The View From My Window Pastor's Weekly Blog

God is ever proving Himself to us. That’s pretty gracious of Him to do. Hasn’t He done enough already? Creation, sunrises, sunsets, storms, births, miracles, provisions…all speak of His power, faithfulness, and love. In today’s text, we see Jesus working on both His disciples and a fickle crowd to call all of them into an ever deepening trust in Him. I know He said He is willing to leave the 99 to search for the lost one but He never stops feeding the 99!

As our faith grows, it’s as if we’ve already secured a great treasure but are invited to add to it daily. What we have learned provides a solid foundation for our soul, what we are learning adds excitement to our journey, and what we have yet to learn gives us joy to know this adventure never ends.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

I have a number of friends who love to work. Some people are motivated by money therefore they’re working a lot of overtime, I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about people who enjoy doing things that make life better for themselves and others. They’re not lazy. They’re motivated. They often do difficult tasks that take a long time to complete not only for the joy of the finished project but also for the joy in the process.

Isn’t life odd? There are people who won’t even take care of themselves, let alone others. Then there are people who make it their goal to take care of everyone and everything. What makes one person so productive and another not? There are likely a million correct answers to that question, each as individual as each individual.

One of the keys to working hard is no doubt enjoying what you’re doing. Jesus enjoyed His ministry. It was hard. He was strongly opposed. There were very few personal perks. Yet, He was driven to seek and save the lost much like a first responder on a search and rescue mission. It’s not about how much they’re getting paid or getting their story to go viral. It’s about finding someone before they suffer another moment of fear, loneliness, pain or want. Finding them fills a place in one’s soul like nothing else. Let Jesus work in you, He loves it.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

Liberty Bunker will be bringing the word for today! I remember being so embarrassed after my first sermon that I was ready to give up on my call. That’s when I felt the Lord spoke to my heart and said, “If you’re not willing to be embarrassed for My sake, you are not worthy of the call.” Thus, I’ve been embarrassing myself ever since. Libby has shared the word with hundreds of kids and in front of a youth group a number of times but this is her first sermon to a group of adults on a Sunday morning. If she looks your way, look encouraging, smile, nod your head, maybe even break out an “amen!” Think about it: you and I will have the privilege of listening to the first of hundreds, perhaps thousands of sermons she will preach in her lifetime. Most of them will be a blur but this first experience will be forever in her memory along with those of us who cheered her on. Get ready to make history!

-Pastor Joel Everhart

I have a number of friends who love to work. Some people are motivated by money therefore they’re working a lot of overtime, I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about people who enjoy doing things that make life better for themselves and others. They’re not lazy. They’re motivated. They often do difficult tasks that take a long time to complete not only for the joy of the finished project but also for the joy in the process.

Isn’t life odd? There are people who won’t even take care of themselves, let alone others. Then there are people who make it their goal to take care of everyone and everything. What makes one person so productive and another not? There are likely a million correct answers to that question, each as individual as each individual.

One of the keys to working hard is no doubt enjoying what you’re doing. Jesus enjoyed His ministry. It was hard. He was strongly opposed. There were very few personal perks. Yet, He was driven to seek and save the lost much like a first responder on a search and rescue mission. It’s not about how much they’re getting paid or getting their story to go viral. It’s about finding someone before they suffer another moment of fear, loneliness, pain or want. Finding them fills a place in one’s soul like nothing else. Let Jesus work in you, He loves it.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

Trying to do what we cannot do only leads to a great deal of frustration, or worse. Jumping off a building trying to fly can be deadly. There are a lot of people who make it sound like we can keep ourselves from ever getting sick or injured, and if we do, we can heal ourselves by following some faith formula. Others have a magic potion that eliminates toxins or releases enzymes or whatever that cures everything from the common cold to cancer.

Many of these people are well meaning; a few want to cash in on you buying their product or advice. Any one of them can make you feel like you aren’t doing enough to help yourself. Not only are you hurting, now you feel guilty.

Today, we meet a man who was doing his best to help his own cause when Jesus happened by and changed everything. “Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by.”

-Pastor Joel Everhart