Stepping out or Waiting – September 25, 2025

We are in the middle of a relatively small capital campaign to replace three roof-top HVAC units.  We are committed to waiting for all of the funds to come in and to trusting God that they will come in soon.  The process has made me remember other campaigns and other discussions, sometimes on church boards and sometimes in congregational meetings about whether or not God wants us to step out in faith or whether or not He wants us to wait in faith.  I remember one protracted argument in a church plant in CO where we just about formed up into two “camps.”  One camp said, definitively, that faith was “waiting on the Lord” (Isaiah 40:31), while the other camp said that trusting the Lord meant following Him, even into debt if He so led (Esther 4:16).  It got a little uncomfortable, and we ended up moving here, before God solved it by allowing that plant to merge with a financially solvent church (i.e. a church with a paid for building).  But even if you take the financial piece out of the question, the question still remains, when do we step out in faith as in Joshua 3? 

It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap.”  (Joshua 3:13, emphasis added)

And when do we wait in faith as in Exodus 14?

But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.  (Exodus 14:13 Emphasis added)

I’m not sure I can give a single answer that suits all situations, but one answer that a study of Scripture suggests is that if I’m prompted to do something for another person, such as an act of compassion, an act of love, or a rendering of assistance, I would submit no waiting is necessary (1 John 3:13-22).   Whereas, if I want to do something that benefits myself alone, it might be entirely appropriate to wait (Matthew 6:33).  Ironically, sometimes only slowing down and waiting on God will allow us to have time to discern the difference between the two!

Blessings!

Pastor Scott

P.S.  I will state again, it’s the conviction of the WOGF board that at this time in our church’s life we are very debt adverse.  I merely had this thought on the way in to work this morning because our current capital campaign reminded me of one from long ago.  🙂

How far is too far?  09/18/2025

This past Sunday we hosted a professor from Calvary University who spoke about Replacement Theology and differing views about the future of the nation of Israel as prophesied in the Bible.  Most of the authors that were quoted, who hold different views, were still very much men of faith.  Which, of course, begged the question: how far can we push doctrine before we fall right off the edge (eg. Hymenaeus and Alexander – 1 Timothy 1:20)?

For some reason it reminded me of a story I used to tell at Awana Grand Prix (soap box derby) races, both here and in my CO days.  A king was looking to hire a driver to take his only daughter to and from school.  As he got down to the final interview he asked each driver how close he could get to the edge of the hairpin turn at the top of the mountain pass on the way to his daughter’s school.  Two of the drivers bragged about how close they could get to the edge.  The driver, he ultimately hired, assured the King that with his one and only daughter in the car, he would stay as far from the edge as possible.  Then I would relate that to Joseph fleeing Potiphar’s wife rather than hanging in and trying to resist.

How worldly can a church get before it’s too worldly?  How legalistic can a church get before it’s too legalistic?  How extra biblical can a church get before it’s too extra biblical?  I don’t know for sure, but what I do know is that I need to stay as close to the truth as I possibly can!  And let God take care of the rest!  Amen?

YBIC,

Pastor Scott

Integrity – 09.04.25

The online dictionary defines it as:

  • 1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
    2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished.
    to preserve the integrity of the empire.
  • 3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition.
    the integrity of a ship’s hull.

In the church we might remind ourselves that we have an audience of One (Colossians 3:23) for Whom we ultimately do all of our work.  But it wasn’t that long ago that integrity was even part of our culture.

I’ve told the story before of my neighbor, Mr. Andorf, who fixed my wagon when I was a boy.  He welded the pull-bar back on my Red Ryder wagon.  I remember watching him using his grinder to smooth out the weld on the under-side and asking why he bothered given that nobody would ever know? His answer has stayed with me for over 50 years, “Scotty, every time I see you pulling your wagon, I’d know that I left a dirty weld on the under-side.”  That, beloved, is integrity.  I tell you that because I ran across a similar story today. 

Oscar Hammerstein II observed that the top of the Statue of Liberty’s head was sculpted with painstaking detail, even though the artist, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, must have believed it would never be seen by human eyes. 

Hammerstein wrote about this in his book, Lyrics. His observation came after seeing a photograph of the statue taken from a helicopter for the New York Herald Tribune Sunday magazine. 

Hammerstein’s point was that Bartholdi, as a true artist, finished his work perfectly, even in places that were not intended for public view. He used this as an inspiring metaphor for integrity in one’s own work, stating, “You never know when a helicopter, or some other instrument not at the moment invented, may come along and find you out”. 

Both of these stories point to an internal integrity, and perhaps we should care enough about ourselves to be this whole as we interact with the world.  But for us it’s exponentially more important because we are accountable not to ourselves but to the Holy God that made us and then bought us back!
Pastor Scott – “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men” Colossians 3:23

The Story of Everybody, Somebody, Anybody And Nobody


Recently I told a group of leadership executives a simple but meaningful story that you may have heard before. It’s the story of four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.

Here’s the story, titled “Whose Job Is It, Anyway?”

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.

The story may be confusing but the message is clear: no one took responsibility so nothing got accomplished.

It’s a story that plays out often in organizations and companies and on teams—anywhere there is culture that lacks accountability.

But how do you get people to take responsibly for their work? Different things work in different situations, but here are some strategies that have proven to be effective:

Become a role model. You can’t tell people what to do if you yourself aren’t willing to hold yourself to the same level. If you want people to act responsibly, you have to be accountable. Your team and your company look to you for direction.

Don’t make assumptions. Don’t assume that others know instinctively what to do and when to do it, or even what you expect from them. Before people can take responsibility for their work they require clear communication. The more you communicate, the better the results are likely to be.

Set the standard. If you expect excellence, it’s up to you to set the standards for results and performance. Make each task or goal measurable and set it on a reasonable timeline so it’s achievable. Give people a clear target and they’ll work to reach it—and maybe even surpass it.

Get the buy-in to go the distance. You need people to buy in and commit if you want to succeed. Each vision should be compelling; each goal should build toward the whole; each task should be laced with motivation. You need people to feel compelled, inspired and motivated to take responsibility.

Make regular check-ups. One of the biggest reasons people fall short is a lack of follow-through by leadership. Help people stay focused by setting up regular checkpoints—phone calls or meetings where everyone can communicate and catch up, staying focused on moving forward and being accountable. When people know there will be check-ups, they’re less likely to procrastinate and more likely to hit their targets.

Provide support and training. Especially with a start-up or a new initiative, people are taking on projects or tasks that they’ve never faced before. Make sure everybody has the training and resources they need to be successful, and provide help in resolving any issues that may arise.

Encourage candor. One of the worst things that can happen to a team is for people to feel uncomfortable discussing problems and expressing their honest opinions. Build a culture of candor so that people know it’s the norm to tell the truth, even when it’s difficult or awkward.

Concentrate on solutions and not only problems. If people are having problems or falling behind, expect them to come to you with possible solutions, not just the problems. Create an expectation that the first response to a problem is to start finding solutions.

Praise performance. Praise people for good results and be specific with your acknowledgment. Let them know what they did well and how their work is affecting others. If they fall short, coach them privately and let them know how they can improve. And if their performance does not improve, also address this with meaningful consequences that have been explained ahead of time.

To avoid having your team become Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody, commit to becoming the kind of leader who takes responsibility for your own life and leadership.

Lead from within: Don’t let Anybody (or Everybody, Somebody or Nobody) stop you from doing what you need to do to create the kind of leadership and life you can be proud of.

Of course you’ve heard this before… unless you haven’t!  Recently I realized that there are some “generalized truths” that don’t get passed down from generation to generation.  I don’t know if this is one of them, but I thought it’s too important not to share.  ~Pastor Scott

Can non-Christians do good works?

August 21. 2025

The Bible teaches us that Christians are to do good works, even though we cannot do good works to earn salvation. But do you need to be a Christian to do good works? Can’t you do good without being a Christian? The answer is not straightforward.

Non-Christians do right things

If you look at the life of any non-Christian, you will find he does many things that are right. E.g. speaking the truth, raising children lovingly, helping others, and giving money to charity. There are even non-Christians who can serve as examples to Christians through all the good things they do.

The Bible recognizes that unbelievers can do good things. In Isaiah 44:28 God says about the Persian king Cyrus: “he shall fulfill all My purpose”, in bringing Israel back to its country. That is obviously a good thing. But God also says about this king: “you do not know Me” (Isaiah 45:5).

Another example is the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Jesus makes his hearers squirm by telling a story where the unbeliever is the good guy. The priest and the Levite abandon a wounded traveler, but the Samaritan, who does not belong to God’s people, helps him.

Now this is not something that really happened, it is just a story that Jesus told. But through telling the story Jesus shows that this is something that could happen. And we probably all know examples when Christians failed and unbelievers did the right thing. So the first thing that needs to be said it: yes, non-Christians definitely can do right things – even to the extent that it makes Christian ashamed.

A right thing is not a good work

But now we need to take the next step. The Bible also says that when God looks down from heaven on the children of man, He says “there is none who does good, not even one”. This is written in Psalm 14:3, and repeated in Romans 3:12. So how is it possible that people can do the right things without God, but that He still says that they don’t do good?

This is where we have to bring in the intentions we have. Non-Christians can do the right things, even with the right intentions towards other people. But God is looking for another good intention before He considers something a good work: whether we do it to honor Him. In Hebrews 11:6 we read: “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.”

This sounds pretty extreme, but you should be able to understand it when you compare it to this: a young man curses his parents, cuts off contact with them, and emigrates to another country. After a few years, the parents hear that their son has become very successful. He has become a wealthy and respected businessman. Are they now pleased with their son? No. They are still hurt, sad, and disappointed that their son does not want to have anything to do with his parents.

In the same way, all the right things that people do have no value for God if they do not love and honor Him. Intentions are important. A right thing to do only becomes a good work in the sight of God if it is done to honor Him.

You need the Holy Spirit for good works

If you don’t love God, you can’t do good things with the intention that God wants. But if you love God, you can often still fail to do good works. You need to be renewed through the power of the Holy Spirit to do good works. It does not start with your effort, but with your personality being changed.

When the Holy Spirit lives in you, this is what happens: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). When this becomes your personality, good works will flow from it. People will see the power of God at work in you, in a way that is never possible for someone who does not believe in God, does not trust in Jesus, and does not have the Holy Spirit in his heart.

Picture of Marten Visser

Guest Writer Marten Visser

A question came into the text line on Sunday that was similar to the title of this article, which answers it very well.   I didn’t take the  time to reinvent this wheel.  🙂

Pastor Scott

Entanglements – August 14, 2025

Temperament? Personality trait?  Predisposition? Besetting sin?  Bad Habit?  Whatever you call it, we all tend to have something with which we struggle. 

Maybe you’re quick to anger or to worry.  Maybe you’re given to being critical or judgmental.  It could be that greed or lust are your big issues.  Whatever the sin that so easily entangles1 is, remember that there will always be a way to escape2 and that walking with the Spirit helps us to say “no” to those lusts3 – even if said “lust” is something so natural to us that we don’t even see it as sin.

Please pray for those of us whose besetting sins have been commercialized, excused, or even applauded by this culture.  It makes it even harder to accept the need for a Savior!

https://www.gotquestions.org/besetting-sins.html

Praying for you as you pray for me,

Pastor Scott

1 Hebrews 12:1

21 Corinthians 10:133 Galatians 5:16

Guard Your Heart!

Lessons from Life: the Garden

We have a small garden in our yard. In the busyness of life, our garden is often neglected. When it really starts to look bad, I am motivated to do some weeding. Some weeds are easy to pull, but others resist because their roots are strong and deep into the soil. The longer the time between weeding the more difficult the task will be.

My heart is like our garden, sometimes neglected for long periods of time. Weeds of anger, disappointment, fear, frustration, critical attitudes, worry and guilt are allowed to grow to the point that the garden of my heart is in bad shape! The solution…? God’s Spirit, as the Divine Gardener of my heart has to deal with my neglect.

Today, allow God to do the needed weeding in your heart.  Ask Him to reveal the weeds that are growing by confessing sin and being honest with Him about the state of your heart.  Thank Him for his forgiveness through Christ’s death on the cross. He already knows how rooted some sin has become. Ask God to direct and empower you for a fruitful life through His Spirit. Some weeds will be uprooted easily; others will require daily attention in order to make the deep roots are removed and ensure they don’t grow back.

Solomon in all his wisdom said, “Above all else guard your heart for it is the well spring of life.” Proverbs 4:23

By Mike Woodard
used by permission

P.S. Pastor Scott could have written this in that he just witnessed both the emergency weeding and the need for short accounts, right in his own backyard.  But it’s the heart wedding that I wanted to share with you all.

Pastor Scott; 1 John 1:9 

Adoption – July 31, 2025

  “I stayed with my parents for several days after the birth of our first child.  One afternoon, I remarked to my mother that it was surprising that our baby had dark hair, since both my husband and I are fair.  She said, ‘Well, your daddy has black hair’

     ‘But Mama, that doesn’t matter because I’m adopted’

     With an embarrassed smile, she said the most wonderful words I’ve ever heard: “I always forget.”*

This vignette hit me in the corners of my eyes.  Possibly because 3/6 of my first cousins were adopted, but probably because of the truth that I was adopted too – “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will” –  Ephesians 1:5

Be Blessed,

Pastor Scott

*Anecdote from Reader’s Digest by Rodessa Morris of Gladys, VA (And saved in a card file by Dr. William Ross)

Real I.D. – July 24, 2025

I feel sad for the many people in our culture who are confused about who they are.  If you trust Christ, there ought to be no confusion.  We are New Creatures (2 Cor 5:17), walking in Newness of Life (Romans 6:4).  We were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and redeemed by His Own Son (1 Peter 1:18-19).

I don’t know if any readers of this blog can help me understand the issues surrounding the confusion?  If you can, please do.  In the meantime, I give you three more verses and a song to contemplate.  😊

Pastor Scott

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12)

“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16)

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.  Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. (1 John 3:1-2)