The View From My Window Pastor's Weekly Blog

-Pastor Joel Everhart

As a dad, and now a grandpa, I can testify to you that nothing brings me more joy, delight & pride than my kids and grandkids. I have many blessings in my life, but my family tops the list. I know there are guys who were never given the privilege of having children of their own and I do not mean to cast any shadows. God will surely fill their lives with many good things, it’s His promise. A love for everyone’s kids is a trait I inherited from my father and I see also lives in my son. But there’s something special about having your own.

God calls us His own! We are special to Him. You are special to Him. I’d venture to say, based on the fact that you are in church today, that God is special to you as well. Why do you suppose He chose to relate to us as our Father? God bless all our dads today!

-Pastor Joel Everhart

The Disciples had a hard time believing that Jesus had risen from the dead. They didn’t just see Him die, they saw his body ripped to shreds, slump lifeless on the cross then have a spear thrust up through His side. Jesus was dead and His body was ruined. The words Jesus had spoken to them about all that was to happen didn’t prepare them for the reality they experienced. When they were told Jesus had risen from the dead, they didn’t believe it. Their unbelief strengthens our faith because unless Jesus appeared to them after the crucifixion, there’s no way they would have become martyrs for something they doubted, much less flat out didn’t believe.

The resurrection is a historical fact better documented than most events we take for granted. Jesus’ birth, life, death & resurrection changed history so much it has become the pivotal point in human history, flipping our calendars from B.C. to A.D. Everything before Christ was preparation, and everything since has been His affect on us all.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

While I was working on this article, I became drowsy. I tried to push through but wasn’t getting anywhere so I decided to throw my feet up onto my desk, lean back in my chair and catch a few minutes sleep. I went almost immediately into a dream where I was taking my wife to a store where they sell beauty products. She was looking for some nail polish. Once we got inside the building there was a desk where a lady interviewed her about what kind of nail polish she was looking for. After a lengthy discussion, they ushered us around the corner where there was display after display after display filled with beauty products where Barb could search until she found exactly what she wanted. My knees grew weak and I felt a little nauseous. The lady told me I was welcome to recline on a sofa at one end of the room. I leaned back on that couch and woke up back in my office! Thank God I was delivered from that nightmare!

What’s that got to do with today’s topic? Jesus died to save us. In Heaven men don’t have to visit beauty supply stores. Those, my fellow husbands, exist only in the land of eternal torment in eternity. If I were you, I’d make sure things were right between me and God as soon as possible.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

“Hey, how ya doin?” It’s a common greeting these days. No one really wants to know how you are doing, they’re just trying to sound polite, if not uneducated. I would like to know how you are doing in reference to becoming more like Jesus. Does that even concern you or do you think that’s for other people to consider?

It’s easy to become discouraged & give up your pursuit of holiness. The good news is that we’re not expected to become perfected overnight. Little by little, step by step we inch closer to what Jesus is like and away from our personal tendencies. The key is to not give up. There will be stretches where you don’t feel like you are making any progress, times when you actually digress, but if you stick with it, you’ll be amazed at how much you can achieve.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

“I want my mommy!” It’s a common expression. I remember that my brother, sisters & I used the term, “Mom” so often in a day that my mom would say, “Stop calling me mom, from now on my name is Sam, call me Sam.” Mom knew where everything was. Mom was our connection to the outside world. If we needed a resource for school, clothes for gym class, if we got hungry, if we weren’t feeling well, the expression was always the same: “Mom!” Then after a successful science project or win on a field of athletics we’d say, “Look what I did.” Clearly, mom deserves a slice of every victory pie.

Mom always seemed close to a nervous breakdown until one of us needed help. Instantly, she was transformed into Wonder Woman. Always she knew what to do. There wasn’t a spider or hornet that could scare her away when her child was in danger. Add strangers and monsters to that list too.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! You’re the best.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

You might think, “Isn’t saying the ‘lost prodigal’ redundant?” Aren’t all prodigals lost? That’s what I thought until I looked up the term. A prodigal is a reckless spendthrift. You don’t have to run away from home to fit that description. You can ruin your life right in your own backyard or living room for that matter. Please, PLEASE, don’t allow yourself to get sucked into these online gambling sights or the lottery ticket machines at the grocery store or offtrack betting or a free bus ride & dinner at the casino…

Find another way to entertain yourself, one that doesn’t endanger you or your family’s future. Do something safer like bull riding or skydiving or rugby. You might come out with a few broken bones but at least your finances will still be intact. If you are a prodigal, repent & run home to common sense today!

-Pastor Joel Everhart

In the Old Testament, Moses gave us the 10 commandments. Here in Matthew, Jesus gave us the Beatitudes. Moses taught us to be afraid of violating God’s law. Jesus teaches us how to live a blessed life. In fact, Jesus turns conventional wisdom on its ear telling us that the way to be happy is to take the hard road. Be humble, grieve, make peace, get persecuted…seriously? That’s the way to be happy? It sounds counterintuitive because it is. These are secrets only those who truly trust Jesus would dare implement.

When was the last time you blessed someone who was cursing you? Is your heart clean, even toward those who have wronged you? Love, forgive & serve, that’s the Sermon on the Mount in a nutshell. Keeping up?

-Pastor Joel Everhart

Sometimes, even though Jesus did great things, people asked Jesus to leave. He is the greatest human being of all time, yet some people didn’t like Him. On the other hand, or should I say, on the other side of the lake, people loved Him! Try to remember that the next time someone fails to see how utterly delightful you are.

No one is universally loved. Some people hate us just because of the color of our skin or our nationality or our profession or where we live or… You get the picture. We can’t control who loves us, but we can choose to love everyone else. I know, that takes a little more effort for some than others, but its a good exercise. It will strengthen your connection with Jesus. It will give you an opportunity to shine the light of Jesus on others even if they don’t deserve it, but then again, who does?

-Pastor Joel Everhart

If you are a history buff, you know why history itself is divided into two parts: 1) what happened before Jesus came & 2) what has happened since. The birth, life, death & resurrection of Jesus Christ has had an undeniable, life-altering effect on this planet. It is rightly said that God gave Jesus to the world.

However, today’s faith fact is: God gave Jesus to me. It’s very important that you make that leap from recognizing the greatness of Jesus in a general sense to receiving Him as a personal gift to you. Welcome Jesus into your life. Talk to Him daily, if not continually. Study God’s word as if it were written just to you. Take the commands, promises and encouragements personally. Be “Born Again”, become a child of God and follower of Jesus Christ. After all, part of the reason He came to earth was to save your soul and adopt you into His Family.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

Every time I go to the airport, I stand in awe of the reality that those huge airliners can actually fly through the air. Empty, a 747 weighs 201.5 tons; fully loaded, up to 437.5 tons. I know what the eggheads tell us about wing shape, lift & thrust but I’m not sure they really know what they’re talking about. 201.5 tons of steel carrying 236 tons of cargo, passengers & snacks screams down the runway then jumps up into the sky. If it can fly, why can’t I (I mean without an airplane)?

I have a lot more faith in God than I do Boeing. Yet, I’ve strapped myself into a seat on several of those behemoths & trusted that it was going to catapult me across the country. Isn’t it time we really strap ourselves into following the Lord? What are you waiting for? Obey what He says about finances, how to treat your enemies, what to value, how to use your mind…

-Pastor Joel Everhart