MonroeOHUMC

  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...