Oak Meadow United Methodist Church

09/06/2026

Oak Meadow UMC



Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from CCLI:

Church Copyright License #23198134
CCLI Streaming Plus License #23198141

Like, Subscribe & Share►https://bit.ly/3hoIiCX

Oak Meadow UMC
--Follow Us --
Facebook and YouTube

09/04/2026

A Word For Today: Friday, September 4, 2026

The point of this devotional is that God will meet us where we are. Some of the most exciting passages in the Old Testament include what are called “Theophanies.” These are when God made Himself known in a tangible form. For example, God made Himself known to Abraham as a traveler. We see in Genesis 18 that Abraham was sitting outside his tent when three messengers arrived. Two of them were angels; the other one was God Himself. Why did the Lord come to Abraham as a traveler? Because Abraham was a traveler!
In Genesis 32:22-32, God appeared to Jacob as a wrestler. Why did God choose this guise? It was because Jacob was always fighting, conniving, resisting, and wrestling to get what he wanted.
According to Joshua 5:13-15, on the night before the Israelites began their siege of Jericho, God appeared to Joshua as the commander of the Lord’s army. Why? Because Joshua was the commander of Israel army.
The point is that God will meet us where we are not necessarily physically, but spiritually. We don’t need a theophany. As a Christian, God’s Holy Spirit dwells within us. God communicates with us from within and that is more intimate than He did with Abraham, Jacob, and Joshua. The bottom line is that God will meet us where we are to lift us up to where He wants us to be.

09/03/2026

A Word For Today: September 3, 2026

Yesterday I wrote about some Biblical characters whose circumstances led them to listen to God. Let’s continue today with some that are not quite so dramatic. Acts 8:26-40 tells the story of Philip the Evangelist’s encounter with an Ethiopian official. According to verse 29, “The Holy Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and walk along beside the carriage.’” (NLT) Philip followed the Spirit’s prompting and led the Ethiopian officer to Christ.
Over two thousand years later, God still works through circumstances involving other people. I’ve heard “good sermon. It was like you were talking to me.” I’ve also heard God speaking to me through people like you. I’ve had people address a situation I was going through, even though that person probably didn’t know of my circumstances. I can still remember and quote Judy Adams saying, “Assume the best until you know otherwise.”
Another friend was Janice Martin who simply said, “PUSH.” Then she gave me a pin with those letters on it and told me they stood for, “Pray Until Something Happens.” I wore that pin and prayed and something wonderful happened. They were using circumstances for God to speak to me through them. Maybe that’s what all of us need to be is available for God to speak to others through us. Sometimes the right circumstance just arrives and other times we just need to listen to God and then speak. It’s so good to be used by Him for someone else.

09/02/2026

09/02/2026

A Word For Today: Wednesday, September 2, 2026

One of the crucial benefits in learning to be still is that it gives us an opportunity to become more aware of our circumstances. God often speaks to us through our circumstances. I’ve had occasions where I sensed something was the will of God and then things just fell into place circumstantially. I’ve also had the opportunity to hear God say no to something according to the circumstance. All of this is about Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” Let’s begin by looking at some Biblical characters who experienced God through their circumstances.
Gideon in Judges 6-8 was called by God to lead the Israelites against the Midianites. However, he had a hard time seeing himself as a great military leader. Therefore, he asked God to confirm his calling. In Judges 6:36-38 the circumstance of a morning dew assured him that he was the man for the job.
Likewise, when the prophet Jonah tried to flee from God because he didn’t want to go to Nineveh, God used a storm at sea and a great fish to bring his journey to an abrupt halt before he went to Nineveh. I didn’t want to be appointed to west Texas, but when I became a District Superintendent that’s exactly where I was sent and those were some of the best six years of my life! When we’re available, God will use our circumstances for our good when we are still and know that He is God. Let God work with the circumstances of your life.

09/01/2026

A Word For Today: Tuesday, September 1, 2026

It has been said that the Lord gave us one mouth and two ears. Maybe He wants us to listen more and speak less. Proverbs 18:13 says, “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.” Our words are a table of contents to our life. What we say gives away who or what we really are. That’s why David wrote in Psalm 141:3, “Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.” The realization here is that we need God’s help because we can’t do this on our own.
David faced off against a lion, a bear, the murderous King Saul and even the giant Goliath. But these were nothing compared to having God control his tongue. We too can accomplish important works with our words after we’ve listened wisely. Paul wrote in Colossians 4:5-6, “Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversations be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” (NLT)
Like David, we need to pray that the Lord will set a guard over our mouths and keep a watch over our lips. As someone once said, “Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can break your heart!” We’ll have to answer for every idle word we utter so let’s listen carefully and let the Lord speak though us. As Proverbs 15:4 says, “Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” (NLT) Let’s not crush any spirit but speak with gentle authority.

08/31/2026

A Wor For Today: Monday, August 31, 2026

It seems that everything is changing today, but there’s one thing that never changes: God’s love. God loves us no matter what. Our failures, our brokenness, and our sin can never diminish His love. Knowing that we can count on God’s love provides us a rock-solid foundation for our life.
One of the most famous verses in the Bible is 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.” (NIV) Realize that while we’re in the world, we’re not of the world so “the world” includes us. But look at the small word “so” that goes before “loved” in that verse. “So” suggests the extravagance of God’s love. God loves us with a generous, extravagant love that can never be taken away. I find that beyond comprehension. He loves us on our good days and our bad days. He loves us when we sin and when we are faithful to Him.
This is no cheap grace but as a result of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10 put it this way, “God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love – not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (NLT) This is God’s love for us. This is a love that we can build our life on now and for all eternity.

08/29/2026

A Word For Today: Saturday, August 27, 2026

Few people in the Old Testament had a better understanding of God than David. He knew what it was like to be favored by God. In 1 Samuel 13:14, he is referred to as a man after God’s own heart. But he also knew the business end of God’s discipline because of his affair with Bathsheba and the death of her husband. For the purpose of this devotional, David knew the protection of God and to have his burdens lifted by the Lord.
Like some of us, he had confidence that could only come from experience. Look at his words to Goliath in1Samual 17:46: “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands.” (NIV) He didn’t boast about himself, but invoked the name of the Lord, the One who had seen him through problems in the past.
Hopefully we can relate to this. We can recall times when God answered our prayers or saw us through difficult situations. We’re alive now and reading this by the grace of God. If we are ever burdened, troubled, anxious, or have a problem, hear the words of David in Psalm 55:22, “Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” We’ll make mistakes, but ultimately come out fine.
The point is that God’s done it before, and He’ll do it again. Armed with that confidence, we can face any circumstance. We know the final one is death, but we’ve had a lifetime of experiences with God to know that like He’s done in the past, He’ll do in the future. He will win the final battle with us.

08/28/2026

A Word For Today: Friday, August 28, 2026

Some Christians and some who are not believe that God is some kind of cosmic killjoy with his “Thou shalt nots.” Yes, God tells us what to avoid. He warns us of things that are perilous to our spiritual health. But at the same time, He tells us what to engage in. He reveals to us what will push the buttons of joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction that He installed in us.
Christians who merely try to avoid what not to do are missing the point. Our loving God is not just about what not to do. He’s also about what to do. If we want to be a truly joyful person, we not only should avoid what is wrong, but also embrace and actively engage in what is right.
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.” Paul gives us clear commands, and we can apply them faithfully in the particular situations God places before us. If we only focus on the “Thou shalt not” commandments in Scripture, we’ll miss out on the opportunities for “Thou shalt” enjoy the Christian life.
What’s it going to be? Is it going to be negative rules and regulations or may it be the positive joy that Jesus died that we might have in His words in John 10:10, “… I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” It’s your choice.

08/27/2026

A Word For Today: Thursday, August 27, 2026

Happiness can be such a shallow concept. We live in a country that supposedly believes in “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” But not all people believe that this is for all of us. Some livelihoods are poor at best. Some do not feel free to live a life of liberty and while many pursue happiness, not all achieve it. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:17 that God … “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” God gave us the world for our enjoyment, but here’s the problem: Some are so busy getting more that we don’t enjoy what we’ve got.
Instead of grasping for more, let’s pay attention to what we have right now. If you can read this, then you have a lot to be thankful for right now. There are a lot of people who cannot read much less have access to a computer. Let’s open our eyes and hearts and appreciate what God has already given us, and enjoy what we’ve got.
Maybe we need to ask ourselves, “What am I not enjoying right now?” Some of us might get into what I call “when and then” thinking: “When this happens, then I’ll be happy.” The truth is we are as happy as we choose to be. If we’re not happy now, we’re not going to be happy later. Happiness is a choice. True happiness has nothing to do with our circumstances, but everything to do with our attitude. As I said, happiness is a choice regardless. Let’s choose to enjoy what God has given us and let our happiness be a thank offering back to Him.