First Presbyterian Church Vassar

06/18/2026

“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

No Time for Resentment

Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; and do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; but you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. ISAIAH 54:4 NASB

We should be used to it. It is not a new trick or an impressive switch of strategy. Isn’t this what happens every time we begin to ignite change in our lives or seek to form a new perspective? As soon as we turn a corner, set new goals, or establish a fresh mindset, it starts to feel as if we’re being sabotaged from every angle. Whether it is new frustrations, unforeseen life events, or shameful feelings from our past, something starts to stand in our way—causing us to give up on our efforts for change.

And while we know it is not good for us, sometimes choosing to live in what should have been is easier than dealing with the present. It is more comfortable to hold onto what’s hurt us, to make others pay for the wrongs they’ve extended to us, or to remain in our shame and our own self-resentment for the mistakes we’ve made. We give into temptation letting it become a pattern, and before we realize it we’ve let our present be compromised by the mistakes of our past.

But we have a greater hope. We have no time for resentment because we are too busy singing praises to God. Our eyes have a light in them because we are children of the Most High God; we have places to go and people to reach.

As we approach our day today, let us throw off everything that entangles us. We are chosen and equipped—may we see ourselves as so.

Dear Jesus, thank You for offering us a clean slate with every day that passes. Your grace really is more than enough. Help us let go of any resentment we hold against ourselves or others. Thank You for the opportunity to run confidently in You. In Jesus’s name, amen.

“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

06/18/2026

🙏🏽 “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV

06/17/2026

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭25‬ NIV

Practice Pausing

The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. LAMENTATIONS 3:25 ESV

The Apple watch is pretty neat. It takes into account many different factors throughout the day and offers insight into our personal rhythms. I have found it extremely informative in showing my habits and tendencies.

The discovery of my own personal rhythm forced me to change some things. I was going to sleep way too late and not getting my heart rate up first thing in the morning—and everything else was being affected. Making these changes initiated several other habits, as once I began getting more rest and getting my workout completed first thing in the morning, the rest of my day offered different opportunities. My Apple watch also allows me to set different alarms, including reminders to breathe and slow down. While it seems unnecessary, these often come at the perfect time and have made me realize how little I used to pause.

Pausing is much the same for all of us. Is there ever an opportune time to slow down when we have so much to do? It feels counterintuitive and unproductive. Childish, even. But much like the habit of going to sleep earlier, carving out time for intentional solitude affects every other part of our day.

Meetings will pop up, e-mails will need to be sent, children will be sick from school, and opportunities to avoid pausing will always present themselves. But much like any other habit or desired change in our life, the more we practice something, the better we get at it. The more we see the results of a particular discipline, the easier it becomes to require it of ourselves. The further we get away from where we once were with a particular habit, the clearer it becomes that change was, in fact, necessary.

How can we practice pausing in life today? Are we afraid of what the Lord might reveal when we stop long enough to hear Him?

Let’s let our hearts slip into that restful state—pausing and remembering to be grateful, collecting our emotions, resuming our posture of peace, and choosing a different rhythm for our lives.

Eventually, we will not even need the alarm to go off! How exciting will that be?

Dear Jesus, thank You for being present at all times. Today, we choose to pause and notice Your presence and provision. When we get frustrated with our wandering minds, give us grace to extend to ourselves. Help us pause. In Jesus’s name, amen.

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;

06/17/2026

🙏🏽 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

06/16/2026

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Loving Like Jesus Does

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. JOHN 15:12–14 ESV

How often do we find ourselves switching from loving to bothered/frustrated/bitter/angry because we feel the need to reciprocate? We hear about loving unconditionally, but our human heart is so used to loving based on emotion and changing circumstances that it is hard to fathom a love unwavering.

But what if we made it our mission? Instead of getting even, we could commit our hearts to forgiveness and offering a true clean slate to another? What if, when we feel slighted or excluded from a situation, we do not hold tight to bitterness or fear and still offer our love freely?

What if it stopped being about everything we receive and became about what we can give—regardless of the response, the rejection, the lack of reciprocation, or reassurance? It would confuse others and lead them right to this thought: “Why do they give love that I have not deserved?” Herein lies the perfect opportunity for our hearts to exclaim, “Jesus!” His eternal hope is the reason we can love so freely in return, knowing that He will work as He sees fit.

Wouldn’t that be incredible? To not be scared to be the people who love more, forgive freely, give grace abundantly, and walk in a confidence that stems from the ever-flowing love of Jesus? That would be the gospel.

Our heart is fragile. We take things personally. We are scared to let in others once we’ve been wronged. We have been taught by the world to only give what we receive—they must be worthy.

But Jesus calls us to love others out of a heart that is fully and recklessly loved by Him. This does not mean our emotions become absent and our pain won’t be felt; it just means that when those things do happen, we can remind ourselves we’re already accepted and abundantly loved by our Creator. It is in this truth that we no longer crave and depend on the reassurance of this world, and we begin to look like people of hope.

Dear Jesus, thank You for loving us beyond what we can ever fathom or deserve. You are so gracious to us. Remind our hearts to not take things personally and to love others the way You love us. In Jesus’s name, amen.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.

06/16/2026

🙏🏽 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
‭‭Micah‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

06/15/2026

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

An Identity Issue

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. I PETER 2:9 NIV

Why is stillness so difficult? Why do we feel the need to be everything to everyone and everywhere all the time? Do we truly desire this type of demanding lifestyle, or have these expectations been placed on us because we have forgotten who we are?

If we think about it, the only reason we would add a million things to our to-do list and try to please everyone around us is because we desire their approval. The only reason we would be attempting to secure their validation is because we have forgotten our inherent value as children of the Most High King. This lack of belief in ourselves puts our security out in the open, waiting and vulnerable for anyone to discredit, disapprove, or deem us unworthy.

When we take the time to dig into Scripture and study what the Lord thinks about us, we learn that God says we’re deeply loved, wonderfully made, and part of His master plan. Our rushed approach to life makes us forget who we are and the price that has already been spoken over our lives. We cheapen our worth because we are too tired to fight for it.

But we were never supposed to fight to attain our identity—the Lord has already gone before us, knows our shortcomings, and carried the cross up the hill anyway. Our level of “worthy” has never been up for question; it has always been our belief that is in question. When we allow our mind and body to be still, we allow our soul to hear what our Maker says about us. The lies become glaringly obvious and our awareness is increased—“I know who I am; that is not of Jesus”—we now can detect it, reject it, and replace it with truth. Knowing our true identity is the key to living a life of purpose.

Dear Jesus, thank You for weaving us perfectly in Your image. When we find our mind wandering or letting our identity be up for negotiation, take us back to Your Word and the truth that sets us free. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

06/15/2026

🙏🏽 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

06/14/2026

June 14, 2026 Sunday Service
"Guidance & Worship"

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06/14/2026

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Discovering Our Purpose

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. PROVERBS 19:21 NIV

Purpose…it’s one of those popular terms in today’s culture, but if you ask everyone for their definition of the word, it is about as elusive as the Loch Ness Monster. And in our hurried culture? It is usually defined by what we can see.

What do our hands do? How are our days spent? We often believe this is proof of whether or not we are pursuing our purpose. While what we do matters, the Lord’s greatest concern is with who we are becoming. Therein lies our true purpose and mission: looking like Jesus.

In general terms, our purpose is to show the love of our heavenly Father to every human soul we encounter so that they may more intimately know Him and long to be with Him too. This cannot happen through words or deeds alone but by becoming more like Jesus. When we begin to resemble our heavenly Father, our heart is infectious, our spirit is magnetic, and our life is like a sunbeam. The King of kings and Almighty God does not need our assistance because it is too much for Him; rather, He allows us to partner with Him so that our life can mean something...so that we can taste true purpose, eternal purpose, a purpose that extends far beyond ourselves and lasts in the next lifetime.

Seeking stillness and adjusting to the rhythm of our God allows us to rightfully define our purpose, looking inwardly to evaluate and test our heart rather than let our life be a performance of what our hands do. When walking in step with Jesus, we can hear Him as He instructs, “A little to the right...there you go” and finding that balance is no longer on our own terms.

Lord, thank You that You desire to mold us, transform us, and use us according to Your purposes. Renew our minds when we begin to define our worth by what our hands are doing and recalibrate us to the truth. Thank You for giving us opportunities to serve You and look more like You. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.