From the Pastor – “The Greatest Super Bowl Ever”
February 4, 2012 - 22:00 | by adminThis year’s Super Bowl game is on February 5th. It might be a great game. Then again it might not be. It is the rematch of what some claim is the greatest Super Bowl ever, Super Bowl XLII that the Giants won 17 to 14 over the precious undefeated Patriots.
Over the years the Super Bowl has become famous for the commercials. Last year’s VW commercial called “The Force” featuring a little boy dressed up as Darth Vader was one the best in recent years. The 1984 Apple commercial that introduced the Macintosh computer is considered the best Super Bowl commercial of all time. This year we are being warned that some of the commercials may not be suitable for everyone in the family to watch. So it may be ok to take a break from the game during the commercials.
While the Super Bowl generates a lot of hype and excitement, it is only a game. Last year’s winners will be watching the game from the sidelines or on their TV sets. By the time the game is over, the Packers will be past Super Bowl champs.
The Greatest Super Bowl ever was not a game. It was a battle for the souls of all men, women and children who will ever live. The battle didn’t take place on a football field. It took place on a cross on a hillside outside of Jerusalem. There were no commercial interruptions or half time shows. But a tremendous price was paid that day when Jesus, the Son of God, paid the price for the sins of the world. The price was Jesus’ blood and His innocent suffering and death. It looked like the battle was over when Jesus' dead body was taken down from the cross and placed in the tomb. But that was not the end of the story.
If we were to use a Football analogy, God still had a challenge flag to throw. Upon further review it was determined with indisputable evidence on Easter Sunday morning that Jesus had risen from the dead. Sin, death and Satan had been defeated. Jesus won the greatest victory ever. He died and rose once and for all. Jesus fulfilled His mission.
It doesn’t really matter whether or not you watch the Super Bowl this year. It doesn’t even matter if the game is good or not, if the commercials are worth watching or not, or whether the Giants or the Patriots win. What does matter is that Jesus won the ultimate victory on the cross. The Empty Tomb is proof. What also matters is if you believe in Jesus, confess Him as your Lord and Savior, and follow Him.
Let me invite you to join us on Wednesday evenings, beginning on Ash Wednesday, February 22nd, as we join Jesus on the Road to Jerusalem. It is a road worth taking. It is the road that Jesus took to give us forgiveness and life.
Enjoy the game on the 5th. And enjoy the forgiveness and freedom that you have in Christ.
Larry Courson, Pastor of Peace
From the Pastor – “2012 Predictions”
January 7, 2012 - 18:34 | by adminTwo things happen at the start of every New Year. Some people make predictions. (Does anyone ever go back to see how many, if any, of those predictions came true?) So let me make my predictions for 2012.
- A presidential candidate will ask if you are better off today than you were four years ago. (I think someone has already asked that.)
- Someone will predict the end of the world. (That’s already happened, too.)
- Some unpredicted things will happen. (Everyone knows that.)
The truth is no one can predict the future. Only God knows what the future will bring. One thing we can know for sure, nothing in 2012 will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The second thing that happens at the start of the year is that some people will make New Year’s Resolutions. I don’t make resolutions because I am constantly setting new goals that I want to reach. But I know a lot of people who do make resolutions. I know that I will see more people working out at the fitness center in early January than any other time of the year. I also know it doesn’t take long for most of these people to stop working out.
But that doesn’t mean that a New Year isn’t a good time for a New Beginning. Peace is giving you the opportunity to make a new beginning in 2012.
- If you want to improve your spiritual health and take positive steps in becoming the person you want to be and God created you to be, attend the worship services beginning January 15th. That’s when we will begin a series of messages based on John Ortberg’s book, “The Me I Want To Be.”
- If you want to learn more about the Christian faith or review the basic teachings of the Christian faith, come to the Sunday morning Adult Bible study that meets at 9:45 beginning on January 15th. I will be leading a series of classes called “Christianity 101.” These classes are also ideal for anyone who is thinking about joining Peace.
The Good News is that God is the one who makes all things new. He gives us His Word and Spirit and places us in a community of faith to help us become all that He intends for us to be. So even if you are like me and don’t make resolutions, I hope you will consider joining us in the New Year. Thanks for being part of the community of faith we call Peace.
God’s Peace to all of you in 2012
Larry Courson, Pastor of Peace
From the Pastor - You know it’s Christmas when....
December 5, 2011 - 21:15 | by adminYou know it’s Christmas when....
- · Radio stations start playing Christmas music 24/7
- · You put up your Christmas decorations
- · There are Salvation Army kettles and bell ringers at the stores
- · There is a decorated tree in your house
- · You start seeing Christmas lights in your neighborhood
- · The malls have Santa chairs and Santa Elves
- · You sing Christmas carols when you’re alone in the car
- · You start seeing “Happy Holidays” and “Merry Xmas” signs
But do these things really mean Christmas?
What is Christmas really all about?
While the music and decorations can be enjoyable, they don’t make Christmas. I doubt if there were any decorations around the manger when Jesus was born. The only music that was heard was the sound of the angels giving glory to God, not welcoming Santa Claus to town or dreaming of a White Christmas. I’m sure there wasn’t any snow in Bethlehem the night Jesus was born.
Christmas is not about presents, but about presence. Christmas is the Good News that God is present in our world, that God’s Son entered our world for us. Jesus is the Son of God who came to rescue us from sin and death to give us forgiveness and life. Christmas is the Good News that God loves us and wants to restore us to His family.
Christmas is more than just another holiday or an excuse to buy and give presents. Christmas is the holy day that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the greatest gift of all. Christmas would lose its meaning without Christ. That is why we celebrate Christmas, not “Xmas.”
Christmas would also lose its meaning without the rest of the story. Jesus didn’t stay in the manger. It couldn’t hold him. 33 years after the first Christmas, Jesus was nailed to a cross. But it couldn’t hold him either. When Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb, the tomb couldn’t hold him either. Jesus rose from the dead on Easter morning, victorious over sin and death.
Jesus is alive and wants to live in us. Christmas is Christmas when we receive the gift of God’s Son, believe that Jesus is our Savior and introduce other people to Jesus. After all, He is God’s Christmas gift to us all. He is the joy of the world, the Prince of Peace.
Merry Christmas to all!
Larry Courson
Pastor of Peace
From the Pastor – “Happy Endings”
November 8, 2011 - 22:52 | by adminIf my guess is correct, most of you are like me. You like movies, books and TV shows with happy endings. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer action movies, dramas, animations or romantic comedies, you want a happy ending. Whether it’s the aliens being blown up in “Independence Days” or Woody and the gang being rescued in “Toy Story,” we like it when things work out the way we want. And we are disappointed when they don’t.
Most of us know that life doesn’t always give us a “happy ending,” at least not from our limited perspective. We can’t or don’t always see the big picture. Sometimes it is hard to step back from the tough things going on in our lives to see how everything will work out. And sometimes we don’t think things will ever work out the way we want.
But God gives us a promise in Romans 8:28, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This verse doesn’t say that everything works for the good. It does say that God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called by Him. There is a big difference.
When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers (Genesis 37), he must have thought the world had come crashing down upon him. But God used that as the first in a whole series of events to put Joseph in a position to save his family. Joseph realized that when he told his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20) Talk about a happy ending!
My Mom was diagnosed with cancer in late August or early September of 1976. My Dad was someone who went to church when he wasn’t working on Sundays, but didn’t seem to me to have a strong faith. Dad had two choices after Mom was diagnosed. He could get angry with God or turn to God for help. Fortunately my Dad took the second path and became a man of prayer. His faith came alive. About a year later when Dad had a major heart attack, he had the faith to face it. Dad died of cancer in November of 1978. But he died in faith. Even though I wish my Dad would have lived longer, knowing that He is in Heaven with the Lord is definitely a happy ending.
Some of the keys to a happy ending are to trust God, allowing Him to work, and giving Him “Thanks” for working things out for our good because He loves us and calls us to be His own. November is “Thanksgiving” month. You may not feel very thankful right now, but you can put your trust in Him. I Chronicles 16:34 tells us, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Because God’s love for us lasts forever, we know that we will have a happy ending at the end of our lives, a happy ending that is really a new beginning.
So if you’re going through a tough time right now, remember God is working for the ultimate good in your life. If things are going well for you right now, remember to thank God because every good gift comes from God. By the way, if you want to see a movie with a “Happy Ending,” go see the movie “Mighty Macs.”
Larry Courson
From the Pastor – “Lots to Celebrate”
October 3, 2011 - 22:10 | by adminDo you realize that we have a lot to celebrate this October? We do! Not only is fall in Michigan a great time of the year, but October gives us a number of reasons to celebrate.
If you are a sports fan, this October is special. Going into October the Detroit Lions are undefeated, the Detroit Tigers won their division and are in the playoffs. Both Michigan and Michigan State football team seasons are off to a good start. The first ever Peace T-Ball league is a great success with 34 different players on 4 very colorful teams that conclude play on October 8th.
If you love nature, the Fall Colors are starting to make their appearance. This is a great time of the year for a walk in the park, especially without all the mosquitoes we had this past summer. The Fall Harvest and all of the festivals associated with it are underway. There is nothing quite like a great tasting apple picked fresh from the tree, unless of course it is great tasting homemade apple pie!
If you are into celebrations, you can be part of the Peace Fall Festival on October 8th. This should be a special time of fun for all the members of the family. Kids can even go “Trunk or Treating” without having to have their candy inspected before they get to eat it. That doesn’t mean that parents won’t need to slow down the rate of consumption.
If you are looking for hope, the Reformation Celebration is a reminder of the great hope we have in the Lord. The Reformation was an effort to restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the heart of the Christian faith and teaching. Many people had lost hope because the Roman Catholic Church before the time of the Reformation had replaced the faith with rules, rituals and regulations. The Reformation is the restoration of the great truths that we are restored to God’s family only through faith in Jesus Christ, which is the complete 100% gift of God. This truth and faith is revealed in the Bible, God’s inspired Word. God’s love and forgiveness always gives us a reason to celebrate.
Enjoy the celebration. Or as the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:4,
“Rejoice in the Lord, always.”
Pastor Larry Courson
From the Pastor. . . . “The Lock Out Is Over”
September 3, 2011 - 16:43 | by adminThe day the NFL team owners and players association resolved their labor dispute, NFL fans around the country were happy. The NFL is back. The regular season will start on time. Fans will have something to do on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights again this September. If you listened to any sports talk shows on radio or TV, you know that many fans were afraid the season wouldn’t start on time. They were afraid the players and owners would never reach an agreement. But they did.
Some people look around our nation and our world today and think that our problems will never be resolved. They are afraid that things will never get better, that they will only get worse. Since I am not a Prophet, I cannot predict the future. I don’t know what the future holds for our nation. God has certainly blessed our nation in the past. He can in the future. But that doesn’t mean that He has to.
So how do we face all of this uncertainty? You can try to escape into the wonderful world of football, but that will only give you a short distraction. You can listen to the advice of the “Talking Heads” who say buy gold, build up a year’s supply of food in your house, or make sure that candidates that represent your particular political and economic point of view are elected. I guess these things are ok. But I’m not sure they will work.
The one thing we all need to do in troubled times is put our trust in the Lord God. After all, God created us and gives us life. He provides us with all that we need, even if we don’t have everything we want. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, entered our world to rescue us from sin and restore us to God’s family. The Holy Spirit calls us to faith in God’s promises and guides us through life if we let Him.
We can trust God because He is always on the job. He is the 24 – 7 – 365 God. Psalm 121:4 tells us, “He (God) who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” God wants us to trust Him with all of the cares and concerns we have in life. Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples wrote, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) Even though the future is a big unknown, we don’t need to be afraid, because God loves us. Remember what John, another disciple of Jesus’ disciples wrote, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.” (1 John 4:18)
I can’t guarantee that the Detroit Lions will make the playoffs or even have a winning season. I can’t promise that our political and economic leaders will turn our nation’s economy around. But I do know that God is always with us, that he cares for us, and that His plans for us are the best. So don’t lock Him out of your life. Open yourself up to Him. You can count on Him.
Larry Courson
Pastor of Peace