The Pastor’s Heart 10/2/2015

It just seemed impossible.  So impossible, in fact, that all she could do was laugh.  God had said she and her husband would have a child, and Sarah was incredulous.  Hebrews 11 clearly says that she was “past age.”  The Scripture is not as kind to her husband, Abraham, because it says that he was…

The Pastor’s Heart 9/25/2015

If you’re old enough, you may remember this.  If not, that’s what YouTube is for.  It’s the early 1970’s ad campaign for Mennen Skin Bracer that featured a slap in the face and the catch phrase, “Thanks; I needed that!”  The ads tried to show that using the product after shaving would wake a man…

The Pastor’s Heart 9/11/2015

9/11/2001.  8:46 a.m.  American Flight 11: 87. 9:03 a.m.  United Flight 175: 60.  World Trade Center: 2,606. 9:37 a.m.  American Flight 77: 59.  Pentagon: 125.  10:03 a.m.  United Flight 93: 40.  Terrorist Hijackers: 19.  All told, 2,996.  Among those: 343 firefighters and paramedics.  23 NYPD officers.  37 Port Authority officers.  Just numbers?  I don’t think…

The Pastor’s Heart 9/4/2015

Ever heard the phrase, “That made my day!”?  Or, “You just made my day!”?  When spoken truthfully, i.e. non-sarcastically, that means something said or done turned a day into a positive one.  But have you ever had a day when everything just seemed to go wrong?  I recently read about a man who was having…

The Pastor’s Heart 8/28/2015

A story about a stump.  And how appropriate it’s been this week!  Our Thursday morning Men of the Word study started a new book yesterday, a biography of missionary Nate Saint.  The book opens with a story of the struggle to overcome a large stump that hindered the clearing of a key landing strip in…

The Pastor’s Heart 8/14/2015

“Daddy, carry me.”  It’s been a long, long time since I heard those words from my children, but how well I remember them!  I’ve heard them at the zoo, the shopping mall, the beach, and the playground.  And I carried them.  Then there were the rainy days, the muddy paths, the slippery steps, and the…

The Pastor’s Heart 8/7/2015

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound….”  “In the Book ‘tis written, ‘Saved by grace’”….  “Sing the wondrous love of Jesus; sing His mercy and His grace….”  “Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin….”  “Marvelous grace of our loving Lord; grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt….”  “He giveth more grace when the…

The Pastor’s Heart 7/31/2015

Ever felt like quitting?  Giving up?  Throwing in the proverbial towel?  You’re not alone.  Asaph, Elijah, Jeremiah, and Demas, just to name a few, felt the same way.  Asaph (Psalm 73) looked at the prosperous lifestyle of the wicked and essentially thought to himself, “It’s not fair; I’ve wasted my time following Jehovah.”  Elijah (1…

The Pastor’s Heart 7/24/2015

It was good, very good.  God Himself said so.  There is no doubt that the beauty of the newly-created and sinless world surpassed anything we would see today.  The crowning achievement of creation, man in the image of God, stood ready to live in fellowship with Him and serve in caring for that perfect place…