MonroeOHUMC

Rising Together Scripture: Mark 2:3-4 (NRSV) “Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof…” Sometimes healing doesn’t come through our strength—but through the strength of our community. The paralyzed man in Mark’s Gospel had friends who carried him, dug through a roof, and lowered him to Jesus. That’s what love looks like in action. We’re not meant to heal alone. Whether you’re the one on the mat or the one doing the carrying, we all need each other. Healing is not only personal—it’s communal. Who’s carrying you right now? And who might need you to carry them? Action Steps: Identify your people. Text or call someone who has helped carry you in a tough season. Thank them. Be a lifter. Reach out to someone you know is hurting and offer to walk alongside them. Break the roof. Look for a way your church or small group can remove barriers for othe...

A Wounded Yet Willing Heart Scripture: Psalm 147:3 (NRSV) “God heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” Healing doesn’t erase our scars—it honors them. God doesn’t wait for us to be “all better” before drawing close. Instead, the Holy One meets us right in the mess, binding up our wounds with tenderness and grace. In a world that teaches us to hide our brokenness, God invites us to bring it into the open. Your healing journey doesn’t need to be perfect or fast. It just needs to be honest. You don’t have to pretend you’re okay. The God who heals the brokenhearted is still at work in you. Action Steps: Let the wound breathe. Journal about a pain you’ve been keeping hidden or locked away. Speak to a safe soul. Share your story with someone who can listen with compassion—friend, pastor, counselor. Receive the balm. Spend 10 minutes in quiet, breathing deeply and picturing God gently binding your wound. Prayer: Holy Healer, You see what others don’t—the ...

Do You Want to Be Well? Scripture: John 5:6 (NRSV) "When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, 'Do you want to be made well?'" Reflection: Sometimes the first step toward healing is the hardest one—admitting we need it. The man by the pool had been stuck for 38 years, waiting for someone else to help, but Jesus met him right where he was. With one question— “Do you want to be well?” —Jesus invited him into a new life. We may not be lying by a pool, but we all have places in our lives where we feel stuck, alone, or hopeless. Healing doesn’t always look the way we expect. It begins not just with physical change, but with an inward willingness to let God do something new. What’s your “mat”? What have you been lying on for too long? Jesus is still asking: Do you want to be made well? Action Steps: Name your mat. Write down one area of your life where you feel stuck or unwell—emotionally, spiritually, or relationally....

  Do You Want to Be Well? John 5:1-9; Revelation 22:1-5 In the series, “Rise Up -- How to Start Living Again” There's a question that cuts through all our pretenses, all our excuses, all the ways we've learned to make peace with being less than whole. It's the question Jesus asked a man who had been waiting by a pool for thirty-eight years: "Do you want to be well?" It sounds almost cruel, doesn't it? Of course he wants to be well. Who wouldn't? But maybe Jesus knew something we often forget—that sometimes we get so used to being stuck that we stop believing change is possible. Sometimes it feels safer to stay where we are than to risk hoping for something different. Picture this scene with me. It's Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, at a place called Bethesda—which means "house of mercy." There are twin pools surrounded by covered walkways, and they're filled with people who are sick, disabled, hurting. The word on the street is ...

Love Beyond Limits John 13:31-35; Acts 11:1-18 Series: Rise Up: How to Start Living Again There’s a fable about a man who spent his whole life drawing lines. Each time someone disagreed with him, challenged him, or simply made him uncomfortable, he drew another line to put them on the outside. Over time, his circle got smaller and smaller. By the end of his life, he stood in the center of a tiny, lonely circle. But then he looked up and saw Jesus. Only Jesus wasn’t drawing lines—he was erasing them. That story isn’t in the Bible, but it might as well be. Because Jesus spent his life doing just that: erasing lines, widening circles, and welcoming the people others left out. I’ll be honest: I’ve drawn lines before. Maybe you have too. Sometimes without even realizing it. And today, Jesus invites us to see those lines—and let him erase them. Let me ask you: Have you ever been on the outside of someone’s line? Maybe you weren’t invited. Or you felt judged. Maybe a church told you in a ...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

  Day 13 : Sunday, March 16, 2025 Scripture: Luke 13:31-35 Devotion: Jesus lamented over Jerusalem, expressing a deep, compassionate longing to gather the people as a hen gathers her chicks. Even when we resist God’s care, He remains patient and tender. In our wilderness seasons, we might push God away, yet He continues to invite us into the safety of His embrace. God’s love is both strong and gentle, a safe place where we can find refuge. Action Steps: Take five minutes to sit quietly, imagining God wrapping you in a warm, protective embrace. Reach out to someone who may feel alone, offering them a reminder that they are not forgotten. Write a prayer expressing where you feel vulnerable and asking for God’s shelter. Prayer: Compassionate God, draw me close to You. When I wander, bring me back. When I am afraid, cover me with Your peace. Amen. Breath Prayer: “Under Your wings, I find refuge.” Suggested Image: A mother hen shel...

  “Lost in the Wilderness of Life” Luke4:1-13; Acts 6:1-7 In the series “From Brokenness to Wholeness: A Journey of Healing and Hope” Have you ever been truly lost? Not just taking a wrong turn while driving or losing your way in a department store, but feeling completely disoriented in your own life? Maybe it was after receiving a devastating diagnosis, or when your marriage began falling apart. Perhaps it happened when you retired and suddenly questioned your purpose, or when your children left home, and you wondered, "What now?" On a sunny day in the summer of 2019, Becky, Josh, Hannah, and I walked into the forest of western North Carolina, part of a park. We like to take the kids for walks in nature to help them experience creation and shape a love of nature in them. It was peaceful as we walked, hearing the breeze gently rustling the green leaves and the sounds of our feet walking on the path. Along the way, we opted to take various twists and turns in the trail...