The Trouble With Prayer!

First let me say that the last post, "Burn In Hell Forever...Really?" must have hit a chord with a lot of people because it has gotten more hits than any blog I have ever written, and I have posted 896 blogs! But this particular one blew the pants off in numbers. I wonder what that means?

I promise to do a follow up on that post soon! But today I want to give you some insight on prayer that I am borrowing from pastor and author John Ortberg. 

For those of you who have ever tried to do some serious praying, have you ever had any of these things happen to you? 

You fall asleep.

You day dream.

You think of a hundred other things rather than praying!  Don't feel bad, it happens to me all the time! Very frustrating. So what I usually do is switch gears and say to myself, I'll try again later when I can get focused. But we all know how that usually turns out. Same thing!

So, what can we do about this when we have every good intention on connecting with God in prayer? I think the following offers an excellent solution! First realize that prayer is not easy. We are human and we house God's spirit within us. The Holy Spirit! Now think about this, "What if some of our wandering thoughts are actually being presented to us by the Holy Spirit as something we should be praying about?"

Example: I sit down to pray for the people on my prayer list but as soon as I start to get focused my mind starts wondering and focusing on another issue I have. I have to get the rent house fixed up, and my car's oil needs to be changed or I have bills that need to get paid..... 

What if, instead of fighting those thoughts, we go to God about those very issues and seek His guidance? What if it's the Holy Spirit guiding our minds to those very things to bring before God in prayer? Maybe it's a hint to turn it over to Him!

I thought this was an excellent idea and will be using this technique when my mind begins to wander when I pray...which is usually every time! I guess I will have a lot more to pray about!

I hope this gives you hope and a possible new approach to prayer!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

We will once again be doing the great Hotdog giveaway at the Edwardsville Halloween Parade. It is a very fun evening and all are invited to participate. I will be getting you more details soon. It is on the evening of October 31st.

Immanuel Methodist and Praise Community Fellowship are collaborating on a Free Thanksgiving Meal to be served on Sunday November 20th starting at noon. This meal was originally planned to offer a nice Thanksgiving meal for our SAKS and TWIGS families. However, we have also included people who show up for the Free Lunch Fridays and decided to open it to anyone in need. All we ask is a head count. If you know of a family or person who might not have a family Thanksgiving, please invite them or let us know so we can invite them. We will be looking for volunteers in many categories for this day and will have a signup sheet for jobs and time slots. This meal will be the Sunday before Thanksgiving. There will be no service that day, we will be busy being the church!  More details and sign up sheets to be coming soon. Please mark your calendars.

Our church is looking forward to a great holiday season. We have more exciting plans being developed and will be announcing them soon! 

Praise Community Fellowship and Immanuel Methodist, two congregations working together as one! Meeting at 8:45am on Sundays at 800 North main St. Edwardsville. Come join the team.

See you soon. Love pastor kent and pastor jackie

Burn in Hell Forever!....Really?

I have dedicated much of my time over the past 40 years or so trying to understand the bible and God! I have read and heard over and over from many different Christian sources about why I must repent and change "before it is too late!" Too late meaning if I don't get right with God before I die, I'm doomed to eternal punishment in Hell! What.....? Wow, that seems harsh from a loving God! 

And how will I know if I'm right enough with God?  Well you have to believe in Jesus! 

OK I do!  Yea but you also have to change your ways!  

What ways?  Well you know, stop cussing, stop lusting, go to church, don't drink, don't smoke, basically obey the 10 commandments. 

Does anyone follow all those rules?  Well, they are supposed to! 

Ok but I thought I was good if I believed in Jesus, so am I good or not? Well yea but if you really believed in Jesus you wouldn't continue to sin!

Do you believe in Jesus?  Yes!

Well have you stopped sinning? For the most part! 

OK now I am confused. Am I in or out? 

What about all the good Jewish people who don't believe in Jesus and what about all the people born in a country who will never hear about Jesus? What happens to them?

Any of that sound familiar to you? So here is what I would like you to kick around the barnyard for a while. The bible says that we are all created in God's own image. "All of us!" We are his children. One of the traits that must have come from God is our ability to love one another. I think one of the most profound loves we can experience on this earth is the love we have for our own creation, our children.  So let me ask you something,"If your child decides to rebel against you, would you stop loving them? Would you stop loving them even if they chose not to come around and visit you anymore? Would you ever decide to have them thrown into solitary confinement in some awful prison somewhere and have them tortured every day for the rest of their lives because they missed the deadline of reconciliation with you?"

If we, in our broken, imperfect love wouldn't think of doing such a thing to our children, how in the world have some people, who claim to know God, come to the conclusion that He would do even worse to His own children? Sorry, but this just doesn't fit the overall picture and description of Jesus and what He taught. I know this may have been the doctrine for hundreds of years but I'm not buying it.   

What makes more sense to you? 

If Jesus forgave the guys who spent three years with him as his disciples, who then ran away and denied him when He was arrested, then surely he wouldn't deny someone who, through no fault of their own were born into a situation where Jesus isn't talked about or even known about.  For crying out loud Jesus even forgave the men who nailed him to a cross. I mean if the guys who killed Jesus got a pass, doesn't it make sense that He is going to come back for all of us?  

Here is my conclusion which I will stand by with all my heart.

You are loved by a mighty, wonderful, loving God. The world is broken. People are broken. But under the brokenness we are all God's children. 

I may not vote like you. 

I may not dress like you. 

I may not talk like you.

I may not live like you.

But you and I have the same father! We are related. We are brothers and sisters! 

It's Ok to disagree! 

It's OK to do things differently. 

It's OK to like different art, music, and food. 

It's Ok to have different priorities in life. 

It's ok to worship differently!  BUT........

It is NOT OK to hate! 

It's NOT OK to tear down and destroy!

It's NOT OK to cause unnecessary pain to people who happen to be different from you!

I know it is a very complicated world and there are those who have been so brainwashed with hate that they can no longer see or hear God's voice. But most of the people in the world do understand love, compassion, and kindness, all traits of Jesus!

So is there a HELL? Oh yes there is definitely a hell. You can find it right here on earth right now. It is being created by people who have lost their ability to hear God's spirit within them. Hell is when we become separated from God. God is love. So to be separated from God is to be separated from love. 

Let's change ourselves with love so that we can change the world with love! Let's stop confusing people with a confusing message about Jesus and God! None of us are good enough! But Jesus' love is! It's called Grace! The free and unmerited favor of God!  GRACE! If people understood the Grace that Jesus offers, every Sunday worship would be a celebration like no other. It's called the Good News, not the Confusing Damning News. I'll bet my life on Love and Grace any day! 

Hope to see you soon! Sincerely, pastor kent.

Praise Community Fellowship and Immanuel Methodist church. Two congregations becoming one family. We welcome anyone who want's to learn more about Love and Grace! 800 North main Edwardsville.

This Sunday.......H20!

This Sunday Praise Community Fellowship will be leading worship. We will be looking at the fascinating use of  water in the stories found in the bible! "Isn't it amazing that the earth is about 71% water and so are our bodies?" 

We will also be featuring a young talented guest singer! 

• Music
• Worship
• Teaching
• Communion

All are welcome at the table of Grace!  All this Sunday at 8:45am.

We are family friendly church. Informal, Friendly, Caring, Loving, and Accepting of all who are seeking answers to this crazy life in this crazy world.  The bible paints a picture of love and acceptance! If you are looking for love and acceptance our door is open to you! 

Praise Community Fellowship and Immanuel Methodist, two church families proving that titles don't matter. Love and compassion, and acceptance matters. We are better together! Come join us! Sunday service begins at 8:45am. We are located at 800 North Main Edwardsville.

Have questions? Give pastor kent or pastor jackie a call. 

Pastor Kent 618-334-3575 Pastor Jackie 618-656-4648.

And the Truth Will Set You Free!

Freedom happens when you realize that it is OK to let go of old beliefs, no matter how sacred you have made them. You begin to realize just how expansive and joyful life can become when you are able to unlock the chains of tradition, and passed down "truths" (which usually aren't truths at all), which serve only to keep you and others in bondage.  

The Pharisees could not see beyond their truth. Their traditions and false beliefs held them in miserable bondage. Their truths caused them much distress and fear. They feared lack of power, loss of control, loss of status. The Pharisee's truth prevented them from seeing who Jesus was, the long awaited Messiah! There He stood, right in front of them, yet they were blinded by their own ignorance, their own traditions, their own truths. They could not recognize the son of God because they thought they already knew the truth of who He would be, what He would look like, how He would act, and what He would say and do.

You and I are no different. We have a hard time accepting new idea's and possibilities because we think we already know how something is or how something works. Too often we are all about the should's or shouldn'ts rather than about the possibilities that there may be something much greater for us if we would only let go of some of our prejudices, traditions, and fears. The old ways have past and a new covenant was and is at hand.

Jesus wants to set all of us free. There is Joy and freedom in knowing Jesus! If you lack joy in your life I would begin reviewing your truth's and beliefs. Maybe the truth is standing before you but you are blinded like the Pharisees. Does that thought make you uncomfortable? It did for me for quite some time. But the more I studied and read and prayed and opened my mind to all possibilities, the more I realized just how small the box was that I had created for myself. Today, I am no longer in that box. It takes great faith to let go of binding beliefs. Open yourself to the freedom Jesus offers. It is life changing. Stop pretending that you have all the answers and know the truth. That alone is very freeing. There was a time when I felt I had to be the expert in so many things. I thought it was important for my work, for my relationships, as a parent, as a church member. But man was I kidding myself. Now, I feel so darn free to admit, "I really don't know much of anything!" "I certainly don't claim to be an expert at anything!" "I make plenty of mistakes!" but I can declare that I have an amazing love for all people. I feel joyful most of the time. I feel free to learn new ways of thinking. I don't worry about anything. I feel very blessed! Oh there is so much more to talk about!

You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free! 

See you soon! Love, pastor kent

Have questions or comments? Love to hear them. You can add a comment at the end of this blog or you can call me at 618-334-3575

Praise Community Fellowship and Immanuel United Methodist church coming together as one worshipping body to explore the possibilities of love and fellowship. Come visit us some Sunday morning at 8:45am. 800 North Main St. Edwardsville.

Gratitude...a way of looking at life!

Excerpts from a dogs diary:

8:00am      Dog Food!  My favorite thing!

9:30am      A car ride!  My favorite thing!

9:40am      A walk in the park!  My favorite thing!

10:30am    Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!

12:00pm    Lunch! My favorite thing!

1:00pm      Played in the yard! My favorite thing!

3:00pm     Wagged my tail at people!  My favorite thing!

5:00pm     Milk Bones!  My favorite thing!

7:00pm     Got to play ball!  My favorite thing!

8:00pm     Watched TV with people!  My favorite thing!

11:00pm    Sleeping on the bed!  My favorite thing!

Excerpts from a Cat's diary:

Day 990 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre, little dangling things. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape!

What is your mindset? "Today is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice in it!"  or "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!"

Have a great weekend! Rejoice in all your blessings! Be grateful! Let the reality of God surround you with His peace and love!

See you soon, love pastor kent and pastor jackie.

Immanuel Methodist and Praise Community Fellowship. Two churches meeting as one loving family. 

Come join us. Sunday's at 8:45am. Located at 800 north main st. edwardsville. 

Even A Goat Can Be in God's Ministry!

PCF....Do You Remember this Guy?

Steve Wescott and Leroy Brown. About 2 years ago I ran into this guy and his goat in downtown Edwardsville sitting in front of the Stagger Inn. I started a conversation with him and found out he had been walking for almost 2 years with his goat Leroy. They started in Seattle Washington! Their goal was to walk all the way to Times Square New York City to raise money for an orphanage in Nairobi Kenya. Of course I then invited him to come speak at our church, Praise Community Fellowship and, as Jesus has perfect timing, we were meeting at Glik Park that Sunday. 

Steve gave a great testimony and an interesting and funny talk about walking the country with a goat.  I have been following Steve over the past two years. Sad news, Leroy died last year. Evidently someone fed him something that made him very sick at one of his stops. I believe it happened somewhere in Ohio. Steve then replaced Leroy with a new goat named "Miles." Since Steve left the Edwardsville area he has been on the Steve Harvey Show and has been on several news and radio shows.

The reason for this post, Steve and Miles have made it to New York City!  Miles is currently taking a few days rest at a farm there while Steve is preparing for their grand entrance into Times Square. What a journey! Here is Steve's website about his cause and info about his long journey!

                               http://www.needle2square.com

Life is a journey and it can be wonderfully crazy. It's up to you! Praise Community Fellowship and Immanuel Methodist church welcome everyone looking for a new journey. We are all about love, compassion, fun, laughter, care, prayer, and fellowship.  Who knows what the next Sunday will bring? We like to mix it up!  

Sunday service is at 8:45am. We are located at 800 North main St. Edwardsville. 

Come be part of the fun!  Sincerely, pastor kent and pastor jackie

PCF....Do You Remember this Guy?

Steve Wescott and Leroy Brown. About 2 years ago I ran into this guy and his goat in downtown Edwardsville sitting in front of the Stagger Inn. I started a conversation with him and found out he had been walking for almost 2 years with his goat Leroy. They started in Seattle Washington! Their goal was to walk all the way to Times Square New York City to raise money for an orphanage in Nairobi Kenya. Of course I then invited him to come speak at our church, Praise Community Fellowship and, as Jesus has perfect timing, we were meeting at Glik Park that Sunday. 

Steve gave a great testimony and an interesting and funny talk about walking the country with a goat. 

So I have been following Steve over the past two years. Sad news, Leroy died last year. Evidently someone fed him something that made him very sick at one of his stops. I believe it happened somewhere in Ohio. Steve then replaced Leroy with a new goat named "Miles." Since Steve left the Edwardsville area he has been on the Steve Harvey Show and has been on several news and radio shows.

The reason for this post, Steve and Miles have made it to New York City!  Miles is currently taking a few days rest at a farm there while Steve is preparing for their grand entrance into Times Square. What a journey! Here is Steve's website about his cause and info about his long journey!

                               http://www.needle2square.com

Life is a journey and it can be wonderfully crazy. It's up to you! Praise Community Fellowship and Immanuel Methodist church welcome everyone looking for a new journey. We are all about love, compassion, fun, laughter, care, prayer, and fellowship.  Who knows what the next Sunday will bring? We like to mix it up!  

Sunday service is at 8:45am. We are located at 800 North main St. Edwardsville. 

Come be part of the fun!  Sincerely, pastor kent and pastor jackie