Thoughts From The Pastor (Page 8)
No Place For Arrogance
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Romans 12:3 A while back, when I was working on my doctorate, I went to a coffee house to work on some school work and encountered the one thing no school-working person wants to encounter… a talkative person.…
How’s Your Prayer Life?
“Continue steadfastly in prayer…” – Colossians 4:2 Let’s pretend you are a stalker. And you, as a stalker, want to find out what kind of things I really like in life. One of the best ways you will find this out is by seeing what I do throughout the day. For example, you will notice that I spend a lot of time with my wife and family. You will notice that I always seem to be nibbling on some sort…
How Should I Address Those That Are Transgender?
Ask The Pastor – How Should I Address Those That Are Transgender? This is a question that I came up with myself because I was asking this very question recently! The other day I read in an article that actress Ellen Page, who announced a few years back that she was gay, has now announced that she is transgender. She said that her preferred pronoun is “he” and would like to now be called Elliot Page. This, and many similar…
Do I Pray To The Father, Son, or Holy Spirit?
Do I Pray To The Father, Son, or Holy Spirit? In the Lewis household, we have an unspoken policy that any of the adults in our house can open mail, regardless of whom it is directed to. So when a bill comes in addressed to my wife, she has no problem with me opening it. When a card arrives for Pastor Kyle, I have no problem with her opening it. As long as it makes it to the house, either…
Should We Sing Songs Written By Catholics and Pentecostals?
Hypothetical question here: As a Baptist, would you sing a song written by a Catholic? Would you sing a song written by someone who holds to prosperity theology? What about someone who does not believe in the Trinity? Those may be hypothetical questions to you, but they are very real to me. Each week, as we select songs, we come across a lot of popular ones written by people we don’t agree. Should we sing their music? Matt Maher, who…
Ask The Pastor: Can A Democrat Be A Christian?
Ask The Pastor: Can A Democrat Be A Christian? Thank you church! Let’s just skip right to the loaded, controversial questions! Here is my response… To begin with, we need to establish how a person is saved: Salvation comes from believing in Jesus Christ as Lord. We are not saved through any actions or beliefs other than by believing in Jesus. So to answer your question at the broadest level… Yes! A Democrat can be a Christian. A Republican can…
Now That Biden Has Won, Here Are Three Things To Remember…
Church, I am guessing that most of you woke up this morning celebrating that your favorite candidate won or in despair that your candidate lost. Whatever category you fall into, I have a few brief words for you. Remember That God Is Still King of Kings In the midst of a very divisive election, it is easy to get caught up in politics. But in the grand scheme of time, the results of the November 3 election means very little.…
If You Love Your Pastor, Do These (Free) Things…
Before I became a pastor, I used to attend church every Sunday and watch the pastor on stage and think, “Wow, what a great job he has! He must really enjoy it!” And because I thought he had an amazing job, I never really told him how amazing he was or that I thought he was doing a great job. I just sort of assumed that he knew. Years later, I am now that man on stage preaching every week.…
God of the Impossible
“God loves to work in seemingly impossible situations.” If you are a Christian, you probably agree with that statement. But do you live out that belief? Tonight during our family devotions I read the kids the story of Abraham being called to a new land. He was told he would be the father of many nations. That sounds great, but there was the whole problem of him and his wife not being able to conceive. Combine that with old age,…
A Lesson From The Civil War on Involvement
I want to share a lesson I learned from reading about the Civil War that is applicable to some of you. If you are part of Island Pond but not involved in any of the committees, teams, or other leadership roles, then please listen up! Prior to the Civil War, there was a battle raging on in the senate and congress over slavery. Many of the southern states wanted the right to keep and protect their slaves while many in…
Living in Community
Hebrews 10:24-25 – And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Ecclesiastes 4:12 – And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Have you ever wondered why there is no such thing as “support individuals.” At…
Brokenness
Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 51:17 – The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. I recently spoke with someone who told me the story of hitting rock bottom. He had previously fallen into some sinful habits and for a long period of time was stuck. Then a number of events all came together that led him to feel completely broken.…