Are you familiar with the story of “The Christmas Truce”?  It took place during the week of Christmas in 1914 as World War I raged in Europe. In various parts of the Western front, as soldiers were dug into their trenches (in some places just 30 yards apart), they could hear one another singing Christmas hymns. Amidst the shouts back and forth, an informal ceasefire was eventually decided upon, wi...  Read More

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.” Psalm 103:13I thank God that I grew up in a home with a father who loved me, provided for me, corrected me, and taught me God’s will in Jesus. Not everyone has that, so when the statement of Jesus being our “Everlasting Father” arises, I understand why people may bristle. We recognize that earthly fathe...  Read More

What’s in a name? This Sunday, we’ll explore the second title bestowed on the One whose advent was greatly anticipated: Mighty God.The spiritual atmosphere of first-century Israel was thick with messianic expectation. Change was afoot, but how was God working? Would he finally deliver his people from foreign oppressors and restore the glorious Davidic kingdom? Not exactly. Instead, onto this scene...  Read More

When you speak with counselors, they will often tell you that they are a guide and that a guide cannot lead someone where they do not want to go. If a person does not want to seek health and wholeness, then the counselor’s words and advice will only fall on deaf ears. As people say, “You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make them drink.”As parents and friends, we experience the same thing...  Read More

In the last blog, we talked about how we can give thanks for the time, talents, and treasure that God has given to each of us. However we also spoke about how we are to use those gifts to bless others.It seems appropriate, then, that we would talk this week about “Going” into our community and world to share those gifts. I give thanks that WEPC is a church that seeks to “go,” and we do it both loc...  Read More

In the world, we sometimes hear the phrase, “How to win friends and influence people.” This statement seems to be the main point of this passage at first glance. In what might be considered the most confounding words Jesus ever utters, he says, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” (Luke 16:9)What?! Is ...  Read More