All Are Welcome!

Pastor Dwane shares:

We tend to remember people by their personality, the way we get along with people, the way we handle crisis, the respect we have for others, etc. Sunday I want to talk about that part of our life. In Ephesians we’ve been looking at who we are in Christ. Chapters 1-4 is doctrinal; Chapters 5-6 explains the practical application. It tells us what we can expect when we allow God to have control of our life.

I invite you to join in the discussion under the title, “Our Actions Reveal our Character.” Our study will explore God’s great gifts to us. They are actually activated by a personal choice. God’s Spirit lives in us and when we choose to allow Him to work in us, the result is “a different performance.” That performance shows the character of God instead of our fallen character traits. It makes for a better performance. People like us better as the “new person” than they do as the “old fallen person.”

This new life is a unique combination of what God does for us and the choice we make to let God do His work in us. That’s why the apostle gave us the imperative — “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Ephesians 5:1) This changes the way we manage ourselves, how we relate to each other, spouses respect each other, parents relate to their children, and children relate to their parents. Employees get a slice of this too — they benefit from a better employer and the employer gets a better employee. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Join me as we explore how we get in on this great experience.

I hope to see you on Sunday!

Pastor Dwane Shares:

THE GREAT MYSTERY

The Bible is full of great surprises! This week I’ve been intrigued with the phrase “the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations but has now been manifested to His saints.” It shows up in the prison epistles and in other places. Jesus introduced this concept to the disciples. John 17:21 “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me but the truth becomes central when God put the emphasis on reaching Gentles with the gospel.

In OT times, God chose Israel to be His unique people, but as we see revelation unfolding, in Acts 2 God opened the door to everyone who would receive Jesus as the Messiah.  And in Acts 10, God sent Peter to the Gentile home of Cornelius. Later we see Paul concentrating on reaching Gentiles {Rom 15:16 Paul called as the Apostle to the Gentiles}

The mystery is not that Gentiles would be saved, but how would we become equal heirs with Jews to all be one in Christ.  Gal 3:28 ”There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.“

 Now “the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations has been manifested to His saints.” The Mystery is that those who were once far away are now brought near by the blood of Christ. EPH 2:13-16  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility ¹⁵ by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, ¹⁶ and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

Sunday I’ll reveal more on this great mystery.  From a practical view, we’ll see two great current day advantages to this mystery.  (1) no one is beyond God’s ability to rescue, Heb 7:25; {God is not willing that any should perish} and (2) no believer is beyond recovery, Eph 3:19, 20 {there is forgiveness & recovery to all who come to God in repentance}

I hope you’ll plan to be with us on Sunday.  

Pastor Dwane Shares:

This week I’ve read a lot of things that point out that God calls the “common people.”

“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. So, you don’t see yourself as exceptional? Neither do I but God wants to partner with us anyway. We know that just like the disciples knew that. Their question and ours is, ‘How does forgiveness and cleansing happen?’ Jesus had told them, and told us, ‘He is the way.’ ” (John 14:1-4)

These people wanted a change and Jesus is about to tell them about the process.

John 15:3 Jesus begins the conversation “Already you are clean because of the Word that I have spoken to you.” You don’t see yourself as exceptional? Neither do I, most of us are not. But God wants to pull us in, so we can partner with Him. (1Cor 1:26-29)

The Word of God cleanses us as it penetrates us and brings sin to the surface so it can be washed away. Its truth washes away our self-centered, people-pleasing, God-denying attitudes and actions so that the “Spirit can fill us with Christ-centered, God-pleasing, God-dependent attitudes and action.” (Finding Jesus in the Old Testament, Guthrie, page 129)

Join me as we look at what we have in Jesus as we learn how to build a better church, become better followers of Jesus; and when you get ready to come on Sunday, plan to stay for lunch. Bring what you want – there’s always plenty for everyone.

Pastor Dwane Shares:

This Sunday, May 8th, I’m beginning a series of studies titled “RESCUED.” We’ll dissect the book of Ephesians – the key verses being 4:4-6:

“There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call — one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

I invite and encourage you to invite your family and friends to join us in celebration of what we have in Jesus: His work on the cross, His time in the grave, His resurrection, and his anticipated return are the foundation of our assurance of heaven and the daily sustaining power of Jesus.

Will You be Part of Us this Sunday?

Sunday’s theme is “Showing Your True Colors.” I invite you to Google the phrase. Ever wonder how you are seen and understood by your peers? There are ways you can see yourself and learn profitable steps to a more effective, valuable and enjoyable life. That will be our theme Sunday (May 1st). In His grace, God has gifted every believer; and in that process, He gives us guidelines, motivation, and energy for a profitable lifestyle. Your true colors reveal your true character, feelings, opinion, etc. How do you use these qualities? I encourage you to take a look at Romans 12.

You are invited to come and explore this with us. Look at Philippians 2:3-8 for an advance look. Come Sunday expecting some adventure as we look at ways of seeing inside ourselves. Let’s begin with, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.”

Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Yours and His,
Pastor Dwane

Pastor Dwane shares:

Try as we will, without the power of God working through us, we can do nothing that is called good. The Apostle Paul said he wanted to do good things and he did not want to do bad things; but because of his sin nature, he could do nothing good. So, how do we do good things? Fortunately, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit into the world to dwell in us. (1Corinthians 3:1-6) Since the Holy Spirit dwells in us, He will do good things through us.

You’re invited to join us this Sunday (April 24th). The topic is “SUSTAINING ONE ANOTHER.” Our scripture passage is Galatians 6:2-10.

We’ll look at the challenge of helping someone lured into sin, or as we sometimes say, “fallen from grace.” We are encouraged to restore the person that has become controlled by his sin nature. In the process there are encouragements and warnings. Let’s look at the encouragements first: it’s pretty simple – “do it;” but watch your step so you don’t fall into the trap while you’re helping the brother/sister get back on their feet. This process can be exciting and rewarding to the restoring individual and to the “restored.”

Pastor Dwane Shares:

As we enter the Easter Season, we think of Jesus beginning His trip to the cross, the grave, and His resurrection. In that act, Jesus gave us the opportunity to live a life of “Doing the Right Thing.” The Apostle struggled with doing the right thing — as we do today. Look at his words: “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if Id o what I do not want, it is no longer I who does it, but sin that dwells within me.”

This week we want to look at God’s pattern to help us do the right thing. What He wants us to do; to live that blessed life. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)

Scripture is clear that when we walk with God, we do the kinds of things that bring joy to us and peace toward one another. One commentator has divided the work of the Flesh into 3 groups: sensual sins; spiritual sins; and social sins. These wicked deeds are clearly seen, evident to the eye and performed in the open. It’s my conviction that most people, most of the time, want to do the right things. Too often we can’t do it.

Pastor Dwane Shares:

To be a POW is a critical point of misery and agony. It means inhumane, physical treatment and emotional pain – often to the point of lifetime debilitation. I recently had an in-depth conversation with a Vietnam Veteran. Fortunately, he was not a POW, but many war experiences held him emotionally and, to some extent, physically hostage. Even though he was a Christ-follower before Vietnam and has followed Christ closely since, he still bears the scars. He has worked on full recovery, but flashbacks of the ugliness of broken, mutilated and dead bodies and the ugliness of U.S. departure from Afghanistan brought back harsh memories. To some extent, he is still hostage to his past experiences.

Maybe your past or current experiences are holding you hostage. The Apostle Paul, with all the victory he found in Christ, addressed this hostage situation in his own life.

“I see in my members another law waging ware against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” (Romans 7:23-25 ESV)