MonroeOHUMC

When You’re Not Sure You Believe, Say It Anyway After Jesus showed His wounds to the disciples, something shifted. Peter—who had denied even knowing Jesus—found courage to stand up and preach boldly. What changed? Not the danger. Not the circumstances. What changed was that Peter had seen the risen Christ—and he couldn’t stay silent. There’s something powerful about speaking hope aloud , even when we don't fully feel it yet. "Hope rises when we dare to say it out loud." Our hearts need reminders. Our voices teach our souls to believe again. Even now, after grief, after doubt, after sorrow, we can still speak the truth: Jesus is alive—and I am not alone. Today, wherever you are—at your desk, in your car, folding laundry—say aloud:  "Jesus is alive—and I am not alone." Say it once. Say it again tomorrow. Let your own words lead your heart back to life.

You Don’t Have to Be Strong for Jesus to Show Up In John 20, the disciples weren’t out preaching the resurrection yet. (John 20:19-31) They were hiding—terrified that everything they hoped for had collapsed. They had locked the doors. And still, Jesus came. He didn't wait for them to pull themselves together. He walked right into the middle of their fear. That’s grace. Sometimes we believe we have to fix ourselves up before God will meet us. We think we need more faith, more discipline, more strength. But Scripture shows the opposite. You don’t need to have it all together. You just need to crack the door open. Even the faintest prayer is enough for resurrection hope to find you. A cracked door is wide enough for resurrection. Action Step: Today, pray one simple prayer: "Jesus, I need You. Meet me here." Don’t wait until you feel “ready.” Jesus specializes in walking through cracked doors.

Joy Interrupted Rise Up: How to Start Living Again John 20:19–31; Acts 5:27–32 Have you ever had one of those moments where the joy was supposed to break through—but it just didn’t? Many years ago, I officiated a wedding that had all the makings of a perfect day. The couple had waited, planned, prayed. The weather was beautiful. The music was just right. The ceremony began. A groomsman’s pants fell down, and he tripped walking down the aisle. One of the flower girls had a meltdown in front of everyone. The soloist forgot the words to “The Lord’s Prayer” and decided to get creative – not a good idea! What was supposed to be a moment of joy… suddenly felt chaotic, awkward, disappointing. Later, we all laughed. But in that moment? It felt like joy had been interrupted. That’s a lighthearted example. But some of you know what it means when joy is interrupted in a much deeper way: A pregnancy that ended in miscarriage. A retirement dream cut short by illness. A reconci...

When Life Doesn't Go as Planned, Start Here Sometimes, life interrupts us so hard that we don’t know what to say to God. We lose someone we love. The dream job slips away. A diagnosis blindsides us. Plans we’ve counted on fall apart. It’s tempting to either bury the pain or cover it with a plastic smile. But healing never begins with pretending. The Risen Jesus didn’t ask the disciples to fake their emotions behind those locked doors. He walked into their fear, showed His wounds, and said, "Peace be with you."  (John 20:19-23) First step? Tell the truth about what hurts. You don’t need to craft the perfect prayer. You don’t even need to be sure what you believe yet. Just name one thing that feels broken. "Jesus can't heal what we hide." Action Step: Today, write down one sentence that names where your heart feels broken. Offer it to Jesus—plain and unedited. (If you don't have words, even tears count.)

 Join us for the message Joy Interrupted  this Sunday, April 27, at 9:30 and 11:00 am at Monroe UMC, 206 East Avenue, Monroe, Ohio. Inperson or online. More info at MonroeUMC.org.

  Not Over Yet Isaiah 65:17-25; Luke 24:1-12 First in the series “Rise Up” View Contemporary service View Traditional service The spring before I started seminary, I thought I had it all lined up. I had polished my resume, submitted it through the seminary’s process, prayed, and waited — hoping for a student pastor position that would give me a place to serve and help cover the cost of school. But appointment season came and went… and nothing happened. No phone calls. No inquiries. No interviews. Even after my pastor personally handed my resume to the District Superintendent and said, " You need to call him, " — still nothing. Meanwhile, I had already resigned from my full-time teaching job. The countdown to the new school year was ticking, and without a position, I had no income — just the looming prospect of $30,000 to $40,000 in student loan debt. One evening after work, the District Superintendent finally called. He offered me two churches. One didn’t ...

Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025 Scripture: Luke 24:1–12 Devotion: The women come to the tomb expecting to grieve, but instead they find the stone rolled away. Angels proclaim, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen!” Their sorrow turns to shock—and then to joy. This moment is more than a miracle. It’s the breaking of a pattern. For all of human history, death had the final word. But now Jesus has shattered that ending. The tomb is empty. The story is alive. And resurrection changes everything. The resurrection means that no place in your life is beyond hope. Not your pain. Not your past. Not your grief. Easter is God's declaration that restoration is not only possible—it’s already begun. Action Steps: Take a walk outside and name signs of new life you see. Call someone today and say, “Christ is risen!” Share the joy. Write a note to yourself: “Resurrection is real for me.” Keep it where you’ll see it this...

Holy Saturday, April 19, 2025 Scripture: Luke 23:50–56 Devotion: Jesus has been buried. The women wait. The disciples hide. Hope seems sealed in the tomb. Holy Saturday is the day in between—the silence between sorrow and joy, the pause between Good Friday and Easter. This day honors all the “in-between” places of our lives—the waiting rooms, the quiet griefs, the uncertainty after loss. It tells us that God is present even in silence. That even when nothing is happening on the surface, resurrection is being prepared. Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is to wait. To rest. To believe that the stone isn’t the end. Action Steps: Light a candle tonight as a sign that even in darkness, light is coming. Let yourself rest today—truly rest. No striving. Just trust. Write a prayer for something that feels “in the tomb” in your life. Prayer: God of the silent day, I don’t always understand the waiting. But I trust You are still at work. Hold me in...

Good Friday, April 18, 2025 Scripture: Luke 23:32–49 Devotion: On a dark hill outside the city, Jesus is crucified. He prays for His executioners, comforts a dying man beside Him, and entrusts His spirit to God. The sky goes dark. The curtain in the temple is torn. All seems lost. But even here, even on the cross, love is not undone. Wholeness is born through brokenness. Jesus is not overcome—He is pouring out grace to the very end. Today we do not rush past the cross. We linger in the silence. We bring our pain, our questions, our awe. And we remember: this is what love looks like, stretched out for us. Action Steps: Sit in stillness for 10 minutes today—no agenda, just be present with God. Wear black or simplify your wardrobe to mark the solemnity of the day. Write down what “It is finished” means to you. Stop by the Church at 206 East Avenue and enter from East Avenue for the Good Friday Prayer Stations,  a meditative, personal, at-your-own-pa...

Maundy Thursday, April 17, 2025 Scripture: John 13:1–17, 34–35 Devotion: On the night before His death, Jesus washes the feet of His disciples. He bends down and does the work of a servant. He touches dirt, fatigue, and even betrayal. He gives them a new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.” This is how Jesus wants to be remembered—not just in bread and cup, but in humble love. This is what church looks like when it’s different: people kneeling to serve, refusing to let status or pride block compassion. Tonight, we remember the table, the basin, and the towel. We remember that wholeness comes not through dominance, but through surrender and service. Action Steps: Wash someone’s hands or feet as an act of humility and care. Serve a meal to someone or express love through practical action. Let someone serve you—receive kindness without resistance. Prayer: Jesus, teach me to love as You have loved—to kneel, to serve, to give. Shape my ...

Wednesday, April 16, 2025 Scripture: Luke 22:1–6 (Judas agrees to betray Jesus) Devotion: Judas agrees to betray Jesus. It’s a heartbreaking moment—one of the twelve, someone close, someone trusted. This is betrayal from the inside. We all know what it’s like to be disappointed by those we love. We also know the moments when we have betrayed trust—our own or someone else’s. Holy Week doesn’t shy away from these shadows. It invites us to bring them into the light. The path to wholeness includes honesty. Naming our betrayals is the beginning of transformation—not shame, but healing. Jesus faces betrayal not with revenge, but with surrender. There is grace even here. Action Steps: Write down something you regret but haven’t talked to God about. Bring it into prayer. Ask forgiveness from someone if needed. If you’re not ready, pray for the courage to move toward healing. Remember: God can use even your deepest wounds to lead you toward growth. ...