Galen Harrill

Galen Harrill's passion for the church developed as he saw God working powerfully in his native Northeast through the individual and collective activities of churches throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. His participation in these works greatly matured his love of service in a cause greater than himself and challenged him to seek how he might further God's Kingdom wherever God placed him. In college, he gained experience in ministry and missions as he served internships in Illinois, California and Kenya. After earning degrees at Abilene Christian University, he worked with a small church in Philadelphia while preparing to go abroad. In 1995 he moved to Prague, Czech Republic to serve with a church planting team among a predominately atheistic population. It was there he faced his greatest challenges as he grew to understand the limitless power of faith working in the lives of God's people. He met and married his wife while serving in Prague and two of their three children were born there. They returned to the States in 2005 and moved to Pennsylvania, where Galen has worked as a special education teacher and itinerant preacher. Officially, he has served with churches in East Lansdowne, Pottstown and North Wales, PA. He currently preaches at the North Penn Church of Christ in North Wales. While serving as preacher for this congregation over the past three years, Galen has helped to nurture this loving congregation to greater depths and heights of love and service for Christ. Galen holds two bachelor's degrees in Biblical Studies and Human Communication and two master's degrees in Missions and Educational Leadership. He lives in Lancaster County with his wife and three children.

Patience in James 5

By / August 18, 2022

The theme of James 5:7-12 is patience and James exhorts us to have patience in the face of persecution and difficulty.  The outline on patience in James 5 is under the video.  God bless!

Patience

James 5:7-12

Patient with what?

  • Context is injustice – 5:1-6
  • Keep the focus where it belongs, don’t take your hardships out on each other – v. 9
  • God will make it right – v. 7, 8

Three illustrations….

  • The farmer – Psalm 126:5-6
  • Prophets – Jeremiah 38
  • Job – Ezekiel 14:14-20

Do not swear….

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Growing Up Spiritually

By / August 11, 2022
Spiritual maturity

The picture above is of my old toybox my dad made for me before my memory of it.  It’s pretty big, and I could fit all my toys in it as a child.  I remember sitting in front of it one day, thinking of all my toys, how much I loved them and loved playing with them when I was overcome with a sense of dread.  Old people didn’t play with toys.  They didn’t have a toybox.  I couldn’t imagine life without my toys and wondered what exactly happened to people when they grew up that they just lost interest in such important things!

Skip forward to a few decades and I’m sitting in my classroom with one of my 16-year-old students.  He was asking me about Drake.  I was impressed he knew what a male duck was.  It was a minute or so when we realized we were having a breakdown in communication.  He was talking about the rapper.  I had no idea there was a rapper named Drake.  Only partly to himself he said, “Wow.  I don’t ever want to get old.”

But we do, don’t we?  And as we do, we put away our toys and move on, with very little regret and fuss.  But how about spiritually?

Think about it!  Wasn’t a big problem in the Corinthian church really a refusal to grow up spiritually (I Corinthians 3:2)?  God had given them gifts and they were completely enamored with some of them over others, particularly speaking in tongues.  They were treating them like their own personal toys and wanted to show off like second-graders in show-and-tell!  They were metaphorically pushing and shoving each other around, treating worship like a school playground, while quite literally talking over one another.  Paul, like an exceptionally patient parent, walks them through the proper use of the gifts and then says they need to focus on something far more important, something that will never pass away, and that is love.  And then he lays it on the line – “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”

And it strikes me – how can we be sure we are growing up spiritually?  Paul would say we can tell when we no longer are concerned about our position or glory.  We can tell when we extend grace to those around us and see the best in our brothers and sisters.  We can tell when we chose the way that builds others up rather than puffs ourselves up.  We can tell when we stand firmly in what remains after all the chaff is blown away.  And all of this is the way of love….

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

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Going Home

By / August 11, 2022

Where is home?  I realized I was doing something a number of years back whenever I just wanted a break from some situation or difficulty.  I would say to myself, “I want to go home.”  Now, the strange thing about that was I didn’t really have a place in mind.  I lived most my childhood in New Jersey (lots of summers in Michigan), spent college in Texas, did mission work in the Czech Republic, and have lived in Pennsylvania for the past 17 years.  But whenever I say I want to go home the only state I’m really thinking of is a state of mind where peace, joy, and comfort exist in abundance.  I know I’m not alone.

Now, the obvious connection here is we are looking forward to another country, a heavenly one.  The image of Lazarus resting at Abraham’s side is compelling.  So is the promise of no more tears.  That’s the home we all really want, and really, I know that’s the cry of my heart when I say I want to go home.  But there is another place that is closer right now, a place I go and I’m home, the frontier of God’s Kingdom on earth.  It’s the church…

…don’t laugh.  I’m serious.  I am well aware the church is not perfect.  I’m well aware we have disagreements in the church.  I’m well aware our auditoriums are full of hurting people; emotionally, physically, spiritually, and mentally.  But it’s also the place where this past Sunday I sat down after services and had a really good talk with a few dear members of my spiritual family.  And here is the thing – none of us would have found one another without Jesus’ church.  Let’s expand it from that small group I was talking with.  In my church we have several different nationalities.  We have several different ethnic backgrounds.  We have people who have voted democrat, republican, independent, and have refused to vote altogether.  We have a wide range of experiences, jobs, education, and ages.  And we can talk about all of that, have talked about all of that in total humility, and widened our ideas about…

…what?  Well, home.  None of those things divide us – because we have a common Father and have found what binds us together is so very much stronger than what could tear us apart.  Because the Lord Jesus is our peace.  Because we have chosen to focus on those things that really matter.  Because we bring all our experiences and all of who we are, redeemed and transformed by Jesus, and are enriched and amazed at God’s grace as wisdom is proven right by all her children as we accept God’s will for our lives.  And in all of this, we find ourselves home….

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Do Not Boast

By / August 2, 2022

A lesson from James 4:13-17 called “Do Not Boast.”  Explores the motivations behind boasting breaking the illusions of control and attitudes of entitlement.  This section ties closely with all of chapter 3 and that is briefly explored.  The video lesson “Do Not Boast” from the North Penn YouTube channel is first, with the lesson outline below.

Do Not Boast

The problem

  • It is the illusion of control – Counterpoint: John 1:10-13
  • It is the attitude of entitlement– Veritasim illustration, Luke 14:7-11 – banquet; Luke 18:9-14 – Pharisee and the tax collector.

The forgotten purpose of our lives.

  • To spend on what they want? 4:3; Luke 12:16-31- bigger barns; Isaiah 22:13
  • To use for God’s glory? 1:27; Luke 16:9 – shrewd manager; Luke 12:35-48 – To the one whom much is given much is required.
  • “The good we know to do”

The Steadfast Love of the Lord

By / July 27, 2022

From Lamentations 3:22-23, the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases…. Simply was amazed when my daughter shouted out in excitement this morning we had a zebra swallowtail in the yard, He shows His steadfast love in new ways every day!

Kingdom Business

By / August 4, 2022
Kingdom Business

“Is this Kingdom business?”  That was the response to a question I had about some decisions we were trying to make on the mission field in Prague from a former professor I had a great deal of respect for.  “Is this Kingdom business?”  It’s important to note I don’t remember the question – which makes me think whatever the question was, it wasn’t about Kingdom business.  But I thought the question was important at the time.  Which leads me to some observations….

You see, as children of the King, we are to be about Kingdom business.  We are to be about the expansion and glory of the Kingdom.  We give our allegiance to God and pledge our lives to Kingdom business.  Only problem is, we usually don’t really know what Kingdom business is.  We often wrap ourselves up in questions we think are critical to the Kingdom and, sometimes, never come to a realization God really isn’t concerned with the thing we find so fascinatingly important.  Let me incriminate myself….

I am passionate about the singing we do in church.  My wife used to win vocal competitions, I was in A Capella chorus groups, and my daughters have great voices – one of them was an all-National Choir finalist.  We recognize quarter notes from half notes, know what a fermata is, can tell 3/4 time from 4/4 time, understand key signatures, and (gasp) read shaped notes.  I am also fascinated by good, well-thought-out lyrics.  I’ve read extensively on the importance of song-services and have even led a workshop or two on leading congregational singing.  I have also found people to disagree with me about almost everything I believe about singing – from the kinds of songs I believe are most appropriate for worship, to the role of the song-leader, to the proper interpretation of how to sing some of my favorite songs.  Getting all worked up about this and imposing my viewpoint is not Kingdom business no matter how much I would like it to be.  Now, I’d be happy to share with you any of my views, but the Kingdom does not rise and fall on those.

Kingdom business is bringing as many people as possible to the recognition of and submission to the Lordship of the King.  Kingdom business is Kingdom expansion in our own lives and the lives of others.  And let’s understand – He will set the parameters for what that looks like for each of His subjects.  Consider the rich ruler – Jesus looked at him and loved him – and told him he lacked one thing – he needed to sell everything he had and give it to the poor.  The point?  The ruler had another lord, another master, another king – it was his wealth.  He had to give that up, just as we have to give up anything that challenges God for our allegiance.  We will run into all sorts as we work toward Kingdom expansion and that’s why Paul speaks so passionately about what is of first importance – death, burial, and resurrection.  We bring people to the cross.  Do we understand the power here?  I think I hardly do!  Paul says it this way when talking to the Corinthian church – he was resolved to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (I Corinthians 2:1-5).  When we bring people to that cross through our words and actions, when we are resolved to know nothing else, when we consider everything else rubbish compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ, then we are about Kingdom business.  And it is only when we pledge ourselves to that and that alone, allowing ourselves to be transformed by the power of the cross, can we expect others to be so resolved to do likewise.  And against that single-minded commitment to Kingdom business the gates of Hell don’t stand a chance….

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The War Within and Without

By / July 27, 2022
The War Within and Without was a sermon given on July 24, 2022 at the North Penn Church of Christ.  The outline is below the video.
James 4:1-12 The “without” is obvious….
  • Consider the spring, the fig, the olive, and the grape – 3:11
  • We are constantly looking for motive….
The problem…
  • Is serious….
    • War, fighting, envy, murder, lust… Matthew 5:21-22
  • Is inside us….
    • Consider the tongue in James 3:6
    • Romans 7:21-23
  • Does not want help…
    • Do you pray?
God’s fight for us….
  • Marriage language… v. 4.
  • Must choose, but choosing God is exclusive….
  • Matthew 6:24, John 14:6
  • “The Spirit which He made dwell in us yearns for us jealously.”
  • Yet we are given the grace to resist in resources if we will take advantage of them – submission and humility are key – v. 7-10
Humility of language….
  • Returning to the untamable tongue – boasting (3:5) or humility?
  • This is not judging sin here… I Corinthians 5:12
  • Context here is in setting ourselves up as superior. “Others don’t measure up to me.”
  • We are looking at the law to love one another – James 2:8
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Made For This

By / July 25, 2022

“I’m not made for this.”  Hold that thought….

In my family, we sort of live off movie quotes and songs.  Someone says something and it spurs a song, which we’re likely to sing.  Or a movie quote seems to fit perfectly into the situation, so out it comes.  Some of the most common are these, maybe you know them:  “You’d like to think that wouldn’t you?”  “Engaged?  To be married?”  “Once you get past the legs they ain’t too bad.”  “I trust I’ve made myself obscure.”  “But it’s a talking dog!”  “Toula!  You should be proud to be Greek!”  “We named the monkey Jack.”  “So do all who live to see such times.”

Oh. That last one.  We use that for any general complaint in the house, no matter what that complaint might be.  It works something like this – “Ugh.  I hate checking on the chickens in the dark.”  (Cue the music….) “So do all who live to see such times.”  It’s a very useful and widely applicable quote!  And yes, It’s from The Fellowship of the Ring when Frodo tells Gandalf he wishes nothing associated with the ring had ever happened.  Gandalf simply states it’s a common lament among anyone going through tough times and follows up with “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

I sense a lot of people are going through a lot of rough stuff.  The world is so mentally over the pandemic, yet it still clings to us while we are still not getting a break from the other stuff that is more individualized like job, family, money, and other health concerns.  Some of these things we sort of bargained for, but others are curveballs from another ballpark.  And some seem to go on and on with no real way to get relief.  It’s easy to say, “I’m not made for this!”

Except maybe we are!  Obviously, I’m not talking about enduring an abusive relationship or passively letting things happen to us.  What we are talking about is choosing what we do with the time we have.  How can I be an active redeemer in the situation I find myself?

One of my go-to verses in the Bible is Ephesians 5:15-16 that states, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”  How am I choosing to interact with those around me?  Am I bringing people closer to Christ or leading them away?  Who am I having a positive impact on right now?  How can I have a bigger one?

And I can’t forget “the days are evil” part.  None of us were made to take it easy.  But if God has put me where He has put me in the time He has put me, then I’ve got to believe He’s given me everything I need to handle that situation.  We were made for this!

If you’ve given up guessing where the movie quotes are from, I’ve got them listed below in order.

The Princess Bride

Pride and Prejudice

Hidalgo

A Man for All Seasons

Up

My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding

Pirates of the Caribbean

The Fellowship of the Ring

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God’s Creation

By / July 19, 2022

Just a short artistic video clip expressing some realities about God’s creation.  I first ran across what I learned was an old idea in a book called God For Us by Catherine Mowery LaCugna.  but I can highly recommend it.  Here is the clip….

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Two Kinds of Wisdom

By / July 18, 2022
Today’s video lesson with the outline following regarding the two kinds of Wisdom James describes.
Two Kinds of Wisdom – James 3:13-18 Where this fits….
  • Still connected to teachers and the tongue!
  • The question is a challenge and an expectation – v. 13
  • Who wants to volunteer as an example?
  • Wait, we already have examples!
  • It’s the action!
  • Ties to 2:17
  • Calls to mind Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:35
Wise in the world’s ways….
  • World’s currency is bitter envy and selfish ambition
  • Plenty of that in today’s world….
    • Example – how did the wealthy get that way?
    • We are encouraged to be upset about it….
  • Cannot come to the church with any of this attitude! Luke 16:8-9
    • It will show (3:11)
    • Such an attitude denies God’s truth….
James’ fruit of the Spirit
  • Heavenly wisdom disregards the world’s ways….
  • Pure – all in one camp, no double-mindedness
  • Sowing peace creates righteousness/justice!
    • War and war crimes
    • Widows and orphans? 1:27
    • The poor – 2:5
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