The Happy Tie Guy

While in seminary, I was required to perform a semester of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), which involves spending a semester internship in a hospital or health care setting. One of my favorite memories of this time was watching and learning from our Catholic Priest (Father Tim). My fond memories of Father Tim revolved around his appearance in the hospital, in the fact that his patient care and ministry exuded happiness and love.

When visiting with patients, he (Father Tim) would not wear the traditional black priests shirt with his collar. Instead Father Tim would wear the brightest colored, pink, blue, and yellow shirts with his priests collar. My belief was that Father Tim wanted bright colors to show happiness and joy, rather than the traditional black color that might bring fear to some patients.

Father Tim taught me that brightness and joy have a true place in settings that sometimes can be dark and scary to people. I learned that my happy attitude not only revolved around my demeanor, but also revolved around how I appeared to my flock in the hospital.  

The book of Ecclesiastes Chapter three, verse twelve tells us: I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live. As a now graduated seminarian and an ordained minister, I take this text to heart when visiting with those that are in dark situations, those that are in fear, those that need to see brightness instead of darkness.

I may not wear a priests shirt, but after watching Father Tim, I wear bright ties that express happiness and brightness to those that may be in fear, those that see nothing but darkness and fear on the horizon.

Brothers and Sisters, those of us the share and profess the "Good News" of Jesus Christ are called to carry ourselves in the same joy and happiness, in the fact that our eternity has been been sealed for us in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

My prayer for you does not involve wearing bright, loud ties, but resides in the fact that people will truly see God's happiness and joy in you, and that your Christ filled personality will turn someones darkness into a bright light.

Be Happy My Friends.

Pastor Tim

God's Wisdom and Voice

As I began my morning today, it seemed as my emphasis was going to be all about communication. Like most of us my day began with checking my e-mail, my phone, my Facebook page, the morning television news and the local paper. Yes, a pastor like many others needs to be informed and knowledgeable about the events of the world as well as the community that he or she lives in.

This day of communication goes on for me as I do some home visits, and end up at my office to write devotionals for two different gatherings this week. I believe that I'm on this communication kick because our 3rd sermon in the Home Improvement series will be about building and remodeling family communications.

As I went to God's Word this morning and asked for his insight on communication, the Holy Spirit provided by having me turn to the following text in Isaiah 62: 1-2. "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like a dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give."

Beloved, my prayer for you this week is that all your communications be blessed and that they all be positive. May our conversations of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, not be kept silent, for God supplies us with strength and courage. Go forth in communication this week knowing that through Christ we are Vindicated and that our Salvation  is by his Death and Resurrection. Communicate in the knowledge that we are glorified through God and that we are a new creation with a new mouth and a new voice that cannot be silenced, because through Jesus Christ our voice is Eternal.

Thanks Be To God That We Have A Voice

Pastor Tim.

Home Improvement of the Family Foundation

Brothers and Sisters as we continue with our home improvement series, we will be dealing with the foundations of our homes. When we work with the foundations of our homes, we must understand that the foundation must be built on solid and firm ground. We all understand that homes built on unstable foundations will eventually sink and cave in. 

Likewise our families must be established on a solid foundation, so they will not sink or cave in. Our sermon series this week will speak to building family foundations that are strong in the Lord. Psalm 127: 1 tells us: "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain." 

My prayer for you this week is that we establish our home foundations on Jesus Christ. Jesus is building our home for the future, building a place for our faith, and building a home for our families. 

Until we meet again, check your family foundations and ask yourselves: "Is it on solid ground?"

We hope to see you on Sunday for part two of this series (A Firm Family Foundation). We meet every Sunday at First Christian Church: 2515 South Main Street in Benton Ky. Our worship begins at 10:45 AM.

Home Improvement

Over the next Seven weeks I will be preaching a sermon series on home improvement, the kind of home improvement that deals with remodeling our families and our roles as parents, spouses, and children. Brothers and Sisters, before followers of God can improve the world, we must start inside our own homes. Over the next seven weeks we will learn how to place God in the forefront of our marriages and our relationships with our children.


Beloved, Jesus Christ is the Great Home Builder and the Great Home Improvement Expert and placing him in charge of our home renovations is the only way to start on a solid and firm foundation. Many families today are at risk and their homes are at risk of crumbling to the ground under the weight of:

• Divorce
• Substance Abuse
• Pornography 
• Materialism
• Infidelity 
• And most importantly, turning away from God in reference to the construction of our families

We hope to see you attend as we learn what God has to say about the construction of our family units. We meet at First Christian Church in Benton Kentucky, 2515 South Main Street. Church School at 9:45 AM and Worship at 10:45 AM

Let God be the contractor in your home renovation!

Tim (The Tool-Man Polley)

Being Still/Listening/Memory Building and Cherishing.

Brothers and Sisters I write this blog entry from vacation.

As I sit on the patio next to our travel trailer and watch the sun come up over the pond behind us, my emphasis is on listening to God's creation around me. Psalm 46:10 tells us to be still and know that he is God, and as I relax and enjoy quality time with Lynne and Ben, I feel God's call to just soak this time in.

Vacation time will come and go as fast as the blink of an eye, but the memories that we build and cherish will last a lifetime. My prayer for you this week is that you will take time to just stop and listen to the sounds that God has created for you, build memories and cherish them for a lifetime.

Back to Memory Building
Pastor Tim

What is Outreach?

Brothers and Sisters, what is a church if it does not go out and profess the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Many would say that a church that does not do outreach is just a club for like believers, instead of a God inspired and directed ministry of Christ Jesus! God did not provide us church buildings as to build a wall around us and the rest of God's creation, churches were created to assemble God's people for the purpose of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all who will listen (inside and outside of the walls of the church).

Acts 1:8 tells us: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”


Beloved this verse does not tell us that we are to be witnesses only in one enclosed location, but to be witnesses to the ends of the earth for Jesus Christ. 


This weekend (July 22) we at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Benton Kentucky have two excellent Holy Spirited provided outreach opportunities. The Gospel Messengers will be in concert Sunday morning at 10:45 at FCC Benton. We extend an invitation to come to this concert, not as a membership tool, but as an opportunity to feed those that are hungry for God's word.


Additionally, on Sunday night (July 22) we will be hosting the Air Evac Life-team at our church from 5-7 PM. This will be an opportunity for us to share the space that God has provided for us with others, while learning more about this crucial and lifesaving entity that is available to us in Marshall County.


Our address is: 
First Christian Church
2515 South Main Street
Benton Kentucky, 42025


Brothers and Sisters, God calls us all to look deeply inside of ourselves and to consider what type of ministry we can do in the outside world of God's creation.

Blessed to be with you in outreach
Pastor Tim.

Monday's Are Made For Being Made Anew

As I drove into the church parking lot this morning, I could not help but notice the results of last nights rain storm. Previously the grass had started to turn brown from the extended heat and drought conditions that have been with us. But when I drove into the church parking lot I noticed that yesterdays brown grass had begun to turn green once again.

Yes, we have been praying for rain and last night God responded. It may not of been enough for some of us, but our prayers continue for enough rain to save our crops and to fill our water supplies. This green grass reminded me of my baptism in Christ Jesus and in the fact that through the life saving waters of Christ, I was made anew.

Our baptisms transformed our once burnt up and damaged lives into new blades of life restoring grass that constantly reach to the Son (sun) for strength and growth. The same opportunity can be done every Monday when we return to the beginning of our week, in the fact that God has given us a new opportunity to start the week anew and refreshed.

So as we begin our week let us go to our baptisms and start our week anew, just like that rain refreshed blade of grass that is soaking up the life restoring waters of our creator God. This is an opportunity to remember the words that your preachers spoke yesterday, and the opportunity to incorporate his or her message into your Monday.

May Your Monday Be Refreshed

Pastor Tim.