Maple Park Church

09/06/2026

Please join us for worship! You can stream the service for September 5th here!

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09/05/2026

There's Power in Consistent Prayer

“pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

A lighthouse doesn't wait for a storm before it turns on its light. Night after night, whether the sea is calm or the waves are crashing against the shore, its light keeps shining.

Sometimes we treat prayer like a lighthouse emergency light. When life gets difficult, we turn to God. When the storm comes, we pray. And that's certainly a good time to pray. But Paul gives us a different picture:

“Pray without ceasing.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Paul wasn't telling the Thessalonians to spend every waking moment with their heads bowed. He was encouraging them to make prayer a consistent part of life—to keep coming back to God, in good times and difficult ones. The verse sits between “Rejoice always” and “give thanks in all circumstances.”

Prayer is more than something we do when we need help. It is how we stay connected to the One who is always with us.

So today, don't wait for the storm. Talk with God in the ordinary moments, too. Thank Him. Ask for His guidance. Share your concerns. Simply keep the conversation going.

What would it look like for you to keep the light of prayer shining throughout your day?

Lord, teach us to pray—not only when we need You, but throughout every day. Help us remember that You are always near. Keep our hearts turned toward You in both calm and storm. Amen.

08/31/2026

One Foundation

1 Corinthians 3:1-11

“According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else isa building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 3:10-11

A house can have beautiful windows, impressive rooms, and a carefully landscaped yard. It can have the finest craftsmanship and the most expensive furnishings. But none of it matters if the foundation isn't sound.

That was the problem Paul encountered in Corinth. The church was divided into camps: “I follow Paul.” “I follow Apollos.” They had begun building their identity around the people who served them rather than the One they served.

Paul reminded them that he and Apollos were only servants. One planted, another watered, but God gave the growth. Then he brought everything back to its foundation:

“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 3:11

Churches can have different personalities, traditions, preferences, and gifted leaders. We can appreciate one servant of God more than another. But none of those things can bear the weight of the Church.

Jesus is the foundation.

When we build on personalities, we divide. When we build on preferences, we compete. But when we build on Christ, we have something strong enough to hold us together.

So today, ask yourself: What am I building on?

Lord Jesus, keep us firmly grounded in You. When personalities and preferences threaten to divide us, turn our eyes again to the one foundation that cannot fail. Amen.

08/30/2026

https://www.youtube.com/live/8WuoiTHvDWM

Here is a link to the Maple Park Service for August 30th!

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08/30/2026

One Foundation

1 Corinthians 3:1-11

“According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
— 1 Corinthians 3:10-11

A house can have beautiful windows, impressive rooms, and a carefully landscaped yard. It can have the finest craftsmanship and the most expensive furnishings. But none of it matters if the foundation isn't sound.

That was the problem Paul encountered in Corinth. The church was divided into camps: “I follow Paul.” “I follow Apollos.” They had begun building their identity around the people who served them rather than the One they served.

Paul reminded them that he and Apollos were only servants. One planted, another watered, but God gave the growth. Then he brought everything back to its foundation:

“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 3:11

Churches can have different personalities, traditions, preferences, and gifted leaders. We can appreciate one servant of God more than another. But none of those things can bear the weight of the Church.

Jesus is the foundation.

When we build on personalities, we divide. When we build on preferences, we compete. But when we build on Christ, we have something strong enough to hold us together.

So today, ask yourself: What am I building on?

Lord Jesus, keep us firmly grounded in You. When personalities and preferences threaten to divide us, turn our eyes again to the one foundation that cannot fail. Amen.

08/25/2026

MIRROR OR WINDOW?
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." - Philippians 2:1-4

Have you ever walked past a mirror and stopped to check your reflection? We naturally look at ourselves. Is my hair okay? How do I look? What's wrong with this shirt?

A mirror is designed to turn our attention toward one person: me.

A window does just the opposite. It invites us to look beyond ourselves—to see what's happening outside, to notice the people around us.

Writing from prison, Paul knew that the Philippians' joy depended in part on their unity. So he gave them a simple but challenging instruction: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)

Pride makes us live like we're standing in front of a mirror. What about me? What do I want? What do they owe me?

Humility turns us toward the window. What does the other person need? How can I encourage them? How can I serve?

Unity begins when we stop staring at ourselves and start seeing one another.

Today, ask yourself: Am I looking in the mirror—or through the window?

Lord Jesus, free us from our preoccupation with ourselves. Give us humble hearts that see, value, and serve others. Make us one in Your love. Amen.

08/23/2026

Here is a link to Maple Park Church service for August 23, 2026. Come worship with us!

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08/17/2026

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

John 17:20-23

Stronger Together

Every day, thousands of vehicles cross the Golden Gate Bridge while powerful winds sweep through the bay below. It looks immovable. But the strength holding that enormous span together isn't one massive piece of steel. It's thousands of slender wires—27,572 of them—woven tightly together into a single cable.
Any one of those wires is remarkably fragile. But bound together, they can carry an extraordinary weight.

The bridge is strong because the strands don't stand alone.

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed for His followers. He didn't pray that they would all think alike or become identical. He prayed, “that they may all be one… as you, Father, are in me, and I in you.” (John 17:21)

Our unity doesn't mean we have no differences. Like those thousands of wires, we remain individuals. But when we are bound together in Christ, our differences don't have to divide us. They can become part of something stronger than any of us could be alone.
And Jesus gives our unity a remarkable purpose: “so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

The world is watching. When the Church is divided, our witness is weakened. But when we love one another, forgive one another, and stand together in Christ, people catch a glimpse of Jesus.
Where might God be calling you to strengthen unity rather than division?

Lord Jesus, bind us together in Your love. Help us lay down our differences, forgive freely, and live as one body so that the world may see You through us. Amen.

08/16/2026

Here is a link to the Maple Park Church stream on YouTube for August 16th, 2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6wfOEt_KNs

08/14/2026

“5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Romans 15:5-7

The first rehearsal was a disaster.

Young musicians from opposing political regions had been seated together in a youth orchestra. Instead of listening to one another, they competed. Each tried to make his or her instrument heard above the others. The result was harsh, chaotic noise.

Finally, the conductor stopped them. He pointed to the music. The composer had given each section different notes, but the same instruction: play sweetly and grow together.

“You cannot play this piece if you are listening only to yourself,” he told them. “Listen to the person next to you.”

Slowly, they did. They adjusted their volume, matched their partners’ bowing, and learned to leave room for one another. By the concert, their differences remained—but they were making music together.

Paul gives us a similar picture of life together in Christ: “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7)

Christian unity doesn't mean we all think, speak, or serve in exactly the same way. It means we learn to listen, make room for one another, and remember that we are all part of something greater than ourselves.

Today, ask yourself: Whose voice do I need to listen to more carefully? Where might I need to turn down my own volume?

Lord Jesus, thank You for welcoming us. Teach us to welcome one another, listen with patience, and live together in harmony for Your glory. Amen.