PASTOR’S PEN

Get Wisdom!

Posted on Jan 9, 2025 by admin | General |

Life in our world is complicated. It’s complicated with all of our technology. But even without that, life is still incredibly complicated. First, it’s complicated because we experience such a wide variety of circumstances, many of which are complicated even more by evil. You see, our circumstances are often complex because it’s composed of people and people are so varied and different and complex. And all of this can be overwhelming and confounding. It’s overwhelming because this creates a complex array of emotions within us. It’s confounding because we either lack the knowledge, but even more, the know-how, and oftentimes, the will to do it.

When we find in ourselves these circumstances, what do we need? We need to know how to live God’s Way in God’s World. We need wisdom!

Let’s think about Wisdom. We as humans all have a great need from birth: Wisdom. Human beings, created in the image of God, have a sense of right and wrong that’s there, though sometimes we try really hard to explain it away or ignore it. So we need the moral instruction that God offers. We need our consciences formed by the Word of God and have a strong sense of right and wrong.

But human beings are not instinctual creatures. We need instruction. Not only on what God deems to be right and wrong, but on what the Bible calls wisdom. In our daily lives, we need more than rules. We need know-how. Ray Ortlund writes:

“Wisdom is more than brains. It is more than morals. We could memorize the whole Bible, and mean it from the heart, without wisdom. Wisdom is skill, expertise, competence that understands how life really works, how to achieve successful and even beautiful results.”

And how do we get wisdom? Again the Bible is clear. We need to seek God wholeheartedly! The Bible says:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God” (James 1:5). The wisdom that leads to true and lasting happiness is not natural or inborn. It is supernatural. It is a gift of God. Therefore, if we would “get wisdom,” we must pray. Again, the Bible says:

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom! (Proverbs 4:7)

Are you asking God?

Pastor Ryan Sarenpa

A Mother’s (and a Son’s) Love

Posted on May 10, 2024 by admin | General |

Your very first experience of love came at the expense of your mother. Your first 39 weeks of life came inside her body. You were growing and developing and as you did, it took a toll on your mom. In all likelihood, she was exhausted, especially at first. She was hungry, perhaps for some very peculiar foods. She was uncomfortable, especially as the months wore on. There were doctor appointments, not to mention the challenges of everyday life and many other things I can’t think of, that many of you certainly could tell me about. And this, all before the rigors and potential complications of labor and childbirth. This is the first experience of love that all of us had (and none of us can remember it).

And yet, this love that we received from our mothers was just beginning. Mothers, both natural and adoptive, love their children. There is no more helpless creature in the world than a baby, and they utterly rely on the sacrificial efforts of their caretakers for longer than almost every other living being. And as they grow, their needs only change, and mothers need to change to meet these needs. Mothers feed, mothers nurture, mothers heal, and mothers teach. And that’s only the beginning of what they do.

And all of this is intentionally designed by our all-wise creator and designer.

Love is the Greatest commandment, according to Jesus. The Bible tells us that the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love, and that love is the fulfillment of the law. Not only that, but when it comes to love, Jesus shows and tells.

First, Jesus tells: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.”

And then, at the Cross, Jesus shows. John, the Beloved Apostle who was there, wrote: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

The Cross of Christ is the greatest expression of love. Jesus laid down his life for you, taking the guilt of your sin so that you might become a new creation in him. Have you received this gift? Receiving comes by believing!

And the Cross of Christ is the pattern we follow to put love into practice. Listening to people, truly listening – especially to people who are hurting, confused, lost or lonely requires sacrifice. Being present with people requires sacrifice. Helping hurts, making meals, helping with homework, disciplining and discipling, driving to games and discussing difficult subjects, all take sacrifice.

Pastor Ryan Sarenpa

God is Good, All the Time!

Wisdom on Display

Posted on Jan 15, 2024 by admin | General |

Everyone’s looking for a game-changer. NFL teams (some more than others) are looking for a game-changing quarterback – someone who can run like Walter Payton, throw like Dan Marino, think like Albert Einstein, and lead like Alexander the Great. The teams that find a game-changer at quarterback are practically guaranteed instant success.

Everyone’s looking for a game-changer. It’s not just football, and it’s not just sports. The desire for a game-changer invades just about every sphere of American Life. We want game-changers in the business world, in the entertainment world, in the educational world, and in our personal worlds. The demand for gifted and talented, powerful and pretty, charismatic and energetic leaders are longed for. And in this election year, we Americans are especially hoping for a game-changer in the political world. We’re looking for someone who can put it all together and make it happen in just the way we’re hoping for with just the desired results.

2000 years ago, the Jewish people who lived in Palestine were hoping for just the same thing. And they had good reason to. The Bible, God’s Holy Word, had foretold that just such a man would come. He would be the ultimate game changer, restoring them to their property in the promised land bringing peace and power and prosperity to God’s People. You may have heard what this ultimate game changer was called: The Messiah. We Americans use that word from time-to-time. Usually, it’s tongue-in-cheek. But we Americans ultimately would define a Messiah in the same way as I just did when I talked about a “game-changer.” It’s a person with the power to produce positive and productive change for the better, usually an ideal that we hold personally or in a community.

But it wasn’t just the Jews who were looking for the Messiah. In the Bible, we read about the story of what we traditionally call, “The Wise Men.” They had seen the signs, and they made a long journey to meet the Messiah. And when they did, they weren’t merely relieved – they were overjoyed! That’s what I’d like to call, Wisdom on Display. Think about what the wise men were willing to do. They made a long journey, at great expense and even greater risk, with an uncertain result – all to meet the Messiah.

Why? Because there’s only one messiah that can deliver what Jesus does: the forgiveness of sin and everlasting life. He’s the true game changer. Do you believe it? That’s what wisdom looks like.

Pastor Ryan Sarenpa

Warren Covenant Church

That’s No Fish Story

Posted on Jul 28, 2023 by admin | pastors pen |

I like to go fishing. And the most enduring memories I have is when I have caught some BIG
fish! In fact, I’ve got pictures!………at least I think I do. (Somewhere, I know I have pictures!)
Over the years, I’ve caught two good size tiger muskies, several large northerns, and a decent
number of good size Largemouth Bass – not to mention some jumbo panfish.

There’s nothing like hooking into a big fish – the battle with the mysterious monster as it dives
deeper, the tension of keeping the fish hooked without breaking the line, and the excitement as
the fish is pulled in close and you get a glimpse, and the exhilaration when the lunker is landed.
Oh, there’s nothing like it! And the only thing that might be actually better is the joy of telling the
story. And for all you non-fisherpeople out there, that is exactly why we fisherpeople love fish
stories! And so it should be no wonder that the size of the fish tends to grow with the number of
times we tell the stories.

And that’s where we get the proverbial phrase, “That sounds like a fish story!” To translate:
“That story sounds exaggerated at best, and pure fiction at worst.”

Let me clearly proclaim: The Book of Jonah is no fish story. Along with Noah and the Ark, the
story of the prophet Jonah in the Bible is perhaps the book most commonly produced as a
children’s book, complete with illustrations. And over the course of history, it’s one of the most
commonly doubted stories of the Bible. The tale of the reluctant prophet and his 3 night stay in
the belly of the fish has produced endless speculation as well as skepticism.

But according to Jesus, it was no fish story at all. Not only did Jesus regard the tale of Jonah as
a historical reality, he regarded it as a precursor that pointed to the greatest moment in history –
his own resurrection.

History tells us that the blubber of whales produced oils for 18th century lamps to light up dark
places. Thousands of these mammals were hunted, making some very wealthy. But their value
pales in comparison to the treasure that we have in the Biblical book of Jonah. The truth that
we can harvest from it produces eternal results and present profit for our walk with God. Join us
as I preach through this little book that is packed with wisdom.

Your Partner in the Gospel,
Pastor Ryan Sarenpa
God is Good, All the Time!