In the parable of the vineyard, Jesus exposed the attitudes of those who despised others who would receive equal spiritual reward without serving God for as long as they did. In the parable, workers arrived in the morning and agreed to work for a denarius for the day. A few hours later the owner found some workers standing around doing nothing and he asked them why. They said no one hired them. So he hired them. They only knew that he said he would pay them what was right at the end of the day. When the day was done, the owner of the vineyard paid every one of them a denarius. Those who worked through the heat of the day complained that the others who started later got the same wages. The owner of the vineyard showed grace to those who came late. In Matt. 20:15-16 the owner said, "Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good.* Jesus said, *So the last shall be first and the first last. For many are called but few are chosen." The Maxwell Leadership Bible revealed some interesting notes about this passage.

This passage describes God's grace. It also describes what happens when we take our eyes off of God and focus on ourselves. Jesus had been talking to his disciples about how hard it was for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God when the rich young ruler, who had kept all the commandments all his life, walked away sadly when Jesus told him to sell what he had and give to the poor. The disciples were astonished that someone who had kept all the commandments would be exempt from the kingdom of God. Well if he can't be saved, who can? Jesus explained that there would be many who would leave behind houses, brothers and sisters for His name's sake and would follow him and inherit eternal life. Many who are first will be last, and the last first. It is God's choice to offer grace so that even the thief on the cross, who had wasted his entire life could be saved at the last minute. If everyone had to meet God's requirements on their own merit, all would be lost. Jesus had said earlier, in Mt. 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

There are several attitudes exposed here (Maxwell Leadership Bible p. 1178)

School is over and summer vacation is here. Thanks to all who had helped this year with both Jr. high and High School (Tonia Teffeteller, Sherry Crann and Pat Evans). There will be no youth exchange over the summer and sadly we will be saying goodbye to Bob, Darren, Pear, and Ga won and they go back to their own countries, but the Jr. High will meet throughout the summer for special events and VBS.

A couple of Wednesdays ago I was talking to my Jr. High group about the importance of using our bodies to honor God. You see not only are we to honor God in the things we do physically, we are to honor Him with our minds too.

The bible says "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things" (Philippians 4:8, NIV).

A Native American boy was talking with his grandfather."What do you think about the world situation?" he asked. The grandfather replied, "I feel like two wolves are fighting in my heart. One is full of anger and hatred. The other is full of love, forgiveness and peace."

"Which one will win?" asked the boy. To which the grandfather replied, "The one I feed."

Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, "Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds," and James Allen rightly stated that, "You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you."

Another has said, "What the mind dwells on the body acts on."

If you don't believe this, think how temptation works--first a thought that seems to come from nowhere . . .we feed it and the thought begins to expand . . . then one's feelings get involved . . . and the more we think about it .. . the more we hunger for it . . . then we begin to rationalize and justify what we want to do . . . and the battle is lost. It's all in the mind.

As they say about computers: GIGO = garbage in garbage out. So it is with the mind. If we keep looking at and thinking about garbage, we will act out accordingly. But, if as the Bible says, we concentrate on thoughts that are noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable, we too, will act accordingly. It's all in the mind, for what the mind dwells on the body acts on.

June 16th Ball at the Park

June 30th Swimming

July 14th VBS

July 28th Putt Putt

August 11th TBA

August 23rd Loons Game

Beth Welther June 8

Rosemary Armstead June 12

Helen Keyser June 19

Cheryl Rzendzian June 25

Dr. Larry/Annette Salsburey Anniversary June 24

Rebecca Welther July 8

Nancy Smith July 19

Dr. Larry Salsburey July 28

Kim Karl July 31

Pastor John/Cheryl Rzendzian Anniversary July 27

Pastor John Rzendzian August 6

Thomas Crann August 9

Raymond Armstead August 15