St. James Coburn United Methodist Church

08/11/2026

Devotion: When Doing Good Gets Hard
It’s easy to say, “Don’t grow weary of doing good.” Have you ever had people make doing good harder than it needs to be? Listen to how The Message paraphrases Galatians 6:9 “So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.”

You know how this goes. You see a problem. Other people see it too. So you roll up your sleeves, gather some folks, make a plan, and start doing the good, hard work of trying to make something better. And then somebody starts poking holes in it. Not because they have a better idea. Not because they disagree that something needs to be done. Sometimes they don't even seem particularly interested in helping solve the problem. They criticize the plan, question the people doing the work, point out everything that might go wrong, and generally suck the wind right out of everybody's sails.

But here's something worth remembering before we become too frustrated with them: Not everybody has been taught how to be a difference maker. Some have only learned how to be a troublemaker. They've learned how to spot what's wrong, but not how to help make it right. They know how to criticize an idea, but not how to improve one. They know how to point out a problem, but nobody ever taught them to ask, “What can I do to help?” They may have spent years in environments where finding fault was rewarded, suspicion was considered wisdom, and tearing down somebody else's idea was easier and safer than risking one of their own.

That doesn't make the behavior helpful. But understanding it can keep their behavior from changing ours.

And maybe that's another place sanctifying grace has work to do.

Because God's grace isn't only at work in the person tending the fire. It can also be at work in the person kicking dirt at it.

Maybe part of doing good is occasionally handing that person a piece of wood and saying, “Here. Help me build this.” Some will. Some won't. Some may keep kicking dirt. But their response doesn't determine whether the fire is worth tending.

And if you've ever wondered whether all that resistance means God must not be behind the good thing you set out to do, remember something Paul knew very well:

Doing good can be exhausting. Difficulty isn't necessarily a sign that God isn't in it. Sometimes it's simply evidence that people are still learning how to build instead of tear down.

08/10/2026

Devotion: Learning to Think Like Jesus (based on Luke 6:36)
Most of us have had the experience of doing the right thing while thinking the wrong thing. Kind of like that doing the letter of the Law without the spirit. It goes something like this:
- We bite our tongue, but rehearse the argument in our head.
- We help someone, but privately think they should have known better.
- We forgive, but continue keeping a mental file of the offense.
From the outside, we may have done exactly what Jesus would have done, even "looked" good doing it. But inside, we weren't even close to "why would Jesus do?"

Jesus says in Luke 6:35-36 (from The Message paraphrase), ““I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.”

The context Jesus brings to the mindset we are to have makes that command much bigger than simply being nice. Jesus has been talking about loving enemies, doing good to people who mistreat us, giving without expecting repayment, and refusing to make judgment our first response. That requires more than changed behavior. It requires a changed mind.

John Wesley called this work sanctifying grace, God's grace continuing to work within us after we have responded to Christ. Grace doesn't merely teach us a new set of Christian behaviors. The Holy Spirit gradually changes our desires, attitudes, assumptions, and reactions so that the life of Christ increasingly becomes our own. That "fruit of the spirit" being developed inside.

C.S. Lewis made a similar observation in Mere Christianity: Christianity isn't ultimately about producing nicer versions of ourselves. Christ intends something much deeper, actual transformation.

When we learn to drive it's all head knowledge like check the seatbelt, adjust the mirrors, set your GPS before you leave. In time we start to think like a driver, anticipating that someone in the right turn only lane without their right turn blinker on may or may not actually turn right and prepare accordingly, not to say "I knew it" when they go straight, but to safely navigate through.

Following Jesus is something like that. At first we may have to tell ourselves, Don't retaliate. Be patient. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Forgive. Show mercy. But Jesus wants to take us further. He wants mercy to become so deeply rooted in us that eventually we begin looking at difficult people and wondering, what might they be carrying? What don't I know about their story? How would Jesus see them? Because this is the new way we think as we go about the doing.

That doesn't mean pretending wrongdoing is right. Jesus never confused mercy with abandoning truth. It means that even when we recognize what is wrong, we refuse to let anger, contempt, revenge, or superiority determine how we see the person who is wrong. Which is a great thing for followers, since we will be that person who is wrong once in a while. Amen? Amen.

That's the mindset Jesus is teaching in Luke 6. The goal isn't simply to ask, “What would Jesus do?” The deeper discipleship question is:
“How did Jesus teach me to think about this?” Because when Christ changes the way we think, eventually we don't have to work quite so hard at doing what Jesus would do. His mercy is becoming part of who we are.

Jesus, please change not only what I do today; change the way I think. When I encounter difficult people, frustrating circumstances, or old wounds, teach me to see them through Your eyes. Replace quick judgment with understanding, resentment with mercy, and the desire to be right with the desire to be faithful. Let Your grace work deeply enough in me that Your ways become increasingly natural to me. Make my heart more like Yours today. Amen.

Following Jesus isn't only learning to do what Jesus would do. It's allowing grace to teach us to think the way Jesus has taught us to think.

08/08/2026

Devotion: Open Hands, Not a Wish List
There are Bible verses that become much less comforting when taken out of context (because wrong context simply doesn't work) and much more comforting when we put them back. Mark 11:24 is one of them. Jesus says, in The Message paraphrase:
“That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything.”

God's everything is vastly more creative and wonderful than my limited imagination. What a relief to know receiving God's everything does not require us to "believe strongly enough, speak confidently enough, or pray persistently enough" or somehow just “claim” what we want and expect God to make it happen. God is not a spiritual vending machine. Prayer is not inserting enough faith, pushing the right button, and waiting for our selection to drop.

Think about a child riding in the car with a loving parent. The child is completely free to ask: Can we stop for ice cream? Can I have that toy? Can we go there? Can I do this? A good parent wants the child to ask. The relationship is open enough for that. But the child’s confidence in asking does not obligate the parent to say yes.
The child trusts the parent precisely because the parent knows things the child doesn’t.

👉 That gets us much closer to what Jesus is teaching.

Mark 11:24 comes during Jesus’ teaching about faith in God not faith in faith, faith in positive thinking, or faith in our ability to produce outcomes. Just before this, Jesus says plainly, “Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it.” The center of the teaching is God, not the thing we want from God.

John Wesley understood prayer as one of God’s great “means of grace”, a way God works within us. Prayer certainly brings our needs before God, but it also changes the person doing the praying. As we spend time with God, our desires, priorities, fears, and hopes are increasingly shaped by grace. We just might become aware of things that directly relate to the subject of our prayer that change how we see it.

C.S. Lewis made a similar observation when he wrote that prayer does not change God; it changes us. Prayer draws us into relationship with the One who sees what we cannot see.

And notice what Jesus says immediately after this teaching about prayer. He talks about forgiveness. That matters. The person who is supposedly learning to move mountains by faith is also being told to release grudges.

That doesn't sound much like a technique for getting whatever we want. It sounds like transformation.

So yes, pray boldly. Tell God what you want. Tell Him what hurts. Ask for healing. Ask for provision. Ask for reconciliation. Ask about the job, the relationship, the impossible situation, the thing that keeps you awake at night.

Jesus doesn't tell us to approach God timidly. But then leave the request in God's hands. There is an enormous difference between saying, “God, I believe strongly enough that You must do this” and saying, “God, I believe strongly enough in You that I can trust You with this.”

The first puts faith in the outcome.
The second puts faith in God.

That is much better news than having a spiritual vending machine in the sky. Because sometimes the thing I desperately wanted 40 years ago is something I now thank God I did NOT receive.

Faith isn't believing hard enough to get our way. Faith is trusting God enough to pray with open hands.

Gracious God, thank You that I can bring absolutely everything to You today; the great concerns and the small ones, the hopes I cherish and the burdens I carry. Give me courage to ask boldly, but give me even greater faith to trust You with the answer. Shape my desires until I want what leads toward Your goodness. When Your answer is yes, make me grateful. When it is no, help me trust You. When it is wait, give me patience. And when You lead somewhere I never expected, give me courage to follow. Today, let my confidence rest not in getting what I ask for, but in knowing the One to whom I am asking. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Faith isn't believing God will give me what I want. Faith is believing God can be trusted with what I want alongside what God wants for me. 🙏🏻

Don't miss church tomorrow. All services are in person only. Details at https://pennsvalleyparish.info/august-9-2026-take-aim-with-rev-dr-michael-stine/

08/06/2026

Devotion: Hope in the Light
Driving Rt. 45 at night on my way home, it's pretty dark. But I know it's a matter of time till I crest the last hill before Old Fort. In the distance, the lights are visible. Then, I turn onto Pennsylvania Avenue and windows are glowing from inside homes. All saying, "You're almost home." Light gives us direction, hope, and confidence to keep going. Isaiah paints a similar picture in The Message:
"Nations will come to your light, kings to your sunburst brightness." - Isaiah 60:3

Why do nations seek light? Because no one willingly stays in darkness once they realize there is a better way. Unless, of course, they prefer the dark. Darkness breeds confusion, fear, isolation, and uncertainty. Light reveals what is true, what is beautiful, and where the next step belongs. It isn't simply that light is brighter; it's that light makes life possible.

Isaiah's vision was never about Israel attracting the nations because of its own greatness. Rather, the nations were drawn because God's presence was among His people. The light was God's glory reflected through ordinary lives lived in faithfulness. That's still true today among the faithful who live in the light.

People are surrounded by information but starving for wisdom. They have endless entertainment but often very little peace. They are connected by technology while feeling profoundly alone. The brightest witness Christians can offer is not louder arguments but lives that quietly reflect the light of Christ, showing kindness when anger is expected, hope when despair seems reasonable, forgiveness when revenge feels justified.

Perhaps someone today doesn't need you to solve their problems. They simply need you to shine enough light that they can see their next step.

Lord Jesus, thank You for being the Light that found me long before I knew I needed You. Shine through my words, my actions, and my attitude today. Wherever I encounter fear, help me bring peace. Wherever I encounter confusion, help me reflect Your truth with gentleness. Make my life a small but faithful light that points others not to me, but to You. Amen.

The world doesn't follow the loudest light. It follows the truest one. Today, don't worry about shining the brightest. Simply stay close to the One who is the Light. 🌅

08/05/2026

Ready to Grow? God Can Use You.
Every church needs people who are willing to serve, not because they have all the answers, but because they are willing to keep growing.

The Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course is designed for anyone who wants to deepen their faith, better understand the mission of the church, and discover practical ways God may be calling them to serve. Whether you volunteer behind the scenes, teach a class, lead a ministry, feel a nudge toward preaching, or simply want to become a more confident disciple of Jesus Christ, this course will encourage and equip you.

During this in person course, we'll explore:

Servant leadership
Spiritual leadership
Caring ministries
Sharing your faith naturally
Understanding your role in the life and ministry of the church
Some take this course to learn more about the Methodist Church. Some take it as part of discerning a call to Lay Speaking or other leadership roles. Others come simply because they want to grow in their relationship with Christ and become more effective servants in their local congregation. This course exists for all of these reasons.

Course Information

Friday, September 18, 2026
6:30–9:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 19, 2026
9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Location:
Sprucetown UMC
177 Upper Georges Valley Road
Spring Mills, PA

Registration Deadline: September 6, 2026

Participants must attend all 10 hours to receive a certificate of completion.

Please acquire and read through the course booklet before class, jot down your questions, and bring a bag lunch for Saturday. Coffee, water, and light snacks will be provided.

Thinking About Lay Speaking?
If you've sensed God may be calling you to preach or lead worship, this Basic Course is the first step. After completing it, you may continue with the Advanced Course in Preaching as you discern God's leading.

Whether you're exploring a calling or simply looking for ways to grow as a disciple, we'd love to have you join us.

Click here to register:

Training dates, in person - September 18 & 19, 2026 - This training is in person only, not available by Zoom. Lay Servant Ministries, Participant Book is required reading prior to the class weekend. You are expected to read the booklet, jot down thoughts and questions in preparation for the class. C...

08/05/2026

What if the greatest thing God asks of you today isn't something big at all, but simply to be faithful in the next small thing?

08/02/2026

Devotion: Enough
Jesus cautions us in Luke 12:15, "Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life is not measured by how much you own." (The Message) Fear often disguises itself as wisdom. We tell ourselves, "If I can just save a little more, buy a little more, keep a little more, work a little more, then I'll finally be secure." For many, that mindset has deep roots in hardship, much like those who lived through the Great Depression and never wanted to face such lack again.

But Jesus gently invites us to a different way of living. Not careless living, but trusting living. We are wise to prepare, yet we are not called to place our hope in our possessions. Our security has never rested in full barns or full closets, but in the faithful God who has promised to provide our daily bread. Faith loosens fear's grip, reminding us that our lives are held not by what we accumulate, but by the One who holds us.

Join us for worship today, details at https://pennsvalleyparish.info/august-2-2026-gentleness-strength-under-control/, or watch the message right now at the same link. Have a restful day, if you possibly can. 🙂

08/01/2026

Devotion: Learning the Unforced Rhythms of Grace

I wonder sometimes if God ever feels like I did as a kid rushing to show grown ups what I just drew on my sketch pad or made out of playdough. "Look! Look at what I made! Isn't it pretty! Let me tell you why I made it!" But the grown ups are grown ups. Too busy to stop and look and listen and learn. When I hear this verse, I think about those who choose to walk through life and sit down and take life in on a regular basis. They don't grow weary and they never faint. They soar. And that brings me to our day of rest. Whatever day that happens to be for you.

One of the greatest gifts of a Sabbath isn't simply that we stop working. It's that we finally have time to notice.

When life moves at full speed, we rush from one obligation to the next without seeing what God has been showing us all along. But when we slow our pace, creation becomes a quiet teacher.

A stream doesn't "run" for its own benefit. It flows faithfully, bringing life to the deer that drink from it, the fish that live within it, and the fields it nourishes along the way.

A tree doesn't enjoy its own shade. It stretches out its branches to shelter birds, squirrels, weary travelers, and bears fruit that someone else will enjoy. It simply does what God created it to do.

Even the eagle Isaiah describes isn't a picture of frantic effort. It doesn't exhaust itself trying to prove its strength. It trusts the currents God has already placed beneath its wings, soaring with a confidence that comes from living according to its design.

Perhaps that's a reason God gave us a Sabbath. The invitation to intentionally slow down so that we begin to recognize that creation is quietly reflecting the character of its Creator. We see His generosity in the stream, His provision in the tree, His strength in the eagle, His faithfulness in the sunrise that never forgets to arrive. The more we notice His handiwork, the more we learn about His heart.

Isaiah reminds us, "Those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles. They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind." Isaiah 40:31, The Message paraphrase

Jesus offers a similar invitation when He says, "Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace." Matthew 11:29, The Message paraphrase

Tomorrow is the Lord's Day. If you're able, resist the temptation to fill every empty hour with one more project, one more errand, or one more obligation. Leave room to sit by the creek. Walk beneath the trees. Watch the birds. Listen instead of talking. Watch nature and people instead of screens. Thank God instead of hurrying.

You may discover that the One who created the world still uses it to teach His children and that we all are designed to be lifelong learners.

Gracious Father, thank You for creating a world that not only sustains us but points us back to You. Slow my hurried heart. Teach me to notice Your goodness in the ordinary things I often overlook. As I enter this Sabbath, help me embrace the unforced rhythms of Your grace and find renewed strength in Your presence. May I leave this day knowing You more deeply and trusting You more completely. Amen.

What part of God's creation have I been rushing past that might have something to teach me about the Creator?
Join us for worship at 8:30am, 9:45am or 11am Sunday. Details and Zoom lines for the last 2 services are available now at https://pennsvalleyparish.info/august-2-2026-gentleness-strength-under-control/