Author: GraceUMClaremore

Wednesday Word

After the Knock: Walking Beyond the Door
Wednesday Oct. 1, 2025

Scripture:  Luke 24:32

Reflection: I thinkmost of us can point to a time when Jesus knocked on the door of our hearts. Maybe it was a loud life-changing moment at the altar or a breakthrough in crisis or maybe it was a quiet whisper that grew into a steady invitation that became too clear to ignore. And at some point, we opened the door and we said yes and we let Jesus in. But here’s the question most Christians never stop to ask.  What happens after Jesus walks in? Well friends, Discipleship is what happens after we open the door. Because salvation is not the finish line it’s the front door.In Luke 24, two disciples are walking down the road, discouraged and confused. Jesus shows up but they don’t even recognize Him at first. But look at what Jesus doesn’t do. He doesn’t force Himself into their lives. He doesn’t immediately reveal His identity and He doesn’t demand worship or obedience. He just walks with them. He asks questions. He listens. He explains Scripture. And He shares a meal. No spotlight. No stage. No smoke machines. Just conversation. Just presence. Just life. Because sometimes discipleship doesn’t look like fireworks. It looks like breakfast after disappointment. It looks like Jesus showing up on your worst day and not giving up on you. And slowly, their eyes are opened. Their hope is rekindled and their hearts start burning again. That’s discipleship. Not a flash of emotion. Not a spiritual performance. But a walk. A relationship. A lifelong journey, taken one ordinary step at a time.

Consider This:

• Do I talk with Him, or only about Him?
• Do I bring Him into my routines, or pack Him away until Sundays?
• Do I let Him speak into my reactions, decisions, habits — or have I kept certain rooms in my life “locked”?

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for knocking on my heart. Thank You for not giving up when I did. Today, I don’t just want to remember the moment I opened the door, I want to walk with You beyond it. Walk beside me in my sadness, as You did with the disciples on the road. Walk with me in my questions, in my doubts, in my distractions. Open my eyes when I don’t recognize You.
Warm my heart when my faith grows cold. Don’t let me settle for belief without movement, or agreement without obedience. Teach me to listen, to follow, and to stay in step with You.

My door is open. My heart is open. Lead me forward. Amen.

Hope at The Door

Wednesday Sept. 24, 2025

Scripture: Revelation 3:20-21

Revelation is often read with fear and wrath in our minds, but what we’ve been discovering together is that it’s really a book of hope. From the very beginning, the message is clear that no matter how strong evil looks, Jesus is stronger. Hope doesn’t begin in some far-off future; it begins here and now. Jesus walks among His people and says, “Do not be afraid.”

This hope stretches across the globe and includes every nation and all people, a multitude no one can count, gathered in worship together, no color, no letter no worldly identifier separating us. It reaches forward into a future where God makes all things new, dwelling with His people in a world without pain or death. But it also meets us in the present moment, at the very doors of our lives.

In Revelation 3, Jesus offers one of the most personal invitations in all of Scripture: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” Hope is not shouting from a distance or honking a horn from the driveway its not abstract or unreachable. It is present and available. Hope begins with the presence of Jesus. He doesn’t wait for us to have it all together, for the house to be spotless or the heart to be polished. He knocks, even when dishes are in the sink, laundry is piled on the chair, and life feels too messy to welcome a guest. And yet, there He is. Jesus wants to dwell with us, to sit at the table, to walk through the everyday mess, and to bring His presence into the ordinary. Revelation is a book of intimacy, renewal, and discipleship. Hope transforms discipleship. Without hope, discipleship feels like a burden, like something we have to do. But when hope fills us, discipleship becomes something we get to do. It turns duty into devotion. It gives us endurance when faith is costly, strength when life is hard, and joy when obedience feels heavy. Hope doesn’t just change our future—it transforms how we live today.

So, friends, the question is simple, will we open the door? Will we choose to make space for Jesus not only on Sundays but every day in our homes, our work, our choices, and our relationships? Because the moment we open the door, hope comes alive.

Consider This:

• What “mess” in your life makes you hesitant to open the door fully to Him?
• How has hope in Christ changed the way you view discipleship—not as a duty, but as a delight?

Prayer

Jesus thank You for standing at the door of our lives with patience, mercy, and love. Thank You that You do not wait for us to be perfect before You knock. You knock even when our lives feel cluttered, messy, and unworthy and You bring hope the moment we open to You. Help us, Lord, not to ignore Your voice but to respond with trust. Give us courage to open the door each day, to welcome You into our homes, our hearts, and our decisions. Transform our duty into delight, and let hope be the fire that fuels our discipleship. May we walk with You faithfully today and every day, until we share fully in the victory of Your kingdom.
Amen

Hope for Creation

Wednesday Sept. 17, 2025

Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:1–7

Reflection: When we open the book of Revelation, it is easy to get lost in the beasts, plagues, battles, and judgments. I think they help remind us that evil is real and that God takes sin seriously. But judgment is not God’s final word. Chaos always clears the way for renewal, just as the flood led to a covenant and exile led to return. Revelation 21 gives us an incredible vision, a new heaven and a new earth, where God dwells with us. A powerful reminder that the God who spoke the seas into being and placed the stars in the heavens does not abandon His handiwork. HE RESTORES IT!!

If you’ve ever stood in awe of creation, a sunrise, the sound of waves, the purring of a cat, or the smell of fresh rain then you’ve tasted a whisper of what God has in store. Creation points us toward the Creator. But creation is also broken. Pollution, disease and injustice are crippling our communities. This is not how it is supposed to be. But Revelation offers hope far beyond the broken world. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, taught that salvation is not just for people, but for everything. Romans 8 tells us that all creation groans for redemption, and Wesley believed that even animals will share in God’s renewal. The God who loves you also cares for the earth beneath your feet, the oceans, the forests, and every living thing. This hope should change how we live now. We can’t just throw up our hands and wait for heaven. We should be living as Easter people who join God’s renewal right now. When we plant a tree, feed the hungry, bless our pets, recycle, comfort the sick, or stand for justice, we are previewing the new creation. Environmental care, acts of mercy, and holy living aren’t just things we do they are signs that God is already with us. To me the true beauty of Revelation 21 is not golden streets or pearly gates, but the promise that God will dwell with His people. Not just live nearby, but dwell, fully present, fully known, never leaving. That’s intimacy. That’s home. And in that home, every tear will be wiped away. Cancer and diabetes gone. Depression and anxiety gone. Poverty, injustice, and war gone. Broken relationships restored. Every sorrow will be undone. This is our hope: not abandonment, but renewal. Not fear, but restoration. Not destruction, but life. And because this hope is sure, we can live boldly, love deeply, and care faithfully for creation today.

Consider This:

1. Where in creation do you most clearly experienced the presence of God?
2. How will you join in God’s renewal this week, in creation care, relationships, or acts of mercy?
3. What brokenness in your life or the world do you need to turn over to God’s promise of redemption?

Hope in the Struggle

Wednesday Sept. 10, 2025

Scripture Reading: “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” Revelation 7:9–10

Reflection: Life in this world is full of storms. Bills that pile up, doctor’s calls we weren’t expecting, grief that lingers long after the funeral. Revelation doesn’t hide from that. Revelation confronts it. The seals remind us that the world is broken, and following Jesus doesn’t mean life will be easy. But John is given a vision in the middle of that struggle: a multitude from every nation, standing before the throne of God. They stand, not because they are strong, but because the Lamb has carried them through. Their story is our story. When we worship, every Sunday or even throughout the week we join that multitude. Every hymn we sing is a preview of that eternal chorus. Every act of faithfulness, loving the unlovable, standing with the broken, is perseverance by grace. And every step we take reminds us that suffering is temporary, but God’s victory is eternal.

Consider This:  Take one struggle you’re carrying today and imagine placing it at the feet of the Lamb’s throne. Then sing a hymn you know by heart (Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, Come Thou Fount). Let it remind you that you are not alone, you are part of a multitude across time and space, singing the same song.

Prayer:
Lord, when life feels heavy, lift my eyes to Your throne. Remind me that my struggles are real, but they are not forever. Give me courage to persevere, not in my own strength, but in Your grace. Thank You that the Lamb walks with me in the storm and leads me to living water. Amen.

Wednesday Sept. 2, 2025

Revelation, Hope for The Present

Scripture: “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades.’” — Revelation 1:17–18

Reflection: When we hear “Revelation,” many of us think of beasts, battles, or the end of the world. But the book doesn’t begin with fear. It begins with hope. John, exiled on the island of Patmos, cut off from his community and suffering for his faith, suddenly encounters the risen Christ. But what’s amazing to me is where John meets Jesus: not after his exile ends, not when life becomes easy again, but right in the middle of his suffering. That’s what Revelation reminds us, Jesus doesn’t wait until the struggle is over to draw near. He walks with us in the hard places. John sees Jesus standing among the lampstands, a reminder that He is present with His Church. The lampstands both comfort and challenge us: comfort, because Jesus never leaves His people; challenge, because the church must keep His light shining. And then comes the most important moment: John falls down in fear, but Jesus places His hand on him and speaks the words we all want to hear, “Do not be afraid.” This is hope for the present. No matter your exile, loneliness, illness, grief, uncertainty, Jesus meets you there. He is alive forevermore, and He has your back.

Consider This:

• Where do you feel “exiled” or cut off right now?
• How can you trust that Jesus is present in that place?
• In what ways is your life (your “lampstand”) shining His light to others?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for walking with me in the hard places. When I feel weak, remind me of Your words: “Do not be afraid.” Help me to trust that You are alive, that You hold me in Your hands, and that You are with Your Church even now. May my life shine Your light today. Amen.

“When God Won’t Stay Silent”

1 Corinthians 14:34–35

Scripture: “The women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as the law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.”

Reflection: For centuries, Paul’s words to the Corinthian church have been used as a way to silence women. But when we look deeper, we see that his intent was not exclusion, it was order and respect so the Gospel could be heard clearly. Corinth was a noisy, bustling city, and worship took place in homes or open courtyards where distractions and side conversations could disturb the message. Paul addressed a cultural moment, not a timeless command to silence half the church. Throughout history, God has called the misunderstood and the marginalized, the people the world overlooks, to lead, speak, and serve. Women like Lydia, Priscilla, and Phoebe shaped the early church. Later, Harriet Tubman, Florence Nightingale, and Susanna Wesley carried forward the work of justice, compassion, and spiritual leadership. John Wesley himself began by doubting women’s public ministry, but necessity and the undeniable work of the Holy Spirit changed his mind. Today, the challenge remains. We must resist cultural pressures that mute the voices God has anointed. Every believer carries gifts meant for the good of the whole body of Christ. When we silence someone based on gender, status, or background, we risk silencing part of God’s message. Instead, we are called to be a community that invites, encourages, and listens to all whom God sends.

Consider This: Whose voice do you need to listen to this week? What group does society silence that you could find out about?

Prayer: Lord, help us to hear Your voice through every voice You call. Give us humility to re-examine our assumptions, courage to create space for the silenced, and faith to follow Your Spirit wherever it leads. Amen.

When I Let Go of the Pen

Wednesday Aug. 6, 2025

Scripture: “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” — John 14:13, NRSV

Reflection: For years, I prayed for God to bring the right woman into my life. But if I’m honest as I reflect back I realize that I wasn’t really asking for God’s will, I was handing Him a list of my preferences. I prayed with my mind made up, hoping He’d just approve what I already wanted. Nothing changed and disappointment crept in. I began to wonder, Why isn’t God answering my prayers? But the truth was, I was trying to write my own story and asking God to sign it. It wasn’t until I surrendered that prayer, really surrendered it, that everything shifted. I finally said, “Lord, I trust You with this. Not my will, but Yours.” And when I let go of control and stopped using prayer as a vending machine, that’s when God answered in a way I never could have orchestrated. That’s when God gave me the greatest wife in the world, that’s when God said it’s about time and now Kristal is my gift to you. Friends Jesus’ words in John 14:13 are not a blank check for our desires. They’re a signed check for His purposes. To pray “in Jesus’ name” means to align our requests with His character, His compassion, and His mission. It’s not about using His name to get what we want it’s about letting His name reshape what we want. When I stopped trying to manipulate the outcome and started trusting the One I was praying to, He led me to someone who exceeded anything I had imagined not just in what I asked for, but in what I truly needed.

Consider This:

• Have I been using prayer to ask God to bless my plan or have I truly been seeking His will?
• What is one area of my life where I need to stop striving and start surrendering?
• Do my prayers reflect the heart and character of Jesus, or mostly my personal desires?
• Am I willing to trust that God’s “no” or “wait” might be part of a better “yes” I can’t see

Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for hearing me, even when my prayers were more about control than trust. Teach me what it means to truly pray in Your name—not with clenched fists, but with open hands. Shape my desires to match Your heart. And give me the courage to surrender the pen, so You can write the better story. Amen.

Wednesday July 30, 2025

Dignity, Love, and Holy Resistance

Scripture: Matthew 5:39 “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”

Reflection:  When Jesus told His followers to turn the other cheek, He wasn’t asking them to be silent victims or to welcome abuse. He was teaching a radical, nonviolent love that refuses to lose dignity and refuses to strip others of theirs.

Jesus spoke to the ordinary people on that hillside. People weighed down by power structures, insults, and injustice. That was revolutionary back then and It still is today. Turning the other cheek does not mean surrendering to humiliation.  It means standing firm in your God-given worth, exposing injustice for what it is, and inviting your oppressor to see your humanity and theirs more clearly.

Consider This:

• Where in your life are you tempted to strike back when you feel insulted or wronged?
• How is Jesus inviting you to respond with dignity and holy resistance?
• Who around you is carrying a heavy burden, facing injustice, or being stripped of dignity? How can you “walk the extra mile” with them?
• This week when you feel offended. Pause, breathe and remember to respond in a way that honors your worth and theirs?

Pray:  Lord Jesus,
You faced hatred and violence with unstoppable love. So Jesus, when I am tempted to answer hurt with hurt remind me of Your way, the way of courage, dignity, and compassion. Give me strength to stand firm in who I am as Your child,
and grace to see Your image even in those who wrong me. Teach me to walk alongside the hurting, to share my “cloak,” my voice, my time until love has the final word. Amen.

Holy Resistance is love in action. May we be people who do not mirror hate, but transform it with the light of Christ.

Logs, Specks, and the Holy Flip

Matthew 7:1–5

Scripture: Matthew 7:1-5

Reflection: We live in a “Don’t judge me!” world. It shows up everywhere — from the grocery line to social media to our secret insecurities. It feels safer to shut people out than to open our hearts to correction. But Jesus doesn’t leave it there. His words in Matthew 7:1–5 invite us into something radically different. Not silence, not attack, but self-reflection, humility, and grace-filled restoration. Jesus doesn’t say, “Ignore the speck.” He says, “First take the log out of your own eye… then you will see clearly.” It’s not about never speaking truth, it’s about making sure truth comes from a heart that has been humbled and transformed by God’s grace first. That’s the holy flip in Matthew 7:1-5. From pride to compassion and from condemnation to restoration. From “Don’t judge me!” to “Thank you for loving me enough to help me see.” When we do the hard work of looking inward and asking “Lord, what logs do I need removed?” then we discover the miracle of grace and our faith becomes less about pointing fingers and more about open hands ready to help. Even when criticism comes harshly, instead of throwing up walls, we can still ask, “God, is there something here You want me to see?” It keeps our hearts soft, teachable, and open to God’s transforming work. And when we gently speak truth to others, we do it not to shame, but to help them see clearly too. That is how the family of faith grows together, not through perfect people, but through humble people who let God work in them and through them.

Consider This:

• What logs might God be asking you to notice in your own heart today?
• How do you usually respond when someone points something out about you?
• Have you ever helped someone see more clearly not by judging, but by walking alongside them?

Prayer:

Lord, help me to see myself honestly and humbly. Remove the logs that keep me from loving others well. When I see someone struggling, give me courage to speak with compassion, not pride. And when others correct me, give me a heart that listens, not defends. Let Your grace guide my vision, words, and actions. Amen.

Flip the Script Be Born Again

Wednesday July 16, 2025

Scripture: John 3:1–17

Reflection: Nicodemus came to Jesus at night when no one could see the visit and he had questions shaped by everything he knew as a respected religious teacher. But Jesus flipped the script entirely when He said “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”Until that conversation, Nicodemus thought faith was about doing more, knowing more, and following the rules more perfectly. Jesus turned this upside down. He spoke of new birth, not as something we achieve, but something God does in us by the Spirit.  In a world that still tells us that our worth depends on what we do, Jesus’ words come as both a challenge and a gift. The challenge is to let go of self-made religion and in return you will receive a new life born of grace. A new start shaped not by our failures or successes, but by the boundless love of God.

The ultimate flip flop in this passage is found in verse 16:“For God so loved the world…”Instead of condemning the world, God sends His Son to save it. Instead of leaving us stuck in shame, Jesus lifts us into new life.The flip for us is tomove from trying harder to trusting deeper. Let grace do what effort never could—make you new.

Consider this:

• Where am I still trying to “earn” God’s love, instead of receiving it as a gift?
• Like Nicodemus, do I come to Jesus with questions or hesitations? What might Jesus be inviting me to see differently?
• In what area of my life is God asking me to “flip” from fear to faith, or from control to trust?

Prayer: Spirit of God, flip my heart from striving to surrender. Help me to receive Your love, and to live as one reborn by grace. Amen.