Just a Thought Ministry

06/23/2026

Just a Thought: Does running around like a chicken with its head cut off really accomplish anything? While most people know the obvious answer is, no. We still do it. I was on the golf course one day and after a bad shot, asked the question. “Why do I keep doing that when I know what I’m doing? Why can’t I stop it?” Jokingly one of the guys I was playing with responded, “You should ask a preacher that someday.” We all had a good laugh. But, how true? Why do we keep doing what we are doing knowing it doesn’t work. They say the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Well, we all do it. We work just as hard as we can. We move just as fast as we can. And the harder we work and faster we go the more burdened we become. Stress and restlessness are more the norm than peace and calm. It seems like we would catch on, this is not working. Trying to handle things on my own, in my strength, in my way without the Lord, is not working! In fact, many are like us when we get lost. Are you like me? When I get lost, I turn the radio down so I can see. And I tend to go faster. But the truth is, neither of those things help! Well, what do you do when you’re restless and need help? Jesus has the solution. One that actually really works. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matt 11:28-30) STOP. I would like to ask you to reread Jesus words. Now do it again, but first take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Now think with me. Does running around like a chicken with its head cut off really accomplish anything? Most of know the answer is no! So, isn’t it time to stop doing what we have been doing and put into practice something else? Come to Jesus in childlike faith and trust in Him and then trust Him with all things. There is a way to overcome your restlessness and burdened life. Come to Jesus and He will give you peace and rest.

06/22/2026

Just a Thought: What is the value of our greatest human achievement? Not long ago the world was shocked at the untimely death of basketball super star Kolbe Bryant. This young man was just forty-one years old and at that, the young was a basketball icon. Bigger than life. A real true super star! I admit, I am a Los Angeles Lakers fan and have been all of my life. I loved watching Kolbe play and I am grateful for the many championships he helped the team win. I was amazed as I watched and listened to the coverage of how the crowds had gathered outside of the stadium to bring flowers and set up a memorial. I have heard basketball legends speak of Kolbe’s greatness and all his accomplishments. He will be inducted into the basketball hall of fame. His jersey numbers will be retired. He will be remembered as a family man, a dedicated player and one who gave himself to the game and others. Even Kolbe himself said, when I am done with basketball I want to remembered as a player who had great talent. But who worked hard as though he had none. Kolbe was a remarkable player and by those who knew him best, a remarkable man. He has left a definite mark on the world. But what did all of this get him in the end (besides the many accolades)? The wisest man who ever lived question this very thing many years ago. He was a king. He was richer in wisdom than in wealth and he had more wealth than anyone. This man was the envy of world leaders all around him. And many came to hear his wisdom. But here was his problem. “I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” (Eccl 1:13-14) Solomon was unhindered in his search of all human achievement and what its value would be in the end. And he came to the sad conclusion that all the human achievement in the world comes to nothing of eternal value in the end. In fact, he called it vanity (emptiness) and chasing the wind (no one can catch the wind). So, what is the point of great human accomplishment if it means nothing in the end? Solomon came to another conclusion. The final analysis was this. “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Eccl 12:13-14) What is the value of our greatest human achievement? Solomon says, nothing! But Solomon says the whole duty of man is to fear God and live for Him exceptionally! In other words, human achievement ultimately comes to nothing other than maybe the high praise of men. But a life dedicated to living for the Lord is really all that matters. Human achievement may be great if the praise of men is what you are seeking. But, in the end it is the judgment of God that we will all face that matters most. In all fairness, I understand from those who knew Kolbe he was a believer. So, if what he accomplished we do so for the Lord, he will be honored for those things by the Lord. And this should be our goal. In whatever we do, let us to, do it as unto the Lord and for His glory so that all of our accomplishments will have far more eternal value than earthly value.

06/21/2026

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Sermon Series: Friendship With God: The Abraham Journey (3)Sermon:...

06/19/2026

Just a Thought: Losing our patience almost always leads to us losing other things too. There has been no greater leader in Israel’s past than Moses. He was not a king, but he was a prophet and leader. There has been no meeker leader than Moses. We hear people speak of the “the patience of Job.” But I would point out Moses was a man of tremendous patience as he dealt with and led a grumbling, complaining, rebellious, stiff necked group of people from slavery to freedom and finally to the edge of the Promised Land. But even a great meek leader like Moses can have a breaking point and he did! “So, Moses took the staff from the Lord's presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.” (Num 20:9-11) Moses had, had his fill. He was tired of all the grumbling and complaining. This was the second time the Lord would use Moses to miraculously bring water from a rock in order to quench the thirst of the people. The first time the Lord told Mosses to strike the rock. But this time the Lord instructed Moses to “speak” to the rock so that the people would see and believe the Lord was providing for them. But Moses was done! He lost his patience with the people and struck the rock. The miracle still happened. Water (good water) did come from the rock. The people did drink and their thirst was quenched. But Moses paid a heavy price. He would lead the people to the Promised Land. He would himself see it, but he would not be allowed to enter into it. Losing our patience almost always leads to us losing other things too. It did for Moses and it almost always does for us too. Wasn’t Moses justified in losing his patience? No! Because the Lord had entrusted Moses with the leadership role. The Lord had given Moses the Job of keeping the people focused on the Lord. And Moses had great responsibility that came with this great privilege. We are never justified in stealing God’s glory or making others focus on us and taking their eyes off of the Lord. The Lord said Moses not only lost his temper, but he lost his trust in the Lord too. Having patience means keeping our focus on the Lord and trusting Him to be in control. Keep your patience by keeping your trust in the Lord. This will keep you from losing your patience and other things too.

06/18/2026

Just a Thought: The Lord promises eternal rest for all who trust in Him. The Lord has called us to set aside times of rest here on earth because we need it. We need those times of recuperation and refreshing. We need those times to cease our labors. The Lord has called us to and ordained a day to be set aside to rest and worship Him. The Lord’s Day is that day each week we pause from all else to honor and worship the Lord. On this day we gather together and encourage one another as believers. On that day we focus on spiritual growth and intimacy with the Lord. Throughout our lives there will be periods of rest when we will need to take a break and come away as Elijah had to do to get refocused and re-energized. There will be periods of time we will need to be restored and refreshed. But the ultimate rest the Lord has provided for us will come when our race is done and our course is complete. Jesus told the disciples He was going to prepare a place for them and this place would be a place of eternal joy in His presence. This place would be like home in our Father’s house. This place is called heaven. And it is the eternal hope of all who have trusted in Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection for the complete forgiveness of their sin and the gift of eternal life. Heaven will be a wonderful place where all who enter in will find rest. The Bible has a great deal to say about heaven. In fact, it speaks of it in both the Old and New Testaments. And it speaks about it so much over 2,000 verses, that the Bible literally falls apart in places if the reality of heaven were removed from it. So, while we take our rest when it is appropriate along the way to heaven, heaven is our hope of eternal rest, joy and life in the presence of the Lord. This is why the writer of Hebrews encourages everyone with these words. “Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.” (Heb 4:1) The promise of God’s eternal rest is available to all who trust in Christ. The time to trust in Christ is today! And for those who do not trust in Christ, they will be found having fallen short of the promise. The Lord promises eternal rest for all who trust in Him. Are you looking forward to entering into His promise one day? Every snippet of rest along the way is just a reminder that one day our labor will be done, our course will be run. I am looking forward to the day the Lord welcomes me into His eternal rest. I pray you are confident He will welcome you too. If for some reason this is not true for you, sure it up today by trusting in Jesus as your personal and eternal savior and Lord.

06/17/2026

A godly man is not known merely by what he owns, but by what he builds. Hi friends, Pastor Bill here for Tanglewood Community Church inviting you to join us this Father’s Day Sunday as we follow Abram, a man who builds altars to the Lord. 1600 Tanglewood Cir. Sebring, Fla. We’ll gather at 8:45am for coffee fellowship
And 9:30am for worship. See YOU there!

06/17/2026

Just a Thought: Yoking is a team sport. To put two oxen under a Yoke is to share the burden of the load. They are teamed up so the burden of the load is shared. Jesus uses this image to call all who will come to Him in childlike faith to be relieved of their burdens and heavy labor by yoking up with Him. Bringing our burdens of quilt, fear or shame to Jesus, He relieves us of carrying those things ourselves. He takes them on for us so that our load is released as it is shared with Him. Burdens of trying to figure life out on our own, gone when we give it to Jesus. The burden of worry, gone when we give it to Jesus. The burden of dealing with difficult people or difficult situations, gone when we give it to Jesus. The burden of addiction, pain from our past and our old heart, gone when we give it to Jesus. When we come to Him in childlike faith believing, here is what he offers. “"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11:28-29) Yoking is a team sport. Jesus said take My Yoke upon you (which means to team up with Jesus) and learn from me. A team of oxen that are teamed up under a yoke must work and walk together very closely. They are in lock step with each other. To yoke up with Jesus means to come to Him and walk with Him. To be close to Him. To work where He is working and go where He is going. You can’t be that close to someone and not learn intimate things about them. James promises us if we will draw close to God, He will draw close to us. Peter promises we can cast our cares upon Jesus because He cares for us. Jesus promises to Yoke up with us if we will bring our burdens to Him. If you need rest for your weary soul today, this is how you get it. You come to Jesus, get in lock step with Him in childlike faith trusting Him and He will lift our burdens. He will give you rest. Yoking is a team sport. And today, you can when you join team Jesus and find release and rest for your soul and life.

06/16/2026

I’m grateful to share my newest study, One God, Three Persons: A Comprehensive Study of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. My prayer is that it will be a helpful resource for disciple makers and all who want to grow in their understanding of the Trinity.
It is available on Amazon or direct order from me. Just message me to order your copies today.

06/16/2026

Just a Thought: Being compared to sheep is not very complementary, but it is reassuring. Sheep are not very smart animals. They have spindly legs and they are pretty much defenseless. So, when the Bible referrers to us as sheep it isn’t too complementary. However, when it does so and refers to Jesus as our shepherd, that is very reassuring. After all, I’m just saying if I am going to be called a dumb defenseless animal, I want to know I’m at least being led and protected by the chief shepherd. As we follow the Lord as our shepherd He not only provides and protects us, He leads us to a place of rest. Sheep may be dumb, but what do they have to worry about when they are being cared for and watched over by their shepherd? They may be defenseless, but what do they need to be concerned about if they have a shepherd who will fight for and protect them? As long as they follow the shepherd, they are at peace and rest grazing in the open fields and drinking from still waters. This is the picture David gives us of the life we have when we follow our shepherd Jesus. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.” (Ps 23:1-3a) Being called a sheep may not be flattering. But being in this position under the shepherd’s care is downright envious! So, why aren’t more of us experiencing this kind of Christian life? Because only the sheep who follow the shepherd can have this life. The sheep who wander off don’t get to enjoy this life. They are dumb enough to wander away and put themselves at risk. They can get lost. They can get in trouble. They can get themselves in danger. And when they do, there is a great deal to worry and be concerned about. I don’t know if there has been a scientific study done but, I don’t think that sheep under the shepherds care are grazing all tensed up. You know, one eye on the grass the other on the shepherd. “Is he still watching over me?” “Is he going to leave me?” “Is he going to protect me if a predator comes?” No! They are calm, grazing at peace drinking at will and at rest! Sheep under the watchful care of a good shepherd are peaceful. And so should we be. We should know the Lord is our shepherd and He will not lead us into temptation or danger. He will never leave us or forsake us. He will feed us only good and righteous things. He will direct us to quench our thirst from the peaceful promises of Hs word. And knowing He is in control of all things and we are under His watchful eyes and care should bring us inner peace and rest. We may not like being called sheep by comparison, but I love the sound of that kind of life. Does a sheep’s life under the watchful care of the shepherd sound like your life? Do you have the daily life David describes? Is the Lord your shepherd? Are you following the shepherd or have you wandered off? Being compared to sheep is not very complementary, but it is reassuring when the Lord is your shepherd and you are following Him.

06/15/2026

Just a Thought: Do you have a day that belongs to the Lord? When The Lord separated Israel unto Himself, He did so, so that they would be His people. The seed of Abraham was a promised nation by which God intended to bless the world which He did eventually through Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection. God’s people were to be different from those around them. They were to worship the Lord God as the one true God and have no other God’s. The other pagan nations around them had many things they claimed and worshipped as gods. The pagan nations worked all the time. But God’s people were to set aside a day that belonged to Him. No labor was to be done except that which had to do with the worship of the Lord. The Lord’s people were and still are to have one day a week that was set aside for the acknowledgement and worship of the Lord. And so, when the Lord gave Moses the commandments that would govern God’s people, He included this one. "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.” (Ex 20:8-10) The basis of this command was to observe the creation week. The purpose of the Law was to have God’s people set one day a week aside for rest and the religious observance of worshiping the Lord and honoring Him. The church today sets aside Sunday as that day because it is the first day of the week and the day Jesus rose from the grave. So, we set aside Sunday as a day of spiritual service, remembrance and observance of the honor our Lord deserves (Ac 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2). The Lord was serious then and He still is today about His people setting a day a week aside to worship and honor Him. As believers we should have that day, we set aside to worship and honor the Lord. I hear people say all the time, “I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” There are of course many answers to that statement one of which is, real Christians don’t go to church, we gather because we are the church. The church is the body of Christ and His physical, visible representatives here on earth. So, we desire to observe God’s commands because we love Him. And we desire to gather together with all those who like us want to honor Him. So, the question for us today is this. If God commanded it. If God ordained it. And, if God intended for us to observe it and we claim to love Him and call Him Lord. Do we have a day that belongs to Him for our rest and His worship? That day is Sunday. It is called the Lord’s day for a reason. And if we are to be obedient and love the Lord we should set this day aside to gather with the church and honor the Lord and give ourselves rest. Do you have a day that belongs to the Lord?