Pastor's Pen

Pastor’s Pen, This Sunday: The Master’s Credentials                                                                                Mark 11:27-12:12 This weekend we returned to our study of the Gospel of Mark, and since we have covered Christ’s Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday, we move to the next segment, where we see Israel's Messiah responding to a check of His credentials and a challenge to His authority. The issue of the authority of Jesus Christ is as critical today as it was in the first century. Is He who He claims to be? Does He have the right to have authority over our lives. In today's text we will see three verdicts to this question given. ***** Sunday July 4 th -Grand Re-opening Celebration We’d love to have you join us in person for services at 10:45 AM, followed immediately by a fellowship dinner. Hamburgers and hotdogs furnished, bring a dish if possible, if not bring yourself! We’d love to have all of you who have not been able to join us in recent months, and tho

Pastor’s Pen, This Sunday: What Hallmark doesn’t tell you about Father’s Day           Ephesians 6:4; Psalm 68:5, 6                                                                             Last week while looking over Father's Day material, I came across a blog written by Amy Leigh Bomberg titled “Father’s Day: What Hallmark doesn’t say.” Her poignant observations reminded me that, for some people, this day is a painful reminder of either the loss of a father through a variety of circumstances ranging from death to divorce to abandonment, or of an abusive relationship with a harsh, critical father. Amy’s repeated reminder throughout her blog was "… But God will make a way.” With this in mind, we look into God's Word to see the clear way He has proscribed for fathers, and the comforting provision He has made for those who have experienced lost fathering. *****  We appreciate those who help sanitize our facilities for services each Saturday morning in preparation for Sun

Pastor’s Pen, This Sunday: Open Our Eyes: Elisha and the Vision of Faith                              2 Kings 6:14-18 Our guest speaker this Sunday, as Kathy and I are away celebrating our 55 th wedding anniversary,  is   friend and colleague, Jack Wyman. Jack has enjoyed a successful career as a preacher, pastor, community and political leader, and fundraiser. He has served as the senior minister of four churches in New England and Texas. For a decade Jack served as a public policy lobbyist and as executive director of a statewide Christian political action group representing 230 churches and 4,000 families in Maine. He has served on the local school board, two terms as a state lawmaker, and has been a nominee for the U.S. Senate, a candidate for Governor of Maine, and a candidate for Congress in Texas. He has been a political consultant, educator, author and presidential historian. Jack was born in Hartford, Connecticut and attended Connecticut public schools. He graduated fro

Pastor’s Pen, This Sunday: The Heart of Christ’s Ministry                                                                               Mark 10:32-52 Ever wonder why there are four God's accounts of the life of Christ? Each one has a specific purpose, and presents a different facet of the person of our Savior. What is more trying to accomplish in his Gospel? In the passage before us we find the heart of Christ's ministry, and to understand it we need to examine three specific steps. *****  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.  When you enter the sanctuary Sunday, after you are given a bulletin, stop by the communion table where the offering plates are located in the rear of the worship center and pick up

Pastor’s Pen, This Sunday: Lessons from the Master                                                                               Mark 10:1-31 “Divorce granted” Those words are heard in court rooms literally thousands of times each week in this country. Divorce has been called an American epidemic, and statistics indicate one out of two marriages will wind up terminated in this way.  This weekend as we consider two questions, is divorce necessary, and what are its effects, we will look at what Jesus had to say on this important topic, as well as what He told his disciples regarding privilege. Whenever we come to a portion of Scripture that addresses the topic of divorce, I want to make two points very clear. Malachi 2:16 makes it clear that God hates divorce. But Scripture makes it equally clear that God loves divorced people, and will forgive and use them to further His kingdom. I believe God wants to use His Word to strengthen marriages and reinforce our commitment “’til death do us p

Pastor’s Pen, This Sunday: The Road to True Greatness                                                                              Mark 9:30-50 Today marks the celebration of Pentecost.  To understand this event, we must first understand the Jewish Feast of Pentecost. It was not by coincidence that God poured out His Spirit on the disciples on that day. There were three great Jewish feasts each year: Passover (in the spring), celebrating Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, followed immediately by the Feast of Unleavened Bread; Pentecost, also called the Feast of Weeks, which occurred 50 days (seven weeks) after Passover; and, Tabernacles (in the fall).  Pentecost was an initial harvest feast, where the Jews were to offer to the Lord the first fruits of the new grain. Among other rituals, they were to wave before the Lord two loaves of wheat bread, made with leaven ( Lev. 23:15-21 ). This picture came to fulfillment in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Until this t