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The Power of Reading A Little Each Day
What comes to mind when I say the word BOOK? Boredom? School? Cozy evenings of adventure? I have observed that books are about as loved and hated as a political party. Some people swear by them. They would pick a book over just about anything else. However, others would never dream of going near one. Some people just really don’t like books. They find them boring compared the many other interesting forms of entertainment out there. When I was growing…
Ask The Pastor: Is it a sin to watch “R” rated movies?
Is it a sin to watch “R” rated movies? Great question! I will begin by saying that the MPAA rating system was not around when the Bible was written, so there were no ratings at all. So no, the Bible does not give any direction about “R” rated movies. Is that skirting around the question? 🙂 Let’s ask it another way: “Is it a sin to watch sinful behavior in movies?” This could involve filthy language, violence, sex, and so…
Ask the Pastor: Is it biblical to confess to a priest?
“Is it biblical to confess to a priest?” One of the foundational beliefs of Protestant Christianity is the “priesthood of all believers.” This is the belief that all believers (all who have put their faith in Jesus Christ) share privilege of being priests. There is no special class of Christians who have a greater spiritual ability to understand Scripture, are able to forgive sins, or are mediators between humans and God. Some passages that back this idea up (priesthood of…
Ask the Pastor: How can I tell if something is the will of God or from Satan?
“How can I tell if something is the will of God or from Satan?” This is a deep one that can’t be answered in an exhaustive manner in a short blog. It touches on difficult subjects like the will of God, human suffering, and why God allows us to suffer. With this in mind, let me give you several things to think about… 1) If it is happening, then in some way, it is God’s will. What I mean is…
What Are You Modeling To Your Kids?
Earlier this week my wife and I were cleaning up after dinner in the kitchen. The kids were off doing their chores throughout the house. In that moment, I asked my wife, “Do you want to hear a new worship song I heard that I really like?” She gave her a assent so I told my pal Alexa to play the song. After the song was over, my wife said, “Great song!” That was the end of the conversation about…
Don’t Neglect Church
Dear Church Family, We have now been enduring the effects of the coronavirus for three months. It has changed many aspects of our lives. As your pastor, I want to encourage you to stay focused on the things that matter during this strange time. One trend I have noticed throughout — both in our church and what I have heard from other churches — is that some folks have stopped attending church. So let me talk specifically to Island Ponders.…
Updated Information For Attending Island Pond Services
COVID has impacted the way that our world operates. Here at Island Pond, we want to continue to be intentional about worshipping God while being wise about our health. With that in mind, we currently require everyone over the age of five to wear a mask when entering, exiting, or moving around the building. Thank you for cooperation with this guideline. At this time, we offer three services: 9:30am service – meets in the lower level Fellowship Hall 10:30am service…
Some Really Bad Parenting Advice
One of my favorite Christian fiction books is Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, which is a modern day take on The Screwtape Letters. Both of these are about a head demon writing to a lower demon with advice on how to minimize the effectiveness of a Christian. With both of these books in mind, I have written some new advice from Foulbreath, a head demon, to the lowly demon, Littlesnake. Dear Littlesnake, I want to continue to give you some foolproof methods to…
Guidelines for the indoor service on June 7
Guidelines for the indoor service on June 7… We have to maintain 40 percent capacity… so no more than 120 people in the sanctuary. Everyone must stay socially distant… 6 feet apart. Those that live together may sit together. People will enter the sanctuary through the main, middle doors. The outer aisles will be for exiting only. People will be dismissed by rows after the service. No one will be allowed to congregate in the lobby.…
Reopening Information For Island Pond – Updated 6/4/20
Dear Island Pond Family, Today Governor Sununu announced that churches are safe to reopen in New Hampshire. With that in mind, we are making plans to have our first service in the sanctuary on Sunday, June 7, at 10:30am. Here is the schedule for the next two Sundays: This Sunday, May 31, we will have our normal drive-in service at 10:30am. We will not meet indoors on May 31. Then the following Sunday, June 7, we will have TWO SERVICES.…
An Unbaptized Christian… Huh?
Things that make you go “huh?”: One time I was driving down the road and saw a man on a Harley motorcycle… holding his little chihuahua. Huh? One time after church a newcomer came up to me and said she didn’t like her previous church because the pastor preached messages that didn’t make her happy. Huh? (By the way, she didn’t stay long at Island Pond either). One time when I was looking at houses I came across one that…
Why Everyone Should Read The Bible With A Study Bible
Picture this: You want to make your pastor a chocolate cake. But in this imaginary world, you have never made a chocolate cake. So you walk into the kitchen and start baking! You grab a pan that looks about the right size. You look in the pantry and pick out some ingredients that seem like they should go in cake. Then you start pouring them into the mixer. You are not exactly sure what temperature the oven should be set…