Opinion
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 231
By 
Pastor's Corner: Public or private?
Should faith be a public or a private matter? That question comes up in several contexts, but the basic answer is that faith must be both. We can illustrate that point from the... — Updated 9/26/2023
Pastor's Corner: Wisely handling anger
There were once two brothers, one a shepherd and the other a farmer. One day they gave gifts to their father. The shepherd son gave the best sheep of his flock, while the farmer son thoughtlessly gave low-quality vegetables. The... — Updated 9/17/2023
Pastor's Corner: The Kingdom
If you were to do a search for movie titles that contain the word "kingdom," you'd end up with well over 1,000 to choose from! I believe that everyone is looking for something or someone greater than themselves to believe in and... — Updated 9/4/2023
Pastor's Corner: The Lord stood with me
In life, we all face times of abandonment and loneliness. Sometimes it may feel like the whole world is against you. In 2nd Timothy 4:17, Paul said, “The Lord stood with me, and... — Updated 8/27/2023
Pastor's Corner: Preparing our kids for school – and life
For the last month, parents have been bombarded with ads with back-to-school must-haves. Each one encourages us to start their school year off right by purchasing everything from... — Updated 8/14/2023
Pastor's Corner: Wisely handling criticism
The old saying goes, “Everyone’s a critic!” How true this is in a world where all of us are sinners with keen eyes to find faults in others. Critics quickly pounce on other’s flaws and point out failures. A lesson more... — Updated 8/5/2023
Pastor's Corner: Heaven will be worth it all
There’s an old song that says Heaven will surely be worth it all. The first verse of that song says, “Often I’m hindered on my way, burden so heavy I almost fall, then I hear... — Updated 7/25/2023
Pastor's Corner: The tears of Jesus
Bible trivia enthusiasts likely know that the shortest verse in the Bible contains just two words: “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35). There are several references in the Bible to Jesus crying or weeping. The one just mentioned was at... — Updated 7/17/2023
Pastor's Corner: Wisdom and adversity
We live in a world full of trials, troubles, struggles, hardships, frustrations and disappointments. Adversities happen unexpectedly and are out of our control. Loss of a job, an opportunity, money, health, or a loved one. "Man is... — Updated 7/3/2023
Pastor's Corner: The perfect father
Father’s Day, like many holidays, gives rise to a lot of mixed emotions. For many, the lack of a loving and involved father or father figure brings a deep sense of loss and... — Updated 6/17/2023
Pastor's Corner: 'They're so mean'
Every church is flawed. People have bad experiences, of one kind or another, even at healthy churches. Churches are made up of people, so this isn't a big surprise. It can be a big disappointment, or an obstacle to going back, but... — Updated 6/11/2023
Pastor's Corner: Wise conflict resolution
If you desire to live in a world without conflict, then you are living in the wrong world. The sinful nature of humanity will lead to conflicts, disagreements, and divisions. “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident ... — Updated 5/30/2023
Editor's Note: Results are in: Shafter is special
I was on the streets of Shafter to get answers for a survey that we were conducting. I was getting frustrated because I had been turned down by residents who did not want to take... — Updated 5/30/2023
Pastor's Corner: Honoring our mothers
May is one of those months that sees the weather get warmer, the end of the school year get closer, and we celebrate Mother's Day! Although not all of us are moms, we certainly all had one at some point in our lives. I know that... — Updated 5/20/2023
Pastor's Corner: The story inside the Ten Commandments
Many people are at least vaguely familiar with the Ten Commandments. And quite a few people know the story behind them — that God gave them to Moses on the top of Mt. Sinai. But m... — Updated 5/6/2023
Pastor's Corner: Pressing on toward the goal
In Philippians 3:14, the Apostle Paul writes, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Any athlete knows it takes clear goals and consistent hard work to win an... — Updated 4/30/2023
Pastor's Corner: Wise character qualities
Most of us every day want to put on fresh clothes. After one day, we want to take off the old and put on the new. This same picture is used for Christians putting off the old fleshly qualities we lived in before putting on our new... — Updated 4/25/2023
Letter to the Editor: Stop flavored tobacco and protect youth
To the editor: The CALI Wasco Youth Coalition has been advocating for a safer tobacco-free community for the past five years. Our coalition is part of the non-California Health Collaborative, Unidos Por Salud Project- a regional to... — Updated 4/25/2023
Pastor's Corner: Evidence for faith
I probably don't need to tell you that Easter was celebrated this year on April 9. Sanctuaries were decorated, choirs practiced, meals were planned and served for family gatherings, and some of you may have even gone shopping for... — Updated 4/16/2023
Pastor's Corner: The resurrected life
Thank God for the resurrected life. We are not what we once were, but we have been set free by the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:1 says, "...and you hath he... — Updated 4/8/2023
Letter to the Editor: Wasco veterans group is losing the battle
To the editor: The Wasco VFW Post 6742 has been around for over 75 years. My uncle, James Greer, was a member when I was a small kid. He would wear his green garrison cap with lots of little pins and medals to his once-a-month even... — Updated 3/25/2023
Pastor's Corner: Strong disagreements
God's word often exposes the sins of God's people. In that way, the Bible is a tremendously honest and forthright book. Even in the case of heroes and giants in the faith, the... — Updated 3/25/2023
Pastor's Corner: Three eternal mistakes
Many people reject the thought of a soul spending eternity in hell. Many churches consider the thought old-fashioned and too offensive. Many say God is too loving to banish people t... — Updated 3/14/2023
Editor's Note: Where art though?
It has been a few years since the city of Shafter has been the site of the Colours Festival, which had been an annual event for a few years before that. The event, which started... — Updated 2/19/2023
Pastor's Corner: Why are religions different?
Churches have a lot of things in common. But they are not all the same. There are differences as well as similarities, as anyone who has visited other churches while on vacation can... — Updated 2/13/2023
