MonroeOHUMC

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...

 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.