We Have Everything We Need

Posted on July 6, 2024 by pastorpstephens

This week in chapel we looked at a passage from 2 Peter 1:3-4. It is a wonderful passage which speaks to the fact that God, through His divine power, has given us everything we need for godly living. I love that passage. Because of our saving relationship with Jesus Christ, we have everything we need to be able to live a life that honors God and points others to the grace, mercy, and salvation that Jesus offers. The Lord promises to supply us with wisdom, strength, comfort, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, self-control, and any other resource we may need as we seek to love God and love others.

As we talked about all that God offers us, we also acknowledged that we don’t always take advantage of the marvelous resources which are available to us. I can relate to that. I shared with the group that in the past couple of months, I got caught in the rain and got soaking wet while walking around campus. It happened not once, not twice, but three times. Three times I got caught in the rain. And on each of those occasions, I had seen the rain clouds, I knew the forecast, and yet I still walked out the door without taking my umbrella.

I said all that to say this. Don’t neglect all that God so freely offers us in Christ. You know the forecast – in this world you will encounter storms and struggles, you will encounter trials and tribulations. So don’t walk out the door without availing yourself of the Lord’s grace, strength, wisdom, or any of the other wonderful resources He so freely provides.

Posted in faith, God will help you, godly living, Hope in Christ, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Memorial Day Reflection 2024

Posted on May 25, 2024 by pastorpstephens

On this Memorial Day weekend, it is a good time to reflect on the reason for this holiday. Memorial Day is observed each year on the last Monday of May. It provides us with an opportunity to honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings, having picnics and cookouts, and participating in parades. I am afraid that sometimes we get so busy enjoying our time off that we forget the reason for this particular holiday. Here is a poem I wrote a few years ago as I reflected on the brave men and women whom we honor on Memorial Day.

“21 Gun Salute”

You got a 21 gun salute from rifles
Pointed at the sky,
Taps cut through the silence,
As we came to tell you goodbye.

Now your flag is already folded,
Flowers placed on your grave,
I wish I knew how to thank you,
For the sacrifice you gave.

You loved your life dearly,
But you loved your country more.
You chose to serve her and defend her,
In peacetime and in war.

And I don’t think you knew the price,
That you would have to pay.
But I know it wouldn’t have changed your mind,
Or the oath you took that day.

It seems like there would be more,
That we could do or say,
For ones who gave their lives
To protect the freedoms we have today.

But for now I’ll just say thank you,
You gave all that you could give.
You laid down your life and fought,
So that we can freely live.

And you got a 21 gun salute from rifles
Pointed at the sky,
Taps cut through the silence
As we came to tell you goodbye.

Now your flag is already folded,
Flowers placed on your grave.
And I am deeply grateful,
For the sacrifice you gave.

I hope you have a good weekend and that you are able to enjoy some time with friends and family. I hope that you will take some time to give thanks for the sacrifice of the brave men and women we honor on Memorial Day. May God bless you and the families of those who gave their life in the service of our country.

Posted in Bless those who protect and serve, Christianity, freedom, inspirational, Memorial Day | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

I See You

Posted on May 18, 2024 by pastorpstephens

One of my favorite games to play with the grandkids is Hide and Seek. Several years ago, our granddaughters Avery and Haley had their mom bring them to our house just to play that game. Avery, who was 8 years old at the time told me, “Papa, we are ready to play Hide and Seek. And this time we aren’t going to fall for any of your tricks.” Her little sister Haley who was 6 chimed in, “Yeah, none of your tricks work!”

They were referring to times when we have played and I have made the bed and used the blanket to cover pillows so that it looks like I am hiding under there. One time, I even put shoes sticking out of the end of the blanket just to really sell it. The first time I did that trick, Avery ran over to the bed shouting, “I see your shoes!” She pulled the blanket off the bed only to find a pair of shoes and several pillows. I was watching from the closet, and I laughed so loud she found me right away. One time when Avery was just 4 years old, she got on our bed and covered herself with pillows. She thought that nobody saw her. And the truth is, I might not have seen her if her feet weren’t sticking out from under the pillows.

As I was thinking of that the other day, I was reminded that many people have experienced times when they thought that no one saw them. They have felt like they were hidden and that anyone who might pass by would never even notice them. And the sad truth is, many people have experienced times when they were hurting or struggling and someone walked by and looked the other way. And while it is fun to feel “hidden” and “unseen” while you’re playing Hide and Seek, it is not so much fun at other times. That is one reason that Psalm 139 resonates so well within my soul. David speaks of God’s love for him and writes:

Psalm 139:7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

David shares some wonderful truths in this psalm. God always knows where we are. He always knows how we feel. He knows what we are going through. We are never hidden from Him. I find that thought comforting because wherever I am, however I may feel, I only need to reach out to Him and His right hand will hold me fast (Psalm 139:10). I hope you know that is a promise for you as well, wherever you may be, and however you may be feeling today.  May the Lord bless you, strengthen you, and give you peace.

Until next time, stay strong in the faith.

Posted in faith, Faith during hard times, God's Peace, grandchildren, psalm 139:7, religion | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

If You Only Knew

Posted on May 11, 2024 by pastorpstephens

This morning, I was going through an old folder of songs and poems that I have written over the years. I ran across one from a few years ago and made a few slight revisions.

If You Only Knew

How would you live if you only knew,
The depths of the love God has for you?
Would you start each day wearing a smile?
Would you push through each challenge and go the next mile?
Would you reflect God’s love in all that you do?
How would you live if you only knew?

How would you live if you only knew,
The depth of the grace God has shown to you?
Would you treat everyone you meet with the same kindness and grace?
Would you do your part to bring a smile to everyone’s face?
Would you share the grace that’s been shared with you?
How would you live if you only knew?

How would you live if you only knew,
The depths of the mercy that God offers you?
Would you start each day grateful for the gift of God’s Son?
Would you go into each battle knowing the victory is won?
Would you do things differently than the way that you do?
How would you live if you only knew?

I hope you have a blessed day. I hope that it is a day in which you are able to reflect upon and embrace the love, the grace, and the mercy that God offers to you.  Until next time stay strong in the faith.

Posted in Christianity, Count Your Blessings, God loves you, God will lead you, God's Grace, God's Love, God's Mercy, Poem, poetry | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ready Fire Aim

Posted on April 27, 2024 by pastorpstephens


“Ready. Fire. Aim.”  Those three words are some of the best advice my dad ever gave me.  Typically, that phrase was uttered at some point in a Little League baseball game after I struck out.  My dad was big on reminding me that many times in a game, things are not going to go as we have planned.  In the aftermath of striking out, my dad would encourage me not to become frustrated by what just happened but rather, to see what I could learn from what just happened.  Was I slow in shifting my weight?  Was I too far up or too far back in the batter’s box?  What can I learn that will impact my next attempt at bat?  Ready.  Fire.  Aim.

I have found that piece of advice to be helpful not only in sporting events, but to be helpful in life in general.  When something does not go as planned, we can allow ourselves to be frustrated or educated by what just happened.  And when we choose to learn, when we choose to positively reflect on what has just happened, we are in a better position to influence what happens next.

Posted in can't go on, chaplaincy, Do not dwell on the past, Do Your Best, Don't stop, inspirational | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Pray for Me

Posted on March 2, 2024 by pastorpstephens

I was chatting with someone in a parking lot the other day, just exchanging pleasantries about the weather. As we wrapped up our casual conversation, I asked them if I could pray for them. This person replied, “No, that’s not necessary. I’m doing okay.” Somebody who was walking by at the time, stopped, and said, “You can pray for me. I’m doing okay today too, but you never know what’s waiting around the corner!” The person I asked initially then said, “They’re right. Count me in!” So, we had a little prayer meeting right there in the parking lot.

After they both left, another person who heard our prayer came up to me and said, “Thank you for reminding me about the importance and the power of prayer.” This person then went on to share a testimony of a difficult and tragic time they had experienced years ago. They said, “I was in a dark and discouraging place until an old friend called me out of the blue just to say hello and let me know that they had been praying for me. I asked them to keep on praying, and I know they did!” They went on to say how encouraging it was just knowing that someone was praying for them. It strengthened them in the midst of a difficult time and helped them press on.  It was a beautiful and touching testimony. No wonder we are instructed throughout God’s word to pray for one another and encourage one another. It truly makes a difference. I like the exhortation about prayer found in Colossians 4:2

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving…

I hope that you have a great week.   I pray that you and the people you love will experience  God’s peace, grace, mercy, and strength every single day. I pray that you will know how much He loves you.

Until next time, stay strong in the faith.

Posted in Christianity, Colossians 4:2, Don't give up, Draw close to God, faith, Faith during hard times, God loves you, God will help you, prayer, Praying for Others | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Walking in Unity

Posted on February 16, 2024 by pastorpstephens

This week I am preaching on the last part of the High Priestly Prayer in John 17; the part in which Jesus prays for you and me. I am always amazed that on the night that He would be betrayed, beaten, and abandoned by those closest to Him, Jesus prayed for me. As Jesus closes His prayer for everyone throughout the ages who will come to know Him as Lord, He prays that we will walk in the unity of His love. As David said in Psalm 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” As I was reflecting this week on what a blessing it is to walk in unity with other believers, I was reminded of a very special occasion. Last fall when Marta and I visited Italy, we saw a lot of beautiful and historical sites. We saw paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and beautiful chapels which glorified the Lord. It was overwhelming in many ways.

And as beautiful as everything was, my favorite memory was a visit to Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice. What made that experience the most memorable was not the golden décor and exquisite paintings. The most special moment in the whole trip for me was one I spent in front of a simple wooden table adorned with prayer candles. Although I don’t light candles when I pray, I stopped at that table to pray. Several others also stopped. People from different countries, people who spoke other languages, and people from backgrounds totally different than mine stood alongside of me, and we lifted up our petitions, supplications, and prayers to our Father in heaven. The presence of the Lord was heavy in that place. As we stood there and prayed our separate prayers, I experienced a unity of Spirit that was strong and right and good. I still get a lump in my throat and goose bumps on my arms just reminiscing about it. As I prepare for my sermon this week, I pray that the church will honor the prayer of Christ that we find in John chapter 17. I pray that we would preserve the unity of the Spirit as we walk in His love, in His truth, and in His grace.

Posted in Christianity, Church, Draw close to God, Encouraging words, family, John 17:20-21, Psalm 133:1, walk in unity | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Reason to Rejoice

Posted on February 9, 2024 by pastorpstephens


This week in chapel, we talked about a passage of scripture from Philippians chapter 4. Paul is writing to the church and he gives Christians a couple of very important exhortations, “Rejoice always… and don’t worry.” I find it interesting that Paul is writing these verses from prison. Paul has been beaten, persecuted, and placed in prison for the sake of the gospel. Yet, despite his circumstances, Paul is content and joyful. He is not overwhelmed with anxiety and worry. Paul knows he is in the hands of the Lord and Paul knows he can do all things through Christ, who strengthens him. That includes living with an attitude of joy, and not being consumed by worry – even during difficult times.

In this chapter, Paul not only gives us these exhortations, he also provides instruction on how to live a life of joy and not be overwhelmed with worry, no matter what situation or circumstance we may find ourselves in. We are to pray. We are to talk to the Lord about what we are experiencing, what we are feeling, and what we are thinking. And certainly, God already knows all those things; we aren’t bringing Him any new information. But by going to Him with our prayers and supplications, we are reminded of His sovereignty. We are reminded that He is able to comfort us, strengthen us, lead us, and guide us in every situation and circumstance. By going to the Lord in prayer, we are able to make an exchange. As we place our problems in His hands, He places His peace in our hearts. And that my friend, is a wonderful reason to rejoice.

Posted in A prayer for Peace, can't go on, Don't give up, faith, God Answers Prayer, God's Peace, God's Strength, Philippians 4:4, prayer | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Right Perspective

Posted on January 19, 2024 by pastorpstephens


This week in our chapel group we talked about dealing with the stresses and struggles that we all encounter in life. Our discussion centered around Bible passages that people find helpful during such times. Whenever I have stressful times or talk with someone who is in the midst of a storm, I like to read the psalms. This week, I kept meditating on verse one of Psalm 123:1. The psalmist writes:

Psalm 123:1 To You I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens!

This psalm is one of the psalms which is called a “Song of Ascents.” It is a song which was written to be sung by God’s faithful as they journeyed to the temple in Jerusalem to worship the Lord at one of the appointed feast times. The song was meant to help people prepare their hearts and their minds for worship by having the right perspective. “To You, I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens!”

I love this verse because it reminds me of our need to maintain a right and healthy perspective. Too often as we journey through life, we can become overwhelmed by stressful situations and difficult circumstances. During such times, it can be far too easy to allow our situations and circumstances to command all of our focus, attention, and energy in an unhealthy way and cause us to lose a proper perspective. And certainly, some things are urgent and should command our attention, but we should never let our circumstance cause us to take our eyes off of our Savior. This verse, and others like it, always remind me of the importance of having the right perspective, and looking to the Lord no matter what situation or circumstance we may find ourselves in.

I pray that this week, you (and me!) will keep our eyes on the Lord – despite any circumstance or situation that might tempt us to lose the proper perspective.

Posted in Christianity, Count Your Blessings, Don't give up, Draw close to God, Faith during hard times, the right perspective | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Looking to Serve

Posted on January 6, 2024 by pastorpstephens


This week I was honored to speak at a memorial service for a faithful member of our church who passed at the age of 99 years old named Alice. Alice was saved at age 14 and from that point forward, she always looked for ways to honor the Lord and serve Him in  some form or capacity. She served as a teacher, a missionary, and helped with many things over the years. A few years ago, while Alice was still able to attend church, she made coffee and folded bulletins for the service. Alice liked her coffee strong. Her recipe involved at least 6 – 8 scoops of coffee. People did not fall asleep during my sermons when Alice made the coffee!

I got to church extra early one Sunday and since I was early, I went ahead and folded the bulletins. When Alice arrived, she was genuinely disappointed that the bulletins were already folded. I told her, “It’s okay, I did them for you.” Alice then firmly but gracefully told me, “Pastor, I cannot do everything I used to do. I cannot see well enough to read the lesson so, I can’t teach, and I feel too weak to sing. But I can still pray, make coffee, and fold bulletins. Please do not hinder me in my service. When you do, you rob me of a blessing.” Oh, what a wonderful lady, what a wonderful perspective! All of us have the capacity to serve in God’s kingdom and glorify Him in some way. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10

1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

All of us have the capacity to serve. And we need to recognize that sometimes, our capacity to serve changes with time. But just because we cannot do what we used to do, does not mean that we cannot do anything. Find out what you can do and get busy. Make some strong coffee! Fold some bulletins! And whatever you do, do it for the glory of God! Honor the Lord, serve Him to best of your ability, whatever that ability is, and do not let anybody rob you of that blessing. I grateful for the lesson of loving service  I learned from Alice over the years. May the Lord strengthen and comfort her family. And may we all learn from her example.

Posted in 1 Peter 4:10, Abundant life, Christianity, faith, God has a plan for you, ministry work, religion | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment