Close To My Heart

Local pastors and others tell us what’s “Close To My Heart”
  • Definition of Faith
    Dr. Wade Rinehart
    Owner of First Choice Physical Therapy
    fāTH/ noun Complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Everyone talks a big game about having faith, but when we are asked to put our faith to the test, it becomes very up close and personal. I had such a moment last spring break while on a mission trip to the Dominican…
  • What Victory Feels Like
    Luther Stanford
    Pastor, City Church at Northside
    At least once in his life every man needs the experience of coaching little league baseball or pee-wee football. It’s an endeavor that will bring you both tears of joy and tears of frustration. Like one day at football practice, when a little 9 year-old told me, “Coach, tell them not to tackle me. I’m ...

My Favorite Stories

Local pastors tell us their “Favorite Stories”
  • Prayer Times Can Be Funny
    Jeff Scalf, Lead Pastor
    St. Andrew Assembly of God
    In my earlier years when I was a morning person, I would arise at 5am for prayer. From time to time I would mix it up and pray in a different location. Sometimes in a closet, the living room or outside. This particular time I was praying outside. In front of the townhouses I lived ...
  • Know Vision
    Dr. Bruce Barton, Pastor
    Central Baptist Church
    Some have no vision. They are negative, pessimistic folks who tell you why it can’t be done or shouldn’t be done. They often think of themselves as “realistic”, but God wants to take us far beyond reality and the natural to the supernatural! …

Testimony/God Stories

Local pastors and business men and women tell us their “Testimony/God Stories”
  • Miracle of Giving
    Christopher Dowling
    Inner Space of Bay County
    It was my first year in the shelving business and I had plenty of inventory but few customers, no operating capital, and no advertising budget other than word of mouth and phone listing in the white pages. I was getting to the point of having to look for a job when the phone rang. The ...
  • Those God Moments
    Virgil Tillman
    Springfield First Baptist Church
    What is your “favorite” hymn, or Bible verse? I attempt to identify my “favorite” verse or hymn, but always end up narrowing the “favorite” down to ten or more. The same is true of those miracles we’ve seen or been a part of during our Christian walk. We look back on those “God moments” when ...

Difficult Questions Answered

Local pastors and business men and women answer “Difficult Questions”

Last Sermons

Local pastors answer “If this was the very last sermon I would ever preach…”
  • The Last Word
    Billy Fox, Pastor
    Former Director of Pathways Ministries for The Rescue Mission
    My last Word is the message I’ve shared in many ways over nearly 30 years of Rescue Mission ministry. I pray I’ll speak through His Spirit to the Churches. Matthew 25:31 – 46 “Unto the Least of These”…
  • Grace and the Ten Commandments
    Robert Gay, Pastor
    High Praise Worship Center
    Several years ago, the Lord began to speak to my heart concerning Grace and the Ten Commandments. I must admit regrettably that I had never focused much attention on these commandments. To be transparent with you, they just seemed a little boring and non-exciting. After all, who wants to spend…