Pastor's Pen

  Pastor’s Pen… This Sunday, the first Sunday of the New Year, we begin our series of messages through “The Fast Food Gospel.” Did you figure out which one it is? One of the biggest changes in our country over the last half-century has been a transformation in the eating habits of Americans. When I was growing up, most meals were eaten at home, with restaurant outings on rare occasions. Then a man named Ray Kroc introduced a restaurant with golden arches out front, and McDonald’s, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, KFC and dozens of other fast food businesses began to proliferate.  I’ve labeled the gospel of Mark the ‘fast food’ Gospel, and I believe it is ideally suited for 21st-century Christians. It was written to people in Rome, Gentiles, who were under pressure, facing persecution. Mark was the first Gospel to be written, and it contains a great deal of eyewitness detail.  The theme and outline of the book can be found in Mark 10:45; “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served,

 P astor’s Pen… I'm delighted to welcome a guest preacher this weekend, particularly after six hours of live radio Christmas Eve into Christmas morning. Special thanks to each of you who prayed, who gave, and who helped spread the word about Christmas Hope. Dr. Paul Pettit is the Executive Director of Dynamic Dads, and ministry providing education and encouragement to families and fathers. Paul also serves as Director of Career Services at Dallas Theological Seminary. Next Sunday, the first Sunday of the New Year, we will begin our series of messages through “The Fast Food Gospel.” Have you figured out which one it is yet? ***** We appreciate those who help sanitize our facilities for services each Saturday morning in preparation for Sunday worship as well as those who make it possible for us to ‘live-stream’ on Facebook at 10:45 each Sunday morning, and to post each Sunday’s message on our website (www.fccwylie.org) on Sunday afternoons.  If you haven't come out to wors

 P astor’s Pen… Christmas is a time of secrets! From items hidden away in closets to gaily wrapped packages under the tree to surprise, unexpected visits from loved ones, there are many secrets it's around this special season. There are some Christmas secrets found in Scripture as well. For example, there is one four- letter word that defines the essence of Christmas. That word is L-O-V-E. The proof? John 3:16. But what does this secret meeting to you and to me? First, we have received his gift of love when we trust him as Savior. Also, I demonstrate His love in my life toward others. ***** We appreciate those who help sanitize our facilities for services each Saturday morning in preparation for Sunday worship as well as those who make it possible for us to ‘live-stream’ on Facebook at 10:45 each Sunday morning, and to post each Sunday’s message on our website (www.fccwylie.org) on Sunday afternoons.  If you haven't come out to worship with us recently, we sure love to h

  Pastor’s Pen… As  we noted last week, Christmas is a time of secrets! Secrets hidden away in closets, secrets  under the tree, unexpected visits from loved ones, there are many secrets it's around this special season. Last week we considered the secret of love, expressed in John 316 and in first John three and four. This weekend we consider the secret of peace, as we examine the shepherds. They were a familiar part of the Christmas story, as we learn in Luke 2. The message they heard from the angelic announcer, “Peace on earth, goodwill to men,” is one that resonates in our troubled day. For our Christmas Eve service (5 pm) my meditation will be on “The Ultimate Christmas Secret.” Next Sunday my friend Dr. Paul Pettit will preached for us; and on the first Sunday of the new year we will begin our series of messages through “The Fast Food Gospel.” Have you figured out which one it is yet? ***** We appreciate those who help sanitize our facilities for services each Saturday mo

  Pastor’s Pen… It was about the year 97 BBC when David reached the end of one of the most full and eventful lives anyone ever lived. The youngest son of Jesse, shepherd, slayer of a giant, musician and attendant to King Saul, fugitive from the King, warrior, and ultimately King over all Israel, David’s life provides us with significant lessons at every turn. This weekend’s message will look over his life in order to gain an overall perspective and avoid missing some of the most important lessons God would have us to learn. And there is a Christmas connection, in that the babe born in Bethlehem will one day rule on the throne of King David. (See Matthew 1:6) In the last recorded speech of his life, David demonstrated a superb skill that oratory and shared the conviction of his soul. In doing so he gave us a series of insights that add up to a perspective on this “man after God's own heart.” ***** We appreciate those who help sanitize our facilities for services each Saturday m

  Pastor’s Pen… How could King David, a man after God's own heart, have failed so miserably in the incident involving Bathsheba and Uriah? Yet while we wonder about this, each of us has experienced failures, and each of us is susceptible to falling to temptation into serious sin. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:12, “Let the person who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Should we fail as David did, we will need to follow the road he followed to forgiveness and recovery, as he wrote in Psalm 51.  As we consider this Psalm this weekend, look for three things: how terrible sin is, how great God's deliverance is, and how intensely thankful David is for God's grace and forgiveness. ***** We appreciate those who help sanitize our facilities for services each Saturday morning in preparation for Sunday worship as well as those who make it possible for us to ‘live-stream’ on Facebook at 10:45 each Sunday morning, and to post each Sunday’s message on our website (www.fcc

  Pastor’s Pen… King David was one of the most amazing characters in Scripture. 62 chapters in the Old Testament are devoted to his life, as well as 59 references in the New Testament. Both Testaments referred to him as a man after God's own heart.  Yet there were moments of failure in David's life, and this weekend we will consider a shocking and disappointing failure with severe consequences, involving David, Bathsheba, and her husband Uriah. This shocking and sordid story is a reminder of the consequences of sin, as well as the amazing nature of God's forgiveness and grace. ***** We appreciate those who help sanitize our facilities for services each Saturday morning in preparation for Sunday worship as well as those who make it possible for us to ‘live-stream’ on Facebook at 10:45 each Sunday morning, and to post each Sunday’s message on our website (www.fccwylie.org) on Sunday afternoons.  If you haven't come out to worship with us recently, we sure love to h

  Pastor’s Pen… I'd like to begin our message today with three important questions: How common is discouragement today, given all the adverse circumstances of 2020? How do you define discouragement? What are the results of discouragement when we find ourselves negatively influenced by it? Usually when I'm preaching a series, I don't return to a passage of Scripture. But this weekend I'm making an exception, because I believe discouragement is at epidemic proportion in the world of Covid and other 2020 circumstances. I'm also convinced that overcoming discouragement is absolutely crucial for each of us as believers. As we learned last time together, it's no wonder that David felt discouraged. From the record of three chapters we witnessed a period of 16 months with no prior art connection with God, no psalms or worship songs written, and virtually nothing but discouragement and spiritual defection. As we delved into God's Word, we will review the