I am very confident that no one reading this finds it distasteful or offensive to receive gifts, especially from those who love and care for us. That is in large measure why all of us, young and old alike, look forward to birthdays and Christmas, for these events are generally characterized by the receipt of...

All of us live and exist in situations dictated by “things you should know.” If you are a pastor, you should know that Sunday mornings are not a morning for sleeping in; if you are a teacher, you should love children and possess incredible patience; If you are a hunter, you should know how to...

Have you ever heard or used the phrase “sweep it under the rug?” Probably so, for it is not uncommon that as certain detrimental or harmful activities, actions, or even attitudes exhibit themselves we find ourselves tempted to ignore, downplay, or excuse them away over that of the difficult work of simply dealing with them...

Ignorant people…No one likes people who are willfully ignorant. But are ignorant people even aware they are? It’s doubtful they are, or they wouldn’t choose to be that way. If that’s the case, how do we know we’re not falling into the ignorant category? The Apostle Paul actually addresses this issue in his letter to...

For most of us, our first experience in ‘building’ likely consisted of Lincoln Logs, Legos, or the sandbox. Regardless of beginnings, and unlike the Clint Ackerman’s, Dan Erickson’s, and Matt Sandvold’s amongst us, I never achieved the status of a “wise, master builder”. This fact Gloria can attest to, and the most common building materials...

I recall moving to Ottawa, Illinios some 15+ years ago as a seminary intern, knowing absolutely nobody and virtually nothing of the church and congregation I had been assigned to. My first correspondence came through a man named David Holl, who would become one of my dearest friends during that year of internship (God bless...

Wisdom is likely something we all wish we had more of. The Word of God has much to say about true wisdom, and while we likely associate wisdom with the book of Proverbs, let’s not overlook the book of 1st Corinthians. It is here that Paul outlines wisdom for a number of topics including the...

This week we conclude our “What is Truth?” series by looking to the account between Jesus and the woman of Samaria, with a special focus on “worship” as expressed in verses 23-24 of John 4. Worship is a topic which holds many misunderstandings in our day and age, and one in which opinions often guide...

Each year the idea of the New Year brings so much optimism.  There is so much hope in the newness of a fresh start.  New Year’s Day brings “New Year’s Resolutions” with the hope of making improvements in our life, in our health and in our relationships.  However, for many New Year’s Day has become...

Pastor Dave Ryerson brought a message entitled “Still the Same” based on Hebrews 3:8. Find out how God being the same yesterday, today, and forever, can be a source of stability in an ever-changing world.