Mount Tabor Methodist Church

08/25/2026

This Sunday at Mount Tabor Methodist Church, Lay Leader Carolyn Muckenfuss brought us a powerful message about the greatest love of all — the love of God.

Our Scripture was one of the most familiar and beautiful verses in the Bible:
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

We use the word love for many things. We love shopping. We love going out to eat. Some people even love cutting grass! But the love described in John 3:16 is completely different.
God’s love is unconditional.
God’s love is self-sacrificing.
God’s love is intentional.
“For God so loved the world...” The word world refers to the cosmos — His creation, the earth, the universe, and the people He created. God's love reaches farther than we can ever imagine.
And God's plan to save us was not something He decided after mankind fell into sin. Jesus was part of God's plan from the very beginning.

1 Peter 1:20 tells us that Christ “was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”
Revelation 13:8 speaks of the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

Acts 2:23 tells us that Jesus was handed over according to God's “deliberate plan and foreknowledge.”

And 2 Timothy 1:9 reminds us that God saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done, but because of His own purpose and grace — a grace given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.

So what is salvation?
Simply put, salvation means to be rescued — to be saved by God from sin.
The Greek word soteria refers to salvation, rescue, and deliverance. The Greek verb sozo means to save, rescue, heal, or make whole.

Think about that for a moment. Before the beginning of time, God had a plan. He knew we would need a Savior. He knew the price that would be paid. And because He loved us, He gave us Jesus.
Through Jesus, we have salvation.
Through Jesus, we have grace.
Through Jesus, we have hope.
And through Jesus, we have victory!
We don't earn God's love or His salvation. They are gifts of His amazing grace.

And just as Pastor Cheri recently encouraged us to “Come and See,” that invitation is still open today.
Come and see the One who loves you.
Come and see the One who saves you.
Come and see the One who gives you victory.
❤️ “For God so loved the world that He gave...” — John 3:16

08/23/2026

Sunday

08/19/2026

God’s Time
By Pastor Cheri Yates

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” — Ecclesiastes 3:1
Growing up in church, I remember something that seemed to happen almost every Sunday. No matter what was going on in the service, somebody’s watch alarm would go off at 12:00 noon. Beep! Beep! Beep!
It was almost like an announcement: Church is supposed to be over now!
And if the preacher kept preaching, you could see it. Someone would look at their watch. Someone else would start tapping their foot. People would begin shifting in the pews. And every now and then, you could tell somebody was getting a little aggravated because worship was going longer than they thought it was supposed to. I sometimes wonder what God thinks about that.
God gives us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That is 168 hours every week. Yet sometimes we become concerned when the hour we have set aside for worship lasts a few minutes longer than we planned.
We live so much of our lives by the clock. What time do I need to leave? How long is this going to take? When will this be over? What do I have to do next?
There is nothing wrong with schedules. We need them. But there is a danger when we become so controlled by the clock that we begin trying to put God on our schedule too. We can begin to think, Sunday morning is God's time. But is it? After all, God invented time. Technically, it all belongs to Him.
The Monday morning commute belongs to Him. The Tuesday afternoon errands belong to Him. The Wednesday evening supper belongs to Him. The Thursday morning cup of coffee belongs to Him. Friday, Saturday, Sunday—it is all God's time.
Maybe the question is not, “How much of my time am I giving God?” Maybe the better question is, “How am I using the time God has given me?”
God does not want only the hour we give Him on Sunday morning. He wants to be part of our everyday lives. He wants time with us when we first wake up. He wants to hear from us while we are driving down the road. He wants to be part of our decisions, our conversations, our work, our families, our joys, and our struggles. He wants more than a place on our Sunday schedule. He wants a place in our everyday lives.
So the next time we find ourselves watching the clock during worship, rushing through a prayer, or thinking we are too busy to spend time with God, perhaps we should remember: Every heartbeat is a gift from Him. Every breath is a gift from Him. Every morning we wake up is a gift from Him. And every minute we have ultimately belongs to Him.
So instead of asking God to fit into our schedule, perhaps we need to ask Him to help us build our schedule around Him. Because God deserves more than whatever time we have left over. He gave us the time in the first place.

Prayer - Lord, thank You for the gift of time. Forgive us when we become so busy watching the clock that we forget the One who gave us every moment. Help us not to give You only an hour on Sunday, but to invite You into every part of every day. Teach us to use the time You have given us wisely, faithfully, and for Your glory. Amen.

08/19/2026

Pastor Cheri’s message this past Sunday was titled “Who Is Missing?” and came from John 1:35–46.
In this passage, people were beginning to discover who Jesus was. Andrew met Jesus and immediately went to find his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus. Then Jesus called Philip to follow Him. Philip, in turn, went and found Nathanael.
When Nathanael had doubts, Philip didn’t argue with him or try to convince him. He simply said:
“Come and see.” — John 1:46
They came. They saw. And they stayed with Him.
Pastor Cheri challenged us to think about those words — Come and See — and then to think about the people who may be missing.
Take a look through your contact list. Is there someone you could invite to church this Sunday? Maybe someone who would enjoy Youth Group, Supper & Scripture, Bible Study, or another church activity.
It doesn’t have to be a long conversation or a perfect invitation. Sometimes all it takes is a short message:
“We’d love to have you join us. Come and see.”
There are empty chairs and empty pews in our churches, and perhaps one of them could be filled by someone who is simply waiting to be invited.
But we must remember that the church is not the final destination. God is. Our invitation is an opportunity to help someone take a step toward Him.
So today, ask yourself:
Who is missing?
Who can I invite?
Who needs to hear the simple words, “Come and see”?
You never know what God might do through one simple invitation. ❤️

08/16/2026

Sunday Morning Service

08/13/2026

Thank You
By: Pastor Cheri Yates

“I thank my God every time I remember you.” — Philippians 1:3

Keith and I cannot thank everyone who helped with BEHOLD this year enough. As I thought about everything that took place, one thing kept coming to my mind: What a loving and giving church family God has blessed us with! So many of you helped in so many different ways.
Some baked cookies. Some delivered cookies. Some came early to cook, serve, and clean up for the Bishop’s breakfast. Some helped set up, serve, and clean up at the Ordination reception. Some volunteered their time to work at BEHOLD. And all of you lifted up prayers—for safe travel, for everyone involved, and most importantly, for BEHOLD to be filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Every cookie, every meal served, every table set, every dish washed, every hour volunteered, and every prayer prayed mattered.
It reminds me of 1 Corinthians 12, where Paul describes the church as one body with many different parts. We do not all have the same job, but every part is important. When each person offers what they can, something beautiful happens—the church becomes what God intended it to be. And that is exactly what Keith and I saw during BEHOLD. We saw the church being the church.
Not just inside the walls of our church buildings, but wherever there was a need. You gave your time. You shared your gifts. You worked behind the scenes. You prayed. You encouraged. You showed up.
Some of what you did was seen by many people. Much of it was probably noticed by only a few. But God saw every bit of it.
That is what makes serving Jesus so special. We do not serve for recognition or applause. We serve because we love Him, and because His love has taught us to love one another. Paul wrote in Galatians 5:13, “Serve one another humbly in love.” Church family, that is what you did.
Keith and I want you to know how deeply thankful we are for each of you. You are truly a blessing to both of us. We thank God every day for the church families He has allowed us to love, serve, and do ministry alongside.
BEHOLD may be over for another year, but what we witnessed does not have to end with BEHOLD. May we continue to be people who look around and ask, “Where can I help? Who can I encourage? Who needs prayer? How can I show the love of Jesus today?”
Because sometimes the greatest witness of a church is not found in something we say.
Sometimes it is found in a cookie baked with love, a table prepared for someone else, a dish quietly washed, a few hours freely given, or a prayer whispered for someone traveling down the road.
Thank you ALL! We love you, we appreciate you, and most of all, we thank God for you.
Prayer: Gracious God, thank You for the wonderful church families You have placed in our lives. Thank You for every willing heart, every helping hand, every act of kindness, and every prayer that was lifted for BEHOLD. Bless each person who served, whether their work was seen or unseen. Keep making us a church family that loves deeply, gives generously, prays faithfully, and serves joyfully. May everything we do point others to Jesus. Amen.

08/11/2026