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Matthew 13:1-9 - Scattering the Seed of the Gospel By Retired Pastor Lee Hemen May 22, 2022 We have always loved putting out birdseed for the wild birds in our yards. It’s fun to watch all of the different species that come to our feeders. Recently, a pair of birds called Evening Grosbeaks has been coming to our feeders, and they are pigs. They kind of force out other birds, scatter the seed everywhere, and remind me of uninvited relatives that show up for dinner. However, one of the things that they do by scattering the seed from the feeders is provide for the dozens of squirrels and smaller birds that hop around the base of the feeders searching for scattered seeds. And some of the seeds, being grass seeds, have made my lawn area thick and rich. We forget that when we scatter the seed of the gospel that it falls on many kinds of ground, and we never know who might benefit from the process. Like those Evening Grosbeaks we are not to be just about feeding ourselves the seeds of the gos...

Ramblings from Retirement – Get Out There and Share Jesus! By Pastor (retired) Hemen April 2, 2022 It is a beautiful day today and I am sitting here thinking about going for a bicycle ride. I like to get exercise by riding my bike and I’ve learned that I cannot simply think about it, I have to get up and go ride my bike. You know it is the same thing as far as witnessing to others about your faith. You can’t simply think about it, you have to get up and go out and do it. However, much of what we have been taught over the decades about witnessing is completely not found in Scripture. Let’s find out what I mean by this shall we? Every gospel from Matthew to John talks about Jesus’ followers going into the world and telling others about Jesus and who he is. In fact, even the Book of Acts speaks to this issue as well. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have c...

Ramblings from Retirement: Do you live an easy chair faith? By Lee Hemen (Retired Pastor) November 7, 2020 “Give me liberty, or give me death!” is a quotation attributed to Patrick Henry from a speech he made to the Second Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775, at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia. Henry is credited with having swung the balance in convincing the convention to pass a resolution delivering Virginian troops for the Revolutionary War. Henry knew that freedom often demands our personal sacrifice. However what many American Christians have conveniently forgotten is that our freedom was bought with a price and maintaining it can require a sacrifice from each of us as well. Jesus related to his disciples that a time would come when a “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecut...

Have no fear! - Matthew 10:26-33 By Pastor Lee Hemen November 10, 2019 Some information is so important that it should never be hidden or kept secret. In a free society we believe this to be a foundational truth. There are those who want to stifle free speech and try to keep certain things from the public by using things like secretive personal internet servers or throw away cell phones. Usually these folks do these things because they know that if their secrets came out they might likely go to jail. However, the message of the Gospel is not to be kept secret. There are no special or secret messages within it or in the life of Jesus. He is exactly who he said he was: “I and the Father are one. (John 10:30 NIV)” Jesus desired that his followers would continue to share the good news until he returned again to take home his church. In doing so his disciples did not need to be afraid because what they believed and shared was not to be kept from anyone. They were to have no fear! Let’s see ...

Salt and light – Matthew 5:13-16 By Pastor Lee Hemen February 24, 2019 What would you consider the absolute necessities of life after food and water? For some it might be their cell phone, big screen TV, clothes or shoes. One of things that help put perspective on what you value in life is to do an extensive list of your top 50 priorities. It can show you in a very real way what you value in life and what you focus on or not. In Jesus’ day a couple of absolute necessities were two things we often take for granted, salt and light. Salt was used for many things from seasoning, preservative, sterilization of wounds, and as currency. It was considered an absolute staple for everyday life. Light was a means of continuing to work later, see your way, keep warm and keep out the darkness of night and long winters. Jesus understood the dependence and importance folks of his day placed on these two things; let’s discover how he uses salt and light this morning… READ: Matthew 5:13-16 According to...

No matter what, preach the gospel! - Philippians 1:12-17 By Pastor Lee Hemen June 10, 2018 What is important in your life? I mean to the point where you would be willing to leave your home, family, friends, and do what you knew was the most important thing in the world. For some it is sports, some it is music or writing, for others it might be acting or art but for the believer who has given their life to Christ everything should revolve and focus on him who gave everything for them. For Paul life was Jesus and Jesus was life and this is why for Paul in his life he considered it the greatest thing in the world to preach the gospel. He gave up family, friends, and everything in life to follow him and following him meant telling others about Jesus’ mission and message. Therefore for Paul it meant that no matter what, preach the gospel! Let’s find out how Paul encouraged others to do the same… READ: Philippians 1:12-17 Someone once said that “The most important thing you have to realize i...

United! - Acts 2:42-47 By Pastor Lee Hemen June 11, 2017 Unity, what does it mean to be unified? I know as a military unit you have to work together to achieve the same objective in order to win the battle. As a company you have to be on the same page as to what your objectives, projections, and costs are. And if you are a church the Scriptures teach us that we are to be united as well in order to achieve the kingdom of God here on earth until Jesus returns, but what does that mean and what does it look like? In our day and age few churches teach about unity except as a spiritual concept or construct but few believers understand or know what it means for the body of Christ, his church, to be unified. In the book of Acts, which is the early history of the first century church we discover that they were united in purpose. Let’s find out what that means for us today… READ: Acts 2:42-47 If a group wants to achieve anything worthwhile the members have to be on the same page and work...

Bear one another's burdens! - Galatians 6:1-6 By Pastor Lee Hemen September 18, 2016 I don't know about you but as I get older I have discovered that there are certain things I simply cannot do that I could do even four years ago. Age will do that to you. Of course as one grows older you realize you are more responsible for yourself more than you used to be when you were younger. Things like exercise, eating habits, and taking care of your overall health is one's personal responsibility. I have also discovered that I as I have matured in Christ that while there are certain things I can no longer do there are other things I should be doing on a regular basis! A lot of today's believers never mature in their relationship with Jesus simply because they have no spiritual Christian history. In the past our society had a Christian influence that permeated every aspect of one's life whether one went to church or not. Today this is simply not true. Many are being taug...

Never be Ashamed! - 2 Timothy 1:5-10 By Pastor Lee Hemen July 17, 2011 AM C. H. Spurgeon a 19th century Baptist preacher wrote about what it meant to be a Christian. He related that “we share heaven’s honors... for we are already sons of God, already princes of the blood imperial; already we wear the spotless robe of Jesus’ righteousness; already we have angels for our servitors, saints for our companions, Christ for our Brother, God for our Father, and a crown of immortality for our reward!” Wow, what an assessment concerning the Christian! You would think that anyone who truly understood what Spurgeon wrote would want to tell others about it. Yet, why then do so many believers never actually share their faith with another person? I believe that perhaps it is because Christians may be ashamed to out of personal fear. Paul declared, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes...” (Romans 1:16 NIV) You may declar...