Joleen Willis

John 20.24-29Hebrews 11.1Deuteronomy 8 Indiana Jones’ Step of FaithIn Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana Jones is involved in a search for the Holy Grail, the cup from which Christ drank at the Last Supper. As the film reaches its climax, Indy must go through three tests in order to reach the Grail. In … Read more

John 11.1-44John 20.1-23 The story behind “He Lives”Did you notice the hymn we just sang, closes with a question and answer, “You ask me how I know he lives? He lives within my heart.” This was a real question, asked of the author and composer, Alfred Ackley, except not so positively phrased. Ackley was preaching … Read more

Matthew 5.1-12 – Beatitudes We sometimes talk about the last hurrah! – squeezing in that last bit of something good. Like when Indian Summer comes in the fall, that last bit of warm weather before winter settles in on us – that is the last hurrah of summer. What we have come to know as Palm … Read more

Matthew 5.1-12 – Beatitudes Commercial for Cholesterol Lowering MedicineA set of twins at the gym are walking down the hallway. They both look in good physical condition, but one walks right into the glass partition. Both look alike on the outside, but one has high cholesterol. The commercial points out that we cannot tell what … Read more

Matthew 5.1-12 – The BeatitudesMatthew 26.47-56 – Jesus’ Arrest Bill Cosby, “Kid’s Say”Cosby tries to explain to nine-year-old Peter what Jesus meant by “turning other cheek.” “If somebody hits you, you don’t hit him back,” Cosby begins.    Confused, Peter replies “Jesus said be a wimp?”    “No, not a wimp, a lover of  peace.”  … Read more

Matthew 5.1-12-The Beatitudes Seeking my father’s approvalI played on the newly formed girl’s volleyball team when I was in high school. Being a new team we weren’t that great. We sure didn’t have a winning season. But I had a pretty mean serve. My dad didn’t go to a lot of my school functions, but … Read more

Deuteronomy 8.1-6, 15-16Matthew 4.1-11 (The Temptation of Christ) Have you ever felt like you were going in circles? Have you ever been lost? Randy and I, not too long after we moved here, went to Greenwood Furnace and hiked up to the fire tower. On the way back we had the bright idea that when … Read more

Job 1.13-22; 2.7-10 Matthew 5.1-12 – The Beatitudes A college student wrote the following note home: Dear Mom and Dad: I’m sorry to be so long in writing. Unfortunately, all my stationery was destroyed the night our dorm was set on fire by the demonstrators. I’m out of the hospital now, and the doctors say … Read more

Isaiah 55.1-11 Luke 9.57-62 The Things We Leave Behind by Michael Card There sits Simon so foolishly wise.Proudly he’s tending his nets.Then Jesus calls and the boats drift away.And all that he owns he forgets.But more than the nets he abandoned that day,He found that his pride was soon drifting away.And it’s hard to imagine … Read more

Genesis 15 Covenant is RelationshipA covenant is a committment, a promise, but most of all it is a relationship.Our innate longing to be in relationshipi.e.The need of preemies to be touched. Types of Covenant Covenant of Friendship between David and Jonathon And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. (1 … Read more