Category: From The Desk of Pastor Gene

As I was listening to a Christian radio station on the way home from the office late last week, I realized that I’ve heard a recurring message from pastor and author Francis Chan on this particular Christian radio station over the last few weeks. In fact, this station has played  short messages dubbed “1 Minute...

What do you see as the essentials of a New Testament Church? A couple of weeks ago, as part of my normal routine as I drive to the office, I was listening to a Christian radio station. As I turned on my radio that particular morning, I immediately recognized the voice of the venerable Dr....

What does it mean to be a Christian? Is it a religion? Is it a relationship? Is it a way of life?  As I observe what is going on under the Christian umbrella and compare it to the New Testament, it is highly likely Christianity may not be what we think.  Christianity begins and ends...

You’ve likely heard the term “cancel culture” over and over and probably tired of hearing it. I’m tired of the term and I’m tired of the associated behavior. What about you? With that said, is this just a response on social media, politics and traditional media or is there also a “cancel culture” in the church? In...

  Let’s Talk About Church It is a privilege and blessing to say that I’ve been engaged in church life since 1980. I must say, “to God be the glory.” However, during these years I’ve heard numerous negative statements on the subject of church. The following is my list of the top 7: I don’t...

  The Harvest is Now As I drove to the airport in Omaha recently, I saw combines and semi-trucks in the fields on both sides of I-29 for several miles. It was an impressive sight to see. In all the years growing up in the midst of a farming region in South West Ohio spreading West into...

  Applying the gospel to relationships regardless of race and culture As Christians, we have an obligation to be salt and light in our world (Matthew 5:13-16). We are also called to imitate Christ (Ephesians 5:1). So as we experience racially and culturally related hatred and division, how do we apply the gospel? What does the Bible...

I Surrender All Judson Van DeVenter was born in 1855 on a farm in Michigan. After graduating from Hillsdale College, he became an art teacher and supervisor in the Sharon, Pennsylvania public schools. Van DeVenter was also actively involved in evangelistic meetings in his Methodist Episcopal Church. In fact, as his friends recognized his talent, they urged him...

Matching A good while back I was playing concentration with a grandson who was 3 years old at the time. In case you’re not familiar with the game, it is a card game in which all of the cards are laid face down on a surface and two cards are flipped face up each turn. If you...

Ready or not here He will come As children we played hide and seek for hours with our neighborhood friends. If you’ve ever played this game, you already know this but one person would count and everyone else hides. When the person got done counting, as he prepared to look for and tag the people in...