Author: GraceUMClaremore

We Grow Together

Scripture: Hebrews 10:24–25

Reflection: One of the greatest myths I’ve come across as a pastor is the belief that we can follow Jesus alone.We live in a world that celebrates independence and self-sufficiency. People are taught to handle problems privately, and to avoid vulnerability. I constantly catch myself saying, “I’m fine,I can handle this myself.”

Now friends, personal faith is important and it’s ours but Christianity was never designed to be isolated.

Loneliness has quietly become one of the great struggles of our time. We are more digitally connected than ever before but so many people still feel emotionally and spiritually disconnected. We can scroll for hours and send messages instantly but still feel unseen. I believe people are starving for real community and that’s why the Church matters so much. Not because churches are perfect or because Christians always get it right. But because God shapes people through relationships. You can’t practice patience by yourself because eventually someone will irk you. You can’t practice forgiveness by yourself because eventually someone will let you down. You can’t learn humility by yourself because sometimes God teaches humility through serving with people who think differently, worship differently, or come from completely different backgrounds. You can’t carry burdens by yourself forever because at some point, life becomes too heavy to hold alone. And you can’t become the Body of Christ by yourself because a body only functions when different parts stay connected. The enemy loves isolation because isolated people are easier to discourage. Easier to hurt and easier to convince that nobody understands and nobody cares. That’s why the writer of Hebrews tells believers not to give up meeting together and to keep encouraging one another. Friends encouragement is not a small thing. It is spiritual work. A simple text message. A prayer. A conversation after church. A simple reminder that someone is not alone. Those things matter more than we realize. In isolation, we may think we are spiritually mature simply because nobody challenges us. But relationships expose impatience, pride, selfishness, insecurity, fear, and avoidance. And that is where transformation begins. Because God uses people to shape people. The Church was never meant to be just a crowd sitting in rows for an hour on Sunday morning. It was meant to become a family learning how to follow Jesus together. So maybe the question this week is not, Did I attend church?” but “Am I allowing myself to truly belong?”

Consider This:

• Have I been isolating myself spiritually or emotionally?
• Who are the people helping me grow closer to Jesus?
• Who might need encouragement from me this week?
• What would it look like for me to grow together instead of trying to grow alone?

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for creating us for community and connection and forgive us for the times we isolate ourselves, hide our struggles, or try to carry life alone.Help us become people who encourage well, love deeply, forgive freely, and walk beside one another faithfully.Teach us to be honest enough to be known and humble enough to grow.Protect us from loneliness, discouragement, and isolation.Surround us with people who strengthen our faith and point us toward You.And help us become the kind of community where people are seen, loved, challenged, and reminded that they never walk alone.In Jesus’ name, Amen.

More Than Showing Up

Wednesday May 6, 2026

Scripture: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19–20

Reflection: Friends, no matter where you find yourself today the truth is that the people who shape us most are always the most consistent.The ones who stayed, showed up and lived their faith in front of us.And if you want to understand discipleship just watch a mother or a caring woman. Not because they are perfect but because they understand that real growth happens over time through repetition, correction and through love that doesn’t quit. When Jesus gave His final instructions in Matthew 28, He didn’t tell His followers to build crowds or gather attention. He said, “Make disciples.” That’s different because it’s possible to gather a crowd without changing a life. It’s possible to share information without seeing transformation. And that’s the tension of the human condition. We hear the Word, attend church and know the language. But at some point, we have to ask ourselves if what we’ve heard actually changing the way we live because the truth is that you can sit in church for years and never follow Jesus. I believe that one of the greatest challenges in our faith is the temptation to settle for a label such as calling ourselves Christian. But faith isn’t something we get to claim once, it’s something we practice every day.  A disciple learns, follows, imitates and lives it out daily. It’s like having a gym membership but never working out. The membership might say something about your intention but your actions reveal your reality. Faith isn’t a membership it’s a movement. Discipleship Is relational. Remember Jesus didn’t develop disciples from a distance. He walked with people, ate with people and He corrected and encouraged in real time. He did it around tables, in conversations and in everyday life. And that’s why so many women, especially mothers, teachers and caregivers reflect this so naturally. They create spaces where people grow. They invest consistently and they model what it looks like to live something out, not just talk about it. Friends, the calling of women and really, the calling of all believers is bigger than a few moments in the Bible. When Jesus said “Go,” He didn’t separate the assignment or divide the mission. He said, “Make disciples”. And throughout history, women have lived that out powerfully, not always from stages, but through steady, faithful lives.

Consider This:

• Areyou just around Jesus or are you actually following Him?
• Are you just learning or are you actually living it?
• Because Jesus didn’t come to make you informed. He came to transform you.

Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for calling me to more than just showing up. Forgive me for the times I’ve settled for knowing instead of following. Help me live out what I believe not just in words, but in action. Give me the courage to take the next step and the heart to walk alongside others. Make me a disciple who makes disciples. Amen.

Generosity Is Our Reflex

Wednesday April 29, 2026

Scripture:  Malachi 3:8–10 / 2 Corinthians 9:7

Reflection: We don’t give because God needs something from us, we give because generosity changes something within us. God is not lacking resources. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the earth and everything in it. He is never anxious, never empty, never dependent on us. So when God calls His people to give, it’s not because Heaven is running short. It’s because our hearts need to learn trust, gratitude, and worship. In Malachi, God confronted His people because they were going through religious motions while withholding honor from Him. They still claimed to belong to God, but their priorities told another story. They were giving what was left instead of giving first. That is why the issue in Malachi was never about money. It was about priority, trust and worship. God was inviting His people back into relationship. He was saying, “Put Me first again. Trust Me again. Honor Me again.” The same question speaks to us today. Does God receive our first attention in the morning or only the moments we have for Him? Does we trust God with our finances—or only what feels safe to give to Him?  Does He receive our best energy or what remains after everything else drains us? Then 2 Corinthians gives us the New Testament heart of generosity. Paul says God loves a cheerful giver. The Greek word Paul used means glad-hearted, willing, joyful generosity. That means God is not looking for gifts dragged out of us. He delights in open hands and willing hearts. Generosity is not meant to feel like punishment. It is participation in God’s work. And generosity is about so much more than finances. You can be generous with your time, your encouragement, your patience, your home, your service toward the church, your resources and your compassion toward the hurting.  Every act of generosity declares God as first, as provider and trusted user of what we offer. When God is first, generosity stops feeling like loss and starts feeling like worship.

Consider This:

1. In what area of life am I most tempted to give God leftovers instead of first place?
2. Do I see generosity as pressure, or as an opportunity to worship?
3. How has God been generous to me recently?
4. What is one practical way I can reflect His generosity today?

Prayer:  Lord, thank You for being my faithful provider. Everything I have ultimately comes from You. Forgive me for the times I have trusted possessions more than You. Teach me to live with open hands and a joyful heart. Let generosity become my reflex. Use my time, my resources, my gifts, and my life to bless others and bring You glory. Shape me into someone who reflects Your generosity wherever I go. Amen.

Culture Starts Here

Wednesday April 22, 2026

Scripture: Philippians 2:1–5

Reflection: Church culture is not built by accident. It is shaped over time by the attitudes we carry, the words we speak, the priorities we choose, and the way we treat each other. Before people ever hear a sermon or begin to dive into theology, they experience the culture of a church. They feel whether a place is warm or cold, joyful or tense, welcoming or distant, prayerful or distracted. That is why Paul does not begin with programs, schedules, or strategy. He begins with mindset. He calls the church to unity, humility, love, and concern for others. Paul knew that the spirit of a church is formed long before plans are placed on a calendar. If the people of God carry the mindset of Jesus then the culture of the church will begin to reflect the character of Jesus. This is true in every area of church life. Culture is revealed in how we respond when plans change, when stress rises, or when conflict comes. Do we complain or encourage? Do we compete or collaborate? Do we consume or serve? Do we isolate or connect? Do we pray or panic? Every church is filled with people in process, so both weakness and grace will always be visible. The question is not whether struggle exists. The question is how are we as a church handling the struggle. Do we empower or do we enforce? Mission trips seem to reveal this quickly. When people serve side by side, get tired, solve problems, and adapt together, what is beneath the surface rises up. You see generosity, patience, teamwork, prayer, and joy, but you may also see impatience or frustration. That does not mean failure. It means formation is still happening. God uses those moments to shape us into the people He is calling us to become. That is also true in the everyday life of the church. Every greeting in the hallway, every conversation after worship, every committee meeting, every act of service helps shape the atmosphere others experience. We are either reflecting the anxiety and division of the world, or we are revealing the peace and hope of Christ. So remember that culture starts with you and it starts with each believer choosing to carry the attitude of Jesus. It starts with humility instead of pride, encouragement instead of criticism, service instead of self-interest, prayer instead of panic, and connection instead of isolation. We are not just called to be a church that does things. We are called to become a people who live differently. I would even say we are called to be different on purpose.

Consider This:

• What kind of atmosphere do people experience when they are around me?
• How can I help create a culture that reflects Jesus this week?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, shape my heart to reflect Your heart. Give me the mind of Christ in how I think, speak, and respond to others. Help me be part of building a church culture marked by love, humility, encouragement, and prayer. May people experience Your presence through the way we live together. Amen

From the Middle of Mission

Wednesday April 15, 2026

Scripture: John 20:24–29

I’m writing this not from my office or from the stillness of the prayer room, but from the middle of mission. Me and nine others are spending a week on mission in El Paso, serving alongside the students and staff at Lydia Patterson Institute and I want you to know this week isn’t just about what we’re doing. It’s about what we’re seeing. What we’re learning. And honestly, how we’re being changed. And all week my thoughts keep coming back to the moment in John’s Gospel when Jesus shows up to His disciples after the resurrection and He still has the scars. He doesn’t hide or explain them away. He turns them into a witness and invites them to look, touch and see. Maybe it opened my eyes a little bit being on mission, but here you start to notice things differently. You see resilience in students who cross borders every day just to learn. You see faith that doesn’t depend on comfort. You see joy that isn’t tied to having everything figured out. And friends for me, if I’m honest, I start to see my own scars more clearly. The places where God has carried me. The places where life didn’t go how I planned it and the places where grace had to meet me. I love mission, being on them and seeing what it does to other people. I wish you could stand where I’m standing right now. I wish you could hear the stories. I wish you could feel the weight and the beauty of it all. But friends let me say this clearly, Mission isn’t just something that happens “over here.” It’s happening right where you are and that matters to all, of us. When Jesus showed His scars, He wasn’t just proving who He was. He was showing how love works. Love doesn’t avoid wounds, love goes through them and somehow, by God’s grace, those wounds become places of healing. That’s true here on the border and it’s just as true back home. Some of you are carrying quiet struggles no one else sees, questions about faith, regret, loss, or just plain exhaustion. Well friends here this, God does not disqualify you because of your scars, God meets you in them and can use them. You don’t have to cross a border to live on mission. You don’t have to get on a plane to serve. You just have to be willing. Willing to see people differently. Willing to listen instead of assume. Willing to let God use even the parts of your story you’d rather hide and because the same Jesus we’re encountering here is walking with you there. As we continue this week, no matter where we are, we’re not just asking, “What am I doing here?” We’re asking, “What is God doing in me?” What is God doing in you—right where you are?

Consider this:

• See someone you normally overlook. At work, at the store, in your neighborhood and slow down long enough to really notice them.
• Listen before you speak. Ask one honest question this week and really hear the answer without trying to fix it.
• Share a piece of your story. Not perfectly. Not polished. Just honestly. Your story might be the bridge someone else needs.

Prayer: Lord Jesus,You showed Your scars without shame and turned them into a testimony of love.Be with us here in the work we’re doing and be with those back home in their daily lives.

Open all of our eyes to where You are moving. Give us courage to live on mission, whether across the border or across the street and remind us that nothing in our story is wasted in Your hands. In the name of the risen Christ, Amen.

You don’t have to be on this trip to be part of the mission—God is already at work right where you are.

Walking Without Knowing

Wednesday April 8, 2026

Scripture: Luke 24:15 “While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them.”

Reflection: Have you ever had a moment where you realized later that God was there the whole time?That’s the Emmaus story.They were walking away.Not toward faith—but away from it.They were disappointed, confused and trying to make sense of what just happened.

And Jesus shows up but they don’t recognize Him. Not because He isn’t there but because they don’t expect Him there. And if we’re honest neither do we. We expect God in big moments like church services, answered prayers, mountaintop experiences. But Jesus shows up on ordinary roads in everyday conversations. In quiet moments we almost miss. The truth is that you may have walked through this entire week and Jesus has been right there beside you.

Consider This: This week, slow down and ask:

• Where might Jesus already be walking with me?
• What moments am I overlooking because they seem too ordinary?
• Am I trying to explain my faith… instead of experiencing Jesus?

Prayer: Jesus help me recognize You in the ordinary.On the road, in the conversations and in the quiet moments of my day.Open my eyes,not just to understand You but to experience You.And if I’ve been walking away turn me around.Walk with me this week.

Amen.

Wednesday Word

April 1st 2026

When It Gets Heavy

Scripture: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death… Stay here and keep watch with me.” – Matthew 26:38

Reflection: As we approach the middle of Holy Week things start to feel different.

Palm branches have been put away to be used for next years Ash Wednesday ashes. The cheering has faded and the tension is rising. Jesus knows what’s coming. The cross is close enough to feel and in the Garden of Gethsemane we don’t see a distant, untouchable Savior. We see Jesus heavy, overwhelmed, troubled and honest. We see Jesus saying, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow.” And maybe that’s where some of us are today. Not really celebrating but also not defeated. Just carrying something heavy. Friends, at Grace UMC we don’t have to imagine a garden. We can walk right out the back door of the church and as you step into the prayer garden, you’re met by Jesus sitting, waiting and present. Not rushing or demanding. Just there. Almost as if He’s saying, “Come sit with me for a minute.” And maybe that’s exactly what midweek Holy Week is meant to be. Not a sprint to Easter. But a moment to sit with Jesus in the weight of what’s coming. In the Garden at Gethsemane, Jesus doesn’t run, He kneels and He prays, “Father… if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not my will, but yours be done.” That prayer models two things for us. Honesty and surrender. Jesus doesn’t pretend it’s easy. But He stays. For Us today we live in a world that tells us to push through, stay strong and keep moving

Jesus shows us that sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is sit in the garden and be honest with God. Friends maybe today you need to slow down, step away, walk into that garden and sit with Him. Not with polished prayers or perfect words just honesty. Before the victory of Sunday there is the surrender of the garden. Before resurrection there is stillness. Before joy there is trust. So friends here’s your invitation this week. Go to the garden, wherever yours may be, and spend some time with Jesus. And remember, He knows what it feels like to carry weight. He knows what it feels like to face what you don’t want to face. And still He stays. So bring Him your fears, your stress, your unanswered questions and if you don’t know what to say just sit. Because sometimes the most powerful prayer is just saying, “Jesus… I’m here.”

Prayer: Jesus, In the middle of this week, when things feel heavy, meet us in the garden. Thank You for not being distant from our struggles, but present in them.

As we walk into our own sacred space and as we picture You sitting there help us slow down long enough to be with You. Teach us to be honest. Teach us to trust.

Teach us to surrender and remind us that even here You are with us.

When life gets heavy… go sit with Jesus in the garden.

Wednesday Word

From Palms to the Cross

Wednesday March 25, 2026

Scripture: 1 John 4:9–10, Romans 5:8

Reflection: Sunday we celebrate Palm Sunday just as Christians have for 1993 years. Waving branches, shouting Hosanna and celebrating the arrival of Jesus.But as Holy Week moves forward the celebration begins to feel different.Because we know where the road leads.

Jesus didn’t enter Jerusalem unaware. He knew the cheers would fade and the crowd would turn. He knew the cross was coming. And still, He kept going. That’s what makes the cross so powerful to me. It wasn’t reaction, it was intention. It wasn’t forced, it was chosen. It wasn’t earned, it was freely given as an act of love. The Scripture readings for today remind us: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us” and “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This means the cross isn’t about God finally deciding to love us. It’s about God showing us that He always has.

Friends we live in the space between palms and the cross more than we realize. We begin things with excitement, our faith feels strong, hope feels alive. But then life happens.

The hard conversation, the unexpected setback or the struggle that doesn’t go away. And suddenly, the load feels heavier, the road seems longer. But here’s the good news. Jesus walks that road too. He knows what it is to keep going when it’s hard. To love when it costs something. To trust God when the outcome isn’t easy.

Friends, don’t rush past the cross. Sit with it. Let it remind you that You are loved and not because you got everything right but because God chose to love you first. And let that love begin to help you Choose grace when it’s easier to react, stay when it’s easier to walk away Consider This:

• Where am I experiencing the tension between celebration and struggle right now?
• What expectations do I need to release so I can trust God more fully?

Prayer: Lord Jesus,You walked the road to the cross knowing exactly what it would cost.

And still, You chose love. Help me to trust You when the road feels uncertain. Help me to follow You not just in moments of celebration but in moments that require faith. Remind me that I am deeply loved and shape my life so that others can see that love through me.

Amen

Devotional: The Shape of a Changed Life

Wednesday March 18th, 2026

Scripture: Ephesians 5:2

There is a difference between believing in the cross and being shaped by it.

Many people know the story. They know the suffering, the sacrifice, the love.

But the cross was never meant to stay as something we admire. It was meant to become something that changes us. Because when you truly see what Jesus did,
as a Savior who chose to stay when He could have walked away or as a King who chose the nails instead of power, it does something inside you. It softens what was once hard. It shifts what once mattered most and it forces us to ask the question, “How can we receive that kind of love… and remain unchanged? The cross begins to reshape us slowly. Not overnight and not perfectly. But in the everyday moments. The cross changes how we see people it changes how we respond and it changes who sits at the center of our lives.

In Ephesians 5:2, Paul writes, “Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.” That is the shape of a cross-formed life. Not perfection by any means but direction. A life that is moving toward love. A life that reflects sacrifice and a life being formed by grace. The world says greatness is power. The cross says greatness is humility. The world says protect yourself but the cross says love, even when it costs. And friends over time, a new pattern begins to take shape. We begin loving when it would be easier not to, serving when it would be easier to walk away and choosing grace instead of control. This is the shape of a changed life. This isn’t something we create, it’s the work of grace. The same grace that saves us, shapes us. That is the miracle of the cross. It doesn’t just forgive you. It reshapes you.

Consider This:

• Take a moment to consider your daily life, your reactions, your relationships, your priorities. Where is God inviting you to choose patience over frustration, grace over control, or love over self-interest?
• What would it look like for me to “walk in love” today? Who in your life needs that kind of love right now? What small, intentional step can you take today to reflect the love of Christ?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Thank You for the cross, not only for what it has done for us,
but for what it is still doing in us. Shape our hearts to reflect Your heart. Shape our lives to reflect Your love. Let the cross become more than something we remember but let it become the pattern of how we live. And as we go about our day help us walk in love, just like you have shown us.  We give You our lives again today. In Your name we pray,  Amen

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

The God Who Brings Us Out

Wednesday March 11, 2026

Scripture: Exodus 12:13, Luke 22:20

Reflection: For generations the people of Israel lived as slaves in Egypt.They were oppressed, exhausted, and powerless to change their situation. The chains of slavery defined their lives. Their future seemed fixed and hopeless.But God heard their cries.So God moved.On the night of Passover, something extraordinary happened. A lamb was sacrificed, and its blood was placed on the doorposts of the homes of God’s people. That night death passed over them. And when morning came, the people who had lived in slavery for generations walked out of Egypt as free people.That moment became the defining story of Israel’s faith. Whenever they remembered who God was, they remembered this: God is the One who brings people out of bondage.Centuries later, on another Passover night, Jesus gathered with His disciples around a table.They were remembering the lamb, the blood and the freedom God had given long ago.Then Jesus did something unexpected.He took the bread and said, “This is my body.”He took the cup and said, “This is my blood of the covenant.”In that moment, Jesus revealed something powerful.He was becoming the Passover Lamb. Through the cross, God was doing again what God had always done. He was setting people free. But this time the freedom would be deeper than political or physical freedom. It would be freedom from sin, shame, guilt, and the power of death itself.The cross is not just a symbol of suffering.It is the place where chains are broken.Because at the cross, Jesus absorbed the weight of sin and evil instead of passing it back to the world. He carried what we could not carry. And because of that, freedom is possible.Freedom from the chains of the past.Freedom from the weight of guilt.Freedom from the fear that we will never be enough. Friendsthe God who brought Israel out of Egypt is the same God who frees us today.The cross is our Passover and through Jesus, we are invited to walk out of slavery and into freedom.

Consider This:

• What are some chains people commonly carry today, fear, guilt, addiction, shame, bitterness, or something else?
• Why do you think God so often reveals Himself in the Bible as the One who brings people out of bondage?
• What does it mean personally for you to believe that the cross brings freedom?

Prayer: Lord You are the God who brings people out of bondage. Just as you delivered Israel from Egypt you have delivered us through the cross of Jesus Christ. Break the chains that still hold our hearts. Free us from guilt, fear, and the burdens we carry. Teach us to live in the freedom you have given. Help us to remember that through Jesus you have made a way for us to walk into new life.

Amen