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Humility! - John 13:1-17 By Pastor Lee Hemen August 30, 2013 There was an old country western song by Mac Davis called, "It's Hard to be Humble." The chorus went, "Oh Lord it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror. Cause I get better looking each day." I wonder if our world today truly understands what it means to be humble. Humility is more than being nice or acquiescing your moral standards to be liked by others or being soft-spoken.  Jesus was humble but he was not weak or effeminate. He willingly displayed his strength in his personal humility. Here in John's gospel we find Jesus actively displaying for his inner circle of disciples what real humility is all about. He would teach, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." (Mark 9:35 NIV) and that "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted....

Believe! - John 12:44-50 By Pastor Lee Hemen August 23, 2015 There are those who try to tear apart the theology of the Trinity, but when they do they do so at their own spiritual and eternal peril. While there are spiritual concepts we may never understand until we are face-to-face with Jesus in heaven, there are those that we must appreciate in order to realize who God is, why he sent Jesus, and how he acts in his creation that includes his relationship with us. When I was little I thought that girls were gross; when I was a bit older I was tongue-tied and embarrassed to even speak to the opposite sex; when I got even older I knew I wanted one; and now that I have been married for forty years to the best of the best, I realize I could not live without her. All of this is to say that when I was younger and more immature I did not fully understand the relationship between guys and gals. Not that I fully understand it now, but I can honestly say I am a whole lot more informed than when I...

The Praise of Men - John 12:37-43 By Pastor Lee Hemen August 16, 2015 There's a saying that states, "Different strokes for different folks and some folks need a lot of strokes." I have always found it disconcerting people need constant affirmation for every little thing they do. The need for constant affirmation has created a self-indulgent and narcissistic generation. Of course this is nothing new; there have always been those who love the accolades of the adoring crowds, even if it is forced. It has been likened to a narcotic and those who become hooked need their fix often. Starlets, politicians, dictators, and now even the more common folk look for ways to be recognized, adulated, revered, and remembered. Instagram and Facebook postings that record our every waking moment, and the regurgitation our lives on the Tweetersphere are all part of this self-absorbed lifestyle. We love the praise of others, the praise of men. In fact, many of us live in fear of losing the pra...

Greeks at the Feast! - John 12:20-36 By Pastor Lee Hemen August 9, 2015 The comedy classic Animal House was a sex, booze-ridden, crass, and sometimes funny movie from 1978. In 1962, college freshmen Lawrence "Larry" Kroger and Kent Dorfman seek to join a fraternity at Faber College. Finding themselves out of place at the prestigious Omega Theta Pi House's party and rejected by other houses, they finally visit the slovenly and riotous Delta Tau Chi House, where Kent's brother was once a member. Larry and Kent are invited to pledge. Filmed for $2.8 million, it is one of the most profitable movies of all time, garnering an estimated gross of more than $141 million in the form of theatrical rentals and home video, not including merchandising. It was filmed at the University of Oregon in Eugene and in Cottage Grove, Oregon. In one scene they have a Toga Party, which made these types of riotous affairs ever famous afterwards. Here in John's Gospel we discover a group of...

Jesus Enters Jerusalem - John 12:13-19 By Pastor Lee Hemen August 2, 2015 Living in a small town like Wenatchee growing up we used to get excited when the Fair used to happen each summer, but imagine how excited we were when we found out that the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus was coming to town! Sure, we had seen the Shrine Circus and the Wenatchee Youth Circus, but now there would be actual animals like elephants, lions, tigers, and bears… oh my! And they would have a big parade downtown! Everyone for miles around came to the parade. Now imagine living in an area that has seen, heard, and some had experienced the ministry and miracles of Jesus. Can you imagine what would happen if the folks heard he was coming to the Passover in Jerusalem, especially after raising the man Lazarus from the dead? Needless to say, hundreds of thousands of people would come for the Passover in Jerusalem, and even more would try to see, hear, or experience Jesus if he came as well. H...