Messages

Pastor’s Message

Toward the end of 1941, as World War II was raging in Europe, the Japanese ambassador was sent to Washington D.C. apparently seeking peace; however back in Japan, the emperor was planning the attack on Pearl Harbor.  The Japanese empire sent their ambassador to D.C. as a distraction, so the sudden attack on Pearl Harbor took the United States completely by surprise.  Distraction is a common tactic in warfare.

The definition of “distraction” is something that draws you apart, pulls in a different direction, diverts.  The devil is constantly trying to distract us, because when we’re distracted, we’re vulnerable. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion waiting for someone to devour.”  The devil will design things to draw and pull us in any direction that leads us away from the plan of God.  Sometimes these distractions can be “good things,” but they just aren’t the things God has planned for us.

This was true for Martha.  Luke 10:40 says she was “distracted with much serving.”   When she complained about her sister Mary’s lack of help (apparently due to her devotion to Christ and His teaching), Jesus told her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (vv.41-42).  Martha’s distractions were well-intentioned, but she was missing the opportunity to listen to Jesus and enjoy His presence.  Hobbies, friends, television, social media, technology, and much more can easily become a distraction in our spiritual lives.

Are there any things in life — even good things — that are distracting you from following Jesus? 

Return, as Jesus told Martha, to what “is needed.”  I hope to see you and your family in church this coming Lord’s Day!

Pastor Rick

Message From Andy (Student Minister)

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
– 2 Timothy 3:16-17

You may have never heard the word “hermeneutics,” or you might be like me and may have heard the word but not know its meaning.  Simply put, hermeneutics deals with interpreting a text, and in the case of the seminary course I’m currently working on, interpreting The Bible and  answering the question:  “How do you read The Bible well?”

Here are a couple of key principles I’ve learned so far in this course:

  1. It is essential that we view The Bible as one BIG, TRUE story from beginning to end, from Genesis to Revelation, and every bit of that story points to Jesus!

    Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:17-18: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

    If you need confirmation, just look at all the Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus that were fulfilled!  All scripture, every single bit in all 66 books of the Old Testament and New Testament, is “breathed out by God” (2 Tim. 3:16) and necessary for completion of God’s Divine Plan!

  2. When reading God’s Word, keep these 5 questions in front of you as you study to help you understand scripture:
      • What does this text teach me about God?
      • What does this text teach me about fallen humanity?
      • How does this text point to Christ?
      • What does God want me to know?
      • What does God want me to do?

The word “grow” is a core part of our church’s vision, and we should seek to grow in His Word every single day until He returns or calls us home!

Andy