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Goodyear Heights Community Church, 464 Brittain Road, Akron, OH (2026)

10/15/2026

How Did God Do That?
I really enjoy woodworking and making things like furniture. I like taking a set of plans for a piece that I want to build, making a few modifications to make it my own, and then off to the lumber supplier to buy the necessary materials. Once I actually start cutting the wood and assembling the parts, my creation begins to take shape. After a time of diligently watching my plans, cutting pieces, and gluing parts together I finally see the finished piece. But wait, there’s more! I clean up the shop to make sure no dust is floating around and then I begin to apply the stain. That not only protects the wood from moisture, but it also makes the grain of the wood stand out beautifully. After a few coats of sealer my creation is ready for the world to see.

My little creation does not begin to compare with God's amazing creation. After thinking about all the time and effort that went into my creation, I consider how God made His. He simply spoke and the worlds came into existence. God took absolutely nothing and created a world and universe so complex that man still does not understand most of it.

Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Light is one of the things that each of us take for granted without ever thinking about it unless it is absent. I have a small, round piece of cut glass that my dad had that breaks sunlight down into the various colors and when the sun shines through it in my window it throws rainbows all over the room. Light is so complex and yet all God's Word mentions about its creation is four words, “Let there be light.” God didn’t go to His lab and discover a bunch of ways that it didn’t work, He simply spoke out of His unspeakable intelligence and power, “and there was light!”

We can read on through Genesis 1 and stand in awe as to the complexity of things that God simply spoke into existence. For instance, in verse 16 we read, “he made the stars also.” How did God simply speak, and countless numbers of stars appeared throughout an unknown vastness called the universe?

With that in mind, ask yourself why such a great and mighty God would ever be interested in your small, insignificant issues and needs compared to all that He has done? The reason is very simple yet as complex as His creation – His love for you personally. We don’t need to know “how” or “why” He loves us; we simply need to accept that He does and take everything to Him including our fellowship and praise.

10/14/2026

Opportunities…
From the time your feet hit the floor in the morning your day begins to be filled with things and people. Yes, the things may break, and, yes, the people may be grumpy, but the day goes on regardless of the events that fill it. Each event and each person gives us an opportunity to respond to it in a unique way. Depending on the event we may respond to it cheerfully or we may choose to just remain neutral. However, we often treat opportunities as if somehow God were punishing us with them for something (who knows what…) that we said or did wrong. An attitude of fear will make your day a thing which is dreaded and filled with gladness when it is finally over.

It is true that God does have a will and a purpose for everything that enters our life. Those things should be seen as opportunities that God is presenting to us to allow us to glorify Him with our response. When things go “right” we often reply with gladness of heart, but when things don’t go the way that we thought they should go, we respond to them with something that is less than glorifying to the Lord. We think that if the grumpy guy at work just had a “dose of his own medicine” he would somehow be happy. Have you noticed how that never works out that way? Instead, his grumpiness seems to get worse, and it rubs off on us which completely ruins the opportunity God gave us.

How are we to respond to opportunities that God allows into our life that we see as simply difficulties?

Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

We are to do good to all men, which means that God would have us to do what is right which will not only help that person to see the love of God through us, but will also glorify God in all things. Then God adds “especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Those are fellow believers. They can be the ones who are in our church family. When we do good to a fellow believer it demonstrates God's unconditional love for us through Jesus Christ. What opportunities is God allowing in your life today, and how are you responding? Sometimes the opportunities are with the people the closest to us and we fail to see them.

10/13/2026

God, Do You Hate Me?
When we are in the presence of another person, we often think how nice it would be to be able to know what the other person was thinking. The coach of a football team would like to know what the other coach was thinking so he could gain the upper hand. I owned a remodeling company several years ago and we specialized in kitchen and bathroom remodels. After I spent hours drawing my proposed project and preparing the quote, I would often wish that I knew what the customer was thinking. Was my price too high, or worse yet, was it too low? Sometimes I could tell by their facial expressions, but that usually was not accurate.

Finally, the decision came and I knew without a doubt what they were thinking because they told me. What a relief it was to know that they liked my proposal, would like a few minor changes, and agreed to the price. Sometimes we could not arrive at an agreement but at least I knew that I gave it my best shot.

Wouldn’t it be great to know what God thinks of you, especially when you do something that you should not have done? That time of uncertainty is when Satan comes rushing into your thoughts with visions of God's wrath falling upon you for what you just did. The thought is presented that “if you were a true believer, you would not have done that.” Guilt and doubt begin to pile up until you are totally confused and miserably depressed. If you only knew exactly what God is thinking towards you. “God, do you hate me?”
It is so marvellous that there are no “gray areas” with God. He lets us know exactly what His thoughts are to us.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Wow! God doesn’t hate me for being disobedient. The guilt that I feel I can take to Him in prayer confessing it to Him and receiving His forgiveness and peace. If that were not enough, God gives us “an expected end” which is His love and hope constantly for the future. Does God ever hate you? No! Jesus took all of God's hate for your sin upon Himself so there is no hate towards you, only God's marvellous instruction and loving blessings.

10/12/2026

Not Again…
There was a movie that came out a few years ago titled “Groundhog Day” where everything kept happening over and over. At first, it was scary but then it became something that was counted on to be able to live a day over and do whatever he wished without any consequences. It was a very comical movie, but sometimes it seems like life gets stuck in that mode. Things just keep happening over and over that we would rather not go through. If we could just reverse what is happening, and instead of things that we dread happening there would be good things happening over and over.

That seems to only happen in the movies, or in other people’s lives but not in ours. It seems so amazing how our memory only recalls the negative things from the past, even if the past is only yesterday. I have memories of being bullied during my school years, and those memories seem prominent. The memory of meeting the girl that would one day be my wife while I was in high school comes back only when I concentrate on it instead of the negative stuff that seems to come naturally. Difficult times raising our kids while trying to get a business off the ground is what seems to identify that era of our lives, but the time spent with them just playing or on a trip needs to be focused on to overcome the negative stuff.

The Word of God shows us how to overcome the negative thoughts which will often try to control our words and actions.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

That verse teaches us two things – (1) that we have the ability to think on whatever we choose, and (2) the things we choose to think on are all positive in our daily relationship with the Lord. So, when we find ourselves proclaiming, “Not again...”, think of the great, unconditional love God has for you through Jesus Christ and consider how blessed you are to have God revealing His will and plan to you in such a clear way.

10/11/2026

Sunday Morning Worship Service 10/11/26

10/09/2026

MAYBE LATER…
If you are going to succeed in anything in life you need to commit yourself to it. Athletes must commit to a very rigorous training program if they are going to advance in their sport. The athlete who is only willing to commit himself or herself to the training program a few days a week and then rest the other days will only progress so far. But when there is a total commitment, they will progress to great feats.

I had the privilege of teaching in a Bible college several years ago and after a few weeks it was obvious who was committed and who wasn’t by their attitude. They all got something out of the classes that God can use, but those who were committed to learn the Word of God went on in the ministry to positions of leadership and were used by God to accomplish mighty things for His glory. God still used those who were of less commitment, but He used them to a lesser degree and many of them simply dropped by the wayside of life.

Our works can scatter our thoughts, and we can become overwhelmed with everything that needs our attention. The person that owns a business must balance his responsibilities with the need to care for his family, keep his relationship with the Lord growing in daily Bible reading and prayer as well as church, and have some “down time” for himself. God's Word has an answer to this need for commitment.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

When we take everything that is on our plate, and we give it all to the Lord, He will establish our thoughts as to our priorities. When you let God sort everything out that needs to be done, you will find that it all works out for His glory and for your blessing. God certainly has a plan, and His plan is specific and unique to you individually. God's plan never includes busyness that is overwhelming or that takes you away from His presence and worship. Someone once wrote “Beware of the barrenness of a busy life.” The “barrenness” comes from a lack of commitment to the fellowship, worship, and service that brings peace and contentment from the Lord. Everyone seems to be busy but is your busyness pulling you away from the Lord? If so, you are too busy!

10/08/2026

I don’t understand…
I find it so very frustrating when I try to read something and do not understand what it means. For instance, when you go to a new doctor and they hand you the clipboard with what seems like an endless number of sheets of paper on it and they all have questions about your health. Most of that stuff you have probably never heard of unless you have a degree in medicine. My wife went to a new doctor once and before we completed the first page she was called into the exam room. She was told to bring the clipboard with her and complete it while she was waiting. A few minutes later the doctor appeared and when she told him that the sheets were not yet complete, he remarked that it wasn’t necessary. Ahhh! Why did they put us through all of that in the first place? I would guess that with them it was just to keep us occupied. Needless to say, that was the last time we visited him.

Another frustration is when you ask a question on your computer about fixing your computer and the answer pops up. Great! I can now accomplish the procedure that I was questioning. As the step-by-step instructions begin, I get through the first few steps, and then the next thing that they want me to do does not appear on my computer screen…anywhere! Now what do I do? Obviously, I am not going to complete my task.

Reading God's Word can be just as frustrating to many people. If you stop and think about it for a moment, why would God who desires to make Himself known to you more than you are searching for Him, write something to you that He knows you can’t understand? That doesn’t make sense why He would do something like that, but nevertheless, you can’t understand it. Since God not only wrote the Bible, He knows all about your capabilities and desires to know Him. So, God being God came up with a solution. Before you read, ask God in prayer to unlock your understanding by opening your eyes to what He wants you to see.

Psalm 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Read slowly and think about what it is that you are reading. Read complete sentences (between the periods) and then ask yourself, “What did I just read?” If you can’t answer that, reread it again slowly. It isn’t God's desire that you get frustrated and want to quit. That is God's enemy trying his best to keep you from knowing God's truth. It is only as God opens your understanding through the Holy Spirit that understanding comes. Quitting is not an option nor is it necessary because God wants you to know Him and His blessings. Keep going!

10/07/2026

Which way…??
Isn’t it frustrating to be driving down a road and suddenly you are at the end of it and your only choice is left or right? You didn’t want to go left or right; you wanted to go straight ahead to your destination. What if you go the wrong direction and end up somewhere that you were not aiming for? How do you know which way to go? And your GPS seems to be just as confused as you are because all it says is “recalculating.”

Life can be that way also. Some of the choices we are required to make can be just as confusing. Sometimes all we can do is make a choice and hope for the best. As life has taught us, that doesn’t work out most of the time. The problem with making a blind choice is the lack of proper information to be able to make the choice correctly. I find myself saying in my mind that I should have paid more attention to the teacher in school when they covered just the thing that I now need. What was I thinking?

Right or wrong choices are never a matter of “luck.” They come from the amount of information we have about the choice that needs made. For instance, when you come to the dead-end road, you would know which way would be the correct way had you taken time to look at the map. When life demands choices, the correct one can be taken when you know the details about each choice.

The Bible gives you direction to all the choices you need to make. It won’t tell you to take this choice or that one directly, but it will give you the principle you need to know to make an informed choice.

Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

When you know what God's Word says about which choice will honor God and which choice will not, the right choice becomes clear. What choices do you need to make today? Do you know what God's Word says about them? Don’t allow yourself to be stuck in an endless “recalculating” mode but rather learn the information you need from God's Word that will bring direction to your life by avoiding the choices that lead to sin. Satan never gives up trying to sidetrack you and you should never give up by considering his evil temptations that sound good on the surface but lead to a lack of fellowship with the One who loves you, Jesus!

10/06/2026

WHO??
Have you ever wondered what someone’s name means? There are books written and internet sites that will tell you the meaning of almost every name of people on the earth. For instance, my name means “wonderful husband, loving dad, caring Pastor, great brother.” Oh, I just woke up… that was in my dreams I guess!! Seriously, names do have definitions and meanings.

What we normally think about when a name is mentioned is what that person is known for, what are his or her accomplishments in life, good or bad? I have a very good friend who, when I hear his name mentioned I immediately think of his area of expertise and how he has assisted us in our ministry as well as personally. When someone is mentioned from our church, what comes to my mind is their relationship to the church and how they are always there to help when needed. Family members’ names bring wonderful memories, especially our children, but even more, our grandchildren. The absolute best are the memories we make with the great-grandchildren. Yes, I am that old…

What about when the name of God is mentioned? What comes to your mind? Are there good thoughts? Are there happy thoughts? Are there fearful thoughts? Are there angry thoughts? Or are there no thoughts at all because you don’t know that much about Him?

I recently met a lady at the grocery store who shared some memories with me from our childhood since we lived in the same side of town and have seen the town change over the years. Our very brief conversation soon turned to the things of God, and we both knew how good He is, and how He provides all our needs. How did we both know those same things? We both have gone to the source, God's Word and know what God says about Himself.

Exodus 34:6-7 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, (7) Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

If this does not sound like the God that you worship, go to the source – God's Word. Don’t allow God's enemy, Satan, to get you all twisted up in things that God never claimed for Himself. Discover how the real meaning of the name of God applies to you today. Then thank Him for allowing you to truly know who He is and the love He has for you personally.

10/05/2026

The Devil made me do it…
It is so easy to blame the devil when things start to go wrong. Is it really him, or do we bring things on ourselves? I can look back on the years behind me, and I can see exactly why things were going upside down in my life. They say that hindsight is 20/20…

There were years when I was trying to build a business along with my wife. We started in the basement of our house with a small print shop and not many years later we were occupying a 7,000 square foot building. Business was good and we had several employees. We started doing printing for a very large company and it kept us “hopping” to try to keep up with it. I began working 7 days a week to try to meet our deadlines, which meant that church was put on hold. One day my Pastor stopped in the shop and warned me about what I was doing. I used the excuse that we had to make our deadlines, or the customers would go somewhere else.

Then the large customer stopped paying us for several months which caused some concern. I was excited to see the large check arrive, but a few days after I deposited it, the check bounced. We were devastated and had to start considering our options. So, did the devil do that? Indirectly he may have tempted me to work instead of being faithful to the church, but how was he able to convince me that my decision was correct?

Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Did you see that? Jesus was not tempted until he was in the “wilderness.” How many times we place ourselves in a wilderness away from God's Word and away from the influence of other believers? That swings the door wide open for Satan’s temptations. Before you make decisions, make sure that they align with God's Word if you expect God's blessings. And make sure that your decisions shut and lock the door on Satan by never compromising your time spent with God. Satan will still try to pound the door down with his temptations and with all sorts of issues in your life, including from your own family. But stay firm about your time spent with the One who loves you, guides you, and wants to bless you as you spend time alone with Him.

Goodyear Heights Community Church

10/15/2026

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