Pastor Stephen GibsonNovember 2022 What is the first record of giving thanks in the Old Testament? Genesis 29:35 recounts the context for the name Leah gave to her fourth son: Judah. His name means ‘I will praise the Lord’ or ‘I will thank the Lord.’ The names of Leah’s previous sons indicate how she was desperately attempting to win her husband’s affection.…
Shining light in Wickenburg, Arizona
Pastor's Monthly Newsletters (Page 2)
Pastor Stephen GibsonOctober 2022 Jesus said: The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest (Matthew 9:37-38 NKJV). Jesus is interested in the harvest, because Jesus is interested in people. He cares whether they are saved or lost. And His vision is for a plentiful harvest. His…
Pastor Stephen GibsonSeptember 2022 This month is the one we associate with Labor Day, a day that ironically many people have a break from their regular work. It tends to mark the end of the summer travel season and the transition to the season of autumn. We recognize some institutions from the Garden of Eden, especially those of marriage and the Sabbath.…
Pastor Steve GibsonJuly 2022 Do you give thanks for being free? Do you savor liberty? What a blessing that there were people who had a dream for this nation to be a place where we could worship God as we choose. And they acted on their dream. We still benefit today from the efforts they invested in valuing freedom. Still, we recognize the…
Pastor Stephen GibsonJune 2022 We drove through the alley, found an open space to park, and climbed the stairs to the second floor of the old building. I held the door for my sister and her children to go inside. I took a deep breathe. Yes, the familiar aroma of spices and baked goods was as inviting as ever. I had been…
Pastor Stephen GibsonMay 2022 When Rebekah left her village with Eleazer on the trip to meet and marry Isaac, Genesis 24 tells us she was sent off with these words ringing in her ears: May you be the mother of thousands of thousands (verse 60). So somehow I don’t picture Isaac and Rebekah sitting up late evenings around the fire debating how…
Pastor Stephen GibsonApril 2022 What is the most underused reservoir of power in our world today? Wind? Fire? Water? Oil? Something else? Luke 1:17 gives us one answer. It describes the ministry of John the Baptist, as a life marked by the spirit and power. We learn from verse 15 that even from birth John was to be filled with the Holy…
Pastor Stephen GibsonJuly 2021 Do you give thanks for being free? Do you savor liberty? What a blessing that there were people who had a dream for this nation to be a place where we could worship God as we choose. And they acted on their dream. We still benefit today from the efforts they…
Pastor Stephen GibsonApril 2021 While there are many choices we get to make in April, let’s choose to avoid being April fools. How can be best accomplish that? Most of us are aware that the book of Proverbs is stuffed with tidbits of wisdom, as well as observations on fools. Over 75 times there is…
Pastor Steve GibsonFebruary 2021 This is a season when we may be reminded how important it is to be valued, to belong. Apparently this is a healthy desire which God planted within us. Does He have anything to say about belonging? Does He let us know where we belong? The prophet Isaiah records: But now,…