THE WORD
We can choose to rebel or comply
This was written on Thursday, Jan. 7, on the heels of the uproar in Washington, D.C. the previous day. Our world is not evil. There ...
Barry Vassar, Author at Farmville
THE WORD
Christ can overcome the Grinches you may face
“Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot. But the Grinch who lived just north of Whoville did not. The Grinch hated Christmas. The ...
by Barry Vassar, Friday, December 18, 2020 6:00 am
THE WORD
Give the world the best representation of Christ
I have heard parents say so often to their children, “You did this to yourself.” Likewise, another common variation is, “You brought this on yourself,” ...
by Barry Vassar, Friday, November 20, 2020 6:00 am
THE WORD
Pray for the best for all
I shared this message via Facebook on Sunday, Oct. 18, but felt it was appropriate to share as a devotional this week as well. Instead ...
by Barry Vassar, Friday, October 23, 2020 6:00 am
THE WORD
We should follow in Christ’s footsteps
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The ...
by Barry Vassar, Friday, October 2, 2020 6:00 am
THE WORD
COLUMN — Our nation should return to God
There was a time just less than 20 years ago when our nation stood together as one people. Race, politics, religion, gender, sexuality were all ...
by Barry Vassar, Friday, September 11, 2020 6:00 am
THE WORD
Trust God with all your problems
I recently went to the beach. I loved the waves crashing against me as I tried to stand firm. I loved the wind hitting me ...
by Barry Vassar, Friday, August 14, 2020 6:00 am
THE WORD
Find Christ, but don’t lose yourself
Think about some of the codes or edicts you live by. Think about the standards you conform to and ask yourself “do they define who ...
by Barry Vassar, Friday, July 17, 2020 6:00 am
THE WORD
Only God can judge a person’s heart
I had a coworker once who asked me about a decision that we had made regarding a difficult situation. They asked, “Did we do the ...
by Barry Vassar, Friday, June 19, 2020 6:00 am
THE WORD
When we gather, let it be with a renewed purpose
Memorial Day and Memorial Day weekend would seem to go hand in hand, yet they are two different events. Memorial Day is a day set ...
by Barry Vassar, Friday, May 22, 2020 6:00 am
THE WORD
A setback is a setup for a reset
God reset the world after the great flood. God reset the Jewish people after bringing them out of captivity. God reset the face of religion ...
by Barry Vassar, Friday, April 24, 2020 6:00 am
THE WORD
Are you prepared or trying to stock up?
At the time of this writing (March 20, 2020), groceries stores are running or have ran out of toilet paper, hand sanitizer, hand soap and ...
by Barry Vassar, Friday, March 27, 2020 6:00 am
THE WORD
Christ set us free from the law of sin and death
A church member whom I respect brought to my attention an aspect of the Christian life that many people struggle with. Though we are called ...
by Barry Vassar, Thursday, February 20, 2020 11:49 am
THE WORD
The Word
Death comes to everybody. That’s your attention getter. But let’s take it a step further. Death is unpredictable, but certain. It doesn’t discriminate, care about ...
by Barry Vassar, Thursday, January 23, 2020 11:10 am
THE WORD
Worship in gladness
Psalm 100: 1. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 2. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. ...
by Barry Vassar, Wednesday, November 27, 2019 10:12 am
THE WORD
What does your heart look like?
With Halloween behind us my question is: Who is still wearing a costume? Who is still wearing a mask? I’ve come to realize throughout the ...
by Barry Vassar, Thursday, October 31, 2019 2:27 pm
THE WORD
Like father, like son
I share this because of relevance to today’s devotion. My father passed away on Aug. 20 of this year. When loss occurs it often creates ...
by Barry Vassar, Thursday, October 3, 2019 2:51 pm
THE WORD
The race of life
For those who have not accepted Christ, they have not even entered the race. For those who have accepted Christ, for many, it is a ...
by Barry Vassar, Thursday, September 5, 2019 3:38 pm
Uncategorized
THE WORD: Finding peace and hope for the future
In the past two months I have witnessed several situations and encounters that cause me to think that maybe we are not as divided as ...
by Barry Vassar, Saturday, August 10, 2019 5:00 am
Columns
THE WORD: Let every day be a celebration
I don’t particularly like holidays. I think it’s great that we have a brief time of remembrance or reverence or honor. It’s great to have ...
by Barry Vassar, Saturday, July 13, 2019 5:00 am
Columns
THE WORD: Show grace, mercy, respect
This could very well be my last devotional for The Farmville Herald (or anywhere). Now that I have your attention, let me tell you why. ...
by Barry Vassar, Thursday, June 13, 2019 1:41 pm
Columns
THE WORD: Share the word
I overheard a discussion between two people. Person 1: “You left the door unlocked.” Person 2: “No I didn’t.” Person 1: “Well the front door ...
by Barry Vassar, Thursday, May 16, 2019 7:45 am
Columns
THE WORD: A moment in time
As this is being read just days before Easter Sunday (Thursday the 18th online, Friday the 19th in print), imagine what was taking place 2,000 ...
by Barry Vassar, Thursday, April 18, 2019 7:24 am
Columns
THE WORD: Trust and obey
The Greek philosopher and scholar Socrates was quoted as saying, “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that ...
by Barry Vassar, Thursday, February 21, 2019 7:58 am
Columns
THE WORD: A people of faith
I like diversity. Some people don’t. Some people like uniformity. That’s what makes us diverse, different, unique. We all have opinions based on our own ...
by Barry Vassar, Thursday, January 24, 2019 7:35 am
THE WORD
Positive results require action
For many folks the 8 weeks between Oct. 31 and Dec. 25 is a bliss of events, indulgences and expenditures that really don’t add up ...
by Barry Vassar, Saturday, December 29, 2018 6:50 am
Columns
THE WORD: Shout out joy to the nations
I had the opportunity to preach on this passage at the Nov. 20 Cumberland Community Thanksgiving Service in partnership with Shiloh New Covenant Church and ...