Not Alone

contributed by:

Staci Overbeck

Ministry Assistant to Adult:Life

"As we grow grand, Amy, the world around us often diminishes in size.  I have known people who have almost disappeared before my very eyes." - Aunt March (Little Women - The Musical)

Do you ever wonder if God feels the same way about us?  I mean, He is perfect.  He is sinless.  How could He possibly relate to those of us who are imperfect and sinful?  The answer is - Jesus.

Ultimate Encounter

contributed by:

Becky Johnson

Women's:Life Director

Pain… one thing never searched for but found anyway. It can be found in choices made by us or others…at times, it simply finds us. Yet encounters with Jesus heal our pain.

My Toes Hurt

contributed by:

Becky Johnson

Women's:Life Director

If you were fortunate enough to hear the message at church this past Sunday, then your toes may be hurting just as mine are! Spiritual Formation Pastor, Tyler Ward, started by sharing his prayer with us which was that our “toes would feel a little stepped on” as his had been in his message preparation. My toes were stepped on and thank goodness they were!

How Awesome is your God?

contributed by:
Ron Klopfenstein
Men's:Life Director

We live in an age where in many ways God has been diminished.  We hear Him referred to as “The man upstairs” or “The big guy” or we use phases like OMG without recognizing how that diminishes and degrades Him.

Do It God's Way

contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
Communications & Missions Pastor


Children are a blessing. But let's be honest, they have their moments. Like, for instance, when my eight-year-old is supposed to be going to sleep, but is shining a flashlight (by the way, how'd she even get a flashlight?!) in her big sister's eyes. Or when my five-year-old son keeps barging into his sisters' room after repeated (and very animated, I might add) requests not to. Please tell me we're not the only family to experience this! 

GOD > everything else

contributed by:

Tyler Ward

Spiritual Formation Pastor

 

This past weekend, Pastor Ron talked about one of my favorite stories in the Bible. It's a story about one of my favorite people in the Bible - a guy named Elijah. I like him because his life inspires me…it reveals to me how profoundly God can use us when we walk closely with him and are fully confident in him. 

Defining Decisions

contributed by:

Becky Johnson

Women's:Life Director

I am 45ish years old...ok, add a couple of years to that and you might be a little closer to my actual age. Even at my “advanced" age however, I can still remember my high school years and how difficult some decisions were. I had to decide if I would give in to peer pressure regarding issues of integrity, alcohol and purity. Would I do what others accepted as right or go against the popular crowd…Would I give in to the pressure around me or hold to my convictions? The decisions I made then have affected how my life is lived today.

The Foolish Wise Man

contributed by:

Ron Klopfenstein

Men's:Life Director

Last weekend Tyler Ward took us through the story of Solomon and an amazing story it is.  Here is a man who is granted his request of God for great wisdom yet whose life is marked by times of great foolishness.

A Fresh Start

contributed by:

Staci Overbeck

Ministry Assistant to Adult Life

What is it about New Year's Day that makes it different from any other day of the year? Nothing. Yet, every year on December 31st millions of people make a list of resolutions that they hope to fulfill starting on January 1st. I am typically one of them. There is something about a clean slate that ignites the dream of what could be. Unfortunately, as soon as we fail in our resolve, things tend to return to status quo until next December 31st when the process begins again.

Extravagant Redemption

contributed by:

Ron Klopfenstein

Men's:Life Director

God desires to redeem you.  Do you really believe that?  I mean REALLY?  Sometimes we fail to understand the intensity with which God pursues us.  He is relentless and passionate about redeeming people.  His motive is love and it covers our sin, our circumstances, our past and our present.  He has paid the ultimate price of His son Jesus to accomplish this.

Insurmountable

contributed by:

Staci Overbeck

Ministry Assistant to Adult:Life

Laura was living a dream. She had written a number one worship song, was working in a ministry that she loved, and she had just married her high school sweetheart. Things were definitely good for her, but shortly thereafter, she realized that there was something a little off. A visit to a doctor and some testing revealed that Laura's husband had a brain tumor. His surgery resulted in some touch and go moments with the end result being significant vision and memory loss - including the memory of their recent marriage.

Depth

Contributed by:
Tyler Ward
Spiritual Formation Pastor

One of the things that many Christians seem to be desiring is greater depth in their faith and relationship with Jesus. I think this is a great thing that as a pastor I celebrate - and as a fellow follower of Christ, I am desiring as well.

Heartbeat for Relationship

Contributed by:

Becky Johnson

Women's:Life Director

Recently, I ran across this prayer of Father Simon Tugwell:

“So long as we imagine that it is we who have to look for God, we must often lose heart. But it is the other way around. He is looking for us. And so we can afford to recognize that very often we are not looking for God: far from it, we are in full flight from him, in high rebellion against him. And he knows that and has taken it into account. He has followed us into our own darkness; there where we thought finally to escape him, we run straight into his arms. So we do not have to erect a false piety for ourselves, to give us the hope of salvation. Our hope is in his determination to save us, and he will not give in.”

Deliverance

Contributed by:

Tyler Ward

Spiritual Formation Pastor

This past weekend Ron Klopfenstein continued our series called The Story. We looked at chapter 4, which tells the story of God delivering the Israelite people from their slavery in Egypt through a man named Moses.

Through this story of deliverance, we were reminded of a variety of things that we need deliverance from – our past, the mentality that when God asks us to do things…it's all up to us, our comfort, and our tendency to fear and try to control things. As Ron pointed out, not only do we need deliverance in these areas, but thankfully God is fully willing and fully capable of delivering us. 

Here We Go Again

Contributed by
Eric Dunaway
Communications/Missions Pastor

My journey at Pathway has been a very interesting one...and one that I've enjoyed immensely. In August of 2006 I started here as the middle school pastor. At the time, I thought I would be in student ministries forever. If there's one thing that seems to be consistent in my ministry, however, it's that God never ceases to surprise me by his calling...and regularly gives me cause to eat my words.

A Story of Love

Contributed by:

Staci Overbeck

Ministry Assistant

Once upon a time there was…nothing. It’s kind of hard to believe isn’t it?  Nothing. Nada. Zilch. While on our honeymoon my husband and I visited a cave in southern Indiana. As part of the tour, the guide took us deep into the cave and then turned off all the lights. If you have never experienced total darkness, there is no way you can know the feeling. It is as if nothing else exists.

Fully Engaged

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
Small Groups Pastor

I remember my marriage proposal to my wife like it was yesterday. I had purchased the ring weeks in advance, and managed to keep it a secret...something that shocks me even to this day. My friends knew about it, my future in-laws knew about it...but my soon to be fiancé (I hoped) suspected nothing. In fact, I had managed to guard the secret so well that when I finally did propose to her on December 12, 1998, she was blown away...maybe a little too blown away. I don't think I had a firm answer from her for a solid ten minutes, which was the amount of time it took her to get over the initial shock. In case you're wondering, she said "yes."

The Greatest Resource

Contributed by:
Ron Klopfenstein
men's:life director
    
The focus of this past weekend was the greatest resource in the church today -- the people in the body.  No amount of technology, great graphics, wonderful buildings or amazing websites can equal the impact on our world that God's people working in community can have.

Don't Go It Alone

Contributed by:

Becky Johnson

women's:life director

   

It’s been an interesting year at our house. A year filled with surgeries, recoveries and trying to move forward. Through it all, we have seen and felt what it’s like to be included in authentic community. We’ve seen and felt what it’s like to not have to go through difficulties alone…we’ve experienced community!

Be Human

Contributed by:
Tyler Ward
spiritual formation pastor

Last weekend, Pastor Ron began a new series highlighting the four Life Values that we are chasing after together as church. The first of these four values involves “Living a Transformed Life.”