Tuscumbia First Methodist Church

10/15/2026

Make plans to join us this Sunday afternoon in Spring Park for our church picnic. It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day! We will provide hot dogs, chips, and drinks! Bring a dessert or a side dish.

Bring a chair and a yard game! Enjoy fellowship with one another and enjoy music from several of our talented singers! We hope to see you there Sunday at 4:00!

10/15/2026

𝗘-𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡, 𝗧𝗛𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟱, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 - 𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗜𝗔𝗛

Today’s Scripture Reading - Isaiah 64

Scripture

1 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! 2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! 3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. 4 Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. 5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? . . . 8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9 Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people. - Isaiah 64:1-5, 8-9

Meditation

One of the powerful images given to us in scripture portrays God’s transforming work in our lives is the potter and the clay. I don’t know if you have ever participated in pottery making or watched it being done, but it is fascinating. It begins with clay that must be pliable to the degree it is not too soft or too hard. It must yield freely to the hands of the potter. Then there is the coordination between the potter’s eyes and hands along with the creative mind which all work together to form the masterpiece. In the end, the hands become the work of perfection. The priests and prophets often cried out to Yahweh for the heavens to be opened so that He would come and work on their behalf. Obviously, this most often occurred when the Israelites were in trouble or there was great distress in the land. Isaiah has reached the point he is now crying out on behalf of the sin of the people and their continual disregard to the laws which were their pathway to salvation. He comes to a question of great concern and frustration. How can we then be saved? The question is about their continuation in sin and how they can be saved from this bad spirit. His answer? Isaiah makes a humble confession on behalf of his people. Yahweh is the potter, his people are the clay and we are the work of His hands. The potter can transform the clay into exact perfection if the clay is submissive to the potter. Isaiah cried out to the Potter to reshape the clay so that their sins are remembered no more. Our Father desires our redemption from wherever we find ourselves. There are times when we must humble ourselves and get back on the potter’s wheel and let his hands do the work of restoration. Humans can be wayward and God has a solution. Enter into the throne room of mercy and grace and you will encounter the Potter and his wheel and be molded into the exact work of art he has in mind. Whether your cry for the heavens to be opened is caused by trouble, distress, or sin, cry out and be humbled as He places the clay of your heart on the wheel to be made into the perfect result of his hands.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, hear our heart as we cry out for you to come. May we experience the rending of the heavens to meet our particular needs today. We pray that our spirit might be pliable just as you need it to be. Form us as the work of your hands into your likeness. We humbly confess our need for you today. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

10/15/2026

10/14/2026

October 14, 2026 - Bible Study

10/14/2026

𝗘-𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡, 𝗪𝗘𝗗𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟰, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 - 𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗜𝗔𝗛

Today’s Scripture Reading - Isaiah 61

Scripture

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. - Isaiah 61:1-3

Meditation

If Jesus quoted it, then it must be important. If Jesus quoted it in his hometown of Nazareth in the synagogue on the Sabbath and all the people were amazed, it must be important. He quoted verse 1 through “the Lord’s favor” of verse 2. If you recall this moment recorded in Luke, His favor didn’t last long. Jesus proceeded to tell the people they would not accept the message and they became furious and drove him out of town with the intent to kill him. Hopefully we will not reject them because each of us most likely fits into one or more of the people included in this prophetic word about Jesus the Messiah. Poor, brokenhearted, captive, or a prisoner. At first glance you might not think any of those apply to you, but if we had 30 minutes together for in-depth discussion I believe you would find your place. Take heart, He came to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor upon you. At some point, look up the historical significance of that year and you will see it’s a big deal. It’s a big deal to bring comfort to all those who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion. That statement has deep meaning in a practical sense, but also in a spiritual sense. The people who Isaiah is writing to had been wrecked spiritually and they mourned deeply, plus Jerusalem had died as their spiritual center so they mourned. Hopefully these verses are now relating to you a little more. We all fit somewhere in the group of people Isaiah is declaring the Lord’s favor over. The three uses of the word instead are important. Those phrases bring hope into the midst of hopelessness. Imagine these images replacing whatever occupies your spirit at this moment. A crown of beauty. The oil of joy. A garment of praise. It changes things, doesn’t it? Our direction is reversed into one that is displaying the splendor of the Lord. Yes, that is the power of Jesus coming into your present moment. We will be called the oaks of righteousness and for a purpose. Jesus doesn’t redeem us with hope without purpose. We have the honor and privilege of representing or displaying His splendor. That is our calling. Another way of considering our privilege is to be reminded we are a reflection of God’s glory. Jesus came for you and me, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor upon us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we bow in gratitude as you pour out your favor into our life to restore hope and transform us into a reflection of your beauty, a person of joy and praise. Meet us where we are today. Whether it be poor or captive or any of the vast number of positions we find ourselves in this day, meet us and display your favor in our life. Do for us what we can’t do for ourselves. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

10/13/2026

𝗘-𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡, 𝗧𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟯, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 - 𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗜𝗔𝗛

Scripture

14 “Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.” 15 For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. . . . 18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners, 19 creating praise on their lips.
Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the Lord. “And I will heal them.” - Isaiah 57:14-15, 18-19

Meditation

God is making every way possible for His people to turn back to him. Yesterday we read that he offered an invitation to come to the living water. Today it is an admonition for the hard work to be done to remove the obstacles from people’s hearts so they can journey down the road to redemption. Israelites had many obstacles which include personal and national. There are personal ones like pride, unforgiveness, habits and behavior. The list is quite long. There are national sins like idols, hatred, worshiping other gods, and that list is quite long. Think back over your spiritual journey which brings you to the place you are today. I’m certain you have overcome an obstacle or two along the way. Some were quite difficult and a painful struggle, others took simple recognition of the problem and it was much easier to turn away from. Hopefully what is true in my life is true in yours. If I would have realized an obstacle was an obstacle, I would have removed it without question. Life in the middle of an obstacle is never a good thing. The Lord is promising the people that he is with them and his purpose, grounded in his holiness, is to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. His purpose is redemption. His purpose is restoration to the person who were created to be. As he promised this wayward nation and its people, he is promising us healing, guidance and comfort with the result including praise on our lips and peace in our hearts. The power of these words might be found in the very direct and to the point restatement, “And I will heal them!” I substituted an exclamation point for emphasis. What a great word for all of us today who most likely still have obstacles which need to be cleared. Removal of them creates an easier pathway to being fully transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, identify very clearly in our heart and mind the obstacles that are in our road to full redemption and restoration. Give us a willing spirit to remove what we know are keeping us from fully loving you with our whole heart. Remove any pride keeping us from acknowledging an obstacle when you show it to us. Restore in our spirit praise and peace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

10/12/2026

𝗘-𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡, 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟮, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 - 𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗜𝗔𝗛

Today’s Scripture Reading - Isaiah 55

Scripture

1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; . . .“ 6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. . . . 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. - Isaiah 55:1, 6, 8-12

Meditation

The invitation to a nation and people who were lost and searching for a way, the thirsty, was to come to the water. We later learn from the words of Jesus that Yahweh was referring to living water, not just any water. The invitation was to seek the Lord while his presence is clearly before us. The invitation was to hear from the heart of God, his thoughts and his ways. The invitation was to yield to something greater than ourselves. The invitation was to be filled with thoughts and ways that will be accomplished for the kingdom purposes for which it was intended. The invitation was not only to give a nation a direction and purpose, but to all those who were thirsty. Maybe there is one reading this today that needs to hear the invitation. You have thought through a situation until you are exhausted and every thought has led to a way that has fallen to the ground like a seed that never makes it into fertile soil and achieves nothing. It’s time to seek the Lord because He can be found at this moment, his presence is near, and he has a word for you. The greatness of the invitation has often been lost because one idea of God’s word never returning void gets all the attention as it is applied to our efforts when sharing the good news. It’s true, and we need to have that confidence when boldly proclaiming and speaking about the transforming power of Jesus in our life. What we miss is the personal application of responding to the invitation and seeking a word from God that will change our own life. A word that will give us direction or a solution when we cannot see anything but dead ends. There is no dead end when God plants a thought or a way into your heart and mind. There is joy and peace and all creation will be singing songs of praise and the audience of heaven will be clapping their hands in celebration. Come today, to the living water if you are thirsty. Don’t wait. His thoughts and his ways are higher than ours.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, speak the invitation loudly into our heart if we need to hear it. We confess there have been times when we have ignored the invitation because we didn’t think we needed to hear it. Don’t let that be today. Give us a constant desire to seek your voice and hear the invitation to come. We want to be people living out your purposes. May it be so. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.