Abide
Abide in Me.
So… Sunday-only Jesus misses the mark.
Sunday and Wednesday night, Jesus comes up short, too.
Even Sunday, Wednesday night, and pre-dawn daily quiet time with Jesus is not enough.
Continuous union is the goal, not intermittent check-ins. Disciples must intentionally remain connected to Jesus from the moment they wake to the moment they fall asleep. As Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we are to pray, rejoice, and give thanks without ceasing. Scripture paints a clear picture: we are to cultivate a continual rhythm of God-consciousness and ongoing inner communion with Him as we strive to live in the way of Jesus with the heart of Jesus.
Whoever abides in Me and I in Him
While the language of John 15:5 is strong, it’s also an incredible invitation to experience God in a radically new way. Religious life no longer centers on ethnic heritage, the temple system, or the nation of Israel. Under the New Covenant, believers are called to abide in Jesus. The command to abide shifts the motivation for obedience from duty to attachment. Jesus inverts the equation: good deeds are no longer a way to earn God’s favor but the natural byproduct of living in communion with Him.
This mutual indwelling—we in Him and He in us—transforms both our relationship with God and our relationships with others. Through abiding, we follow Jesus in community and on mission, living out both the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-38) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).
John 15:5 concludes with a sobering warning: “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.” The emphasis, however, is not on failure but on dependence. The Christian life is not about trying harder but remaining closer. So lean in… there is a deeper, richer reality ahead. One where, as C.S. Lewis described it, the inside is larger than the outside.
Greg Mizel
Executive Director
Don’t Let Pride Rule the Day
2 Kings 5:1-14
Naaman goes to Israel to seek God for the healing of his leprosy, and he almost misses the healing because it doesn’t take the form he wants or expects. In the pride of his position, he goes straight to the king and expects to be served. He wants no part of humility or submission. He doesn’t care about coming into a right relationship with God Almighty.
This isn’t just Naaman’s story, but a human story. The Holy Spirit has definitely convicted me of praying in a similar attitude. I don’t just ask God to intervene, but I tell Him how I want it done. Like Naaman, I might even reject the work God wants to do in me. After all, I’d be fine if only this situation were resolved. When we do this, aren’t we saying, “I’m not the problem. I’m fine. Everybody and everything else is the problem”? When we ask for God’s help, if we really want His intervention, we need to have the humility to accept His methodology.
Sometimes we miss the healing God has for us because we refuse to submit. We love our pride more. But God isn’t just looking at physical circumstances. He sees us as whole people: body, soul, mind, spirit. He wants to bring healing to our whole person. Remember, His character is not dependent on circumstances. His love, joy, and peace are unfazed in the face of evil and are unending and never failing. If we’re losing sight of peace, then we are missing something of God in our lives. If we’re having trouble loving someone, we’re lacking God’s heart. We need a real encounter, and that’s what He seeks to resolve.
Naaman wasn’t thinking of meeting God Almighty, but God knew Naaman’s problem ran deeper than his skin. In choosing to submit, Naaman returned to worship and acknowledge God as the One True God. Naaman’s story invites us to choose humility also and see what God will do.
Carol Hill
Lay Counselor & Prayer Team
Addictions in Church Clothes
Philippians 2:7-9
Growing up, the idea of addiction felt distant, scary, and confined to those living in serious sin and brokenness. Surely addiction would never be a part of my story. Yet, it has been. Not the easy-to-identify type of addiction, though. One far more masked.
Early on in life, I experienced the “high” of people’s approval. It gave me significance and worth. If I started feeling insecure or not enough, I’d figure out a way to maintain approval. On the outside, I wanted to portray a hard-working, confident, fruitful missionary, but on the inside, I was feeling confused, tired, unmotivated, and disconnected. I was desperately chasing worth through validation that would never satisfy.
Believing the lie that I’m not enough apart from the approval of others has been very costly. Not only to me, but also to those I care about deeply and to our ministry. It’s led to behaviors such as striving, control, comparison, and deceit. This broken part of me hasn’t been experiencing the liberated, joy-filled life that is already mine.
It seems Paul could relate. In Galatians 1, he says, “Am I trying to please people?” I can imagine his long list of accomplishments and accolades in Philippians 3:4-6 had felt exhausting! He had lived a life of striving, working hard to attain righteousness and the approval of others.
But then Jesus met him!
Paul’s encounter with the living Jesus (Acts 9) began to change everything! He began to understand his true identity. We learn more about Paul’s process in Philippians 3:7-9. “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him…”
Paul went from striving to receiving. From people-pleasing to serving Christ alone. As I’ve taken time to meet with Jesus through inner-healing prayer and spiritual direction, he’s been replacing the lies I’ve come to believe with the truth of his love for me and of who I really am. My addiction to approval is losing its power as Jesus does his work of restoring my true identity, and as I extend grace and care to the broken parts of me that are being healed. More and more, I’m experiencing the liberated, joy-filled life that is mine.
Amber Moen
Inner Healing Prayer Leader
Do You Want to Get Well?
Series: Honest to God
Text: John 5:1-9
Speaker: Pastor Ryan Paulson
October 11, 2026: On Sunday, we continued our series, Honest to God, as we keep exploring some of Jesus’ most soul-searching questions together. This latest message from Lead Pastor Ryan Paulson is entitled “Do You Want to Get Well?”
Space for Doubters
When people struggle with the claims of Christianity, where do they go? Where do you go when you doubt?
That’s one of the most important questions you can ask because doubt rarely remains neutral. It always takes us somewhere. For some, doubt leads to cynicism. For others, it leads to isolation. Many quietly drift away from church and community, convinced they have to figure everything out before they belong. And, let’s be honest, many churches don’t have room for those who doubt.
I’m struck by the fact that Thomas chose a different path.
After refusing to believe the other disciples’ testimony, Thomas made his doubts known. But then notice what John tells us: “Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them” (John 20:26). Thomas hadn’t resolved his questions. He hadn’t seen Jesus yet; he was still doubting and unable to believe the resurrection had taken place, but he stayed with the community. He was still a part of the church.
That detail is easy to miss, but it may be the most important part of the story. In his book After Doubt, A.J. Swoboda writes that doubt is not a sign that faith has failed. In many ways, it is evidence that our faith is being stretched beyond easy answers. The real danger isn’t in asking hard questions; it’s believing we have to ask them alone.
Thomas refused to pretend, but he also refused to disappear. And it was there, in the middle of a community, still carrying unanswered questions, that Jesus met him. Jesus didn’t shame Thomas for doubting. He invited him closer, saying, “Put your finger here... Do not disbelieve, but believe” (John 20:27). Thomas’ honest wrestling became the doorway to one of Scripture’s greatest confessions: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
Doubt didn’t define Thomas; Jesus did. If you’re carrying questions today, don’t assume you have to hide them or solve them before you belong. Bring them into the light. Share them with trusted followers of Jesus. Stay connected to the body of Christ. More often than we’d like, Jesus meets us not after we’ve figured everything out, but while we’re faithfully remaining with His people.
Reflect: Where do you instinctively go when doubts arise? Do you move toward trusted community, or away from it? Are you a safe person for others to process their doubt and struggles with? What would it look like to stay in the room long enough for Jesus to meet you there?
Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor
Whose Voice(s) Are You Hearing or Listening To
Could you imagine if we all had a little cricket named Jiminy sitting on our shoulders, telling us what is right and wrong? An audible conscience that provided just what you needed to hear, just when you needed to hear it!
Unfortunately, Jiminy only exists in the fantasy of animation.
As Christians, we have a different kind of compass that comes built in when we accept Jesus as our personal savior, the Holy Spirit. He may not always speak audibly when we need Him to, but if we learn to tune out the world and dial into what God is calling us to do, that still small voice whispers to our hearts.
But what if it’s unclear? What if you have trouble discerning whether it’s God providing a closed door or Satan spurring you onto something that ultimately wouldn’t be good for you?
I had a friend in this exact situation, only I didn’t know this was where she was at in her heart; actively asking God to reveal if it was Him or if it was Satan. I knew what she was going through, and I was praying for her one day. I felt like I received a word from the Lord for my friend.
I reached out to her and said, “I hope this doesn’t upset you, but this thing you’re thinking of doing, I feel like the Lord is telling me to tell you to wait. Now is not the time.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was the exact validation she was earnestly seeking. Sometimes God will use the people in our lives as vessels to help validate His will. It is in community where we can be carried by people we trust, and lean on their wisdom when our hearts are blinded in a moment of desperation.
Do you have two or three people you could go to about anything? People following the Lord, so you know you can trust what they say? Lean on the community God has given you and don’t try to walk this journey alone.
Sometimes that still small voice sounds like a friend’s encouragement, wisdom, or validation.
Kim Freels
Digital Media Specialist
The Awesome Power of Our Words
James 3:5-10
Growing up, people often told me I had a quick wit and a sharp tongue. In my family, that was almost a compliment. We were known for thinking fast, winning arguments, and always having the last word. I wore that reputation like a badge of honor.
The problem wasn’t that my words weren’t true. The problem was that I often used the truth to hurt people. I justified it by telling myself, “Well, it’s true,” as if that somehow made my words less harmful. Looking back, I realize I wasn’t using my words to build others up; I was using them to tear others down.
In ninth grade, another student and I traded insults almost every day, trying to outdo each other with the sharpest comeback. To me, it was just a game. A few months later, a different student at my school died by suicide after enduring intense bullying. I didn’t know him well, but his death shook me. That night, my mom said something I’ve never forgotten: “You never know what someone is carrying, or how deeply your words might affect them.”
Those words changed me. From that day on, our daily battle of insults ended. I made a promise to myself that my words would leave people with hope rather than hurt.
James writes that the tongue is like a small spark that can set an entire forest on fire. I realized my words could either leave scars or offer hope. They could tear someone down or point them toward life.
I still feel the urge to have the last word. I still think of the perfect comeback long before I should. But now, before I speak, I ask myself a different question: Will these words leave this person feeling more loved or more wounded?
I don’t always get it right, but I want my conversations to end with people feeling encouraged rather than defeated. I used to use my words to win. Now I pray God will use my words to give life.
Madison Kaaman
Nursery & Early Childhood Coordinator
Who Condemns You?
Series: Honest to God
Text: John 8:1-11
Speaker: Pastor Dennis Keating
October 4, 2026: On Sunday, we continued our series, Honest to God, as we keep exploring some of Jesus’ most soul-searching questions together. This latest message from guest speaker and former EFCC Pastor Dennis Keating is entitled “Who Condemns You?”
Called to Courage
In 2 Corinthians, Paul writes that God always leads us in victory in Christ. I said to God once, “If that’s true, why am I not experiencing victory?” He said, “I’m leading, but are you following?” As humans, we tend to do our own thing and then ask God to bless it. We forge our own paths, try to work out our own problems, and ask God to reinforce our efforts.
In this passage of Joshua, God invites Joshua to follow His lead. This means faith and obedience. Although we’re no longer bound by the Law, obedience still matters. When we go our own way, there’s no promise that God is going to back us up. Even though God is omnipresent, His promise of victory was contingent on obedience. (See the Battle of Ai, Joshua 7.) The invitation God extends is that we submit to Him as King and Loving Savior, and He will exert His power on our behalf to give us victory (Psalm 91 and John 14:15-15:11).
Our culture leans heavily on what we can observe with our five senses and what is testable through valid scientific experiments. And yet, the Bible boldly declares that what is physical is less than what is spiritual the physical came from the spiritual (see Hebrews 11:3). God wants us to give more weight to the reality of His presence than to what we see in our physical circumstances. Faith is not just a matter of taking the Bible at face value, but of having experiential knowledge of God, interacting with Him in intimacy and trust, and seeing His hand at work in our lives. Faith is the ability to see the spiritual reality and give it more weight than our physical circumstances (2 Kings 6:8-19).
To assist Joshua in faith and obedience, God tells him to meditate on His Word. Filling our minds with Scripture will help us to give more weight to what He says is true than what we can outwardly observe. Remember, no matter how big the things are on the physical side of the scale, the smallest bit of Truth about God tips the scale every time!
Carol Hill
Lay Counselor & Prayer Team
Who Do I Trust?
Psalm 56:3-4
“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4
When I read this, I hear a man declaring his trust in God. Yet I also hear him asking himself, “Why should I be afraid? What can man do to me?” He is using reason to conclude that God is trustworthy.
I believe God sometimes allows us to face frightening circumstances because it’s the only way we’ll discover who or what we truly trust. When life is going smoothly, it’s easy to think we trust in God alone. But when we feel trapped with nowhere to turn, our faith becomes real. We’re forced to use the same reasoning the Psalmist used.
Last year, I had thyroid cancer. One of my biggest fears (irrational, I know) was having to take thyroid medication. So when my doctor wanted to scan my thyroid and then do a biopsy, I was consumed with fear that it would have to be removed. One day, while I was quietly waiting before the Lord for the biopsy results, I sensed Him ask, “Can you trust Me with your thyroid?” I was startled. That was the million-dollar question.
The biopsy confirmed cancer. For months, I kept returning to that same question. I came face-to-face with both my faith and my lack of faith. It wasn’t a simple process, but eventually I concluded that God is trustworthy in this area of my life. They removed only half of my thyroid, and thankfully, I still don’t need medication. That could change someday, but the question has been answered. Yes, I trust Him with my thyroid.
I believe that question will always be before each of us in one form or another. It may involve our health, our family, or our finances, but it always includes uncertainty about the future. We’ll continue asking ourselves this question as long as we live because uncertainty is part of life on this side of heaven. But that’s okay. If I trust in God, what is there to fear? And when I breathe my last breath, He will be there. I will have no reason to be afraid.
Judy Linscheid
Writing Team
