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Upcoming Sermons & Devotional Message
September Sermons 2026
9-20- OCC Kickoff Sunday
Yom Kippur begins
9-27- Model Sacrificial Stewardship
Deuteronomy 14:22-23 2 Corinthians 8:3-4
Devotional Message : These will change 1-2 times a week. Stop by often to read the new message.
Some Thoughts on the Purpose of Pain
I have a friend who will remind me that the purpose of pain is to help us understand when we're in danger. The heat of a flame burns the skin and causes us to pull our hand away. If we ignore the pain, it can cause life-altering damage. But when we respond positively to pain and do what's needed to address it, we can experience healing.
The same is true spiritually. Spiritual pain has a purpose, and how we respond to it can ultimately lead to our healing. If we ignore the pain, the source of the pain can have a devastating effect. But if we acknowledge and respond positively to the pain, it can have eternally positive consequences.
Hosea was an Old Testament prophet whose life often embodied spiritual pain as a live example to God’s people. This is how he describes God:
"For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a great lion to Judah. I will tear them to pieces and go away; I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them. Then I will return to my lair until they have borne their guilt and seek my face." (Hosea 5:14, 15)
God compared Himself to a ferocious lion who would tear His people to pieces. His purpose was not only to punish but also to restore. God also said,
“In their misery they will earnestly seek me." (Hosea 5:15b)
The further purpose of the spiritual pain of punishment was to turn their hearts back toward the Lord.
Researchers gave a survey to hundreds of Christians to discover the most effective means of spiritual growth. Prayer, Bible study, and church worship were the expected answers—after all, those are the things we “do” to grow our faith, right? Not necessarily. The survey revealed that, by far, the most effective means of spiritual growth for those who were surveyed was pain. Those surveyed said their spiritual growth accelerated and intensified during periods of pain as opposed to ease.
Listen: God wants His people to grow through prayer, Bible study, and worship, but He also uses pain. Whenever God allows us to suffer, we should use the suffering to turn ourselves more fully to Him.
Remember, there’s a purpose in pain, my friends. Lean in toward God and allow it to do its work.
Bishop Jeff Greenway
Some Thoughts on False Security
I often find it interesting where people go to find their sense of security.
I recently Googled the words “security systems” and was astonished to see the wide variety of products available. There were systems listed for houses—professionally installed or do-it-yourself—with or without cameras, wired or wireless, with alarms and automatic police calls. It revealed an increased fear among people and the desire to keep ourselves and our stuff as safe and secure as possible.
In what or whom do you find your sense of security? The answers vary, but often include: a healthy bank balance, a full freezer and cupboards, a stable relationship, a house, a job, a good reputation, etc.
The prophet Obadiah writes about the security of the land known as Edom:
"The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, who can bring me down to the ground?" (Obadiah 1:3).
Edom was known for dwellings in mountain caves, thousands of feet above the ground. It was an inconvenient place to live, but those who lived there considered it worth the trouble because it made them feel secure.
Security is one of our greatest needs, and we will go to great lengths to achieve it. We’ll store up money to protect ourselves from poverty. We’ll buy insurance to protect ourselves from calamity. And we’ll purchase alarms to protect ourselves from intruders. But security apart from God is pure illusion. The temporary things of this world will all pass away. The things that last are eternal—and rooted in our relationship with God.
This is why the Bible instructs us to find our security in God. Moses writes:
"Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him." (Deuteronomy 33:12)
The Psalmist reminds us,
"Blessed are all who take refuge in him." (Psalm 2:12)
And best of all, Jesus said,
"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish." (John 10:28)
Whoever belongs to Jesus Christ can face the future securely.
Don't settle for false security, my friends!
Bishop Jeff Greenway