Common Ground Fellowship

05/20/2026

05/20/2026

Good worship, humbling yourself before the Lord. Helps heal and revive. God bless

05/17/2026

Welcome to Common Ground Fellowship Church and welcome to our Sunday morning Worship service! Glad you are here!

05/03/2026

Welcome to Common Ground Fellowship Church and welcome to our Sunday morning Worship service! Glad you are here!

01/31/2026

Heart to Heart 1-28-20206

Have you ever considered the relationship between a pencil and its eraser? It is such a common
sight, well at least it used to be a common sight. The #2 pencil with a red rubber eraser perched on top of it. They both hold prominent positions in the writing, drawing and mathematical arenas as well as doodling. Truth be told they need each other, one is not more important than the other, unless there is an attitude issue. The issue happens when one begins saying to the other without me, you would never complete anything. You have on the other end, you are always interrupting my thoughts with erasing my musings and wanderings, please let me finish. Truth be told both are needed.

The pencil jots the thoughts, and the eraser eliminates the mistakes. Taking it from their own
perspective, the eraser eliminates, but so doing, allows for a makeover a redo a setting the record
straight. Bottom line the eraser permits progress, giving freedom to the pencil to compose, jot and muse a thought and direction.

How does that compare with us? Two areas come to mind. If I look closely, I can still see a faint image of what the eraser erased. If I concentrate on that image, instead of a clean slate, I cannot move forward, I still have a foot in the mistake. Secondly if I am not careful, I begin to think I am the important piece in the equation between me and the Lord. The Lord removes or erases our sins to where He does not remember them. I need to learn the same, have the same attitude. Realizing God is erasing sin to permit progress in my development as a saint of God. That progress begins with salvation and continues on as the Holy Spirit and the Word of God begin the transformation process within us.

In a sense we are the visible feature seen by people of the Handiwork of God as both the pencil,
creator, and the eraser, cleansing us of sin as we confess and yield to Him. Yielding requires us to have the same attitude as that of Jesus when He walked the earth as the Son of God and the son of man.

Philippians 2:3-8 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. (New Living Translation)

Same attitude, same mindset, Jesus humbled Himself, Jesus submitted to the Father accepting the plan laid out for Him in the redemption of man. (you and I) Thank God for Him being the Master architect of our lives, thank God for His eraser and his creative genius in designing nature and in the design of you and me. We have not arrived my friends, the Lord is still working and shaping us and will continue until we go Home. God bless and I pray the peace of God guards your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Pastor Randy

PS. Come join us for pizza, and salad. next Thursday Feb. 5 th , beginning at 6pm. Followed by the bible study. Bring a side dish or dessert to share if you like. Hope to see you all there at the Church.

12/14/2025

Here is this morning's bulletin!

04/22/2025

02/12/2025

Common Ground Fellowship Outreach Church

Heart to Heart 2-4-2025

Blessings to you my friends,

We have learned from an early age to be performers. What do I mean by that? We learned to say the right things to stay out of trouble, and we learned to walk a certain way to fit in. We also learned how to answer questions so more questions would not follow.

I wonder how many of us have become good performers in the realm of Christianity or being a believer in Jesus. We learn the language and we learn the right phrases to say to keep from someone asking us deep questions about our belief system. We at first were perhaps a good student of the bible, excited about the newness of Jesus and what He has done for us. But then the mundane happens and we started to wane from study and slack off on prayer and relationship building with the Lord. But we still knew how to perform. We formed an idea of what a believer walks like, how a believer talks, where they should look to avoid eye contact, to deflect conversation on a deep level.

Listen we have all been there and maybe you’re there now, but that is not what God has designed for you. He has not created you to be a great pretender, or performer. He has created you to be in
relationship with Him, through believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son Jesus. He does not desire you to be a great performer, but a transformer. Through the knowledge of the Lord and an honest evaluation of ourselves, we begin to change. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowing we need the washing of the water of the word, starts the process of transformation.

The Holy Spirit, who takes up residence within us as we place our trust and belief in Jesus, starts working in our hearts. He takes the words of Jesus and He will bring them alive within us as we engage Him in Scripture reading. We take the Word of God and begin to apply it to our lives and pray for the courage to follow through on what the Word says.

Salvation starts our life eternal, transformation is a process, learning how to build up the new man inside of you and silencing the old man and his patterns. We can only have lasting change when we walk with the Lord and allow Him to build us up. We are not to be conformed to the pattern of the world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Then we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Performing comes naturally to us, we were all born with the penchant to sin, to fabricate to head the wrong way, hence the need for a Savior and the need for Transformation, to push the old ideologies out and replace them with the new patterns of the Lord. An encouraging word for you and me is the love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is His faithfulness. His steadfastness to continue to draw us away towards Him.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Randy

11/01/2024

Heart to Heart 10-30-2024

Good day beloved of the Lord Jesus,

2nd Corinthians 5:14 – 19 14For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (N.I.V)

Vs. 14; Christ’s love compels us: To share the good news, to live Godly

When we confess Christ, we are representing Him and His Kingdom. At that point we are also representing The Father and all that He stands for; His passions, plans, and purposes. When we confess Christ as our Savior, we are ushered into a relationship that is eternal. His Love deposited into our hearts compels us to be ambassadors of His Grace and mercy. His love compels us to live a Life of Godliness. His love compels us to usher others into His Presence.

Christ’s love compels us to seek out the Father’s will. Christ’s love compels us to be sanctified, set apart for Him. Christ’s love compels us to go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christ’s love compels us to pray for our enemies. Christ’s love compels us to have pure and undefiled religion that looks after the widows and orphans and to keep ourselves unstained by the world. Christ’s love compels me to offer up a sacrifice of praise an offering of the first fruits of our lips. Christ’s love compels me set my affections on things above, for where my treasure is there is my heart. For whatever captures my attention and affection captures my heart.

The love of Christ and for Him prompts us to seek Him, for who He is, not just what He can do. Love for Christ prompts us to share the secrets of our hearts with Him. Love for Christ prompts me to humble myself before Him, so I do not think more highly of myself than I ought. His love compels us to strive to be His disciple and our love for Him prompts me to want to be in His presence and share my heart with Him.

In Christ we are a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come, we are not who we once were, and we are not all that we can be yet. You and I my friend are a work in progress, a work designed by God, to bring Him honor and glory.

Until we speak again, may Christ’s love prompt you to study His word, which will never pass away. “And what does God require of you? To love mercy, to act justly and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8)

Pastor Randy

10/02/2024

Heart to Heart 10-2-2024
Good day friends in the Lord,
When I worked in the mill, there were times you came across someone had put the wrong kind of nut on a bolt. What I mean is someone would put a regular steel nut on a stainless-steel bolt, the result; you couldn’t get the nut off. Sometimes no matter how hard you tried you couldn’t get it apart with a wrench. The term they used in the mill was the two didn’t marry well. They were too dissimilar metals that bound together, instead of working together.

Now that is a truth in the physical realm of nuts and bolts, but what about the nuts and bolts of that truth in the spiritual realm? The Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthian church told them of a similar principle in a believer's life.

2nd Corinthians 6:14-16 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (N.I.V)

The imagery of the "yoke" in this verse is a reference to the rigid harness used to keep livestock together and pulling in the same direction. When animals are not equally yoked, they work against each other instead of working together. Similarly, if people don't have the same beliefs, values, or morals, they will work against each other in their marriage.

We can understand what Paul is saying to the Church about a relationship or marriage, two differing belief systems do not marry together well. Similarly, are the teachings of Jesus about money Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Jesus was talking about storing our treasures in heaven, and the truth is you cannot serve two masters, the flesh wants to keep or receive or store for itself and the spirit says give and bless and pursue God and His principles. The tussle happens and truth be told we must be in agreement with the Lord for us to walk in victory and peace.

How can we be unequally yoked spiritually? I believe it is when we desire to want our own thoughts, principles and or philosophies that don’t line up with the Lord and we want Him to agree with us. We are becoming unequally yoked spiritually, because God’s Word is truth and freedom comes from truth and not by manipulation, which is what the flesh wants to do with the Lord and others at times. Our Lord is not bending down to us, He desires that we be lifted up to His thought, principles, and ways of life. For the Kingdom of God is not meat nor drink but righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Romans 14:7
God’s ways are not our ways, this is how the prophet Isaiah would record what the Lord would say to His people: Isaiah 55: 6-9 6Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.7Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”9“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

If we want to spiritually grow incrementally towards maturity we must walk in agreement with the Lord. It takes working out and working in Proverbs 3:5-8 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 7Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. 8This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. (N.I.V)

Jesus instructed those who have ears to hear to put into practice the words He spoke, which covers the whole bible since He is the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.(N.I.V)

Jesus is calling us to become yoked with Him, to allow Him to balance the load or burden that we are trying to carry. When we are unequally yoked, we are trying to carry the whole of the burden ourselves which tires and frustrates us, which in turn we lose strength and motivation.

Walking equally yoked with Jesus may mean wait, which a word aptly spoken needs spoken now. God’s delays are not His denials. Now this can mean keep seeking my face for I know the plans I have for you, walk with me and let’s discover together the plan. You see it’s the Lord and I together, not me and the Lord is going to have to get on board my train here, cause I’m ready to pull out of the station.

If we need to let’s back up a few yards spiritually and ask the Lord to forgive us for running ahead of Him or for lagging behind. Let’s ask Him to renew a right spirit within us and to restore unto us the joy of His salvation. Remember that it is not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord. So as for me I want to rewind some of my plans and say Help me Lord, cause I have spiritually fallen and can’t get all the way back up. I believe you know what I mean, we get stumped and stagnate, when all we need to do is what Isaiah said in 55:6-7 seek the Lord while He may be found, ask for a heart redo, and renew your mind with the Word. Together with the Lord, a refreshment of your spirit is possible. God bless, keep looking upwards and outwards for the Lord is as close as a call of His Name.

In Christ,
Pastor Randy

09/19/2024

Heart to Heart 9-17-2024

What is your hope for the future? Let’s talk beyond jobs, homes, retirement, travel, family, hobbies, things we would like to accomplish and things we would like to forget.

When you look towards the future, does it include eternal life? I heard it said aim at heaven and earth gets thrown in with it, aim at earth and you will miss heaven. Why? One is eternal, (heaven) the other is temporal (earth). I am sure that we have lived long enough to know that earth and the things of earth never truly satisfy, it always leaves a hope so instead of a know so. What do I mean, quick example, go out and order your favorite meal, regardless of the cost, and savor every bite, quite satisfying, 2 hours later you’re looking for food. The temporary satisfaction has worn off.

Heaven on the other hand is eternal, never ending, always as a believer in the Lord’s presence, no night, no fears, no earthly distractions or disappointments. We eagerly wait for the day when we hear welcome home, not trying to rush it, but that’s where we should be setting our sights. We should be storing up treasures in heaven, paying it forward for others, by prayer and loving in word and deed.
The Apostle Paul writing in Colossians, challenges us as believers to set our eyes on Jesus, to set our minds on things above, to imitate Jesus in our daily lives. Challenging, yes! But that’s the aim we should have, setting our minds on things above, where Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father.

Colossians 3:1-4
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Setting our minds and hearts on the things above helps put the future in the proper context. We can enjoy this life here on earth and enjoy all that God’s created but keep it in context.

Is your eternal future a hope so or a know so? Are you hoping to be in heaven with Jesus? Are you banking on works? Or the goodness of your Character? If so, then all you have is a hope so, and not a know so. You cannot set your heart and your mind on things above where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God the Father, with a hope so.

In order to be in the presence of God you need a relationship with the Lord, through a belief in Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection for you, a belief He was the sacrifice that paid for our sins and through that belief, you have a know so relationship, based on Jesus and your belief and trust in Him. If you have made that decision to trust Jesus as your Savior, you have passed from judgment to life. We can be at peace with God because of a belief in Jesus and be at peace within knowing your future with the Lord is intact. Until we meet again,

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Randy