The Word from Windward

Pastor Gary takes a fresh approach to a familiar topic, pointing out that each piece of the Armor of God listed in Ephesians Chapter 6 points to Christ. We are best suited up and prepared for battle when we put on Christ!

Christmas is filled with thoughts of the baby Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes, asleep in an animal feeding trough. But Jesus didn't remain a baby... he was born to die for us, and this message reminds us of the reason for his birth.

New vision and direction for 2008!

This week is a continuation and completion of last week's teaching on mutual submission, taking it from the husband/wife relationship, and extending it to parents and children, employees and employers. (Ephesians 6:1-9)

One of the most misunderstood and misused passages of the New Testament is explained in simple, direct language.

A day of prayer and praise.

Ephesians 5:19-20 teaches us that singing praises and keeping a song in our hearts will cause us to overflow with thankful hearts.

In this message from Ephesians 5:1-20 the Apostle Paul lists seven things that should not be present in the life of a follower of Jesus... not even a HINT of them. (Because there really is no such thing as secret sin; God sees, and God knows.)

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, live that way. Nothing causes the unbelief of unbelievers more than the inconsistency between what Christians profess and how they live. Either change your name, or change your conduct. From Ephesians 4:25-32 (NIV)

"Children of Light" -- Since we are called to walk as children of light, we must shun the works of darkness, A key phrase in this message is "Because you know better!" (Ephesians 4:17-24)

"Grow up!" -- That was the Apostle Paul's desire for each of us, that we become mature believers, not easily swayed or distracted.

The passage that describes the "five-fold ministries" is a primer on the necessity of teamwork in the church. Pastor Gary uses the University of Hawaii Warriors and Quarterback Colt Brennan as an object lesson in success through teamwork. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Despite the doctrines and distinctives that divide Christians, Ephesians 4:4-6 provides a list of seven essentials of the historic Christian faith that are non-negotiables. Here's a hint, they are preceded by the word "ONE."

We should have a rubber stamp made for certain people’s membership files: "EGR" -- (Extra Grace Required)! In today's passage, Ephesians 4:1-6, 12 are instructed to "bear with one another," and Pastor Gary breaks down some of the prerequisites for doing that with love. One of the biggest obstacles to successfully bearing with one another is unforgiveness. Nelson Mandela said, "Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies."

Two of the things Paul prayed for the church in Ephesians 3 were "strength" and "power to know the depth of the love of Christ." We want the same things for our church! Ephesians 3:14-21

There have been several recent bestsellers arguing against the existence of God and blaming people of faith for all the world's ills. They suggest that "the church has got to go." We agree! (But we don't mean the same thing at all). Ephesians 3:2-13.

ACCESS is a tresured thing. In Ephesians 2:19 we are told that we are fellow citizens with God's people and memebers of God's household, giving us access to the privileges of being part of the family.

Salvation can't be earned, and nobody is good enough to make it to heaven on their own merit. In this message from Ephesians 2:1-10 we are reminded that "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."

We are reminded of the debt of gratitude each of us owes to someone who prayed for us persistently, and of the power we can access through prayer. (Ephesians 1:15-23)

Your salvation was purchased by Christ upon the cross, signed and sealed in his blood. Your freedom and identity in Christ are delivered by Hs Spirit. In this message from Ephesians 1:7-14 Pastor Gary uses the Emancipation Proclamation and the southern African-American commemoration of "Juneteenth" to illustrate how many freed men and women still live as slaves.

This is the introduction to a series from the Book of Ephesians. Today's focus is upon our adoption into God's family, and the need for us to realize our citizenship is in heaven.

Sharing how we came to Jesus is an important part of our faith. Guest speaker, Rody Rodriguez, gives a sermon on the importance of testimony in today's society while giving his own stirring testimony of how he came to accepting Jesus as his personal Savior.

Several stages of human intimacy are used as examples of the way our spiritual intimacy with Christ grows and develops, with a goal of melding with Him heat to heart.

We tend to love the accumulation of material wealth and the trappings of earthly success, but this message reminds us that "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Pastor Gary reveals the secret of storing up treasure in Heaven in this message.

Although we most often think of heartburn as a painful case of acid reflux, the title of this message refers to Luke 24:32 - “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

Some of the most popular shows on TV feature "house flips" (taking an old property and making it new again). That process is not unlike the way the Lord takes our shabby, broken lives, realigns our foundations, and then flips our heart.

Becoming a man or woman after God's own heart is not a matter of just doing all the right things... Bible reading and prayer, but mainly about being willing to do everything the Lord asks you to do.

Pastor Gary illustrates the power of a Christian Father serving as provider, protector, spiritual leader and encourager of his children. The sermon was very personal for the speaker, as this was his son's final day in the congregation before leaving to get married and relocate. The Pastor challenged the Dads to be the head cheerleader for their kids by verbally expressing things about them they loved, and in a very touching, emotional and very personal ending, Pastor Gary demonstrated by directly affirming his own children.

Direct, blunt and challenging; this message titled "With your whole heart" makes real-life comparisons between half-hearted discipleship and whole-hearted surrender. A must-hear teaching that demands a response.

Guard your heart: the Bible describes the heart as the wellspring - the source. It is the place of our core values and the essence of who we are, so we must post a guard upon our heart.

Memorial Day Weekend: a celebration of Developing a Servant's Heart. Praise reports, fellowship and a pot-luck lunch were a good way to make use of the new picnic tables and tent.

There’s a special joy that comes from serving others. The message this week centered upon following the example of Jesus, who went around doing good. The congregation was encouraged to use everything they have and everything they are to live a life of service.

In this message, "Surrendering your Past", Pastor Gary taught on the typical reactions to the bad things we experience... Dwelling on our past, Regretting our past, or Surrendering our past. When we surrender our past, we allow God to use the bad things of our past to bless others. That can be summed up in five words: "God never wastes a hurt!" (Includes a moving testimony of God's grace by Dean Spencer.)

Week 4 of our 40-Day emphasis on Developing a Servant's Heart. This week we took a look in the mirror at our unique personalities and how God can use them. Using 4 actors to portray personality stereotypes, we learned how important it is to match people to the proper role for ministry effectiveness.

Week 3 of our 40-Day emphasis on Developing a Servant's Heart. Our focus was upon Discovering our Spiritual Gifts.

Week 3 of our 40-Day emphasis on Developing a Servant's Heart. Our focus was upon Discovering our Spiritual Gifts.

Week 2 of our 40-Day emphasis on servanthood: Using the familiar story of the Good Samaritan, Pastor Gary revealed the three heart attitudes displayed by characters in the story, the third one being "What's mine is God's, and I'll share it." The key text from the message is found in Luke Chapter 10.

You are God's unique and special creation, with a SHAPE to serve Him. This message will help you focus on your Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experience. Through understanding those five elements of God's masterpiece (YOU!) you reflect the nature of God and bring Him glory.

Our focus Easter Sunday 2007, was the amazing grace of God. You can’t earn it, you don’t deserve it, and you may not always live up to it; but are you amazed?

The greater fear of God will help us to overcome all other fears.

The third and final part of our series on relationships was frank and direct. Throughout the service we took time for prayer for those widowed, for our unmarrieds, and for the married couples of WWC.

The third and final part of our series on relationships was frank and direct. Throughout the service we took time for prayer for those widowed, for our unmarrieds, and for the married couples of WWC.

This is the second message of a three-part series on relationships, and is the continuation/conclusion of Part 1. The focus this week was upon helping the women of WWC better understand the man in their life and his core needs. Together, these three messages are designed to strengthen marriages in our church ohana, and to help those not-yet-married avoid some of the pitfalls that result from a lack of understanding.

This is the first message of a three-part series on relationships, which will be completed in Part 2. The focus this week? Helping the men of WWC better understand the core needs of women, and how to translate what women say into what they mean. We went back to Genesis to lay a scriptural foundation for understanding why men and women seem to often exist in a tug-of-war of conflict and misunderstanding. Together, these three messages are designed to strengthen marriages in our church ohana, and to help those not-yet-married avoid some of the pitfalls that result from a lack of understanding.

Patience! It's not a word most of us like to hear. This week we were given Biblical reminders of those who endured hardship and remained faithful, and we were encouraged to develop an eternal perspective... and be patient. James 5:7-20 NIV

Are you doing GOOD, or just doing well? You have been blessed to bless others, and we are all called to care for those in our society least able to care for themselves. James 5:1-6 is a prophetic warning to the unjust wealthy who take advantage of their workers. It is part of an extensive thread throughout James dealing with the use and misuse of wealth and possessions. The message, for us, is that we can --we must-- use our resources to do good in Jesus' name.

The Book of James speaks plainly and directly to believers -- we are not to speak words that will damage the reputation of others, and we are not to judge others against the measuring stick of our own self-righteousness. The temporary and fragile nature of life is illustrated in a story of the tragic death of two 18-year-old girls in the community during the past week. They had hopes and dreams that will, sadly, never be realized. Making plans for the future? Be sure you include God in the center of your agenda. Text: James 4:11-17 (NIV)

As long as people are involved in anything there will be situations where we don’t see eye-to-eye, and we squabble, argue and disagree. Churches, communities, nations and families have split over stupid, non-essential things. Isn’t it interesting that this book, James, which is addressed to a bunch of people expected to be Godly, has a section that assumes there will be fights and quarrels.  James Chapter 4:1-10 (NIV)

As long as people are involved in anything there will be situations where we don’t see eye-to-eye, and we squabble, argue and disagree. Churches, communities, nations and families have split over stupid, non-essential things. Isn’t it interesting that this book, James, which is addressed to a bunch of people expected to be Godly, has a section that assumes there will be fights and quarrels.  James Chapter 4:1-10 (NIV)

The Book of James draws a striking contrast between earthly “wisdom” and the kind of God-hearing wisdom that comes from above. In this message Pastor Gary outlines the characteristics by which we may recognize those among us with Godly wisdom. Text: James 3:13-18 NIV