Posts Tagged with "God"

Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all (Colossians 3:11, NKJV) God loves us all! This is true, but the big question is do we love all others? I know we normally associate with those who we feel comfortable around, but God loves all, even those who may make us a bit uncomfortabl...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday. In 1947, the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was meeting with Happy Chandler, the president of the National League of professional baseball. Rickey was talking about doing the unthinkable: bringing up to the major leagues a black baseball player named Jackie Robinson. Most of the major-league ow...

But sanctify the Lord God in your heart and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15, NKJV) Many of us are not comfortable speaking in public, and some of us are, however, what would you do if you were asked to give a presentation without being told about it ahead of time? Well, t...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday. Sir Christopher Wren was the greatest architect of his day (16321723) having been granted Knighthood for his achievements in 1673.His skills were greatly in demand and he was given responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including what is regard...

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15, KJV) Life is full of ups and downs, good times and bad times, yet one thing is always constant, we're always learning, no matter how old we are, life is always teaching us new things. Many life events occurred in...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday. During this past long July 4thweekend I want to say without apology: I love America.I am unashamedly patriotic.I get teary eyed at patriotic events.I stand proudly when the national anthem is sung and respect greatly the men and women who defend this nation.I will fly the flag proudly at our home t...

This Sunday July 4th we will celebrate our nation's birthday. 245 years ago this Sunday the signers of the Declaration of Independence met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and declared themselves a free nation. Their actions led to war, and to many they are considered to be God fearing men, men of honor and integrity and to others, bad men, who owned slaves, and were no b...

Behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha(2 Kings 6:17b, NKJV) In our younger days my wife and I loved to hike the mountains of Utah with our sons. We were now ready to attempt the Angel's Landing hike in Zion National Park. The trail contained switchbacks. We sweltered in the summer heat. As we neared the peak, chains guarded us from...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday. Earlier this week in Surfside, Florida, in the middle of the night, the Champlain Towers South collapsed without warning.As of this writing more than 159 people remain unaccounted for.Rescue workers are painstakingly going through the rubble looking for survivors.The 12 story beach side of the buil...

Today we focused on the role of God in the Church. There are many religions and churches out there, some are truthful to the Gospel and others offer salvation at a price. What would Jesus think of those churches that offer salvation in exchange for your money, your possessions, but never preach the Gospel of Salvation through faith in Christ alone! In John 2 Jesus goes ...

Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia, Luke in Rome, Tychicus to Ephesus (2 Timothy 4:10-11, NKJV) What is the first thing we do when we buy new shoes? We make sure they fit, that they are not big or tight on our feet. We don't want to be walking around in shoes that either too small or too big, we want to make sure they are the right fit. This reminded of a time duri...

Today is Father's Day and as with this past Mother's Day, I'm going to give a message not just intended for the fathers in our church, but everyone present. At the beginning of the book of 1 Kings, the story opens with King David on his deathbed. Although he had managed to rouse himself long enough to appoint Solomon as his successor, David was still dying. Knowing tha...

There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword (Proverbs 12:18a, NKJV) All of us at one point in our lives will be faced with a tough decision, do we do the right thing, do we obey our parents, or do we do the wrong thing. I still recall one summer day when three of us were playing catch with a softball near a wooded area of a Boy Scout Summer Camp. We were enjoyin...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday. Last week I read the sad story of Cathy Boone who died in January 2020 in a warming shelter after living on the streets of the city of Astoria, contending with drug and mental health issues.Boone grew up in thePortland area and later moved to Astoria, where her mother lived after her parents had se...

This Sunday Pastor Dan Hornok our guest pastor. Brought us this wonderful message called "The Disappointing Ministry of Jesus." Pastor Doug continues to recover from hip replacement surgery. ln each of our lives, there will be a time when we are clearly, honestly, justifiably disappointed with Jesus.But while our disappointment is real, does Jesus honestly deserve the b...

These all died in faith and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth (Hebrews 11:13, NKJV). I remember living in tents and each time it was a temporary abode. I also remember the work required to setup a tent and then camp. It was hard work, but when you're young some of these things can actually be fun. The first time was in Boy Scout Camp where I le...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday. Connie and I are in Houston waiting for our flight back home to Salt Lake.For the past week, we've been in Galveston, Texas with some our family; Dave and Cecile and their 3 girls along with Dustin and Maria and their 4 boys.We rented a house on the beach and had a wonderful time. Galveston is on ...

This weekend we return to our sermon series, today will be our 18th sermon on "God's Blueprint for the Church." This Sunday's message is called "Portrait of a Good Servant." What does it mean to be a good servant, what are some of the qualifications, and expectations? William Carey was a shoe cobbler by trade before he went to India as a missionary. He kept a map of I...

Whatsoever things are pure... think on these things (Philippians 4:8, NKJV) I developed a love for reading at a very young age, and I still love to read. There are times when small errors make it pass the editing process. When I find one of these small errors I realize we are not perfect and no matter what, we will always make mistakes. When I was in 6th grade, the local...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday. Every part of life has its moments when you want to quit and throw in the towel.That can apply to your job, marriage, a daily discipline - every aspect of life. I love the story of the pastor who under the stress of a church problem felt he could take no more. So, he sat down and wrote a letter to...

This weekend we will be taking a break from our sermon series God's Blueprint for the Church. This Sunday's message is called "Never Waste a Crisis" it will be delivered by Pastor Dan Hornok. Having lived through a year with the Corona virus, it would be a shame to have lived it, without ever learning from it.Even after a year of lockdowns, social distancing, and all of...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday. On September 9, 1839, a little boy was born into the Hatfield clan of West Virginia. His given name was William Anderson Hatfield.While still quite young he got a nickname from his own mother that perfectly described his sinister disposition and aggressive nature. She called himDevil Anse. The name...

In our 17th message from our sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church" today's message "A Good Minister of Christ Jesus." We're going to focus on the preacher or pastor and how their ministry can suffer because they see themselves a bigger than Christ. It is very important to recognize these ego or personality driven ministries. We will continue to address what sho...

I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also (2 Timothy 1:5, NKJV) My mother, sister, and I visited Granny's house almost every week during my childhood Wisdom is not given it is learned throughout our lives. Our elders have lived and experienced more than thos...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday. Among the many glorious blessings and benefits that are ours as children of God by faith in His Son is "access" to the Father. This access to God is through the Son, in the power of the Spirit. It is readily ours whenever we need it. We need never set an appointment with God, hoping He might have t...

As we continue with our sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." In our 16th message, Bad Theologies Source. We explore how bad teachings and theologies have slowly infiltrated the church. In today's difficult times, it is very important to recognize false teachers and their false teachings. We will also address what should be the true role of the Church in our so...

Casting all your care upon Him, for he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7, NKJV) Songs and hymns bring back memories, and they can also takes us back in time, may be to a specific moment of our lives, like winning a game, meeting your spouse, or a song or hymn helped you during a difficult time, they help us connect with key events in our lives. Among my earliest recollections i...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday. Chuck Yeager, the famous test pilot in the late 1900s was flying an F-86 Sabre over a lake in the Sierras when he decided to buzz a friend's house near the edge of the lake just rattle his windows for fun. During a slow roll, he suddenly felt his aileron lock. This is the hinged part of the edge ...

This Sunday as we celebrate Mother's Day and all over the Christian world preachers undoubtedly will be pointing to the mother we have come to call the "Proverbs 31 woman." What a lady! This wonder woman gets up before dawn and stays busy until the early hours of the next morning.While the woman in Proverbs 31 is a worthy example to emulate, she is not among those liste...

And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob(Genesis 25:28, NKJV) You are my favorite son or daughter. How many times have we heard these words coming from some parents? But how often do we stop and think how these words my affect their other children? I do, when I was growing up I knew a father who lavished attention on his son and neglected h...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday. Last weekend I had the blessing of sharing with some local pastors a talk dealing with conflict in the local church.Conflict is heartbreaking and thankfully, MBC has been blessed throughout its history with being a unified church. My first major point was a reminder that fundamentally the struggle...

As we continue with our sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." In our 15th message, A Hope, A Home A Hymn. We explore what is the role of the church, even in today's difficult times. We will also address what should be the true role of the Church in our society. Ask the average person on the street, "Why is the church important?" and you will receive a variet...

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man sows that he will also reap (Galatians 6:7, NKJV) Finally, the weather is slowly warming up and summer is just a few months away. I love summer; it still is a very special time for me. As a young child I loved to spend time outside in the sun, enjoying the wonders of God's creation. Unfortunately, I was a fair-sk...

As we continue with our sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." In our 14th message, Deacons; Who Qualifies - Part 2. We focus on God's leadership design for His church and the different roles within the church and who is eligible and what qualifications are required for the different ministries and areas of the church. When you come to the New Testament there i...

Bring ..the books, especially the parchments (2 Timothy 3:13, NKJV) Every journey or story has a beginning. Imagine what it would be like reading a book and starting in the middle; you probably won't understand the message the writer is trying to convey. With this in mind I recently examined my literary roots, the journey takes me back to my high school years. I received...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday. Several years back I read the story of a woman who was driving home when she noticed a huge truck behind her that was driving uncomfortably close. She stepped on the gas to gain some distance form the truck, but then when she sped up, the truck did too. The faster she drove, the faster the truck di...

As we continue with our sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." In our 13th message, Deacons; Who Qualifies. We continue to focus on God's leadership design for His church and the different roles within the church and who is eligible and what qualifications are required for the different ministries and areas of the church. When you come to the New Testament ther...

No man engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. (2 Timothy 1:4, NKJV) The War to end all Wars, The Great Patriotic War, War of Resistance, The Pacific Theater, there are many names used for World War II. As with many other situations, it all depends on whom you ask. For us in America, it will...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday. Other than the game show Jeopardy, which I watch on occasion, I do not watch game shows on TV.I am however familiar with some of them.A few weeks ago I read about a contestant on "Wheel of Fortune" who lost out on big money for a minor technically of the rules. David Petersen was the contestant an...

After last week's beautiful Easter Celebration we return to our sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." In our 12th message, The Church's Servants: Deacons. We continue to focus on God's leadership design for His church and the different roles within the church and who is eligible and what qualifications are required for the different ministries and areas of the ...

Behold, a sower went out to sow.But others (seeds) fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Matthew 13:3b, 8 (NKJV) Are we ready to share our faith with others? I know this is something we all talk about doing, but are we ready to share what God is doing in our lives the moment the opportunity presents itself? Many times we expe...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday. The principle symbol of our faith is the cross of Jesus Christ.Paul understood this and in his letter to the churches in Galatia wrote:"But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world"(Galatia...

Today we celebrate Resurrection Sunday. In honor of our resurrected Lord we'll be taking a break four our regular sermon series. This Resurrection Sunday we studied "Five Fundamental Truths without which we have No Hope." If Jesus is going to save us then he had to become human Jesus came to Die! Through His death He breaks the power of the Devil The power of Stan...

Then the LORD said, "Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it." Habakkuk 2:2 NKJV As a writer, I'm always trying to become better; to learn from other capable writers and their experiences, histories and styles. This is why I've been a long time member of the Utah Christian Writers Fellowship (UCWF) has been very helpful in refining my ...

Dear Friends, In 1941, when the Nazis began brutalizing the Jews of France, the parents of Maurice, 12, and Joseph Joffo, 10, told them they would be sending them to live with relatives in unoccupied France. Each was given 5,000 francs, or about 10 dollars, to pay his way on the train. They would travel to the border town of Dax, and then find a way to cross the border ...

As we continue with our sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." In our 11th message, Qualifications for an Elder - Part 2. We continue to focus on God's leadership design for His church and the different roles within the church and who is eligible and what qualifications are required for the different ministries and areas of the church. The effectiveness of the ...

Through love serve one another. Galatians 5:13b, NKJV How do we serve our communities? Do we need to get involved in local politics? Do we need to be wealthy and connected? What is the best way to serve our communities? I'm going to share how I got involved in helping my community by volunteering in an area I love and know very well. I became a member of the American Ins...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to theLord's Day. The other day I read a revealing news story about an exceptionally rare 15th century porcelain bowl made in China that somehow turned up at a Connecticut yard sale and sold for just $35. Later its value was determined and the bowl was auctionedoff for nearly $722,000. The article read: "The...

Today we continue with our sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." In our 10th message, Qualifications for an Elder - Part 1. We focus on God's design and the different roles within the church and who is eligible and what qualifications are required for the different ministries and areas of the church. The effectiveness of the church and the gospel of Jesus Ch...

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 KJV If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. I was an engineer and my area of expertise is aerospace. Yes, I worked with rockets and I enjoyed myself tremendously. One of my pleasures for many years was judging local and regional science fairs involving elementary, junior high, and h...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to theLord's Day. The first recorded missionaries of the early church were Peter and John.Following the Day of Pentecost when the church began with the Holy Spirit indwelling believers, these two went out and about spreading the gospel.Later, Peter and John were arrested, because of their witness for Christ. ...

Today we continue with our sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." Our 9th message, Who is in Charge? Elders! We focus on God's design and the different roles within the church and who is responsible for the different ministries and areas of the church. Ask the average American Christian, "Who's in charge of the church?" and most would answer, "The pastor is." A...

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:7, NKJV Ah, some of our most cherished memories can be traced back to our summer camps, like roasting marsh mellows, swimming in a river, staying up late, meeting new friends, and spending tim...

Today we continue with our new sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." Our 8th message, The Role of Women in the Church Part 2 focuses on God's design and the differences between Men and Women, and how God sees women in ministry and how to conduct themselves not only in church but in society in general. First Timothy 2:11-15 is undoubtedly the most important and...

Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing. Deuteronomy 13:2 When I retire I am going to To many of us retirement is painted as a time to relax, sleep-in, watch TV, travel, etc. But as always, our plans not always match up with God's plans for our lives, even in retirement. Shortly after I retired, I volunteered and started spending a week each summer as a camp dish washer...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to theLord's Day. George Matheson (1842-1906) was a Scotsman who exhibited a quick mind and a fervent devotion to the Lord. Sensing God's call on his life, he began to train for the ministry, but his already poor eyesight began to fail. He raced through studies at the University of Glasgow and graduated a...

Today we continue with our new sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." Our 7th message, The Role of Women in the Church- part 1 focuses on God's design and the differences between Men and Women, and how Godly women should conduct themselves not only in church but in society in general. Join us again and for the next few weeks as we continue to carefully study 1s...

Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.Proverbs 3:5. KJV The car shopping experience can be a very daunting and time consuming process. However we all need reliable and affordable transportation. The hard part is how we arrive at a decision on which car to get, how much to spend, what features to have, etc. Throughout life I have b...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to theLord's Day. Witnessing the fall of someone people greatly admire elicits deep, painful emotions. We feel betrayed, embarrassed and angry over what they've done. The more public our faith in them, the more public our shame and the deeper our anger. Those emotions describe the way many of us have f...

Today we continue with our new sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." Our 6th message, Praying for The Lost focuses on our conduct and our need to pray for the lost and their salvation. Join us again and for the next few weeks as we continue to carefully study 1st Timothy a marvelous letter. As Paul begins to tell Timothy how to conduct oneself in the local chu...

But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJV No pain, no gain! We are all familiar with this very famous phrase. It refers to physical pain to gain muscle mass. We all experience it at one point in our lives. Professional athletes and body builders all talk about it. B...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to theLord's Day. John Taylor Smith was the honorary chaplain to Queen Victoria and the Chaplain General of the British Army during World War I. John Smith used to ask all the candidates for the chaplaincy one question:Now, I want you to show me how you would deal with a man. We will suppose I am a sold...

Today we continue with our new sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." Our 5th message, Fight the Good Fight focuses on identifying areas where we must fight the good fight, and those other areas where there is no fight! Join us again and for the next few weeks as we continue to carefully study 1st Timothy a marvelous letter.The fundamental nature of Christianity...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to theLord's Day. Bill Glass played a full career with the Cleveland Browns as an All-Pro defensive end before retiring for another career spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. In his bookGet in the Game, Bill Glass tells of the time his team was battling the St. Louis Cardinals (back when they were st...

Today we continue with our sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." Our 4th message, An Example of Grace focuses on the writer of Amazing Grace, John Newton. Join us again and for the next few weeks as we continue to carefully study 1st Timothy a marvelous letter. John Newton, was a wild, drunken sailor. His language was so foul that the captain, hardly a model o...

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 Accidents are inevitable yet a way of life. We don't plan for them, we mostly react to them, and this is what was required of us due after our car accident and our lengthy recovery. We planned to go home after a 6-week hospital and rehabilitation stay at a Care Center; we realized the...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to theLord's Day. Corrie ten Boom is one of my heroes because of her ability to forgive! She wrote a number of wonderfully encouraging books about her experiences as a prisoner during World War II. Her crime, along with other family members, was hiding Jews in her home in order to escape from the Nazis du...

1Timothy 1:8-11 AwfulLawlessness Today we continue with our new sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." Our 3rdd message, AwfulLawlessness focuses on the proper standing of the Church's regarding God's Law and human law. Join us again and for the next few weeks as we continue to carefully study 1st Timothy a marvelous letter. The greatest sound and light show i...

My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your heart to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding. Pro. 2:1-2, NKJV When my oldest son Tom was a young child, my wife and I made most of the decisions concerning his future. It was our job and duty as parents to make these types of decisions. We decided where we would live, ...

I trust you are doing well and looking forward to the Lord's Day. Jeremiah 29 contains an instructive letter written to Hebrews who hadbeen taken captive by their enemies, and transplanted to the extremely pagan city of Babylon. God offers the following advice: Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusale...

Big Mouths -Bad Message1 Timothy 1:3-7 As we continue with our new sermon series "God's Blueprint for the Church." Our 2nd message, Big mouths bad message focuses on what should the Church's message be. For the next few weeks we will continue to carefully study 1st Timothy a marvelous letter. If the world were free of all disease, we would not need doctors or hospitals a...

By this shall all men know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34 KJV Due to the severity of our accident and our lengthy hospital stay and recovery, we knew we needed help handling and dealing with the aftermath of our automobile accident. Normally we would have called on one of our sons to oversee our finances, medical bills, health and auto ...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to the Lord's Day. In his acceptance speech for the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion in 1983, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn addressed the reason for the Russian Revolution that resulted in the slaughter of 60 million people. After spending fifty years studying this question, Solzhenitsyn summarized his con...

1 Timothy 1:1-2 Part #1 "A True Son in the Faith" This Sunday we began our new sermon series called "God's Blueprint for the Church." Our 1st message introduced us to Timothy. For the next few weeks we will carefully study 1 Timothy; a marvelous letter. Centuries ago, an older manwrotea letter to a younger man who faced the challenging task of leading and putting things...

Of all the things that trouble our minds in these days of lawlessness, it is imperative that we remember that sin is our greatest problem. A just society apart from the Justifier of our soul, is folly. Now I know that this thought troubles the mind. It goes exactly against the grain of what the world says is possible; hence the reason it is exactly what we should do. ...

Dear Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to the Lord's Day. Earlier this week Congressmen Emanuel Cleaver, an ordained Methodist Minister offered the opening prayer to the 117th Congress. The prayer was two minutes in length and for the most part was very conventional - it was full of biblical references with a King James cadence. He conclu...

Finally, brethren, whatever things are truemeditate on these things. Philippians 4:8 NKJV Have you ever bought a pair of shoes without trying them on first? As we grow we learn to make adjustments in our lives, and also in our Christian lives. I remember a very specific adjustment I had to make because of my auto accident; I had fractured my clavicle. Hoping it would he...

I trust you are doing well and looking forward to the New Year. Every year brings with it challenges and difficulties. 2021 will be no different. The last year has had its share of ups and downs and the new year will have them as well. One of the most important lessons to learn is that when hard times come, be a student, not a victim. Sadly, some people go through li...

Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick. 2 Timothy 4:20 (NKJV) As part of our long road to recovery after our car accident which lasted almost two months; one of the greatest encouragements of each day was to receive get-well cards. Before our accident and subsequent recovery, we never realized how great a lift these cards could give a person. We looked forward to the daily...

Dear Members and Friends, Merry Christmas! I trust you are doing well and looking forward to the Lord's Day One hundred and fiftysix years ago, on Christmas Day, 1864, Henry Wordsworth Longfellow sat in his home overwhelmed with sorrow. Our nation was being torn apart by the Civil War between the Northern states and those of the South.Robert E. Lee would not surren...

I found myself a few days ago using the common expression: "I am well under the circumstances". I have said that many times before and on the surface there is nothing essentially wrong with that statement. But let's reflect for a moment on what I am really saying when I say I am well "under" the circumstances. The first question that comes to mind is "What circumstance...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to ourservice this coming Lord's Day! We are just one week away from Christmas. Connie and I will be spending Christmas in Grand Junction for a few days with our son Dustin and Maria and their family. David and Cecile will be coming up from Tulsa with the 3 girls so it will be wonderful Chri...

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another. Hebrews 10:25a NIV Wow, that was a horrible accident! Thank God we survived that! I can't believe we made it! These are some common reactions when we look back to a time in our lives when we were involved in an accident or a very difficult situation. But do we look ba...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to ourservice this coming Lord's Day! Given the personal events of the past few weeks, I've been concerned about my heart. My twin brother, Dan, had open heart surgery October 15 and had to have 5 by passes to repair blocked arteries. Earlier this week, because of shortness of breath Dan...

The foundations of our faith are solid ground we can depend on yesterday, today and tomorrow. Our Lord warned us that "because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold." And the apostle Paul under the superintendence of the Holy Spirit wrote: "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.2For people will be lovers...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to ourservice this coming Lord's Day! We are just a few weeks away from Christmas. Connie has secured the gifts we plan to give our grand-kids. But after reading the following, I realize the best gift we can give is not found under the tree and it's one that needs to be given all year lo...

Take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 The road to recovery is long, arduous, and yes hard. However God is always in control, even after a major tragedy or accident. I am living proof of Hi attention and his greatness. After my auto accident I received some innovative treatments that helped me to recover. People went out of their way to help me. A famous plasti...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to ourservice this coming Lord's Day! It is said that when Maureen Stapleton won the Academy Award, she rushed to the stage and gushed into the microphone,"I want to thank everyone I've ever known!" That got a laugh, I'm sure, and everyone understood the sense of gratitude that threaten...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to ourservice this coming Lord's Day! I'm anxious to be back and hope you will join us in person or on line. During our time of confinement, I decided to re-read associate justice of the Supreme Court Clarence Thomas' book entitled, My Grandfather's Son. Thomas has been a justice for almost 3...

God thunders marvelously with His voice; he does great things we cannot comprehend. Job 37:5 NKJV Life can change in the blink of an eye. An unexpected life event or an external event can have major repercussions in our lives. Last fall my wife and I were involved in a traffic accident that was not my fault, yet I suffered severe consequences. I was driving on a divided h...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to ourservice this coming Lord's Day! The most compelling way to demonstrate the gospel in our community is to be a man or woman of integrity. In an unbelieving culture, known for its lying, stealing,cheating, violating contracts, fudging on expense accounts and much more, Christians are to ...

And the things which you have heard among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2 NKJV Life is short and full of surprises. We can easily say, "Here today gone tomorrow". But what the questions is what did we do with our time here? Recently my wife and I were involved in an automobile accident. Our local Awana Club...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to ourservice this coming Lord's Day! The following article is longer than most, but it contains something that needs to be said. Last week I was reminded that earlier this summer some of the largest and more prosperous mega-churches in the country received anywhere from $5 to $10 milli...

And He (Jesus) said to them (His disciples), take nothing for the journey, neither, staff nor bread, not money; and do not have two tunics apiece. Luke 9:3 NKJV Have you ever been in a situation for which you feel totally unprepared? How about a moment when the spotlight of life is shining bright in you? Do you turn lemons into lemonade or do you shy away from the moment ...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to ourservice this coming Lord's Day! Years ago when I first began working for the Christian Medical and Dental Associations as a Regional Director I was introduced to a journal called First Things. The journal advertises itself as "America's Most Influential Journal of Religion and Public Lif...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to ourservice this coming Lord's Day! Sir Winston Churchill was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945, when he led the country to victory in the Second World War. He would serve again as Prime Minister from 1951 to 1955. He was one of the greatest leaders and orators of his da...

For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he is guilty of all.James 2:10, NKJV Have you ever lost out on an opportunity? How about being passed on for a promotion after you've been working very hard on a high profile project? Well I happened to me various times, but I still remember when I was not awarded a specific badge during my time as a Boy Scou...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to ourservice this coming Lord's Day! Charles Spurgeon lived in the middle of the 19thcentury and was one of the greatest preachers who has ever lived. When he first arrived in London in the winter of 1853, the New Park Street Chapel had severely dwindled from its historic past. On his first S...

That the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience. Titus 2:2 NKJV I've lived a full life; I love my wife, my children, grand-children and great-grand-children. Yet getting older has also brought its own set of challenges. I heard about this exercise program designed specifically for seniors, it's called Silver Sneakers, and it is an e...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to our service this coming Lord's Day! Earlier this week I received an email from the Christian Medical Dental Associations. For 13 years I worked for and represented CMDA as a regional director. It is a much needed organization for Christian physicians and serves as theVoice for Christian Do...

And David said unto him (Mephibosheth), "Fear not, for I will surely show you kindness".2 Samuel 9:6 We all age, and as we get older what we used to be able to do in our younger days at times they seem impossible or improbable to do again. I still remember these loving yet sobering words from my wife, "You're so fragile, I need to handle you with care. You're bleeding aga...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to our service this coming Lord's Day! We are just one month out from what may very well be the most consequential election in our life time. We say that each election cycle but in this case it's not an exaggeration. There are a great many issues at stake! These are truly stressful times. So i...

I have loved you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3b NKJV We all have a favorite songs or hymns. We also remember those special moments when our favorite song of hymn was playing. I still remember when I first heard the hymn, "Loved with Everlasting Love" by Wade Robinson, I was a college student and I was attending a Bible conference in Massachusetts. When I began d...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to our service this coming Lord's Day! One of the lessons I'm going to share from our study of Gideon in Judges 6 is that family relationships can be the most challenging. This is particularly true in spiritual matters, particularly evangelism. One of the greatest burdens on earth is reali...

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord; come before His presence with singing. Psalm 100:1 KJV I love music, and I love to worship just like David did. When I worship I feel closer and connected to God. In my youth my parents and I agreed I should take piano lessons. Our goal was for me to appreciate great music. The problem was that I was tone deaf and could not decide wheth...

Alleluia, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigns. Revelation 19:6b, NKJV We all have that one special song, or hymn which we love to listen to no matter what time it is or what is going on around us. In my case I delight in listening to the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah, especially around Christmas time. Years ago a community group asked our pastor to pray before a ...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to our service this coming Lord's Day! Last Sunday's message included a reference to the most recent religious survey on what people think regarding God, truth, the Bible, worship, and ethical issues. The survey revealed that more than 50% of those surveyed deny the deity of Jesus Christ a...

But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that when we were still sinners Christ died for us. Romans 5:8, NKJV I'm an old-fashion type of man, particularly when it comes to love and dating. During our courtship my future wife and I established certain boundaries for our behavior; that is, we sought justice and fairness in our relationship. We also needed to express our...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to our service this coming Lord's Day! Joe McKeever is a godly, seasoned Southern Baptist preacher who writes a blog for pastors. I always enjoy his insights because he doesn't write from an ivory tower. He's pastured for over 60 years! Recently he related the following story about a good ...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to our service this coming Lord's Day! Last Monday Connie and I went shopping at Costco. As I followed with the shopping cart I noticed 4 young men wearing black pants, white shirts and dark ties and name tags identifying them as Elders of the LDS Church. I was hoping to talk with them and pur...

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4, NIV "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." I'm sure we all have head this quote at one time in our lives. However, I also learned, that by examining the writings of the historians and p...

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV We all have our favorite Bible verse or verses, even a favorite Bible Book, but are there any Bible books we don't read or appreciate as much? Since I volunteered to teach adult Sunday school last summer, I looke...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to ourvirtual service on Sunday! This week at Bandon Dunes golf club in Oregon the 120th U.S. Amateur Golf Tournament is taking place. I enjoy golf and hope to watch some of the competition this weekend. The tournament consists of two days ofstroke play (total number of strokes counted), with th...

David prayed, "And give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provision." 1 Chronicles 29:19, NKJV God has blessed my wife and me with a beautiful family and I'm grateful for our children and our grandchildren. I think it was around the year 2000 ...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to ourvirtual service on Sunday! Last Monday, August 3, marked the anniversary of my Dad passing away. Twelve years ago today, August 7, was his memorial service. Earlier that day, our family gathered for a private burial at the Veterans Cemetery in Bluffdale and later that night there was a pub...

Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10, NKJV Eighteen years before I wrote this devotional my wife and I were on a delightful Mediterranean cruise. I was walking around the track on the upper deck of the ship. Suddenly my wife appeared, startling...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to our virtual service on Sunday! In the mid-1840s, Ulysses S. Grant was a Second Lieutenant in the war between the U.S. and Mexico, with the prize being Texas. Grant later would become a two term president and write his memoirs and was the first former president to do so. In those writings, G...

Dear Members and Friends, I trust you are doing well and enjoying this state wide holiday. July 24 marks the 173th anniversary when the Mormon pioneers arrived in Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Their leader, Brigham Young, announced at the mouth of Immigration Canyon, "This is the place." Because we live in Utah, there's no escaping the significance of that event - it's pa...

Now when they had come and gathered together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. Acts 14:21. NKJV What a wonderful journey my life has been. Several years ago I finished Volume I of Mud Pies and Memories. As I reflected on what God had done, I recalled other examples of what God had done in my life; a f...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to this coming Lord's day I'm writing this at my oldest son's home in Michigan. Earlier this morning, two of my sons left with their families to drive back to Oklahoma and Colorado where they live. Everyone but me went back to bed. Connie and I fly home tomorrow. Since last weekend ...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to this coming Lord's day. People are coping with the current crisis in differing ways, most of which are only making matters worse. I have long held the belief that the best way to manage the anxiety and fears that arise from earthly chaos is by meditating on the peace and blessings ...

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that we have been freely given to us by God.(1 Corinthians 2:12, NKJV) When God enters our lives, we're changed by His grace, even if we don't think it worked. One day some friends invited a student nurse to a camp meeting in the suburbs. Wavering but not wanti...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trustyou are doing well and looking forward to the this coming Lord's Day At the 1939 World's Fair in New York a time capsule was buried. As you might imagine, a lot of thought went into choosing which items to include that would best represent life at that time in history. Only one book was included in the capsule-the Bible! ...

Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. (James 1:19b, NKJV) We're all different, and at times our special quirks can give the perception we're indifferent or not very responsive. However it is these special quirks or behaviors which make us who we are. I have always been slow to speak, often to the frustration of others who expect immediate responses...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trustyou are doing well and looking forward to this comingLord's Day - as we meet via the internet! John Barrier went to his bank in Spokane, Washington wearing his usual shabby clothes and driving his old, beat up pickup truck. Parking in the Old National Bank parking lot he went in and paid a quick visit to his broker and cashed...

And he (Josiah) set the priests in their duties and encouraged them for the service of the house of the LORD. (2 Chronicles 35:2, NKJV) When life gives you lemons, do you make lemonade? In times of trouble and despair, do you have friends you can trust and turn to for guidance? Each day I learn of people pummeled by put downs, conquered by criticisms, and egged on by egos...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trustyou are doing well and looking forward to this comingLord's Day. Forty-seven years ago this coming Monday, Connie and I were married in Bridgeton, New Jersey at the Berachah Bible Baptist Church. My Dad performed the ceremony and Connie's pastor gave the charge. Since that time I've officiated at many wedding ceremonies and a...

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Psalm 84:10b, NKJV) God loves us all, no matter how rich, poor, educated or uneducated we are. He sent Jesus to die for all of us, no exceptions. This reminds me when I was a boy in Massachusetts, the small Swedish church I attended held a celebratory service in honor of the chur...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trustyou are doing well and looking forward to this comingLord's Day. I'm getting weary of not seeing people. Phone calls, emails, cards, texts are no substitute for a face to face meeting with people. For that reason, I'm looking forward to us opening up soon. When that will be is unknown,but we are working on it. As I was think...

And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. (2 Timothy 2:5, NKJV) We all have to live by the rules. God gave us His 10 commandments for us to live by them. However we also have to live and abide by rules set by our elected officials. In athletic competitions one has to play by the rules. I became painfully aware o...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trustyou are doing well and looking forward to this comingLord's Day. In Dale Galloway's book,"You Can Win with Love", he tells a story about John D. Rockefeller, the man who built the great standard oil empire. Rockefeller was a man who demanded high performance from his company executives. One day, one of the executives made a two m...

But the fruit of the Spirit is gentleness. (Galatians 5:22-23, NKJV) Our lives are full of lessons, in my case; this particular lesson has to do with skin cancer and parenting. Within the last year I had two cancers on my face which required Mohs surgery. One was on my left cheek and the other was behind my left ear. Because of these critical locations, my dermatologist r...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to this coming Lord's Day. Anne Graham Lotz is the daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham. Besides being a well-known author and speaker, she is also a keen observer of contemporary events. A few years back she served as the honorary Chair for the National Day of Prayer. This is part of what she...

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up. (Psalm 5:3, NKJV) What is your morning routine or your daily process? For me it begins with my breakfast, in the morning I eat my breakfast in smaller, bite-sized chunks, to avoid getting indigestion. Similarly when my prayer life created spiritual overload for an o...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to this coming Lord's Day Dr. John Ed Mathiston was the pastor of Frazier Memorial United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. A number of years ago he told his congregation the following story: about kindness. "Not long ago, a man from the Middle East walked into a new car showroom an...

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, KJV God has an interesting way of convicting us, and His timing is always perfect and impeccable. One day during my daily prayer time, I was convicted about the lack of thanksgiving in my prayer life. This was such a powerful moment the only thing I could think of ...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to this coming Lord's Day For centuries the Middle East has been a place of horrible wars and brutality as Muslims and Christians have clashed. More than a century ago a Muslim enemy soldier chased a Christian woman and her brother until he cornered them. He mercilessly shot the brother and...

Showing kindness to others can come back to be a blessing to us. I was reminded of that truth this past week when I read the following story: When believers in Holland learned that the Nazi troops were systematically raiding the orphanages and taking Jewish children out, and then sending them to their deaths in the concentration camps of Europe, brave Dutch men would ...

Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. (John 5:5, NKJV) Despair, desperation, anxiety, pain, suffering, sorrow, uncertainty, when we are faced with a long term situation, or long term illnesses these emotions at different times manifest themselves in our live's, but they need not. My mother became ill when I was in junior high and her debilit...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to this coming Lord's Day - as we meet via the internet! Several years ago while in the waiting room of a doctor's office a girl was talking on her cell phone. She was 5 feet away, talking loud enough for me to hear her, so I was not eaves-dropping. I only heard one side of the conversation, ...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well, staying safe and healthy and ready to celebrate Resurrection Sunday! It is neither melodramatic or hyperbolic to say that everything we are as Christians, everything we own, everything we've done or hope to do hangs suspended on one fact of history: Whether or not Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead. The deci...

For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. (Ezra 7:10, NKJV) Technology has provided us with an infinite amount of information at the tip of our finger, and in some cases in our packets, thanks to our Smartphones. However, as parents, teachers, or youth leaders we still face one major challeng...

Luke 24: 13-35 This Sunday is Easter. We've never had an Easter like this one! Churches are closed and people are unable to meet. Restaurants are empty and all that is available is "take out." Easter dresses and special clothes remain in the closets. Years from now when this pandemic is over, people will look back and say, "Do you remember when the COVID-19 pandemic shut...

I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. (John 8:12b, NKJV) Many times in our childhood we see things that amaze us and we ask many questions of our parents. I still recall a time in my physics class in my early years of college I learned that sometimes light behaves like a wave as when it diffracts to form the...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, In the last four weeks, our world has changed dramatically with the spread of COVID-19. The question on many folk's minds is this: When will a vaccine be found to protect us from this terrible virus? I'm confident, given the fact that the entire health care and scientific community around the world is focused on potential treatments and ...

Before entering into the land God had promised to the Nation of Israel, Moses sent into the land 12 men to spy out the land. Two brought back a favorable report saying the land could be taken while 10 brought back a report that said the land was unconquerable. The two who gave a favorable report are two of the truly great heroes of the Old Testament: Joshua and Caleb. W...

If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10b, NKJV) How many of us still remember our 1st job? I certainly do, when I was in junior high, I began my first job delivering news papers. I didn't earn much money as a news paper delivery boy, but I did learn valuable lessons. The job did not interfere with my schooling, provided me needed exercise, an...

Pastor Doug is begginning a new series of fireside chats. These videos are intended to continue to keeps us together as Christ's church. This is the 1st of many more to come. Clic the link to view the YouTube video...

Dear Friends of MBC, We just finished speaking again to an empty auditorium here at Midvalley and Dale will be editing the message and posting it on our YouTube channel for our Sunday service. The message is taken from the conclusion that Jesus gave to His Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 7:24-29) In preparation, why not review the sermon as given to us in Matthew 5-7. It i...

And the firmament shows His handiwork. (Psalm 19:1b, NKJV) God has blessed my wife and I with a life full of love, and wonder. In our lifetime God has given us the privilege of viewing the wonders of His nature on seven continents. Through our travels we have gained a deeper understanding of God's revelation and love in His creation. What we saw What we lear...

3 misconceptions about the Coronavirus Pandemic; 1 - This problem will be over quickly - probably not. Life is going to be different for some time to come 2. This has never happened before - NO - pandemics have happened in the past and are even found in the Bible 3. This will increase the number of deaths - No - we are all going to die. We are all under the penalty of...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, This morning after spending some time at the church, Connie and I visited Jo Harris who is just days away from heaven. She sat there on the couch with her head down, in obvious pain. Connie asked, "What are you thinking about?" She said: "Heaven!" During this difficult time let's remember the words of Paul from Colossians: Since, then,...

Urgent notification about the Coronavirus, Covid19....

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to Sunday and the Bible Conference with Arnold Fruchtenbaum and Jacques Gabizon. Ever since I was a little boy, our family used the devotional booklet "Our Daily Bread" for family devotions. Following the evening meal, or breakfast on the weekend, Dad would read the scripture passage and th...

During our study we will see God’s transformation of Gideon! And here’s what’s encouraging: What God did for Gideon, he can do for us. ...

Dear Friends,Welcome to Midvalley Bible Church. We are always grateful to be able to meet on the Lord's Day, to fellowship with one another, to sing God's praise and to hear God's Word. This morning as part of our worship celebration, we gather to remember what Jesus did for us on the cross of Calvary.Have you noticed that we live in a love starved world? Maybe, you have p...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to this Sunday. During the 1992 Presidential Election, Presidential Candidate, Bill Clinton had played at every rally and the Democrat Convention, as his theme song, Fleetwood Mac song "Don't Stop." His rallying cry was simply this:Don't stop thinking about tomorrow.That advice is applicable t...

Among Evangelicals, the security of the believer is not a settled issue. Good people differ on the issue. The question is simply this: Can a born-again, justified by faith, adopted child of God ever lose their salvation? Or as others have expressed it, is it possible for a born-again, justified by faith, adopted child of God to forfeit their salvation by fully and finall...

Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22, NKJV) The Bethlehem Steel coke oven plant served as our chemical engineering laboratory. It was a typical cold and snowy winter near Buffalo, New York. When the weather improved, several of us decided to visit Niagara Falls, on the Canadian side. As we came to customs at the border, the agent asked the driver Bill to...

All of us are in some form of financial debt. We all owe money, either on a car or a home, a student loan, or something of the sort. Although it can be burdensome, most of us can at least see a light at the end of the tunnel. We are energized by the hope that one day it will be paid in full and we will receive from our creditors a piece of paper releasing us from any fu...

Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha's house.(2 Kings 5:9, NKJV) What a coincidence? How many times have we used this simple phrase. We as believers in God's infinite power and wisdom believe He's also in control of everything in our lives. I recall one time at work we had conflicting travel plans. My supervisor and I needed to ...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to this Sunday. At the suggestion of my son David, Connie and I are watching the 9 part TV series on the Civil War by Ken Burns that was on PBS. It is very revealing and also depressing! It is hard to imagine the suffering and death of so many men on both sides of the war. I bel...

Jesus raises a very practical question in the parable he told in Luke 16. The question that He raised was simply this: What are you going to do with the money God gives you? That question is important on a number of fronts not the least of which is this: If we do not master our money by using it for the glory of God, then it will master us, and we will end up bankrupt fo...

Another Suggestion for 2020! Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to this Sunday. We are 5 full weeks into the New Year. During the first few weeks of 2020 I made a few suggestions for making the New Year better. Those suggestions were:#1 Move from being a victim of circumstances to being a learner about life....

Fifty years ago the most popular and successful movie was based on Erich Segal's book "Love Story." The book tells the story of a wealthy Harvard University law student named Oliver Barrett IV who meets Jenny Cavilleri, a middle-class girl who is studying music at Radcliffe College. It's love at first sight. The young couple marries, Oliver finds a jobat a legal firm in ...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to this Sunday Last Sunday basketball great Kobe Bryant was killed along with his 13 year old daughter and 7 others in a helicopter crash. They were traveling by air to his daughter's basketball game at the "Mamba Academy" when the helicopter crashed into the mountain side. The cause of the ac...

Next Sunday we bring to a close our long and methodical journey through the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians. 29 messages ago, one Sunday shy of one year (2/22/2019) we began our study of this marvelous letter. It's been an exciting trip. The topic of God's grace has been dealt with so forcefully and effectively in this book that one cannot escape the overwhelming truth ...

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.(2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV) How many times have we heard this phrase, "Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet." Even as an octogenarian, I recognize I am a work in progress! During my e...

One of the most popular falsehoods of our times is that we can do whatever we want without ever being held accountable for what we have done. That is a lie! It is a lie that I can do as I please and become spiritual later. It is a lie, wrote the Scotsman's John Brown, "that a man may attain ultimate happiness without living a spiritual life." Make no mistake about it -...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to this Sunday with Matt Wilder. During these first few weeks of the New Year I've been suggesting some New Year challenges. The first challenge was to move from being a victim of circumstances to being a learner about life. Two weeks ago I suggested the challenge of mastering a gos...

Everyone seems to be interested in spirituality these days, but no one seems to agree on what it means. Both outside and inside the church there is widespread confusion. Inside the church people find their spirituality in private, contemplative devotion and begin to practice those disciplines. Others find spirituality in the context of public worship that includes ancien...

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. (Ephesians 3:17a, NKJV) This was not just another beautiful conference grounds in rural Massachusetts when I attended an Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship Bible Conference in the 1950s. I didn't know at the time, but this conference was different. The speaker introduced us to a booklet by Boyd Munger titled My Heart Chr...

The thought must have crossed King David's mind as he stood at the door of the windowless room and stared at a dark corner, in the direction of the woman he had robbed. He listened to the rhythmic rocking of one in deep mourning. Her disheveled hair - beautiful dark brown curls - haphazardly draped around her shoulders and face.Her tears running down in torrents, carving...

For God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7b, NKJV) Are we good stewards of what God has given us? Throughout my life I've received good financial advice. In particular from my father; He had a degree in business and he made sure I understood and practiced sound economic principles. I grew up in the Great Depression when money and just about everything else was sca...

Following the all-important passage about life in the Spirit, Paul begins his final chapter with a focus on the practical. In it, he says nothing about signs and wonders, and he does not go into detail about spiritual gifts. He talks about how the community of faith operates when the Spirit is leading. Life in the Spirit involves healthy relationships within the body o...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to the New Year. Last week I wrote about the challenge in 2020 of moving from being a victim of circumstances to learning about life. Let me give you another challenge for the New Year:Master and then share the gospel. Every believer needs to be able to clearly and concisely p...

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you. (Titus 1:5, NKJV) Why do we think we can do everything ourselves? Do we not trust our team members? As the Engineering Design and Analysis Supervisor in the solid propulsion industry, I realized I couldn't do projects includin...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to the New Year. Every year brings with it challenges and difficulties. 2020 will be no different. One of the most important lessons to learn is that when hard times come, be a student, not a victim. Sadly, some people go through life as professional victims, always talking about how th...

Before we move on to the final chapter of the book of Galatians, we need to look at the last 3 verses of chapter 5. Paul has reminded his Christian readers that all of us are engaged in mortal combat with the flesh. The desires of the regenerate nature are waging war against the passions of the sinful nature. In this war there can be no truce. Paul closes out this sectio...

What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8b, NIV) My lovely wife, who is also a registered nurse, had a serious operation on her back a while back. After the surgery and when she left the hospital, I became responsible for her post-operative care. I'm not a nurse nor do I have the basic knowledge to be ...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to the Lord's Day. Imagine a nationwide evangelistic campaign that invites tens of millions to an outreach event who would not ordinarily attend. Imagine a campaign that for the most part, others do the advertising for you. Imagine having tens of thousands of churches participati...

The oldest psalm recorded in the book of Psalms was written by Moses, the man of God (Joshua 14:6, Ezra 3:2). God chose and groomed Moses for the task of leading the children of Israel out of Egypt to the promise land. The problem: they refused to believe the promises of God and were destined to wander in the wilderness for 40 years while a generation of more than 1.2 mi...

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1, KJV) From this Bible verse Elisabeth Elliot chose the title Shadow of the Almighty for a book that profoundly affected my life. She compiled a biography in 1958 of her husband, a missionary to the Indian tribes of Ecuador. You may remember the movie "End of the...

Do we have a recovery plan for when we make major mistakes? Aren't you glad God doesn't make mistakes?...

Successful events of history are seldom a solo act: There are always key and supporting people behind the event. The birth of Jesus is no exception. Joseph and Mary clearly get top billing for the birth of Jesus, but behind the scene are numerous people: One such person is Simeon. We don't know much about his personal life but what we do know is significant. Simeon was...

How hungry are we for God's word? Do we feed our souls with God's Word?...

Successful events of history are seldom a solo act: There are always key and supporting people behind the event. The birth of Jesus is no exception. Joseph and Mary clearly get top billing for the birth of Jesus, but behind the scene is a woman Mary felt comfortable going to when she discovered she was pregnant: Her cousin Elizabeth. What made her special in her role of ...

If you've never been to a Christmas Ever Service, make this year your first Christmas Ever service, and mat be a new family tradition is born!...

Do we take care of our heart, both physically and spiritually?...

What is good Fruit? We all know how to tell a good apple from a bad apple, but can do the same with the Word of God? Can we recognize when a bad fruit is presented?...

As followers of Christ, how do we handle ourselves when the world and those around as attack us for our believes and our faith?...

Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!(Romans 11:33a, NKJV) It was a normal day, just like any other days, but today I asked myself, "How can I explore the surface of the unfathomable wisdom and knowledge of God?" I used the advice I gleaned from Francis Bacon, a 16th century scientist, statesman, and author. He asserted, "Reading makes a fu...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to the Lord's Day. This coming Thursday is Thanksgiving. A valuable lesson to learn is this:Essential to personal magnetism is Thanksgiving. Hans Seyle, the famous stress researcher claims that one attitude that influences the quality of everyday life more than any other i...

Does The Bible contradict its self? Why do some sections appear to be going against what was previously written? How can we reconcile what may seem contradictory?...

How do we deal with adversity and the ups and downs of life, says a lot about our relationship !with God...

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name. (Malachi 3:16, NKJV) Gazing at the actuarial charts, I realized that at age 83 the fact is that my projected life span was short. I've been blessed with a full and frutfiul life...

Telling other's about God's love is not hard, because God's love is not hard to understand. He loves us so much He gave up his only Son to die for us and our sins and all we have to do is believe and accept the gift of salvation....

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. (Moses- Psalm 90:10 KJV) Yes, it's true you only turn 80 once. For my turn, my wife and friends threw me a great celebration for my 80th birthday. Since they urged me to share some memories, I...

Do we love our pastor;s who lead us in our daily lives or do we believe they're not really "working: or what they do is not considered real work....

Life is incredibly difficult! We all face it daily. The issues can be overwhelmingly complex and challenging. Many today are asking: Is there any hope? Can I find rest for my weary and tired soul? Next Sunday we want to share with you the incredible invitation Jesus makes to help us all find relief. He said: Come tome, all who labor and areheavy laden, and I will give ...

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 NIV) One day one of my friends told me, "Jim, you are the most organized person I know." I should have been elated, or at least satisfied, yet I felt something was lacking. Although I had taken numerous time management courses and attempted to apply those principles to my life, and after ...

How do we share the gospel with others? What is the key to being a good evangelist? How can we share the gospel without fear and apprehension?...

When we partake in the Lord's table, what is our attitude? Do we remember Jesus died for our sins?...

Telling the generations to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. (Psalm 78:4 NKJV) I know we all hear and have heard many comments regarding our younger generations, such as "The world is going downhill rapidly. The present generation is on a destructive path." The media complex, the new explosion of social media accent...

Dear Precious Saints of MBC, I trust you are doing well and looking forward to the Lord's Day. Seventy-six years ago last Tuesday, October 15, 1943, Chaplain J. D. Tolleson prepared a Bible Study for sailors who wanted to spend their Friday night studying the Bible and being with other Christians. At that time, the US was at war with both Japan and Germany and many of t...

Apart from our Lord's death and resurrection, the single greatest event in my opinion was the protestant Reformation. One of the most colorful figures of that movement was John Knox. His impact on church history is still felt around the world. The real story of Knox surpasses the best fiction novels. Next Sunday, five hundred years after his death we will examine his...

Are we teaching or mentoring others in God's word?...

How do we recover from set backs or errors in our life? Do we see them as failures or opportunities for a new clean start?...

What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? How do we walk in the Spirit? What does it look like to walk in the Spirit?...

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 KJV) Similar to sin, cancer affects millions of people around the world. Compared top cancer, there us a cure for our sin, but not for cancer. Recently I was diagnosed with the worst form of skin cancer- melanoma. My cancer appeared as a little e...

Who created the universe? What about the big bang? Where do we come from?...

We all try to keep healthy and via physical activity, but what are we doing to exercise our Spiritual condition?...

Do we know how to give? Do we know what is like to give generous? What can we learn from what Jesus gave for us?...

How do we deal with our earthly desires, and not our Spiritual needs?...

What does it mean to be free in Christ?...

Do we judge others by how they look or do we bother to talk to them first and then decide how to treat them? Are we too quick to judge other by how they look?...

When we pray, do we focus on God or our needs? Do we pout Him first or last? ...

What is a true friend? What makes a good or a true friend? ...

The acid test of mature Christianity is not how much liberty one exercises, but rather how much love one exhibits. Before you think that sounds too pious, stop and read 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 or Romans 14:13-21 or 1 Peter 2:16-17. Again and again in Scripture, we are exhorted to guard against two extremes uncontrolled expressions of liberty and unbending demands of leg...

Are you self-confident? Do you mentor others? Are you willing to help those in need?...

Are we eligible to run the race with Christ? In ancient Greece, athletes had to be Greek citizens to be eligible to compete in the games, are we citizens of God to run His race?...

How do we invite our friends to church? What if they don't want to come? What if they think I'm a right wing nut?...

In our daily busy lives, do we know when we need to stop and rest? Do we recognize our need for a pause? Do we keep going no matter the costs, to ourselves, our families and our loved ones?...

Can science explain the true origins of all, including humans and animals alike? Did we really evolve over millions of years to become the complex personalities and people we are? What about a creator is there evidence pointing toward or away from one single creator or God?...

Why did Jesus have to die for us? Is it true his death paid for my sins?...

How do we balance our Christian life, and our daily life? According to the world, our christian life and daily life don't mix or go together, but we know different, they are both one and the same....

Next Sunday we are thrilled to have filling the pulpit, our former Pastor, Ken Hornok. Ken is no stranger to us here at Midvalley and we are blessed that he and Marcia have made MBC there church home in retirement. Ken and Marcia faithfully served MBC for 39 years have been married for over 51 years. Ken is an avid hunter, biker and gardener and he and Marcia are kept busy...

Do you truly listen to your pastor? Do you think being a pastor is a real job? Did you know, you show respect to your pastor by listening and paying attention when they preach?...

We've all heard the phrase, it must of been an Angel. Do we really believe in God and his messenger's the angels? If we believe in angels why then can't believe in God?...

What is our legacy? Do we truly believe what we preach?...

Do you like to plan things out or do you just fix things as they come up? What is your preference, plan of just wing it?...

Why do we go to church? What happens if we stop attending church services?...

Are we similar to vine or fruit on a branch? Why did Jesus use this visual and example? What was He trying to tell his disciples and us know in our present day?...

When we pray, do we want God to answer in our time frame or His?...

What do we do when bad things happen? What do we do when violence erupts, like with the most recent shootings? Life doesn't always make sense. But we need to continue to trust the Master Shipbuilder of our lives....

What is the most important ting in your Christian life? ...

How do we deal with the daily demands of family, work, church, God, family, and everything else?...

If God is all powerful, why does He need us to worship Him? What do we gain by worshiping God? What is the reason for worshiping?...

What are we doing with our blessings? Do we try to help others or do we keep it all to ourselves?...

How do we handle interruptions? Do we recognize them as opportunities, or do we deem them be a bother?...

Do you know what pleases God? Do we do things to please God or ourselves?...

Let's all remember those who came before, and those who sacrificed their time and effort to being the truth of the Gospel to Utah....

How was the universe created? Did the Big Bang really happen? How does the Sun never burn up?...

Why does God say not to our prayers and petitions? Isn't He a just and loving God?...

Do we know how to recognize those who are being ignored by society? Do we truly treat others with the same love God treat us?...

Do you set goals and achieve them? Are you driven by your goals or do you drive to achieve your goals? Is your calendar so full, you need to set time for you and your family?...

Are we redeemed by faith alone? What about The Law given to Moses? Are we saved by grace also?...

What happens if we missed a deadline at work? Do we understand the complication and consequences of missed deadlines and the effect they have on others?...

Are you confident or over-confident? Do you know the difference? Would you be able to determine what makes you confident or over-confident?...

Why do we believe in Christ? Are we truly forgiven? Do we think we are tied to a religion or The Truth?...

Do you ever feel as if you're a going from one bad situation to another? What do you in these situations? Do you trust God is in control? ...

What does it mean to be a son or daughter of God? Do I deserve this? What was the prize paid for me to be called son of God?...

Why is The Bible the top selling book in history? Is The Bible really the word of God?...

What makes a good manager? How can we become good stewards?...

If God loves us, why did He give us the Law through Moses?...

7 guidelines to help keep a marriage Godly, happy and fulfilled....

Do we at times take for granted the little things our loved ones do for us? ...

Happy father's day. Do we love our Heavenly father as much as He loves us?...

My wife and I made a commitment to share our fist kiss during our wedding, Thank God for his strength and his honor, we did share our first kiss during our wedding....

Are you running the right race? Are you on the right track?...

Filling our pulpit next Sunday, in the absence of Pastor Doug, is our former Pastor Ken Hornok. Ken served MBC for 39 years until his retirement in 2013. Under Ken's leadership MBC moved from their first building in Murray to Midvale and eventually to our current campus here in Bluffdale. Ken is a gifted Bible teacher and preacher and we are thrilled that he and his...

When we say we trust God, do we really know what we mean? He may give us an answer we don't like or weren't expecting?...

The Christians in the region of Galatia were under attack by false teachers. Paul, whofounded these churches and led these first century Christians to faith is making adetailed defense of the gospel in his letter to them. In chapter 3 Paul is "neck deep" inhis detailed argument that we are saved justified before God and given the HolySpirit by faith and not by works...

Have we opened God's gifts? Do you know what God has in-store for you? ...

We need to be grounded in God;s Word so we are deceived by false teachings. Our beliefs are under attack, and so are we!...

This is not a trivial question but a real, has consequences question, how well do you know The Bible?...

We live in a free country, where the rule of law is present, correct? But do we really believe this? Aren't our rights slowly being removed, via code words, like hate speech? Let;s us be forever vigilant to make sure we remain free!...

Can I earn my salvation by doing good deeds or works? Some will have us believe we need to do certain jobs or works to earn salvation, but God through Jesus, gave it to us as a gift. WE are redeemed by the old rugged cross!...

Why do we go to church? Is it to pass the time or to be part of the body of Christ?...

Talk about strong women, The Book of Ruth is a story of love, redemption and of God's everlasting grace, shown through the eyes of a young woman who was a widow, poor and a foreigner....

Are we aware of our salvation and forgiveness? Do we recognize Jesus' sacrifice for us and His complete and total forgiveness?...

What is your life's goal? Do we have goals? What are our goals?...

There are may churches but only one True God and Gospel, are we able to discern and tell the difference?...

God calls us to forgive our transgressors, can we forgive those who hurt us? Can we forgive the person who hurt one of our loved ones?...

Are you ready for a extreme makeover? Will you let God remake you in his image? Are you ready to be transformed in a way you could never imagine?...

In God we are complete, without him, we are unfinished....

He is Risen! Jesus is alive and the tomb is empty. ...

Did you know the mustard seed is one of the smallest if not the smallest seed, yet when it blossoms and fully grows a huge tree now stands....

All things work together for good to those who love God. (Romans 8:28 NKJV) As a high school senior I had my heart set on an engineering career as my future goal. I had passed and met all the academic requirements for a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship. The only thing I needed to do was pass the physical. I had an excellent chance for a full scholarship, f...

Is my salvation free? Can I help my salvation by being good and doing good deeds? What I don't believe in God, but I am still a good person, can my good works and deeds save me?...

Is your name inscribed in the book of life? If you meet Jesus, will your name be in the roll?...

Next week is Resurrection Sunday, cone joins and let's celebrate The Risen Savior, Jesus Christ....

We are a product of our life experiences, what can one learn from making mud pies as a child? Read more to find out!...

Dear Friends, Living the Christian life is simple. It's not easy, but God has made it uncomplicated for us. We have only two possible ways we can go. We can either walk by the Spirit or we will carry out the desires of the flesh. There is no middle ground; no neutral position we can take. Every person who places their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation has the...

Justification, What does this mean for me that I've been justified by Jesus' sacrifice? ...