Pastor’s Message (Page 34)
On January 26th, 1988, I had the opportunity to be on Sydney harbor for Australia’s Bicentennial celebration. It marked 200 years since the arrival of the First Fleet of British convict ships in Sydney in 1788. If you know any Aussies, they’ll tell you they take great national pride in their convict roots and celebrate…
Dearly beloved, Who are you hanging out with? Does it really matter? If you are a parent, are you at all concerned about your children’s friends? Years ago, I memorized this verse: “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” Proverbs 13:20 Wisdom in the Old…
Parents love to see their young children learning new skills – feeding themselves, reading “c-a-t”, or putting their own shoes on. When our kids got to be a certain age, they had a favorite saying. It came a little bit after some of their other favorites, “Mine!” and “No!”. The saying was, “I do it…
Do you like a good mystery? Maybe you would prefer a nice romance novel instead? Mystery: Something not understood or beyond understanding A piece of fiction dealing usually with the solution of a mysterious crime A religious truth that one can know only by revelation like the Trinity Something profound, inexplicable, or secretive quality or character Romance:…
Today you see more and more electric vehicles on the road. Since electric charging stations are fewer and substantially slower than gas stations, those drivers carefully think through each trip and how much battery power they have left over when they return home. It’s not like you can bring a “can” of electric power to…
If someone asks, “How ya’ doin?” (How are you doing?), the typical answer is “fine,” right? The reason for the vague answer is that it’s really just a way of acknowledging someone’s presence, not a genuine question of interest regarding the other person’s well-being. In the Philippines, a similar question is “Saan ka pupunta?” or…
Dear Church family, This morning I reminded everyone that February 7th is the “First Tuesday” of the month and is a special day the elders and pastors of Valley Church set aside for fasting and prayer. We’re asking God to do a work of revival and renewal both IN us and THROUGH US. We invite…
Dearly beloved, When is the last time you cashed in on a “money-back guarantee?” It’s a great thing! You buy a product, but something goes wrong with it within the time of the guarantee. You take it back to the store and they either give you your money back, or replace the product with one…
Dearly beloved, “Surrender to Love” is a title of a book that I just picked up from my desk! It is written by David Benner and deals with, “Discovering the Heart of Christian Spirituality.” The book was a gift from someone who loves me! Professor Gary Oliver says: “The tragic reality is that most people…
Dearly beloved, “Surrender to Love” is a title of a book that I just picked up from my desk! It is written by David Benner and deals with, “Discovering the Heart of Christian Spirituality.” The book was a gift from someone who loves me! Professor Gary Oliver says: “The tragic reality is that most people…