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Fellowship Is a Beautiful Thing! – Acts 2:42-47 By Pastor Lee Hemen May 31, 2026 New things are exciting; new houses, new relationships, new cars or new toys – all of these things can be exciting at first. The same is true for churches. But after the excitement wears off then there is the hard work of taking care of, maintaining, and developing believers. Volunteers can often be like herding cats. The disciples found this out in a hurry. The church was brand new and it was exciting. Things were happening and God was moving to build his church in the world so it could be the witness he needed. Within the newness of the early church, we discover that the disciples began to develop how the body of Christ was to operate in the world and in doing so we discover that fellowship is a beautiful thing. Let’s see how and why… READ: Acts 2:42-47 GBC is in the process of finding a Worship Leader and we should desire one that encourages fellowship, is willing to come alongside of others, and develo...

Ramblings from Retirement – The Church, Jesus’ body in the World By Pastor (retired) Lee Hemen April 5, 2022 It is amazing to me that so many convoluted ideas have taken root in today’s Christianity. It makes me wonder if anyone, who calls them self a “Christian” truly takes the time to know what this means or if they ever read and study the Bible. Far too many churches have abandoned Bible Study, Sunday School, or whatever you want to call in favor of video symposiums or sermons in a second. And do not get me started on what people think and teach about the coming of Jesus. Most of it is founded on heretical teaching that has taken root like aggressive weeds in your lawn and has no basis in orthodox Christianity, the history of the church, or what the Bible actually says concerning the subject, anyway, this for another Rambling on another day. Jesus established the church for a reason, and we see this when he asked his followers, “Who do the people say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “Yo...

Ramblings from Retirement - Are You No Earthly Good? By Pastor (retired) Lee Hemen  April 3, 2022 There's an old saying that a Christian can be "so heavenly-minded you're no earthly good". It means that believers can be so focused on being holy, that they've lost sight of the world around them. Now this can be a good thing when it refers to one's looking to Jesus as they live, but it can be bad if they're so focused on the things of heaven that they forget about those around them that need Jesus. It can be bad in the life of a church or preacher that becomes so focused on knowledge or themselves that they become blinded to the needs of a hurting and sinful world around them. Jesus berated the spiritual teachers of his day because this was exactly what they were guilty of doing. Jesus really got into it with them, and he bluntly told them, ‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin....

Ramblings from Retirement – Get Out There and Disciple Someone By Retired Pastor Lee Hemen July 17, 2021 I’m a big fan of the verses I’m going to share with you today but not in the Billy Graham-guilt trip kind of way where you’re left wondering if your Christianity is real. You know what I mean, because you don’t corner every living soul you meet with a black Bible in hand and demand to know if they are going to heaven or hell. Not that Billy Graham did this but I use this in jest. Some of the last words Jesus spoke to his crew before he ascended back to his heavenly abode were these words recorded by Matthew: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)” As a preacher...

How to remain faithful! -- 1Timothy 4:1-7 By Pastor Lee Hemen November 26, 2017 Here in America we have not faced the persecution that exists in much of the rest of the world for our faith. We think that if someone feels ill-will towards us or says a nasty thing about our faith that this is the same as the persecution others around the world face -- it is not. Certainly we are facing more and more resentment, ungodliness, and outward bitterness towards Christianity but we are not yet suffering beatings, slavery, and religious genocide as others have and are. Yet how are we to remain faithful if persecution for our faith worsens? Paul knew very well what real religious persecution was all about. He not only felt it as he followed Jesus but had inflicted it on other believers before becoming a Christian himself. This is why he was being so urgent with Timothy; being a believer in Paul’s day meant being persecuted for your faith. So how does one remain faithful in light of such a prospect...

Hebrews 13:7-17 – We’re following the Leader! By Pastor Lee Hemen February 3, 2013 AM In the Walt Disney cartoon “Peter Pan”, the Lost Boys sing a song entitled “Following the Leader.” The lyrics are “Following the leader, the leader, the leader; we’re following the leader wherever he may go! Tee dum, tee dee, A teedle ee do tee day. Tee dum, tee dee; It's part of the game we play! Tee dum, tee dee, The words are easy to say. Just a teedle ee dum a teedle ee do tee day!” It continues by relating, “We're one for all and all of us out for fun! We march in line and follow the other one! With a teedle ee do a teedle ee di tee dum!” And sadly, this can be the mantra of far too many in our day and age as they blindly follow politicians, the media, and superstars. We want to be very careful when we blindly follow earthly leaders. Hebrews is ending his sermon and desires to leave his listeners with some advice they won’t soon forget. With all the voices trying to gain thei...

Proper Christian Teaching -- Titus 2:11-15 By Pastor Lee Hemen November 9, 2008 AM Christians have adopted a convoluted myopic self-centered view of what the grace of God is all about. Some have bought into the idea that God has got to love us no matter what, forgetting we are called to holiness. Holiness is not a “sacred” feeling. We cannot do whatever we want, worship however we want, and think we can enjoy “the grace of God!” This is sickening in its spiritual stupidity. God’s grace certainly is his love extended to sinners, but we dare not presume upon it. God is not some elderly gentleman who winks at our indiscretions and dotingly waits for his wayward children to “come home.” God’s grace is found in Jesus who died for us when we did not care, did not deserve it, and did nothing to show we loved him for it. The grace of God is wrapped up in his plan to redeem mankind. Grace is the extension and expression of God. This is why Paul would write Titus: “For the grace of God that brin...

How Do We Display Godliness? - 1 Timothy 4:1-16 by Pastor Lee Hemen May 11, 2008 AM I can still hear my mother calling after us, “Boys, stay on the trail!” What? Did she think we would go and wander off and get lost? Please! We lived in the woods, we grew up in the woods, we ate and slept in the woods. We were the wild boys who owned the woods! ARGH! ARGH! ARGH! However, her concern was not so much that we would wander off and get lost, because that could have been a blessing in disguise for her, but rather we would fall, hurt ourselves, or that someone or something would grab us and haul us off and eat us. Then, she would have to clean up the mess or look for us, and she did not want to do either. I am not sure why, but when we were younger my mother was always worried about “wild animals” eating us while on picnics. Sadly, we read in the news today that there are many who wander off the trail and get lost, hurt, or eaten by “wild animals”! Maybe Mom was right after all? One reason Pa...