MonroeOHUMC

Monday, March 31, 2025 Scripture: Luke 15:8–10 (The Lost Coin) Devotion: A woman loses one of her ten silver coins. She lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully until she finds it. When she does, she calls her neighbors and rejoices. Jesus is saying: you are worth the search. God doesn't give up when we feel spiritually misplaced. Instead, God illuminates the dark corners, lifts the rugs, and patiently seeks us—until we're found. There are times we may feel like a coin—valuable, but forgotten in a dark corner. The good news is that God is not indifferent to our silence or suffering. God shines light into our hidden spaces and never stops until we’re restored. Action Steps: Light a candle and sit in stillness. Invite God’s presence into any “dark corners” in your heart. Consider a space in your life that needs clarity or healing. Name it and write a prayer. Look for someone who is usually overlooked and offer a kind w...

Sunday, March 30, 2025 Scripture: Luke 15:1–7 (The Lost Sheep) Devotion: Jesus tells a short story about a shepherd with 100 sheep. When one wanders off, he doesn’t write it off as acceptable loss—he leaves the 99 to go after the one. When he finds it, he joyfully places it on his shoulders and calls others to rejoice with him. This is not a story about sheep management. It’s a story about how God sees people. The world may see one lost person as insignificant, but God does not. The story reveals the divine heart that sees every life as worthy of pursuit. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve wandered too far, Jesus wants you to know: you matter enough for God to come looking. You are not disposable. You are deeply loved. And when you're found, heaven celebrates. Action Steps: Write down a time you felt lost and what helped you feel found again. Reach out to someone who might feel forgotten and let them know you see them. If you're feeling spiritua...

Saturday, March 29, 2025 Scripture: 2 Peter 1:5-8 Devotion: Peter describes spiritual growth as an unfolding process: "Support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control..." Each quality builds upon the last, creating a rich tapestry of character. The purpose? "For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful." Fruitfulness doesn't happen overnight. Just as an orchard takes years of cultivation before yielding a harvest, spiritual growth requires patient development. Yet each small step matters—every choice to respond with love instead of anger, every decision to practice generosity instead of selfishness helps shape us into people who naturally produce good fruit. Where are you in this growth process? Which of these qualities feels most challenging for you right now? Rather than being discouraged by how far you have to go, celebrate the growth th...

Friday, March 28, 2025 Scripture: Psalm 1:1-3 Devotion: "They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither." The psalmist gives us a powerful image of the fruitful life—a tree with constant access to nourishment, producing exactly what's needed at the right time. Notice what makes this tree fruitful: location and connection to a water source. It doesn't struggle for nourishment but has roots that reach life-giving water. In the same way, spiritual fruitfulness begins with being "planted" in the right place—close to God, regularly nourishing our souls through prayer, Scripture, and community. The psalm also mentions fruit "in its season." Different seasons bring different kinds of fruitfulness. In some seasons, we're actively producing visible fruit; in others, we're focusing on deepening our roots. Both are essential parts of the growth cycle. Whatever season you...

Thursday, March 27, 2025 Scripture: James 2:14-26 Devotion: "Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead." James offers a powerful reminder that authentic faith naturally produces action. Like a healthy tree that cannot help but bear fruit, living faith inevitably expresses itself through deeds of love and service. This isn't about earning God's favor through good works. Rather, it's recognizing that real connection with God transforms us from the inside out. When we truly experience God's love, that love naturally overflows toward others. Our actions become the visible evidence of an invisible reality—the life of God within us. How is your faith becoming visible through your actions? James challenges us to move beyond mere words or feelings to tangible expressions of our beliefs. A fruitful life isn't measured by religious knowledge or spiritual experiences alone, but by how our faith takes shape in ordinary acts of compassion, justice, and gen...

Wednesday, March 26, 2025 Scripture: Luke 13:1-9 Devotion: The parable of the fig tree offers both challenge and hope. For three years, the owner found no fruit and wanted to cut it down. But the gardener advocated for patience: "Let me dig around it and put manure on it... if it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down." This parable reminds us that God rightly expects our lives to be fruitful. Faith isn't merely about personal comfort or future salvation—it's about bearing fruit that blesses others. Yet the gardener's response reveals God's patience with our slow growth and the extra care provided to help us flourish. Sometimes the most growth-producing seasons feel like someone is digging around our roots and piling on manure! Challenges, disappointments, and upheavals—while uncomfortable—often create conditions for new fruitfulness. If you're in such a season, take heart. The divine Gardener hasn't given up on...

Tuesday, March 19, 2025 Scripture: Galatians 5:22-26 Devotion: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Paul describes the natural outcome of a life connected to God's Spirit. Notice he speaks of "fruit" (singular), not "fruits"—suggesting that these qualities grow together as a unified expression of God's work in us. Unlike manufactured products, fruit can't be forced or rushed. An apple tree doesn't strain to produce apples—it simply fulfills its nature when properly nourished. Similarly, the Spirit's fruit emerges not through our striving but through our surrender to God's transforming work within us. Look at the list again. Which aspects of this fruit are flourishing in your life? Which seem less developed? Rather than feeling guilty about what's lacking, consider this an invitation to deepen your relationship with the One who causes ...

Mon day, March 18, 2025 Scripture: John 15:1-8 Devotion: "I am the vine, you are the branches." With these simple words, Jesus offers us a profound image of the spiritual life. We don't produce fruit through striving or through our own power—fruit comes naturally when we remain connected to the source of life. Notice what Jesus emphasizes: "Abide in me as I abide in you." Before productivity, before results, before output—there must be connection. A branch separated from the vine might maintain its appearance for a short time, but eventually, it withers. Our fruitfulness depends entirely on our ongoing relationship with Christ. How often we get this backward! We focus on the fruit—trying to be more loving, more patient, more generous—without attending to the connection that makes such fruit possible. Today, consider where you've been striving in your own strength. Remember that the most important spiritual practice isn't doing more but abiding ...

When Life Feels Empty Psalm 63:1-8, Luke 13:1-9 In the series “From Brokenness to Wholeness” Have you ever felt like you were running on empty? I'm not talking about being physically tired—though that certainly happens to all of us. I'm talking about that deeper kind of emptiness. The kind where you wake up, go through your day, check all the boxes, and still feel like something's missing. The kind where life becomes a routine without purpose. I remember a conversation with a friend several few years ago. From the outside, his life looked perfect — successful career, beautiful home, loving family. The kind of life many people dream about. But sitting across from me at lunch one day, his voice dropped as she confided, "I should be happy. Everything in my life says I should be happy. But something's missing, and I don't even know what it is." Maybe you've been there too. Maybe you've worked hard to build the life you thought would fulfill y...

Sunday, March 23, 2025 Scripture: Psalm 63:1-8 Devotion: "O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water." The psalmist's words capture that deep, primal longing we all feel—a thirst that only God can quench. Like parched ground that cracks open, waiting for rain, our lives often reveal a profound thirst for something more. We try to satisfy it with achievement, relationships, or possessions, but the soul knows what it truly needs. The psalmist found that satisfaction in God's presence, declaring "My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast." What are you thirsting for today? Where have you been looking for satisfaction? True fruitfulness begins with recognizing our deepest need—not just for what God gives, but for God's very presence. When we root ourselves in this relationship, everything else finds its proper place. Daily Action Steps: Sit quietly...

Saturday, March 22 – Love That Heals 📖 Scripture: Psalm 147:1-6 The psalmist describes a God who heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. The same divine love that created the universe is intimately involved in our healing. No wound is too deep, no heart too shattered, for God to restore. Healing doesn’t always mean relationships are fully repaired. Sometimes, it means finding peace even when things remain unfinished. Sometimes, healing looks like letting go, rather than holding on. The promise of God’s love is that we are never beyond repair. Where do you need healing today? What if you allowed God to begin a new work in you, even in the broken places? Daily Action Steps: Name one place in your heart that needs healing. Offer it to God. Let go of one old hurt today. Trust that God is making all things new. Reflect on how love—even imperfect love—has helped you heal in the past. Prayer: Healing God, create something new in me. Help me tr...

Friday, March 21 – When Love Requires Boundaries 📖 Scripture: Mark 6:30-32 After a long period of teaching and healing, Jesus tells His disciples to step away and rest. Even the Son of God knew that love must be balanced with renewal. Healthy love includes boundaries. Sometimes, love means stepping back from a harmful situation. It means knowing when to walk away from relationships that drain our emotional and spiritual well-being. Jesus did not try to meet every demand placed on Him—He knew when to rest, when to say no, and when to set limits. Are there places in your life where you need better boundaries? How might loving yourself well enable you to love others more fully? Daily Action Steps: Reflect on a relationship where boundaries are needed. Ask God for wisdom. Identify one way to care for your emotional and spiritual well-being today. Read about Jesus’ own rhythms of rest and consider how to follow His example. Prayer: God of wisdom, teach...

  Thursday, March 20 – The Power of Forgiveness 📖 Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35 When Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive, Jesus responds with a number that essentially means without limit . He then tells a story about a servant who was forgiven a massive debt but refused to show mercy to someone who owed him far less. The story reminds us that we are recipients of divine forgiveness, and we are called to extend that same grace to others. Forgiveness is not easy. It doesn’t mean pretending nothing happened or ignoring pain. It means releasing the hold that bitterness has on our hearts. Forgiveness is more about our own freedom than about the actions of others. Who do you need to forgive today? Maybe it’s someone who will never apologize. Maybe it’s yourself. Daily Action Steps: Write down the name of someone you need to forgive. Offer them to God in prayer. If you’re not ready to forgive, ask God to help soften your heart over time. Reflect ...

  Wednesday, March 19 – When Trust Has Been Broken 📖 Scripture: Proverbs 3:1-8 The writer of Proverbs encourages us to trust in God with our whole hearts, acknowledging that divine wisdom is greater than our own understanding. Trust is not about having all the answers but about choosing to lean on something—or Someone—greater than ourselves. When trust has been broken, whether in relationships or in our faith journey, it can be difficult to move forward. We may hesitate to be vulnerable again, afraid of being hurt once more. But trust is built in small steps, not giant leaps. God’s faithfulness invites us to take those small steps, one at a time. Daily Action Steps: Identify one area where you struggle to trust. Offer it to God in prayer. Take a step toward trust today—whether with a person, a situation, or your relationship with God. Remember a time when God’s faithfulness carried you through uncertainty. How does that shape your perspect...

  Tuesday, March 18 – Love That Doesn’t Give Up 📖 Scripture: Romans8:31-39 Paul reminds us that nothing—absolutely nothing—can separate us from God’s love. Neither hardship nor failure, neither rejection nor betrayal, neither our past nor our future can break the bond of divine love. This is a love that does not waver, even when we do. Jesus displayed this kind of persistent love when He longed to gather the people of Jerusalem under His wings, despite their resistance. Love that does not give up is not a love that forces or demands; it is a love that remains open, offering grace even when it is not immediately received. Who in your life needs this kind of love? Is there someone you've struggled to love because of past pain? What would it look like to extend kindness, even without expecting anything in return? Daily Action Steps: Think of a difficult relationship and pray for that person today. Choose one act of kindness toward someone who has been dista...

Why Does Love Feel So Hard? Psalm 27; Luke 13:31-35 In the series “From Brokenness to Wholeness”             Jodie was a high school girl with a flawless appearance. Her dad was a wealthy dentist; on the outside, she had her life altogether, but on the inside, she was very insecure and longed for the attention and affection of someone to validate her. To no one’s surprise, the captain of the school football team asked Jodie out for a date.             Jodie was immediately in love. This boy, Kevin, had a chiseled body, was popular, and came from a wealthy family himself. All Jodie could talk about was how much she loved Kevin, how she waited at home each night for him to call or text, how she bought gifts for him for no reason.             One day about two weeks later, Jodie’s mood changed. Kevin had broken up with ...