Blog entries

Hoe Your Own Row

Randy Raver — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 19:05:22 +0100

There is an interesting dichotomy in Paul’s letter to the Galatians. He wrote: “Carry one another’s burdens.” And then three sentences later, he wrote: “For each person will have to carry his own load.” (Holman CSB, Galatians 6:2, 5) So, which is it? Carry each other’s load? Carry our own load? Answer: Yup!

Remember in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is talking with those who wished to follow Him, and He told them, “If anyone forces you tRead More...

God, Where are You When I'm Suffering

Randy Raver — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:54:36 +0100

Our daughter, Jen, was almost two years old when she fell off a slide at a park here in Casper. The slide was about 10 feet high, and the asphalt beneath it was harsh on her mouth and chin. We took her to the emergency room and held her down as the doctor dug out pebbles and sand. Jen’s eyes said it all, “How could you!” Those eyes expressed hurt that I would allow this unknown man to hurt her. It was a betrayal of trust. Her dRead More...

Transforming the Church

Randy Raver — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:58:10 +0100

Restoration Church has been and is in a season of transformation. January 9, 2011, Pastor Dave Limmer spoke to our fellowship about the changes that God was instituting in us, and changes that we’d see develop around us. He wasn’t kidding.

June 19th, Father’s Day, we celebrated in our “new” facility. This building is 10 times the size of our previous building, approximately 100,000 square feet. There are mindsets we had operated in while in a building that was 1Read More...

Building the Kingdom in Kenya

Justin Limmer — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 20:05:16 +0100

In August I had the privilege of traveling with Dave Richards to Kenya. This was a very meaningful trip, and God revealed many things to me. Dave has been ministering in Kenya for over 21 years with J.B. Masinde. J.B. leads a large church in Nairobi and has a ministry throughout Kenya and around the world. It was amazing to see some of the things that Dave and J.B. have established and some of the leaders that they are working with. These leaders are now training younger leaders who areRead More...

SonSurf Vacation Bible School

Randy Raver — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:54:19 +0100

Take a massive backyard, the awesome staff, backdrops, new music, and an average of 43 kids a day for a week, and you have the recipe for Sonsurf VBS. What a time we had!

Resounding throughout the neighborhood, kids shouted “Big D!” and “Hector!”, waiting longingly for their heroes to emerge from the back drop and humor them with their crazy anticRead More...

God is on the move in Haiti!

Justin Limmer — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:30:38 +0100

God is on the move in Haiti! We recently took a group of young people on a mission
trip to Haiti and it was awesome to see how God worked. Our group was made up of
26 people from 7 different churches in the region. It was an awesome opportunity to
demonstrate how God loves unity. Also, while we were in Haiti, we worked with two
other teams that were there from Ohio and California. We arrived Saturday, June 18
and connected with Aaron Nelson with Shepherd’s HouseRead More...

Honoring the Patriarchs

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:09:00 +0100

How appropriate that our first Sunday in our new building was on Father's day. Worship was amazing as our friends Dan and Felicity White were here to lead us into worship. The word even more appropriate as Felicity spoke about Patriarchy and Worship. I anticipate being able to provide you with the podcast and pictures of our first Sunday very soon.

May I just go ahead and say that Restoration Church has been blessed with many fathers who truly show a glimpse of the goodness of Father GRead More...

The Ribbon Cutting!

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:28:51 +0100

So there we were meeting together as a church family as we have done for the past 27 years (some of those years I have experienced). There had been talk among our church family of getting a new building, but nothing was certain as we were unsure of the decisions that had been taking place. This particular Sunday, our dedicated Pastor, Dave Limmer, stood up to tell Restoration Church that God had provided us with a new building.

God had indeed provided a new building for us in the form Read More...

A Model Food Pantry

Gary Hazen — Wed, 11 May 2011 19:05:04 +0100

I have recently been placed on staff at Restoration Church as the Project and Programs Director. There are many challenges before us as we prepare for our move. I have been assigned to work on some of these tasks.

I am a retired Police Officer from the Casper Police Department. I also served as the Chief with the Natrona Coroner’s Office for 23 years.

I am married to my lovely wife Micky. My daughters ARead More...

Knowing God

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:56:56 +0100

Daniel 11:32 is an amazing verse for our day. In the New King James Version, the second half of that verse reads "the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits." It was never in God's mind when He created mankind, that we should be "just ordinary." He intends for us to do great things. When Daniel wrote that, he was prophesying of some of Israel's darkest days. In the midst of those days, God's people would shine! In the days tRead More...

The Church, The Hope of the World

Randy Raver — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 21:46:32 +0100

Okay, I have a confession right of the bat. My title is not original. I'm stealing it from Bill Hybels. How's that for a blog on our church page--plagiarism with immediate confession!

But I also wanted to use this title because I believe it; I believe it with my life. As we look around the world in the season that I write this, there is civil unrest in numerous nations: Egypt, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia... A major earthquake rocked New ZeaRead More...

Respecting Marriage

Randy Raver — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:47:04 +0100

The article appeared on the front page of the Casper Star Tribune recently: "Four in 10 say marriage is becoming obsolete." The article goes on to cite The Census Bureau, who reported "that unmarried couples living together jumped 13 % this year to 7.5 million... Analysts largely attributed the increase to people unwilling to make long-term commitments in the face of persistent unemployment." And the Pew Research Center, whom the Tribune quoted, found that about 34% ofRead More...

Freely Received

Randy Raver — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:08:48 +0100

In our last two weeks in corporate Sunday morning meetings, Pastor Dave has challenged us to make a list of "the things freely given to us by God" (see 1 Corinthians 2:12). Have you done that yet? May I suggest that our individual lists may include:

1. Peace for my past. Do you have failures of the past that nag you, decisions you made that, looking back think, ummmm--"What was I thinking?" Steve Backlund in "Igniting Faith," says, "I propose that aRead More...

Believing in Peace

Justin Limmer — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:00:18 +0100

One of the easiest things to notice in Israel was the tension between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The sad part is, that most of the common people on both sides want to live in peace, but the extremists and governments on both sides are making this impossible. It was very interesting to be in the West Bank and see things from the other side of the fence as it were. We had to go through lots of Israeli checkpoints whenever we went touring. We didn't have any problems because we werRead More...

Journal of Caiaphas

Caiaphas — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:59:49 +0100

Timing,; timing is everything. the Galilean would be wise to keep a low profile these next few days. But wisdom and discretion seem to be lacking in Him and His followers. He preaches, He interferes...

If we can just get through Passover, rejoice and sacrifice, remember and celebrate. We can deal with the Carpenter's destiny after Passover. And we will; yes we will. Beriah and Micah are now looking for opportunities. But not in front of allRead More...

Journal of Caiaphas

Caiaphas — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:43 +0100

It must be by His death. Even Nicodemus has now sold out. "Does our Law judge a man before it hears Him?" he asks, innocently. Check and see Nicodemus, if you or anyone else who has become swayed by this "Prophet;" find one Scripture that validates a prophet from Galilee. Galilee!!

And then this son of a carpenter has the nerve to ride into the city yesterday, gathering every eye and heart, drawing every gullible imagination within view of Him. Read More...

Hannah's Journal

Hannah — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:13:14 +0100

When -- oh, when -- will I stop knocking things over? Pregnancy has made me so clumsy lately. This morning I knocked over the basin of water. Yesterday, when I took the bread out of the oven I dropped it on the floor. I keep telling myself that I don't have much longer. Sooner or later this baby has to come!

Phinehas finally finished the cradle last night. My husband is many wonderful things, but a wonderful carpenter he is not. I will Read More...

Journal of Caiaphas

Caiaphas — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:24:53 +0100

I asked Him, "Who do you pretend to be?" He would not answer me! Would not answer the High Priest? Oh, well, perhaps we Pharisees will just have to become a bit more... persuasive in our strategies!! Will not answer me. We shall see about that, Galilean, we shall see; and it will be sooner rather than later.

He has Nicodemus firmly in his court--the fool. My spies inform me that Nicodemus is spending quite a bit of time with the Carpenter, listenRead More...

Fasting: It's More than Sackcloth and Ashes

Phineas — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:48:27 +0100

Today is the third day that I have been been fasting all food and wine. As is custom I wear sackcloth and put ashes on my head so that people know I am fasting. This way they will know that I love the law and give up worldly pleasures to please God.

While I was reading in the words of the prophets yesterday, I found a place where Isaiah wroRead More...

Journal of Caiaphas

Caiaphas — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:53:40 +0100

So, only a few weeks before Passover. We must take care of our little..."problem" before Passover, because this little Carpenter is unpredictable. And who is "we"??

Even in the last few months Pharisees have become sympathizers with the crazy preacher. Couldn't Herod have dealt with him as he dealt with John the Baptist? It has become apparent that Joseph of Arimathea has become unreliable at best, a traitor at the worst. And Nicodemus has definitely Read More...