Ministries

Chain of Lakes Videos

Select a link below to view recent past videos of worship services. For all past worship services go to https://vimeo.com/chainoflakes/videos Don’t forget to also check out Pastor Paul’s blog

August 24, 2025
“The Skeptical Prophet” Jonah – part two

August 17, 2025
Guest speaker Dr. Janice Aanenson
Sound starts at 33:54

August 10, 2025
“The Skeptical Prophet” Jonah – part one

August 3, 2025
“My Favorite Scripture” John 3:16

July 27, 2025
“My Favorite Scripture” Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

July 20, 2025
“My Favorite Scripture” Micah 6:8

July 13, 2025
“My Favorite Scripture” Psalm 23

July 6, 2025
“Dangers of Christian Nationalism”

June 29, 2025
“Twisted Scriptures” – Homosexuality is a Sin

June 22, 2025
“Twisted Scriptures” – Women Shouldn’t be Preachers

June 15, 2025
Guest Preacher Rev. Gary Hanson – “Suffering”

June 8, 2025
Pentecost, and “Twisted Scriptures” – Divorce

June 1, 2025
“Twisted Scriptures” – God Won’t Give Me More Than I Can Handle

Daily Devotions

Comments about the devotion can be emailed to pastor@colpres.org

Daily Devotions September 1-6, 2025

Monday, September 1
Matthew 5:5
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
When Jesus climbed what is today known as the “Mount of Beatitudes” to share what is called the Sermon on the Mount, then life changed for his followers. He sat down on the mountain and acting in the tradition of a Rabbi gave wisdom that has changed the world.
The first eleven verses of the Sermon on the Mount are known as the Beatitudes. One is today’s “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
The English word, “meek” comes from the Greek word, “praus.” We might think of meek as someone who is powerless—doing what other’s want in a gentle way. But this is not at all the case.
Praus is a description of someone who is ready to respond with power in a gentle way; it is a description of someone willing to submit to God rather than exhibit weakness.
This week we will have the opportunity to go deeper into what praus means and how this can help us respond to the tragedy that happened at Annunciation Church. We’ll also see how Jonah was a lousy exhibitor of praus.
Who do you know who is always ready to respond with power in a gentle way? Whether the person knows it or not, the person lives with praus. The person would much rather submit to God rather than weakness. Please share.

Tuesday, September 2
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, 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.”
“I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” These words were shared by Jesus in this Scripture from Matthew. It is also shared by Pastor Paul as a welcome to celebrate Communion.
The word for “gentle” comes from the Greek word “praus.” As we learned yesterday it is a description of someone who is willing to respond to a situation in a determined way.
Being gentle is not a sign of weakness. Instead it’s a sign of strength. A person who consistently shares gentleness experiences all of the emotions that other humans experience. But the person has trained him or herself to respond with praus or gentleness to all of the situations that the person experiences.
If we heard that a person responded to the shootings at Annunciation Church with gentleness, we might think this is a response of weakness. But nothing could be further from the truth. Exhibiting praus or gentleness is a reflection of determination or purpose. The person is not going to stop responding until a solution is found.
Our culture needs people right now who are willing to respond with this sense of determination or purpose.
What can you do to go deeper into this type of gentleness that is required of this moment? Please share.

Wednesday, September 3
Jonah 4:1
But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry.
For the past month, the people of Chain of Lakes have been hearing about the prophet, Jonah in worship. Unfortunately, Jonah has not always exhibited behaviors that people of faith are called to exhibit.
We read in this verse that Jonah was angry. He was angry because the people of Nineveh responded to Jonah’s proclamation in Jonah 3:4b. The people had repented by turning to God. They repented by fasting and putting on sackcloth.
Jonah’s emotional response was quite petty. It certainly was not exhibiting praus.
Many are angry about what happened a week ago at Annunciation Church. Anger is justified and appropriate. But anger can also lead nowhere. Just being angry is not enough. Responding to anger with praus is a start.
What are your thoughts? Please share.

Thursday, September 4
Jonah 4:2
He prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning, for I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from punishment.
Since the first chapter of Jonah the question of why Jonah fled to Tarshish instead of Nineveh has hung over the story. In this verse Jonah revealed why he chose his actions. This question is answered.
The reason for his choice is quite surprising. We might expect that Jonah did not go because he was afraid of God, or he stopped believing in God. But this is not true. Jonah didn’t go to Nineveh because he knew that the goodness of God would eventually prevail, and Jonah didn’t want God’s goodness to prevail in Nineveh. Jonah would have rather seen the people of Nineveh be destroyed.
This is quite an admission by Jonah.
It’s amazing given what Jonah revealed in this book that the book of Jonah even made it into the Bible. Jonah did not want to do the goodness that God wanted him to do. We could think of Jonah as an anti-prophet instead of a prophet.
What are your thoughts about Jonah’s actions? Please share.

Friday, September 5
Jonah 4:3-5
And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” And the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.
Jonah knew that his behavior was wrong. So he wanted to depart from earth—to die. He had given up.
Even if we’re not emotionally attached to Jonah, we might be able to relate to what Jonah wanted. We might have had a time in
our life when we gave up. Most likely we were not willing to die, but in this situation we certainly were not exhibiting praus. We were not responding to our situation with strength—instead we were responding with hopelessness.
Jonah responded to his own situation by wanting to die. He had given up.
God, though, had not given up on Jonah. We’ll see that in tomorrow’s story.
If you ever have a moment when you have given up on you, know that God has not given up. Even if you cannot see a positive way out of your situation, God has.
What are thoughts about these ideas? Please share.

Saturday, September 6
Jonah 4:9-11
But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.” Then the Lord said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left and also many animals?”
At the end of the book of Jonah, God was still trying to teach Jonah and reach him with a message. In verses 6-8 (and if you have time read these verses), God had sent a plant to give welcome shade to Jonah. Then God sent a worm so that the plant withered. God sent a sultry wind that cause Jonah to experience extreme heat.
Through his actions God was trying to explain to Jonah why God was concerned about Nineveh. He was relating this to the experience that Jonah had just had. Jonah was very concerned about the bush and the respite it gave him from the heat. God was concerned about the welfare of the people and animals of Nineveh—all hundred and twenty thousand people. The people had lived because of Jonah’s preaching. Jonah had not experienced joy at what happened in Ninevah. We can see that he could not move beyond his own needs.
What are your thoughts about the conclusion of the book of Jonah and the book of Jonah in general? Please share.

Daily Devotions August 25-30

Monday, August 25
Genesis 1:1-5
When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
In this beautiful time of year it’s appropriate to think about how we find God in nature. All of us have had times when we had an experience of the divine when we were in nature.
The Bible talks often about the relationship of God in nature. The story of Genesis 1 reveals how God works in nature. At the start of the story nothing existed. The writer of the story shared that the earth was a formless void. That is another way of saying that nothing existed.
But God brought something out of nothing. God created light. And we know that the light was shining in the darkness. Thinking about light is a way to think about how God brings something out of nothing.
When we find God in nature we often find God when we see this creation coming out of chaos. A sense of order and permanence develops.
We might have moments when we had a sense of order being created out of chaos. Have you had an experience like this? Please share.
Tuesday, August 26
Genesis 1:20-21, 24-25
And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good.
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind and the cattle of every kind and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.
God’s relationship to the earth extends far beyond a relationship to humans. God has a relationship with the animals and other living creatures on the earth.
It’s powerful that God blessed the living creatures in verse 22. God’s blessings extends far beyond a blessing of humans. God blesses animals too.
We can find God in our own relationship to animals. Some of us might have had a pet when we were young that taught us lessons about God; some of us might have an animal right now that is precious to us—as precious as any family member.
Have you had an experience where you found God through a relationship with an animal? Please share.
Wednesday, August 27
Genesis 9:8-10, 14-16
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark.
When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
Yesterday we read about God’s blessing of animals. Today we read about God’s covenant with the animals. When God made a promise never to destroy the earth through a flood, God made that covenant with more than just humans—God made it with animals.
Think about the experience of seeing a loon fly off a lake and a story of hearing the call of a loon. These experiences of seeing a loon in nature are majestic and even transcendent. They are certainly memorable. These experiences are spiritual experiences. They connect us to something that is far beyond ourselves.
God enjoys when we have these spiritual experiences in nature. We aren’t worshiping creation, but we are learning about God from what we observe in creation.
Can you remember a spiritual time or experience that you had in nature? Please share.
Thursday, August 28
Matthew 6:26-30
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
Many people have shared that one way to reduce our anxiety is to spend time in nature. One recent study showed that spending as few as ten minutes a day in nature can reduce our physical and mental stress.
Jesus illustrated in this story how being in nature can reduce our own anxiety. He encouraged people to look at the lilies. Most of us can envision the lily and the beauty of a lily. A field of lilies is especially beautiful.
Lilies grow naturally—Jesus shared that they “neither toil or spin.” (Matthew 6:28)
The point that Jesus was sharing was that if a lily can illustrate such beauty without toil or spin, then we can let go of our own anxieties. We don’t have to let go of our “stuff.” If a lily can be so beautiful, then we can be beautiful just by being ourselves. We don’t have to work at it. We can just be!
We learn these spiritual lessons by being in nature.
Have you had a spiritual lesson recently that you learned in nature? Please share.
Friday, August 29
Psalm 8
O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
   Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
    to silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are humans that you are mindful of them,
    mortals that you care for them?
Yet you have made them a little lower than God
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under their feet,
all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
This is a powerful Psalm that is even worth memorizing. It displays the vastness of the universe.
Think about the vastness of the universe. We live in the Milky Way galaxy. The length of the Milky Way galaxy is 100,000 light years. That is a distance that is hard for us to comprehend.
This is what the Psalmist was describing. When he looked at the universe he realized how small he was in comparison to the universe. But despite his diminutive stature in the universe, God still loved him. God wanted him to nurture or have dominion over the universe.
Do you have a story of having this sense of awe while you were in nature. Perhaps it was seeing the night sky, or the color of the sunset, or an animal that did something extraordinary.
If you’ve had an experience like this, please share.
Saturday, August 30
Psalm 77:12-20
I will meditate on all your work
    and muse on your mighty deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy.
    What god is so great as our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
    you have displayed your might among the peoples.
With your strong arm you redeemed your people,
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
When the waters saw you, O God,
    when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
    the very deep trembled.
The clouds poured out water;
    the skies thundered;
    your arrows flashed on every side.
The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
    your lightnings lit up the world;
    the earth trembled and shook.
Your way was through the sea,
    your path through the mighty waters,
    yet your footprints were unseen.
You led your people like a flock
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
These verses describe how the Psalmist had experienced God through nature.
In verse 12 the Psalmist talked about meditating on all your work. This is another way to say that the Psalmist was meditating on the workings of God in nature.
We can learn so much about God when we meditate and observe how God works in nature. God does not only have a relationship with humans; God wants to have a relationship with the earth and the animals of the earth.
One spiritual ritual of being in nature is a prayer walk. A prayer walk is when we intentionally engage God in a walk. The walk could be a slow, rhythmic walking of the same stride where we talk to God. Or it could be a regular walk where we focus quite a lot on God.
Have you had a time when you’ve gone on a prayer walk? Or have you had an experience of God that came through nature? Please share.

Daily Devotions August 18 - 23, 2025

Monday, August 18
1 Timothy 5:3-8
Honor widows who are really widows. If a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn their religious duty to their own family and make some repayment to their parents, for this is pleasing in God’s sight. The real widow, left alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give these commands as well, so that they may be above reproach. And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
With Chain of Lakes celebrating youth and children this past week at Vacation Bible School, in the devotion this coming week we’ll explore what we learn from the Bible about families.
One way that the New Testament describes families is a group of people living in the same house. The group might not be biologically related to each other, but they are still a family.
In this passage the apostle Paul shared principles for treating people who live in the same household. Some of the principles are, “Do not speak harshly to an older or younger man or to an older or younger woman. Honor widows”. Paul went on to share teachings about how widows could stay spiritually connected to God.
You might have people who are living in your household who do not have a biological relationship to you. These people are still like your family. People who live in your household still present all the relationship challenges that family members present.
Today go out of your way to bless the people who are living with you. If you are single, pray about someone who is close to you whom you can bless. Honor these people just as the apostle Paul encouraged people in these verses to honor widows.

Tuesday, August 19
Luke 2:4
Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.
In this familiar verse we read that Joseph went to his hometown of Bethlehem to be counted in the mandatory census “because he was descended from the house and family of David.”
This extended lineage is a second way that people are described as family. Matthew’s gospel began with the genealogy of Jesus. This genealogy of Jesus can be thought of as his family.
Many of us are familiar with our ancestors. And with on-line web sites it’s easier than before to learn who our ancestors are. These people obviously are family.
Who in your ancestry is important to you? What qualities of someone in your family’s past do you especially appreciate. In what specific ways would you like to share the meaning of your own family by communicating these qualities?
In your prayer time today, spend time giving thanks for particular people in your past. And pray that you can pass on qualities of people in your past that are especially important to you.

Wednesday, August 20
1 Corinthians 8:8-13
“Food will not bring us close to God.” We are no worse off if we do not eat and no better off if we do. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? So by your knowledge the weak brother or sister for whom Christ died is destroyed. But when you thus sin against brothers and sisters and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never again eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.
A third way to think of family is those who are connected to you through faith. Sometimes a congregation is called a “church family.” And though a congregation is not precisely a family (as connection to a congregation is voluntary and connection to a family is not) there certainly are qualities of congregations that are consistent with qualities of families.
In this passage the Apostle Paul teaches about the spiritual example that people can illustrate with others in a faith community. He discouraged people from eating food that was sacrificed to an idol. The principle that he was teaching was not to avoid the specific food that was being eaten; instead it was the example of eating that food that some might believe should not be eaten. If followers of Jesus ate food that was sacrificed to idols, followers of Jesus were being poor role models in faith.
All of us are role models in faith to others. As you pray today, ask God to give you a clear understanding of how you can be a role model to your spiritual family.

Thursday, August 21
Genesis 4:1-8
Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.” Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? ⁷If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
We might think that families described in the Bible are not messy. This could not be further from the truth. The very first family suffered a murder. Cain killed his brother, Abel.
Most of us will not have to suffer something as horrible as a murder in our own family. But all of us can acknowledge that our families are messy.
In the past, Pastor Paul has encouraged people to identify their own families as messy. Don’t try to portray an image of the perfect family to others. Instead, be authentic, and be open to communicate the challenges you encounter in your family. This doesn’t mean, of course, that everyone must know everything that is happening in your family. What it does mean is you are not defensive about the messiness in your own family. Do not be afraid to be authentic in acknowledging the challenges your family encounters.

Friday, August 22
Ruth 1:15-18
So she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said,
“Do not press me to leave you,
    to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
    where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people
    and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die,
    and there will I be buried.
May the Lord do thus to me,
    and more as well,
if even death parts me from you!”
When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
These verses illustrate the passion that Ruth had for her mother-in-law, Naomi.
Ruth had experienced terrible loss. Her husband, brother-in-law, and father-in law had died. Naomi—her mother-in-law—encouraged Ruth to leave Naomi and find another husband. A husband was essential for a woman’s welfare and well-being.
Orpah, Ruth’s sister-in-law, did leave Naomi to find another husband. But Ruth wanted to stay with Naomi.
Her words are significant. They reveal the passion that can keep a family together.
“Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried. May the Lord to thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you.” (Ruth 1:15b-17)

Saturday, August 23
Psalm 133
How very good and pleasant it is
    when kindred live together in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
    running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
    running down over the collar of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
    which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
    life forevermore.
This Psalm illustrates a vision of what can happen when families live together in unity. The Psalm shares metaphors of blessings.
One metaphor is of oil running down someone’s beard. The oil represents blessings. When families love and care for each other these blessings overflow.
Another metaphor is the abundant dew on Mount Hermon. It represents the overwhelming amount of blessings that happen when families live together in unity.
Think yourself of a metaphor that you would use to describe the blessings of a family living in unity. What would it be? Please share.

Events

Church Calendar

Please note that the Google calendar is not showing up on iPhones, but will show up on Android devices and all desktop computers (including iMac). Your patience is appreciated while we troubleshoot this issue!

Community Gardens

Chain of Lakes Church is excited to offer a Community Garden Ministry next to the new church building at 2650 125th Ave NE, Blaine, MN 55449. It’s just east of Malmborg’s Garden Center on 125th Ave NE in Blaine or .8 miles east of Radisson Rd on 125th Ave NE, Blaine.