June 21, 2026
Father’s Day
https://www.youtube.com/live/f3wKAtkXwvM?si=_JrxY8Z-33RX22cr
Apostle Susan Powers opened the service honoring the men. Cathy Spangler had a prayer prepared that she read over the men as the congregation prayed for individual men:
Father, first of all we want to thank You and honor You, our Heavenly Father, who has made us Your children. How You love it when we call You “Abba Father” and run to You when we just want to be near You! We are grateful for the mercy and grace You pour out on us as our Father. You’ve also imparted to these men Your Father’s heart, that lovingly protects, comforts, counsels, celebrates progress, and listens when called upon! We ask You to bless them and keep them. Make Your face shine upon them. LORD always keep them in Your sight and fill them with Your Shalom! Put Your own Name upon these men called by You to ‘father’ their families, the fatherless, and those You put under their wings! Thank You for the fathers of our faith….for the fathering of this church….by George and now by Jeff. Empower these men in all they do in their roles and calling to “Father” like You do! We ask this in JESUS’ Mighty Name!! Amen!
Stacea Kuehn led worship.
NO EARLY CHILDHOOD WORSHIP.
Message: Pastor Jeff Spangler
“Happy Father’s Day”
We have a great Father that we have gathered to worship, and He wants us to understand that name is not a curse. No matter what has happened to us that leaves us thinking of lack, of hurt, that name is not a curse.
So let’s redefine this day - for that day.
There’s a great Father that loves you, knows everything about you, cares for you, and is about honor and respect. This Creator, Father God, who has all power and authority, and He doesn't tell me what I have to do but allows me to choose.
And He has said to us: “Do I have your attention?”
As we worship in this house, do we honor Him? Does He have your attention? On this Father’s Day, let us turn our attention to the King.
Everything around us is so heightened. And if that is the case, and evil is revealing itself, we should not just keep doing business as usual.
We come to worship when it’s easy and when it’s hard…because it’s not about us.
Pay attention…does that mean, pay WITH attention or PAY attention? Attention: a condition of readiness, ignoring distractions, selective, and sustained
New puppy in the house…doing some things that are not desirable…and if they are not corrected, he is apt to repeat it. And so it is with us.
Explore your world, be wild at heart, but discover your boundaries, because He is always watching. Does that knowledge change your behavior?
We must solidify this in our heart: He is omnipresent. But in His mercy, sometimes He holds Himself back because WE can’t stand in His holiness. When He revealed His glory throughout the Scriptures, men would fall down JUST from His glory.
This is different from our earthly father.
On this Father’s Day, it’s a good day for some reflection.
He desires to be acknowledged…just as earthly fathers are blessed when their children think of them, call them, text them, our Earthly Father loves it when we think of Him. When we come to attention when the King of Kings walks in the room.
Coming to attention means ignoring distractions and sustaining that moment of attention.
So today there is a message, for the fathers, for all others, much as when men are told they are a bride…for each of us.
So select NOW to pay attention - be attentive to the Father.
Proverbs 21:2
A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
Motives. Intentions. Thoughts.
The Lord weighs the heart. An omnipresent Father weighs YOUR heart. We can trust Him that He wants the best for me!
The Parable of the Lost Son/Prodigal Son…what do you remember?
I’M TAKING MY INHERITANCE RIGHT NOW!
Two sons - younger one wants what’s mine RIGHT NOW (from his father)
Father granted it
The older would get the biggest portion
He’s defying his father, the order of things, also smacking his brother in the face
The older brother was a bit salty when the younger comes back and is welcomed with a party
The younger brother runs off, goes through hardship, comes back
Older brother - has access to all things all the time, but he’s a little salty. We don’t like to give mercy. We like to judge others and point things out.
Jealousy - “he never did this for me.”
How quick both brothers were to tell the father about his business.
The father has a good answer - “you already had it all.”
Some people have run away from God.
Some people want the things of God without God.
When we are attached to Him, things are good, but when we operate under our own power, we get tired and worn out.
The younger son, when he got his son, he did enjoy it for a while until it ran out…sometimes our focus is on the wrong things. And then we find ourselves in a place that is godless.
Back to Proverbs 21:2 - we think our ways are right. It lines up with what we think. We all have self-righteousness - things that seem good to us.
Let’s focus in on this part of the story here: verses 17 - 20
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
This story is in response to something happening. Go back to 15:1-2
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Muttering - but apparently loud enough for others to hear. Obviously wanting Jesus to know they are on to him.
He didn’t only welcome the sinners - HE ATE WITH THEM. Whaaaaa…
Because it’s not what we eat, it’s not about us. It's about our HEART.
They thought their ways were right. And aren’t we the same - making it all about us.
Can you want something for others more than you want it for yourself?
Jesus weighed the hearts of those who were there - and then told parables of the lost things. All about how heaven rejoices when one who is lost is FOUND.
He is excited when ANYONE who is lost is FOUND. IT’S ABOUT THEM NOT US.
GOD IS ABOUT TO MANIFEST.
When the sun comes out, the stars are still there. We just can’t see them. Everyone who has ever been in the presence of God…He eclipses EVERYTHING. Remember the Road to Damascus - it was SO BRIGHT, in the desert, and a light overcame that and Paul couldn’t see anything else.
HE ECLIPSES EVERYTHING.
So think about the lost son in a different way.
In verse 2, it says He eats with sinners. He’s relational with people he “shouldn’t” be relational with. Because Jesus had a message for everyone He came in contact with.
These stories were about one thing: the Father.
Happy Father’s Day.
Jesus loved the Father and only did what the Father told Him to do. Everything He taught was about the Father.
Is that what your stories are all about? Are you leading people to the Father towards the Father or away from the Father?
If you are carrying hurt from your earthly father, give it to Jesus, because you have a heavenly Father who loves you and always responds to your heart. Happy Father’s Day - and don't let that bring you pain.
YOU HAVE A FATHER THAT LOVES YOU. And you have a message about THE FATHER. And it’s more important than YOU.
This is a story about the Father’s delight in saving and in changed hearts!
Verse 20:
So he got up and went to his father.
He GOT UP and WENT. He didn’t want to die. He wanted to live - so he got up and went. Took action. Had intention. His motive was life.
If he wanted life,he was going to have to be humble. He had to walk in humility. IT’S NOT ABOUT ME. It's about my actions, my heart, about what I did.
Humbled himself.
Recognized his mistakes.
Confessed his mistakes - to himself
“I am a sinner and I have fallen short of the glory of God. I recognize I am in need of a God.”
What did he know? His dad would receive him back
Happy Father’s Day
We come to a place, in any situation, where we have to know that we know that we know, no matter what we’ve done, what we fear: “I know my Father will receive me.”
This world wants to tell us there IS no God. And He’s a good Father and puts up with this. Scientists try to disprove God and wind up as believers.
BUT verse 20 doesn’t end there:
So he got up and went to his father.“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
You can’t have the beginning of verse 20 without the end of verse 20!!
He was answering a good question - who is this guy who talks and eats with sinners? Jesus answers: “that’s a good question.” This guy wants to tell you about THAT GUY. Not who I am - who HE is.
Verse 20:
Got up and went (son)
BUT got up and went (Father)
He got up and he went because he wanted life and he knew his father was a place of life. It takes a lot to do that - but the Father cries out “get up and go! Get up and out of there!”
Through confession.
Through a belief He has life for me.
Action. Intention. Motive. He used those three to get up and go.
BUT - let’s look what the Father did. WHILE HIS SON WAS A LONG WAY OFF, HE GOT UP AND WENT. Because your Father wants to connect with YOU. Watching for your heart to turn towards HIM.
Jesus was giving a key to the Kingdom. Our Father weighs the hearts of man. Because we think our way is right.
Remember the thieves on the crosses on either side of Jesus? One thief cried out “we’ve done wrong but this man has done nothing wrong” and the Father - through the Son - ran to him and said "today you will be with Me in paradise”
While he was still a long way off…the earthly father didn’t know why the son was coming. But the heavenly Father weighs the heart.
**My Father sees me from a long way off.
Sometimes we don’t want to be seen. But there is a great Father that has action in mind. Intention in mind. Motive in mind.
What is Father’s motive? LIFE. Our God is the only God that desires life.
Your message that you can carry anything - we serve a Father that is standing on GO ready to move. He is looking for a heart to turn towards Him - and ALL of heaven rejoices when ONE turns towards Him.
The Father is going to come and respect things we wouldn’t…because He is God and I am not.
Do I have your attention? Did you hear it gruffly? The Father very quietly said: “no I want you to hear about Jesus.”
The Father didn’t come to run to the son when he was in the pigpen, or while he was partying. It wasn’t until he humbled himself and got up and went - and the second the son was headed that way, this man of dignity and stature got up and ran in his robes, towards his sinful son.
The Father, who has the power and authority that eclipses the son, he gets up and GOES to the one that turns their heart to him.
I want to run to Him - and when you do, He will run to you. FINISH VERSE 20.
Your humility and the change in your heart fills His heart with compassion. A changed heart filled the father’s heart with compassion.
And then as he came to the son, he embraced him, this dirty scoundrel of a boy, and kissed him.
Get past yourself. Embrace those in your circle, kiss them, and let them know you are not above that, let your robe get dirty, and you will be filled with compassion.
Jesus is coming, and there are some faces getting burned off if we don’t get reverent before the Lord. I want to be an extension of the Father to others. Because it’s not about YOU.
“THROUGH YOU I WILL DO THESE THINGS.”
The Father had full acceptance of the son before the son confessed. The son said he didn’t deserve it - but the father said no, you’re mistaken, and this will minister to your other brother. (To the church!)
The other son, like us, treated his father like common and ordinary. And He desires us to be a father like He is a Father - looking far off, watching those you are in relationship with, and be ready to get up and go.
