Bakers Chapel UMC

Bakers Chapel UMC Bakers Chapel United Methodist Church
Worship service at 9:30am on Sunday

06/25/2026

Thought of the Day

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. – 1 John 4:7-8 (NLT)

We all need someone to love us. Many will search all their lives for that special someone to love them. The fact is, even if we find that soul mate or that person who never quits caring about us, there will still be a void because we don’t have the fullness of love, which no one on earth can give. St. Augustine called it a God-shaped void that can only be filled with Jesus. Only when we have a loving relationship with our God through Jesus will we be complete.

John tells us that God is love, not that He loves or is lovable, but that He IS love. God is what love is all about. Without Him, there is no love. Jesus uses the imagery of fire and gnashing of teeth when speaking about hell. This might be exactly what hell will be like, or he might have been trying to describe how bad it would be. Actually, though, I believe that Hell will be much worse. God won’t be in Hell, and if God is love, that means there will be no real love in Hell. So even if a married couple would both go to Hell, they would not love each other. Hell is the absence of God, or more precisely, the absence of the loving relationship with God through Jesus.

God didn’t just create love. He is love. When He gives His love to His children, He’s giving Himself to them. So what does this kind of love look like? It's not a romantic love where the flame can go out over time. It’s sacrificial by nature. He showed this by sacrificing His own Son. Jesus showed us this by sacrificing himself on a cross.

John tells us that if we love others, we are children of God. If we don’t love others, then we can claim to have faith all day long, but our faith is false, and God won’t claim us. Love is that important!

In the love of Christ,
greg

06/24/2026

Thought of the Day

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

Paul teaches about compassion and forgiveness here. Jesus was so compassionate to forgive us, and so we should do the same. Let’s look at what it means for us to have compassion for each other.

The first thing we need to know about compassion is that it has nothing to do with a person's worth. A person who’s compassionate doesn’t look at the person, but at the need. Many want to show compassion to those they believe deserve it. But Jesus showed us the correct way in having compassion for us, even though we were undeserving.

People with compassion then do something. They don’t stand around talking about the need, forming a committee, and asking for volunteers to take on the need. Just as Jesus took things into His own hands, compassionate people do what is needed.

Compassionate people don’t just do something, though. Compassionate people are compelled by their love for Christ to do something. They see a need, are filled with the compassion Jesus has, and then do something about it. They know having compassion for others will cost something. They know that their time, money, or energy etc. will be needed and used if they get involved. And they do something anyway.

If you think about it, Jesus saw a need. He felt compassion. He did something about it even though it cost Him His life.

How compassionate are we willing to be in this world filled with hurting people with a plethora of needs?

In the love of Christ,
greg

06/23/2026

Thought of the Day

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare his praise? - Psalm 106:1-2

Today truly is a day that God has made for us to enjoy. Look around you right now. For whatever you see, say "Thank you, Lord." You might be sitting on your back porch or looking out your window at nature.

You might not be able to see the beauty of nature where you are at this moment. You might be at a desk or a cubicle at work. If so, look around. Is there someone there you can be thankful for? Can you say "Thank you Lord that I have a job and am not homeless?"

You might be in bed sick or sitting with another who is very ill. If so, can you bring yourself to say "Thank you for better days both past and future?"

Wherever you might be, you could be having a bad day. Can you thank God that He has not left you to your struggles even though sometimes it might seem like it? Can you thank God for the hope of a better day that He promises?

The point today is that no matter where you are in your life (and I've been at both ends of the spectrum), you can find it in you to give thanks. And the simple act of giving thanks could just be what it takes to start making your day better, no matter how good or bad it is.

Our God is faithful and true. He doesn't leave us. He loves us. Give Him your praise. Give Him your thanks.

In the love of Christ,
greg

06/22/2026

Thought of the Day

Come to me with your ears wide open.
Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
Isaiah 55:3 (NLT)

Isaiah writes, “Come to me with your ears wide open.” This is important because it’s easy to get into the habit of coming to God but only to share our woes. Jesus did, after all, tell us to bring our burdens to him. And he means it. But even when we bring our burdens to him, we have to listen so that he can tell us how he’s going to handle them.

Seek God by listening. We don’t only listen with our ears, though. We listen with our hearts. Listening to God comes primarily through listening to His Living Word. If you don’t know what is contained within the pages of your Bible, then you won’t know your God, your Father, your Savior and Lord.

Come, those who are thirsty, and seek God’s presence within the pages of His Word, a Word that is not dead. You can read it one day, and He’ll speak to you in one way. Another day, you can read the same passage, and the Holy Spirit can speak to you in another way. That’s His purpose for this book. It’s to teach us, yes. But its biggest purpose is to speak to us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

06/15/2026

Thought of the Day

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” - Matthew 16:21-23 (NIV)

When Jesus tells Peter those often quoted words, “Get behind me, Satan”, he’s telling Peter that his place is not in front of him. It is behind him, following him. Peter gets upset at the fact that Jesus has decided that going to Jerusalem and dying is the way to go about this Messiah thing. Peter thinks he has a better idea. And that idea is to fight. After all, that is what everyone was thinking the Messiah would do when He came.

Peter is trying to control Jesus here. He’s trying to get Jesus to do things his way. But Jesus tells Peter that it is He who should be leading Peter and telling him what to do, not the other way around.

I wonder how often we try to lead Jesus to where we want Him to go instead of following Him to where He wants us to go?

In the love of Christ,
greg

06/11/2026

Thought of the Day

God began a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again. - Philippians 1:6 (NCV)

Do you ever feel like a failure? Have you ever wondered why it is that you try to plant seeds for Jesus but never see any fruit? Do you think you ever make a difference for God?

God created you. He began a good work in you. You might say that this means that we're a work in progress. Sometimes we will see how this work plays out. Other times we won't. But know that if you allow God to do so, He will build and strengthen you, as well as calling you and seeing that you produce for Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

06/10/2026

Thought of the Day

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me -- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. - Philippians 4:9 (NIV)

Paul has taught the Philippians what he knows about Christ. He's been an example for them to follow. We are also called upon to be an example for others. I don't know about you, but there have been times when my example has not been the best. These are the times that I've not followed Christ's example.

If we all strove daily to be an example to others, we might find that some of the things we do that are not so Christlike will begin to disappear. Ask yourself if your lifestyle is the example that you would want others to follow. Is it the lifestyle that Christ would have you lead? What are the aspects of it that need to disappear so that others can follow your example of what a Christian should be?

In the love of Christ,
greg

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1965 Johnston Road
Hernando, MS
38632

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