The more we have for God to forgive us, the more we celebrate receiving God's grace. Another way to say it is the more messed up our lives, the more overjoyed we are when we realize that God loves us and forgives us while we're messed up. After all, Jesus died for us while we were in that messed-up state, knowing we could become more if we had a way. "Maybe the alcoholic and the blind man didn’t k...  Read More

If you run into Julius and Shannon, you'll notice that they are both quiet, kind, and love to jump in and help with things. I met them when they first started to attend the church, but they made an impression on me when they asked to help with Vacation Bible School.I didn't know them very well when they responded to an open call for help picking up donated VBS decorations from Highpoint Community ...  Read More

There are a lot of Christian denominations out there. We have some large categories like Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant, but no matter how you look at the breakdown of Christian beliefs, there are more things we have in common than differences. One of those shared beliefs is that we are not worthy of God’s forgiveness. When we are non-Christian, someone who has yet to accept Christ’s free gift...  Read More

We've got the idea that being a Christian is comfortable and is supposed to make sense. We want things to be the same, consistent, and orderly. I'm sorry that I have to share the bad news. That's not how this life works. God shakes things up as soon as we think we've hit a smooth path and will coast for a while. "The God of the Bible is the master of surprises: frightening clouds of smoke and fire...  Read More

Do you have a picture of what “godly” looks like? Maybe it’s someone who never loses their temper and is kind to everyone. Or, maybe, it is a person who is selfless. In Bible times, the Jewish people thought godly meant following all the rules to the letter. When Jesus came, he changed everything. He showed people that to try and live according to God’s ways, you must take the rules to heart and t...  Read More

Members of the Missions and Worship Teams volunteered at The Kitchen of Clay County, Middleburg location, this morning.  We served  137 soup & sandwich lunches as well as prepackaged breakfast,  lunch and dessert items courtesy of Waste Not Want Not and their partners.  This is a great way for students to get community service hours.  We had 2 students from Paxon High School volunteering with us t...  Read More

I have said it more times than I can count, "Peter is my favorite disciple of the 12." It's not because he because the leader of the church; it's because he is so boldly himself and often messes it up. From the beginning of Peter's journey, he steps out and doesn't appear to think twice about it. "He begins a good work in us, he starts changing us, but the finishing process is a more-than-a-lifeti...  Read More

I’ve talked about emotions a fair number of times. One thing I may not have said is that for most of my adult life, I have struggled to battle feelings of Anxiety and Depression. I don’t get anxious to speak in front of people; that comes naturally. However, I pray obsessively over pending conflicts, worried about doing or saying the wrong thing. I am also very hard on myself, so I take negative c...  Read More

Have you ever wondered who does what around the church? Methodists got their name in the 1800s because we were methodical in our spiritual growth. It's not surprising that we're also methodical in our ways of governing the church and dividing the leadership among many. Every year, we go through a process called nominations, where I gather with some people to pray over a worksheet we need to fill ou...  Read More

Have you ever been to a spiritual retreat or conference, and felt so connected with God, then had to come back to the real world? You may have felt like it was a complete letdown and been frustrated. You might have even thought, “Life would be so much simpler if I didn’t have to deal with people and just spend my time with God.”That’s the point of people who join monasteries in different religions...  Read More

Sunday, we reflected on Jesus getting “in trouble” with the religious leaders because he had a feast with what they called “misfits, sinners, and scum.” Let’s look at it from two different translations: “Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious...  Read More

The phrase from Jesus, “Follow Me,” has a strong image for many of us. For me, I first think about Jesus calling his disciples from the lakeshore: “One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you ho...  Read More