Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church

There’s an old joke that perhaps you have heard: “Church would be great if you could just do without the people.” How many of us sometimes feel that way? Church can be an incredible place filled with uplifting people and numerous blessings, yet it can also be a place of hurtful words and painful rejection. But that’s not all! The Christian life can often be filled with heartache, suffering, health...

This episode will explore question 6 of the New City Catechism with our panel: Bethany Couture and Dan Ayers The seventh question in the New City Catechism is: What Does The Law Of God Require? The answer is: Personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience; that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love our neighbor as ourselves. What God forbids should never be done and what G...

“Just follow your heart.” “Pray about it and do what feels right.” “Let your conscience be your guide.” How many of you have ever had this kind of advice given to you? This is based on an underlying assumption that inclinations and impressions we get in our hearts are a trustworthy source of direction in our lives. In Christian circles, this advice to follow your heart is often prefaced with a cal...

This episode will explore question 6 of the New City Catechism with our panel: Angela Ayers, Andrew Morton, and Kathy Davis. The sixth question in the New City Catechism is: How Can We Glorify God? The answer is: We glorify God by enjoying him, loving him, trusting him, and by obeying his will, commands, and law. The Bible passage this question and answer is based on is Deuteronomy 11:1, which say...

“We are all God’s children.” It sounds good, doesn’t it? And my guess is that you’ve heard it numerous times. Or perhaps it sounds like, “We’re all united as one family in God.” “We’re all brothers and sisters.” “All roads lead to God.” Why? Because “God is love.” These are common ideas that surface in our culture, and they all carry a similar theme. The basic assumption in the ‘we are all God’s c...

Few things draw the ire and judgment of our culture as much as the appearance of judging or looking down upon someone else. To accuse someone of sin, it seems, has become an unpardonable sin in today's world. How should we, as Christians, respond to this? On the one hand, the Bible warns us against the dangers of pride and judgmentalism. Because the church hasn't always done well in those are...

“God helps those who help themselves.” That phrase sounds like something that makes a lot of sense when you first hear it, doesn’t it? After all, we see examples throughout Scripture of men and women who seem commended by God for their ingenuity. We read Scriptures like, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Doesn’t that imply that God helps us if we help ourselves? And then when you...

Bumper Sticker Theology “God never gives you more than you can handle.” How many of us have ever heard a phrase like that? It sounds comforting, right? After all, life can be tough; and when we experience devastation or difficult blows, well-meaning loved ones often try to comfort us with sympathetic eyes, a warm hug, and a familiar phrase. But what does, “God won't give you more than you can hand...

The Pursuit Of Happiness With a flurry of voices and messaging flocking to us from all quarters at all times, how can we be sure what is worth listening to? How do we size up the credibility of these divergent appeals and counsel that seek to guide and direct us? After all, they all contain an element of truth, right? As followers of Christ, we regard the Scriptures as our reference point for all...

One of the touching moments in a marriage ceremony is when the bride and groom face one another to speak their vows. When I officiate a wedding ceremony, I ask the couple to repeat words of fidelity, trust, and commitment. It’s an incredibly powerful moment and is often met with tears. In Nehemiah 9, we see the people of Israel renewing their vows to the Lord with tears and celebration after their...

Are you a detail-oriented person? Are you wired for accuracy? Some of us are gifted in areas of numbers; others of us are grateful our last math class was years ago. Some of us love organization; others of us cringe at the thought of putting everything in a certain place for all time. As we turn to Nehemiah 7, we see Nehemiah’s continued gifts for accuracy and organization, and his heart for the p...

The path of following Jesus is often riddled with distractions, hardships, and opposition. When we place our faith in Jesus and align our lives with His heart and mission, we can expect to face challenges from the world around us and the brokenness within us. This is nothing new. Nehemiah, amid his successful efforts to rebuild Jerusalem's walls, had to deal with a constant barrage of distractions...

This episode will explore question 2 of the New City Catechism, with our panel: Aaron Klein, Andrew Morton, and Kathy Davis. The second question in the New City Catechism is: What is God? The answer is: God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. He is eternal, infinite, and unchangeable in his power and perfection, goodness and glory, wisdom, justice, and truth. Nothing happens e...

The story is told of a man who heard his daughter and some of her friends arguing loudly in the backyard. After a few moments, he couldn’t stand the sound of it, so he went out and reprimanded her. “But Daddy,” she protested, “we were just playing church.” Ouch! It’s a sad (but true) statement that the church of Jesus Christ has often been marked more by factions than by fellowship. We can sometim...

“When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews…”  - Nehemiah 4:1 As the people began the work of reconstructing the wall, Israel’s opponents mounted a fierce campaign against them. Sanballat and his friends tried to bully God’s people to stop the work of rebuilding by ridiculing the people and threatening violence. As yo...

The Importance of Working Together If you ever watch in nature, many animals and insects innately work together. Geese fly in a “V” formation. Bees have specific roles within the hive. Even ants have highly organized societies called colonies. It’s not unlike what we see taking place in Nehemiah 3. For many of us, we might be tempted to skip over chapter 3 because it’s filled with hard to pronounc...

The Risks of Faith If you’ve been around WEPC this week, you know that there has been a flurry of activity. There have been worker bees buzzing and making things happen, and it really has been like a well-honeyed machine with every person doing their part. In the process, we’ve been able to minister to over 60 kids from our church and community. A huge “thank you” goes out to Angela Ayers and her...

Last week we learned that Nehemiah had a discontented heart. He heard about something that he wanted to see change. So after he wept and mourned and fasted, did he get right to work? No! Before praying for God's guidance and protection, he asked for God's forgiveness for him and his people! What!? Why? Because Nehemiah understood why God's people had been sent into captivity. He understood why thi...

“Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”   -Proverbs 25:28 How many of you have ever heard news about a troubling situation? When you did, what was your first reaction? Anger? Fear? Sadness? In Nehemiah, when he first learned of the condition of Jerusalem’s walls, he wept. Even though he had a good job as a cupbearer to the King of Susa, when the word r...

On his second missionary journey, Paul and his colleagues planted several churches in modern-day Greece, namely, in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth. It is fascinating to trace the themes of his letters to these various places as we glean insight into what these diverse bodies of believers needed to hear in their specific contexts. In the five chapters comprising the first Thessalonian letter,...

“But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…” Ephesians 2:13 The world we live in has far too many divisions among cultures, races, traditions, and even families. While some divisions are natural, many of them are painful and neg...

“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26-27 Have you ever stubbed or broken a toe, especially your little toe? It seems so small, but when it is not functioning well with the rest of the foot, it is very noticeable. I have broken that little phalan...

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 Today’s weekly update is something of a departure from the normal routine. Normally, I write a short devotion with an eye toward the weekend’s Scripture text(s) and theme. However, in light of all that has taken place in our community and wor...

It could be argued that Christianity is the first religion to affirm the goodness of singleness. In the ancient world, one was often defined by your family of origin, your children, or your spouse. Instead, we are reminded that God defines us by our relationship to Him as children of God and heirs in Christ. Being married is a gift, but it comes with certain anxieties like caring for your spouse a...

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” -1 Corinthians 16:13 The Four Chaplains documentary tells the story of four WWII chaplains (one of whom was a pastor in my former denomination, the RCA) who were aboard the transport ship, the SS Dorchester, when it was torpedoed off the coast of Greenland in February of 1943. With the ship sinking and in...