First Presbyterian Church of South Sioux City, NE

First Presbyterian Church of South Sioux City, NE Please join us for Sunday worship at 10 am with Pastor Beth Hamilton.

09/07/2026

If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. - Matthew 7:11 (CEB)
While I groan at being awakened at 4 a.m. by the cries of my daughter, I can take heart knowing that God delights to hear from me at any time for any reason. When I am groggy and grumpy from lack of sleep, I can rejoice that God doesn’t need sleep and is keenly attentive to me. When I struggle to understand the reason for my daughter’s tears, I know that my perfect Father knows my needs before I do.
My love for my daughter pales in comparison to the love that my heavenly Father has for us. This is a truth that we can rest in. Children can make mistakes, grow, cry, and flourish without losing the steadfast love of their parents. How much more secure are we in God’s care.
TODAY’S PRAYER - Loving Father, thank you for being our perfect parent and for embracing us as your children. Amen.

May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. - 1 Kings 8:57 (NIV)...
09/06/2026

May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. - 1 Kings 8:57 (NIV)
As I sat in a waiting room, I noticed a framed print of Isaiah 46:4 — “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” God was speaking to the people of Israel, but God was speaking to me too. Hasn’t God always been with me throughout my life? Indeed, God has been there through all the ups and downs.
God is not going to leave or forsake me as I age. I do not have to worry about becoming older. Not only will God be with me through old age, God promises to be with me throughout eternity. Our Creator will never forsake those who believe and trust in God.
TODAY’S PRAYER - Dear Lord, strengthen our faith and trust in the love and care you have for us at every stage of our lives. Amen.

09/05/2026

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. - Proverbs 8:17 (NIV)
Life has many struggles, and having a relationship with and learning to trust God makes it easier to accept God’s comfort and wisdom. Shaping this relationship through devotion, prayer, worship, and fellowship with other believers is like a preventive maintenance program for our spiritual lives.
TODAY’S PRAYER - Almighty God, thank you for giving us what we need each day. Help us to seek your guidance so we may be better equipped to serve you and others. Amen.

09/04/2026

Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! - Psalm 66:20 (NIV)
I was visiting a friend in a small village in Central Java. One rainy afternoon, my friend led me along muddy paths, dodging puddles, to an enormous banyan tree near a modest wooden chapel. Beneath the tree, a group of villagers sat in a circle, their voices rising and falling in prayer. My friend told me the local people gather here at The Prayer Tree to share their struggles and joys and to listen for God’s guidance. I watched as an elderly woman held up a basket filled with rice stalks. “We prayed for rain, and God answered. My crops are saved.” The group responded with soft amens. It struck me how ordinary her story was. Yet, in her voice, I felt the weight of her gratitude.
As I prepare for the week ahead, I’m reminded of the woman’s basket of rice. Her story inspired me. Today, I encourage us all to pause, to bring fears, hopes, and gratitude to God, and to listen for God’s word.
TODAY’S PRAYER - Dear God, thank you for hearing our prayers. Help us to recognize your presence in our daily lives and to receive your answers to our prayers with gratitude.

09/03/2026

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. - Proverbs 3:27 (NRSVUE)
We all have the capacity to serve others, no matter our profession. By God’s grace, serving well — and even saving lives — is within our power. But it’s easy to miss an opportunity to help others. Routines and relationships become so familiar that we might not notice a friend’s downcast mood, let alone the suffering of a stranger or the broader problems in our world. If we do notice, we may decide it’s none of our business, doubting or withholding our power to do good. But every day God gives us the chance to be Jesus’ hands and feet. When we come upon these opportunities, may we have the confidence and compassion to act on them.
TODAY’S PRAYER - Dear Lord, empower us today and every day to serve one another as your precious Son has taught us. Amen.

09/02/2026

The Lord God is my strength. He will set my feet like the deer. He will let me walk upon the heights. - Habakkuk 3:19 (CEB)
Seeing the Southern Cross for the first time reminded me that God is always present. Though the stars had always been there, on that night I was able to fully appreciate their magnificence.
We serve an amazing God who is always present with us, even when we are unaware of God’s presence. May we continue to believe without a need to see.
TODAY’S PRAYER - Thank you, God, for new experiences that reveal to us the wonders of your creation. Amen.

09/01/2026

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. - Proverbs 1:8 (NIV)
At age fifteen, I decided to leave home, seek work elsewhere, and live independently. I expected resistance from my father when I told him of my decision. Instead, he told me, “Son, wherever you go and whatever career path you choose, do it well.” I have carried this advice with me throughout my life. I have also shared this guidance with the people I encounter in my pastoral ministry. I have come to understand that God’s work in the world is not restricted to particular places of worship or life paths. God’s wondrous grace allows for multiple expressions and ways of serving as we share the good news of Jesus Christ with all people. When I share Christ with someone new, I don’t focus on how they follow God’s call or require them to come to my church. Instead, I share a variation of the advice I received from my father: Wherever God has called you is the place God wants you to serve for God’s glory. Where God has called you, follow God’s teachings and do it well.
TODAY’S PRAYER - God of grace, help us to seek you first in all that we do and in the place where you have called us. Amen.

08/31/2026

The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. - 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV)
in order to praise God I don’t have to be overly clever or unique. I just need to be sincere and honest. At church, I don’t have to sing the loudest or with the best voice to stand out to God. When I’m volunteering, I don’t have to do a certain task for God to notice me. What God sees isn’t a bunch of people doing the same thing but each of us bringing gifts — our heart of worship, our service, our talents — to God, and that is what makes God glad.
TODAY’S PRAYER - Dear God, when we come before you, may our hearts be full, even if our hands hold little. Amen.

08/30/2026

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. - Psalm 147:3 (NIV)
No suture or bandage can heal our broken hearts. Only Jesus can bind and heal the wounds of our deepest hurts and restore us to a life filled with love, joy, peace, and hope. But we must allow him to do what is necessary for our inner healing. Jesus used the scars from his crucifixion to prove to Thomas that he died and rose again. We can follow Christ’s example and use our scars to glorify him, showing others the way to spiritual healing that can only come through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
TODAY’S PRAYER - Dear Lord, thank you for the scars that prove you have healed our deepest wounds. Amen.

08/29/2026

In the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. - Luke 15:7 (NIV)
We have been raising a few hens, and one day we discovered one very young chick was missing. We were deeply saddened by its disappearance. After a week, we were driving to church when my wife saw our missing chick approaching the car! We pulled over, caught the chick, and put her in a box we had with us.
The joy our family felt at finding the lost chick reminded me of God’s happiness when the lost are found.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Jesus, help us to follow your example of love and mercy so that all who are lost will find their way to you. Amen.

Address

125 E 21st Street
South Sioux City, NE
68776

Telephone

+14024941868

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