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Hatred and Servanthood! - John 15:18-27 By Pastor Lee Hemen November 1, 2015 No one likes to be disliked, unless they have some severe mental problems or are into self-abasement. But what if everyone around you did not like you because of your belief in God? We are seeing a noticeable uptick in the amount of aggression directed towards Christians. From public school teachers in classrooms failing those who confess a belief in God to assistant coaches who pray and military chaplains who do not agree with the politically correct and ungodly version of what marriage is. Christians are disliked because of their way of life and in whom they believe, but it is the duty of the believer to serve their Lord. Here in John's gospel we find Jesus getting into heavier theological subjects in order to prepare his disciples for the future without his physical presence. He knew that not only would they need to understand the consequences of their discipleship, but why there would be so much fallou

The love of God! - John 15:9-17 By Pastor Lee Hemen October 25, 2015 Selena Gomez sings about how she is sick of the same old love, but the words in her hit song have to deal with how people mistreat one another in relationships. The artist Weeknd sings about being so deep in love his face goes numb. There must be literally hundreds if not thousands of songs that deal with love in some way or another. Love is such a frustrating and baffling thing for some of us that we sometimes misunderstand what real love is like. Here in John's gospel we discover the love of God displayed in the life of Jesus and now we learn what that loves is all about and just how truly wonderful it is. The love of God is complete, true, and open. When we see Jesus we see the love of God. Let's discover what this means for us… READ: John 15:9-17 If we say we love someone they expect certain things from us. Our words and actions should display what we say concerning our love for them, and our relationship

The vine! - John 15:1-8 By Pastor Lee Hemen October 18, 2015 When I grew up in the orchards of Leavenworth, Washington they were mainly older trees that were quite tall, but now many of the orchards have gone to a newer style of tree where they are a lot smaller and pruned to be more one dimensional and they look more like a vine. Here in John's gospel when Jesus teaches about being the vine he is of course referring to grape vines but being raised in one of the largest apple growing areas in the world, I think of apples. The vine Jesus is referring to of course is him and the importance of remaining in him is likened to being cultivated on a vine. Jesus' followers are to be correctly connected to Jesus; no false claims can be tolerated and must be cut off and discarded. Jesus' disciples are entrusted with three duties: 1) to remain in Jesus, 2) to love God and one another, and 3) to witness concerning who he is. He is the vine, let's see what this means for our lives…

The peace of Jesus! - John 14:27-31 By Pastor Lee Hemen October 11, 2015 From the harassed parent to national concerns people have wanted "peace in our time". Some have declared it only to be later disappointed by those who thwarted the peace process and who wanted war, disruption, or not sharing their favorite toy. World peace is more than green veggies whirling around inside of a blender and it is difficult to make happen. The reason is obvious to those of us who actually read the Bible; humans are sinners by nature and by choice. We will not enjoy real peace until we know the Prince of Peace Jesus. Here in John's gospel we discover Jesus teaching his disciples some final thoughts before his illegal trial, horrendous death, lonely burial, and glorious resurrection. He has taught them that after he heads back to his Father he would send them the Holy Spirit to live in them forever. When this occurred, they would experience a peace they had never known before, the peace o

The gift! - John 14:15-26 By Pastor Lee Hemen October 4, 2015 Gifts can be very personal things depending upon the giver, the getter, and the gift. We are entering the season where folks begin to think about gifts, with the celebration of Christmas just around the corner. Some gifts last past their original giver and receiver and are handed down from generation to generation. Generational gifts can carry with them not only the significance of the original gift but the memories of all those it was given to as well. Jesus left all of his followers an indescribable gift. One that never fades fails, is out of date, grows old, or breaks. In fact it lasts a lifetime! John has been giving us clues to this gift all along in Jesus' ministry and teaching and now during the Last Supper, Jesus reveal what this gift is and what it means for his disciples and future followers. Let's take a look at the gift… READ: John 14:15-26 It is always good to have someone who supports you no matter what