A New Home

Here is the first article I wrote for the Oakland Independent. It was published the first week of July, 2015.

Hello, my name is Mike Sechler, and I am the new pastor at Oakland Evangelical Free Church. I recently moved from Litchfield, a town in south central Minnesota, where we have lived and ministered for the last 10 years. My wife, Traci, and our four kids with us are now calling Oakland our home. While Traci and I have lived a number of places in our lives, this is a big change for our kids who really have only really remember one hometown. We hope to live in Oakland many years and get to know you and love you in the same way we love the people of Litchfield. No matter how long we live in Oakland though, it will always only be a temporary home for us. 

In fact, no matter how long you and your family have lived in this area, Oakland and Northeast Nebraska is really only a temporary home for you too. You see we are all just passing through somewhere here on this earth, because we are all going to spend eternity somewhere.

Jesus said, “I go and prepare a place for you . . . that where I am you may be also” (John 14:2 & 3). My hope is to really love my temporary home here, but to live for my eternal home with Jesus. A couple of years ago, I sat with my 11 year old son, Micah as he left this earth, and went to live with Jesus. Micah is now in his true home. This event has even made me see the temporariness of this earth, and makes me long for my true home even more. I suspect if you too have lost someone close to you, that it has also caused you to see how temporary this life is. 

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” He loved the people here on this earth, but he loved Jesus even more and desired to me with Him. My hope and prayer while living here with you, is that we can learn to love one another, and that you will see Christ in coming from our family, so that you too might desire to join Him in the eternal home that He is preparing for those who love Him. Then, we can learn to live on this earth even more abundantly as we live for Jesus, because we know our future is secure with Him.