A perspective of hope

There is so much pain in our world..

The tragedy that surrounds the wildfires in Hawaii is so great that it is difficult to comprehend. Canada is also facing it's own horrendous battle and devastating losses. There is war in Ukraine and rumors of war surround us. We are witnessing storms. People are battling homelessness, and I have friends and family that are in the hospital facing difficult illnesses.

It can be hard to find reasons to celebrate or give thanks. In our scripture passage this week, we are retuning to the book of Nehemiah. The people living in that time had every reason focus on the pain in their lives. There was talk of warfare, and their enemies were ridiculing their work. Life came with so many burdens, and it would have been very hard to let go of the harsh realities of the world. 

Nehemiah tried to change the people's perspective. He gave them a reason to focus on the Good News that was also present in their lives. They read from the scriptures. They took time to appreciate all the work they had done, and they gave thanks for God's work in their lives. 

I believe Christ wants each of us to look at the world with a fresh perspective. Jesus was always able to see a bigger picture. Many of us, like the early disciples, can easily get bogged down by the difficulties we face. I think God wants us to stay rooted in reality, but we also have to have faith that God's Love is always going to win.

Last Saturday, my youngest son celebrated his 5th birthday. It wound up being a birthday in the rain with all the weather we faced. However, my son had a blast. There was so much excitement and love that surrounded the moment, and he enjoyed every bit of it. Sometimes things do not go as planned, but if we take time to experience the blessings, God's Love surrounds us. 

Today I hope each of you can take time to love. Let's not become so overwhelmed that we forget the blessings that surround us. God is present in each of our lives. Let's experience the grace and peace of Christ everyday.

Blessings,

Brian Ward

Believing in the good

Have you ever felt successful?

Have you taken time to reflect on the work you have done?

Perhaps you built or fixed something. Maybe you climbed to the top of a mountain or achieved a goal at work. I hope you are taking time to celebrate your accomplishments. I think it's important to strive to do our best and set goals for our own growth and improvement. 

Right now I am making lists for the fall. I am looking at camping retreats, youth and family nights, Trunk or Treat, and even Christmas events. In our sermon series, we are looking at the prophet Nehemiah. This Old Testament prophet worked hard to achieve his goals. He was a governor of Jerusalem and his city was in ruins. He needed to create a plan for change. He utilized prayer and determination to achieve all the goals he had for his city. However, it didn't take long for others to criticize him. He was doing everything he could, but people were always pointing out the problems. 

When you are reflecting on your day, do you spend more time looking at the good, or do you see the difficulties?

Personally, I feel like it is easy to look at all the imperfections. There are always people who want to drag us down. Many times these people don't know how to deal with their own feelings of defeat, so they push it onto others. 

The book of Nehemiah tells us to focus on the good that we can create in the world. Instead of dwelling what other people think, we can share God's love. Instead of being a community that pushes others down, we can be a church that celebrates the accomplishments of others. 

Today I hope you can all reflect on God's Love. God does not see you as a failure. God sees you as full of potential. Instead of worrying about how other people may see you, let's take time to live in the hope that God provides.

Blessings!

Brian Ward

Rise up from the ashes

 When was the last time you had to start over from scratch?

When I was in college, there was a big end of the year project that disappeared off of my computer. This was going to count for a huge percentage of my grade, and I became so stressed out about it that I felt sick. I can't remember if I accidentally deleted the file or if a server went down, but I was a mess! I think I spent more time trying to recover that file than it would have taken to rewrite the whole thing. I needed a long time just to acknowledge that my previous work was gone. Then I began again... It all worked out, but I was not happy about it.

Today, I still hate the idea of having to start over. I will hold to old plans that I should have let go of a long time ago, because it feels scary to start over from scratch. 

Is there something that you need to let go of?

Perhaps you can't imagine starting a new career, moving to a new home, or living life without a loved one that you recently lost. New beginnings are hard... However, the Bible teaches us that we are people of the resurrection. We are people that are being transformed everyday by the Holy Spirit. There are times when life is going to fall apart. In those moments, we are going to need time to grieve, but we also have to have faith. There is New Life rising up from the ashes.

We are beginning a Sermon Series at CLC next week that is diving into the book of Nehemiah in the Bible. Nehemiah was written at a time when Israel needed to believe in a fresh start. The people had lost a terrible battle, and many of them had been dragged into slavery. They were living in a foreign country, and a generation of people had come and gone. It seemed like there was nothing left for the people of God. However, Nehemiah tells a story of faith. The people are told to believe that they can rise up and find a new path forward. 

Today, God is continues to call us into a new story. There are things we all need to let go. It is my prayer that we could all trust that God is in control. When we feel lost and uncertain about the future, believe that God is creating something new. God has not forgotten or forsaken you. Believe that you are loved!

Blessings!

Brian Ward

Renewal and the Holy Spirit

Last week, I returned from a vacation to Minnesota with my family. It was amazing! My kids got to spend plenty of time with their cousins and grandparents. We went fishing on a lake, and we picked black raspberries in the woods. The previous year, all our vacation plans were flipped upside down when we got Covid-19 right before we were supposed to leave. That trip wound up being cut down to a long weekend, and it made this year feel like such a blessing. We were able to cherish every drop, and we returned home feeling like we all had a new experience of love...

God's Love is an amazing gift. Christ sacrificed everything for us, and God wants you live in these blessings. Do you ever think about this kind of love? Personally, I spend way too much time looking at my own failures. I focus on all the things people don't like about me, and sometimes that can leave me feeling like God is good, but I am not...

Philippians 1:6 says:

    He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

God wants us to be transformed by love. We are called to focus on the blessings that are given to us. As much as I love my calling as a Pastor, I also need time to get away. I need time with my family, and we need time to remind ourselves of the love that is always present. This is my hope for all of you. Even if you can't get out of town this year, I hope you can be intentional about looking for God's Blessings. You are loved. Your failures do not define you or own you. May you live in God's Love.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

Mission and the Holy Spirit

It is June in Las Vegas, and it feels like summer at CLC! I am preparing for Vacation Bible School, and I just got back from a mission trip with the youth group. It is a wonderful season, and I am truly blessed to be a part of this journey!

As much as I love this time, it is also an easy time to become overwhelmed. There are so many things on my to do list. I feel like I have been constantly recruiting volunteers, preparing lesson plans, and finding decorations and craft supplies. So when I finally left town last week to go to Long Beach, I was a little anxious about all the projects I was still working on. However, there was a time when I realized I was a part of something special. I let go of all the concerns, and I was able to trust that the Spirit was moving. As soon as we left town, the kids on the mission trip immediately started building new relationships. They spent the week working incredibly hard, and their work changed lives. Whether we were scrubbing, sorting, or painting, they saw God in these incredible moments. 

There are times we look for reasons to be anxious. It can be easy to get lost in all the problems, and we can feel annoyed by ordinary tasks. I love when we can take time to wait and watch for the Holy Spirit. God is present in every moment. I hope we can all make room for all that Christ doing today!

Blessings!

Brian

Summer Fun!

Are you ready for summer?

I have been scrambling over the last few weeks to prepare all the summer activities coming up at CLC. The Youth Group is packing right now for our mission trip to Long Beach, California. This is a great opportunity for the kids to serve others and build new relationships. I have always found these trips to be incredibly rewarding, and I can't wait to see what God is going to do this time. 

Once the youth are back home, it will be time to dive into Vacation Bible School. This is usually our biggest event in Children's Ministry, and it reaches out to kids in our church and in the greater community. It is another opportunity to share God's Love in new and exciting ways. 

I love watching God's Spirit move in and among us. However, as I prepare to lead each of these activities, I'll admit that I've been feeling more than a little stressed. I am busy securing van rentals, organizing volunteers, preparing craft projects, writing devotions, and a host of other things. It takes a lot to get these projects moving!

I was working through some of these details last weekend, when my wife asked what I wanted to do for Memorial Day. I had been so busy I hadn't really thought that much about it. We thought about going on a hike, but I didn't know if I could get away, and her back had been bothering her. However, when we woke up on Monday, the weather looked so beautiful we decided we couldn't stay home. We decided to go on a little hike with the kids up to Big Falls, near Mount Charleston. It turned out to be exactly what we all needed. The boys loved marching though the creek and sliding down the snow. The air was refreshing, and we left feeling inspired. Besides all of that, water was actually flowing over the falls. (That doesn't happen all that frequently!)

Sometimes we have to take a breath and remember that God is with us today. It is fun to prepare for the big events, but we need to take time for the blessings along the way. Today I hope you can all experience the Holy Spirit moving in your lives. I hope you all take time to cherish this!

Blessings, and here are a few pics from our hike! 

The Season of Easter

Happy Easter!

In the church, Easter does not just last one day. We celebrate the resurrection for seven weeks. Unfortunately, I think many of us have moved on. The joy of Easter is wonderful, but we have lives to live. It is really hard to keep ourselves spiritually centered on the Good News. God offers us every good gift... but sometimes it is amazing how quickly these gifts can be forgotten.

Are you still in tune with God's work?

I know last year, my family was dealing with Covid-19 and other viruses. We were feeling kind of down after canceling our second attempt at a vacation. However, we did get away for about five days to Sequoia National Park. Recently my kids were reminiscing about that trip. They remembered hiking through the trees and swimming in the creeks. Looking back, we couldn't believe the trip was so short. We really enjoyed every moment together, and it was so important for us as a family. We really just needed to intentionally create some space to receive God's blessings. Instead of feeling frustrated that our plans kept falling apart, we made the most of the time we had. We found a way to connect to the gifts that God was providing.

I think God is calling to us everyday. Miracles are happening, and we can look to the scriptures to see all the promises God has in store for us. Christ is alive! What is it going to take for us to see this? My encouragement is for you to take a moment each day to open your heart. God is always with us. It does not matter if we are living with joy or with sorrow, God is present. Let us take a breath and remember that.

Blessings!

Brian