The Power of Remembering

Week of May 23, 2025

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13, NKJV)

As we head in to Memorial Day weekend, it’s a time to remember. It’s a time set aside in our nation to honor the brave men and women who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. The Scripture is filled with commands to remember, to look back, to reflect from the past.

In Joshua 4, after the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, God instructed them to gather twelve stones from the riverbed and set them us as a memorial. Those stones weren’t just rocks, they were testimonies. They were visual reminders of God’s faithfulness, His provision, and His power.

You and I may not have literal stones stacked in our home, but we have memories, markers of God’s hand in our life. The time God provided when you didn’t know how the bills would be paid. The phone call that came at the just the right moment. The forgiveness that you received when you knew you didn’t deserve it. Each of these moments is a testimony, a marker.

This weekend, I challenge us to set aside a moment to pray for the families of those who have lost loved ones in service to our nation. To remember the One who died for our eternal freedom and to look back at your own life and identify a few “memorial stones” moments where God showed up for you.

Remembering shapes our present; it reminds us that the God who was faithful before will be faithful again. It gives us hope that what lies ahead is held securely in His hands.

God Bless, Pastor Rick

Eyes on the Road Ahead

Week of May 16, 2025

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18, KJV)

Have you ever asked this question: where do I go from here? How do I know which road to take?

The Bible reminds us that vision isn’t just about having big dreams or ambitious goals, it’s about having God’s direction for our lives. Our scripture reading warns us that without vision, people perish; they lose their way.

So seek God’s Vision for your life before your own. The world will offer countless options and career paths, but not every good thing is a good thing for you. Ask God, “What is Your vision for my life?” Life will try to pull your attention in every direction. A clear, God-centered vision keeps your heart anchored.

Vision isn’t just what you see in your heart – it’s what you dare to pursue in faith. Trust that God will guide your steps, even when the path isn’t fully clear. Walk in the light that God gives to you and then God will open additional light to you.

You may not know every detail of what’s next, and that’s okay. Stay faithful in the small things!

God Bless, Pastor Rick

The Power of a Life Poured Out

Week of May 09, 2025

“Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.” (Philippians 2:17, NKJV)

As we approach Mother’s Day, it naturally becomes a time of reflection – not just for mothers, but for all of us. It’s a season where we pause to consider those who have poured into our lives with their love, strength, and faith. All of us walk alongside others on this journey of faith, and we are all called to live lives that are poured out.

In Philippians 2:17, the Apostle Paul uses a profound metaphor of being “poured out as a drink offering.” Pouring out signifies total surrender and devotion. Paul, in the same way, saw his life as something to be emptied in service to God and others.

Paul also said, “I am glad and rejoice with you all.” The pouring out of his life didn’t lead to bitterness, but joy. Why? Because he wasn’t chasing the applause of men, he was offering his life to the one who gave His life for him!

One day, when our time on earth is finished, may it be said of us that we, too, were poured out. We didn’t waste our days, but we invested them in what truly mattered: loving God and others, and a life of service.

God Bless, Pastor Rick