Cypress Methodist Church

08/23/2026

As Pastor Robert Hoover filled in at Cypress this morning, his sermon was titled “Listen to the Wind Blow.”

Our scripture came from John 3:1–8, where Nicodemus, a Pharisee and religious leader, came to Jesus at night. Nicodemus knew about Jesus and recognized that He had come from God, but Jesus explained that knowing about Him was not enough. We must be born again—born of the Spirit. Jesus compared the work of the Holy Spirit to the wind: we cannot see where the wind comes from or where it is going, but we can see and feel what it does.

Pastor Hoover gave the children a wonderful example. He asked them to close their eyes and then aimed a fan toward them. When they opened their eyes, they could feel the wind, even though they could not see it or know exactly where it came from.

The Holy Spirit can be like that. We may not see Him, but we can feel His presence and see the difference He makes in our lives.

Nicodemus knew Jesus, but did he really know Jesus? Sometimes we can be the same way. We can know the stories, know the Scriptures, attend church, and know who Jesus is—but do we truly allow ourselves to feel the movement of His Holy Spirit?

Pastor Hoover also shared a story about a preacher who had prepared a sermon believing it was especially meant for one particular man. But that Sunday, the man didn’t come to church. A few Sundays later, that same man was helping an elderly lady down the church steps. She gently placed her hand over his and said:

“I wish you knew my Jesus.”

Those few simple words changed his life.

Sometimes it isn’t the sermon we expect, the person we expect, or even the moment we expect. The wind blows wherever it pleases. The Holy Spirit moves in ways we may never understand or anticipate.

Anne Wilson’s song My Jesus reminds us of this same beautiful truth: Jesus makes a way when there seems to be no way. He rose from the empty grave, His grace is freely given, and what He has done for one life, He can do for another. Let Jesus change your life.

And Nicodemus’ story didn’t end with that nighttime conversation. After Jesus died, Nicodemus came with Joseph of Arimathea and helped prepare Jesus’ body for burial. The man who once came to Jesus quietly in the darkness was now openly honoring Him.

Nicodemus had felt the wind. He had experienced the Holy Spirit.

May we never become so comfortable in our faith that we simply know about Jesus without truly knowing Him. May our hearts remain open to the movement of His Spirit—even when we don’t know where He is leading.

Dear Lord, don’t let us become too comfortable. Help us to listen for the wind, to feel Your Holy Spirit moving in our hearts, and to follow wherever You lead. Amen. ❤️

08/23/2026

Sunday Morning Service

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. ❤️

08/13/2026

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

💙 Summer Serve Sunday at the Ridgeville Charge 💙
This past Sunday, the Ridgeville Charge came together for a wonderful, combined worship service at Cypress Methodist Church.
Our scripture for Summer Serve Sunday was 1 Peter 4:10, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
What a perfect scripture for a day celebrating service! Corbin, Callie, and Rob did a wonderful job sharing about their Summer Serve experience—the homes they helped repair, the prayers that were answered, the people they met, and all the exciting things God did while they were serving others. We are so proud of them for using their hands, hearts, and gifts to make a difference in the lives of others.
It was also a special Sunday of blessings as Pastor Cheri prayed over our bookbags, teachers, students, hunters, and fishermen as they head into a new season.
We were reminded of the beautiful promise found in Joshua 1:9:
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Pastor Cheri often reminds us to “Take Jesus with you.”
Whether you are heading back to school, entering a classroom to teach, going to work, serving someone in need, walking into the woods, or heading out on the water—remember:
Wherever your feet go, God goes too. ❤️
May we take Jesus with us wherever we go and always look for opportunities to use the gifts He has given us to serve others.
One Charge • Many Gifts • Serving One God

08/09/2026

Sunday Morning Service -Combined

08/05/2026