What do you see?

Maybe a more important question would be, "How are you interpreting what you see?"

There is a type of spiritual seeing that can only be enjoyed through the power of the Holy Spirit. The reason we need to pray for the Holy Spirit to empower us everyday is because it is only through the eyes of the Holy Spirit that we can see others as God sees them.

Galatians 5:22-23

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness,self-control; against such things there is no law.

Love, Pastor Kent

What I know for sure!

"If you have chosen to walk closely with God, you never have to worry about outer circumstances!"

Thank you for all the kind words and prayer. Life is beautiful when you have so many friends.

Love, Pastor Kent

This Sunday: Examining Heaven

What is it?
Where is it?
What do we know about it from the bible?

I hope you will join us.

Praise Choir and Band.

The Cardinals will do fine without you for one hour!

Love, Pastor Kent

I like this one

“Religion says, "I obey; therefore I am accepted.’ Christianity says, ‘I’m accepted, therefore I obey.”

Tim Keller

Hope to see you all Sunday.  Love, Pastor Kent

Announcements

Esic Baptist Church Trunk or Treat and Fall Festival 

Saturday October 26

5-7pm

Games, pumpkin decorating, balloons, hayride, bonfire and of course CANDY!!!!!

Bring kids and invite friends.  It is FREE!

For more information or to help out, contact Darlene Azar at azardaa@sbcglobal.net

 ALSO.......

African Vision of Hope

How long has it been since you have had a classy night out in the big city? Come to the African Vision of Hope Gala (quite the classy event!) November 7th at Windows on Washington.

Silent and live auction, drinks, dinner and an awesome way to learn more about AVOH!  

Tickets are $75 and can be purchased at africanvisionofhope.org or by calling 288-7695.  You can also talk to Laurie Frey or Jenny Baugher for more info and/or tickets.

What is your weakest link in your chain connecting you to God?

1 John 4:20

²⁰ Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

What this says to me is, "Your love for God can never be greater than your love for your worst enemy." So, if you really want to have a close loving relationship with God guess what you need to do?

Take a spin through the rolodex of your mind and pull out all the people who you need to forgive through the power of Jesus. When you have done what ever it takes to finally "let it go, and hold no ill will against those who may have trespassed against you,  I think you will find your love for God and your relationship with Him take on a whole new meaning.

See you this Sunday. Love, Pastor Kent

Personal update

I want to thank everyone for their prayers and concern regarding my Dad who is in hospice care. He remains at home surrounded by family. Most of you know I live next door to my parents. My brother, sister, and my dads brother also all live within a 1/4 of a mile from us so we are are gathering during these last moments of Dads life here with us.  Other than a little lack of sleep we are doing well.

We have prayer, the promise of eternity together, and lots of love. What more could one ask for.
I will see you all soon.

Love, Pastor Kent

Great Question

This past week I had someone ask me a great question. This person asked me if there was ever a point in life when you absolutely know for sure exactly what God wants you to do?

My honest answer is........no.  Surprised?  I have what I call Holy Spirit promptings and tugging in my heart about things in life. It's kind of like having an internal compass that gives you a direction. But many times it seems to be a general direction more so than a specific direction. This always leaves room for the enemy to move in and create doubt, confusion and paralysis sometimes keeping us from doing anything.

But to me, here is the bottom line. Even though I may not be 100% exactly sure what God wants me to do, this I do know:

Joshua 1:9
⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Matthew 28:20

²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Romans 8:38-39

³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 14:16-17

¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, ¹⁷ even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Have a great Monday.

Love, Pastor Kent

It's Sunday!

Tonight's menu....

Praise Choir and Band....
Jennifer Kaburick has the message....
come share the joy and the love of the Lord.


See you tonight at 6:30.    Sincerely, Kent Schuette

Keep It Simple

Math was always hard for me when I was in school. I struggled with anything that went beyond the basics of addition, subtraction, and multiplication. Algebra, geometry...forget it. I was lost most the time. I believe if I could have had a private teacher, a tutor...a very patient tutor...sit down with me and explain things in a way that I could grasp, I would have done much better. Someone who could simplify the process so it made sense to me.

The bible can be overwhelming to many.  There are so many stories and so many messages and so many characters. Why couldn't God just give us something a little easier to understand?
The answer to that is He did. He sent us His Son Jesus to simplify and to give us a human demonstration of who He is and What He expects of us.

The scripture below is another one of my favorite scriptures when it comes to simplifying the 10 commandments. This scripture was written by the apostle Paul.

Galatians 5:13-14

¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Underline and italics mine)

Paul is repeating what Jesus said in Matthew.

Matthew 22:34-40

The Greatest Commandment

³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

It fits the definition of love that I have preached on many times. Love is when you make the health, happiness, success, and wellbeing of another person as important as your own health, happiness, success, and wellbeing. 

This Sunday:
I'm excited to announce that Jennifer Kaburik will be giving the sermon. I have asked Jennifer to give the sermon because she brings her experience from the perspective of a career woman, wife, mother, coach, and someone who is on fire for God and all He is doing in her life. 

God has a plan for your life! Make no mistake about it. 
Hope to see you Sunday.  Sincerely, pastor Kent

Tonight

At tonights service, Praise choir, Pizza, and Protons!

Title of tonights service, "Am I in the Right Classroom?"

See you at 6:30!

Love Pastor Kent

If We Could Grasp The Love of Jesus

What a different world this would be. Jesus forgave the very men nailing Him to the cross. That is what I call BIG forgiveness. He loved people.

I have used this verse many times and will continue to use it.

1 John 4:20

²⁰ Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

John 13:35

³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

This is the word of God. 

Praise Community Fellowship is made up of people. People have problems and issues. If you are a person you have problems and issues. Welcome to the human race. What can make us different is our choice to love and forgive one another.

Want to change your life into something spectacular?  Learn to love and forgive.
Want to change your marriage into something spectacular? Learn to love and forgive.
Want to change your business into something spectacular? Learn to love and forgive.
Want to change our church into something spectacular? Learn to love and forgive.

"Love is when you make the health, happiness, wellbeing and success of another person as important as your own health, happiness, wellbeing, and success."

This Sunday we will be serving pizza and desert for a special fellowship following our service. Laurie and Jeannie will present their mission trip they took tis summer with African Vision of Hope.  I hope you will come and join us.

Forgive me for I am human. Love, Pastor, Kent

The most profound thing I know at this point in my life!

If some one asked me to tell them the most important and profound thing I know about getting to know God this is what I would tell them.

The bible is Gods word to man. The bible is so very unique because unlike any other document, the words are Spiritually encrypted with the wisdom of God Himself. And, because they are Spiritually encrypted they contain an infinite amount of wisdom. But, the wisdom can only be extracted by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit which dwells in all believers can and will "decode" the encrypted wisdom according to your need at any given point in your life. That is why you can read and reread the bible as long as you live and God will continue to speak very profoundly to you and your circumstances.

This is all a great mystery but it is very real. The following scripture speaks of this wisdom.

1 Corinthians 2:9-14

⁹ However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,
    what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
    the things God has prepared for those who love him—

¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.¹² What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. ¹⁴ The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

Oh there is so much God has for you. So much peace, so much wisdom, so much love. I am praying that all who read this will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to open their Spiritual eyes, their Spiritual minds, and their Spiritual ears so that Gods great wisdom will awaken you on your journey.

Come join  us this Sunday at 6:30 and let God begin His work in you and those you love.
Love, Pastor Kent

Music, Message, Fellowship Sunday

This Sunday, October 13th we will have the Praise Choir and band joining us and we will be looking at a wonderful parable in the bible that I think will speak to all of us as I continue to look at what the bible says about finding our personal ministry. I will have a very short sermon this Sunday because we have a very special presentation.

Following our service we will have a special fellowship in the fellowship hall where Laurie Frey and Jeannie Trimmer will present their experience with African Vision of Hope this past summer. This would be an excellent Sunday to bring your sons, daughters and grand children. The presentation by Laurie and Jeannie will give a glimpse at how some children on the other side of the world live. We will see photos of several of the children who are sponsored by some of our own PCF members.

Come see Christianity in action and find out how God may be calling you to get involved.

I hope you will be able to join us this Sunday for a very special service.

Love, Pastor Kent

Jesus Experiment

Proverbs 12:18

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Even words that are spoken outside of someones hearing can either be healing or destructive. Being a healer is so much more rewarding in so many ways.

Love, pastor Kent

After Ballgame Party Tonight!

Cardinals fans, there will be a free aftergame party tonight at 6:30 at Esic church, All are invited.

Tonights party theme, "It's time to Rennovate!"

Although we will not have hot dogs, beer or peanuts we are planning on serving wine and bread sometime during the party.
 Grab a friend and come on out to Esic Baptist church tonight 6:30.

Hope to see you there! Love, pastor Kent

This Sunday Oct. 6th

2 Corinthians 5:17

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

I talk a lot about changing lives for Christ but what exactly does that mean?
How will I know if my life is changing?
What will the changes look like?
When will it happen?
What do I have to do to make or allow the changes to happen?

We are to become transformed. This is an important study for all Christians. It is vital for those wanting to become effective for Jesus.

Come and join us this Sunday and find out what it means to be "Transformed!"

This Sunday we will also be sharing communion. 

See you Sunday at 6:30 PM. Praise Community fellowship, a place where unconditional love changes lives.

Love, pastor Kent

Can you Trust God?

I think everyone who has stepped out in faith has asked that question at least five or ten times in their life, "Can I trust God on this one or should I just go ahead and do what I want to do and think is right?"

"What about this God, what should I do?"  And then you get to a point when the answer is not coming fast enough or maybe it is coming but it is not what you want to hear, then what?

Maybe we are asking the wrong question?  Maybe the real question should be, "Can God trust me?"

In other words, He has the perfect plan for me, but am I willing to surrender to His will and take the path that He is leading me to take? And, am I willing to do it all His way?  Can He trust me with His plan?

The blessing is in obedience! Not easy. But we must learn to be trustworthy to His direction.

Can God trust you?

See you this Sunday as we begin our weekly evening services at 6:30.
Praise Community Fellowship, a place where unconditional love changes lives.  

I have several surprises coming up this month you won't want to miss. Bring a friend and come meet the living Jesus.

Love, Pastor Kent

Go to God

Sometimes life gets overwhelming with its demands and burdens. It is easy to get disconnected from the source of peace in these times. Even for the believer, life is life and we are not exempt from the disappointments, pressures or problems.  There is a solution.  Go to God!

Even if it is only three minutes, go to The Source of all peace.  Too often we find ourselves drifting away from The Source especially when we get overwhelmed with the cares of this world.

Psalm 55:22

²² Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.

1 Peter 5:6-7

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Matthew 11:28

²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Philippians 4:7

⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God has a plan for all who trust and believe in Him. See you Sunday, Love, Pastor Kent