Ministries — Blaine | Chain of Lakes Church

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

September 21, 2025
“Unlocking the Bible” Part 3

September 14, 2025
“Unlocking the Bible” Part 2

September 7, 2025
“Unlocking the Bible”

August 31, 2025
“The Skeptical Prophet” Jonah – part three, and a special prayer in response to the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church

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 Handll

Daily Devotions

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

Daily Devotions October 27 - November 1

Monday, October 27
Luke 17:11-19
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
This week we’ll focus on gratefulness and thanks. This past Sunday Pastor Paul preached about having a grateful heart. The Bible has many stories that teach us about gratefulness
In this story it’s hard to know why one leper returned to give thanks and why the other nine lepers did not.
Jesus was frustrated by the nine who did not return to give thanks. And we can detect a hint of surprise that the person who did return was also a Samaritan. Even though they came from the same tradition, when Jesus lived Samaritans and Jews had veered far from each other in what they believed.
When something goes well, what is our first response to that going well. Are we surprised or happy? Do we minimize what happened. What would happen if we train ourselves to say and think, “thank you.”
Developing thanks as a first response is a healthy way to live. Doing this doesn’t negate our own role in having something go well, but our response is one of humility.
Perhaps the leper who gave thanks was more humble than the other nine.
Is it hard for you to say “thank you” when something goes well? Please share.

Tuesday, October 28
Psalm 116:1-11, 17-19
I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
    he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me,
    I will call on him as long as I live.
The cords of death entangled me,
    the anguish of the grave came over me;
    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
    “Lord, save me!”
The Lord is gracious and righteous;
    our God is full of compassion.
The Lord protects the unwary;
    when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return to your rest, my soul,
    for the Lord has been good to you.
For you, Lord, have delivered me from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the Lord
    in the land of the living.
I trusted in the Lord when I said,
    “I am greatly afflicted”;
in my alarm I said,
    “Everyone is a liar.”
I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
    and call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord—
    in your midst, Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord.
It’s easy to go into a spiral of negativity when something goes wrong. Most of us can remember a time when life did not go the way we wanted. Because of what happened we might have looked into the future and made all sorts of negative projections.
Giving thanks means we don’t give into these negative projections. We can see them and believe that they can happen. But we hold fast to God and what God can do.
The writer of this Psalm was going through a very difficult time. He wrote in verse three that he was very close to death. Because of being close to death he had experienced great distress and anguish.
Perhaps the only source of comfort for the writer of this Psalm was God. He called out to God for help. And the response was beautiful—his life was saved.
Sometimes our hope centers exclusively on God. Even when everything around is brings us down, we can remain hopeful because of what God has done.
The hope that God can deliver is reason enough to give thanks. Perhaps a prayer to share today is, “I thank you because of the hope I have experienced from you.”
Have you had a time when God did something in your life that surprised you? Please share.

Wednesday, October 29
Psalm 136:1-9, 26
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
If you have some extra time read all twenty-six verses of this Psalm. It’s a remarkable statement that can lead us to give thanks. At the end of the Psalm the writer of the Psalm cannot help but give thanks to God.
This Psalm can lead us to reflect on what it means to be grateful for everything. Always being grateful takes practice, but over time we can train ourselves to give thanks for what goes well in our life. And we can even be grateful for events that don’t go well.
And certainly, some events that don’t go well are tragedies. We aren’t glib enough to give thanks for abuse or injustice or terrible pain. Giving thanks for everything does not mean we are sadists.
Sometimes when suffering happens or when life does not go the way we want, the best version of ourselves comes out. We respond in a way that we never thought was possible for us. And for this realization we can give thanks and be grateful.
So though we don’t necessarily give thanks for pain, we can give thanks for the opportunities that can develop through our response.
This Psalm gives us an example of how this can work.
Could we see ourselves giving thanks for all the opportunities we have in life? Please share.

Thursday, October 30
Psalm 92:1-4
It is good to praise the Lord
    and make music to your name, O Most High,
proclaiming your love in the morning
    and your faithfulness at night,
to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
    and the melody of the harp.
For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
    I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
The superscription for this Psalm says it is a song for the Sabbath Day. We can imagine people singing this song to God in worship on the Sabbath. This is the only Psalm of the 150 Psalms where a superscription of “A Song for the Sabbath Day” is written.
Our worship of God is a way to express thanks. When we gather with others, we offer the community’s thanks to God for all that we have received.
Take some time to write out all that you are thankful for in 2025. Make a list of ten events that have happened in 2025 for which you give thanks. When you’ve completed the list read these four verses from Psalm 92 again.
Would you share a few reasons for which you give thanks in 2025? Please share.

Friday, October 31
Galatians 5:16-26
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
In this passage Paul contrasted the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit that he shared in verses 22-23 come from out of our heart. The seeds of these fruits are our own thanks and gratitude.
Look at the difference between the person described in the first six verses and the person described in the last four verses. We have a choice about which person we will be. The choice starts with an orientation that we take towards thanks. When we are filled with thanks for all we have it’s easier to be full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When we focus on what we lack, it’s easier to commit what Paul calls works of the flesh.
Living with the fruit of the Spirit takes training. Our first response at times to life might reflect the works of the flesh. But we can train ourselves to recognize what is happening and then orient ourselves toward the Fruit of the Spirit.
What do you find helpful in responding to life with the Fruit of the Spirit? Please share.

Saturday, November 1
Psalm 105:1-6
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
    tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength;
    seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,
    his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
At the start of this Psalm Israel shared thanks to God. For the rest of the Psalm the writer of the Psalm recited the history of Israel. We can imagine these words being shared in a worship service. The history of the people prompted them to give thanks.
We can do the same for our own lives. Take some time to reflect or even write down the three ways you are thankful for what has happened in the last 24 hours. What would they be? Take some time to thoughtfully come up with this list.
Then when you have your list, shower God with thanks. Let God know how deeply you appreciate each of the events.
What are three reasons you are thankful for something that has happened in the last 24 hours? Please share.

Daily Devotions October 20-25

Monday, October 20
Micah 6:6-8
“With what shall I come before the Lord
    and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
He has told you, O mortal, what is good,
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice and to love kindness
    and to walk humbly with your God?
This week we are going to focus on what it means to have a walk with God. This is a quality that is especially appropriate after having Colby Martin preach yesterday. The way we walk with God has a huge impact on how we treat others.
In this Scripture we see that God wants each of us to have a humble relationship with the divine. This is another way to understand the idea of “walk.” In a “walk” with God we are in a humble relationship.
The phrase “daily walk with God” comes from this idea of relationship. To have a daily walk with God does not mean we are going on an actual walk with God—though prayer walks and other types of walks can be a significant spiritual exercise. Instead it means that we are cultivating that daily relationship with God.
Many ways exist to cultivate this daily relationship or walk with God. We can have a specific time of day where we read Scripture and pray. We can pray throughout the day as if God is physically present with us. We can sing a song for God—and even if we don’t believe we can sing well, this doesn’t matter to God. God loves for us to make a joyful noise!
What are some spiritual practices that you use that help you in your daily walk? These practices help you in your own relationship with God. Please share. It’s helpful to know what helps people in their daily walk.
Tuesday, October 21
Genesis 5:21-24
When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.
This chapter of Genesis is often read over quickly as the writer of Genesis was sharing the family tree of Adam. However, the way that Enoch was described is worth our attention.
Enoch was described as having walked with God after the birth of his son for 365 years. In verse 24 we read that Enoch walked with God.
No other person in this chapter is described this way. It is most likely significant that Enoch was described as walking with God.
What does this mean? One way to think about it is Enoch had a close relationship with God—a relationship that others didn’t have. The writer of Genesis knew about this relationship and wanted to lift it up.
This description gives us a clear understanding of what it means to walk with God. When we are doing well, it could describe our age. When we celebrate a birthday party, we could say that for this many years I have walked with God.
Walk is more than a daily activity that we do with God—the way that walk was described yesterday in the devotion. Instead it can be described as the totality of our existence. Enoch’s existence was defined as 365 years of walking with God.
Imagine if after you passed people would say that you walked with God—that you didn’t die after ___ number of years of living; instead your age was described as a walk. What would this mean to you? Please share.
Wednesday, October 22
Psalm 15:1-5
O Lord, who may abide in your tent?
    Who may dwell on your holy hill?
Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right
    and speak the truth from their heart;
who do not slander with their tongue
    and do no evil to their friends
    nor heap shame upon their neighbors;
in whose eyes the wicked are despised
    but who honor those who fear the Lord;
who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
who do not lend money at interest
    and do not take a bribe against the innocent.
Those who do these things shall never be moved.
In these verses the Psalmist wondered who can abide with God? The Psalmist answered that those who walk blamelessly and do what is right can enter God’s tent.
These verses should not be read as works of righteousness. It’s not as if a person does a certain number of acts and because of that the person goes to heaven.
Instead we can learn about what the idea of a walk is. In this Psalm a walk is more than physical exercise that we do in the cool of the evening. It is a description of our relationship to God. The Psalmist wants people to walk or have a relationship with God that doesn’t involve blame—or even shame.
As in other places the idea of walk is similar to being in a relationship with God. The psalmist was sharing that those who walk with God without blame or shame, can enter into another dimension with God. The person grows deeper with God. This doesn’t mean that the person doesn’t sin, but the person is always trying to go deeper with God.
Who do you know who consistently walks blamelessly with God? Please share.
Thursday, October 23
Psalm 119:1-3
Happy are those whose way is blameless,
    who walk in the law of the Lord.
Happy are those who keep his decrees,
    who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong
    but walk in his ways.
Twice in these verses the idea of a walk is mentioned. The person who walks in the law of the Lord is blameless; that person can hardly do wrong—they walk in God’s ways.
If someone achieves this state of walking, they certainly don’t share this pridefully. The person is not looking for attention because their ways are blameless. Instead the person has a deep desire to be in a relationship with God. The walk starts with this desire of a relationship.
How are you doing at this type of relationship with God? What is going well? What must you consider shedding? People are interested in learning from your story. Please share.

Friday, October 24
John 11:7-10
Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble because the light is not in them.”
In this story we read about the beginning of Jesus declaring his desire to see Lazarus. Jesus wanted to go to heal Lazarus, but his disciples had reservations. In the second half of verse nine and in all of verse 10, John is quoted as saying that Jesus wanted to walk in the light.
This walking in the light does have to do with walking during the day when sunlight was available. It means that and it means more than that. Walking in the light describes the relationship that Jesus had with his abba. Jesus wanted to walk with his abba in the light.
To walk means we see the light. We are searching and exploring the light of God.
What a marvelous prayer each day would be, “Lord, help me walk in your light this week. Help me let go of the darkness that can possibly be around me today. I want to express your light in my walk today.”
How would that prayer help your day? Please share!
Saturday, October 25
Romans 6:3-4
Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
Think about all of the baptisms you have witnessed.
When people are baptized they walk in newness of life. Baptism is more than having some water put on us. It is recognizing the newness of life or newness of our walk that is part of our relationship.
Do you remember your own baptism? If you don’t remember it, do you remember some stories around your baptism? Do you have any pictures of your baptism? Please share some of what you know about your own baptism.

Daily Devotions October 13-18

Monday, October 13
Genesis 12:1-3
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Yesterday, Randy Dean preached at Chain of Lakes. Randy has a special understanding of the qualities that make up a healthy congregation. This week we’ll have the opportunity to reflect on what the Bible shares about the church.
Today’s reading begins the story of God’s relationship with a group of people. In verse two we read that God told Abram to go to a different land because God would make a great nation. In this reading nation doesn’t mean a nation like the “United States” or “France” or another current nation. It means a group of people who are connected to each other. In this case it means a group of people who are connected by faith to each other.
It is not far-fetched to paraphrase this reading to say that God would make a great church.
Pastor Paul has shared often that there is one church. The church is made up of followers of Jesus Christ. A spiritual connection happens between followers of Jesus. So even if people worship in different congregations, people who are disciples are part of one church. The origins of being the church come from this story in Genesis.
What are your thoughts about this? Please share.
Tuesday, October 14
Matthew 28:16-20
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but they doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Yesterday we read in Genesis 12:2 that the word “nation” was in a command by God. In today’s reading the word, “nation” is found in this command from Jesus. We read in verse 19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, …”
In this case the word “nations” comes from the Greek word, ethne. When Jesus shared this verse he didn’t only mean the nations that existed in his day. He also meant future nations.
The word, ethne is more than a description of a political state. Ethne means a group of people who are connected to each other. If we push into this command we can see where Jesus was encouraging the apostles to develop the church.
One way to think of a congregation is a dynamic network of friends leading and experiencing personal and social transformation as they follow God. This definition of a church is what Jesus encouraged his followers to create and develop.
What are your thoughts about this definition? Please share.
Wednesday, October 15
Matthew 16:13-20
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist but others Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
In this story Jesus told Peter, “you are Peter, and on this rock [on you] I will build my church.” This is one of two places in the gospels that Jesus used the word, church. The other place is Matthew 18:17.
The English word, church comes from the Greek word, ekklesia. Ekklesia is made up of two parts—ek and kaleo. Ek means “out” and kaleo means “call.” Ekklesia is a group of people who are called out of something. They are called out of the values of the world. Values like power and abuse and hate. The church is called out to live by different values. These values are personal—the Fruit of the Spirit, love joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These values are also social—justice, righteousness and peace.
The church should look vastly different than an organization in the world. As you pray today, pray that the church will look different. Pray that the church can be called out to live these very precious values.
In what ways do you believe that the lives of the people of Chain of Lakes look different? Please share.
Thursday, October 16
Ephesians 2:11-22
So then, remember that at one time you gentiles by birth, called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision”—a circumcision made in the flesh by human hands—remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us, abolishing the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone;in him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
Verses 19-20 share another definition of the church.
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone”
One can see .how these verses form the biblical foundation for the Purpose Statement of Chain of Lakes Church.
Being a disciple or follower of Jesus means you will have an instant connection with other disciples who participate in other congregations. As we read in Ephesians you are citizens with them and members of the household of God.
You might think of a family member or close friend who participates in another congregation. The two of you are part of the one church. How exciting to be part of a movement that is intended to change the world!
What are your thoughts about this? Please share.
Friday, October 17
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect, whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.
The Apostle Paul shared in this reading that the body of Christ—the church—is one. One church exists. Verse 13 explains this well, “For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”
Chain of Lakes is a PC(USA) church—Presbyterian. But the people who are part of the church are part of one body. We could paraphrase these verses from the Apostle Paul to say, “Presbyterians can’t say to Lutherans—you are not part of the body. Presbyterians can’t say to the people from the Church of Christ—you are not part of the body. Presbyterians can’t say to those who don’t have a denomination—you are not part of the body. Everyone who follows Jesus is part of the one body.”
This isn’t an easy reading to follow because throughout history people have thought of their brand of church as the only brand or a superior brand. But the Apostle Paul was clear that this way of thinking is wrong. We are all baptized into one body—Presbyterians, Lutherans, Church of Christ, nondenominational people.
All of these denominations are made to enjoy or drink of one Spirit.
Saturday, October 18
Acts 2:37-47
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Pastor Paul preaches on this story from Acts on special occasions at Chain of Lakes.
Read the story closely. The Holy Spirit moved among the people. People were speaking in different languages (some believe that the people were speaking in tongues). But despite the cacophony of noise everyone could understand what everyone was saying.
Awe came upon everyone. Awe is a three-letter synonym for wow. It’s as if “wow” came upon everyone.
The church exists for people to have these experiences of “wow.” For an individual congregation to have power the people must have these experiences of “wow.”
When have you had an experience of “wow” in the church? Please share.

Events

Church Calendar

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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.