Matthew 5:13-20 Salt and Light of the Earth Matthew 5:13-20 charges disciples to be active agents of God’s kingdom—”salt” that preserves and flavors a decaying world, and “light” that exposes truth through good works. Jesus emphasizes that he fulfills the Law, calling for a righteousness exceeding the Pharisees, based on internal transformation rather than external legalism. • Salt of the Earth (vv. 13-16): • Influence: Disciples are not just to…Keep Reading

1 Samuel 1:13 “Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. “Sincere Prayer” “Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard.” 1 Samuel 1:13 I feel strongly led to spend a little time studying Hannah’s praying in 1 Samuel, chapter one. She is desperate in prayer. It is as though her knees…Keep Reading

Rev. Nate and Julie Ware Psalm 31:5 In His Hands! – In His Time . . . Take Time For God’s Word “Pastor Nate – In His Hands!” A precious Facebook friend recently shared this poem with Julie and me. It struck me profoundly, particularly in light of the current weather conditions, and how we are responsibly responding by staying off roads. Being apart hurts! For the redeemed in Christ,…Keep Reading

Matthew 5:1-12 Beatitudes of Blessings Shades of Grace : A United Methodist Congregation maintains a very active social media presence on Facebook and YouTube. For example, our online FB service for this past Sunday at 4:00 p.m. has had 112,000 views this week. Our Will and Jimmy show from Wednesday night now has 96,000 views over the last three days. Our 4:00 p.m. Sunday virtual service is usually a replay…Keep Reading

Job 4:4 “Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees” “Those Who Stumbled” The Moffatt Translation says, “Your words have put people back on their feet.” The kind man was down, hurting and could not get back up. His miserable comforters were saying, “In your day you were generous and helpful to so many. You got people back up on their feet, but you cannot help…Keep Reading

God Shall Wipe Away All Tears THOUGHT FOR TODAY, 1-29-2026 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes…” Revelation 21:4″ I neither knew them or what was going on. It was raining a chilly rain and they stood under store awning and talked. It was plain to see that life had not been easy for them. She was older, and he was young. Suddenly she took her hand,…Keep Reading

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” “Acknowledge Him” Many years ago, Bishop Scott Allen told some of us young saplings that there would be days when we would doubt our calling, but that we should never doubt the One who called us. He was right; I just…Keep Reading

Luke 9:55 “But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.” “Manner of Spirit” Jesus knows when we do not know what we think we know. People are not often helped by our opinions, but they can be encouraged by our faith. Sometimes I am fearful because we can be so certain of what we think we know that we…Keep Reading

Psalm 85:8 “I will listen to what God the Lord says, he promises peace to his people.” “He Promises Peace” If our heart is restless, and storm clouds are in the sky; we should listen to the Lord. Hear him say, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” “Sometime when misgivings darken the day, And faith’s light I cannot see, I ask my dear Lord to…Keep Reading

2 Thessalonians 3:13 “…never tire of doing what is good.” “Doing Good” We are likely, at some point, to face the temptation to “throw in the towel.” I use that expression because it is a boxing term for accepting defeat. Doing good can seem like a boxing match against many opponents. The Lord knew it would be this way, so he gave us the words in today’s text. The Bible…Keep Reading

James 1:4 “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” “Patience is a virtue.” Shakespeare said, “How poor are they who have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees.” “Patience is a virtue.” We were not born with that gift. It is a skill that we learn over time. The school of patience is not in the major trials…Keep Reading

Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray…” “Before We Pray” Before we pray for something, we should consider: “Does it fit into God’s plan, His work, or the kind of life that we are expected to live as Christians?” The struggle that many people have with prayer is at this very point. Prayer can become one sided; we want a God who will listen to us, but we can be less…Keep Reading