The Pastor’s Heart 5/11/2018

Her son was looking for help on understanding what sin is and how to avoid committing it.  In a letter to that son, this mother lovingly replied:  “Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off your relish of spiritual things; in short,…

The Pastor’s Heart 5/4/2018

She’s here!  And she’s beautiful!  Little Emery Dallas Bowker, our second grandchild and first granddaughter, made her entrance into the world at 10:26 last Monday morning.  Praise the Lord, mom and baby (and dad) are doing fine.  As Tina and I looked through the hospital nursery window, we only had eyes for little Emery.  Sure,…

The Pastor’s Heart 4/27/2018

“Slippery When Wet.”  We’ve all seen the sign.  The very fact it’s there tells you it’s probably wet!  It’s a warning to watch your step, because a slip could lead to a nasty spill.  From there it’s bruises, scrapes, sprains, fractures, or worse.  And when we hit that slick spot, it only takes a second…

The Pastor’s Heart 4/20/2018

This time last week, I was doing what Peter had just done all night.  Fishing.  The group from our church, though, did better than Peter and his associates.  Our annual men’s fishing trip resulted in a good catch of fish.  On the other hand, Peter had fished all night and caught nothing.  After that long,…

The Pastor’s Heart 4/6/2018

“Would you just be still?!?”  Ever said that to one of your children?  Or had it said to you?  It’s not really a question, is it?  More like an imperative.  That’s essentially what Moses said to his people right there beside the Red Sea.  Exodus 14 tells us the story.  The miraculous and joyous deliverance…

The Pastor’s Heart 3/30/2018

She still bore the heart-rending grief of watching Him suffer the horrendous and bloody death by crucifixion.  Then, the almost overwhelming sense of loss.  And now, early on that first day of the week, she stood and stared in disbelief at the empty tomb, wondering why someone would have moved the corpse.  And who?  It…

The Pastor’s Heart 3/2/2018

Each week this note is sent out with a prayer that it will be an encouragement to someone.  But sometimes I receive one that does that for me.  One such blessing came from friends who were going through some very difficult days that, humanly speaking, did not look to be getting any better.  Yet in…

The Pastor’s Heart 2/23/2018

Yes, I love technology.  It can be a great and productive tool.  But sometimes….  Sometimes, I feel that I’m in over my head.  Like this week.  Sound booth laptop issues. Wi-fi router issues.  Desktop to copier/printer interface issues.  Website and email migration issues.  Yep, in over my head.  But with these issues, I knew just…

The Pastor’s Heart 2/9/2018

Well, it’s over.  The final horn sounded, confetti fell, the trophy was presented, more confetti, emotional interviews, and yesterday, a parade.  And, oh yes, somewhere in there a trip to Disney World.  Yep, Super Bowl LII is history, and the numbers were staggering.  No, I’m not talking about the game statistics (and they were record-breaking);…