CPC Lombard

06/14/2026

THE BIBLE DARES YOU TO FILL IN THE BLANKS
Michael Kelley, Guest Contributor

“The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand.” Psalm 119:130 NLT

Once upon a time, I loved Mad Libs.

If you don’t remember this particular cultural phenomenon, Mad Libs was a book of short, simple stories. Each story had several blank lines marked with a part of speech—noun, verb, adjective, etc. One person would interview another and ask them for random nouns, verbs, adjectives, and the like to fill in the blanks. Ultimately, you would have a story with the blanks filled in but with random words that didn’t always fit.

The results were predictably hilarious because you could fill in the blanks with virtually anything and sometimes bizarre words. Sure, the story would end up nonsensical, but that was the point. It was to think of the most outlandish ways to fill in those blanks and then sit back and enjoy how it all came together.

Wouldn’t it be nice if life were a little like that? That you could fill in the blanks?

In such a world, you might say, “For dinner tonight, I’m going to have ___________.” And you could put anything in that blank that you wanted. Or you could say, “I’m going to take a trip to __________,” and you would magically be able to visit that place. Of course, life doesn’t work that way. Many limitations and exceptions keep us from filling in those blanks—time, money, and access – all limit how they can be filled in.

So, we know life doesn’t work like that, but maybe the Bible does. At least in a sense.

In fact, maybe the Bible invites us – even dares us – to fill in some of the blanks.

Take, for example, Romans 8:28:

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

We are invited to drill down on “all things” and do our best to fill in that blank. Sickness? Trouble? Job loss? Those are all big, significant, life-changing things, and you can fill in the blanks with them. But you can also fill in the blank with traffic, interruptions to your schedule, or an awkward dinnertime conversation. Those are small things. In either case, fill in the blank because everything does work together for our good. But don’t forget the rest of the verse, “…of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” The rest of the verse changes everything.

Or this from 1 Corinthians 10:13:

“No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.”

Fill in the blank with whatever temptation you are facing today. It still works, without exception, because no matter what happens, God will always provide the way for you to get through it.

Of course, we could go on, and there would be many more blanks to be filled in. But be assured that the blanks can always be filled in because of God's certainty, unchanging nature, and rock-solid promises to us through Christ.

Despite our best efforts to find the exception, we cannot.

We will not.

And praise the Lord, we can’t.

DIG DEEPER
Read "Why is Understanding the Bible Important?" at GotQuestions.org: https://www.gotquestions.org/understanding-the-Bible.html

04/05/2026

What happened on Resurrection Day?

After the completion of Passion Week comes the greatest day of them all: the day Jesus victoriously rose from the dead!

Early in the morning, the women went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus with their spices and perfumes. However, there was a large earthquake and the stone is rolled away by an angel. The guards are terrified and fall over like dead men. The angel tells the women to go tell the disciples that Jesus is risen.

Jesus appeared to many people that day, including 500 people at the same time. He appeared to Mary Magdalene, Peter and the disciples, along with His brother James and others. He even shows them His hands and His side to prove that He has risen from the dead. Even doubting Thomas falls on his knees and says "My Lord and my God" when seeing this evidence.

Now that Jesus has risen from the dead, we can have salvation in His name. Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and He rose from the dead so that we can live again with Him. As Jesus proclaimed: "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall He live."

The Lord is risen, indeed!

04/05/2026

As we open our hearts and prepare for our journey through Holy Week, we pray that we may be agents of God's love in this world and that our bodies may be filled with the Life that is Christ within us.

04/05/2026

The first to see Jesus
was a woman
who once had seven demons

Not a priest
Not a ruler
Not the ones who walked closest beside Him

A woman
the world would have overlooked
the world would have labeled
the world would have whispered about

A woman
who knew what it felt like
to be bound
to be broken
to not even recognize herself

Seven demons

Fully captive
Fully lost
Fully unable to save herself

Until Jesus

And I wonder
if that’s why she stayed

Why she was the one
still at the tomb
still weeping
still searching

Because when you’ve been set free like that

you don’t leave

You don’t forget
You don’t move on like it was small

You stay close

Even when it looks over
Even when it feels finished
Even when hope feels buried

She stayed

And she came looking
for a dead Savior

But Jesus doesn’t stay dead

And the first voice
He chose to speak to

the first eyes
He chose to meet

the first name
He called

was hers

Mary

The woman
who once had seven demons

The woman
who knew exactly
what He had saved her from

Because maybe

the ones who have been freed the most
love the deepest

And maybe

the reason she saw Him first

is because she never stopped looking

So if you feel disqualified
too broken
too far gone

remember this

The first person
to witness the resurrection

was a woman
who used to be completely bound

And Jesus chose her

to see Him

alive 🤍

04/03/2026

Good Friday
April 3, 2026

God, today we pause.

Good Friday reminds us how heavy life can get—the pain, the betrayal, the heartbreak, the silence when everything feels like it’s falling apart. It’s that moment when it looks like darkness is winning, hope feels buried, and the future feels uncertain.

But even then… You were still working.

Through the grief, the doubt, the chaos—nothing was wasted. Your plan was still unfolding, even when no one could see it yet.

Thank You for reminding us that Friday is not the end of the story.
That when it feels like everything is lost, something bigger is already in motion.

Help us remember that our hard seasons aren’t permanent.
Our pain doesn’t get the final say.

Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice, Your love, and the victory that was already coming—even in the darkest moment.

Today we hold on with gratitude, trusting that even if it feels like Friday… Sunday is coming.

Amen.

03/29/2026

Today Is Palm Sunday…
Today, the streets remember.
Not with noise—
but with whispers of branches
laid down in surrender.

“Hosanna,” they cried,
with hopeful hearts and open hands,
welcoming a King
they did not fully understand.

He came not in power
as they expected—
no crown of gold,
no throne of stone—
but riding humbly,
lowly,
on a borrowed c**t.

A Savior who chose
gentleness over grandeur.
Peace over pride.
Love over being understood.

They waved their palms,
not knowing
those same hands
would soon fall silent.

Because the praise would turn.
The cheers would fade.
And the road they laid with branches
would lead Him
to a cross.

But still—He came.

Knowing the betrayal.
Knowing the suffering.
Knowing the weight of every sin
He would carry.

Still—He came.

For the broken.
For the weary.
For the ones who would shout His name
and the ones who would forget it.

Today is Palm Sunday—
a reminder
that our King is not distant.
He steps into the dust with us.

He sees.
He knows.
He chooses us anyway.

So lay it down—
your burdens, your pride, your fears.
Place them at His feet
like palms on the road.

And whisper it again,
with a heart that understands a little more now—

Hosanna.

Save us.

03/29/2026

12/28/2025

✨ Wise men still seek Him. ✨

Not because they have all the answers,
but because they are willing to follow the light.

This season, we invite you to pause, reflect, and journey with us at Community Presbyterian Church of Lombard.
Come as you are. Bring your questions, your hopes, and your wonder.

📍 1111 E. Madison St. | Lombard, IL
🕯️ Join us for worship, reflection, and community this Christmas season.

You are welcome here. Always.

12/25/2025

Today, we celebrate Love made visible.
On Christmas Day, we remember that God chose closeness over distance, hope over fear, and light over darkness.

Whether you are surrounded by family, carrying quiet memories, or simply seeking peace, you are not alone. Christ is born for you. 🤍

From all of us at Community Presbyterian Church of Lombard, may your Christmas be filled with grace, warmth, and the gentle reminder that you are deeply loved.

Merry Christmas.

12/21/2025

𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲)
On the fourth week of Advent, we light the final purple candle to mark the final week of prayer and penance as we wait for the birth of our Savior. This final candle, the "ANGEL'S CANDLE" symbolizes "PEACE". It reminds us of the message of the angels: "Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men."
𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲
It symbolizes the light of Christ, which grows brighter as Christmas approaches.
𝗪𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 (𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗲)
A circle of branches from an evergreen tree that signifies God's unending love for us.