Chestuee United Methodist Church

Chestuee United Methodist Church A small church with a BIG heart! Join us Sunday mornings for Sunday worship at 11:00 am.

06/23/2026

Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Good afternoon to all on this overcast day here in the valley. Now for our devotional.
20 Behold, I stand at the door [of the church] and continually knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him (restore him), and he with Me. Revelation 3:20 (AB).

In this verse, Christ is outside the professing church, politely knocking and inviting individuals to leave the apostate church if they hope to have fellowship with Him. In the preceding verses, he was inviting the masses to come to him, but now the focus is on the individual.
In one respect, you can look at this way, every man is lord of the house of his own heart; it is his fortress; he must open the gates of it. Christ will never force his way into your heart; it is your choice as to whether you will allow him to come in or not. The individual has the mournful prerogative and privilege of refusing to open. But if he refuses, he is blindly at strife with his own blessedness, a miserable conqueror.

Prayer:
Father, we thank you that one day you saw fit to knock on the door of my heart, and I am eternally thankful that I did not turn you away but allowed you entrance. In the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen

06/22/2026

Monday, June 22, 2026

Good afternoon to all. Please remember my wife (Carol) in prayer that she will be healed and not have to have surgery. Now for our devotional.

12 [Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. Romans 12:1 (AB)

God has shown us great mercies, as the song says, he shows us great and new mercies from day to day. The beginning of each day presents new mercies.

Is it too much for God to expect from us that we worship Him by presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice? Should we not worship Him in all we do, with all the ways we live, should it not reflect a Godly life that shows we are his? We are set apart as sanctified in use in His service so that what we do in all we say, in all we give, in all that we are, should be pleasing to Him.
If we look at what He has done for us, it is only natural and rational that we should do all we can to please Him, not as a way of trying to even things out, but in showing our love for Him.

Prayer:

Holy Father, help us always remember that what you have done for us was not because we deserved it, but rather, you withheld what we deserved and showed us mercy. Thank you, Father. In the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.

06/15/2026

Monday, June 15, 2026

Good morning to all from here in the valley. We had a wonderful service yesterday at Chestuee UMC. Pray for those who were the victims of the storms that passed through the South over the weekend. Now for our devotional.

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NASB)

I chose these two verses today based on a conversation I had last week over the phone with someone who was upset over something they had seen on Facebook. They asked me what I thought about it, and I said I don’t read those things; I watch no news other than the local news. I informed the caller that I can read my Bible and tell you what’s happening in the world. Yeah, I know you’re thinking, maybe he needs to go back to bed, or has he had his coffee yet? I assure you it is neither of those; in fact, I’ll use God's word to prove what I said.

17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy. Acts 2:17-18 (NKJV).

The above was from a sermon Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, and now you are thinking, so what does that have to do with what’s happening today? I’m glad you asked; stay with me; there’s more to come.

“This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come.” 2 Timothy 3:1 (KJV)

We have now established that the last days began on the day of Pentecost, somewhere around 30 A.D. From that date until now, the clock has been ticking. Need more proof.

2 For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, 3 [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them
2 Timothy 3:2-5 (Amplified Bible). That still wasn’t enough; then try this.

4 But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 [misled] by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared as with a branding iron [leaving them incapable of ethical functioning], 1 Timothy 4:1-2 (Amplified Bible)

3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’[a] and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines[b] and earthquakes in various places: 8 all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs. Matthew 24:3-8 (NRSV).

Now, do you see why I don’t have to watch the news to know basically what’s happening?

Prayer:

Father, help us to look to your word to see what the problem of this world is. Help us also, Father, to look to your word to ward off feelings of anxiety and depression when the problems of life seem too much to cope with. We praise and thank You for Your saving grace, Your sanctifying power, for Your goodness, Your mercy, and Your kindness. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.

06/09/2026

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Good morning to all on this overcast day here in the valley. Today, when we pray, be sure to remember those in the Philippines and Cuba who both experienced sizeable earthquakes yesterday. Now for our devotional.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 (NIV)

It is only through the power of the Holy Ghost/Spirit that unity will be accomplished as God’s Spirit enables the strong and weak brothers to see each other’s positions and to refuse to let their differences mar the unity that they have in Christ. This is true spiritual freedom and maturity.

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity (Psalm 133:1).

The flip side of that is what an indictment it is to the name of Christianity and disrespect for our Lord and Savior when Christians act like the world in front of the world. I once read of an incident concerning “Alexander the Great and a soldier under Alexander’s command, whose name was also Alexander. The soldier’s unacceptable behavior was brought to Alexander's attention. Alexander spoke with the soldier under his command and asked him to either change his behavior or his name.

Prayer:

Father, may your Spirit warn us of the danger we are in when we act in such a manner that does not portray that of a Christian. Help us, Father, to remember we are Ambassadors for Christ, of whom we serve and owe our allegiance to. Help us, Father, to remember we are to set the example for those who are not Christians that they may, through our behavior and testimony, desire to be a part of the Family of God. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

06/02/2026

Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Good morning to all on this second day of June. It seems like only a few days ago it was May, oh well. I ask you to join me in prayer for my two stepdaughters (Maggie and Jessica, as well as Maggie’s two children, Jack and Kaiya); their father/Grandfather passed away yesterday. Pray God will speak peace to their hearts and minds during this time of loss and sorrow. Now for our devotional.

5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. Rev 3:5 (NIV).

The overcomers were assured of their heavenly citizenship; their names would not be blotted out from the Book of Life. In the ancient world, death or a criminal conviction could blot out the name of a citizen from the city’s book of the living, which was the city register.

There is comfort in knowing that regardless of what crime or sin we have or do commit, as long as we repent and lay it all at the feet of Jesus, he will forgive us and our name will not be blotted out of the Book of Life. Now, do not misunderstand me: this does not mean you have carte blanche to intentionally and habitually sin and expect forgiveness, because it doesn’t. It does mean if we endure until the end, stay true and faithful until the end, then our name will not in any way be removed from the Book of Life.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we call upon you today amid all the confusion and chaos in this world. We ask you, Father, to help us always remember who we are in You, whose we are, and where we are headed. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

06/01/2026

Monday, June 1, 2026
Good morning on this rainy day from here in the valley. I trust you had a wonderful weekend and attended your chosen place of worship to enjoy the blessings of God. Now for our devotional.

“Now, as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. “
Acts 4:13 (NASB).

That they were uneducated means that they had received no formal rabbinical training, the ancient equivalent of seminary. But they had been with Jesus. That’s where they got their training. Over the course of three years, the Son of God had taught the former fishermen everything they knew.
You can receive extensive, formal, theological education and have degrees after your name. But if you’ve never “been with Jesus” in a spiritual relationship and enrolled in his school of discipleship, you’ll make no lasting spiritual impact on others.
Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for my education, a bachelor’s in biblical studies and a master’s in counseling, but to be honest, the place where I learned the most about the Bible and preaching was in prayer, in the study of God’s word at home, and fasting.
For any Christian and especially for any preacher, it is not enough to know about Jesus; you must know him. The way you get to know him is to spend time with him in prayer, fasting, and meditation on his word.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, as we go through our day, help us to be focused on those things which are holy, true, and pure. Father, help us in all that we do to bring honor to you and our Savior Christ Jesus. May we have a hunger to get to know the one who died for us in a deeper and personal relationship. We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Amen.

05/27/2026

Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Good morning to all on this rainy day here in the valley. Bible Study tonight from 6-7 at Chstuee UMC. I ask you to pray for a friend (Mike Hall) in North Carolina who has been diagnosed with stage four cancer. Now for our devotional.

"sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under [a]the Law but under grace." Romans 6:14 (NASB).
Now, another reason is given why sin shall not have dominion over us as believers. The first reason was that our old man was crucified with Christ (6:6). The second reason is that we are not under law but under grace.
Sin does have the upper hand over a person who is under the law. Why? Because the law tells him what to do, but doesn’t give him the power to do it. And the law stirs up dormant desires in fallen human nature to do what is forbidden. It’s the old story that “forbidden fruit is sweet.”

Sin does not have dominion over the person who is under grace. The believer has died to sin. He has received the indwelling Holy Spirit as the power for holy living. And he is motivated by love for the Savior, not by fear of punishment. Grace is the only thing that really produces holiness. As one writer says, “It is not restraint but inspiration that liberates from sin; not Mount Sinai but Mount Calvary which makes us saints of God.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for Your Amazing Grace, grace that pardons, graces that cleanse, and purifies. We thank you, Father, for the sacrifice that was made at Mt. Calvary, where our precious Savior shed His blood so that we would not be under the strong hand of the Law, but under the mercies of grace. We pray this in the name of our loving Savior, Christ Jesus. Amen.

05/19/2026

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Good morning to everyone, I hope you are having a great morning so far. I feel better than I did yesterday. When you do not feel good, you are not going to feel good regardless of what you do, I mean, the not feeling good is there, you can’t deny it, I mean, it is there, so deal with it.
The question then becomes, why do you not feel good? My gallbladder was removed, no, I don’t mean I wasn’t aware of it, like someone stole it, no, it was surgically removed at a hospital. Now, that does not make me feel any better, so what is plan B? You have something to try and take your mind off of your pain and why you do not feel good. I write, now you get the message. Thanks for the prayers that were prayed for me before and after surgery. Now for our devotional, which will be a little different today.
All scripture is from the 24th Chapter of Matthew.
Back in the day, as we are prone to say, there was a great singing group called the Temptations who recorded a song titled “Ball of Confusion”. This took place in the sixties, some of the lyrics talk about social issues, race, war, politics, and at the end of each verse it says “ And the band played on”. As if no matter what was tried, things remained the same. I will share some of the lyrics as juxtaposed against verses from Matthew 24 and 2nd Timothy 3. We will see that the more things change, the more they stay the same or even get worse.
Verse one says, “ people movin' out, people moving in, why? Because of the color of their skin. If seems as if this has been seen a long time ago in the words “ But know this that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves” (II Tim 3:1). You see, they will love themselves and everyone who is like them, acts like them, talks like them, has the same color of skin as them. You get my drift?
How about some of these Super Christians who claim to be Christ, I mean those who put all the emphasis on themselves and not on Christ? Jesus spoke of them when the disciples asked him in Matt 24:4-5 what they should look for as signs of the last day. His response was Take heed that no one deceive you. For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, ‘ and will deceive many.” Does that sound familiar?
The song says, “ An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, vote for me, and I’ll set you free. Well, the only person talking about love thy brother is the preacher, and it seems nobody’s interested in learning but the teacher. Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration. Aggravation, that about qualifies as a ball of confusion. Stay with me, we ain't done yet.

“Fear in the air, tension everywhere. Unemployment rising fast, Eve of destruction, tax deduction, Mod clothes in demand, population out of hand, su***de, too many bills, Hippies moving to the hills, People all over the world shouting “End the war,” And the band played on.
How does scripture fit in here? Matt 24: 6-8 “ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, famines (Ebola, Haunta), and earthquakes in various places.” All these are the beginning of sorrows. That would qualify as a ball of confusion. I will close with this from the song.

“Evolution, revolution, gun control, the sound of soul, shooting rockets to the moon, kids growing up too soon, Politicians say more taxes will solve everything, and the band played on, so around and around and around we go, where the world's headed, said nobody knows”.

Now the last part I have to disagree with for Jesus said also in Matthew 24 there would be false prophets and lawlessness; we see all of it now and it is a ball of confusion to those who do know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but to those of who do he says in Luke 21:28 “ When these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh”.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, although we see the signs of the times and it is obvious to those who do not know you that things are spinning out of control, to us who claim you as our Father, it is a happy and sad time. Happy, because our race will soon be completed, as to when we have no idea. We know that until that time, we are to keep on singing, preaching, encouraging, and helping others to see the path to choose. Help us, Father, to be a blessing to others and to be faithful to you, in the name of Christ Jesus, we pray, Amen.

05/13/2026

Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Good afternoon to all on this beautiful day in the valley. Bible Study tonight from 6-7 at Chestuee UMC. I ask for prayer for my two stepdaughters’ father, whose name is Charles; he suffered a heart attack last week, and there are other complications as well, so please remember him in prayer. Now for our devotional.

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
He delivers them from all their troubles. Psalm 34:17 (NIV)

The beauty of Psalm 34:17 is its simplicity—and its certainty. David doesn’t say if the righteous cry out; he assumes they will. Life brings pressure, pain, and moments when our strength runs out. But this verse reminds us that God’s ear is never closed, and His heart is never distant.
When God’s people cry out, He doesn’t merely listen—He hears. That word in Hebrew carries the sense of attentive, responsive listening. God bends toward His children. He is not passive. He is not indifferent. He is the Deliverer who steps into the trouble, not just the One who watches from afar.
Deliverance may come in different forms:

Sometimes God removes the trouble
Sometimes He strengthens us through it.
Sometimes, He transforms us in the middle of it.

But the promise stands: He delivers. Not because we are strong, but because He is faithful. Not because we have it all together, but because He is near to the brokenhearted.
Today, whatever weight you carry, let this verse be your invitation: Cry out. God hears you. God sees you. God will act.

Prayer
Father, thank You for being the God who hears. When we cry out, You do not turn away—you draw near. Today, we bring our troubles, our fears, and our needs before You. Deliver us in the way that brings You glory and brings us closer to Your heart. Strengthen our faith to trust Your timing and Your goodness. Surround us with Your peace as we rest in Your promise to hear and to save. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

05/11/2026

Monday, May 11, 2026
Good morning to all on this overcast day here in the valley. We had a wonderful service yesterday at Chestuee UMC as we honored our mothers in the congregation.
Today, our prayer focus is on peace. I pray that the wars taking place throughout will cease, and peace will prevail. Bible Study Wednesday night from 6-7 at Chestuee UMC. Now for our devotional.

10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

28Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
But a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. Proverbs 31:1 & 28-31

A virtuous or fine wife is capable, diligent, worthy, and good. Her worth cannot be measured in terms of costly jewels or anything else that could be considered of value in the world.
Her children realize she is an outstanding mother and tell her so. Her husband also praises her as a God-given wife. He says,

“There are many good wives in the world, but you excel them all. Although it is not said, it is implied that this is because of the concern and love she shows for her husband and family.
It is true. A woman may have charm but no common sense. She may be beautiful, but impractical. But a woman who fears the LORD, as described above, is the best kind. Let her be honored for her diligence and noble character.

Prayer:
Father, we thank you for the godly women that you have given unto the world. Amen.

Address

889 Chestuee Road NE
Cleveland, TN
37323

Opening Hours

11am - 12pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Chestuee United Methodist Church posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Place Of Worship

Send a message to Chestuee United Methodist Church:

Shortcuts

Share

Category