Prince of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Yesterday we worshiped at Prince of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 60 Rochester Road, Freedom, PA 15042, 724.728.3881, www.princeofpeacefreedom.com, Pastor Michael Podeszwa.


Scripture – ESV

Psalm 37:1-5 –

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

Genesis 45:3-15 –

And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." And they came near. And he said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.' And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here." Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.

1 Corinthians 15:21-26 –

For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:30-42 –

“Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals." Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.

Luke 6:27-38 –

"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

"If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."


Bob’s thoughts:

I had often passed a sign at Prince of Peace Cemetery on Rochester Road and wondered how it could be so far from a Catholic church near us. When I caught sight of this church near the cemetery, we put it on our list.

We were welcomed by a number of people before the service, I was able to find the restroom easily, and best of all there is a large wooden cross. I was thanked for my service by a few people also.

It is always a little difficult for us to follow along in a Lutheran service but we were able to keep up in evangelical service.

In the message I heard something like “if we don’t forgive, we won’t be forgiven.” This is hard to swallow for most Christians.

A highlight for me was a greeting from a pastor’s young son and a girl of about the same age. Children are always good at welcoming strangers to their midst in church.

Thoughtfully, there were cups of grape juice along with the wine for Communion. Those who knew me before Christ claimed me would never believe I passed on any kind of alcohol.


Jan’s thoughts:

We were warmly welcomed, with members stopping to introduce themselves and welcome us throughout our visit.

The sanctuary is attractive with wood trim and a huge wooden cross in the front.

I was grateful the liturgy and the words to the songs were all displayed on the screens. The congregation sang all the music together but I was familiar with only the first song.

The pastor began his message by stating that the Gospel is not hard to keep…it is impossible. But Jesus lived the impossible life, loving His enemies and being kind to the evil and ungrateful. Therefore, when reading Scripture, we should always ask “Where is Jesus in this text?”

I appreciated being able to partake in Communion as well as being invited to join in the refreshments following worship.


Our prayer for this church:
Lord, we pray You will bless Your church with discernment that they may know Your direction. Amen.

LifePointe Alliance Church

Sunday, we worshiped at LifePointe Alliance Church, 997 Route 228, Mars, PA 16046, 724.776.9400, www.lifepointealliance.org, Rev. Joseph Toomey, Lead Pastor.

Scripture – Genesis 49:1-15 NIV

Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.

“Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it.

“Simeon and Levi are brothers— their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.

“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.

“Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon. “Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down among the sheep pens. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor.

Bob’s thoughts:

We were warmly greeted, engaged in conversation, and encouraged to get a great cup of coffee, something I next to never say drinking decaf.

The sun was too bright to open the curtain obscuring the stained-glass cross, but just knowing it was there was enough today.

I saw no directional signage when searching for a restroom, making it somewhat more challenging.

There was an altar call for prayer early in the service. I noted a woman who, when she came in, I sensed she needed prayer. After she went forward for prayer, I was convinced our prayers had been heard.

The pastor shared a “holy cow” moment: while at Chic-Fil-A on Valentine’s Day, the cow presented his son-in-law with an announcement that he will be a dad again.

The pastor’s passionate message was on Jacob’s blessing on his sons and presented the concept of positive and negative blessings. My wife’s job was recently outsourced and this negative has become a positive blessing. The message was delivered with enthusiasm and Scriptural references.

It is always a joy to worship and feel Christ’s presence not just in worship but in the church in general. I hope we do get to visit again soon.

Jan’s thoughts:

We arrived with enough time to look around and get some coffee. After finding seats in the hallway, we were welcomed by several folks who stopped to chat and introduce themselves. It was relaxed and welcoming.

Two projection screens service the large worship area and even from where we sat in the back, they were easily readable.

Worship began with contemporary songs, some of which were unfamiliar to me but were all well presented. The volume was perfect.

The pastor has been preaching through Genesis, and today he began with chapter 49 where Jacob blesses his sons.

He began by telling a heartwarming story about his father-in-law, who believed he was dying and called his family to his bedside on a particular day. They all came and took turns telling him how much he meant to them and how much they loved him. The pastor characterized it as a memorial service prior to the passing. It was a couple more weeks before the man actually passed, but the family has this special memory to hold on to. He explained this was similar to what was going on with Jacob and his sons, though in addition to bestowing blessings, Jacob also prophesied about each.

The oldest, Reuben, lost his birthright because he was not steadfast in his faith and because he slept with his step-mother. Simeon and Levi were judged due to their cruel anger and animal cruelty. Interestingly, much later, the tribe of Levi turned their anger instead toward Satan, so God redeemed their anger and made them the priestly tribe.

A side note about angry brothers: The disciples known as the Sons of Thunder, James and John, were known for their anger as well, but they were transformed by spending time with Christ. I view this as a clear indicator about how to deal with anger.

The pastor wound up the message talking about the tribe of Issachar, which Jacob stated was lazy. The pastor had strong words about laziness and about marijuana use, which has been shown to cause people to become withdrawn, lethargic, and apathetic. He prayed for the State of Pennsylvania, which is now considering legalizing marijuana.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray this congregation are good stewards and active in bringing other lost sheep into the fold. Amen.

Antioch Baptist Church

Today we worshiped at Antioch Baptist Church, 332 Elizabeth Street, Sewickley, PA 15143, 412.741.7688, www.antiochfwbaptistsewickley.org, Rev. Travis Coon, Pastor.

Scripture – KVJ

John 3:16 –

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Bob’s thoughts:

The severe cold that was going around last week caught up to us and we just couldn’t see interrupting a service with coughing and sharing a cold with a church.

We couldn’t get in the first two doors we tried and saw no outdoor signage as to what entrance would be unlocked.

I assume there were restrooms downstairs but saw no signage to indicate that.

We just got to church as the service was starting so we couldn’t gauge the greeting but from what we experienced later, I think we would have been welcomed.

Adding a hernia to battle wounds was forcing me to sit more than normal and when a member noticed my struggles, he was quick to assure me it was fine to sit.

There was a cross on the projection screen and the Communion table, so I had my focal point. At times the print on the screen was small with little contrast making some of it hard to read.

I enjoyed seeing some smiles from the choir, especially the woman who soloed on He Is Able, which I thought was a cool segue to Here I Am, Lord.

I was glad to hear the importance of the tithe to this congregation and pray the church also tithes. God will bless a tithing individual, family, or church.

I could not believe what the keyboardist got out of his instrument, I think more than it’s capable of, and he had a great voice also.

I enjoyed the two young ladies giving their history moment.

Jan’s thoughts:

By the time we found a parking place and an unlocked door, the service was barely underway so we were asked to wait in the back until the Scripture reading was completed then were able to find seats.

The music was led by an enthusiastic and talented keyboardist. The choir sat among the congregation except when they donned robes and sang marvelously together up front.

Two young women outlined the extraordinary lives and careers of Mary Winston Jackson and Rosetta Miller-Perry.

Everyone went to the center aisle and held hands during a congregational prayer and the closing prayer, which brought everyone together literally and figuratively.

The message focused on the depth and breadth of God’s love, that Jesus’ love is not based on circumstances and is unconditional. The pastor advised us to love unconditionally because tomorrow is not promised. Love is for giving – and forgiving.

Following worship, a number of people took the time to introduce themselves and welcome us.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray You will bless Your church. Let them be a powerful beacon where You have planted them. Amen.

Harmony-Zelienople United Methodist Church

Today we worshiped at Harmony-Zelienople United Methodist Church, 123 N. Pittsburgh Street, Zelienople, PA 16063, 724.452.7670, www.hzumc.org, Pastor Dan Owen.


Scripture – NIV

Mark 2:1-12 –

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”


Bob’s thoughts:

I met a woman in a local store. We talked for five minutes and she seemed to know me well, including some of my children, but I was drawing a blank. I thought she might have been part of the day care center here. When we saw it has been five years since our last visit, and a need to pick up a few things from our daughter nearby, it was an easy decision where to worship. The fun part was, I thought it was my choice.

There is a beautiful large round stained glass window with smaller panels to the side, above, and below to form a cross.

We received a friendly welcome from a number of people. We were pleased to be here for the commissioning of a mission team headed to Russia and appreciated the chance to talk to one of the young men after the service.

When the pastor started his message, I knew Whose choice it was for us to worship here today. God has used me in some miraculous healings, but it isn’t always the case. Twice He has let me know why there was no healing – once it was my son and once it was me. Christ answered my question through this message: sometimes the power to heal comes and goes, as the pastor referred to Luke 5:17: “And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.” The requirements are that God is willing and someone believes.


Jan’s thoughts:

We needed to be in the area this morning, so we decided to attend the 11:00 contemporary service here. I was relieved when the music we heard as we approached the building turned out to be rehearsal. Our grandtwins attended preschool here several years ago, so we already knew our way around from attending Christmas programs.

Several people welcomed us and one gentleman took time to share with us at length and introduce us to some other folks.

I enjoyed the sound of the praise team which consisted of three guitarists/vocalists, a keyboardist, and a drummer. The bulletin included offers of large print hymnals for the visually impaired, amplification units or a sign language interpreter to aid the hearing impaired, as well as who to see for earplugs if the music was too loud.

There is much going on here, including a mission trip to Russia this week and a men’s event in a couple of weeks with Pastor Ed Glover of Urban Impact as the keynote speaker. I was delighted to be there for the commissioning of the missionaries departing for Russia this Thursday.

The current sermon series is entitled Journey to the Cross…and Beyond and today’s installment was Part 4: The Healing of the Paralytic. The message began with a clip from the movie Son of God depicting this event and the pastor taught through each portion of the Scripture.

He stated that in verse 2, where it says that Jesus preached the word, as the Word, Jesus was preaching Himself. He then reminded the congregation, “When preachers talk too much about themselves (instead of Christ), their listeners should run.”

As he focused on healing, he said two things must be true for healing to happen: God must be willing and someone must be believing, pointing out that healing can sometimes come through the faith of others. Even when prayers are offered in faith, healing is not always granted, and this remains one of God’s mysteries.

At this point I thought it marvelous when the pastor invited questions from the congregation.

The pastor pointed out that Scripture states Jesus first forgave the man’s sins and then gave physical healing because “spiritual healing is way more important than physical healing.”

Stating he did not wish to “over-spiritualize,” he asked everyone to consider what might have become paralyzed in us that we would ask Jesus to heal. He focused on the areas of prayer, vocation, relationships, and witness for Christ, and prayer was offered for freedom from paralysis in any of these areas. I thought this was some good stuff.

This idea of paralysis is a new consideration for me, so I was pleased God had brought us here today.


Our prayer for this church:
Lord, we pray You will continue to bless Your church. Guide their mission endeavors that You be glorified. Amen.