Pastor Kyle Bitter - The Second Sunday After Epiphany - Sunday, January 19, 2020

Text: Acts 13:38-49

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How long is that going to last? It’s a question worth asking whenever you make a purchase. How long is that going to last? New tires for your car. How many miles are they good for? The car itself. How many years is the warranty? That new computer – how long before it’s obsolete? You ask the same question in other areas of life. You start a new medication. How long will this work for? You have joint replacement surgery. How many years is this good for? It’s a fact of life – things wear out and are replaced. The same things happen with habits and interests. What you enjoyed as a child is different from when you’re a teenager or an adult. You pursue one hobby, and after a while your interest in that passes and you move on to something else. It’s even true of work for many people. According to a 2018 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/tenure.nr0.htm), the average American changes jobs more than ten times during their career. Things run their course during life and are replaced by something else.

Pastor Joel Leyrer - Baptism of Our Lord - Sunday, January 12, 2020

Text: Acts 10:34-38

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Dear Friends in Christ, we are now two days shy of two weeks into the New Year. Historically and traditionally, each new year marks a new beginning. Those who make resolutions toward some sort of changed behavior see January 1 as the time for a fresh start. Sort of an annual reset button to get things right or make things better.

Pastor Eric Schroeder - Epiphany - Sunday, January 5, 2020

Text: Ephesians 3:2-12

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We love to have a good mystery revealed—at least when it comes to our entertainment. Maybe you know someone like my mother, who reads one book after another. Most often, she is reading some type of suspenseful mystery novel, the kind that begins with a serious crime scene that shocks the community and leaves everyone wondering who could even be capable of something like that. Over time, the detectives carry out their investigation; they analyze the evidence and put the clues together and solve the case, usually with just a few pages to spare. Maybe you enjoy the same kind of mystery books, or you watch the dramatic TV shows like Law and Order, because there is a part of us that loves to see a good mystery revealed.

Pastor Joel Leyrer - New Year's Day - Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Text: Hebrews 13:8

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Dear Friends in Christ, “So, what’s new?” All of us have been on receiving end of this common conversation opener. How do you respond to it? My guess is one of two ways. If there is something truly noteworthy that has taken place in the not-too-distant past or some family milestone that was reached or is being planned for the near future, you’ll mention that.

Pastor Kyle Bitter - New Year's Eve - Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Text: Luke 13:6-9

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Was 2019 a good year or a bad year? The weeks leading up to New Year’s usually seem to be filled with discussion about that question, and as a result you see articles listing the top ten greatest moments in sports, the top ten news stories, and all kinds of similar things looking back and giving opportunity to review the blessings and challenges of the past year. So how was 2019? I suppose that depends on which issues you are most interested in. If you look at things from an economic perspective, it seems that by most measurable numbers 2019 was a pretty good year for most Americans. If you look at things from a political perspective, on the other hand, one might conclude that 2019 was not so great as the partisan bickering and strife seemed to somehow reach still greater levels of discord than in the past! If you like sports, I suppose it depends on how your team of choice did. Was 2019 a good year or a bad year?