Foundations of Faith

The Spirit of Truth

Publication: Pastoral Letter, September 2016 Dear Friend in Christ: I cannot think of a more important subject for this time than TRUTH. It is vital for each of us to ask these four questions regarding truth:  Can I be deceived? Have I been deceived? What are the consequences of deception?. [...]

The Search

Publication: Pastoral Letter, June 2016 Dear Friend in Christ: Thank you for praying for our annual CSM Gatlinburg Conference. It was a wonderful time in the Lord focusing on the “Unshakable” reality of Christ’s Kingdom in shaking times. The testimonies we heard were inspiring and instructive. In this letter, I. [...]

Truth Versus Cultural Labels

Publication: Pastoral Letter, May 2016 Dear Friend in Christ: I grew up with lots of labels; there were racial, religious, political, geographic and all kinds of labels and stereotypes.  It has taken me awhile to grow past trusting labels that have led to a lot of stereotypes.  Early on, I. [...]

Drawn From The Water

Publication: Pastoral Letter, April 2016 Dear Friends, Late one cold and icy evening, a woman was driving home with her baby daughter strapped in her car seat. For some reason, the woman missed a bridge and the car tumbled down a slope into the shallow, frigid stream below. The mother. [...]

The Offense Fence

Publication: Pastoral Letter, February 2016 Dear Friend in Christ: What I want to say in this letter is, “Get over it.”  Get over the fence of offense.  If we fail to get over offenses, we will miss the truth that offense conceals. Let’s talk first about offense.  “Offense” in sports. [...]

What Troubled Herod

Publication:Pastoral Letter, December 2015 Dear Friends, We thank God for you and pray that you are having a blessed season of Thanksgiving and preparing for Christmas.  This month, I want to share how the birth of Jesus gives us hope and courage for the times in which we live. Matthew. [...]

The Way It Works

Publication:Pastoral Letter, September 2015 Dear Friend in Christ: The founders of the United States believed that God gave us two books, nature and the Bible, and that those books were in agreement, being written by the same Author. So they used both natural law and Judeo-Christian principles upon which to. [...]

Focus

Publication: Pastoral Letter, August 2015 Dear Friend In Christ, I have long believed that I have attention deficit disorder, A.D.D. (among other issues). I am easily distracted. A.D.D. is a common problem that likely carries over into our spiritual lives. And I think that also is an epidemic in our. [...]

Unshakeable

Publication: Pastoral Letter, July 2015 Dear Friend in Christ: Our annual CSM leadership conference in Gatlinburg was outstanding. The attendance was one of our highest ever, and the times of worshipping the Lord were strong. I was honored for 60 years in ministry by many kind friends, but more importantly,. [...]

The House of God

Publication: Pastoral Letter, April 2015 Dear Friend in Christ: I grew up thinking of the church building as the “House of God”. When I was young, it was the place that I often got into trouble and received numerous spankings for misbehavior. Often, I dreaded going to the House of. [...]

Lives Worth Celebrating

by Stephen Simpson Publication: One-to-One, Autumn 2014 ...How to Keep Jesus in the Center of Our Homes   On a Sunday night, more than one billion viewers worldwide huddled around their TV sets and computers to watch highly paid and meticulously pampered Hollywood stars throw their annual Oscar bash to. [...]

Revealed in Fellowship

by Charles Simpson Publication: One-to-One, Spring 2015 GOD'S PURPOSE AND HOPE COME TO US THROUGH PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND ONE ANOTHER I like to be comfortable, don’t you? And familiar people, places, and things make me comfortable. The unfamiliar can make me uncomfortable. But I’ve learned this: if I. [...]

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