MonroeOHUMC

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...

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 Scripture: John 12:20–36 (Jesus speaks of His death) Devotion: Some Greeks want to see Jesus. When told, Jesus responds with talk of seeds and death: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.” This is not a gentle metaphor. It’s about surrender. It’s about the pain that precedes transformation. And it’s about the fruitfulness that only comes through letting go. Jesus is honest—His soul is troubled. Yet He doesn’t turn away. He says, “And I, when I am lifted up, will draw all people to Myself.” Even in dying, Jesus is reaching. Even in loss, God is still at work. Action Steps: Reflect: What do I need to release to make space for new growth? Plant a seed or care for a living plant this week as a symbol of trust in resurrection. Share encouragement with someone going through a season of surrender or uncertainty. Prayer: Jesus, when the path ahead f...

Monday, April 14, 2025 Scripture: Mark 14:3-9 Devotion: There are moments in life when our actions seem small, fragile, even foolish in the eyes of others. That’s how the woman’s offering in Bethany was received. While others saw waste, Jesus saw beauty. While they criticized, He honored. She broke the jar. It couldn’t be resealed. It was an all-in, no-turning-back kind of love. Jesus was days away from betrayal, trial, and crucifixion. He knew the road ahead, and this woman’s act gave Him something no one else did: presence, tenderness, and reverence in a time of approaching darkness. Sometimes, the most meaningful things we do won’t make headlines or win applause. Sometimes our faithfulness looks like small kindnesses, silent prayers, quiet sacrifices, or choosing to stay when it’s hard. Like the woman in Bethany, you may not always see the outcome—but your offering matters. When we bring our “broken jars” to Jesus—the things we once tried to hold together, the dreams w...

Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025 Scripture: Luke 19:28–40 Devotion: Jesus enters Jerusalem not on a warhorse, but on a donkey—a symbol of peace. The crowds shout, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” There is joy, but beneath the surface, tension is building. Palm Sunday reminds us that praise can be loud and fleeting. The same crowd that celebrates today may cry “Crucify” later in the week. But Jesus doesn’t ride in for applause. He rides in with resolve, knowing that wholeness will come through brokenness . What kind of king is this? One who moves toward suffering. One who refuses to use power for self-protection. One who enters the chaos with peace, determined to make things right—not through domination, but through love. Action Steps: Find a palm branch or green branch and place it somewhere visible as a reminder of Jesus’ peaceful power. Write a prayer of welcome: “Jesus, I welcome You into my life, just as You are.” Ask: What...

Saturday, April 12, 2025 Scripture: John 13:34–35   Devotion: As Jesus nears the cross, He gives His disciples a new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you. By this, everyone will know you are my disciples.” A different kind of church isn’t built on programs or polish. It’s built on this radical kind of love—patient, forgiving, sacrificial, attentive. Love that shows up, listens well, and stays through the mess. Jesus doesn’t ask us to be perfect. He asks us to love like He does . That’s what makes the church different. And that’s what can make the world different too. Action Steps: Ask: Who needs your love today? Make a plan to show it—through a visit, a meal, a gift, or time. Write Jesus’ command on a notecard or sticky note and keep it somewhere visible. Pray for your church—that it would become a place of radical, visible love. Prayer: Jesus, You loved us first and best. Teach me to love others with the same heart. May the w...

Friday, April 11, 2025 Scripture: Psalm 126:5–6 Devotion: “Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.” This promise acknowledges both the pain and the hope in our journeys. Church that’s real makes room for both. We are not called to deny sorrow or mask grief. We are invited to trust that even tears are seeds—tended by the Spirit, watered by grace, and destined for joy. A different kind of church is a place where lament and laughter live side by side. Where people don’t have to fake it, but are gently reminded that the story isn’t over yet. Action Steps: Give yourself permission to name a sorrow you’ve been carrying. Say it to God. Comfort someone else without fixing their pain—just be present. Create something (a prayer, drawing, or playlist) that holds both grief and hope. Prayer: Compassionate God, thank You for receiving both my tears and my praise. Help me trust that my sorrow has a purpose, and that You are tending every seed with...

Thursday, April 10, 2025 Scripture: John 12:7–8 Devotion: Jesus says, “Leave her alone. She bought this so she might keep it for the day of my burial.” In other words, her offering is not just beautiful—it is timely and prophetic. Mary may not have fully understood the depth of her act, but she responded to what she saw in Jesus with all she had. She gave her love now, not later. And Jesus honored it. In church communities, we sometimes wait too long to affirm someone, to give generously, to worship deeply. What if we didn’t wait? What if we honored people while they were still with us, worshiped with abandon today, and showed our love before it’s too late? Action Steps: Write a note to someone who has impacted your spiritual journey. Give it to them today. Make a donation or gift to someone in need now—don’t wait for the “right” moment. Express gratitude to God today with your full heart—through song, writing, or stillness. Prayer: God...

  Wednesday, April 9, 2025 Scripture: John 12:4–6 Devotion: Judas criticizes Mary’s generosity. “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?” But John notes his motives weren’t pure—he didn’t care about the poor, he was looking out for himself. Sometimes critiques of the church come from genuine places. Sometimes they come from fear, envy, or self-interest. Either way, Jesus doesn’t let criticism derail love. He defends Mary’s act and affirms her place in the story. Church can be different when it resists the temptation to perform or to please every voice. It can be a place of honesty, where both motives and actions are examined in light of love—not efficiency, power, or appearances. Action Steps: Reflect: Where in your life is fear disguised as criticism or judgment? Name it gently. Offer encouragement to someone who’s doing something bold or different, even if you don’t fully understand it. Choose to listen to someon...

Tuesday, April 8, 2025 Scripture: John 12:1–3 Devotion: Mary’s act in John 12 begins simply: she takes a pound of perfume—nard, imported, costly—and pours it on Jesus’ feet. Then, with no words, she wipes them with her hair. The house fills with fragrance. This is a moment of embodied worship —a love that doesn’t need words, a presence that lingers. In a world that often demands productivity and proof, Mary gives us a picture of presence and attention. She recognizes something sacred in Jesus and chooses not to miss it. Sometimes we think church must be loud or busy to be meaningful. But maybe a truly different kind of church smells like devotion—like the lingering scent of love poured out without expectation of return. Action Steps: Light a candle or diffuse a fragrance and sit in stillness for 5 minutes. Let it be your quiet offering to God. Do something with your hands today—clean, serve, or create—as a prayer in motion. Leave space in yo...

Monday, April 7, 2025 Scripture: Psalm 126 Devotion: Psalm 126 begins with a memory: “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.” It’s a snapshot of pure joy—a return from exile, a turning of the tide. Laughter replaces sorrow. Tears turn to shouts of joy. But the psalm doesn’t end in nostalgia. It becomes a prayer for now: “Restore our fortunes again, Lord.” It acknowledges that while there was joy in the past, they still need healing in the present. The hope is that what God has done before, God will do again. This is the heart of a different kind of church—a place where we remember what God has done, but also long and work for more. A space where tears are seen as seeds of something beautiful to come. A community that lives in the tension of grief and joy. Action Steps: Write down a time when God brought joy out of sorrow in your life. Offer a prayer of restoration for someone or something you love. Smile at someon...

Sunday, April 6, 2025 Scripture: John 12:1–8 Devotion: Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrives in Bethany. A dinner is held in His honor, and Mary does something unexpected. She pours out expensive perfume—worth a year’s wages—on His feet and wipes them with her hair. It’s an extravagant act of devotion that others criticize as wasteful. But Jesus receives her offering as beautiful. What looks like excess to some is, in His eyes, the natural response of love. Mary is doing more than an act of kindness—she is preparing Him for burial, though she may not fully realize it. She chooses presence over practicality, love over logic. This moment invites us to ask: What if the church looked more like this? A place where love was poured out freely, where people were honored, and where no offering of the heart was considered too much? Mary's worship was not in a temple—it was in a home, around a meal, in a moment of intimacy. Action Steps: Reflect: When have you felt safe enough...

Friday, April 4, 2025 Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:18–19 Devotion: Paul says God reconciled us through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. We’re not just forgiven—we’re invited into the work of healing and restoration for others. The word reconciliation means “bringing back together what was separated.” When we experience grace, we’re meant to extend it. That means reaching out, bridging gaps, forgiving generously, and building relationships rooted in peace. Being found isn’t the end of the story—it’s the beginning of a new calling. Action Steps: Write down one relationship where reconciliation might be possible. Pray about one small step you can take. Choose one way to be a “bridge-builder” today—between friends, coworkers, or family. Thank someone who has helped restore you in the past. Prayer: God of restoration, thank you for reconciling me to yourself. Make me an agent of your peace, someone who builds bridges and welcomes others int...

Thursday, April 3, 2025 Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:16–17 Devotion: Paul reminds us that in Christ, we are new creations. The old has passed away. The new is here. This isn’t just about a clean slate—it’s about a transformed identity. So often we define ourselves—and others—by past mistakes, old labels, and lingering guilt. But Paul urges us to see differently. When we are found by God, we are made new. Our story doesn’t end where we thought it would. You are not who you used to be. You are not your failures. You are a new creation. Action Steps: Look in the mirror and speak truth: “In Christ, I am made new.” Shred or throw away something symbolic of “the old you.” Journal a vision of who God is helping you become. Prayer: God of new beginnings, thank you for recreating me. Help me live in the freedom of your grace—not in the shadow of my past. Amen. Breath Prayer: Inhale: The old is gone… Exhale: The new has come.  

  Wednesday, April 2, 2025 Scripture: Luke 15:25–32 (The Older Brother) Devotion: The older brother hears the party and is furious. He’s been faithful, obedient—but no one ever threw him a celebration. He resents the grace shown to his younger sibling. Sometimes, our brokenness isn’t rebellion—it’s resentment. We may not have left the house, but our hearts are far from joy. We compare. We feel overlooked. We question grace when it’s extended to someone else. But the father comes out to the older son too. He reminds him, “You are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.” Even the bitter heart is invited into the joy of restoration. Action Steps: Reflect: Do you struggle to rejoice when others receive grace? Talk to God about that honestly. Send a note of encouragement to someone who’s experienced a recent “comeback.” Thank God for the “party” already available to you—list 3 blessings today. Prayer: Gracious God, forgive me when I w...

Tuesday, April 1, 2025 Scripture: Luke 15:11–24 (The Lost Son Returns) Devotion: The son had wasted everything. He rehearses a speech, hoping to return—not as a son, but as a servant. But his father sees him from a distance, runs to him, embraces him, and restores him completely. This is the gospel in motion. God doesn’t wait for perfect words or a flawless track record. God moves toward us in grace. There’s no shaming, no scolding—only joy at our return. Many of us carry shame. We believe we’ve ruined our chances with God or with others. But Jesus shows us that no matter how far we’ve run, there’s still a robe, a ring, and a feast waiting for us . Action Steps: Write a short letter to God expressing what’s on your heart—no filters. Is there someone you need to forgive or ask forgiveness from? Make the first move. Listen to a song about grace and reflect on the father’s welcome. Prayer: Merciful God, when I feel unworthy, you still call me y...

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...

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...