How Are You? Psalm 31:9-16 [one_half] We come to the close of another week. Holy week is on the horizon and our Lenten journey will soon come to a close. Before we step into Holy Week let me ask you an important question. Have you ever had a Psalm 31 kind of feeling? Have you ever felt broken, consumed, forgotten, weary and…
A Prayer For the Church Philippians 1:1-11 [one_half] Join us tonight at 6:00 in the sanctuary for an hour of prayer, study, and encouraging conversation. We will be focused on our readings for the past week. Be sure to bring your questions to share and your smile as well! Child care is always provided with joy! I love to pray for our…
The Living God Matthew 22:23-33 [one_half] Yesterday, I urged you to know the healing power of grace that comes to us through the gift of salvation. I pray that your life is being made fresh and alive every day! That actually is the point of our reading for today as well. It is an interesting question that came to Jesus about the…
Turning Points Ephesians 2:1-10 [one_half] Do you love the round-a-bouts on our roads? I hear some people saying that they love them because they give people the opportunity to cooperate at intersections. Other people don’t seem to like them because they slow things down and it is really embarrassing to go around more than one full lap without ever figuring out where…
Topeka! Psalm 143 [one_half] I have been known to get lost from time to time. I was driving with a friend from Tulsa to Denver when we got into a deep conversation about the church. Our conversation was making so much headway that he was even taking notes as we talked. We were heading north on I-35 on our way to Wichita…
Graceful Foundations of Healing John 11:1-27 We will be back in the saddle today with worship that is focused on one of the most misunderstood but most critical issues of the Christian faith. Come join us as we worship our Lord together and focus on the healing power of God. Take time to read the account of Lazarus in preparation for our…
The Nature of Love Psalm 130 [one_half] I have a friend who seems to love to hold a grudge. He wouldn’t describe himself in that way but it sure seems to be the case to me. His conversations often go back to the time when someone said something or did something that he did not appreciate. His employer was always wrong. And…
God’s Mysteries Revelation 10:1-11 [one_half] Don’t miss tonight’s gathering from 6:00 to 7:00 in the sanctuary. Each session is a stand-alone conversation so there is no problem if you missed last week. Come join the team! Great quality child care is always available. Eugene Peterson is one of my favorite authors. He wrote a wonderful little book that highlighted the spiritual practice…
Unlocking Doors Matthew 9:27-34 [one_half] The season of Lent is designed to accomplish several goals in our lives. It is filled with ancient practices that are instructive for our spirits. During the season we take on the opportunity to engage Scripture, discover acts of service, and to reflect on the goodness of God in our lives. It does not take much time…
A Day of Action Colossians 1:9-14 [one_half] No tricks today, just a faithful reminder that we are not alone on our journey of faith. Ancient words speak into our lives as we remember one of the key goals of the spiritual life; to be filled with the knowledge of the will of God through spiritual wisdom and understanding. What would that be…
Thirst for the Lord Psalm 143 [one_half] Have you ever felt like life was closing in on you? Have there been moments when it seemed like everything was about to come crumbling down? Maybe it feels like tomorrow is April Fool’s Day and the whole earth is trying to play a cruel trick. An old John Denver song said, “Some days are…
Graceful Foundations of Witness John 9:1-12 Today is a day of wonderful celebration for the Parker / Elizabeth United Methodist congregations. This is the day when Bishop Elaine Stanvosky will be present with the Elizabeth congregation to present their official charter in a great service of celebration. What a great day it will be! Give thanks for the faithful vision that started…
Living the Great Commandment Ephesians 4:25-32 [one_half] Tonight at 6:00 will be another gathering in the sanctuary. Let’s come together for encouragement, a deeper conversation, and a motivating experience together. Carve out one hour to spend with your sisters and brothers! The season of Lent is a wonderful time to reflect on our lives and to deepen our spiritual journey with the…
Our Mom’s Group has been journeying through a book entitled “7: A Mutiny Against Excess” by Jen Hatmaker. The book has caused me to really reflect on life and all the excess that is a part of our lives, especially in the areas of food, media, possessions, clothing, waste and stress. These last few weeks, we have been delving into stress and…
Dear Friends: Will you be glad to have warm days, blue skies and green grass! That is just a part of the joy of spring that is on the horizon. It is a season of new life and blooming flowers that is highlighted within the Christian community by the celebration of Easter. Easter is a wonderful time of hopeful celebration as we…