Would you be interested in a 10,000% return?

Matthew 19:29

²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

The bible says that anything we try to hang onto here in this life will be lost but anything we put into Gods hands will be ours forever.  It is that delayed gratification thing. But there is actually great joy in giving to God's work. "Present Joy can come from anticipated future Joy!"

• You will never see a hearse pulling a U-Hall. 

You are not going to take it with you but you can send it ahead. All the investments, money, and property you have right now will become worthless when Christ returns or when you die which ever comes first. But time, money, and gifts given to God's cause now will be stored up for you in your eternal life.

This last Sunday I used my experience with the financial services business to help explain the bible. One of the things I talked about was the rule of 72. Take any given interest rate into the number 72 and it will tell you how long it takes for your money to double. Thus a 6% return would take your money 12 years to double.

Imagine the compounding affect that eternity would have on your money that you send ahead by investing in Gods work. Yes I remember what I preached on this past Sunday. I told a story of how I, at one time, got caught up in the prosperity gospel. I'm not talking about worldly prosperity here. I am talking about eternal prosperity.

Matthew 6:19-21

¹⁹ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Some of the thoughts were inspired by a book I am reading by Randy Alcorn called, "The Treasure Principle."

The Praise Choir kicked off last night with a fun rehearsal. If you have ever wanted to sing in a great choir consider joining us on Monday nights at 7:00pm.

We are learning some new songs that will get your blood flowing.

This next Sunday will be a communion Sunday and we will have the Praise choir leading worship.  Hope to see you then.   Love, Pastor Kent

Crazy Question of the Day

This morning when I got into my car I heard the very ending of a talk show where the question was, "What is the minimum requirement for a person to receive salvation?"

Think about that one.  Unfortunately I did not hear the rest of the broadcast so I don't know where the commentators took this question. But I do find it an intriguing yet somewhat disturbing question.

Disturbing in the fact that it seems like in the Christian community we often are being onslaught with how far short we all fall. It seems as if the mainline Christian message too often is,  "It is only through immense sacrifice and struggle and suffering that eternal life can be obtained!"

Was that Jesus' message? Is it next to impossible to qualify for salvation?  Are most of us doomed to hell even though we go to church and try to be good? Is that what Christ meant in 

Matthew 7:13

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

I will attempt to answer these interesting questions this next Sunday. In the mean time draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

The path you are on right now may or may not be Gods will for your life. But the good news is, He knows exactly where you are and if you tune in to His Holy Spirit, He will tell you exactly how to get to the the road He wants you to be on. When you choose to accept God as your GPS you will never be lost!

See you soon, Love Pastor Kent

It's in the Prospectus!

Tonight we will be worshipping God through good old gospel music and taking a look at what the investment world has taught me about getting to know God.

I hope you will consider joining our joyful Praise Community Fellowship Family.  Come as you are, invite a friend that may need to hear the gospel message presented in a new but very relatable way.

Do you know of anyone struggling with their faith? Anyone going through some real tough times?  Tonight would be an excellent service for them to hear.

We are a multi-denominational fellowship that seeks to know the real God and all that He has for us. It is a journey.

There will be nursery services available tonight during the sermon for those of you with small children.

See you this evening at 6:30.    Love, Pastor Kent

Let the Children Come!

Matthew 19:14

¹⁴ Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

To all young couples with children, this Sunday we will have child care available in the nursery as an option. Here is how we are going to handle this. We have asked for parents of children to volunteer on a rotating basis and Sidra Miller has volunteered this coming Sunday.

Sidra will be in the nursery right after the opening music finishes because her daughter loves the music. She will also rejoin the congregation for the closing songs.

So, if you prefer to have your child go to the nursery to play the with other children during the sermon, that will be an option starting this Sunday.  However all children are welcome to remain in the service as well.

This Sunday's music provided by Gary Grandidier's Southern Gospel Quartet. 

We will be looking at how the investment world and insurance taught me more about presenting the gospel of Jesus.   God has a plan for your life and it begins with submission.

See you this Sunday at 6:30 PM.      Love, Pastor Kent

God and Insurance

This Sunday we will be looking at the insurance and investment industry, which is my back ground, and what it has taught me about peoples beliefs and God.  So bring your calculators and your portfolios and lets have church!  OK I'm just kidding, no calculators or portfolios just come with an open mind and an open heart.

It never ceases to amaze me how God can and will use all of our experiences to move His agenda forward. God has a master plan and all of us are in this plan. I think we all fit into one of four categories within this great plan.

1.) Some are cooperating with Him and playing their roles the best they know how.
2.) Some are still trying to get with the program and figure out what the plan is about and their role in it.
3.) Some are not even aware that there is a master plan.
4.) Some are doing whatever they can to mess up the plan. (which is futile)

When it comes down to it and you look at these categories there is only one place that makes sense if you are a Christian and that is to move up to the first spot. To cooperate with God and play our role to the best of our ability.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone after a week off and am also looking forward to hearing the Gospel quartet lead our worship.

If you have struggled with your faith especially in light of the the Boston Bombing and other tragedies recently, I think this Sunday is going to be very helpful. Each of us has developed an idea of who God is. I am going to show you how the investment and insurance world helped me get a better understanding of my beliefs about God.

Hope you will join us Sunday at 6:30.  Love, Pastor Kent

Back Home!

Bonni and I are back home after a nice vacation break. Time to get back at it!

• We will resume prayer meeting tonight at 6:30pm in the sanctuary.
• Tomorrow night bible study with Bob and Judi Bertels, also at 6:30.

This Sunday April 28th special music surprise. Our service will be blessed with some true southern Gospel singing. Gary Grandidier, a member of our RTP choir, will be bringing his gospel quartet along with several other singers to provide our worship music this Sunday.

On my vacation I had time to read and think about many topics that I want to talk on. There is so much that God wants us to understand and all of it points to trusting Him in all things. He wants us to understand that this life is temporary and that the best is yet to come for those who trust Him and accept His son Jesus. God wants us to know without a doubt that Jesus was a real person in history who was sent here to give us hope and understanding of His purpose for our life.

There is a great line in a great book I have been reading called "If God is Good" by Randy Alcorn.
Randy says, "The only true sacrifice in life is to live outside the will of God!"

God has a plan for your life.

I hope to see you all soon.  Love, pastor Kent

How Big of a Blessing Do You Want to Become In This World?

A couple of months ago I shared with you four Big Prayers for our little church.  They were:

1. That PCF will become recognized as the most Loving, Caring, Compassionate congregation in the US.
2. That the RTP choir would raise over 1 million dollars for our chosen charities in the next five years. 
3. That the PCF congregation will touch over 100,000 lives world wide for Christ in the next 15 years....or sooner!
4. That we will become known in the greater St. Louis area as the miracle working church because we are a powerful praying church.

So what is happening with these big, "Only With God's Help" prayers?

• Steve Klingel, our bass player will be delivering ball equipment to the children in Columbia South America in about a week.  Equipment we have collected here in Edwardsville.

• We have started a weekly prayer service on Wednesday nights.

And, look at this picture Judy Bertels just sent to me. This is an 8th grade classroom in Chongwe Zambia, and is being completed from the funds from the Raise The Praise Concert.

Our little but mighty Praise Community Fellowship Church is already touching lives world wide. We have people from China, Russia, and Germany visiting our website and listening to the sermons.

We are impacting lives of children and adults in Zambia and soon in Columbia South America. Some of our members have made a huge impact in the lives of a local family who lost everything in a fire.

Another group of our members have been closely involved in a young persons life who is seriously ill.

To me this is what church is all about. I love when we come together to sing and worship and play music. But when I see the impact we are having on the hurting, the suffering, the widows, and the children, I then know we are doing what Jesus called us to do.

Matthew 25:35-40

³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

The question I have for all of you involved in PCF is this, "How big of a blessing do you want to become in this world?"  Because we are the only ones setting the limits!

God has a wonderful plan for you life, it is our job to say yes and fulfill it!

See you soon.  Love, Pastor Kent