Posts from July 2025
It’s Personal
Last week I had the opportunity to view Leonardo Da Vinci painting of the Last Supper. It was beautiful and inspiring. It’s interesting to think of the pervasiveness of Christianity so many years ago. As we toured Europe’s County side, every city had a Cathedral, and every village a Church, and many farms in places like the Black Forest had a chapel. Christianity was the norm, and everyone went to church. Now most Cathedrals are mainly known as tourist attractions,…
Experience Joy
“May the god of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, that you may overflow with Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 As our Youth Group and I prepare for camp this week, I have been thinking about this year’s theme: Experience Joy. Joy is a hard topic. When we don’t truly understand it, we think that it means we must be happy all the time, that we…
Beyond Hatred: A Christian Call to Love
Think about powerful moments in history that shaped generations. For some, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s words on December 8, 1941, declaring the attack on Pearl Harbor “a date which will live in infamy,” still bring strong emotions. For others, it’s the raw feeling of President George W. Bush’s speech after the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001: “our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts.”…
SFNAZ Newsletter – July 2025
Click Here to view the Pastor Wes’ devotional! SFNAZ ANNOUNCEMENTS SFNAZ FELLOWSHIP HOUR | Sundays through the summer 9:30a You spoke…we listened. As a result of the Summer Sunday Learning and Growth Survey, the majority of the responses wanted to have a fellowship hour during the summer. We invite you to come, enjoy a drink or a treat from the café and fellowship. Pastor Doug’s class will still be available through August in the library at 9:30am. There will be…
All Things are Possible for Those Who Believe
You’ve heard it and so have I; it sounds like a truth statement that comes right out of the Bible. Guess what? It’s not in there. Does that mean it’s not true? It sounds a lot like the Scriptural statement, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13) These two truth statements are not the same. I can believe something that is not true. If I trust the untrustworthy, the power which I am searching for…
The Notion of Independence
Eccl. 4:9-12 This week we celebrate Independence Day, remembering the birth of our nation almost 250 years ago. It is a day worth remembering as we began the hard work of separating ourselves from a tyrannic ruler and his country. We set in stone the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness as the cornerstones of American identity. We also recently celebrated Juneteenth, a holiday that remembers the day when slaves in Texas found out that they were…