Fall Creek Christian Church

  "And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel."  II Samuel 5 I took a moment to watch as the high school students were pouring out their hearts into their labor. Some were scraping the old shingles off the roof. Others were hauling mountains of trash out of the backyard. It took four days for nearly thirty of us to clean up the yard and reroof the house of a young man's family in my friend's ministry. It was exhausting and exhilarating. Blessed are those living for others.  King David watched, waited and trusted in the Lord all the way to his ascent to the throne. It was not easy living on the run, hiding, and even pretending to be an enemy of his own people. The Lord removed King Saul in his time and gave David the keys to the kingdom. Once foreign kings began to send him gifts, he knew he was established and why, "for the sake of his (God's) people Israel." ...

"He told him, 'Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam' (Siloam means: sent). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!"  John 9:1-41   I wish I were better at running errands. I've certainly improved over the years, but I still have plenty of room to grow. My wife will ask me to stop at a few different places for very specific items at each one and then drop something at so and so's house on the way home. It's not brain surgery, but I still miss something from time to time. I want to improve because I want her trust in me to grow.     Being "sent" is a common theme throughout the pages of the Bible. In our story for today, Jesus tells a man blind from birth to wash the mud off his eyes in the pool of Siloam. He obeys and is healed. Shocked, those who knew him took him to the religious leaders where he gave an incredibly bold witness to what Jesus had done. He was faithful to that which he was sent to do.    Jesus' great commission to h...

"Then they offered peace offerings to the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites were filled with joy....But now your (Saul's) kingdom must end..." I Samuel 11, 13:7-14 I don't really mind assembling furniture. It takes a little time, but it feels good when it's all done. There are times, however, when an assembly starts well with all the pieces accounted for and the bags of screws and bolts are all neatly labeled. The pieces are all there. Step 1 is smooth sailing. Then it happens. 5 steps later, the whole project is upside down and inside out. Somehow, somewhere the assembly didn't line up with the instructions. I'm left with no choice but to disassemble the whole mess and start all over. Strong start. Weak finish.   This phenomenon is not limited to furniture assembly. It's actually an unfortunately common reality in many Bible stories including King Saul. He had it all together when the starting gun sounded -- obedience, faith, courage and a genuine...

"He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." John 3:22 - 4:3 Few things warp a person's perspective like a crowd. We've all witnessed the crash and burn of those who in some way or another have amassed a crowd and weren't able to keep grounded. We've seen many desperately try to keep their name in lights finding the spotlight absolutely irresistible. In all spheres of life, the crowd pulls and the person splinters. From movie stars to politicians to athletes to church leaders to business leaders, the siren song of applause has led many to shipwreck.  John the Baptist had people around him who were struggling with the love of crowds, but John himself did not. How was that possible? How did he slip off center stage and rejoice that it was happening? In a word, perspective. John knew who he was. John knew who Jesus was. He was the warm up band and praised God for the privilege. God gives to each as he sees fit. True joy and fulfillme...