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Being Wise About Family – Proverbs By Pastor Lee Hemen January 27, 2008 AM Television shows about family life have been popular for many decades. Think about the television shows you watch that feature family life. How do they depict parents or the father figure? Often not very well. Our society loves to talk a lot about the condition of the family. Psychologists and sociologists, pastors and counselors, and yet families are increasingly devalued in our society. The divorce rate continues to rise. Parents and children continue to be alienated from one another. In fact, there are those right now in the Washington State Legislature that want to redefine the sanctity of what a family is by saying that marriage is not just between a man and a woman. God wants people to accept His design for the family, particularly that husbands and wives be a blessing to each other and to their children. God wants parents to teach children by example, wise instruction, and discipline to become respo...

The Sacredness of Human Life - Exodus 1:15-2:10; Proverbs 24:11-12 By Pastor Lee Hemen January 20, 2008 AM Imagine that a 16-year-old girl from your church comes to you for advice. She knows you well and needs to talk to someone outside her family. She tells you that she recently discovered she is pregnant. She has not told anyone, not even her boyfriend. She is a Christian and has grown up in your church. What advice would you offer this girl? What options does she have? What should a Christian do in this situation? This story is imaginary, but all too real and I expect some of us have encountered similar situations. Some people in our society would condone an abortion. Others would suggest the girl give her child up for adoption. Still others might insist that the girl get married and raise her child. All concerned parties need to be involved in such a serious decision. Many people in today’s world view life as cheap. Entertainment, including books, TV, movies, music, and video games...

The Benefits of Wisdom – Proverbs 1:1-19 By Pastor Lee Hemen January 13, 2008 AM Imagine that you have a child who watches way too much television. (This may not be too hard for some of us to do!) You’ve struggled with how to discipline your child and redirect their interests into more wholesome activities. Where would you look for advice regarding this parenting dilemma? Would you read books by noted psychologists, talk to Christian friends, look on the Internet, or ask Doctor Phil? In today’s world many groups and individuals claim to have solid advice for addressing life’s problems. The world is filled with conflicting voices, all claiming to speak wisdom. Some people are easily persuaded to follow those who speak with assumed authority. Others have concluded that people must determine what is wisdom for themselves and pursue it, denying that any one “wisdom” is appropriate for everyone. In contrast, God expects people to find wisdom for living through a reverent, obedient, and lovi...

Understanding God’s Compassion – Jonah 4:1-11 By Pastor Lee Hemen January 6, 2008 AM Not all Christians believe God truly desires that all people be saved. Among those who do believe that, a number think that Christ really is just for people like themselves. Many believers take a passive rather than an active approach to being involved in supporting God’s redemptive work in the world. God, however, wants all His people to be involved in His redemptive work with all people. Let me ask you a question: How have you assisted in God’s redemptive work in the past year? What could you do in the new year to help take the good news to other people around you and in the world? When the Lord first commanded Jonah to preach to the Ninevites he chose to run from God instead. God used a large fish to swallow Jonah and his disobedience, and from inside the belly of the fish Jonah began to view things a little differently. He began to gain a new perspective, however Jonah needed to mature still. God a...