This Sunday

What Can I Possibly Do that can Impact the World for God's Kingdom?  

You might be surprised! This Sunday Praise Community Fellowship will be leading worship. We will be sharing communion. The reason you should join us this Sunday? I am going to give you a simple way to become very significant in God's Kingdom.  Hint: You won't have to sell your home, car, or children. You won't have to move to Africa, hock your golf clubs, or do without your Starbucks!

If you would like to become part of a movement of doing good and changing lives, join me this Sunday at 8:45am, 800 North main Street Edwardsville. 

I look forward to seeing you then. 

Immanuel Methodist and Praise Community Fellowship, two churches coming together to Love our Neighbors as We Love Ourselves! You don't have to be good or know all the answers, you just need to let God work through you!

James 1:22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Love, pastor kent & pastor jackie

Let's Not Let Religion Get In The Way of Love!

Love breaking Rules? Being a radical? Not following tradition or the crowd? Man would Jesus love you! because He was all the above. I get so tired of hearing about Christians being Rule Followers, Do Gooders, Hypocrites, Holier Than Thou, Holy Rollers. Oh I know there are plenty of people who call themselves Christians who would fit that definition, but they are missing the boat. Jesus was none of those. 

Jesus was a rule breaker, a radical, a non conformer, a non traditionalist. Why do you think the religious leaders of the day despised Him? It wasn't because He was conforming to their traditions and rules. No, just the opposite, Jesus was doing things way different. He was re-defining religion to the religious world.  He was accused of breaking the current religious laws. Healing on the Sabbath, not washing His hands before eating, hanging out with the "sinners", the outcasts, the tax collectors. 

If you want a real exciting life, one that is full of challenging the status quo. Become a follower of Jesus! He did not let the church of the day stand in the way of love. 

Matthew 15:1-3New International Version (NIV)

15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?

I have said this before and it is becoming more and more clear to me. Church is broken because we are broken. God is waiting for a group to break free of the traditions of worship and start radically loving the world. What will it look like? Good question. But I can tell you this. It won't look anything like the church most of us have grown up in. I am seeking and praying. We are on the cusp of something radical.   

James 1:22-27New International Version (NIV)

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Is the church today accomplishing this? 

Praise Community Fellowship and Immanuel Methodist, two churches breaking the rules of tradition by meeting together to worship as as one family every Sunday at 8:45 am. We meet at 800 North Main Street Edwardsville.  Services are lead by pastor Jackie Havis-Shear and Kent Schuette. 

Announcements: Brad Heuchert is putting together a memorial service involving the Edwardsville Glen Carbon Fire Departments service for Sunday September 11th. The service will begin at 12:00 noon at the Sunset Hills Cemetery located on Route 157 in Edwardsville. There will be an honor guard and music provided by Anna Harris and Steve and Debbie Loucks and Matt Conway. Please mark your calendars for this event.

Stay tuned for much more! Love, pastor kent and pastor jackie

It's Monday!

Too busy to be bothered!

Too much to do!

I really can't be bothered reading this right now!

I know. So does God! He loves you, and wants to speak to you in the very circumstances that are  currently stressing you out!  But here's the deal. He can only help you if you make time to have a cup of coffee with Him. Just you and Him. No cell phone, no reports, no computer, no TV, just you and Him. Try it! Not just once. Make an appointment with Him everyday and give him time. 

Yea but what do I do. I mean, what do I say? People will think I'm crazy. Plus, I really do not have time to spare! 

I know. It really makes no logical sense. As a matter of fact every instinct and reason will tell you that taking 15 minutes with God everyday is ridiculous. You don't have time now. What good could possibly come from sitting there alone somewhere hoping God is "really" going to intervene and help? All I can say is, "You will never know until you step out in faith and do it!"  But I will tell you there is one vital key to having this work for you. Here is what the bible says about this vital key:

James 1:5-8New International Version (NIV)

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

You must believe! Great. How do I believe in something which I have never experienced? It's not easy, that is for sure. But, here is what I experienced. When you reach the point where you have no more strength, no more answers, no more solutions, to the problems and disappointments in this life, it is a good time to reach out to God and say, "Here I am God. Can you see me? Can you hear me? I really need to know if you are there, because I can't do this alone anymore. Please help me to believe. Help me to know you because I need you!"  

That is when you get God's attention. When you surrender. When you realize that the world really does not have the answers to your emptiness. That's when God can show up and become real in your life. Here is one more thing to consider. If you are reading this, maybe this is God's way of knocking on your door right now! He works that way. He offers all of us many chances to get into a relationship with Him everyday. Way too often we just miss the opportunity because we are so focused on the cares and troubles of our daily lives. Walking close to God everyday is the only way to live your life to it's fullest potential. THE ONLY WAY!

Ok, get on with your day. It's your call! 

Congratulations to Steve Porter who is now retired! Look out World!

Thank You Pastor Jackie for a great message yesterday, "Love Has No Labels!"  Very thought provoking to me!

Do you have an idea for our church that will help us demonstrate God's love? Let us know. 

Pastor kent 618-334-3575   pastor jackie 618-656-4648.

See you soon. Love, pastor kent and pastor jackie

This Sunday!

Pastor Jackie will be continuing our theme from last Sunday on Love. Tomorrow's sermon is "Love has No Labels!"  The fastest way to a better life can be accomplished by increasing our capacity to love. 

I hope you can join us tomorrow as we come together to learn and worship. 

Announcements: There is a new Adult Sunday School Class beginning immediately following our service called Wired World. This class will discuss current headlines and issues and how to approach solutions in a Love filled way. 

PCF will begin it's weekend Lunch Program for Kids. See Faye Heuchert for more details. 

We will be serving a Thanksgiving dinner to the families of the Kids we have been serving in the TWIGS and SAKS program. This free dinner is planned for Sunday November 20th at Noon in the Church Fellowship Hall. See me or pastor Jackie if you want to help! 

See you tomorrow! Love, pastor kent and pastor jackie

Am I Good Enough?

How many Christians feel unworthy of God's Grace? Unfortunately this seems to be part of of our human experience. We only get rewarded when we are worthy. Our society seems to be built around that premise. 

You work hard, obey the rules and then maybe you will get a raise or move up the ladder. No wonder we find God's Grace so hard to grasp. 

There is a wonderful story in the New Testament found in the book of John. It's about Jesus coming across a crippled man who has been sitting by a pool in a town called Bethesda for 38 years waiting to be healed. Jesus asks the man, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while am coming another steps down before me.  So Jesus says to this man, "Rise, take up your bed and walk. And immediately the man was made well." 

This story can be found in John 5:1-8. But there is an underlying message in this story that we all need to understand. It is the story of what Jesus did not do! Jesus did not ask the crippled man if he had been good, if he was a regular church attender, if he tithed, if he kept all the commandments! As a matter of fact there was no attempt what so ever of Jesus trying to determine the man's worthiness. It never entered the formula. Jesus just asked one simple question of this man, "Do you want to be made well?"  That was it. If you read the story you will see that the crippled man didn't even answer the question. He instead gave excuses why he had not been healed. But Jesus healed him anyway.

Now that is what Grace is all about. You and I are not worthy and yet we are saved by grace. The church needs to read and understand this story. We come together in all our brokenness and failures and shortcomings to worship a God who loves us inspite of ourselves! Start living boldly in Jesus' grace!

Hope to see you soon. Love, pastor kent

Is The Life You Are Living Fantastic?

For those of you who missed the service  yesterday I want to share with you what the "One Thing" is as I promised on yesterdays blog. 

The premise of my sermon was this,  "If I had to boil down everything in the bible and all the books I have ever read about improving ones life. If I had to make one suggestion to anyone wanting to improve the quality of their life in the fastest way possible."  This would be what I call the short cut to the best, most fulfilling life you can possibly live!

It doesn't involve getting a degree, losing weight, getting a better job, buying a new suit or improving your resume or making more money. Are you ready? Here it is: "Increase Your Capacity to Love Others!"

Ok Great but how do I do that you might ask? Start with meditation on this one scripture every day until it begins to sink into your soul, into your heart, and most importantly into every relationship you currently have. The effects are profound and life changing. 

1 Corinthians 13New International Version (NIV)

13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poorand give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I pray that you will take the time to meditate on this life changing scripture. It's about grasping the God empowered love that is available to everyone. This is the kind of love that will change your world as well as the world of those around you. 

See you soon! Love, pastor kent

This Sunday

"If I could Give You Just One Thing". Because I turned 60 this past week I spent some time reviewing my life and all that I have learned about God's life changing wisdom. This Sunday, after much thought, I will give you the most life changing advice that I know. 

The PCF singers and praise band will be leading the worship. 

It's been a good life and the Good News is, There is so much more to come! Hope you can join us this Sunday. Come to "The Church" where every Sunday is a life changing Sunday!

Two congregations coming together to be Jesus to our community. Praise Community Fellowship and Immanuel Methodist. Better together!

Love, pastor kent and pastor jackie.

Service begins at 8:45 AM. Located at 800 North Main Edwardsville.