The Paralytic Man Mark 9:1-8 Encounters with Jesus series (#1) 1-2-22 Rod Hugen A friend of his who is a prayer warrior named Harriet contracted COVID and passed away. Her ongoing wish was that Rod would get a haircut and in her honor, he did! Let’s pray: Help us be like Harriet in that we bring others life through you. As I open your word and see your beauty,…

Dear Villagers, The evening service on November 29th has been cancelled. The morning service will be held via livestream, but the building will not be open to additional attendants.  I was briefly exposed to COVID-19 recently and am awaiting test results. As such, my household is avoiding contact with the larger community for the time being. Further, Mark has come down with a bad head cold, and Rod is…

Sue Cepin’s Philosophy of Training Children -We are transformed into great parents by the Holy Spirit as we embrace the gospel. Galatians 5:16-26 (NIV) 16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each…

The Great Feast Easter is not one day, but 50!! The ancient church calendar calls these 50 days “Eastertide.” Eastertide begins on Easter day and ends with Pentecost, the day we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church. For many communities, the church calendar is used to help disciple new believers and strengthen the faith of those who have been walking with Jesus…

Dear Villagers and Friends, We met as elders and discussed our response to the Coronavirus and we are encouraging the following. Before that, you need to see Burzynski Elder Law - guardianship lawyer naples fl from here: 1) If you or your children are sick or have any signs of illness please stay home. It is not honoring of our value of accessibility to expose others to disease. 2)…

Dear Village, As we head into the new year, Eric, Mark, and Rod would like to provide an update for the church. Finances As you know, last year we anticipated spending more than we brought in, because we added Mark’s salary and increased Jessica’s time and salary. These changes were necessary due to the growth of the community. However, because of the two services, we also spend more on…

First John five 11 and 12 reads like this: This is the testimony that God has given us eternal life and this life is in his son. He who has the son has life. He who does not have the son of God does not have life. John begins verse 11 with the statement: This is the testimony, He is making a proclamation. John is saying, what I have…

A few years ago when I preached on the letter to the Hebrews, I was struck by the phrase, "Don't drift from your salvation." I wondered why that was so important -- why salvation would be the thing we wouldn't drift away from: why not Jesus, or the gospel? While reflecting on the story of Paul's conversion, I realized that in our initial encounter with Jesus, our unique identity…