St Mark Methodist Church Tupelo

09/09/2026

THE THREE J’s: Jesus. John. Wesley.
This week at St Mark, one truth will weave its way through everything we do:
Grace Received Must Become Grace Given.
Jesus tells the story.
John reminds us why.
Wesley shows us how to live it.
And perhaps the hardest little truth of all:
Forgiven People Forgive People.
Throughout the week, we’ll explore Matthew 18:21–35 through Morning Grace, Evening Vespers, Grace Upon Grace, our ministry at Landmark, and worship at St Mark.
Because God's grace was never meant to stop with us.
Receive Grace. Live Grace. Share Grace.
Come walk with us this week.
St Mark Methodist Church — Tupelo, Mississippi
A Place of Grace. A People of Hope.

09/08/2026

“Grace Received Must Become Grace Given”
☕ MORNING GRACE for Tuesday, September 8, 2026
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:32
Good morning, friends.
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to remember what somebody owes us?
We remember the unkind word.
We remember the disappointment.
We remember the promise that wasn't kept.
We remember who hurt us—and sometimes we can remember exactly when, where, and how they did it.
We can keep a pretty good ledger when somebody owes us.
But Scripture asks us to remember something else this morning:
Remember what you have been forgiven.
Paul doesn't simply tell us, “Forgive one another.”
He tells us why:
“…just as in Christ God forgave you.”
There it is.
Grace comes first.
Before God asks me to extend mercy, He reminds me of the mercy I have already received.
Before God asks me to forgive, He reminds me that I have been forgiven.
Before God asks me to love, John reminds me:
“We love because he first loved us.”
And that changes everything.
Because now forgiveness isn't something I manufacture by gritting my teeth and trying harder.
It begins with gratitude.
I have received grace.
More grace than I deserved.
More second chances than I can count.
More patience from God than I have ever managed to show anyone else.
And Jesus says:
Now take some of that grace and give it away.
That doesn't mean the hurt wasn't real.
It doesn't mean wrong suddenly becomes right.
And it doesn't mean trust is automatically restored.
It means I refuse to spend my life clutching someone else's debt when Christ has already released me from mine.
Beloved, perhaps there's somebody in your life who needs a little grace today.
Maybe they need forgiveness.
Maybe they need patience.
Maybe they simply need somebody to stop reminding them of the worst thing they ever did.
And maybe that somebody can be you.
Because here's the little truth we're carrying through this week:
Forgiven People Forgive People.
Not perfectly.
Not always easily.
Sometimes not quickly.
But we keep moving in that direction because grace received must become grace given.
Let Us Pray
Gracious God, before I think about those who have wronged me, help me remember how much You have forgiven me.
Thank You for mercy I did not earn, patience I did not deserve, and grace I could never repay.
Soften the places in my heart that have become hard. Give me wisdom where boundaries are needed, courage where reconciliation is possible, and grace enough to forgive.
Then send me into this day ready to give away some of what You have so freely given me.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
Today, beloved:
Receive Grace.
Live Grace.
Share Grace.
And remember—
Forgiven People Forgive People.
☕ Morning Grace
A Fresh Word for a New Day
Best of all, God is with us.

09/07/2026

09/07/2026

Grace Received Must Become Grace Given
Scripture
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
— Colossians 3:23
Good morning, friends.
Today is Labor Day—a day when many of us get to slow down, put the tools aside, turn off the alarm clock, and perhaps enjoy an extra cup of coffee.
And maybe that's a good thing.
Because sometimes we become so busy doing that we forget simply to receive.
We measure our days by what we accomplished. How much did I finish? How many people needed me? How much is still waiting for tomorrow?
But before you do one thing today, remember this:
You do not work your way into the grace of God.
You receive it.
Before you accomplished anything this morning, God loved you. Before you checked something off the list, God loved you. Before you helped anybody, fixed anything, cooked anything, cleaned anything, preached anything, taught anything, or earned one dollar—
God loved you.
John says it simply:
“We love because he first loved us.”
— 1 John 4:19
There's the order.
God first.
Grace first.
Love first.
And when we truly understand what we have received, something begins to happen.
The grace we receive begins showing up in the way we live.
It appears in the patience we give someone who is having a difficult day.
It appears in kindness toward the person nobody notices.
It appears in the meal prepared, the phone call made, the hand extended, the forgiveness offered, the neighbor helped, and the ordinary work done faithfully when nobody applauds.
That's where our journey begins this week:
Grace Received Must Become Grace Given.
So today, perhaps your most faithful act really is to rest.
Sit on the porch. Have another cup of coffee. Laugh with somebody you love. Thank God for the work you've been able to do and for all those whose work has blessed your life.
And remember:
Your worth is not measured by your productivity.
You don't have to earn God's love today.
You already have it.
Let Us Pray
Gracious God, thank You for the gift of work and for the gift of rest. Thank You for every person whose labor quietly makes our lives better. Most of all, thank You for grace we could never earn.
Teach us to receive Your grace with grateful hearts, to live it in the ordinary places of life, and to give it freely to others.
Bless the work of our hands, the rest of our bodies, and the people we encounter along the way.
And make us people through whom Your grace keeps moving.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
Rest a little today, Beloved.
Tomorrow there will be work enough to do.
But today—and every day—remember:
Grace Received.
Grace Lived.
Grace Shared.
☕ Morning Grace
A fresh Word for a new day.
Best of all, God is with us.

09/06/2026

See you this morning.