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7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks Can You Say “This I Believe”?’ Day 1: John 3:18 – “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.” Day 2: 1 Thessalonians 2:13 – “Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God - which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.” Day 3: Hebrews 11:6 – “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Day 4: Romans 15:13 – “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Day 5: John 20:31 – “But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.” Day 6: Psalm 28:7 – “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” Day 7: Mark 9:23 – “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

This sabbatical has been good for me but it has also opened my eyes a bit more. You see when one focuses on the needs of the faith gathering for the majority of the time, one tends to be somewhat blind to the needs of the greater community around us and the warnings contained in Scripture. I was perusing the internet for scripture paintings and art that I could possibly purchase for my office when I came upon one that grabbed my attention. The more I read it and read around it, that is the passages before and after, and I realized this was a message that needed to be studied and broadcast to the world. You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! 2 Tim 3:1-5 NLT Many will call those who stand on the street corner packing signs and pamphlets that declare “the end is near” yet two thousand years ago, Paul was telling Timothy what the end days would look like. There will be even harder times coming unless we, as a faith community, take a stand and ask the world to pump the brakes on selfish attitudes and shift the focus off dangerous and divisive self-centred desires and shift the paradigm to one of love and unity in Christ. While the world looks for ways to promote distinctiveness, Jesus promotes unity and peace. There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. 1Tim 2:5-6 NLT Over the next two and a half months, I will be focused on Paul’s message to Timothy and will start a series on the epistles to Timothy. The service will be broadcast online (see links below), or you are more than welcome to join us in person at 402 Main Ave. W in Sundre, AB. Blessing, Facebook Live - Main Ave Fellowship YouTube Live – You Tube www.mainavefellowship.ca Our Mission “To live the love of Christ”

A while back, I attended a service where the person beside me was chatting rather loudly with regards to the preacher. The conversation mainly focused on the delivery, the tone of the preacher’s voice, and a variety of other issues that had nothing to do with the message. I even overheard the person say, “if this person becomes more regular in the church, I am looking for another church”. I will admit, I was not all that into the delivery or even the attitude of the preacher, but I did keep it to myself, but I will admit, the message was fully scriptural and right on point. There are some who preach like Rev. Lovejoy from the Simpsons or preach like a wind-up monkey with a set of tambourines but what we need to listen for is the message. Let’s try this on for an illustration. There are many out there who do not like southern gospel. Some people love the old hymns, some appreciate the new choruses and others a good old fashioned Gregorian chant. Over the past twenty-three years in ministry, I have heard the same complaint with regards to music, “they never play music I like”. Consider this, if I was to pull up some of the worship songs from the days of Christ, not many would really fancy the tunes but think about this, are we there to tickle the fancy of self or are we there to share, worship and celebrate our Lord and Savior. Take some time to look at the lyrics of the Christian songs you like and define the central message of the song. Now, look at song you are not a fan of and analyze the central message presented. Are they the same? Do they celebrate Jesus and encourage a faith in God? Sure, not all messages tickle our fancy but not all of us like the same things in life. My suggestions is this, instead of complaining about the delivery, celebrate the fact that someone has taken time to listen to His Message, that the preacher or worship team has been faithful to present His Message to those who need to hear and celebrate and that they are doing everything they can in a world filled with doubt and confusion to declare the Grace of God. Celebrate God, lift His messengers in prayer and support the faith family through encouragement and uplifting discussions. You see, the evil one’s main tool is chaos, confusion and separation, don’t give into his nasty tactics. One last thing before I sign off for this week, if the church is missing something like a children’s program or a youth group or even a young adult’s group, don’t walk away going “they have nothing for us here”. Instead, ask around to see if there is an opportunity to start something and then just do it. It takes time and effort to build up the church, don’t wait for “someone” to get the ball rolling, be that “someone”. Remember, Jesus said go out into all nations to share, baptize, and build up the faith community (I paraphrase). He did not say go out and find a group that is already up and running that suits your needs. The service will be broadcast online (see links below), or you are more than welcome to join us in person at 402 Main Ave. W in Sundre, AB. Blessing, Facebook Live - Main Ave Fellowship YouTube Live – You Tube www.mainavefellowship.ca Our Mission “To live the love of Christ”

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks ‘Praising in the Storm’ Day 1: Psalm 59:17 – “O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.” Day 2: Psalm 100:4 – “Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.” Day 3: Psalm 103:2 – “Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.” Day 4: Jeremiah 17:14 – “O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone!” Day 5: Habakkuk 3:17-19 – “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” Day 6: 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10 – “Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Day 7: Psalm 150:1-6 – “Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

I was watching a show the other day about engineering mistakes and some of the consequences. There was a building that was erected on rather sketchy ground, and after a couple of earth movements, it began to shift. Over a few months, it had shifted enough that the experts were convinced it would soon fall down and cause major issues to the buildings around it. The decision was made to bring it down. It took a week to figure out how to implode it safely and a couple seconds to bring it to the ground. Had the engineers taken some time to work up the plans better, research the area better and build up the foundation even more, the building would not have failed and had to be taken down. There are numerous examples of buildings falling down due to people not taking the time to fully appreciate the situation and working on ways to build up the foundation on the way to creating something of beauty. It does take more effort in the planning stage, but the results are evident in the end. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Eph 4:29 NLT It takes only a moment, a slip of the tongue, to bring down a person. I have, unfortunately, been on the delivery end of some hurtful comments and, even though I have taken time to apologize for my error, my words/actions still haunt me to this day. It takes time to slow up, think about what we are about to say and rework the message to build one up rather than lash out and take the feet out from under someone. When we use foul or abusive language (hurtful remarks), it is like setting dynamite at the base of a building and letting it go off and rarely does the person who pushed the button stick around to clean up the aftermath. It does take time to think our way through a thoughtful way to build someone up and invest in them so they become all they can be. How much richer is the community when we seek ways to build each other up rather than take the lazy way out and tear down those around us? As a person who has the legs taken out from under him on numerous occasions, I can tell you the names of every person who has taken the time to help me up, dust me off and encourage me to go forward with a new outlook and strength. To those people, I give you thanks. To the ones who did not, I forgive you completely. As I am on sabbatical for the next three months, these articles will still be coming out because it is an opportunity for me to share what God lays on my heart. We invite you to gather with us at 10:30 a.m. to explore His love and His message for our hearts through His messenger Rev. Bob Hillock. The service will be broadcast online (see links below), or you are more than welcome to join us in person at 402 Main Ave. W in Sundre, AB. Blessing, Facebook Live - Main Ave Fellowship YouTube Live – You Tube www.mainavefellowship.ca Our Mission “To live the love of Christ”

The Perfect 7-day Diet – ‘Mourn With Those That Mourn’ Day 1: 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14 – “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.” Day 2: Matthew 5:4 – “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Day 3: Psalm 147:3 – “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Day 4: 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4 – “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” Day 5: Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Day 6: Galatians 6:2 – “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” Day 7: Philippians 3:20, 21 – “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

By the time you sit to read this message, I will have been retired for one week. After fifty years of working in retail sales, my finish line was crossed last Thursday. At the ripe young age of sixteen in 1973, I began working like most other teens at the time. There was no long-term goal, just the prospect of earning my own money to buy a car, and date a girl. I would have never guessed that my first job would be my last job. The money was never enough to dream big, but looking back, it was what I now know, almost enough to provide what I would need. I may have changed employers five times over my fifty-year history, but the fundamental tasks were pretty much the same. Looking back, I do have a few regrets, but I sit today realizing that my life has been blessed beyond those regrets. The circle of close friends I have may not have been, had I not been where I was at any given moment. The faith family I cherish may not have come into my life if not for the timely changes that occurred for me. The communication and labor skills I possess today may not have turned out how they have. My regrets are overshadowed by the blessing God poured onto me. My employment finish-line was always there, yet invisible to me until God began to reveal it, one event at a time. Over the last eight years these included three shots at knee replacements, my wife’s victory over breast cancer, and the loss of a very special brother-in-law. His passing was the wake up call for me to plan my exit from work, to be home with my family. That one life stopping event was moment I realized that I should never take any day for granted. Actually, it reminded me to enjoy and savor every single day. All of these set me to determine my retirement day. So now for me, a hobby has become a small business where my goals and opportunities are ahead of me. The road will have many curves so each day will be an exploration of life beyond my finish line. My story has been written and planned by God. I acknowledge that now. Yours is also being written so pay attention. As we all go through this event of life, we are all assigned a blank book. The thickness of that book depends on how long we live. The story line and content of the writings depend on the life you live and share. There was a time when God was not a part of my life, let alone knowing Him the way I do now. I came to accept Him twenty years ago and every day I am amazed how He makes Himself known to me. The thousands of little blessings, or signs He gives, were never on my radar when I was younger. I can only imagine the millions of times He was there for me, and I never even knew. Yet, He cared enough for me to provide me with long and winding roads. Now that I know Him, the scripture Jeremiah 29:11 is now my mantra, and I share that a lot. Looking back, I acknowledge that His provision in my life far outweighs any wants or goals from my youth, and I am content with that. Everything I have, value, love and know are all because He loved me enough that He sent His son, Jesus to die for me. When I think of that fact I am humbled beyond all understanding. Spoiler alert folks, He has done the very same for you as you read this, and for those who have yet to accept Him. That is agape love right there in a nutshell. As for me, He has gifted me with yet another birthday recently. He keeps my body as healthy as I can expect for a sixty-seven-year-old. He has blessed my finances to provide me with enough. He keeps my wife by my side in our advancing years and blesses our family to remain tight knit. Are there some things being worked on that are not perfect yet? Yes, and I will continue to pray that He works those things out. Our lives here are all on the road to our own finish lines, yet His promise to us in John 3:16 reassures me daily that when He is done with you and me here, there will be life beyond our finish line. What kind, you may ask? Eternal, and we’ll not be alone. Mike Shindruk Master’s Hand Ministry

You know, one really does not fully realize just how close to the edge of the cliff one is walking until you look back and see how close you were. Last week, I was out in the back country and we hiked up to the top of a rather large hill. If I was to name it like it felt, I would have called it a medium sized mountain. It took a bit of time to actually get up to the top (except for two intrepid mountain goats whom shall remain nameless who went straight up) because we were being cautious and were zig-zagging our way to the crest. There was deadfall on the path, some rather tricky parts on a side slope but we made it right to the summit. One of our hikers had a slight sprain and I took a bit of time to assess the ankle and, while I was doing so, someone snapped a picture and showed it to me. Now generally I am a fairly safe person but I did not realize just how close to the edge I was sitting because I was more focused on the needs of the other person. Another thing I did not notice was there was another person close beside me who was, it appeared, watching to make sure I did not go for a tumble. You see, this cliff behind me was a rather large drop with basically nothing on the face to arrest a fall and, when I looked at it from the bottom on our way up, it was a shear rock face. I am very grateful for the fact that someone was watching my back while I was helping another. So this leads me to part two. We can burn the candle at both ends at times and, as we get used to the pace, we can get quite comfortable with that pace but forget to take a look around us to see what all is being affected. Sure, there are things we need to do and other things we are expected to do but there is a time when we need to stop, take a look at what all is around us and assess our surroundings. It may seem that we have it all in hand but when we stop to take a look, we see the damage that is in our wake. An eight-hour day turns into a nine-hour day and then into a ten-hour day. There are not enough hours in the day so Saturday becomes an option. Suddenly the family and friends start to feel neglected and out come the excuses. “Just let me push through this on the weekend and next weekend we will go to the beach”. The beach never happens, more promises get broken, and the stress begins to affect the health of not only the individual but also the relationships around us. For those going to church or participating in faith activities, it becomes a thing that can be whittled away to make time for other things and it just keeps spiralling out of control. The most important person who can speak into this chaos is the one who is getting pushed to the back of the priority list. Scripture states that He will never leave us or forsake us yet we are the ones putting up the wall and shutting Him out. Ask yourself this, has the time come to do a re-org and re-prioritize life? As I write this, I am in day one of my sabbatical and have already been warned to take a break, a real break and re-org life. They took away my phone and distributed my responsibilities to others who are more than capable of handling them. I am in a time of rest and relaxation so that I might renew and rebuild. With God watching over me and my friends and family watching my back, I know I will not fall. We invite you to gather with us at 10:30 a.m. to explore His love and His message for our hearts. The service will be broadcast online (see links below), or you are more than welcome to join us in person at 402 Main Ave. W in Sundre, AB. Blessing, Facebook Live - Main Ave Fellowship YouTube Live – You Tube www.mainavefellowship.ca Our Mission “To live the love of Christ”

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks ‘Times and Seasons are God’s’ Day 1: Psalm 90:2 – “Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.” Day 2: Isaiah 46:10 – “Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” Day 3: Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” Day 4: 2 Peter 3:8, 9 – “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” Day 5: Psalm 62:5, 6 – “Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.” Day 6: Daniel 2:21 – “He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.” Day 7: Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks ‘You Can Have an Abundant Life’ Day 1: John 10:10 – “ The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” Day 2: Matthew 6:33 – “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Day 3: Luke 6:38 – “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full - pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” Day 4: Psalm 31:19 – “How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.” Day 5: 2 Corinthians 9:8 – “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” Day 6: Ephesians 3:20 – “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Day 7: Psalm 23:5 – “You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a friend regarding the church. It was a common discussion where the person said they were a Christian but the church had hurt them and they stopped attending because of it. Now I can understand being angry with a person or leader of a church, I can even understand if people were upset with the rules of the church but to stop attending because they have an issue with a person is a bit of a stretch in my mind. You see, the church is full of people who are fallible and prone to messing up. Jesus came to allow us all to be on the same footing even though we are, none of us, saints. When the girl in the square was being chastised by the masses by the “clean” members of society, Jesus knelt down, declared “those who are without sin, cast the first stone” and the “righteous” slinked off into the shadows. Here is the key to this, there is not a single one of us who has not caused angst to another but in Christ, we are all family who need to stick together, support each other and forgive as we have been forgiven. It seems simple but it is rather more difficult especially when God is not a part of it. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself. Eph 1:19-23 NLT We are the church, the holy gathering, and we all look to the great I AM for the hope, love and forgiveness. None of us is perfect, none of us is above the other but we are all made complete by the agape love of Jesus. If a person of the church hurts you, spend some extra time and effort to love on them, forgive them and stay in relationship with them because we are only complete when the family is all together. We invite you to gather with us at 10:30 a.m. to explore His love and His message for our hearts. The service will be broadcast online (see links below), or you are more than welcome to join us in person at 402 Main Ave. W in Sundre, AB. Blessing, Facebook Live - Main Ave Fellowship YouTube Live – You Tube www.mainavefellowship.ca Our Mission “To live the love of Christ”

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks ‘God Calls Me…’ Day 1: John 15:15 - His Friend – “I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.” Day 2: 1 Thessalonians 1:4 - Chosen – “We know, dear brothers and sisters,[a] that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people.” Day 3: Ephesians 2:10 - His Masterpiece – “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Day 4: 1 Corinthians 6:19 - His Temple – “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?...” Day 5: 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Brand New – “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” Day 6: Galatians 3:25, 26 - His Child – “And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Day 7: Acts 1:8 - His Messenger – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation