Jack Sheets

San Diego New Life

• Contact: 730 Concepcion Ave., Spring Valley www.sandiegonewlife.org 619-829-1193
• Membership: 150
• Neighborhood: Spring Valley
• Pastor:  Jack Sheets
• Age: 67
• Born: Gardner, KS
• Formation: Point Loma Nazarene University, Point Loma; San Diego International Bible College, San Diego
• Years Ordained: 33

San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your sermon?

Pastor Jack Sheets: Our church is multicultural, trying to minister to as many different people in our community as possible. We offer worship in English and Spanish – at the same time, even. For instance, we’ll start singing a song in English and finish it in Spanish. I preach with a translator every Sunday, so I have to write out my sermons so my translator has a copy of my notes to follow along with me. Of course, I’m not locked into those notes, and the translator is pretty good at following me. Starting on Monday and still working on it early Sunday morning, preparing a sermon takes me probably 30 hours.

SDR: What is your favorite subject on which to preach?

PS: Coming to know Jesus Christ and his salvation message. In times like these, when people need help so much, we’re here as a church to connect real people with real needs to a real God. We’re connecting people to God to meet their needs in a way only God can do it. To do that, you’ve got to look to Jesus Christ, and come to him. Then you’re not walking through these situations and these rough times alone.

SDR: What is your main concern as a member of the clergy?

PS: With what’s happening in politics these days, I’m concerned our nation has rejected God to a great extent. Even a lot of “Christians” are being deceived as to what’s going on right now. You can go on Facebook and see how Christians are aligned with one or the other political party’s side. They seem to be attacking each other, when the fact is that we’ve got to come together. Our side is the side of Jesus Christ; let’s look to him and call upon him – let’s seek him while he may be found. Then let him take care of everything. When we do our part, God promises to do his part. A lot of times we may want to do our part in a negative manner; we want to say, “I’m right and you’re wrong. You need to do what I’m doing.” But, no, we need to do what Jesus Christ wants us to do.

SDR: Where do you go when you die?

PS: I plan on making heaven. Heaven is everything that Jesus Christ and the word of God have told us it is – gates of pearl, streets of gold. It’s a time to be with him and all of those who have gone before us, without pain and without suffering, without tears; it’s a time of rejoicing and praising for an eternity. Hell is just the opposite. It’s a place of torment and fire, a place of pain and total discomfort. Our choices determine where we go. It is not God’s will that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance. In Joshua, God says to “choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods your fathers served…As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (24:14-15). The choice is ours to make – we can choose heaven or we can choose hell. It’s up to us. Jesus Christ died for us so that it would make it easier to accept his way.