Christian Assembly

Yesterday we worshiped at Christian Assembly, 812 Lincoln Place, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, 724.846.3751, www.cabf.webs.com, Pastor Dale Russo.


Scripture – ESV

Romans 8:14-17 –

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

John 3:34 –

For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.


Bob’s thoughts:

We arrived just a few minutes before start time, so only a few greetings were exchanged at first, including one during the prayer.

There was a nicely decorated Easter cross and two projection screens.

I’m not sure which gave out first, my hearing aid batteries or my legs from recent surgery pains, but I had to sit early and rely on what I could see of the screens and hear from the congregation to sing along. There were some familiar songs that I didn’t need the screen for, but then it seemed like most quit singing for a social time after which there was recorded music where people sang and talked over. I was glad when it ended and I could hear the pastor without music.

It was a special opportunity to go forward and pray over the pastor who is leaving on a mission trip to Malawi today. There was also a blessing and gifts for some college students.

Communion was served silently in the pews but with no time of confession beforehand.

The pastor shared the story of a child who was told, “You look like your father,” to which she replied, “Which one, my earthly father or my heavenly father?” May we see the resemblance.

The message was about what adoption meant to the Romans. We were encouraged to think of “who we are before what we do,” an important step.

I used to say I was an orphan available for adoption by wealthy clients I built for, then I won and Christ adopted me. God knew me better than I know myself and claimed me anyhow.


Jan’s thoughts:

We arrived just as the service was beginning and after being warmly welcomed at the door, we quickly found seats. A number of folks extended greetings during and after worship.

The walls of the sanctuary were decorated with flags from various countries. Posted next to each flag was the name of the country represented and the names of church members who visited that country. The pastor leaves today for a mission trip to South Africa and Malawi and we enjoyed a conversation with him about that.

At one point during worship, board members were stationed toward the front and anyone desiring prayer was invited forward for prayer and anointing with oil. After that the entire congregation was invited forward to lay hands on the pastor and pray for him and his mission trip. Then six local college students were presented with financial gifts from the congregation.

I was delighted we were able to participate in Communion and used the time beforehand for individual confession.

The current sermon series is called True Identity: Discover who you were made to be and today’s installment was Who You Are. The pastor began by stressing the importance of the Holy Spirit in our relationship with God, as He confirms who we are and focuses on who we are in relationship to God.

Most of the rest of the message focused on the meaning of adoption in ancient Roman culture and currently. He pointed out that God chose to adopt us even knowing all about our past, present, and future, and no one can change God’s choice. Although we sin, we are secure. One important reminder was that we should look at Jesus to see how much God loves us.

Praise God for each of the truths heard here today.


Our prayer for this church:
Father, we pray You continue to guide Your church in their efforts to bring You glory. Amen.

Edgewood Baptist Church

Today we worshiped at Edgewood Church, 430 Edgewood Road, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, 724.843.2889, www.edgewood-church.com, Pastor Michael Coleman.

Scripture – ESV

Ephesians 4:11-15 –

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

Matthew 5:5 –

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Psalm 33:16-18 –

The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,

Bob’s thoughts:

I liked the cross at the flagpole in the parking lot, as well as the one in front of the Communion table.

We were welcomed by a number of people and many brought others to introduce to us.

I loved the sound of the praise team…great harmony and solo voices. The lighting coordinated to the song and provided just the right effect with the lights/shadows through the ceiling joists.

The Daylight Savings Time skit was priceless and I appreciated the testimony during the offering that you can’t out-give God.

A favorite line from a worship song: “When death was arrested and my life began.”

The message spoke to meekness; it was well developed and supported Scripturally and relevant now. I liked his story about his college choice and when it washed over him that he wasn’t supposed to be at this utopian setting.

A strong point of the message: to be angry at the right time and not at the wrong time, a recent lesson for me. I felt God speaking through him to get the message to me. The pastor apologized for needing a sip of water periodically, but I noticed God was using it for a poignant pause to emphasize a point.

In the area of controlling one’s anger, an important lesson for the day was that when a parent says “don’t spill your Nerds” and the child only hears “spill your Nerds.” But his girls’ angelic faces would make it impossible to be angry about them obeying directions.

I don’t know how extensive the renovations were, but we were not aware we had visited recently as only the pastor looked familiar. I believe God sent us back just for today’s message.

I do wish I had remembered to ask about one of their missions, Communicycle.

Jan’s thoughts:

We arrived early and looked around, grateful for the coffee. As we waited for the service to start, we sat outside the worship area where a handful of people stopped to introduce themselves and chat. One of the ladies we spoke with said the worship area and adjacent children’s area were completely redone earlier this year.

We located seats in the back of the worship area where still more folks greeted us with conversation before worship.

Likely due to the recent renovation, the walls were bare; the front wall was attractively designed, and the projection screen appeared to be framed and immovable.

We had already been treated to the praise team’s rehearsal, which we appreciated from the hallway. Even so, I was impressed by the use of the lights to enhance the musical effect during When Death Was Arrested.

As the service began, Pastor Mike spoke about the Squirrel Hill shooting yesterday and read Psalm 34:15-22 then followed with prayer.

The current sermon series is called BE Attitudes, and this week’s entry was Blessed Are the Meek. As this was a recent topic of conversation between Bob and me, we felt called to attend this church today. Only after we returned home and checked the blog did we realize we had visited this church only six months ago, yet nothing looked familiar because of the extensive renovation.

The young pastor who preached is the son of the lead pastor. He defined meekness as giving full control of our life to God and spoke of three aspects of meekness: controlling our anger, self-control, and humility.

It was a message well worth hearing, and I was glad to be there.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we thank You for leading us here to meet with You. We pray You continue to bless and guide this, Your church. Amen.

Edgewood Baptist Church

Today we worshiped at Edgewood Baptist Church, 430 Edgewood Road, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, 724.843.2889, www.edgewood-church.com, Pastor Michael Coleman.

Scripture – ESV

Hebrews 11:1 –

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Psalm 69:1-2 –

Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.

Hebrews 11:8-12 –

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

Genesis 12:1-4 –

Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Bob’s thoughts:

We were greeted by a number of people when we came in, including a woman, a trifecta: daughter, wife, and mother of a Marine. I wish we could have talked after worship.

There is a large cross painted on the wall that makes it look like it is recessed in the block. They also display a countdown on the screen till the service starts.

I was pleased to enjoy some of the best harmony ever from the four female praise team members.

We were delighted to witness the dedication of three babies. I have always taken to heart that Christ wanted the children to come to Him. They so recently left His presence that they still remember and sometimes can still see Christ and the angels. One of my favorite conversations was with a little girl in church talking about where the angels were sitting all around, she couldn’t believe that I couldn’t see them in the balcony…the balcony that was removed years before she was born.

Another preference for talking with children is always total honesty. You might not like what you hear, but you will learn the truth.

There was a short video that talked about the burden of stuff, which I learned first-hand when one of my brothers died and not too much later, my father-in-law. I received all kinds of tools and for a while thought how blessed I was, but soon realized what a burden it was to have so much stuff. When I followed God’s instruction to clean out, His peace washed over me when I obeyed.

This church has the blessed hindsight of when they needed something, the funds to accomplish it were there. It’s easy to think we need newer, bigger, better, but it becomes harder to seek God’s direction as to what He wants for His church. Seek His direction first and watch the miracles.

God was pursuing me for the first 50 years, others around me knew it, and one day it just happened. He won’t stop.

I had some trouble understanding everything in the pastor’s message due to volume or echo, I’m not sure.

Jan’s thoughts:

Churches are often full of surprises, and locations and denominational labels can be misleading.

We were greeted often at this church, before and after worship, and I witnessed members enthusiastically greeting each other, hugging, and praying together. The staff consists of numerous pastors, it seems, and several introduced themselves and welcomed us. One touch of hospitality was a small box of Kleenex under the chair in front of us; sometimes it’s the little things. I also witnessed an act of kindness when a woman gave up her seat for an older woman with a walker.

Someone mentioned in passing they were going to fill up their coffee cup, so I asked where the coffee was. It turned out to be in a small room where three gentlemen were having a study, but they freely offered to share, which I appreciated.

I could clearly hear the praise team rehearsing before the doors to the sanctuary were opened and I wondered how the volume would be from inside once the service was underway. It was not a problem, and I was thrilled to be able to stay for the music because it was outstanding. The praise team sounded amazing, and although the songs were mostly new to me, I found them deeply touching.

What a joy to be present for a triple baby dedication! The sanctuary was about filled to capacity, including many little ones.

The message series is called In Over My Head and the pastor summed it up quite simply: we are all learning to trust God. Mostly he spoke of Abraham’s obedience, how when God called him to go, Abraham obeyed without knowing where or anything else. All he knew was what God said and that was enough.

The pastor urged his listeners that when they hear from God, to just follow, that faith requires risk or it’s not faith. It is when we obey that we learn God is true and faithful. It does not matter what other people think if we have heard from God.

One of the most encouraging things I heard in this message is that God will not stop pursuing. I’m so grateful for that truth.

The pastor asked two thought-provoking questions: “What are you holding on to that God says to let go of?” and “What are you believing God for?” There were probably as many answers to those questions as there were people in the room. I know I’ll be thinking about them this week.

Our prayer for this church:

Awesome Lord, we pray for Your continued guidance for this church, thanking You for the blessings You have poured out. Please encourage them and grow their faith. Amen.

Concord United Methodist Church

Today we worshiped at Concord United Methodist Church, 285 Concord Church Road, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, 724.846.4739, www.celebrateconcord.com, Pastor John Phipps.

Scripture – Jude 1:17-20 NIV

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,

Bob’s thoughts:

We tried to worship here recently but got behind a state snow plow moving slowly. Today we were early enough to talk to a man at the door, and he caught up with us after the service and introduced us to the pastor.

I always think when we park in a spot reserved for visitors, that someone will notice. I did feel welcome by the smiles I got from some of the children.

There was an interesting cross in front of the drum surround. We worshiped in the social hall and there was a traditional service in the sanctuary at the same time.

I enjoyed the harmony of the praise team but wished we could have heard the females sing a little on their own. The projection screen is up high and I thought it would have been nice to project the children’s message up there. It’s always more fun if you can see the children.

The message was about keeping yourself in the love of God, and the pastor’s comments about well-worn Bibles caused me to remember some Bibles.

My favorite was an older friend who lamented to me that he and his wife tried to read the Bible together before bed but the language made it hard to understand. I gave them a modern version and in the few years before God took them Home they never failed to thank me. It is most humbling to help a friend late in their life.

I remembered the woman in a Bible study whose Bible was a loose-leaf notebook and anything she didn’t like, she removed. Another who showed me her beautiful Bible that she had never opened. My Bible that I use most is probably less than 20 years old. When the duct tape that I repaired it with wore through, I covered it with aluminum tape used to hold part of a wing on airplanes and is now protected by my late son’s Bible cover. The most amazing thing to me is every time I read through the Bible, it changes to meet my needs at that time.

Jan’s thoughts:

Having been out late (for us) last night, we opted for the 11:00 service this morning. We arrived early enough to chat with a gentleman just inside, find seats, and fix a cup of coffee. We also looked around some and noticed terrific signage.

This contemporary service is held in a fellowship hall with a relaxed set up: some chairs in rows interspersed with large round tables with chairs. There is also a traditional service at 8:30 as well as 11:00 in the sanctuary, so three services each Sunday. As is usual with a multi-service church, only a few extended greetings…people generally assume they don’t know visitors because they attend another service.

We anticipated loud music so chose seats near the back, but the volume was just fine and the music was excellent.

The announcements were presented via a narrated video, which I found interesting.

We were pleased to be able to pray for seven members of the congregation comprising the Romania Mission Team. They will leave Wednesday to spend 10 days serving the Lord in Romania.

The message, Keep the Romance Alive, referred to our romance with the Lord and was paralleled with the romantic relationship with a spouse. The pastor noted that the same sort of routine and taking-the-other-for-granted that sometimes happens in marriages can happen in our relationship with God. He recommended spending one-on-one time with God regularly, talking with God about the deep things in our heart, and listening for God’s response.

I am convinced this is great advice for any important relationship, and if we want to deepen our connection with God, this is the way.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we thank You for Your living word and all the blessings that come from it. Amen.

Mayfield Bible Baptist Church

Today we worshiped at Mayfield Bible Baptist Church, 521 37^th Street, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, 724.846.8738, Pastor Ken Manypenny.

Scripture – James 1 NKJV

James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Bob’s thoughts:

We had some confusion today on worship but understood it was His plan.

We tried a second time to visit a church nearby, with enough time in between attempts to forget that no one was home. Looking in the windows it appears to still be in use, so we’ll check with other nearby churches.

We drove past a few neighboring churches before finding this one, which we were certain we had not visited before. It was about 10 a.m. and the sign indicated an 11 a.m. start time. We talked for a while and decided to go for a coffee and wait.

But on our way past, we heard singing and, deciding the 11 a.m. signboard must be in error, went in for worship. We didn’t know we were attending Sunday School, not worship, until it was over.

The building is a small chapel with painted white panel walls and a high arched ceiling. The natural wood beams framed the room well. I noticed a cross leaning against the rear chancel wall. I saw no signage but found the restrooms downstairs.

Hanging on the chancel wall was a large painting on velvet of a cross spanning a chasm showing the way to cross over to God. This is the only velvet painting I’ve seen bearing a Christian message; I hope it’s one they heed.

We were sitting in the best seats for cross ventilation, with doors open on either side, but probably the poorest for audio for the same reason. Consequently I missed a lot before the youth pastor picked up a hand microphone.

The pastor had an opening prayer and offered a report on his wife’s hospitalization: she had a very high sugar reading and some other problems I didn’t catch. At the hospital, there was a point where it was announced her sugar was at 700 and they praised the Lord (her numbers were coming down).

I was reminded of a time when I was in the sanctuary praying for the pastor search committee of what was then our church. The daughter of a member had been ill and they had been searching for answers for some time. The mom came in exclaiming with joy that it was whooping cough, not normally joyful news, but they had an answer and it was treatable.

The pastor had to leave to minister to his wife and I knew then that was why God had us there. I followed him out and reassured him to pray boldly for complete healing for his wife, not just the nice church prayers we use but with the power of Christ Jesus that is ours. Whatever the problem, to pray that errant cells or demonic presence be gone from her body and she experience complete healing.

The youth pastor delivered a message dealing with the rich coming to Christ, that God has no problem with wealth but what you do with your wealth. I have never had anyone who was having financial problems that I convinced to tithe come back to me and complain. This was true for individuals and churches, God will bless you.

Jan’s thoughts:

It took us some time and exploring to locate the church God wanted us to attend today. We arrived by accident some time into what we thought was the worship service…only afterward did we learn it was not worship but Sunday school.

This is definitely a small country church with the atmosphere of a large extended family, and they operate on a fluid schedule.

We entered because we heard a hymn as we walked past, and we found seats during a prayer. The pastor spoke about his wife, who we gathered had been dangerously ill and in the hospital most of the past week. After a brief prayer, he turned over the microphone to the Youth Director, Tim Winkle.

They were in the first chapter, working their way through the book of James. Tim explained that the problem was not that the recipients of James’ letter were rich, but that they were hoarding their wealth and not using it to bless others.

He stated that when we have less, we need to view it as an opportunity to glorify God and His faithfulness. That even temptation can be viewed as a blessing if we keep in mind that those who are faithful in temptation are promised crowns in heaven. Of course, as he also pointed out, when we are presented with these crowns, we will acknowledge that they belong to Jesus because we will know we are not responsible for getting through our trials and temptations ourselves.

We were greeted afterward by several folks who invited us to return next week if we don’t come back this evening. We do plan to return one Sunday to hear the pastor preach.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray in the power of Christ’s name Your healing touch to the pastor’s wife and Your continued guidance for Your Church. Amen.

Pathway Church

Yesterday we worshiped at Pathway Church, 239 Braun Road, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, 724.843.6381, lifeatpathway.com, Jeff McNicol, Senior Pastor.

Scripture – NIV

Romans 5:8 –

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Luke 21:28 –

When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

Bob’s thoughts:

Last week we were in North Carolina and looking forward to worshiping there, but our daughter was called to the hospital for heart-related emergencies so often that we missed the opportunity.

For Saturday’s Christmas Eve service, we worshiped at Grace Church. A friend of our daughters’ from Geneva College recognized me before the service and we got to chat a bit before she returned to sit with her family.

We enjoyed our coffee and worshiped in the calmer, quieter overflow room, by ourselves as it turned out. I enjoyed the lead female singer and the talented music team.

This morning we were blessed to worship at Pathway where several people welcomed us. With the inspired Christmas decoration I almost missed seeing the impressive cross. The sax and strings were a welcome addition to the other musicians and the voice of the female lead.

The sermon was presented by three of the pastors who commented on their favorite Christmas hymns.

It was mentioned that the beauty of God’s invitation is God’s perfect timing: I can certainly vouch for that based on when He called me.

One of the pastors spoke of his tragic loss of a child and that unlike the loss of a spouse, where one becomes a widow(er), or the loss of a parent where one becomes an orphan, there is no equivalent word when one loses a child. I had never considered the unnamed aspect of this loss, but he added that God had experienced this loss Himself and thus He understands. I was thankful we got to minister to each other some after the service and grateful God led us to worship here.

Noticing all the businesses closed reminded me of when I was much younger, there were two drug stores in our small town. One owner was Catholic and the other Jewish, so when one was closed for a special day like Christmas, the other would be open to handle the needs of the community. They had a lot more freedom then to help the competitor’s customers.

I don’t remember so many churches closed on a Sunday Christmas but I am thankful for God’s Presence here today.

Jan’s thoughts:

After missing church while traveling last weekend, I was pleased we were led to invigorating services both last night and this morning.

We have worshiped here a number of times, but the facility looked quite different than I recalled as the church is in the midst of a building project. The atmosphere was festive and friendly: several folks introduced themselves and welcomed us, which made it even more of a joy to be there.

The message was centered on hymns that bore particular significance to the speakers. Each included some background on the hymn and explained what it meant to them. The stories were full of passion and significance, appropriate for the day.

I truly appreciated the music: it was outstanding, and the violin and saxophone added an exceptional texture.

I was grateful for the time of the one pastor and his wife and the opportunity for mutual ministry in loss.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we feel the excitement of Your church and pray for Your continued overwhelming blessings. Amen.

Chippewa Alliance Church

Today we worshiped at Chippewa Alliance Church, 3629 37^th Street Ext., Beaver Falls, PA 15010, 724.846.2070, www.chippewaalliance.org, Rev. Dan Muir, Lead Pastor.

Scripture – Matthew 20:1-16 NIV

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

“ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didnʼt you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Donʼt I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Bob’s thoughts:

God redirected us easily this morning as the church where we planned to worship had closed recently.

Of course, I was happy to come into a church decorated for Christmas with an impressive wooden cross. We were welcomed and engaged by one member in particular.

I enjoyed the harmony of the two female leads and the blend of the three guitars.

I thought the pastor did well with a concept many struggle with, that the first shall be last, and the Scripture from Matthew about workers hired at various times throughout the work day. A great line from the message: “It’s not fair, it’s grace.”

When I think about the announcement of our Savior’s birth being given to shepherds, I realize He can use even someone like me, thanks be to God.

We enjoyed our conversation with the two pastors after the service and I met two Marines, assuring me this congregation is in good hands.

Jan’s thoughts:

We arrived quite early and wandered around some. We encountered only a handful of folks and everyone had a friendly greeting.

The worship space is a comfortable, gymnasium-type area, nicely decorated for the holidays.

We discovered a young man who lived near us prior to his marriage last year is playing bass with the praise band at this church and were pleased to have a chance to catch up some. The volume of the music was agreeable and the voices blended beautifully.

The greeting time, as it is usually referred to, was instead called Fellowship Time. This more adequately described this slightly longer-term greeting opportunity. Several people did greet us during this time as well as before and after the service.

The untitled message was presented by Associate Pastor Rev. David Hardie and emphasized how God often does the unexpected in our lives. He pointed out a few of the ways God proved His love for surprising His children, ways He guided over insurmountable odds and proved He was still in control. It was a great reminder that “things almost never go the way we expect.” He suggested that maybe our willingness has something to do with that. Perhaps we must be willing to obey and open to being surprised. He pointed out that we are all broken, and broken people can find it hard to wrap our minds around grace. But God still loves to surprise us.

I am grateful God led us here as this was exactly the message I needed to hear today.

We appreciated the time taken by both pastors for conversation after worship.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we thank You for directing us here to meet with You in worship and pray Your continued blessings on this, Your church. Amen.

Morado Faith Tabernacle

Today we worshiped at Morado Faith Tabernacle, 4^th Avenue & 46^th Street, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, Donald W. Knapp, Pastor.

Scripture – ESV

John 10:1-4 –

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”

Galatians 5:19-21 –

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Bob’s thoughts:

We struggled for a while to grasp God’s leading to where to worship today. While driving aimlessly, we ended up at this church shortly before the start time. As we parked, we met some people outside who cautioned that they were a small church; we half dozen gathered to worship together.

I was surprised again with the choice of the hymn “It is Well With My Soul,” a song significant to us from the time of our son’s death.

The morning prayer was offered, including a time for personal confession. A perspective was expressed that Christ knows the name of every star and the hairs of our head are numbered; it is beyond our comprehension that God could care that much.

The pastor referred to an old movie, “Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves” and when they came to their sanctuary space and called out “Open Sesame,” the secret doors opened much like the automatic doors on our stores now.

I was reminded of a visit to a store with my 5-year-old grandson. As we approached and the doors opened I teased him that he must be magic to open the doors. He said no, it was just God. I wish we could all learn to think like that.

Jan’s thoughts:

We were having a difficult time determining where to worship, so we got into our vehicle and drove and we ended up here. We have been past this building before, since two of our daughters attended college down the street, and I have always wondered about this cozy-looking little place with such an unusual name.

Before we even entered the building, we encountered the pastor’s wife and daughter exiting their vehicle at the same time. After telling us a little about the church, we accompanied them inside.

We sat in the back and all four of the others present introduced themselves and we had conversation. Each person present participated in the service somehow, most through prayer, while the pastor’s wife played the organ; the singing was reserved. There was prayer for others from the congregation.

The message contained reminders of some of Jesus’ I AM statements and that Jesus Christ is the only doorway to God the Father.

In speaking of the John 10 passage, he stated there are many types of thieves, including false teachers, habits, and desires, all of which are used by Satan to steal God’s best from us. I could not agree more.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray this church of Yours is open to Your purpose for them and that You are glorified through them. Amen.

Champion Life Church

Today we worshiped at Champion Life Church, mailing address is P.O. Box 1713 but meets at Blackhawk High School, 500 Blackhawk Road, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, 724.473.2213, www.mychampionlife.com, Larry & Kim Bettencourt, Lead Pastors.

Scripture – NIV

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

John 15:16

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

1 John 4:10

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Bob’s thoughts:

We were warmly welcomed coming in the door and it continued until we found our seats. The only way I could have felt more welcome would have been to find a cross on display.

The church meets in a school auditorium and I was really impressed with how many directional flags we saw at the street corners leading us in. A lot of work and time goes into preparing this space for worship.

I was proud of myself for remembering my ear plugs and pleasantly surprised not to need them. I wish I could have heard more of the vocals from the praise team, especially the females; I was pleased to see them smile.

One of the female singers spoke and I could understand every word but I experienced some difficulty understanding everyone else.

The message was part of a series on hashtags, admittedly something I know little about, but he was talking about the labels we wear, willingly or not. One of the best lines from the message: “Your value doesn’t go down based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” We have high value in Christ and the devil tries to make us believe that we are worth much less. We were instructed to find freedom and purpose and reminded that God believes in us, a personal message from God for me. The message was developed well and the congregation seemed receptive.

We enjoyed friendly conversations with the pastor, his wife, church administrator, and others after the service.

A number of people thanked me for my service, which I always appreciate, especially from young people.

Jan’s thoughts:

I was unsure for a while about visiting this church, but I’m glad we did. There was no one in the parking lot when we arrived, but it turned out we were just that early. The leaders were finishing their considerable work setting everything up.

A joyful gentleman opened the door for us as we approached the building and greeted us warmly, as did several others. We were invited to join the pre-service prayer with the staff and volunteers after which I enjoyed a cup of coffee while we wandered around.

The signage was excellent, and all the room signs hanging from the hallway ceilings, all the classrooms converted into Sunday School rooms, and many other accessories and trimmings were all the work of the volunteers.

As we entered the auditorium we were given small cups resembling the single serving creamers found in restaurants but which instead contained a small amount of juice covered with a peel-away lid and on top of that was a small wafer covered with another lid. These were individual servings for Communion.

We found seats toward the back in anticipation of a volume issue, but there was no issue…the volume was perfect.

The message series was entitled “Hashtags: they can’t define us…” and he began with a video clip of Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon using hashtags, including the gesture, in a conversation. He pointed out that hashtags are labels, and in that sense we use hashtags to define ourselves when we tell ourselves we are not liked, not needed, and the like. He said several things I thought noteworthy:

• Life gives us labels but God gives us identity.
• Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.
• God chose our times and He picks us for a purpose and assignment.
• Getting a new picture of who we are in Christ will change the way we see the world.
• We must encourage ourselves in the Lord and speak what God says about us (positive self-talk).
• We must try something new or take a next step…it’s important to move forward.
• Especially we must remember that God believes in us even when we don’t believe in ourselves.

We all need encouragement…we all get off the track and beaten up by the world…life has never been easy nor will it ever be. I am grateful for today’s reminder of God’s love and for the opportunity to participate in Communion.

We appreciated an extended conversation with staff members following worship.

Our prayer for this church:

God, we pray this congregation believes the most important hashtag on them: Redeemed in Christ. Amen.

Beaver Valley Wesleyan Methodist Church

Today we worshiped at Beaver Valley Wesleyan Methodist Church, 2282 Constitution Blvd., Beaver Falls, PA 15010, 724.843.6625, www.beavervalleywmc.org, Pastor Dan Hardy.

Scripture – NIV

2 Timothy 3:16-17 –

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Isaiah 55:10-11 –

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Romans 10:17 –

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Bob’s thoughts:

I noticed something in the paper about a road clean-up that ended at this church and didn’t realize till we arrived that it was a church we had driven by many times and considered visiting. We were greeted at the door by the pastor.

We arrived as Sunday School in the sanctuary was winding down to an almost seamless move into worship.

I enjoyed the large wooden cross on the front wall of the sanctuary. When it came time to pray and most of the congregation knelt facing the rear of the church I wondered if there shouldn’t be another cross on the rear wall.

The music was mostly the pastor’s fine voice.

The message was given by a man from The Gideons International. I have heard only a few presentations from them but I must have been paying attention as I remembered some of the testimonies given. He opened with some astronomical figures as to the size of the universe and like most, I question where these guesses come from.

I too believe every word of the Bible is God-given and have an easier time accepting the creation story given there.

Jan’s thoughts:

Bob found mention of this church in the caption of a newspaper photo this week, so today we went. As we walked in the front door a gentleman greeted us warmly and introduced himself as the pastor. The adult Sunday School class was in process in the sanctuary so we opted to wait until it was over to find a seat.

I noticed no signage, but once we entered the back of the sanctuary there was a hallway and restrooms. I don’t think there was much more to the building.

Most greetings took the form of smiles and brief hellos.

The only evidence of musical instruments was a keyboard, and the pastor led the singing with his strong voice.

The message was given by a member of The Gideons, and I learned some things about their organization and work. I knew they were responsible for the Bibles found in hotel rooms, but was not aware they operate in many countries where missionaries are prohibited. They have distributed more than 2 billion Bibles and New Testaments.

The gentleman who spoke conveyed testimonies of bringing people to Christ through simple conversations guided by God and graciously used for His purposes.

It was an informative and uplifting message and I was glad we were there.

After worship we enjoyed a conversation with the pastor and learned he and his family will soon be moving and in another month or so another pastor will shepherd this flock. My sense is that he will be missed greatly.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, You know the apprehension this church feels about the changes You are making there. We know they are in Your infinite care and thank You for giving them this opportunity to grow. Amen.

College Hill Reformed Presbyterian Church

Today we worshiped at College Hill Reformed Presbyterian Church, 3217 College Hill, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, 724.843.4840, www.collegehillrp.com, Dean Smith & Titus Martin, Pastors.

Scripture – Luke 5:1-11 (ESV)

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Bob’s thoughts:

I love when the Lord lets me run with my expectations and then humbles me and puts me in my place. We were drawn back to College Hill and I wasn’t sure why.

This church is Christ-centered and passionate about worship. It was special to spend time with Jesus there. We were welcomed by a woman at the door and got to talk to a family after the service. My only disappointment beyond the lack of greeting was that I could not find a cross.

With the pastor’s quote ending with, “Sing to the Lord,” I thought an oddity as the Reformed Presbyterian Churches I’ve been to are pretty quiet. But although some songs, in my opinion, were not easy ones to sing, the church was alive in song. There was a robust chorus of male voices, and later females with great harmony and passion. It made for very enjoyable worship in song.

The sermon, “The Biggest Catch,” was based on Christ preaching from Simon Peter’s fishing boat and afterwards their unbelievable catch of fish. These men fished for their livelihood, they knew the area and the time of night to catch fish. But Christ asked him to put down the nets.

What is He asking of us? What we are called to do is at His command and with the power and authority of Christ, we will not fail. He has given us the most powerful tool, the Word of God.

A highlight for me was two children near us that were so pleased to see each other that their parents couldn’t contain them. I was greatly blessed by the obvious love between these two children.

Jan’s thoughts:

We came close to worshiping here accidentally a few weeks ago, but were inspired to intentionally attend the early service this week.

The building is old and stone and about two doors down from where our daughters lived as students at Geneva College.

Upon entering we were warmly welcomed and given directions, so I forgot to look for directional signage.

The sanctuary was different in a few ways beginning with the lack of any musical instruments, including the almost universal organ. There were seats that looked like they were for a choir, but only one man sat there. As it turned out, he was plenty. He led all singing with a voice that was clear and strong, and I could understand every word even from the very back row where we sat. There was also no cross, but Bob probably mentioned that.

The bulletin is a work of art: several pages folded, stapled in the center, containing the order of worship, sermon text, sermon outline, calendar information, announcements, and prayer requests.

The singing was led by the gentleman I mentioned, and the congregation participated with gusto, even providing harmony. It was inspiring and exquisite.

The sermon, “The Biggest Catch,” was presented by Pastor Titus Martin. He began by mentioning Alan Watts, a speaker and writer from the 1960s and 1970s who preached “embracing purposelessness,” that there was no meaning to life.

The pastor used the Scripture text to equate Simon’s fishing at God’s command to Jesus’ commission of us to be “fishers of men.” He acknowledged that, humanly speaking we are doomed to failure, but we go at His command and in His power and authority. The tool He gave us is His Word, and we will not fail.

The next question had to do with how we respond, and the pastor stated the only appropriate response to Jesus’ over-the-top blessings is humble pursuit of Him. When Jesus blesses us, instead of humbly falling at His feet, we have a tendency to list the other things we want from Him and remind Him of the things He hasn’t done yet. Do we weep with sorrow over our sin and with gratitude for His grace? Do we humbly pursue and follow or grumble and ask for more?

I appreciated the reminder that cultivating a grateful heart is a good start it falls short of what Jesus Christ is due. He deserves my mind and heart humbly placed at His feet, and every ounce of obedience and gratitude I have.

Our prayer for this church:
Holy Lord, we thank You for blessing this church. We ask that you continue to equip and empower them to step out in Your Name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Steffin Hill Presbyterian Church

Today we worshiped at Steffin Hill Presbyterian Church, 2000 Darlington Road, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, 724.846.6711, www.steffinhill.org, Rev. Dr. Judy Angleberger, Pastor.

Scripture

Jeremiah 18:1-11

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.

“Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.””

 Luke 14:25-33

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”

Bob’s thoughts:

Again the church where we planned to worship looked like it was closed for the season. We drove around and checked a few churches but missed the early start time we were planning on.

The church has a comfy feel, I think due to the size and the configuration of the pews. There seems to be a real camaraderie among the members.

The cross over the stained glass is beautiful and the chancel sort of tucked in an alcove adds to the homey feel.

We were early and were invited down to the social area for coffee. They had reorganized their library and we accepted the offer of free books.

The highlight of this visit was hearing of Steffin Hill’s visit to Geneva College with cookies and brownies, accompanied by offers of prayer for the students. You may draw them to you with snacks but you’ll win them with prayers.

There were some members of the choir who smiled a lot and it was great to see their joy. I was glad we could be there for Sunday School Recognition and to partake of Communion, offered silently.

The sermon, “In the Potter’s Hand,” dealt with how God is with us, how He may build us up or take us down in accord with His plan for us. The talk of the potter remaking some pots that did not go as planned made me think of most of us as cracked pots that God finds a way to use us even with all our faults. What does God require of you? When we come together in Communion is a good time to ask.

Jan’s thoughts:

Our last visit here was just shy of two years ago. We were greeted before we even entered the building and many folks stopped to welcome us throughout our visit. We were invited for coffee and sweets and to take what we wanted from a table of books the church had purged from their library.

The pretty sanctuary was fresh and clean, just like the atmosphere. Today was Rally Day of course, so many programs that had been on hiatus for the summer were starting up again and there was much excitement in the air.

We were thrilled to hear about some of the mission activities including Steffin Hill’s participation at Geneva College’s Christian College Fair where they joined numerous other area churches and passed out brownies and prayed with 40 Geneva students. There was also communication from missionaries in Cairo, Egypt.

The choir was small in number but had great harmony and volume.

As Bibles were presented to some of the youngsters I appreciated the pastor’s comment that “Everything we do is Christian education.” How true.

The message, entitled “In the Potter’s Hand,” focused on the difference between being a follower of Jesus and a disciple…the difference being the latter pays a price. She made a point I had never heard or considered before: there was a cost for Jesus to be a disciple of His Father. The cost was in the form of having to give up His heavenly glory for a time, being tempted, being an outcast among His own people, trying to teach the religious leaders, suffering physical and emotional exhaustion, being homeless, heartbroken, mocked, scorned, whipped, and crucified. She then declared that this should be the cost for us too and that many people of God are saved and that’s about it. Broken people are willing to pay the price and are used by God.

So the bottom-line question seems to be, will we confess (i.e., agree with God about) our brokenness and allow ourselves to be used by Him? Are we willing to pay the price of discipleship in order for Him to fulfill His plan for our lives?

For the most part we are so intent on avoiding pain in our lives that we give fear more power than we should. Our fear causes us to run from anything that appears painful. Only when we reach the point of being broken and finally turning to God…when we finally give up trying to keep everything under control and simply run to Jesus…only then can we finally see God’s plan for our life.

God never said it would be easy. He only said it would be worth it.

Our prayer for this church:
Lord, we pray You continue to encourage this church’s ministry to Geneva students and all of their needy neighbors. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.