First United Methodist Church of Lewisville, AR

First United Methodist Church of Lewisville, AR Sunday Church Service: 11:30 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m.

09/08/2026

S.O.A.P.Y Daily Journal:

Tuesday, September 8
OT: 1 Samuel 12:1–25
NT: Ephesians 2:1–22
Ps/Prov: Psalm 52:1–9

S — Scripture
Ephesians 2:10 — “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works.”

O — Observation
Paul has just made it clear that salvation is a gift of grace, not something we earn.
Then he immediately talks about good works.
That order matters. We don’t do good things so God will save us. God’s grace comes first. But that grace changes us and gives our lives purpose. We are created in Christ to participate in the good God is already doing.

A — Application
Sometimes I can turn faith into one of two extremes.
I can act as though everything depends on me, work harder, do more, prove myself.
Or I can talk about grace as though what I do doesn’t really matter.
Paul leaves room for neither.
Grace comes first. Then grace gets to work.
I don’t have to earn God’s love today. I already have it.
But because I am loved, I have something to do.
There are people I can encourage. Needs I can meet. Forgiveness I can offer. Work I can do faithfully. Small opportunities to make someone’s day a little better.
Most of those things probably won’t feel extraordinary.
That’s okay.
God’s work in the world is often accomplished through ordinary people faithfully doing the good that is right in front of them.
I don’t have to prove myself today.
I just need to pay attention.

P — Prayer
Lord, thank You that Your grace is a gift I could never earn. Help me live in response to that grace. Open my eyes to the good You have placed in front of me today, and give me the willingness to do it. Amen.

Y — Yield
Today I will ask: “What good has God put in front of me to do?” Then I will do the next faithful thing I see.

09/07/2026

S.O.A.P.Y Daily Journal:

Monday, September 7
OT: 1 Samuel 11:1–15
NT: Ephesians 1:1–23
Ps/Prov: Psalm 51:1–19

S — Scripture
Psalm 51:10 — “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.”

O — Observation
Psalm 51 is David’s prayer after being confronted with his sin. He doesn’t make excuses or blame someone else. He acknowledges that something within him needs to change.
David asks for more than forgiveness. He asks God to create something new within him.
He knows that real repentance isn’t simply feeling sorry about what happened. It means allowing God to change the heart that led him there.

A — Application
Sometimes I want forgiveness without transformation.
I want God to remove the guilt, clean up the consequences, and help me feel better.
But grace offers something deeper.
God doesn’t just forgive me for who I’ve been. He continues shaping who I am becoming.
That means repentance requires honesty. I have to be willing to ask not only, “What did I do wrong?” but also, “What in me needs to change?”
Maybe it’s pride.
Maybe it’s resentment.
Maybe it’s selfishness, impatience, or something I keep excusing because admitting it would be uncomfortable.
God’s grace meets me there, not to condemn me, but to renew me.
I don’t have to hide the parts of myself that still need work.
I can place them before God and pray, “Create in me a clean heart.”

P — Prayer
Lord, thank You for grace that not only forgives but transforms. Show me where my heart needs to change. Create in me a clean heart and keep shaping me into the person You are calling me to be. Amen.

Y — Yield
Today I will ask God honestly: “What in me needs to change?” Then I will resist the urge to excuse or defend what He brings to mind.

09/06/2026

S.O.A.P.Y Daily Journal:

Day 37 | Sunday, September 6
OT: 1 Samuel 10:1–27
NT: Galatians 6:1–18
Ps/Prov: Psalm 50:1–23

S — Scripture
Galatians 6:9 — “So let us not grow weary in doing what is right.”

O — Observation
Paul knows that doing good can become exhausting.
He encourages the Galatians not to give up simply because they haven’t seen the results yet. There is a season for planting and a season for harvesting, and those seasons aren’t always close together.
Faithfulness sometimes means continuing to do what is right when there is no immediate evidence that it matters.

A — Application
Some things would be easier if the results came faster.
You serve someone and nothing seems to change.
You keep showing up and wonder whether anyone notices.
You pray for the same situation again and again.
You try to do the right thing and begin wondering whether it’s making any difference.
That’s when weariness can become dangerous. Not because being tired is wrong, but because tiredness can convince me that faithfulness isn’t worth it.
Paul doesn’t promise immediate results.
He simply says: Don’t give up.
I may not always get to see what God does with the seeds I plant. Some of the good I do today may bear fruit long after I’ve forgotten about it.
My responsibility isn’t to manufacture the harvest.
It’s to remain faithful with what God has given me to do.

P — Prayer
Lord, when I become weary in doing good, give me strength to keep going. Remind me that faithfulness is never wasted, even when I cannot see the results. Help me trust You with the harvest. Amen.

Y — Yield
Today I will identify one good thing I’ve become tired of doing and choose to remain faithful instead of giving up.

09/05/2026

S.O.A.P.Y Daily Journal:

Saturday, September 5
OT: 1 Samuel 9:1–27
NT: Galatians 5:1–26
Ps/Prov: Psalm 49:1–20

S — Scripture
Galatians 5:13 — “Through love become slaves to one another.”

O — Observation
Paul has spent much of Galatians defending Christian freedom. In Christ, we are set free from trying to earn our place with God.
But Paul makes it clear that freedom isn’t permission to live only for ourselves.
Christian freedom turns us outward. Because we no longer have to spend our lives proving ourselves, we are free to love and serve other people.

A — Application
I usually think of freedom as being able to do what I want.
Paul describes something different.
The freedom Jesus gives isn’t just freedom from something. It’s freedom for something.
I’m free to serve without needing recognition.
Free to forgive without keeping score.
Free to put someone else’s needs ahead of my convenience.
Free to love people who can’t do anything for me in return.
That’s a very different kind of freedom.
Jesus doesn’t set me free so that my life can revolve around me. Grace frees me from constantly asking, “What do I get out of this?”
Instead, I can ask:
“How can I love someone well today?”
The strange thing about the gospel is that some of the greatest freedom I experience comes when I stop making everything about myself.

P — Prayer
Lord, thank You for the freedom You have given me through Christ. Keep me from using that freedom selfishly. Make me attentive to the people around me and willing to serve them with patience, humility, and love. Amen.

Y — Yield
Today I will look for one opportunity to serve someone when there is nothing in it for me.

09/04/2026

S.O.A.P.Y Daily Journal:

Friday, September 4
OT: 1 Samuel 8:1–22
NT: Galatians 4:1–31
Ps/Prov: Psalm 48:1–14

S — Scripture
Galatians 4:7 — “So you are no longer a slave but a child.”

O — Observation
Paul reminds the Galatians that their relationship with God has fundamentally changed.
Through Christ, they aren’t outsiders trying to earn a place in God’s family. They have been adopted as God’s children.
Their identity comes before their effort. They don’t obey in order to convince God to accept them. They live faithfully because, through grace, they already belong to Him.

A — Application
It’s easy to turn faith into a performance.
Pray enough.
Serve enough.
Be good enough.
Try harder.
And somewhere along the way, I can begin acting as though God is keeping score and I’m constantly trying to prove that I deserve to be here.
But grace tells a different story.
I am a child of God.
That doesn’t mean how I live doesn’t matter. Actually, it gives me a better reason to live faithfully.
I don’t serve God because I’m afraid He’ll stop loving me if I fail.
I serve because I am loved.
I don’t pray to earn His attention.
I pray because my Father listens.
I don’t have to spend today proving that I’m worthy of belonging to God. Christ has already opened the door and invited me into the family.
My job isn’t to earn my place.
It’s to live like someone who knows where he belongs.

P — Prayer
Father, thank You for welcoming me into Your family through Christ. When I begin trying to earn Your love, remind me that Your grace has already made me Your child. Help me live today from the security of knowing that I belong to You. Amen.

Y — Yield
When I catch myself trying to prove my worth today, I will stop and remember: “I am a child of God. I don’t have to earn my place.”

09/03/2026

S.O.A.P.Y Daily Journal:

Thursday, September 3
OT: 1 Samuel 7:1–17
NT: Galatians 3:1–29
Ps/Prov: Psalm 47:1–9

S — Scripture
1 Samuel 7:12 — “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

O — Observation
After years of struggle, Samuel sets up a stone and names it Ebenezer, “stone of help.”
The stone wasn’t a monument to Israel’s strength. It was a reminder of God’s faithfulness.
Samuel wanted the people to be able to look at something tangible and remember: We made it this far because God helped us.

A — Application
Sometimes I need to stop and look backward.
Most of my attention naturally goes toward what’s next, the next responsibility, the next problem, the next thing that needs to get done.
And when I’m always looking ahead, it’s easy to forget how much God has already carried me through.
There are things I once prayed desperately about that are now memories.
There were seasons when I didn’t know how things would work out.
Days when I wasn’t sure I could keep going.
Problems that felt enormous at the time.
And yet, here I am.
That doesn’t mean everything worked out exactly the way I wanted. It means God remained faithful through it.
Samuel’s Ebenezer reminds me that remembering God’s faithfulness yesterday can strengthen my trust in Him today.
Whatever I’m facing now isn’t the first difficult road I’ve walked with God.
Thus far the Lord has helped me.
And I can trust Him for the road ahead.

P — Prayer
Lord, thank You for every place where You have carried me, provided for me, strengthened me, and stayed with me. When I worry about what comes next, remind me of Your faithfulness behind me. Help me trust You with the road ahead. Amen.

Y — Yield
Today I will remember one specific time God carried me through something difficult and simply pray: “Thus far the Lord has helped me.”

A blessed day at FUMC!
09/02/2026

A blessed day at FUMC!

09/02/2026

S.O.A.P.Y Daily Journal:

Wednesday, September 2
OT: 1 Samuel 6:1–21
NT: Galatians 2:1–21
Ps/Prov: Psalm 46:1–11

S — Scripture
Psalm 46:10 — “Be still, and know that I am God!”

O — Observation
Psalm 46 describes anything but a peaceful world. The earth changes, mountains shake, waters roar, and nations are in turmoil.
And right in the middle of all that noise comes God’s command:
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
The stillness isn’t possible because everything around the psalmist has finally settled down. It’s possible because God remains God even when everything else feels unstable.

A — Application
I sometimes treat peace like something I’ll finally have when everything gets under control.
When the schedule slows down.
When the problem gets solved.
When everyone is okay.
When I know what’s coming next.
But there will almost always be something making noise.
“Be still” reminds me that I don’t have to wait for everything around me to become peaceful before I can experience the peace of God.
Sometimes I need to stop trying to hold everything together long enough to remember that I’m not the one holding everything together.
God is.
The circumstances may still be uncertain. The schedule may still be full. The problem may still be there tomorrow.
But God is still God.
And sometimes that’s enough reason to stop, breathe, and trust Him.

P — Prayer
Lord, quiet my heart when everything around me feels loud. Remind me that I don’t have to control everything because You are still God. Teach me to rest in Your presence and trust You with what I cannot control. Amen.

Y — Yield
Today I will intentionally stop for a few quiet minutes and remind myself: “Be still. God is God. I don’t have to hold everything together.”

09/01/2026

S.O.A.P.Y Daily Journal:

Tuesday, September 1

OT: 1 Samuel 5:1–12
NT: Galatians 1:1–24
Ps/Prov: Psalm 45:1–17

S — Scripture
Galatians 1:10 — “Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval?”

O — Observation
Paul asks a question that gets directly to the heart of his ministry: Whose approval am I seeking?
He knew that faithfully following Christ would not always make people happy. If his goal was simply to please everyone around him, eventually he would have to compromise what God had called him to do.

A — Application
I like being liked.
I don’t think there’s anything particularly wrong with that. Most of us would rather have people approve of us than criticize us.
The problem comes when their approval becomes more important than faithfulness.
People-pleasing can quietly shape my decisions. I can avoid saying something that needs to be said. I can say yes when I should say no. I can measure whether I’m doing well by how people respond instead of whether I’m being faithful to God.
Paul’s question forces me to check my motivation.
Whose approval am I actually seeking?
Following Jesus doesn’t mean ignoring what everyone else thinks. There is wisdom in listening to others, receiving correction, and considering how my actions affect people.
But ultimately, popularity cannot be the measure of faithfulness.
Sometimes obedience will be appreciated.
Sometimes it won’t.
My calling remains the same: listen for God’s voice, follow where He leads, and trust Him with what other people think about it.

P — Prayer
Lord, free me from needing everyone’s approval. Give me humility to listen to others, wisdom to receive correction, and courage to remain faithful when obedience isn’t popular. Let pleasing You matter more than being praised by others. Amen.

Y — Yield
Today, before making a decision based on what others might think, I will ask: “Am I seeking their approval, or am I trying to be faithful to God?”

08/31/2026

S.O.A.P.Y Daily Journal:

Monday, August 31
OT: 1 Samuel 4:1–22
NT: 2 Corinthians 13:1–13
Ps/Prov: Psalm 44:1–26

S — Scripture
2 Corinthians 13:5 — “Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves.”

O — Observation
As Paul closes his letter to the Corinthians, he asks them to examine themselves.
That’s important. It’s much easier to examine somebody else.
The Corinthians had plenty of problems they could point to in one another, but Paul turns the question inward: What is happening in you?
Faith isn’t only something we claim. It should continually shape who we are becoming.

A — Application
Self-examination can be uncomfortable.
I can usually see someone else’s faults pretty clearly. My own are easier to explain away.
But following Jesus requires me to occasionally stop and ask some difficult questions.
Am I becoming more loving?
More patient?
More generous?
More willing to forgive?
Do my choices reflect the Jesus I say I follow?
These questions aren’t meant to make me wonder whether I’ve somehow earned God’s grace. Grace is a gift.
Instead, they help me notice where God’s grace is still working on me.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s growth.
And when I find something that needs to change, I don’t have to hide it or defend it. I can bring it to Christ and trust Him to keep doing His work in me.

P — Prayer
Lord, give me the courage to examine my life honestly. Show me where I am growing and where I still need to change. Keep shaping me by Your grace so that my life reflects the faith I profess. Amen.

Y — Yield
Today I will ask God one honest question: “Lord, what is one thing in me that You are trying to change?” Then I will make room to listen.

Address

204 W Fourth Street
Lewisville, AR
71845

Telephone

+18709214919

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when First United Methodist Church of Lewisville, AR 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 First United Methodist Church of Lewisville, AR:

Shortcuts

Share

Category