Dear Sisters and Brothers in the United Peoples of Jesus the Messiah (UPJM), I’m sorry that I failed to send you a pre-Sunday message. So, to make it up to you, I’m hitting “send” on a post-Sunday greeting on this spectacular Tuesday morning. First, I’m soaring today because strong chains of injustice were shattered yesterday…
“You are not our daughter anymore.” They were the last words 11 year old Saree* heard her father say to her as she stood in the street, holding the clothes her family shoved at her while slamming the door in her face. How would you respond if you were Saree? This Sunday we will join…
This Sunday we start a new series, called “Acting Out,” through the book of Acts. For the next ten weeks we’ll be studying the amazing work of God as the Holy Spirit transformed the early church from being a disorganized band of discouraged and defeated disciples into an unstoppable force that continues to turn the…
Dear friends, How do you answer this question, “What do you believe is the purpose of your Christian life and the purpose of any Christian church?”. When Jesus was asked which is the greatest commandment in the law, he replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and…
Dear friends, “Night is coming!” It makes perfect sense since night follows day. The Lord Jesus used those 3 words in John 9: 4; “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; ‘night is coming’ when no one can work.” Jesus spoke those words not to the…
Dear Valley Church family, Once upon a time there were two very religious men who lived in the same city that was flooded by a storm. The first man was poor and was caught in rising floodwaters. He climbed onto the roof of his house and trusted God to rescue him. A neighbor came…
Dear friends, We have been sailing through the Psalms this summer and our ship is docked again this Sunday in Psalm 78! Someone said, “We have in the Bible 66 books: In 65 of these books, God speaks to us In the book of Psalms, we speak to God Much of what we read in…
Dear friends, Miracles for you? By definition a miracle is, “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs. “And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” And He did not do many miracles there because of…
Dear Church Family, This Saturday, across the country, people will play tug-o-war in parks and playgrounds. As you know, tug-o-war is lots of fun at parties and picnics, but lousy in personal relationships. It’s miserable to feel tension and tugging with others in our homes and churches. Can we experience tenderness and hugging instead of…
When we were first married, Valorie and I had a little Subaru four-wheel-drive wagon. It didn’t have much power, but it was perfect for taking us up into the mountains. One weekend we were going backpacking with some friends in the Desolation Wilderness area. These steep mountains and deep valleys with beautiful lakes and streams…