Category: MidweekMessage

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #153

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #153. I hope you are having a fairly routine week. It has been quite a hectic past couple of weeks for me as well as for Pastor Ryan and Diana. I think we are all hoping for a fairly calm week.

Remember to pray for Amanda Hutchison this week. Amanda is a Cloverdale School Corporation Nurse. She is our school-related prayer person for the week.

Speaking of hoping for a calmer week…

Pastor Ryan, among his responsibilities here has also been the point person for our response to the disaster from the weather event from a few weeks ago. After visiting and surveying and talking with many of the homeowners on Wolf Mountain Road, he not only took totes, he also assessed needs and then handed the reins to Cassie Linville and Jasmine St. John, the co-leaders of the Disaster Relief Team.

• I am so proud of those two ladies who contacted local leaders, as well as setting up days to help those affected by the tornado that touched down on Wolf Mountain Road and the surrounding area. This past Saturday, with very short notice, there were about 10 (I was unable to get an accurate count) who took 3-4 hours of their Saturday afternoon to help pick up and gather things for several of the homeowners.  Wayne Akerson, one of our elders, took some great pictures of a few of those who helped a very grateful man.
• This past Saturday, a Disaster Relief response seminar put on by IDES (International Disaster Emergency Services) was presented by Ed Sanow, a rep from IDES. Just to show you God’s way of doing things: this meeting was actually scheduled for an earlier date and had to be rescheduled. Things Ed talked about were very appropriate for us to know.
• To see how important it is that we be prepared: after the weather event that hit McCormick’s Creek State Park, I almost received a call from the Sheriff’s department to see if they could use our building to temporarily house some of the folks who were affected by the storm. Fortunately, Canyon Inn had rooms available for them. So…it is really important that we be prepared for a possible disaster that might hit our community, whether it be another storm or flooding, or something else. Ed’s seminar was helpful to learn what to do and what not to do and how we could be prepared as a church family, especially with the use of our building.

To go along with the help for the tornado victims, IDES is providing sheds for those who need them. They will be off-loading them here or at another location in our community and then taking sheds to the home sites. The sheds will be assembled at each home. During his presentation, Ed said it takes about 3-4 hours to put each shed together. When that day comes, if you can use a level, swing a hammer, or are willing to be used in any way, your help would be appreciated. We will let you know the location at that time. They supply the foreman. We provide the manpower. The sheds are supposed to be here early May. We will let you know more details as we know.

Starting May 7th, I will begin a series on Faith Over Fear. Several weeks ago I mentioned that I really believed that I needed to set the series on Revelation to the side for this series. I am more and more convinced I “heard” God correctly. I have had a number of folks tell me they are looking forward to the series because they struggle with anxiety, fear, depression, or just a general lack of peace in their life.  I have been working on the sermons already and here is the direction I plan to go in:

• May 7- What We all Want- Mark 4:35-41
• May 14- (A Mother’s Day special not part of the series)
• May 21- Who Me? Worry? Mt. 6:25-34
• May 28- Three Essentials You MUST Believe- Psalm 13:1-6
• June 4- Bringing the Giant to its Knees- Phil. 4:6-9
• June 11- Go Back to Go Forward – Psalm 27
• June 18- (A Father’s Day special not part of the series)
• June 25- Drive a Nail through These Truths- Stories from Joshua

I stated several Midweek Messages ago that after saying I would preach on Faith Over Fear, I began to worry about how I was going to develop it. ☺ I needed not to worry. God was more than faithful in leading me to certain passages and stories of people in the Bible who are “poster children” for His work. Please pray for me as I continue working on these sermons. And yes, the plan is after I finish this series to go back to Revelation (unless, of course, God directs me elsewhere).  Hmmmm.

These are exciting times for OVCF. Several in our church family and friends have faced challenges.  We have also had the high times (ask Stacy Wood about that one. I bet she has pictures of that new grandson she will show you ☺ ). Some of our friends and neighbors have suffered property damage as a result of the storm/tornado. I have also heard stories of God’s protection during the storm. But in all things we have seen the faithfulness of God. We are admonished to praise Him through the storm. May we do just that.

Have a great rest of the week.  I love you all and look forward to being with you this Sunday.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #152

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #152.  Resurrection Sunday 2023 is history, at least according to the calendar. But as I quoted Sam Allberry in my sermon: “ Many Christians, while believing in the resurrection and rehearsing that belief every Easter Sunday, effectively stick it back in a drawer for the rest of the year because they are at a loss of what to do with it.”  {Quote from Hope in Times of Fear by Tim Keller-p.xxi}. Let’s not be the statistic that gives credence to what Sam said. Let’s not just believe the Resurrection story, but let’s allow it to change the way we live our daily lives.  Anyway, thanks for joining me for this week’s MM.

Please be in prayer this week for Tammy Siscoe, Assistant Corporation Nurse. She and all the nurses of our school system would appreciate your prayers.

I’d also like to ask you to be in prayer for the Carlson family. Saturday evening at 7:37 Carolyn went home to be with Jesus. She turned 90 this past week but has been yearning to go home for quite a while.

Please add Tiffany Groomer to your daily prayers. The picc-line and dressing are very uncomfortable. I failed to mention this past Sunday that Tiffany had to go to the ER again on Saturday. She is miserable and has asked for prayers!!

It is well known about the devastation that many families experienced due to the weather event our area suffered two weeks ago. High winds, straight-line winds, and tornadoes left a line of damage in their path. The worst hit were the campgrounds at MCSP as well as many homes on Macville and Wolf Mountain Roads. Pastor Ryan took several days this past week buying totes (the elders told him to do so) and then delivering them (with David Robertson’s help) to homes, especially those on Wolf Mountain Road. He has also been in contact with IDES (International Disaster Emergency Services) about sheds they provide for homeowners. We have partnered with IDES in the past, especially our youth, by helping at their headquarters in Noblesville packing meals which they ship to other countries experiencing famine and other disasters, and building sheds. Here is how you can help:

• The church’s disaster relief team, led by Cassie Linville and Jasmine St. John, has contacted local agencies to see how we can help. A work day is scheduled for this Saturday from 2-5 PM. *The plan is to meet at OVCF at 2 for instructions. Bring work gloves, closed-toe shoes, 5 gallon buckets to carry debris.
• As I mentioned, Pastor Ryan has been in contact with IDES about sheds. They will be delivered to the people and be built on site some time in early May. If you are able to help, let Pastor Ryan know. You can call or text him to let him know of your willingness to help. We will keep you informed as to any pertinent information (times, location, etc) when we know more.
• The church is helping any way it can and trying to cooperate with local agencies (the Red Cross, for one, has set up a base at Stinesville Elementary School to provide two meals a day).
• Above all, please pray for these folks who virtually lost every earthly treasure. Pray for them as they pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and try to make sense of it all. Pray for the church’s (ours and others) response to these folks.
• If you have any more questions please feel free to give the church office a call or text one of us. We will try to answer any question(s) you may have.

I know numbers are not legitimate qualifiers when it comes to churches, especially on holidays. But just in case you are interested, we had 246 for our Resurrection Day worship. Better yet! The offering went to the missions we support (we added the tornado victims as well) unless otherwise designated. The total offering for this past Sunday was $10,180.70 with $7795.70 (which we rounded up to $7800) to be divided among the missions and $1655 for the Building Fund. That means each mission will receive an extra gift from OVCF in the amount of $780. Thank you so much for being so generous in your giving.  There is no doubt in my mind that God has blessed OVCF for several reasons, one of them being our willingness to be generous to others (local and foreign).  As in the past, we will keep you abreast of what is happening and be accountable for every penny spent. Diana does a tremendous job of paying the bills and keeping things straight. She keeps things accountable with the Finance Team and elders. Our Finance Team goes over the budget ever year and gives time on their given Sunday to stay afterward and count.

That leads me to something really important. Several weeks ago I was asked about the finances and it was “implied” that I know what others give. I sort of shocked the person when I said that I know nothing of what anyone gives, except my own. Neither Pastor Ryan nor I have any clue what any individual gives. That person acted shocked because that was not the norm he was used to. That has always been my policy and it will continue that way. I just wanted you to know that.

The next three Sundays will give you a great opportunity to hear a variety of speakers.

• This Sunday, the 16th, Will Reed will be our guest speaker. Will and Theresa and family will soon by leaving for Nairobi, Kenya. Will plans to preach on “Killing the Beast” but also update us on their mission efforts.
• Sunday, the 23rd I will be preaching on “The Boast of the Cross.”
• Sunday, the 30th, Pastor Ryan will be preaching on “My Emmaus.”

Please make plans to be here for each one.

I have given you a lot of information this week. So I think I will close by simply saying I love you all and have a great rest of the week.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #151

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #151. I anticipate this being a shorter MM than normal, but even as I write that, I am not taking for granted the welcome you give me in your inbox. ☺

Remember to pray for Rachel Keith this week. Rachel is one of S-OCS’s corporation nurses. I’m sure Rachel, and all the school nurses would appreciate your prayers as they navigate taking care of our students.

This coming Sunday is Resurrection Sunday! Of all the Sundays I look forward to, this has to top the list. The excitement the day generates among families and the meaning it brings to mind for all who follow Jesus simply cannot be topped.  Please keep these thoughts in mind:

• This Friday, Good Friday, the church office will be closed.
• As we have been relating to you, we will offer two worship services AT OVCF at 9:00 and 10:45.  If you are concerned about space, I’d suggest you consider attending the 9:00 service. The 10:45 service will more likely be the one most attend, especially since that service offers the children’s programs for birth (Nursery) up to 6th grade.
• All monies given this Sunday (unless designated) will to go the missions we support.  I am not sure when we started the practice of giving our Resurrection Sunday offering away to missions but it is a good one. (We normally give our anniversary offering to the Building Fund). God has blessed OVCF in a tremendous way and the leadership believes this is one of the tangible ways we can say, “Thank you” to God for His goodness. Whatever is given is divided among the missions we support on a monthly basis:

Chi Alpha, Derek Britt & Luke Furr families

Freedom International Ministries, Jacob & Mia McCall

Hilltop Christian Camp

Int’l. Friendships, Jesse Cook

New Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center

Revive Liberia Missions

Serge, Will & Theresa Reed

Weekday Religious Education

Youth for Christ, OVHS Campus Life/Cassie Linville

For more information on these missions, please see our bulletin board! ☺

• Above all, please pray about this Sunday. On the cross, Jesus defeated Satan’s plans. On Resurrection Sunday He drove the nail in his coffin because He once and for all showed Satan definitively that He (Jesus) had the power over sin, death, hell and the grave.  His enemy/our enemy does not like that he lost, so he will do whatever it takes to bring us down. Pray for God’s power to be at work in your life and in the life of all those who listen or watch.

Antony Flew was a prominent atheist and professor of philosophy. He once said, “If Jesus rose, you have an intellectually feasible argument that everything Jesus said could be true. If He didn’t, all of Christianity falls.” He also said, “The defining and distinguishing characteristic of true Christianity is accepting the Resurrection did literally happen.” Let that sink in. You see, even men who claim to be intellectuals must reason with the resurrection of Jesus. They cannot disassociate it from truth-the truth that the resurrection of Jesus is the most important fact in history. If somehow-SOMEHOW-they could disprove it really happened (and they have tried), it gets them off the hook of having to reckon with a God who will ultimately judge them in the end.  Poor Stephen Hawking, the brilliant scientist (but one who could not understand a God who loves him) on his deathbed was adamant when we he said, “There is no God. No one directs the universe.” I now suspect he is finding out there was and is and he is not liking it very much. Call me simple-minded, but I’m willing to stake my claim on the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

I will see you Sunday, Lord willing. Throughout this week, ponder the powerful events which took place between this past Sunday (the entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey) and the end of the week (the crucifixion and resurrection).  Can anything say “I love you” more than the love of a Savior who died in our place? I think not.

Have a great rest of the week. I love you.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #150

Hello and welcome to a milestone: Midweek Message #150! Many of you are newer readers and do not know that the MM was started during the shutdown during you-know-what.  I knew for many having me visit was not an option so I started the MM as a way to communicate with you about what was happening at OVCF. I combined it with what I called “drive-by’s,” where I stopped in your driveway or close to your house and prayed for you. Unless you caught me and asked me to come closer (several did), it was my way of staying in touch with you, but also to let you know that I was thinking of you and praying for you. It is hard for me to believe that I have sent out 150 of these Midweek Messages. I owe a debt of thanks to Diana for being my editor and to you for allowing me into your world each week.

Please be praying for Julie Allen. She is our school-related person to pray for this week as she serves as the S-OCS Corporation Nurse.

We had a big day Sunday! Congratulations to Sherry Pavich on her baptism. Following the second service we made our way to the YMCA in order for her son, Joe, to have the privilege of baptizing his mom. Sherry moved here to be near Joe, Emily and Charlotte, her granddaughter. (Hmmmm, now why would she do that? ☺ )  Since the move she now has twin grandchildren, Thomas and Margaret, too. She began worshiping with us immediately after moving here and has been involved in my Route 66 class that meets on Wednesday nights. Several weeks ago Sherry asked if she could meet with me to talk about baptism and that night we set the date for the 26th. What a thrill to see Joe baptize his mom.

There are a couple of church events happening this week you might want to be aware of.

• Friday night is the Connections Women’s Ministry Recipe Swap from 6-8:00. They ask that you bring one of your favorite dishes and the recipe for them to sample and share.  You are also welcome to bring your favorite cookbook or recipes to share. Please contact Macy Carlson at 812.606.9646 if you have any questions.  (Take note: my address is 563 E. North St) ☺
• On Saturday morning there is an IDES training session from 9-1:00. This seminar is open to all, but is especially focused on the church being prepared for disaster. This is not focused only on an active threat situation, but more on what and how the church needs to be prepared for a natural disaster (like the flood of ’08 or a tornado) and how we can help our community.  There is no charge.

This coming Sunday is what is commonly called Palm Sunday. I’m excited because 1) I get to preach on the cross; and 2) it means there is only one week left until the consummation of why we celebrate this time of the year: Resurrection Sunday. So let me give you some reminders about what is coming:

• Palm Sunday’s sermon is called “It is Finished” and will deal with the questions of what Jesus meant when He said that on the cross.
• Friday, April 7th (Good Friday) the office will be closed.
• Resurrection Sunday. There are some things you should know about that morning.

1. We will be having two services AT OUR BUILDING at 9:00 and 10:45.  We weighed the pros and cons of having one service at Abram Event Venue and although it would be nice to be together for one service, the logistics of music/band, set up/tear down, sound equipment and live streaming can be a real challenge. We decided to keep things simple.
2. It may be crowded that morning so if you are concerned about space, I’d like to suggest you consider attending the first service. Our second service (which will have the children’s classes) at 10:45 will likely be the most attended, so if you are able to come to the first service, we invite you to join us at 9:00.
3. Regarding the children’s programs: The nursery through 6th grade will meet as usual.  I also want to say how much I appreciate the folks who are teaching that week. Their commitment to our youth is admirable and I can’t begin to say how thankful I am for that.
4. Please remember that all monies given that Sunday (unless designated) will go to the missions we support. Our practice has been to take our Resurrection Sunday offering and divide it among the missions we support and bless them with a little extra. This is something we started years ago and God has blessed us tremendously. I’m glad we have leaders (Wayne Akerson, Jeff Carlson, and David Robertson) who still feel strongly about continuing to do that. In next week’s MM I’ll give you the list so you can see the wide range of missions we support.
5. Finally, please be praying for the church that morning. The enemy (Satan) wants nothing better than to disrupt the victory we celebrate. To celebrate Christ’s victory also means we celebrate his (Satan’s) defeat.
6. If you have any questions about that morning please feel free to call the church office.

A reminder about sermons in the month of April.

• April 2- “It is Finished”
• April 9- “Alive!”
• April 16- Will Reed preaching on “Religion”
• April 23- “The Boast of the Cross”
• April 30- Pastor Ryan preaching on “My Emmaus.”

May 7th I will be starting a series on fear and anxiety called Faith Over Fear. 

Have a great rest of the week. I love you all.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #149

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #149.  Thanks so much for letting me into your life in this way.  As a young pastor (which I am no longer) I used to spend hours driving around looking for people to be home so I could visit them. Several things changed that approach and it is no longer feasible or wise to just drive around hoping people will be home.  I am truly grateful you allow me to come into your life during the week through the MM.

Please be in prayer this week for Betsy Breedlove. Betsy is our Educator of the Week and is the Instructional Technology Coordinator for S-OCS schools.

Years ago I made a decision to not complain about the weather. Sun, rain, ice, snow…it is what it is. Since I am not the Creator of it all, I have absolutely no control over what happens (despite what some environmentalists may say). God, the Creator, is the One who is ultimately in charge, so I’ve decided to simply keep my mouth shut and accept what is. (Complaining feeds an ugly attitude). This past week’s weather put that to the test. Can someone please tell me what is going on? ☺  Rain, sun, cold wind, and (ugh) snow flurries? Seriously on that last one? Then I think…it is only March and it is Indiana after all.  Not too much longer…I hope.  Fun fact: I wrote this part of the MM on Sunday morning during some down time. After our church worship service was over, I had someone come up to me and say, “Bill, I’m not supposed to but I’m going to complain about the weather.” Is that not funny? Or at least prophetic on my part? ☺  I’m typing this right now on Sunday afternoon and the sun is shining.  I’m ready, God! Bring it on!

In keeping you informed about the Building Team and our proposed expansion, here are some updates.  We have a virtual meeting in April to discuss ideas with the company we’ve been talking to and just before Spring Break we also talked with someone else who expressed an interest in being in on the process of building our addition.  We are still in the planning stages of design so nothing has been set in stone.  We are still committed to building the addition debt-free and I believe the current state of our economy bears witness to the wisdom of that decision.  While there is probably not a one of us who would not like to meet together in one worship service, we simply cannot and will not take on a huge debt to get things done faster.  I have said this before and will say it again: during the pandemic, many churches had to close or lay off staff or cut programs because of the debt load they had incurred and the lack of giving of the people. We were blessed in several ways. First, we had no debt. Second, you continued to give faithfully, allowing us to keep ministry happening.  We were even able to help some folks during that time.  I feel very blessed to be a part of a church fellowship that seeks God’s heart in all things, especially this: The church is not about buildings but people. I am so thankful for the leadership team I work with at OVCF who shares this vision.  Thanks to Wayne Akerson, Jeff Carlson, David Robertson, Pastor Ryan and the whole building team for their belief in this effort. All that to also remind you: please keep praying for the Building Team as we seek the best route to follow for the building and wait on God to give the green light.

Speaking of the Leadership Team: did you know we spent almost 6 months studying and reworking the Mission and Vision of OVCF? It was presented by Pastor Ryan and me during our Anniversary Sunday in October. I thought I would just take a moment and remind you of our Mission and Vision (since it has been six months since it was presented).

OUR MISSION: Connecting people to Jesus

OUR VISION: (How we want to accomplish that)

• Pursuing Jesus Passionately
• Demonstrating Jesus Visibly
• Revealing Jesus Clearly
• Preparing Disciples to Obey Jesus Faithfully

These are the principles and values that we try to make sure drives our every motive and plan. If you would like to know more, please ask or you can go to our evolving web site (we are in the process of making changes to it a little at a time) and check out who we are and what we are about.

Shameless plug coming: Every day (Monday through Thursday) I write a devotional blog called Living in the Shadow. It is fresh every morning and I write from my heart. You can bookmark it on your computer or you can go to the site and sign up for an email to be sent to you reminding you of a post. You can even feel free to comment if you would like! I promise I won’t bite. ☺ I would be honored if you would consider becoming a regular reader. The address is http://livingintheshadow.ovcf.org.

In last week’s MM I wrote about the change in my preaching schedule. Instead of restarting Revelation on the first week of May, I have sensed the Lord telling me to do a series on fear and anxiety. I have titled it Faith Over Fear. Since that announcement I don’t know how many folks have confirmed that is what is needed.  Frankly, I’m a little worried about it. ☺ I almost feel I’m in over my head, but then God reminds me He is taller than me. I have begun reading several books on the subject. One is I Choose Peace by Chip Ingram. Another is Winning the War on Worry by Louie Giglio. Tami recommended one to me by Louie called Putting an X through Anxiety. In “Winning” Louie writes this: “Worry is so prevalent in our society and throughout our daily lives that it often feels inescapable…Like barnacles on the bottom of a boat, worry has a way of subtly attaching itself to our thoughts. Worry often starts below the waterline, out of sight, out of the forefront of our thoughts. At first it’s just a simple what if…” (p.viii). I know fear and anxiety is a real issue for some. While I “worry” about preaching on a subject like this, I also know that God will be the inspiration for helping folks deal with the anxiety they face. Please pray for me starting NOW! Thanks.

I hope you had a good Spring Break. Have a good rest of the week.  I have it on good authority there are only 42 days of school left as of today. ☺  Remember: I love you.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #148

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #148. I know this is somewhat of a crazy week for some of you so I thank you for taking the time to read this issue.

I said this week is crazy. It is Spring Break week around here and that means “Travel!” I told Jo Saturday evening there would be a lot of folks gone Sunday. I wasn’t wrong. There are a lot of people who get “out of Dodge” whenever the opportunity hits. I expected it but am so grateful for the folks who stay home and make OVCF their destination on Sunday morning. I also had some folks tell me they would be watching the live stream. Several weeks ago I said and will repeat it again: I am so glad we have the live stream. That is just one example of something good coming out of something that was not so good (COVID). Thanks again to everyone involved in making the live stream happen each week.

I have been so appreciative of the men who have taken on the somewhat uncomfortable task (for them) of giving our Communion thought over the past month or so. So far the men who have stepped up and shared their thoughts and hearts have been Bobby Anderson, Robert Herrington, Bruce Davis, Steve Pendleton, Charlie Shipley, Brad Brinson and Joe Pavich. After this past Sunday we are half way through the list of men who have volunteered to give the Communion thought. I will share the rest of them when the current list ends on April 30th. Each one of them have approached it differently and with great feeling. They have shared their thoughts and hearts with us. It is good to see the men step forward. I hope you have taken the time to let them know of your appreciation.

Please be praying for all our students, educators, administrators and staff as they celebrate Spring Break! Every teacher and administrator I have spoken with has been looking forward to having the week off.  To all of you who are part of OVCF: have a safe, relaxing and enjoyable week.

I’ve always said that God has a sense of humor. I might think He is leading me down a certain path and then…oops…change happens. Sometimes my “hearing” is not always the best and sometimes I “hear” Him loud and clear. For several months I have been telling you that I will be taking a break from the series on Revelation for the months of March and April and focus on To and From the Cross. Then beginning in May I would return to Revelation. That was true…until Thursday of this past week. It began as a little blip on my radar and has become a full-blown storm. I simply could not shake this idea, this feeling that I am supposed to go in a different direction in May. As I prayed and thought about it some more, it became a more definite “do this” from God. So I am delaying getting back to the series on Revelation to do a series on fear and anxiety. They seem to be “kissing cousins” and both are running rampant through our society and through some of the lives I come in contact with. At this juncture, my series title will be Faith Over Fear. My main scripture will be Philippians 4. At this point, after this series is done, I will dive back into Revelation. To make it even more challenging is that I have already started planning and working on the Revelation series and have the first four sermons started (Rev. 6-8:13). But when God says, “This is the direction I want you to go in” the last thing I, or anyone wants to do is to go against that directive. We will eventually get back to Revelation…I promise. ☺

In last week’s MM, I mentioned I had another quote to share with you but would save it. It comes from an Alisa Childers podcast I was listening to where she was interviewing Amy Davison who was one day away from becoming a witch in the Wiccan movement. (You have to be actively involved in Wiccan for one year before you can become a witch). One day away and she knew something was not right. She and Alisa were talking about feelings being the driving motivation for so many today. Then she gave this quote which came from a book called Mama Bear Apologetics: “Feelings are a great check engine light but a terrible GPS.”

I’ve preached often about feelings and how they play an important part of our Christian walk…both good and bad. It is good, and it is necessary, to have emotions. After all, happy, sad, laughter, tears, anger, and others are part of our DNA. To deny them is not honesty. An emotionless person is a…well…a sad person. That’s not an emotional sad, but a person devoid of emotion is more like a robot.

On the other hand, some people are way too emotional.  Emotions run their life and often decisions are made that are not always the best.

Neither one is good. Nor is it good to have your emotions run your Christian walk. Do you remember the lyrics to the song “You Light Up My Life” from the 70s (1977 to be exact) sung by Debby Boone?  Part of the lyrics were “It can’t be wrong; it feels so right.”  Put that in scenarios. “It can’t be wrong to have this illicit relationship because it feels so right.” “It can’t be wrong to take this drug because it makes me feel so good.”

Feelings can be, and mostly are, deceptive. Subjectivism is dangerous. People who rely on the “reality” of subjectivism forget the objectivism of faith. The truth of the Bible takes a back seat to our feelings. “Hell can’t be real because God is love and wouldn’t condemn anyone,” for example. “Surely this relationship can’t be wrong since it makes me feel good and God would not want anything less for me.” Truth takes a back seat.

Don’t allow subjective feelings to override the truth of God’s Word. Feelings are good, a must to have. But to be directed and led by them is dangerous. Feelings will lead us down the wrong path; only truth will set us free.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #147

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #147. It is so good to have this chance to visit with you and to share a few things which are on my heart. Thanks for allowing me into your life in this way.

Please remember to pray for our School Resource Officers Daniel “Opie” Rhinehart and Bill Browne. They do a tremendous job with our students talking with them, reading to them, and also feeding them donuts (which just happened to be the same day I went to the school to read to the K classes). Yeah, let’s talk about the effects of sugary donuts and chocolate milk on children. ☺  Pray for their wisdom and safety throughout the week.

HERE IS AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR YOU TO REMEMBER!! Make sure you set your clocks ahead this coming Saturday night. Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday the 12th.  It’s a good thing that is the start of Spring Break for S-OCS schools. I can see a lot of students trying to catch up on that hour of sleep they lost. But I know no one would ever use that as an excuse for falling asleep in church Sunday morning or failing to watch the live stream. ☺ ☺

I very seldom give a recommendation for a movie. Not only am I pretty much unable to do that because of not going, but there isn’t a whole lot out there I would put my stamp of approval on. But I’m going to break my tradition here and recommend you see one this weekend. This past Saturday afternoon Jo and I went with some friends to see Jesus Revolution at the Tivoli. I also know some of our folks went Saturday night. Since I was born in 1952, I am unashamedly a child of the ‘60s.  I was especially influenced by the music (I still like that music also). Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was not heavily influenced by the dress (bell bottoms I did wear) but not much else drew me. (Have you noticed though recently what goes around comes back around? I see some of our teens wearing bell bottom jeans! Talk about feeling old!). Anyway, during the ‘60s a movement took place in southern California then spread across the country. It was called the Jesus Movement. Chuck Smith was the pastor of Calvary Chapel, an old, dying church made up mostly of a few old people. He was challenged to open his church to hippies who wore dirty clothes, no shoes, some seldom took baths, had long hair and were very often strung out. His open door policy led to the beginning of the Jesus Movement and many of those hippies having a life changing experience with Jesus. One was a musician named Chuck Girard, a founder of the first Christian “rock” band, Love Song. (He is the father of author, Alisa Childers, whom you have head me mention before). Another one was a man named Greg Laurie. Greg was raised by an alcoholic mother. He eventually gave his life to Christ and in less than two years was preaching at a start-up church in Riverside, CA.  I have always respected Pastor Greg because even though he is the pastor of a megachurch and holds crusades like his hero/mentor, Billy Graham, he has always been down-to-earth in his approach to ministry. I have seven of his books, one of which is his life story, Jesus Revolution. Long story short (sorry I went on so long), you will not be disappointed seeing the movie. I laughed at the humorous parts, especially when an old man in the church defied walking out and went across the aisle and sat with the hippies and said, “Let’s hear it, Pastor Chuck.” I will admit tears flowed when I saw young and old come to Jesus and go down to Pirates Cove to be immersed. Tears welled up when I was challenged by the presentation of the simple but powerful truth that gripped Pastor Chuck Smith and Pastor Greg (and Cathe, his future wife). When his daughter sat down with him and told him how proud she was of him for opening the door to the hippies I about lost it (as I am right now as I type this). The movie depicts flawed people who were still used by Jesus to influence a generation. It is playing this weekend at the Tivoli. I honestly do not believe you will be disappointed that you went.

This past Sunday when I stood up to preach in the second service I was blown away. I made reference to the Jesus Revolution movie and how Pastor Chuck stood up to preach and was overwhelmed by the number of hippies who had come to hear him preach. I felt that way Sunday. So many new faces! I was humbled, scared, and would have probably cried if given a chance. WOW! You guys have done some inviting and that leaves me speechless. (I can hear the peanut gallery comments now). Someone once described evangelism as “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” I saw folks who came as a result of your invitation and that is exciting. YOU DONE GOOD! ☺

One more Jesus Revolution comment: Pastor Greg Laurie lost his son on July 25, 2008 unexpectedly in a car accident. It rocked his world…not shattered it…but rocked it good. Pastor Ryan was telling us in staff meeting a last week that he saw an interview between him and Pastor Chuck Smith. Smith knew he was dying from cancer but he said something to Greg that when Ryan shared it I had to write it down. Here it is: “Don’t ever trade what you do know for what you don’t know.” Never trade what you know about God for what you don’t know. It is common to question God’s goodness when tough times come, but don’t ever allow those doubts to override the surety of God’s faithfulness.

I have another saying I heard this week on a podcast but I’ll save it for another day.

We are about a month away from Resurrection Sunday. Please remember that we will have two services that day at the normal time: 9:00 and 10:45 A.M.  It is always a good day to invite friends and family. Also, all the offering will go to missions we support unless designated otherwise. More information to come!

I pray the rest of the week will be a good one and I hope that knowing I love you makes that week go a little bit better.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #146

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #146. I’m inching closer to that 150 mark. It is hard to believe I have been at the MM that long and I have had my trusty editor-in-chief (Diana) keep me in line as to what I write. She deserves a ton of credit for the MM being as “sane” as it is. And as I say it almost every week: thanks for taking the time to read this.

At staff meeting two Mondays ago, Pastor Ryan (Ryan from here on) talked about how he was still working through the mountain of cards he received for his 10th anniversary in the ministry. He said he wanted to include something in the bulletin and I invited him to say something here in the MM. So the following are his words:

On Sunday February 5th my mind and heart were blown (in the very best way!) as I was surprised by so many loved ones! What I thought was going to be a surprise for my wife turned out to be a moving expression and gesture of love from you all to me on the 10th anniversary of my ordination into ministry. I was shell-shocked, dumb-founded… and completely moved in my spirit. I felt so loved (and a little sheepish with all that attention on me – LOL!). I’m STILL, two weeks later, opening cards and reading your kind words. Thank you for heaping up so much love on me, and all the East crew.

You, our church family here at OVCF, truly make “going to work” each day a joy. I cherish your friendship and your partnership. I love to laugh with, worship alongside and run to Jesus with you. I don’t think I could ever quantify or express my gratitude for you and the encouragement you’ve always given me. Suffice it to say: It’s immense ☺ Let’s keep pursing his kingdom and his righteousness together! May we join with the Spirit in Christ’s mission for Owen County.

I had a friend comment to me how cool it was what you all did for Ryan. He was watching the live stream and was totally blown away by your acts of kindness for him. The video was especially touching for him to hear the young people say, “Thanks.” He even took the time to text Ryan himself and put in his .02 worth. As I said in the video, and have said it many times from the pulpit and in person to many of you, hiring Ryan is the best thing we have done. Historically, we were coming out of the financial hurt we had experienced and had just remodeled our building. Ryan (and Hope) are a great team and I am honored to be working alongside him; to call him my brother-in-arms; to know of his integrity and work ethic; and to know he loves your children and the youth of this church.

Please remember to pray for Mandy Bowman this week. Mandy is the Director of Student Services for S-OCS.

It was good to have Ryan and Mala Croft with us this past Sunday. They are the Directors of Hilltop Christian Camp. We make every effort to send our young people to camp by offering camp scholarships. Scholarships pay half of camp tuition fees, but you must fill out a scholarship form and use the church’s scholarship code when you register. We do not want cost to prevent anyone from attending camp! For more information, please see Pastor Ryan or Diana.

This past Sunday was the last sermon in the first part of the Revelation series. For the months of March and April I am taking a different path. With Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday in April I thought it would be good to take a trip to the cross. So I have entitled my series for those months To and From the Cross. Here is a list of the upcoming sermons for those two months (as promised in last week’s MM):

• March 5- “Don’t Forget to Remember”- Mt. 26:17-30
• March 12- “The Sting of Failure”- Mt. 26:69-75
• March 19- “Insults and Paradise”- Lk. 23:26-43
• March 26- “From Darkness to Light”- Mark 15:33-39
• April 2- “It is Finished”- John 19:28-37
• April 9- “Alive!”- John 11:25-26
• April 16- “Religion”- Will Reed Preaching
• April 23- “The Boast of the Cross”- Gal. 6:14-18
• April 30- “Your Emmaus”- Pastor Ryan preaching

The plan right now is to start back with Revelation 6 the first week of May. I’m also working on a couple other possible series to break up the Revelation series (so we don’t get overwhelmed). I’m tossing around one called “Make Fruit Great Again” (Gal.5:22-26 aka The Fruit of the Spirit) and one on the Model Prayer (Matthew 6:5-15).  Those will take us at least to the end of the summer, maybe into the fall. I honestly do not know how long the Revelation series will last. I don’t want to get us bogged down in minutia, nor do I want to get into the “prediction game” of the signs of the times so often prevalent in a series on Revelation. I want us to see it for what it is: The Lamb Wins!  I would deeply appreciate your prayers as I continue developing and working on these sermons.

Thanks again for your time. Enjoy each day. Live the adventure. And remember: I love you.

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #145

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #145. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to read this edition of the MM.

Please remember to pray for our Educator of the Week, Brady Tragesser. He is the Special Education Director at S-OCS.  While I’m at it, let me remind you to pray for all our administrators and teachers. This is a stressful time for all of them. I’m sure they are looking forward to Spring Break which will be coming in a few weeks.

I asked you in the last MM to pray for the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. The last number I heard was over 43k people have lost their lives, but as recently as Friday they were finding people still alive.  I had a friend who read the prayer request and the article which was attached in the link I included and he sent me some figures which were eye-opening. “The expected death toll from the earthquake is the size of the total population of Elkhart and 25 times more than Spencer.” It is hard to put that into perspective when we live in a small town but maybe that would help. I did receive a nice thank you from Valarie for asking you to pray and she was going to let her friends in Turkey know we are praying for them. The impact of our prayers will be felt all over the world.

Please keep in mind the diaper drive for New Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center. The last “official” day will be Sunday, February 26th. That does not mean they or we won’t take the donations after that date. I had someone ask about ordering them and then having them delivered to the church address. That works also. That is an option for you if you are one of those folks who hate shopping. NB does a good work for folks of all ages, color, ethnicity and need. Please consider helping. They have given us a list of specific needs:

• Baby wipes
• Diapers, size 3 and up. Pampers and Huggies brands are especially needed due to skin sensitivities.
• Pull-ups, ALL sizes needed.

Thanks ahead of time for being willing to help.

This coming Sunday is a big day for us! Ryan and Mala Croft will be here to present a short update on Hilltop Christian Camp in both services. After their presentation in the second service, they will making a further presentation to the young people about camp and conclude with a special treat. I’m sure most of you know it, but our very own Youth Pastor, Ryan East, is dean of two weeks. He does the Junior High Wilderness and Senior High Wilderness weeks at camp. He gets a lot of help from his wife, Hope, as well as several other adults from OVCF. If your teens love camping and “roughing it,” then they will want to know more about the Wilderness Weeks with Pastor Ryan. All that to say we hope to have a number of young people become interested in attending Hilltop this summer. The church helps each camper with at least ½ of their fee (there is a scholarship form to fill out). Please talk to Pastor Ryan or Diana to see how the church can help, and to obtain the scholarship code! ☺

I don’t know if you were here or listened online Sunday but I preached from Revelation 5. One of the responses to “the Lamb standing, as though it had been slain” was done by the four living creatures and 24 elders who were falling down (similar to bowing) and singing. This past week I read the following devotional I’d like to share with you. It is by Marvin Williams in Loving God Loving Others published by Our Daily Bread-(p.37):

The ancient Greeks and Romans rejected kneeling as a part of their worship. They said kneeling was unworthy of a free man-unsuitable for the culture of Greek and appropriate only for barbarians. Some scholars regarded it as an expression of superstition. Aristotle called it a barbaric form of behavior. This belief, however, was never held by God’s people.

In Psalm 95:6, the psalmist indicated that kneeling expressed a deep reverence for God. In this verse he used three different Hebrew words to express what the attitude and position of the worshiper should be.

First, he used the word bow. This means to sink down to one’s knees, giving respect to the Lord. The second word he used was worship, which means to fall prostrate as a sign of honor to the Lord, with an associated meaning of allegiance to Him. The psalmist then used the word kneel, which means to be on one’s knees giving praise to God.

According to the psalmist, kneeling in God’s presence is a sign of reverence rather than a barbaric form of behavior. The important thing, however, is not just our physical position but also a humble posture of the heart.

He finishes with this: our attitude in worship matters far more than the position of our worship. (some editing was done to shorten it)

I know the Scripture from the past two weeks and again this coming week has dealt with worship, but it should make us wonder why. I think it is because we have taken worship so much for granted that we need to be reminded of its importance. Anyway, I hope this prepares you for Sunday. And remember the challenge I gave: please read chapter 5 and pay particular attention to the three hymns found in verses 9-13.  Pray for the Scripture to speak to you this week.

This coming week is the last of the first part of the series on Revelation. I’m going to take a two-month break and focus a series on To and From the Cross. The first Sunday of May I will be back at Revelation 6 (and that is when it will get…”interesting”). In next week’s MM I will give you the sermon titles for the months of March and April.

Have a great rest of the week! I love you all!

Pastor Bill

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #144

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #144. I’m not sure where and when I heard it this past week, but someone expressed my thoughts to a “T.”  They said they hoped the groundhog was wrong. After the mild, but windy weather this past week (I consider it mild as long as no white stuff is falling from the sky), I’m most inclined to agree. I hope you were able to stay earthbound. ☺

Please remember to pray for Jeanna Srinivasan as our Educator of the Week. She homeschools her daughter and son, as well as being involved with teaching in the homeschool co-op her family belongs to.

I began writing this on Sunday so by the time you read this it will be old news. I’m going to make a prediction about the Super Bowl. I predict either the Chiefs or Eagles will win.  I’m so wise it scares me. One good thing has taken place in the NFL. Since the tragic incident with Damar Hamlin (collapsing on the field), there has been a renewed interest in God and prayer, especially among the NFL. For now, the “woke” NFL has become a sport where God has, in many ways, come front and center. Both SB quarterbacks (Mahomes and Hurts) are godly men who wear their faith very prominently. There have been other players who have spoken up about the importance God plays in their life and in their game. Brock Purdy, the last player chosen in the NFL draft last year and given the nickname “Mr. Irrelevant,” is very outspoken about his faith, even after his rise to prominence to being a vital part of the 49ers offense. And Damar Hamlin is not wasting his brush with death by staying silent about his faith.  It is easy to be skeptical about all of this, but I say, I don’t care where it starts, I will only say our country needs a revival. And in case you were born under a rock: the Chiefs won. Now for baseball!!!

I received a really nice card this past week from one of the couples who attends OVCF. They were really grateful for the live streaming of the service which allows them to keep up with the sermons and what is happening at home. I say that to encourage all those who are involved in the live stream week in and week out. Who knew that when COVID hit, and we would have to start live streaming our services that it would continue to be such a vital part of our outreach. Each week we have people who watch our live stream-some local and some not. I am so glad there were some who had the foresight to start the live stream and then make it possible for us to upgrade our equipment. Here is what I’d like to ask. If you receive this MM and watch the live stream, would you mind taking a moment and email me at pastor@ovcf.org and tell me how it has impacted you? I’m not looking for accolades; I’m looking for words of encouragement to pass along.

On another subject: some of you may be wondering what is happening with the plans for building expansion. I looked back through past issues of the MM and found that last time anything was said was MM#126. So I thought I would bring you an update:

• After several months waiting for one company to get back to us (who had been recommended to us) I contacted another company. They never returned a phone call so at the advice of Jeff Carlson, one of our elders, we contacted Morton Builders. The rep called me back within an hour or so and we have been working with them on our project.
• We have been receiving pretty solid communication with our rep but we have asked him for more information on a suggestion their design build team made. There was a significant cost difference in the original design we gave them and an additional option they gave. We have asked and are waiting for more info on that suggestion. With the economy the way it is right now, we are going to take it slow and follow God’s leading in it (which we should do anyway). We don’t plan to get ahead of Him and then regret it. As soon as we hear something, and the Building Team has gone over the plans, we will make sure you know.

This past Sunday Robert Herrington gave our Communion Mediation. Robert leaves Tuesday for Fort Benning, GA for active duty. I am grateful he was willing to help out while he was here and now I pray God will use him even more in his new assignment. I’m sure he would appreciate your prayers. I’m positive his mom and dad (Scott and Heather) would deeply appreciate your prayers for him. You know…each week we pray for our Military and Law Enforcement Officers, and it would be easy for it to be something we just check off our list. Following the Educator of the Week list, we will be asking you to pray for each one of our Military and LEOs each week. They deserve better than they get and the good ones we have here should garner our respect. Very soon we will be asking you to pray for them.

One more thing: I think all or most of us are aware of the earthquake that hit Turkey/Syria. It is easy to say, “Well, that is another part of the world”, and while that may be true, that does not leave out the fact that they expect over 53,000 people to lose their lives. I received a text from one of our people on Sunday night-Valarie Akerson. Valarie is a professor at IU and texted: “I have so many former students and colleagues in Turkey affected by the earthquake. Please include them in your prayers.” Further texting back and forth revealed that some were here as students who moved back after graduating. Some are professors in Turkey now. As far as she knows no one who was a former student has lost their life. I told her I would pray; the church would pray; and that I would include it in my MM.  Monday morning I found the following article I would like to ask you to take time to read:

Valentine’s Day is a day to tell those you care about that you love them. So even though I am a day late, I will tell you: I love you.

Pastor Bill