Pastor’s Ponderings: Christ Imitator or Car Thief???
“If you were charged with being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” (oldie but goodie…).
But how well are you reflecting the Image of Christ? This devotional from Pastor Jim challenges us to take some self reflection.
Chalk Art Puts God into Our Walk (8/26/18)
Children from our Sunday School decorated the sidewalks outside of our church. With colorful chalk, they illustrated the Bible verses they’ve been learning.
God has decorated our lives too. Do we share that “decoration” in the places where we walk?
Revive Us Again! (Camp Meeting 7/22/18)
Is today’s Church ready for revival? Rev. Sherry Zapolla spoke at the 7/23/18 Camp Meeting and answered that question with a “No!” Through music and message, she challenged us to pray for revival and to be instruments of change.
Read MorePastors Ponderings: Running into a Burning House!
Pastor Jim submitted the following thoughts on 3/18/17… Greetings Friends: PLEASE READ: Matthew 9:35-38 “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the...
Read MoreLife After the Born-Again Birth (6/5/16)
There is life after death, and so it’s critically important to prepare for that life. To enter that life, we must be forgiven and to be “in Christ”… in other words, we must be Born Again. But what happens between that salvation experience and eternity? Is there life after birth???
Read MoreThe Polar Express Comes to Pitman! (12/20/15)
Each Christmas is a reminder that God beacons us- woos us- to “Get on Board!” He constantly offers us a free ticket; to trust fully in Him and to go along on the “ride” that He has intended for us to take. But like the kids in the movie Polar Express, we have to choose to leave the comfort of our home and Get Aboard to parts unknown. Pastor Jim’s sermon on December 20 reminded us of the wonder and joy of this challenge. Click the below “Play” button...
Read MorePastors Ponderings: Watch What You Hang on to- Time to Re-Consider Your Priorities?
Is it time to rid yourself of distractions and fully re-commit yourself to God? This post was originally submitted by Pastor Jim in 2015, but it’s an ongoing goal to pursue.
Read MoreDon’t Blow Your Knows!!!
The signboard message posted on 9/29/15 said: A WISE MAN SELDOM BLOWS HIS KNOWS (would certainly apply to wise women too!!!) We spend a lot of time in this church reading the Bible. We all want to understand it better. But what do we do with this knowledge? Do we share it with others? Do we somehow use it to hit others over the head with the Bible to convince them of our point? Or do we try to show others how “smart” we are? Sometimes we’re tempted to quote chapter and...
Read MoreAlways Remember (5/24/15)
Sunday May 24 2015 was a busy Sunday. Not only was it memorial day weekend, it was also Pentecost Sunday! Pastor Jim felt led to to speak about Memorial Day; What is the value of Remembering? How is the Holy Spirit leading us to use the witnesses of those who have come before us in order to teach those who come after us? Click the following “Play” Button to start the recording, then scroll down to follow along… The Scripture was Jude verse 5, and then Joshua 4:1-7. ...
Read MoreCaptain’s Log: Stardate Bethlehem (1/4/15)
Pastor Jim’s sermon on January 4 looked forward to the day of Epiphany, which technically occurs on January 6. How do the star and the search for the Messiah speak to us today? Our scripture reading was Matthew 2:1-12. Click the “Play” button to listen to the recording of the sermon and then scroll down and follow along… Matthew 2:1-12 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. At about that time some astrologers...
Read MoreMen’s Fellowship Looks at Challenges and Joys (12/13/14)
The Men’s Fellowship group met on Saturday 12/13. It was one of our early morning meetings that gave us the chance to start off a new day by looking into God’s Word. Our guest speaker was Gino Curcuruto, and we looked at Luke 10:1-2, 17-22. Because of our relationship with Christ, we should want to “hang out” with those who don’t know Him We should want to build relationships and allow the love and hope that we have as redeemed people of peace (see Luke 10:6)...
Read MorePUMC to Distribute Christmas Lawn Signs (11/30/14)
During Advent, we will have the opportunity to give a gentle reminder to our neighbors and passers-by that Christmas is all about Jesus. Santa is Secondary (if at all)!!! Without Christ, there is No Christmas! To us, this may seem totally obvious. But many are too caught up in the world of shopping and holiday celebrations to keep that in focus. Christmas is a time of family and celebration, but it is also a time of humble acknowledgement of what God did to bridge the gap between His...
Read MorePastor’s Ponderings: Called to Dive into the Corn Field!
The following devotional was submitted by our pastor, Rev. Jim Bolton (11/14/14). Last night (Thursday 11/13/14) we experienced our first sighting of snow for the season. The temperatures dipped low enough for a thin coating of snow to cover parts of our gardens and decks… ————————————————– Greetings Friends: What a wonderful treat with the snow fall last evening! PLEASE...
Read MoreA Time to Remember (11/2/14)
On Sunday November 2, we marked our church’s anniversary. Pastor Jim’s sermon tapped into the anniversary and All Saints Day themes. The scripture reading was from Numbers 10:8-10 and Hebrews 12:1-2. Click the “Play” button below to start the recording, then scroll down and follow along… Scripture Reading Numbers 10:8-10 8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and these shall be to you as an ordinance forever throughout your...
Read MoreThese Feet are Made for Walking (9/14/14)
Pastor Jim’s sermon on September 14, 2014 challenged us to move out into the “world” and proclaim the Gospel. The sermon was based on Romans 10:11-17 and the sermon was entitled “These Feet are Made for Walking” (apologies to Nancy Sinatra and her hit “These Boots Are Made for Walking”)… Click the “Play” button below to start the recording, open the scripture (click the “down” arrow in the Scripture Box below), then...
Read MorePastor’s Ponderings: How’s Your Reflection?
PLEASE READ: Ephesians 4:17-5:2 “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. You, however, did not...
Read MoreGod is Good (8/24/14)
Pastor Jim’s sermon on August 24 continued our look at the Attributes of God. So far we’ve seen that God is Awesome, Holy, and Faithful. This morning we looked at God’s Goodness.Click on the “Play” button below, then scroll down to follow along… The text for the sermon came from Psalm 86:1-13 and Nahum 1:7. Click on the arrow to open up the scripture… Scripture Readings Ps 86:1-13 Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. ...
Read MoreClimates for Spiritual Growth (6/29/14)
The sermon on June 29 was given by Larry Bakely, our church’s lay leader. The message was entitled, “Climates for Spiritual Growth,” and the scripture was the entire first chapter of the book of 1 Samuel. Click Here to read the story of Samuel’s birth, as told in 1 Samuel 1… The Challange… In the April edition of the conference newspaper (“The Methodist Relay”) Bishop John Schol wrote an article on Church Vitality. In his article, the bishop...
Read MoreCan You be Googled?
When designing a website, one of the first things you’ll hear about is “SEO”- Search Engine Optimization. One of the top goals of any website is to show up on the top of that first page when somebody does an Internet search. Search engine providers use things known as “crawlers” or “robots” which constantly search the Internet to build up their database of search terms and sites. If you’re managing a website, you want to use terms that these...
Read MoreBuilt to Serve (6/15/14)
Pastor Larry gave his final sermon at PUMC on June 15. The title was “Built to Serve” and the scripture was Galatians 5:1-13… Galatians 5:1-13 Gal 5:1-15… So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. 2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to...
Read MoreAzaleas Planted in Memory of Ed Blackman (5/12/14)
For over 50 years,our church was graced with the presence and guidance of Ed Blackman. We all felt a deep sense of loss when he recently passed away. As we pray for Marge and her family, we will be continually grateful for their presence in our lives. The Blackmans donated some azaleas which were on display during our services on May 11. They were recently planted on our lawn, just outside of the sanctuary doors on the Lambs Road side. These plants will remind us of the grace and love that...
Read MorePUMC Celebrates the Life of Dr. Ed Blackman (5/7/14)
Our church lost one of it’s “pillars” when Ed Blackman went home to be with his Lord on Friday May 2 (obituary). He is survived by his wife Marge. Ed and his wife Marge were long time members of our church and led in many capacities over the years. They have led not only in official office capacities and in organized ministries, but both of them have and continue to touch the lives of so many of our members. Most of us carry memories of Ed’s witness and...
Read MorePUMC Gives Wings for Redbird (4/20/14)
Somebody Needs to Help These Poor People! Years ago, PUMC member Don Beckett and his wife were driving through the hill country of Appalachia. Surrounded by poverty, Mrs. Becket said “somebody needs to help these poor people!” Years later, Don had lost his wife, but he never lost his wife’s plea on behalf of the poor children in Eastern Kentucky. In 2013 a team from our church journeyed to Red Bird Mission, which is in the center of the Redbird Mission Conference of the...
Read MoreMaundy Thursday Sermon (4/17/14)
Following Jesus… During the Maundy Thursday service on April 17, Pastor Kee preached on John 13:1-17, 31-35. His sermon was followed by a communion service in which participants had their hands washed before sitting at a table behind the pulpit. 12 people at a time filled the tables, giving the sense that we were actually participating in the Last Supper after Jesus had washed our feet. Read Scripture John 13:1-17, 31 35 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time...
Read MoreLiving Water Connections (4/5/14)
The Living Water Connections for Young Adults will be held in our Fellowship Hall on Friday April 4, starting at 7:00PM. Drop by and make some friends, hear some inspirational music and testimony… and enjoy some good food. For more information on Living Waters Connections, click here.
Read MoreAdded Blessing at Our Father’s House
Our Father’s House (our church’s pre-school), warmly gives many kinds of blessings to the families in the school and to our church. One of these blessings is Yogi, our “crossing guard”. Yogi is at the church every morning to greet the children with a warm welcome and to make sure they’re safe as they move from the parking lot into the building. On the last day of school before the Thanksgiving break, Yogi greeted the kids wearing his (now) famous turkey...
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