Mike Sechler's Blog

Heb 10:24 — Heb 10:25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. We will be limited to a 6 foot rule (either by govt "suggestion," common sense, or sensitivity to our Brothers/Sisters.)   Please use the main door. Signs will be on the other doors directing people to the main doors. Main doors will be propped open until the service starts and after the service ends.  Coffee will be not provided (it is fine to bring in your own coffee mug, but please keep it with you). Water bottles will be available on the way into the building. NURSERY - CHILDREN's gatherings will be ON HOLD until further notice. Encourage parents to keep their children with them at their seats (no children running around in the building.)   We want to encourage those who want to wear face masks and/or glov...

Resources and Links below. Church Facebook Page Zoom Church Website Rightnow Media - If you don't have access, Email me at pastormike@oaklandefc.com and I will send you a sign up. Lifeway has some free resources for kids here . Call or text Pastor Mike for prayer at 402-936-1002. Nebraska government page

Earlier today we learned that a case of coronavirus was discovered in the Fremont area, and while it is not yet in the Oakland area, it is likely that it will come here in the near future and may have an impact on the area for several weeks if not months. I am going to use my personal blog to repeat public announcements for the Evangelical Free Church in Oakland regarding this issue. We will not be canceling church this Sunday, March 8, but we will update you if we need to cancel future events. We will be live streaming on our Facebook page, which you can reach here. https://m.facebook.com/pg/northeastnebraskaefree We have already decided that there will be no Super Supper this Wednesday, March 11. While we cannot control the virus, its spread, or the impact it has on our church, we are listening to proper authorities and suggesting the best practices to mitigate the risk and make our church gatherings as safe and clean as possible. We appreciate your cooperation and commi...

Gerald Brand I am not sure it is true that consensus at high percentages is unusual in science. In fact, I would counter that consensus is often the norm and that social factors often help maintain consensus and put down dissent. In this case, I have listened to a number of high level weather, climate, and economic experts who examine that data and disagree with the consensus at a number of levels, but who are routinely called deniers or unscientific because they don't go along lockstep with the supposed consensus. There may be political, financial, or social reasons to doubt global warming, but there are certainly just as many if not more reasons not to question the consensus. You can pay a heavy toll even questioning it. Here are some questions that I think remain up in the air. Do we have a good enough global record for long enough to understand a global average temperature and compare it to anything accurate in the past? Do we have an accurate ...

My 11-year-old son, Micah, died 5 years ago of complications from kidney failure. I wrote this just 5 months after he died, and only changed it a little to share it now. If some these comments seem stark or harsh at times remember they were written from the perspective of someone who recently lost his son, and that if you are talking to a grieving parent they may have similar raw emotions. The other grieving parents that I have met sure did. Here are some things that people said that helped and some that didn't. 1. Say you are sorry for their loss. This is almost certainly true, because almost everyone is really sorry to hear of a child dying, so you can say it sincerely and it is received sincerely. Also, you can stop here if you want. Unless you really want to go deeper and enter into the grief, you don't have to go any further. That is enough. 2. Ask about their child (or any loved one who has died). What was he or she like? I love talking about Micah. I don...

Here is an article I wrote for the November 2017 Newletter for our church, the Evangelical Free Church of Oakland, Nebraska. I normally post these on my ministry blog , but since this post is more personal, I decided to post it here. Thank You! Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 In this month of Thanksgiving, I wanted to be obedient to God, and express to Him my thanks for some of the many blessings He has given me. First, I am thankful that everyday and every moment, I can go into the presence of God because of what Jesus has done for me. I am a child of the king and my identity is secure in Christ, so that even when I mess up and even when I sin, I can run back and find love and forgivenness. The more this truth has become clear to me, the more peace and joy I have. Second, I am thankful for my beautiful wife and best friend, Traci. God has very...

So yesterday was the 5 year remembrance day for Micah's death. We took the family out and had a good time, but in truth my heart still hurts whenever I think about Micah. I made me think about a quote from one of my favorite books, "Lord of the Rings." One evening Sam came into the study and found his master looking very strange. He was very pale and his eyes seemed to see things far away. 'What's the matter, Mr. Frodo?' said Sam. 'I am wounded,' he answered, 'wounded; it will never really heal'." Frodo is wounded a couple of times in the course of his adventures and every anniversary of the days that he was wounded comes around, he is sick. This is what grief is like. Every October 18 and Dec. 2 (Micah's Birthday), we are especially reminded that he is not here and we feel the wound. The world is broken and we feel personally. I miss my son. Death is hard. I am so glad that my hope is not in this world. I can grieve, but...