Maquoketa First United Methodist

08/02/2026

📣Join us tomorrow!!📣
✨ Let Your Light Shine at Illumination Station VBS! ✨

Kids are invited to join us for Illumination Station Vacation Bible School at First United Methodist Church!

📅 August 3–6, 2026
🕔 5:00–8:00 PM
📍 1019 Wesley Drive, Maquoketa, IA

Who can attend?
💡 Children ages 3 years old by September 15, 2026 through those entering 5th grade.

Each evening includes:
✨ Bible adventures
🎵 Music
🎨 Crafts
🎲 Games
🍽️ A light meal
😊 New friendships and lots of fun!

Throughout the week, children will discover that Jesus is the Light of the World and learn how to let His light shine in their lives every day.

Register today: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKOeal5zHq3uxjVykcaEUDILysgecXgDfrglkVmZ158LRvkA/viewform

Invite your friends, neighbors, and family to experience an exciting week filled with faith, fun, and the light of Christ. We can't wait to see you at Illumination Station VBS! 💛

08/02/2026

Welcome all,
It is nice to have each of you here. Near and far we can worship together and spread God's word.
We now have a way if you would like to help spread God's words. You are now able to donate online at Tithely.com Select: First United Methodist Church Maquoketa Or you can download the Tithely App
Thank you for all your support! With your continued support we can spread the word and good works of God

08/02/2026

Daily Devotion

Standing Strong Against Opposition
Pastor Greg Laurie

“So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.” (Acts 27:25 NLT)

Many Christians are tempted to believe the lie that when we’re in the will of God, everything will be smooth sailing. But often just the opposite is true. Doors slam in our faces. Obstacles appear in our paths. Storms arise that threaten to drive us off course.
That’s why we need to remember that we have a spiritual enemy who wants to stop us from doing what God wants us to do. And he will use any means at his disposal to accomplish his work, including causing us to doubt God’s goodness and protection.
Acts 27 was a prisoner facing trial, he recognized that his circumstances would give him a momentous opportunity to share the gospel with several highly placed Roman officials. He reasonably could have expected smooth sailing all the way to his destination. After all, he was doing the Lord’s will even as his life hung in the balance.
But that’s not how this story goes. An incredible storm arose that caused the people on his ship to despair of their lives—but not Paul. It seems there was no obstacle big enough to stop the apostle. He always seemed to rise above his circumstances. His words to his sailing companions in Acts 27:25 summarize his mindset: “So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.” As he went through the storm, he knew God had shown him what to do, and he would let nothing deter him from that course.
When a hard time hits, when a crisis hits, when a tragedy hits, often our first instinct is to look for a way out. We ask God for an airlift out of our problems. But God wants us to learn in the midst of them. Romans 8:35 and 37 say, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Notice the phrase “in all these things.” It isn’t saying we won’t face some of these things. But it says that in them we are more than conquerors.
If you’re seeking to obey the Lord, expect opposition. Expect obstacles. Expect difficulties. But also expect God to see you through.
That applies on a national level as well. Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th president, once gave a speech in which he talked about “the man in the arena”—that is, a person, such as a national leader, who is heavily involved in doing what he believes is right, all the while enduring the attacks, criticism, and second-guessing of those who sit on the sidelines.
In an earlier devotion we talked about how electing believers into office facilitates revival in our nation. But we also need to stand by those leaders because our spiritual enemy will do his best to wear them down or neutralize them through continuous attacks. They need our support.

08/01/2026

08/01/2026

✨ Let Your Light Shine at Illumination Station VBS! ✨

Kids are invited to join us for Illumination Station Vacation Bible School at First United Methodist Church!

📅 August 3–6, 2026
🕔 5:00–8:00 PM
📍 1019 Wesley Drive, Maquoketa, IA

Who can attend?
💡 Children ages 3 years old by September 15, 2026 through those entering 5th grade.

Each evening includes:
✨ Bible adventures
🎵 Music
🎨 Crafts
🎲 Games
🍽️ A light meal
😊 New friendships and lots of fun!

Throughout the week, children will discover that Jesus is the Light of the World and learn how to let His light shine in their lives every day.

Register today: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKOeal5zHq3uxjVykcaEUDILysgecXgDfrglkVmZ158LRvkA/viewform

Invite your friends, neighbors, and family to experience an exciting week filled with faith, fun, and the light of Christ. We can't wait to see you at Illumination Station VBS! 💛

08/01/2026

Daily Devotion

Healing From Within
Pastor Greg Laurie

“Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will
return to you.” (Psalm 51:7-13 NLT)

As we look at the trouble and turmoil in our country now, it isn’t hard to see that the United States is reaping the results of years of disobedience to God and His Word. We’ve worked hard to remove God and His Word from our courtrooms, from our classrooms, and from society in general.
But our society’s troubles are all symptoms of a deeper problem. Simply put, it’s the effect of sin that we’re seeing. We’ve been so careful to arm ourselves against the enemy on the outside, yet we’ve forgotten the enemy on the inside. And we’ve missed one of the most important blessings of history.
Abraham Lincoln made this proclamation in 1863: “Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.” Honest Abe was right. We are rotting from within.
How will we solve this problem? Politicians can’t do it for us. While they can offer some help, their efforts won’t get to the root of the problem. The only answer is a heaven-sent spiritual awakening. The only answer is a revival.
The words of the psalmist reflect the spirit necessary for a revival. “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.” (Psalm 51:7-13 NLT)
There will never be a spiritual awakening in this nation until we believe in the one and only true God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Without this, there will never be moral change or a cure for our countless social ills. This is the message God has entrusted to believers. This is the message we must deliver to the nation as we pray for and work toward revival.

07/31/2026

Daily Devotion

Guarding Against Unbelief
Pastor Alistair Begg

As the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.” Hebrews 3:7-9

Before the Israelites entered the promised land, God had them send twelve spies into Canaan on a reconnaissance mission. Two of those spies, Joshua and Caleb, are famous for their “minority report,” which concluded that the land was ripe for the taking. The people, though, would not listen to them, demonstrating their distrust of God. Despite all the evidence they had had of God’s reliability, the Israelites quickly reverted to trusting their own judgment.
In a moment of unbelief, the people feared they would die if, as Caleb and Joshua were urging them to, they chose to rely on God’s power to overcome a great enemy. Numbers 13:25-14:4 God responded with judgment: instead of enjoying the promised land, an entire generation spent the remainder of their lives in the wilderness, never experiencing the joy God had offered them (14:21-23).
Like the Israelites, you and I have a propensity for unbelief. The writer of Hebrews warns us, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12 Such an exhortation wouldn’t be necessary if it weren’t possible for us to have sinful, unbelieving hearts! We do want to sin. We do want to go our own way. We do not wish to trust.
Unbelief hardens us so that when the Bible is preached, instead of God’s word coming into our hearts and minds like seeds sown in the ready earth, our hearts and minds become like a corrugated tin roof. The more the Bible is taught, the more its effect on us becomes like rain hitting against that which it cannot permeate.
So be on guard, lest your heart become impervious to the truth of Scripture. Be wary that you don’t become someone who defends the Bible, tells other people about it, and quotes from it, but all the while hardening your heart against what God is saying to you in it.
How do we protect ourselves against such unbelief? Exhort others to remember what God has done in and through Christ and ask them to do the same for you. Colossians 3:16 And ask the same Spirit who authored Scripture to work in your heart as you hear His voice. As you are reminded of God’s power and care and as the Spirit goes to work in you, your heart will be softened to receive the seeds of His word.

07/30/2026

Daily Devotion

God’s King
Pastor Alistair Begg

And God said to [Jacob], “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.” Genesis 35:11

The book of Judges tells the story of the Israelites in the promised land after the death of their leader, Joshua. It’s a depressing story because the people very quickly rebelled, beginning a cycle that repeats itself throughout the book. First, the people sinned; second, God allowed them to be defeated and oppressed; third, they cried for help; and, fourth, God intervened by raising up a judge, or leader, to defeat Israel’s enemies and restore peace to the land. But peace never lasted for long before the sequence was repeated.
Throughout the period of the judges, Israel was collapsing—religiously, socially, morally, and economically. In response, the people started to think that life would be a lot better if only a king were appointed, as God had declared to Jacob one would be. Yet, seeking to be like the nations around them, they rejected God’s kingship—the very thing that made them unique. They wanted a monarchy instead of a theocracy. And rather than looking for a king who would govern under God and lead them in obedience to His rule, they were looking for a king who would rule instead of Him.
Remarkably, despite the sinfulness of the Israelites’ motivations, God fulfilled their request. Many kings of Israel followed, but never the king they truly needed. There was still someone greater to come. In a way that only He could orchestrate, God used the people’s shortsighted demand for a king like those of other nations to fulfill His ultimate purpose for a King who would one day rule those nations. Eventually, Israel’s royal line would culminate in Jesus, the coming King whom God had promised—one whose “scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” Genesis 49:10
The true kingdom would be established by the Messiah, who would rule under God’s authority and would be His supreme gift to an unworthy people.
See how immense God is, that He is able to sweep into His purposes even foolish requests and bad motivations! God is bigger than our choices and even our mistakes. He is sovereign over every misstep. Though we, like Israel, may fail at times, we can surely trust God to overcome our failings as He accomplishes His purposes. And we can gladly obey His King in our lives today, rather than seeking to serve anyone or anything in His stead.

07/29/2026

Daily Devotion

Called to Serve
Pastor Alistair Begg

Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:19-20
Have you ever been somewhere—maybe in a restaurant, a doctor’s office, or a department store—and asked a worker why they do what they do? Perhaps they’re trying to support a family. Maybe they’ve had a keen interest in the field since they were young. Among a variety of answers, you’ll occasionally hear someone say, “This is my calling.” In a very real sense, they express accurately the New Testament’s perspective on ministry.
Those who are in Christ are all called to a life of service. It’s not that we are all called to Christ but only some go on to serve; service is an integral part of Christian discipleship. When Jesus called His disciples to become “fishers of men,” He was saying to them, I have a job for you to do. I want you to be involved in My ministry.
Whether a Christian is called to serve as a preacher or teacher of God’s word, as a Bible-study leader for youth, as a volunteer in the church nursery, as a witness in their factory or office, as a parent raising children in the home or a child caring for an elderly parent, or in some other role, God’s call to service equally applies. Any distinction between “full-time servants” and “lay servants” is a distinction not of value but only of function. The service itself is what’s most important.
In the Bible’s terms, service is not a pathway to greatness; service is greatness. “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 We don’t serve sacrificially in hopes that we’ll be “promoted,” as in the workplace or in academic circles, nor do we serve so that one day we’ll serve no more. Jesus says, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (9:35). When our actions demonstrate our understanding of this paradox, all glory will go to God.
Christian service is ultimately nothing less than the ministry of the risen Lord Jesus among and through His people. The apostle Paul understood this clearly when he wrote, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
Jesus gave His life for us in order that He might take our lives from us and live His life through us. If you understand that, you will truly be able to serve as Jesus served—and your life will count for far more than if you had used it to serve yourself. Let us be about our calling today.