From the Pastor’s Heart - July 31, 2022 - You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others. (2 Tim. 2:2, NLT).
As Christians, we are commanded to make disciples not just converts. After we lead a person to Christ, it is our responsibility to help that person to grow into a fully mature believer. As Christians, we must pass along what we have learned about Jesus through the Bible. We never keep truth to ourselves.
Every Christian should have three relationships. Every Christian should have a Christian mentor like Paul. This is a mature Christian who is willing to mentor you. Hugh Tyler was my Paul. I could ask him all kinds of questions about the Bible, the Church, and about life.
Every Christian should have a Barnabas. One who comes alongside with encouragement. We need people who will be honest and ask us the hard questions keeping us accountable. Many Christians fall into moral failure because they were not accountable to anyone.
Finally, every Christian needs a Timothy. This is a younger Christian you are mentoring by pouring your life into him or her. We are always one generation away from atheism. These young Timothies today will be the Paul’s of tomorrow.
Pastor Alan
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From the Pastor’s Heart - July 24, 2022 - At one time Southern Baptist churches were flooded by ministers, missionaries, and Christian organizations asking for funding for their cause. In 1925, Southern Baptists developed a comprehensive way of funding missions, ministries, organizations, and institutions called the Cooperative program (CP). How does the Cooperative Program work? Churches decides how much of their annual income to give to the Cooperative Program, so five percent of every dollar you give to Puna Baptist Church goes to the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention. A portion of that money remains in Hawaii to do missions and ministry. The rest of the money is sent to the Southern Baptist Convention. This is how you support the work of Southern Baptists nationally and internationally. Your dollar supports: church planters, state and North American missionaries, disaster relief work, college student ministry, mission pastor salaries, retirement for pastors and their wives serving in small churches, seminaries, and much more. Puna Baptist has received CP funds from the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention and the North American Mission Board. Mission Pastor Walter Kai’s salary came from CP funds. Walter Kai planted PBC and served as its mission pastor. Another example of CP funding is the Baptist Collegiate Ministry work at University of Hawaii in Hilo. An example hitting home is during the recent lava flows, the HPBC allocated funds for disaster relief in Puna. Pastor Alan
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From the Pastor’s Heart - July 17, 2022 - A healthy church is a happy church. A healthy and happy church is a welcoming church. Experts have conducted studies of how visitors respond when coming to a new church. Studies show people make up their minds as to whether they will come back within the first 15 minutes upon arrival. This before they enter the building. It is important for us to change our mind set on Sunday mornings. We love the fellowship at church. We want to have our spiritual needs met. We come to worship the Savior. There is nothing wrong with these things. We at Puna Baptist Church are a family. We love each other and are concerned about each other. We see each other at different times during the week. We even fight with each other like a real family. On Sunday mornings we should be other-centered. We remember what it was like when we came to PBC for the very first time. We did not know anyone. We were afraid of sitting in someone’s seat. We didn’t know where the restrooms were located, and if we had children, we had to make sure they were alright. It takes a lot of courage to be a first-time visitor. Let’s make it our aim to become a more welcoming church to visitors. We could have guest parking, better signage, Starbuck coffee with donuts, but our best public relations person is you! So, let’s roll out the red carpet for our VIPs on Sunday mornings. Pastor Alan ><><>< ><><>< ><><><
From the Pastor’s Heart - July 10, 2022 - God has given us many talents. As Christians we want to use all of our gifts and talents to serve the Lord. We may not feel like we have any gifts or talents to serve the Lord, but we do! Although God wanted Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt into the promise land, Moses was not confident the people would see him as God’s chosen leader, so Moses expressed his concern to God. God asked Moses what he was carrying in his hand. Moses replied a walking stick. God told Moses to throw it on the ground, and when Moses threw his staff to the ground it became a snake. God told Moses to catch it by the tail, and it turned back into a staff. This was God’s way of showing Moses that he had the ability to lead the Israelites. What is in your hand? It could be a beautiful voice or the ability to speak in front of people. It could be a compassionate heart to help people. It could be a hammer and screwdriver. You could minister to others doing household repairs. God will use everything and anything to reach people with His love. We don’t have to only preach or sing to serve the Lord. We just need a willing heart. Pastor Alan
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From the Pastor’s Heart - July 3, 2022 - This morning we are looking at Acts 2:42-47. Jesus ascended into the heaven. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the earth, and three thousand people were baptized and added to the church. Verses 42-47 are talking about the fellowship of the community of believers. The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, and to prayer. The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings, which were from Old Testament Scripture and the words of Jesus. Our fellowship with each other is centered on the Bible. At Puna Baptist Church there are many opportunities to study the Bible on Sunday morning and on the week days. The believers devoted themselves to fellowship. Jesus’ disciples shared meals with each other including the Lord’s Supper. Everyone had the mindset to take care of each other, especially those in need. Today, as we fellowship together in worship, we will be observing the Lord’s Supper, our fellowship continues as we break bread together at our church picnic tomorrow. Finally, the believers devoted themselves to prayer. The believers met together in one place praying when the Holy Spirit ascended upon them in the room. At PBC, there are many opportunities to experience corporate prayer. Some of those times are 8:30 AM on Sunday morning and 6:00 PM on Wednesday night. When God’s people pray, they take the things of earth to the doors of heaven. Pastor Alan
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From the Pastor’s Heart - June 5, 2022 - There were four lawyers who went to New York City to negotiate the closing of a multimillion-dollar merger. The meeting went well, and the lawyers were to leave for home on the early morning flight. In the airport lounge, the men were in a jovial mood joking and laughing about their successful negotiations for the merger. Waiting to board the aircraft, they did not hear the final boarding call for their flight. Over the loud speaker, an announcement was made the aircraft's doors were closing. In a panic, they ran to the gate knocking down fruits from a blind vendor's stand. Three of the men never looked back and barely boarded the plane. The last man stopped to help the blind woman pick up the apples and oranges scattered over the terminal's floor. When all the fruits were picked up from the floor, the woman asked the man who had missed his flight a question: "Are you Jesus?" You can never tell what your words and actions say to a person. You may be the only Jesus some may ever see. Pastor Alan
><><>< ><><>< ><><>< From the Pastor’s Heart - May 29, 2022 - There’s a time for joy, a time for tears, a time we’ll treasure through the years. We’ll remember always, Graduation Day…Though we leave in sorrow, all the joys we’ve known. We can face tomorrow. Knowing we’ll never walk alone (Graduation Day, Four Freshman, 1956). Today, we celebrate the accomplishments of our high school graduates: Damien Smith, Hannah Harkness, and their families. Damien will attend Umpqua Community College in Southern Oregon and will be studying computer science. Hannah will be attending summer camp at Asbury University called: Youth Becoming Leaders and will be studying Equine studies in the Fall. As Christian graduates, you have never walked alone. The Lord gave you guidance and strength every step of the way. Your families have been a loving support through the joys, sorrows, victories, and defeats. Damien and Hannah, we promise as your church family to be praying for you as the Lord leads you to write the next chapter in your lives. Always remember the words of Samuel: For those who honor Me I will honor (1 Sam. 2:30). Because Jesus is alive, we can face the future with optimism. Remember to trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take (Prov. 3:5-6). Congratulations! Pastor Alan
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From the Pastor’s Heart - May 22, 2022 - Rob and Donna Thommarson will be leaving for a new assignment training people to become disciple-makers. We want to express our love and appreciation for them and their ministry at Puna Baptist Church for the last 5+ years. Rob and Donna led in our adult Sunday School classes and helped with our AWANA program. The Thommarson’s equipped our church to be evangelistic and missions minded. The Thommarson’s lead discipleship groups. Rob helped new members understand who we are in Christ and what we believe as a church and helped all of us find our place in the body of Christ. Donna ministered to several women in our church and encouraged women to minister and be aware of God’s love for the nations. We are privileged to have the Thommarson’s as part of our church family. We appreciated all they did to help us grow as Christians and as a church. I know you will be praying for them and their family, as well as their ministry. Be praying for an opportunity PBC can partner with them in New Zealand. Pastor Alan
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From the Pastor’s Heart - May 15, 2022 - We had a wonderful Mother’s Day. I want to thank the Men’s Ministry for their hard work and to thank all the women who gave the men a helping hand. Last year police across our nation were severely criticized. However, our police officers put their lives on the line every day. On Thursday, May 19th we will join other churches to sign wave showing our support to our police and EMS personnel. We will be in front of the Pahoa Fire station from 4:30-5:30 PM. The Thommarson’s are counting the days before leaving for New Zealand. We are having a Pot-luck luncheon for them on Sunday, May 22nd. You will be able to sign up to bring your favorite dish. On May 29th we will be celebrating with our graduating High School seniors and their families by having a Graduates' Banquet after church. Our featured speaker will be Aaron Harkness who serves as a Ranger in the United States Army. Our quarterly business meeting has been postponed until Sunday, June 5th. Until He comes! Pastor Alan
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From the Pastor’s Heart - May 8, 2022 - I realized this is the second Mother’s Day without my mother. I was happy to have her in our home, so I could keep my promise to take care of her. I thought we would have more time to be together, but she went to be with Jesus 9 months after moving to the Big Island. As a child, I can remember my mother teaching me how to tie my shoe laces. She cut out a shoe pattern from my dad’s cigarette cartons. I had a yellow rain coat but no hood. My mother would always make me a hat out of newspaper. I had asthma and allergies growing up. I was allergic to almost everything. I love fried chicken but was allergic to flour. My mother figured out how to batter the chicken using mochi powder. Too bad she did not patent her recipe, because Mochiko Chicken is a poplar local dish. Mom tried to organize me. She had signs everywhere: “We put our toys away after playing with them.” “Please keep your room clean.” I always enjoyed her reading to me before bedtime. My mother grew up a Buddhist most of her life. She became a Christian in March of 1978, during a revival service. It was the happiest day of my life. For the last several years of her life, my mother would say she was ready to be with Jesus. Now, she lives forever in His presence. May God Bless our mothers! Pastor Alan
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From the Pastor’s Heart - April 29, 2022 - This is for those of you who want a copy of the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment: There were a series of studies on delayed gratification done in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Children were offered one marshmallow to eat immediately, or they could wait and have 2 marshmallows. If children decided to wait receiving a second marshmallow, the tester left the room for 15 minutes. Most children attempted to wait for a second marshmallow. Some children would cover their eyes, turn around, or got under the desk. Other children distracted themselves by kicking the desk or pulling out their hair. Some children even stroked the marshmallow as if it were a stuff animal. Others would eat the marshmallow as soon as the tester left the room. Roughly one-third of the children were willing to wait. The children who were willing to wait and delay gratification were later studied. Those children had higher SAT scores, better educational achievements, and a better Body Mass Index measurement. Pastor Alan
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From the Pastor’s Heart - April 21, 2022 - It is time for the return of the Mighty Church. As COVID restrictions are being lifted let’s take full advantage of this opportunity to impact our community for Jesus Christ. I want to make you aware of some important dates: George Schroeder, VP at Southwestern Seminary will be our guest speaker on Sunday, May 1st. During the afternoon, he will be leading us in a workshop to prepare us to give everyone an answer for the hope within us. On May 3rd, we will have our next Brown bag lunch. This time we will be meeting at the Zoo. May 8th is our Mothers' Day Luncheon, hosted by the Puna Baptist Men's Ministry for the whole Church. May 21st Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Training will be held in Waikoloa. May 22nd is a special Potluck aloha for Pastor Rob and Donna Thommarson. We have several young people in our church, who will be graduating in the spring. We are planning a special celebration on Sunday, May 29th. Finally, our next business meeting will be on Sunday, June 5th. Blessings, Pastor Alan
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From the Pastor’s Heart - April 15, 2022 - Happy Easter! Today, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When Jesus rose from the grave, He brought hope to the hopeless, light in the midst of darkness, and eternal life in the midst of death. It is time for the return of the Mighty Church. As COVID restrictions are being lifted let’s take full advantage of this opportunity to impact our community for Jesus Christ. I want to make you aware of some important dates: George Schroeder, VP at Southwestern Seminary will be our guest speaker on Sunday, May 1st. During the afternoon, he will be leading us in a workshop to prepare us to give everyone an answer for the hope within us. On May 3rd, we will have our next Brown bag lunch. This time we will be meeting at the Zoo. May 8th is our Mothers' Day Luncheon, hosted by the Puna Baptist Men's Ministry for the whole Church. May 21st Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Training will be held in Waikoloa. May 22nd is a special Potluck aloha for Pastor Rob and Donna Thommarson. We have several young people in our church, who will be graduating in the spring. We are planning a special celebration on Sunday, May 29th. Finally, our next business meeting will be on Sunday, June 5th. Blessings, Pastor Alan
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From the Pastor’s Heart - March 31, 2022 - Last time I wrote about the definition of witnessing. Witnessing is not arguing with someone about the existence of God or the truthfulness of Christianity. It is not quoting a bunch of Scripture verses at a person. Witnessing is telling your story about what Jesus has done for you. No one can argue with you about your Christian experience. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict a person of their need to ask Christ into their lives not ours. I want to share with you an effective way of telling your story. An effective way to tell your story is done by building personal relationships with people. When we get involved in people's struggles, joys, and significant life experiences, we earn a right to speak into their lives. When we minister to people's need and show the love of Jesus with them, barriers to the Gospel come down. One way to get into the lives of people is to find out what you like to do and find other people with like passion. Yours in Christ, Pastor Alan ><><>< ><><>< ><><><
From the Pastor’s Heart - March 13, 2022 - Many of us have fears of witnessing for Christ. We think witness means standing on a street corner preaching to people. We are afraid to be asked questions we can't answer. We don't know enough about the Bible to talk to people about Jesus. Let's ask ourselves this question: What is a witness? For example, you are standing on a street corner and see an accident in the intersection. The police officer questions you about the accident. The police officer doesn't want to argue whether there was an accident. He doesn't want to hear your opinions as to why the accident happened, or your opinion on who was at fault. The police officer just wants to know what you saw. He wants to hear your testimony. It is the same idea in sharing our testimony. We tell our story of what Jesus did for us. Witnessing is sharing what Jesus has done in our lives. Witnessing is not arguing with people on whether Jesus existed or not. It is not disproving our religions. It is not just quoting Bible verses to someone. No one can argue with you about how Jesus transformed your life. Look at the story of Jesus healing a blind man. The religious leaders questioned the man. They told the man to tell the truth. Is Jesus a sinner for healing you on the Sabbath? The man replied: "I don't know if Jesus is a sinner, but one thing I do know. I was blind, but now I see!" (John 9:13-25). Yours in Christ, Pastor Alan