admin, Author at Warren Covenant Church

THEREFORE

Posted on Jan 22, 2023 by admin in pastors pen |

THEREFORE

In 1954, the psychologist James Olds made a few ordinary rats the happiest rodents that had
ever lived. How?

He had directly wired an electrode into the rats’ brains, plugging into the septal area. The rats
seemed to enjoy it, so Olds gave them a lever: when pushed, it would turn on the electrode. The
rats quickly learned how it worked, and they had a fantastic time with it. Some of the rats would
giddily push the lever 2,000 times per hour for 24 hours straight.

Recently, scientists began to apply this research to human beings. Through non-invasive
means, they have found how to stimulate this region of our brains. How? It happens through
the presence (or simulated presence) of another person and the sounds of their movement and
voice. It requires an “emotional element,” which leaves the viewer feeling “safe, and warm, and
loved.”

Good News! Long before researchers discovered this, God the Grand Designer provided it.
How? That’s the Message of the Bible, summarized in the book of Romans.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ
died for us.” (Romans 5:8, New International Version)

In other words, the power for Christian living comes from the Mercy of our Maker. It’s the source
of strength for living the life God has designed for you and me. And this design is described in
Romans chapter 12. I call it the great THEREFORE. This comes from the first few words of
verse 1:

“THEREFORE, in view of God’s mercy….”

Romans chapter 12 goes on to summarize what God’s design entails. In other words, what
does God’s great love produce? It’s nothing mysterious, nothing magical. In fact, it’s both
logical and intuitive. In a word, Love. Great love begets great love. It’s what empowers us to
fulfill what Jesus called the Great Commandment taught to us by Jesus:

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Luke 10:27)

What does it mean to be a Christian? Ask anyone you meet, and you’ll probably get a different
answer every time. But God gives us an answer in one chapter: Romans 12.

For the first four weeks of 2023, we are learning so that we might live into God’s purpose and be
a part of his grand plan in my sermon series entitled, THEREFORE!

Pastor Ryan

Unless the Lord Builds the House

Posted on Sep 7, 2022 by admin in pastors pen |

“Because I said so.”

That’s a phrase that you’ve heard – and that you might have used. As a son and as a father, I’ve
been on both ends of that expression. In all likelihood, “because I said so” ended the
conversation. Sometimes it’s necessary, perhaps because the situation is urgent or time is
short. But often it creates frustration and even misunderstanding. And in parenting, it’s a
missed opportunity in explaining to a child how and why to make good, solid choices. And,
even more importantly, it’s a missed opportunity to build trust.

God, as our all-wise Creator, has the absolute right to use this phrase. But the fact of the matter
is, he often takes the time to explain. The Good News is that our Heavenly Father wants us to
know why. Even more important, our Heavenly Father wants us to trust him, and so he gives
his children a thorough explanation in his Word, the Bible.

God wants his household of faith to be built on a solid foundation.

The church is often called a “community of faith.” This very title presupposes that everyone who
participates is a person of faith. As Christians, we have faith in many different things: That God
exists, that God hears and answers prayer, that there is a reason for evil and suffering, that the
Bible is true and trustworthy, and that life has purpose and meaning.
However, to be human means to have doubts. Faith can be shaken. In fact, doubt often
coexists alongside faith. That is, we have reasons to believe and reasons to doubt the very
same thing.

In his book, Reaching for the Invisible God, Philip Yancey writes: “The church at its best
prepares a safe and secure space that belief may one day fill; we need not bring fully formed
belief to the door, as a ticket for admission.” Jesus himself honored the faith of everyone who
asked, from the bold centurion to doubting Thomas, healing a man who brought his son to him
and said, “I do believe! Help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

Come and join us as we as a community of faith seek greater understanding. All are welcome –
and it’s safe to ask all your questions!

“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)

Pastor Ryan
Seeking Jesus, Serving Others

The Good Life

Posted on Jul 19, 2022 by admin in pastors pen |

Having moved here to Warren in February 2020, last year’s Marshall County Fair was the first that the Sarenpa family experienced. What fun! It started with a parade and a bag full of candy, and proceeded to four days of freedom, friends, food, games, music, and rides, rides, and MORE RIDES! Life was good, and the kids were living the good life! They wished those days would never end.

Perhaps you’ve seen, or even have one of those t-shirts that says, Life is Good. And perhaps you’ve never thought about it from God’s perspective. The Bible tells us that God when created everything, including all different kinds of life, he declared that it was Good – and human life, which God created in his very own image, was Very Good. While Heaven is the eternal hope of all Christians, that doesn’t mean life on earth is bad. Heaven is simply described as “far better.” But still, here on earth, life is good.

So how do we live the good life? What is that, really? Is it summers at the lake and winters in Phoenix or Florida? Well, God tells us that we can have it, no matter where we are, no matter what season we’re in. In the book of Psalms in the Bible, it says:

“Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

In other words living the good life means doing good – because life is good!

Enjoy your time at the Marshall County Fair, and please come to the Worship Service in the Grandstand! It begins at 9:30. See you then!

-Pastor Ryan Sarenpa, Warren Covenant Church

Written In Stone

Posted on Jan 22, 2022 by admin in pastors pen |

“It’s not written in stone.”

We’ve all heard – or perhaps even used – the phrase. It’s used to communicate the fact that something – usually a rule or a policy – isn’t permanent. But we might also find ourselves saying this: “Nothing’s Permanent.” It’s true that a lot of things change. Look at any of the old pictures of Warren, and most of the time you’ll see things that aren’t around anymore. Change is going on all the time, so it’s understandable that we use that aphorism.

But is that true? Does everything change? How about good and evil, right and wrong?

In the past few years it seems that our common perceptions of morality have particularly become a subject of debate. For example, there’s been the movement across social media called “Shout Your Abortion” that celebrates and affirms women who have undergone this procedure.

The fact of the matter is that the exponential growth of information and technology, coupled with the philosophy that all of our ethics are a product of culture has created a mass of confusion. Many of us feel this deeply. How can we know what is truly right and wrong?

The Good News is that there is something we can rely on. There is something by which we can make our moral choices that is not only clear, but compelling. And it’s nothing new! It’s been revealed to mankind for nearly 3000 years. It’s been a source of instruction and inspiration to millions of people. It’s the foundation of justice for both individuals and communities, states and nations. And they were written in stone. What is it?

It’s the Ten Commandments.

Beginning on Sunday, January 30th, I will be preaching on the meaning, the purpose, and the hope of these 10 “words” that God spoke directly to the liberated tribes of Israel. These words were not only intended for them, but for all of us.

Join us for worship as we gather, in-person and online every Sunday morning.

Your Partner in the Gospel,

Pastor Ryan

God is Good, All the Time!

Suppers with the Savior

Posted on Sep 10, 2021 by admin in pastors pen |

One of the simplest, and greatest joys in life is experienced in a very common way: eating together. And getting together over a shared meal with time to spare is even better. I don’t know about you, but I have many great memories of the dinner table. At home as a boy, with our extended family at holidays, romantic dinners with my wife-to-be, lunch meetings with parishioners, church potlucks, and even meals in the field as a soldier. These memories stick because good things happened over good (and even not-so-good) food.

In the Bible, lots of good things happened during mealtimes – especially in the life of Jesus. The gospel of Luke alone records at least 10 instances of Jesus eating with others. Around the table, people experienced the joy and love of Jesus, the compassionate correction of Jesus, the forgiveness of Jesus, the leadership of Jesus, and the powerful, life-giving sacrificial power of Jesus. Eyes were opened and hearts were changed. Lots of good things happened around the table!

And good things still happen around the table when we practice hospitality and eat together. The Barna Group’s research shows that one of the strongest factors for passing on our faith to our children is the regular practice of hospitality. Amazing! Why would that be? Here’s a few reasons:

Hospitality reinforces family integrity. While we often “put on our best” when guests come for dinner, hospitality compels us to open our homes. It says, “This is who we are.”
Hospitality teaches the joy of service. There’s something about serving a well-cooked meal to others that make serving fun. There’s nothing quite like delighting someone else with a good meal.
Hospitality fosters conversation. Eating together puts us face-to-face. In this day of technology and all of its convenience we can lose the skills of listening and talking together.
Hospitality is a great opportunity to share our faith. Serving a meal is a tangible expression of love – of culinary talent and treasure, and personal time. Luke tells us that as Jesus ate with his disciples following his resurrection, he was “made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” And that was just a start – thousands of people have been introduced to Christ since then.

The Bible says: “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 37:8). Now that’s hospitality!

Join us here at Warren Covenant Church as we begin our new Fall Sermon Series, Suppers with the Savior. See you soon!

Pastor Ryan

God is Good, All the Time!