Pickett-Rucker United Methodist Church

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01/29/2026

Virtual Bible Study
Obadiah 1:11-14

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01/25/2026

Today's Sermon - Use Your Voice - Pastor Terrance D. Davis Sr. - Proverb 18:21 CEB
Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.

12/29/2025

MORNING MANNA

The Cost of Leading Well

Devotional: “Leadership That Lays Something Down”

Leadership always costs something. If it costs nothing, it is probably just influence without responsibility. True leadership requires sacrifice because it places the needs of others ahead of personal comfort, recognition, and convenience. Jesus made this unmistakably clear when He washed feet, carried a cross, and chose obedience over ease.

Sacrificial leadership does not mean neglecting wisdom or burning yourself out. It means choosing faithfulness over applause. It means staying when it would be easier to leave, listening when it would be easier to speak, and serving when it would be easier to be served. The strongest leaders are often the ones who carry unseen burdens with quiet resolve.

God entrusts leadership to those willing to lose something for the sake of others. Time is sacrificed. Ego is sacrificed. Sometimes peace is sacrificed. But in that surrender, God shapes leaders who reflect His heart. Leadership anchored in sacrifice does not diminish authority. It deepens it.

7 Day Scripture Reading Plan

Day 1 — Mark 10:42 to 45
Leadership through service.

Day 2 — Philippians 2:3 to 8
The humility of Christ.

Day 3 — John 13:12 to 17
Jesus washes the disciples’ feet.

Day 4 — 2 Samuel 24:24
A sacrifice that costs something.

Day 5 — Luke 9:23 to 24
Denying self to follow Christ.

Day 6 — 1 Peter 5:2 to 4
Leading willingly and faithfully.

Day 7 — Hebrews 12:2
Enduring the cost for the joy ahead.

Reflection Questions

1. What sacrifices has leadership required of me in this season of my life?

2. Where have I resisted sacrifice because it felt unfair or unseen?

3. How can my leadership better reflect the servant heart of Christ?

Putting It Into Action

Today, identify one way you can lead through service rather than position. It may be listening without interrupting, giving credit instead of taking it, or choosing patience when frustration feels justified. Offer that act to God as an intentional sacrifice and trust Him with the outcome.

12/22/2025

MONDAY MANNA

Walking in Wisdom

Devotional: “Wisdom Is More Than Knowing”

Wisdom is not the same as intelligence, experience, or good intentions. Wisdom is the ability to live rightly with the knowledge God provides. Scripture tells us that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord—not fear as terror, but reverence, humility, and a recognition that God knows what we do not.

Many people know what is right but still struggle to do it. Wisdom bridges that gap. It slows us down when emotions run hot. It helps us listen before speaking, wait before acting, and pray before deciding. Wisdom isn’t flashy, but it is steady. It often looks like restraint, patience, and obedience when a faster or louder response would feel more satisfying.

God promises wisdom generously to those who ask. That means wisdom is not reserved for the spiritually elite—it is available to anyone willing to seek God’s guidance and submit to it. Walking in wisdom doesn’t guarantee an easy path, but it does lead to a faithful one.

7-Day Scripture Reading Plan

Day 1 — Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Day 2 — James 1:5
Ask God for wisdom.

Day 3 — Proverbs 3:5–6
Trust God rather than your own understanding.

Day 4 — Ecclesiastes 7:12
Wisdom preserves life.

Day 5 — Colossians 4:5–6
Living wisely toward others.

Day 6 — Psalm 111:10
Wisdom grows from reverence for God.

Day 7 — Matthew 7:24–27
Building your life on wisdom’s foundation.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in my life do I need God’s wisdom more than my own understanding?

2. How do my recent decisions reflect patience, humility, or a lack of them?

3. What would it look like to slow down and seek God before acting this week?

Putting It Into Action

Before making any significant decision this week, pause and pray one simple sentence:

“Lord, give me wisdom to choose what honors You.”
Then wait long enough to listen. Wisdom often speaks quietly, but it leads steadily.

12/15/2025

MONDAY MANNA

Faithful Stewardship

Devotional: “Handling What God Has Placed in Your Hands”

Stewardship is not about how much you have—it’s about how faithfully you handle what you’ve been given. Scripture reminds us that everything we possess ultimately belongs to God: our time, talents, resources, relationships, and opportunities. We are not owners; we are caretakers entrusted with God’s blessings for a season.

Being a good steward means living with intention. It means recognizing that God’s blessings are not just meant for our comfort, but for His purposes. Faithful stewardship shows up in small, ordinary decisions—how we spend our time, how we manage our finances, how we care for our bodies, and how we use our influence.

Jesus taught that faithfulness in little things prepares us for greater responsibility. When we steward God’s blessings wisely, we honor the Giver and open ourselves to deeper trust and greater impact. Stewardship isn’t a burden; it’s an invitation to participate in God’s ongoing work in the world.

7-Day Scripture Reading Plan: “A Week of Faithful Stewardship”

Day 1 — Psalm 24:1
Everything belongs to the Lord.

Day 2 — Luke 16:10–12
Faithfulness in small things matters.

Day 3 — Matthew 25:14–30
The Parable of the Talents.

Day 4 — 1 Corinthians 4:1–2
It is required that stewards be found faithful.

Day 5 — Proverbs 3:9–10
Honor the Lord with your resources.

Day 6 — Colossians 3:23–24
Work as if serving the Lord.

Day 7 — 1 Peter 4:10
Use what you’ve received to serve others.

Reflection Questions

1. What blessings has God placed in my care that I may be taking for granted?

2. Where do I need to be more intentional or disciplined in how I manage what God has given me?

3. How can my stewardship better reflect gratitude and trust in God rather than fear or control?

Putting It Into Action: “The Stewardship Check-In”

Choose one area of your life this week, time, money, health, or relationships,and do a simple audit. Ask God to show you one small change you can make to steward that area more faithfully. Write it down and act on it intentionally, remembering that faithfulness grows through consistent, obedient steps.

12/09/2025

MONDAY MANNA

Hope That Holds You

\“When Hope Feels Heavy”

Hope is a strange and beautiful thing. It’s quiet but powerful, fragile but stubborn. Advent invites us to lean into a hope that doesn’t depend on circumstances behaving themselves. It points us toward a Savior who arrives not in a palace but in a place no one expected, proving that God can bring light out of the darkest corners.

Sometimes hope feels easy—when doors open, prayers are answered, and momentum is on your side. Other times hope feels like work—when you’re holding on with tired hands, praying the same prayers with no sign of movement. Yet Scripture reminds us that hope isn’t wishful thinking; it’s confident expectation rooted in God’s character.

Advent hope is steady. It whispers, “God is not done with you.” It reminds us that what you see isn’t the whole story and that God’s timing is precise even when it feels slow. Let this week be a chance to breathe, reset, and let hope rise again—not because everything is perfect, but because Jesus stepped into an imperfect world to redeem it.

7-Day Scripture Reading Plan: “A Week of Hope”

Day 1 — Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace.

Day 2 — Psalm 33:18–22
God’s eyes are on those who hope in His unfailing love.

Day 3 — Isaiah 40:28–31
Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

Day 4 — Lamentations 3:21–24
“Yet I still dare to hope…”

Day 5 — Hebrews 10:23
Hold tightly to the hope we profess.

Day 6 — 1 Peter 1:3–5
A living hope through Jesus Christ.

Day 7 — Psalm 130:5–6
I wait for the Lord, and in His word I put my hope.

Reflection Questions

1. Where has my hope been tested recently, and what did it reveal about what I’m trusting in?

2. What truth about God’s character strengthens my confidence as I wait?

3. How can I shift my thinking from “Will God come through?” to “How will God come through?”

Putting It Into Action: “Hope Habit”

Choose one area of your life where you feel uncertainty. Each morning this week, speak a single sentence of truth over it, something like:

“God is working in what I cannot see.”

Pair that sentence with one deep breath. This small daily practice builds a rhythm of hope that strengthens your spirit over time.