The Pastor's Perspective

       Have you ever thought about how everything in life is in a constant state of decay?  Think about it: A burning fire will naturally die down unless you constantly feed it with wood . Boiling water will eventually cool the moment it’s taken off the heat . Even the sharpest knife will lose its cutting power if you don't take time to sharpen it . Cars don't stay show room ready just laying around in a garage. N eglect your health, and you suffer the consequences; fail to change the oil in your car, and you’ll soon be walking .  It takes work, maintenance, and intentional effort to keep things in top premium condition     Everything in this world is in a constant state of decay. Nothing and I mean nothing stays the same. This is especially true when you think about your spiritual walk with the Lord . The truth is that there is no such thing as costing along in your Christian walk, well not really. Think of it like you are in a boat in a river. Y...

     Admiral Yamamoto      In the annals of history, few phrases carry the weight and consequence of a single, fateful day like that of Admiral Yamamoto. The year was 1941 , and our nation was largely reluctant to engage in a global conflict. We had just came out of a major war just a few decades prior, and we were recovering from the great depression. The idea of joining in a war that had little to nothing to do with us seemed for many to be largely irresponsible.  However all of that changed in 1941 after the attack on Peal Harbor .  Admiral Yamamoto, the Japanese naval strategist, is famously believed to have said in the wake of the attack, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." The sleeping giant of America was awakened, not by a call to arms, but by the devastating reality of an enemy at its doorstep. We realized that war for the first time that we were not getting in a war, but rather wa...

          I believe that e very good cook always has a taste of the meal they are preparing. I have been known to dabble in the kitchen and I know that has been my experience for sure. Before the meal is set out on the table, the cook tends to take a little bite of the food that has been prepared. This happens for me every Thanksgiving meal. Just before the turkey is presented, I might take a bite when no one is looking.     When we do this it gets us excited for what is to come. We get just a little taste of the meal we are about to chow down on. It prepares our taste buds and leaves us with an expectant urgency for the meal to come soon.       I think that t his is how it should be when we think about our church services as well. When we think about church services we should think of it as just a little taste of what's to come. The experiences we have as we gather together in church should wet our appetite to what we will one...