Larry Gleason
On October 1 the Fellowship heard an excellent presentation titled Hope for the Troubled Heart from Dennis Kizziar, interim pastor at PebbleCreek Community Church. Pastor Kizziar noted that in his 35 years as a pastor ministering to others, he has come to the conclusion many individuals’ personal problems are the result of a troubled heart. It may be many years before the symptoms surface. Just as blockages in the physical heart can impact the body’s functioning, a spiritual heart with blockages can lead to negative behaviors which impact one’s relationship with God. Pastor Kizziar described three main spiritual blockages: (1) guilt related to past negative personal experiences (sins, failed relationships, mistakes, etc.; (2) bitterness due to personal relationship issues that have occurred and (3) anxiety related to internal stress which can impact all aspects of life. Any of these blockages may eventually surface in the individual as feelings of shame, which often cause internal pain. An effort to control this pain causes many persons to turn to various anesthetics such as alcohol, drugs, sex, overworking, etc. Thus when the heart is troubled, the individual may get into trouble. Pastor Kizziar shared that several years ago he realized that his own heart was wounded as a result of growing up in a dysfunctional, abusive family which led to his own negative behavior as a teen. He needed to deal with his spiritual heart issues to free his life from internal pain. From his personal situation, along with 35 years of professional experience, he concludes persons with a troubled heart can enjoy a new freedom in life by healing former wounds. This healing can occur when the individual develops a personal relationship with Jesus who stated in John 14:1 “Do not let your heart be troubled.” To help others with spiritual heart issues Pastor Kizziar has written a book titled Hope for the Troubled Heart.
At the Fellowship’s November 5 meeting Dan Wuthrich will be speaking. After practicing law for 21 years Dan was called into the ministry and obtained a Master’s degree in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. Dan is a pastor with Village Missions, a missions organization that provides pastors to over 200 rural churches in the U.S. and Canada.
On December 3 at 8:00 a.m. at Eagle’s Nest, there will be a Fellowship Breakfast. This will be an informal opportunity to visit and socialize.
Note: All men residing in PebbleCreek are invited to attend Fellowship meetings and outreach events.
For more information on the Men’s Christian Fellowship contact Tom Chapman at 536-5180.