Pastor’s Message (Page 16)
Happy New Year, The Lord of heaven and earth does not pull any punches! You may not be familiar with that phrase, but it means “to behave unrestrainedly, holding nothing back.” This expression comes from boxing, where to pull one’s punches means “to hit less hard than one can.” We find ourselves in the 17th…
Hey Church Family, Starry Night weather update This just in – a little change in plans. Because of the weather, we’ll move the “program” part of Starry Night (starting at 5:00 PM) inside the Worship Center. As for the activities starting at 4:00 PM, we’ll be outside under the stars (children’s crafts, cookies and hot…
Dearly Beloved, Merry Christmas! I hope you have not only a special Christmas but a “blessed Christmas.” I can assure you that it can become reality for you, as I have it on good authority, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and heeds the things which are…
I’ve always enjoyed discovering unusual street signs. Most of us who live in the south Bay Area have taken a second look at this sign on Quito road in Saratoga and thought twice about how fast we were going around that turn. Whether they were intentionally done this way, or better yet, UNINTENTIONALLY, they are…
Dear Family, I just flipped on my AC because it’s a little warm today on this first day of December. My weather app says it’s 75 degrees. NEVERTHELESS…Christmas is marching towards us with a steady, little-drummer-boy beat. It’s less than a month away. Last night we decorated a little Christmas tree in our living room…
Several years ago we did some work on our house. We were very surprised to find out that the simple remodeling we wanted to do required extensive engineering, permitting, and most of all, enormous amounts of concrete to reinforce the foundation. I don’t know what the building permit process was like in ancient Jerusalem; I…
Dearly Beloved, What is bothering you? Anything eating away at you? Is there someone pestering or provoking you? This morning in my quiet time Jesus stated emphatically to a beloved woman, “you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only one thing is necessary.” The opposite of necessary is unimportant, secondary, trivial, insignificant, useless, and needless! Our world…
Dearly Beloved, The LORD is my Shepherd! Can you honestly say He is? When is the last time you experienced His guidance, sensed His presence, and felt His love? Today, yesterday, a week ago, or does it seem like an eternity? This Sunday we come to the 11th chapter in, “The Story.” It is entitled,…
Do you remember middle school? For most of us it was a painful time of moving from childhood to young adulthood. Braces, acne, puberty, and growth spurts afflicted most of us to the point of painful insecurity. In 1974 I was 13 years old, 6’ 2” tall, 100 pounds dripping wet, and could hardly walk…
A tumbleweed blows through a hot and dusty landscape as the passing wind creates a low and lonely whistle in the distance. A sunburned and wrinkled hand sifts the parched earth through calloused fingers as a lone tear slides down the dusty cheek of a desperate widow. A beautiful young woman is at the mercy…