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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...

Jesus Is Anointed - John 12:1-11 By Pastor Lee Hemen July 26, 2015 When we graduate from high school we have a ceremony to commemorate the event; when we are married for a long time, live into very old age or have been at a job for a long time, folks usually commemorate the event; and when a ship is launched the event is commemorated as well. Here in John's gospel we discover Jesus being remembered by those who owed him so much, especially by one gracious lady. We do not fully understand the idea or the reasoning behind why folks of Jesus' day would anoint him. In fact, I would venture a guess that there are a lot of folks who do not even know what it means to anoint someone. Today we are beginning an entire section that covers the very last days of Jesus' life. Let's discover what it meant for Jesus to be anointed. READ: John 12:1-11 Good food and good company are two of the wonderful things in life. This is why Thanksgiving is especially important to me, because it al...

Lazarus! Part Two -- John 11:17-44 By Pastor Lee Hemen July 7, 2015 The death of a loved one affects folks differently. No one's grief is the same nor is their emotional healing. I know my mother's death affected me as has the death of my father. I still have a tough time going into hospitals and often have to fight panic attacks, especially since my mother's death. However, one thing that helps me is when I remember that this life is but momentary. Death holds no fear for those who know the giver of life, Jesus Christ. Here in John's gospel we find a wonderful account of Lazarus and his two sisters Mary and Martha. Lazarus had gotten ill and died. Sadly, this was often more common than it is nowadays and what occurs when Jesus finally arrives teaches us in graphic detail exactly what eternal life is all about and exactly why Jesus came. Let's discover what this means for us today… READ: John 11:17-44 It is sad when we hear that someone we love is dying and especial...

Lazarus! Part One -- John 11:1-16 By Pastor Lee Hemen June 28, 2015 Roger Miller was a folk singer from the sixties and he wrote a song called, "Lou's Got the Flu" and one of the stanzas went something like this, "Some people bad and some people good; Too bad the bad can't be like the good. But everything changes a little and it should; Good ain't forever and bad ain't for good." Sadly, far too many have this view of their lives because they think that good is forever and bad ain't for good! However, Miller meant it as a play on words, meaning that bad people aren't good for anything, yet there are those who think that God winks at our living dangerously. He does not. They forget what God's purpose is for their lives. The final days of Jesus' life is winding to a close and John takes the next eleven chapters to share with us in intimate detail what occurs. Each part of the gospel narrative from here on is important for us to understan...