United House of Prayer, New Douglas, IL

09/02/2026

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105

08/25/2026

A congregation shows up for service but are they growing?

Daily Bible reading is one of the most powerful habits a believer can build, yet most churchgoers aren't doing it.

Are you growing, or just going?

08/23/2026

We hope to see you tomorrow. God Bless

08/19/2026

Reminder- The Celebration of Life for Jenny Kershner is this Saturday.

Join us for a Celebration of Life in loving memory of Jenny. Saturday, August 22 at 12:30 at the United House of Prayer, 511 W. Garner, IL 62074. Lunch immediately following at New Douglas Community Center, 209 S. Main St., New Douglas, IL.

08/05/2026

Join us for a Celebration of Life in loving memory of Jenny. Saturday, August 22 at 12:30 at the United House of Prayer, 511 W. Garner, IL 62074. Lunch immediately following at New Douglas Community Center, 209 S. Main St., New Douglas, IL.

08/01/2026

07/28/2026

Thank God today and every day!

07/22/2026

It is with heavy hearts and deep faith that we announce the passing of our beloved Jenny, wife of Pastor Larry. Jenny was a true pillar of strength, grace, and love in our congregation. She touched countless lives with her warm smile, big hugs and selfless dedication to the Lord's work. Please join us in keeping brother Larry and their family in your prayers during this difficult time.

Jenny Lou Kershner, 79, of Roxana, Illinois, passed away peacefully in her home on July 20, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family. She was born on July 30, 1946, to Orville and Virginia Mize, who preceded her in death. Jenny was the beloved wife of Larry Kershner, with

07/18/2026

Be Like the Bereans

In a world where everyone has an opinion, God is still looking for people who are anchored in His Word. One of the greatest examples of this in Scripture is found in the Bereans.

Acts 17:10-12 (NKJV) says:

“Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.”

The Bereans lived in the city of Berea in ancient Macedonia. They were ordinary people with an extraordinary commitment to the truth. When the Apostle Paul came preaching the Gospel, they didn’t reject his message simply because it was new. At the same time, they didn’t accept it blindly just because Paul was a respected apostle.

Instead, they did something every believer should do: they opened the Scriptures.

The Bible says they “searched the Scriptures daily” to see if what Paul was teaching was true. Think about that for a moment. If the Bereans examined even the teaching of the Apostle Paul against the Word of God, how much more should we examine everything we hear today?

This wasn’t skepticism. It was spiritual maturity.

The Bereans had teachable hearts. They listened carefully. They were eager to learn. But their final authority wasn’t a personality, a denomination, a preacher, or a popular voice. Their authority was the Word of God.

That is a lesson the Church desperately needs today.

We live in an age of podcasts, social media clips, conferences, and countless online teachers. While many faithfully preach God’s Word, not everything labeled “Christian” is biblically sound. The Bereans remind us that discernment comes from knowing the Scriptures for ourselves.

God doesn’t want us to be spiritually dependent on someone else to tell us what His Word says. He invites us into a personal relationship with Him through His Word. As we spend time reading the Bible, the Holy Spirit illuminates the truth, strengthens our faith, and protects us from deception.

Notice the result in Acts 17. Because the Bereans searched the Scriptures, “many of them believed.” Their study didn’t produce doubt. It produced deeper faith. Truth always strengthens genuine belief.

May we become a generation of Bereans. People who are hungry for truth. People who love God’s Word more than opinions. People who are humble enough to learn and discerning enough to test everything by Scripture.

As Paul later wrote:

“Test all things; hold fast what is good.”
1 Thessalonians 5:21 (NKJV)

Be teachable. Be discerning. Stay in the Word.

Be like the Bereans.