1 Kings 8:59 “And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God, day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need…” Are we praying out of the depths of our heart? If we truly are crying out to the Lord, we can be sure…Keep Reading

God, the Champion of the Poor The writer of Psalm 140 did not preach the “social gospel” when he said, “I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.” The Pulpit Commentary makes a critical point: “It is not to be supposed that ‘the right’ is always with ‘the poor,’ but, when it is, God will assuredly be their champion.” Some people…Keep Reading

Avoid Becoming a Spiritual Couch Potato—Work Out “The LORD will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me” (Psalm 138:8, NLT). Perhaps Paul recalled this psalm when he wrote, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus…Keep Reading

Psalm 90:1 Home Sweet Home “Teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 “Heaven (happy home above); Heaven (land of peace and love). Oh, it makes me feel like traveling on. Heaven (supernal), Heaven (eternal). I’m so glad it’s real.” Why should we spend time talking about Heaven when there is so much trouble on earth to worry about? That was a…Keep Reading

Who/What Do You Trust? ? After describing the deaf, mute, lifeless idols of humanity, the psalmist warned, “Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them” (Psalm 135:18). Of all the Commandments, the first seems most irrelevant to modern worshipers: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” We don’t fashion gods of gold and silver, wood and stone, but we are not without our…Keep Reading

1 Peter 2:9 “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” It is a peculiar group of people who make up the church. We enter the doors of God’s house each Sunday with a lot of baggage to unload and things to sort out….Keep Reading

Man’s Dominion Is Not a License to Destroy Man’s Dominion Is Not a License to Destroy When God created Adam and Eve, he said, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen 1:28). Some take this as a license for us to use…Keep Reading

Romans 6:1-2 “What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?” God is ready to forgive and save all who call upon Him. It does not matter how many times we need it; He is always ready to give more grace. Paul knew what some would surely say, “If God…Keep Reading

2nd Peter 1:13-15 “I think it is right as long as I am in this body to refresh your memory … and I will make every effort so that after my departure you will be able to recall these things.” The past is important to our future. We need the reminders and voices of those who led us through our childhood and early years of adulthood. Their fingerprints are on…Keep Reading

Psalm 143:8 “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” If we deposit little into the bank, and withdraw much, life will soon be in the red. That is not only financially true, it is a spiritually true also. I find that to be the case…Keep Reading

Pastor Will Shewey, Shades of Grace United Methodist Church Link to YouTube Video – Luke Chapter 8:26-39 From Pastor Will Shewey We had a great time of worship and praise on this Saturday morning at Shades of Grace, a United Methodist Congregation. There were at least three first time guests and a few returning friends. The chairs were socially distanced since Covid is rampant in our area. As of this…Keep Reading

Isaiah 53:5 “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities…” “Do you have any identifying scars?” That was one of the questions that we had to answer at our induction into the military. It was a sobering question. Life on earth doesn’t come without scars. Most of us have a scar and a story to go with it; if not on the body, certainly on the…Keep Reading