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When Jesus heals… -- Matthew 8:14-17 By Pastor Lee Hemen July 14, 2019 Sometimes it is the little things that make a big impact on people’s lives. A kind word spoken at just the right time, a helping hand when it is least expected, and an act of compassion when hope seems lost. I grew up in poverty because of my father’s health problems caused by smoking. His heart was slowly failing. Back then there were no governmental programs, a plethora of community aid organizations, or anyone whom you could contact in order to get help. It was during some pretty desperate times I remember sacks of groceries all of sudden appearing on our back porch, school clothes, coats or shoes showing up. It was these little blessings that had a huge impact. Here in Matthew’s gospel he records the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law and it seems as if it is almost a side note. Mark and Luke go into greater detail of what occurred and the circumstances involved. It is one thing to see Jesus healing lepers, a cent...

The Cause of Christ – Mark 9:38-42 Pastor Lee Hemen July 18, 2010 AM There are many “causes” in the world today, everything from saving whales to wearing natural clothing. Someone once said, “When folks do not have a life, they find someone else’s life or something else to make their life have meaning.” I believe there are so many causes in our world because people have lost what should be their true focus in life – the Lord. I have to laugh when I see the parade of Hollywood elites heading out on publicity vacations in order to discover some new cause they can wrap around their lives. Simply because you play a farmer in a movie, does not make you an expert on the plight of farmers. And while there are many good causes in the world, as Paul would say, “‘Everything is permissible’--but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’--but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24) However, is d...

The Cure of Christ - Mark 9:14-29 By Pastor Lee Hemen June 20, 2010 AM The likes of John Osteen, deceased, and now Joel Osteen his son, have both preached a health and wealth gospel. A message that is totally contrary to Biblical Christianity. In fact, both have made comments like the following: “It's God's will for you to live in prosperity instead of poverty. It’s God’s will for you to pay your bills and not be in debt. It’s God’s will for you to live in health and not in sickness all the days of your life.” While God does desire that you pay your bills on time, Joel goes on to declare that what he means is God desires that as a believer, you should be prosperous in everything all the time. If you are not, then there is something wrong with your faith. You have not properly claimed the promises of God for your life. Then there are those like Benny Hinn who give their followers an addition to this kind of biblical drivel. He can heal you, if you believe in his ren...

The Crumbs Are for the Dogs – Mark 7:24-30 March 28, 2010 AM By Pastor Lee Hemen The late Leona Helmsley was a billionaire New York City hotel operator and real estate investor. She was a flamboyant personality and had a reputation for tyrannical behavior that earned her the nickname “Queen of Mean.” When she died, she instructed that $8 billion of her real estate go to the care of dogs. This is from the woman who said, “We don’t pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes.” Interestingly, surveys show that over 45 million households own a dog. Some are service dogs. Others are used for security or hunting. More than a few have been inherited by parents of college age children who left them behind. But most are kept for companionship or friendship. According to the American Pet Products Association, they estimated that $47.7 billion will be spent on our pets in the U.S. in 2010! Sadly, in some families, more time and money is spent on pets than on people! What would you d...

Men With A Mission - Mark 6:7-13 January 17, 2010 AM By Pastor Lee Hemen More than ever before God is calling men to minister in his name. Sadly, fewer men are responding to the call of God in their lives. Fewer men are man enough to sacrifice their time, talent, and treasure for the cause of Christ. The church has created a whole cadre of chaps that are weak-willed and willing to allow others to go in their stead. However, this has not always been the case. In fact, we discover that Jesus used men almost exclusively to do ministry while he walked this earth. Why would Jesus do that? Did he think that men could do a better job? Honestly, I do not believe so, but I do believe Jesus did have specific reasons why he empowered and sent out his men with a mission. From fishermen to tax collectors and even common laborers Jesus makes his chosen men into the apostles his church would need to spread the good news. They become men with a mission. We find that Jesus did several things before...

Of Pigs, People, and Demons - Mark 5:1-20 By Pastor Lee Hemen December 6, 2009 AM When we are presented with facts and figures we retain only about 5% of what we are taught. However, when we are given illustrations or parables, like Jesus used, we retain about half of them. If we become emotionally connected to the illustration used, we retain even more of the information given to us. This is why we remember stories like the one we are going to read today. The healing of a man that is totally out of control because of the demons in his life, frightens us, intrigues us, and helps us to indentify with him because we all fight some demonic influences in our lives. Seeing him completely healed gives us hope and a certainty in life. Last week we learned about how Jesus calms the storms of life. In this section we will look at today we will discover that after Jesus calms the storm-blown waves that frightened his disciples, he is faced with the personal storm of an individual whose daily ro...