Middleport First Presbyterian Church

01/30/2026

Once again, we have decided it is best to cancel church services this Sunday, February 1, 2026. Stay safe and warm inside, read some passages in your Bible, and pray for those in our midst.

01/23/2026

Church services for this Sunday, January 25 are canceled due to upcoming weather.

08/20/2025

Our church services are Sundays at 10:30. All are welcome!

12/06/2021

07/31/2020

God's Kids Korner: Friday, July 31, 2020
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
I'm going to briefly tell you this Bible story, but you really need to hear the whole story to understand it. Ask someone to read it to you from Matthew 14:13-21.
When Jesus heard about his friend John the Baptizer’s death, He left in a boat to go where no one lived because He wanted to be alone. But the crowds, who were following Him, saw Jesus leave and went to where the boat landed. The Bible tells us that Jesus had compassion for the people. Even though He was sad, tired, and needed to rest, Jesus healed them of their sicknesses and taught them about the kingdom. Towards the end of the day, the disciples told Jesus that He had better send the crowd away because everyone was getting hungry, and the disciples nor Jesus had anywhere to get food to feed them all. His followers told Jesus that all they had was five loaves of bread and two fish – not nearly enough for a gathering this large.
Jesus asked the crowd to sit down. Then He took the bread and the fish, looked up to heaven, gave thanks, broke the bread, and divided the fish. Guess what happened. There was enough bread and fish to not only feed all the people until they were full, but there were even twelve baskets of food left over!
Nice story isn't it? But you know what? Jesus' stories are more than just stories in the Bible. Jesus always wanted to teach us about how we could be better Christians, and this one is no exception. The Bible says Jesus had compassion for these people. Jesus knew they needed His help, so we should also try to be like Jesus and help people who need us too.
Secondly, we always need to have faith in Christ that He will provide what we need, when we need it. And notice another thing: in this teaching, the people were all fed until they were full and there was even lots of food left over! Jesus gives us not just what we need but more than we could ever need if we trust Him and ask for His help.
So let's remember to always try to help those who need our help and have faith that Jesus will help us do just that!
Let's say a prayer together. Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Bible stories that also teach us valuable lessons about how we can be better Christians. Help us to always want to help others and have faith in You to help us do what we need to do to accomplish that. Please help all those who are sick, afraid, or upset. Let them feel better! In Jesus' name, Amen.

07/24/2020

God’s Kids Korner for Friday, July 24, 20202
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and Pearl
Matthew 13: 44-46
This week we are looking at one of Jesus’ parables that is not quite so familiar and not so easily understood as some of the other ones. Have someone read you Matthew 13: 44-46 in an easier version of the Bible if you can. The story says that one day a man found a hidden treasure in a field. He left it hidden but went back to his home and sold everything he had to buy the field with the treasure hidden there. Then Jesus gave another example, saying that there was a merchant who was looking for fine pearls. One day he found a very good one, and he also went and sold everything just to buy the pearl.
Jesus said God’s Kingdom is like these two men. (How is that you and I might ask.) First, God sees the Church as a treasure – one God wants His Son to have. In order for Jesus to “buy” the treasure or the pearl, it will cost Him everything – His life upon a cross. But He is willing to give up His life to gain our salvation through His death and resurrection. So, we must realize just what a wonderful and glorious treasure we have been given ourselves through Jesus’ sacrifice for us.
Jesus wanted us more than anything else in the world, and He was ready and willing to do whatever it would take to buy our salvation. What a wonderful Savior we have to do that for us even when He knew we wouldn’t do things perfectly all the time and would make mistakes. He still wanted to give each of us the opportunity to love and serve Him, be forgiven of our sins when we do mess up, and finally live with Him forever in heaven. We can be assured from stories like these that Jesus truly loves us more than anything and came to save all those that put their faith in Him. Then realize too, that belief and faith in God is worth whatever we have to do to get it and keep it – no matter what it costs us. Amen.
Let’s pray. Jesus, thank You for loving us so much that You were willing to die for us. We don’t very often think of ourselves as treasure, but You do. Help us to do Your will and be good people, so You can be proud of Your pearls here on earth. Bless those who are sick and help us all to get along together. In Your name we pray, Amen.

07/16/2020

God’s Kids Korner for Friday, July 17, 2020
“Church Weeds” The Parable of the Weeds
Matthew 13: 24-30
No matter how hard I try, every time I plant my flowers and vegetable plants, I get w**ds growing in them not long afterwards. I try to pull them by hand or use w**d killer, but I’m usually not very successful. If I’m not careful, I pull out a flower or vegetable by mistake or get the week killer on my good plants. Neither one seems to be a perfect solution. I have found that sometimes, it’s just best to leave the w**ds alone until it comes time to harvest my garden. Then I can separate the w**ds from the good plants easier and throw the w**ds in the trash at that time.
One day, Jesus told a story (a parable) about a similar situation. He compared the church to a garden that was infested with w**ds. (You can read or have someone read to you the Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13:24-30 of the Bible.) He said, sometimes there are “w**dy” people in the church. These are people that don’t really belong there because they don’t truly believe what the Bible teaches; they don’t really love each other; and they just try to cause problems within the church. One might think we need to “pull” them out from the church, but we have to be very careful about trying to remove such people from the church. Jesus explained through this story, it is not our job to judge people’s hearts. That will be His job. Just like me trying to w**d my garden, we often do more harm than good. We might pull the good plants / good people by mistake without realizing it. God wants us to concentrate on our own lives and hearts and do the things that He wants US to do to be good Christians first and foremost.
God will separate these “w**dy” people from the good people when He returns. We shouldn’t take matters into our own hands, but let our Heavenly Father be that sort of gardener by Himself. In the meantime, we can always pray for them and sprinkle them with the “fertilizer” of love.
Let’s pray. Father God, thank You for being our “church gardener.” You take that responsibility from us, so we don’t have to judge or worry about figuring all of it out. We only have to do the best we can at loving You and others. Please help us to be Your good and fruitful plants in the garden of life. Bless all those who are sick and help our nation to heal. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

07/11/2020

God’s Kids Korner for Friday, July 10, 2020 “How Does Your Garden Grow?”
Have you ever planted a garden? There is a lot of work to growing a garden of flowers or vegetables. You have to dig up the soil, plant the seeds or plants, water them, fertilize them, w**d them, and keep the bugs off them. The work may not be fun, but when the harvest comes, we certainly enjoy eating the vegetables and enjoying the pretty flowers.
One day, Jesus told a story or parable (a story that teaches a lesson) to a group of people. He often told stories to the people to help them understand His message better. He told them about a farmer who planted some seeds. As the farmer scattered the seeds in his field, some of them fell on the walking path, and the birds ate them. Some other seeds fell on rocky ground. As those seeds sprouted, they wilted and died under the hot sun because they didn’t have deep roots. Then part of seeds fell among w**ds, so the w**ds choked out the baby plants. But some of the seeds fell on good, fertile soil, and they grew and produced a bountiful crop.
Jesus wasn’t really trying to teach the people a lesson about farming. His parable had a deeper meaning that He was trying to get them to understand. In Jesus' story, the seeds represent the Word of God, and the soil represents the people who hear the Word. Many times, people hear the Word of God, but they don't understand it. They don't really take it in. That is like the seeds on the walking path. The evil one comes and takes away the seeds that have been planted in their heart before it has the opportunity to grow in their life.
The seeds that fell on rocky soil represent those who hear the Word and receive it with great joy, but when the newness and excitement wears off, they drift away because they don't have deep roots.
The seeds that fell among the w**ds represent people who hear God's Word and believe what it says, but soon the message is crowded out by the worries of life and the desire to get more things. If seeds are planted in a bunch of w**ds, the w**ds will soon take over!
A person who hears God's Word, tries to understand what it says, and put it into practice in their daily life is like good soil. In good soil, the seeds take root, grow, and produce a plentiful harvest. That is the kind of soil that Jesus wants us to be. Jesus said in Matthew 13:23, “"But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown." What kind of soil are you?
Let’s say our prayer together. Dear Jesus, please help us to be like the good soil. Help us to listen to God’s Word, put it in our hearts, and live it out daily. Then we can produce a bountiful harvest living a good life and witnessing to others about You. In Your name we pray, Amen.

07/02/2020

Freedom Isn't Free 7-3-2020

God's Kids Korner (Independence Day)

All the flags we have probably seen this week remind me we will celebrate a very important holiday on Saturday (tomorrow.) How many of you know what holiday we will celebrate? That's right, the 4th of July. July 4th is also known as Independence Day. Do you know what independence means? It means freedom - being able to choose. In our country, we enjoy lots of freedoms. We are free to come to church and worship; we are free to choose what we want to be when we grow up; we are free to choose where we want to live; we are free to choose most of the things that affect our daily lives. I know, this year almost all of the parades and city celebrations have been canceled because of the coronavirus, but we still need to remember this important holiday and can celebrate it at home and with family.

Now, this might come as a surprise to some of you, but did you know that freedom isn't free? That's right; many people had to pay the price for us to have the freedoms that we enjoy in this country. There are countless men and women who helped to pay that price. Some have served in the Army, Navy, Marines, National Guard, or Air Force. Many of them fought in wars, and some were hurt and wounded. There are also many people who have loved ones who paid the ultimate price for freedom. They gave their lives fighting for our freedom.

Yes, we have a lot of freedoms, but the greatest freedom that we have is the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus. This freedom wasn't free either, Jesus paid the price. The Bible teaches that the penalty for sin is death, but you and I have been set free from this penalty. We have been set free because of what Jesus did for us. The Bible tells us that Jesus died on the cross to set us free from the penalty of sin. Instead of death, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have been given eternal life. Ephesians 3: 12 says, “In Christ and through faith in Him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

As we celebrate Independence Day, let us remember to stop and thank God for those who have paid the price for our freedoms. But even more important, let us remember to thank God for Jesus, who has set us free from the penalty for sin because He was willing to pay the price.

Let us say a prayer together. Father God, thank You for the freedoms that we enjoy in this country. We are thankful for those who paid the price for that freedom, but even more important, we thank You for the freedom we have because Your Son, Jesus was willing to pay the penalty for our sin. Please bless our country and help all those affected by the coronavirus now. In Jesus' name, Amen.

06/26/2020

God’s Kids Korner for Friday, June 26, 2020

Matthew 10:40-42 from The Message Bible

“We are intimately linked in this harvest work. (All Christians are in this together and called to witness for God.) Anyone who accepts what you do, (the Disciples) accepts me, (Jesus) the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do (Jesus) accepts my Father, (God) who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God’s messenger. Accepting someone’s help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. (A helper and Disciple) You won’t lose out on a thing.” (God will see what you are doing and be pleased.)

I read so many translations of these verses trying to find one that would not be so confusing for kids and finally chose the one above from The Message Bible. (I added the parentheses to help explain.) In these verses, Jesus is telling the Disciples that whoever welcomes them welcomes Jesus! And Jesus is God’s son, so welcoming Jesus is the same as welcoming God! Jesus was telling His Disciples it’s not going to be an easy task to witness to people. As we talked about a couple of weeks ago, it doesn’t seem possible for us to do what Jesus did, but we can do what He did just maybe on a smaller scale, starting with those around us. We discussed some ideas how to do that in that children’s sermon.

Jesus wants us to be kind and accepting of all people even those different from ourselves. God said above welcoming is being God’s helper. You may have heard about what is going on lately with racial tensions and people being treated differently because of their skin color or ethnic background. Jesus said this isn’t right, and He never treated people badly because of any differences they might have. In fact, Jesus dealt with a lot of people very different from the general population back then. He welcomed everyone and helped everyone. Now, we must understand that doesn’t mean we have to accept all behaviors because honestly some of the people’s behaviors lately we hear about in the news are not Godly. But we must be careful and remember we are all human beings and need Christ in our lives. We are all the same in God’s eyes. We can show them that by our own Godly behaviors and praying for them.

We don’t have to be famous, do miracles, or do huge works of volunteerism Jesus says. Do what you can to help someone and start with where you are and in small steps. I’m sure we can find one person to help every day – even if it’s in our own family. Jesus said above just giving a cup of cold water to someone makes us like Him. We can all do what we can to make this world a better place for everyone – nothing done in kindness is ever too small or not worthwhile. Amen.

Let’s pray. Father God, we thank You for all You have given us and especially Your Son, Jesus. Please help us to be welcoming to all people and help them in any way that we can – even if it’s just giving them a drink of water. Please help our country to heal from all the hurt feelings and injustices that have happened. Please help those affected by Covid 19 as well. Let us all remember to help each other and pray for each other just as Jesus did and still does. In Your name we pray these things, Amen.

T

06/20/2020

Sermon Middleport & Wilkesville: Father’s Day

June 21, 2020

(Scriptures are included in the sermon for today.)

Mother’s and Father’s Day sermons are hard to write and preach because of all the extenuating circumstances that involve mothers, fathers, children, and families. We all have “that” relative, and sometimes it is even the mother or father. If we are lucky enough to have or have had a good father, we should thank God for him. Being a dad is tough these days. Many of our fathers have passed on, so this day can be a difficult one too. You may remember on Mother’s Day, I read a list of sayings that just about all mothers have said at one time or another. Well, I found this, written by Martha Bolton entitled: What is Fatherhood?” See if any of you can relate.

Fatherhood is...getting to go anywhere you want for Father’s Day, getting to drive there, and even getting to pay the bill!

It’s getting up in the middle of the night to see what the noise was outside, when you’d really rather stay in bed and hide, like everyone else.

It’s the best excuse in the world to buy all those toys you wanted as a child and never got.

It’s catching yourself watching cartoons when no one else is home, and even sort of enjoying them.

It’s biting your tongue and remembering to be a good example when someone cuts you off on the highway.

It’s playing Santa at midnight on Christmas Eve, then paying for the privilege at 22% interest for 36 consecutive months.

It’s assembling toys that require one screwdriver and a nuclear physicist to assemble.

It’s praying for, hoping for, and anxiously looking forward to the day when your kids will be out of the house and on their own...and then trying to postpone that day as long as possible when it approaches.

It’s carrying sleepy kids into the house when you’re too tired to even carry yourself in.

Yes, fatherhood is sometimes a thankless job of fixing kites, breaking up fights, wiping up chocolate milk. It’s dental bills, broken arms, and skateboards. But today, Dad, we want to say we appreciate you, and all you do! Sounds pretty true to me when thinking about my own dad with my brother and me and Rick and the years raising our kids.

Both parenting and fatherhood can be a real trial and yet a real blessing. We are here today to remember our Father God and honor our earthly fathers. We need to do both. I want us to think about some of the things that hopefully you as a father and your own father did for which we should say, "Thanks, Dad!"

1- Thanks for material provision

2- Thanks for faithful instruction

3- Thanks for Godly illustration

I. THANKS FOR MATERIAL PROVISION

First Timothy 5: 8 says,

“Everyone should take care of all their own people. Most important, they should take care of their own family. If they do not do that, then they do not accept what we believe. They are worse than someone who does not even believe in God.”

Wow! That’s powerful. If a father does not provide materially for his family (food, clothing, shelter) then he has denied the faith of Christ and is worse than unbelievers. Why would such a father be worse than unbelievers? BECAUSE EVEN UNBELIEVERS provide for their families. Many men today are great fathers, but there are also many men who flit from one woman to another, getting them pregnant as some sort of trophy, and then leave the woman and the child to fend for themselves while they move on to the next. Even after a divorce, many fail to pay child support or be around to provide any sort of help and guidance to the child.

Do I think my dad provided for me? Sure, he did. I honestly don’t remember missing out on anything. He, like many of you and your fathers, worked more than one job most of his life to have enough money to give us what we wanted and needed. He grew up poor and vowed he would never let his family not have money for food, clothes, or the doctor. He worked to put himself through college and became an educator himself. Education was the key to getting out of poverty he believed. College was expected of my brother and me, and I had no student loans for college. Dad and Mom made sure they had enough money saved to put us through four years of higher education. That was very important for them to do that for their children. Your parents probably had goals that they strove for with you and your siblings as well. Did your father provide for you? He probably did, or you wouldn’t be here today. You need to thank him for it if he is still alive, or at least, give thanks to God that he did! Godly Fathers provide for their families.

II. THANKS FOR FAITHFULL INSTRUCTION

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord,” we read in Ephesians 6:4. Other versions of the Bible state it this way, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." "Parents, don’t be hard on your children. Raise them properly. Teach them and instruct them about the Lord." "Don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with the loving discipline the Lord himself approves."

Fathers do instruct their children about many things. They are bigger and better examples of what to do and not to do than we care to admit. Fathers have given all kinds of instruction to their children about such things as: school, work, relationships, dating, driving a car, etc. I used to hate it when my dad would try to talk with me about these things. I thought they were “lectures”. Now, I wish I could hear him “lecture” me again! But remember, faithful instruction is important, but we have to be careful how we deliver it. All criticism and no praise are not good even if it is meant with the best intentions. We need to ask ourselves at times: “I am a coach or a critic?

When we want only what is best for our kids, it’s hard not to criticize and nag at them, but they usually need to hear our praise even more. Here is the sad confession of one father. "I took my children to school but not to church. I taught them to drink but not of the living water. I enrolled them in Little League but not Sunday School. I showed them how to fish but not to be fisher of men. I made the Lord’s Day a holiday, rather than a holy day. I taught them the church was full of hypocrites and made a greater hypocrite of them and me. I gave them a color TV but provided no Bible. I handed them the keys to the car but did not tell them about the keys to the kingdom of God. I taught them how to make a living but failed to bring them to Christ who alone can make that life worth living."

How sad to think that those developmental years were wasted with our children on things that will ultimately have no value, so thank your father for the faithful instruction he gave you in life...for all the good advice – for all the lectures. And especially, if that instruction included the Lord!

1- Thanks for material provision.

2- Thanks for faithful instruction.

III. THANKS FOR GODLY ILLUSTRATION

By this, I mean a Godly illustration for life - Godly example for life.

In I Corinthians 11:1 Paul said to the Corinthians who were his children in the faith, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

Please notice: Paul didn’t say, "Do everything I do." He said, "Do everything I do which is Christ-like." Or follow the example of Christ. Paul wasn’t perfect and neither are we.

There are no perfect fathers - or mothers. God knows that and forgives us our mess ups! But we should try to the very best of our abilities to follow what Christ taught us with everyone and certainly our children more than anyone. There are lots of things that we have done in life that we do not want our children to do. We’re sorry when we have given them a bad example. But we have also done some good things, some Godly things, some Christ- like things, which we hope they will copy from our life. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING BEING; loving people!

If you’re a father, it’s often hard to be vulnerable. Our society often believes grown men don’t show emotion or cry or pray aloud or many other things considered not manly. They are to be “the strong ones.” But remember Jesus was moved by the injustices He saw during His time on earth and even cried for His friend Lazarus. Our children need to see we all are human and moved to joy - and tears at times.

Today, let us thank not only our earthly Fathers but our heavenly Father for all both have given to us. Good Fathers are first of all good husbands, so it is important for children to see Godly marriages too as examples of what families should be. May God lead us all to be good Fathers, Mothers, Grandparents, and Godly examples to everyone we meet – especially in our own families. Amen.

Let us pray. Father God, first and foremost, thank You for being our heavenly Father. You have given us the truest example through Your Son of what it means to be a loving parent. May we give You thanks also for our earthly fathers, even if they have gone to be with You. They loved us and taught us the best they could. They were Your example to us here on earth. Please bless all fathers and father figures this day. Give them the grace, knowledge, and endurance to teach future generations about Your love and the love of a father. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

06/20/2020

God’s Kids Korner for Friday, June 19, 2020

The First Commandment with a Promise

Father’s Day Ephesians 6: 1-3

This coming Sunday is Father’s Day – the day we say thank you to our fathers, grandfathers, step-fathers, or father figures. I know some of you may not have a dad around; I hope though that you have someone you can look up to and interact with that is a good “father” role model. And, I know, that not everyone has a great relationship with the dad either. If you don’t, I’m so sorry, but again, I pray you have a male in your life to fill that void.

Did you know that God commanded us to honor our mothers and fathers in the Ten Commandments given back in the Old Testament of the Bible? Then it is repeated by Paul in his letter to the Ephesian people in Ephesians 6: 1-3, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Yes, God tells us to honor our fathers and mothers, but what does it really mean to say “honor” your parents? The Bible teaches us that the way to honor your parents it to: obey them, respect them, and never cause them pain, I believe.

The Apostle Paul further wrote in Colossians 3: 20, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” When your mom or dad tells you to do something or not do something, it is for your own good, and you should pay attention to what they say – even if it seems dumb, unfair, or unpleasant to you. They would not tell you to do something that would hurt you or be against God’s will because they love you.

God wants you to respect your parents - actually all adults. Adults’ ways may seem strange to you as children often times, but you should always respect them, their ideas, their ways of doing things, their likes and dislikes, and their authority. Believe it or not, as you get older, you will gain more knowledge and wisdom, and they probably won’t seem so odd then!

Finally, I know you would never do anything to actually cause real pain to your mom or dad, but when you disobey them or sass them or don’t pay attention to what they say, it hurts them inside in their hearst. It causes them worry and sorrow, and you don’t ever want to do that to them that love you.

Please remember this about your father’s or mother’s love: nothing you do will ever make them stop loving you. A parent’s love is the strongest and most enduring love that exists with the exception of God’s love for us. But not obeying them, not respecting them, and causing them pain does hurt them more than you realize, so honor your moms and dads this day and always. If you read the rest of the commandment above, you will read that if you do these things, God promises that your life will be so much more joyful and successful. Make your parents proud and glad. You will never regret it. Give your father or father figure a great big hug this Sunday and a huge thank you for all he does and remember God’s promise!

Let’s say a prayer together. Dear Father God, we know You were our first Father. Then You gave us earthly Fathers to help take care of us as we grow. Thank you for these men who love us and show us a glimpse of what Your love is like. Please help us to always remember to honor them in the ways we should and also remember Your promise if we do. Happy Father’s Day, God! In Jesus’ name, Amen.