Pastor Tom's Community

If there is ultimate value in the world, then that value has implications. Much of this was originally posted in 2009. I have added to it and rewritten some. It bounces off an interview with Paul Tillich, with whom the idea of the death God is sometimes associated. Though Tillich departs from many of the…

"It is going to take a fair dose of humility to get us through life. And humility is no stranger to confidence. They are not only compatible, but they exist in a symbiotic relationship. In other words, they feed and nurture each other. Without true humility, we are insecure and constantly sensitive to the evaluations of other…

Again, the psalmist expresses the full range of human emotion, sentiment, and prayers that can only truly be answered by divine, compassion, power, propitiation and absorption of reflexive wrath – wrath that boomerangs from God and back upon Himself. As offenders, we cannot bear it. As victims, we cannot be satisfied with what can be…

Abraham Lincoln: The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time. Malcolm S. Forbes: The best vision is insight. Theodore Roosevelt: The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with…

There is actually a road to Success in Central California. Traveling west from Porterville on highway 190, you will soon see signs indicating that you are, in fact, on the road to Success whether you knew it or not. Life can be like that. But know these things: #1 – The road to success is…

  THE WOLF “Now is the Law of the Jungle—as old and true as the sky; And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk, the Law runneth forward and back— For the strength of the pack is the…

Times are tough. You are tougher. Face the times.   Life is hard. You are resilient. Keep moving forward.   The future is uncertain. God is already there. Do not be afraid.   Hope is a rare commodity. Hope is within the grasp of your imagination. Let it soar.   Money is scarce. You have…

Feed your dreams; starve your fears. Whichever one you feed will grow. Fears will grow to control you and clip your wings. Dreams will consume you and cause you to soar. It is your choice. You will feed that to which you give the most attention and credit. If you live by fear, you will live…

Have you ever discovered that your zipper is down and wondered how long you had been parading around in this condition and why no one informed you? They may have been too embarrassed. The solution is to let you be embarrassed. How do you navigate these sensitive situations? I published a blog with a severely…

When You Feel Like Giving Up– Take charge of your discouragement. Everyone feels like giving up from time to time. You are physically, emotionally, or spiritually drained. That is not an indictment. Nor is a predictor of failure. All great successes have come to this place in their lives more than once. Life is a…