbee and fellowship with others.
United @ 6pm West Salem Foursquare will be uniting for one Saturday service at the Riverfront. *There will be NO Sunday Aug 8th services.
Where to park downtown…
Keys to Spiritual Productivity
July 22nd, 2010
Do what Jesus says and does, avoid fruitless time and energy killers, monitor you life with wisdom and Gods will, and other thoughts from Pastor John out of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
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Imagine Being Simon Peter
July 22nd, 2010
Imagine Being Simon Peter
You can’t blame Peter. I probably would have done the same thing if given the opportunity. His close friend and spiritual leader is talking nonsense about having to die and rise again after three days – foolish thinking!
So it was natural for Peter to pull Jesus aside and try to reason with him. Scripture says that Peter “rebuked” Jesus. That word has come to mean “setting an individual on course or setting straight.” Peter was trying to get Jesus to get his story right. It’s at this junction that Jesus gives his famous rebuke to Peter: “Get behind me Satan!”
I don’t feel that Jesus was specifically calling Peter the devil. He was generally addressing the devilish line of thinking that was being displayed in the disciples including Peter. Peter was thinking rationally. Peter was thinking humanly. Peter, however, was not thinking spiritually! He didn’t have the mind of Christ, instead he was thinking out of the reserves of his humanity.
Colossians 3:1 tells us to “set our hearts on things above…set your minds on things above not on earthly things.” Romans 12 exhorts us to “be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” Sounds like Peter needed a renewal of his heart and mind! Don’t we all?
Blessings,
Pastor John
Normal Is Over Rated
July 16th, 2010
“The thief’s purpose is to steal kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life”. John 10:10
“Come and participate fully” these words have haunted me every day for the past several weeks. God used them to get my attention through a recent conversation with a friend. I left the discussion wrestling with my own hesitancy to fully engage with the people and plans for which God created me. In that moment I realized for the first time, how much of my life, including, relationships, opportunities, and daily moments I have not fully embraced due to fear of failure and rejection, insecurity and pride. Read the full post »
Pay It Forward
July 11th, 2010
Wally Ybarra shares discusses the concept of “Paying it Forward” Straight from the story of David and Goliath.
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Write With God
July 11th, 2010
Pastor Penne Ryan shares some of her experiences straight from the pages of her journals as we begin our new series, “Hot off the Press.”
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Despicable Me
July 11th, 2010
Pastor John Fehlen wraps up our series “I am Jonah,” with a hard look at the attitudes that define Jonah and maybe ourselves as well.
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Hot Off the Press: Journaling With God
July 9th, 2010
As we read God’s words, we begin to see how God responds to things. Doing daily devotions re-patterns the way we think and transforms the spirit of the mind. Then when we face similar situations as Jesus did, we begin to respond in the same way.
Journaling is an excellent way to both record and process what God has spoken to us. It’s also a useful tool to use at a later time, to reflect on and review some of the ‘gems’ that you have received. Without writing them down, you may forget those blessings and some very important lessons! And while journaling is a very personal time with the Lord, you may want to share some of your daily journaling with your small group or mentors. Through discussion, you may be able to look deeper into what God is speaking to you, gain new insight and even encourage others. Read the full post »
Kingdom Potential
July 2nd, 2010
I love the story of the little boy that strutted through the backyard with his ball and bat. “I’m the greatest hitter in the world,” he announced. He tossed the ball into the air, swung at it, and missed. “Strike One!” he yelled. He picked up the ball again and said, “I’m the greatest hitter in the world.” He tossed the ball into the air, swung and missed again. “Strike Two!” he cried. Undaunted, he tossed the ball again and yelled, “I’m the greatest hitter in the world.” Swung hard and missed badly. “Strike Three! Wow!” the boy exclaimed. “I’m the greatest pitcher in the world!”
Optimistic? Yep. Read the full post »
God of Second Chances
June 26th, 2010
In Jonah Chapter 3 we ask, “What happens when an entire capital city responds to a prophets warnings?” They experience the God of second chances.
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