First Presbyterian Church Vassar

06/05/2026

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14

06/05/2026

“Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor?”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Not the World’s Hope

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. ISAIAH 40:31 NIV

Have you ever heard someone say, “I really hope it works out!” or maybe, “I hope everything ends up okay”? While neither statement is negative, this connotation of hope can be extremely fickle. Here, the word “hope” is used as a positive expression—a wishful desire that may or may not come true.

However, biblical hope? The kind that stems from a “hopeful heart” is a hope of confident expectation. The desire is present, but the outcome is also secure. When we “hope in God,” we are expressing in absolute certainty our belief that we know He will deliver. We are not wondering and wishing God to show up; we are sure He will make Himself known. It is not positivity, “good vibes,” or a wish list; it is a firm stance that determines how we will or will not move forward in a situation. It is hope placed on the One in control versus hope placed in the outcome of our circumstances.

We know very little, see only a smidgen, and have no inclination of what is to come. But our God is everywhere at all times; He is all-powerful, and He knows all things. A hopeful heart is one that is anchored in the true character of God. Hopeful hearts believe God to be who He says He is; they do not waver based on the ebb and flow of what we experience on this earth.

When we hope in God, we are choosing a different way. His way is supernatural, finding renewal when depletion feels imminent. His way allows us to run our race and not worry about the race of others. His way provides us with the divine direction and energy we need to live the abundant life He has called us to. Let us be a people who live in expectation and anticipation of what our God is doing and how He is moving. Let us be a people who do not flake out at the first mention of unforeseen circumstances or who fear the future.

Let us hope like Jesus and show the world what it means to be loved by God.

Dear Jesus, thank You that Your hope is not one that diminishes or discourages us. Your hope is always present because You are always present and You are our hope. Show us how to cling to Your hope. Let us look different than the world. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD, or instruct the LORD as his counselor?

06/05/2026

🙏🏽”Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6 NIV

06/04/2026

We recently celebrated our graduates in church. Our graduates were Charley Gamet, Mackenzie Brightman and Adalyn Mansueto. Only Charley was able to be there.

06/04/2026

06/04/2026

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Change of Pace

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!” LUKE 12:27–28 ESV

Our body naturally responds to and is strengthened by resistance. In our physical journey, we have to change our routine if we want our muscles to be challenged by our exercise regimen. Our spiritual walk is the same way. Life suggests the “do more, be more” approach, offering very little time to be still. This yields the same rushed rhythm we have grown accustomed to; we are always going and coming, both mentally and physically.

But what if we literally forced our bodies to slow down? No explanation is given to the outside world other than that of self-awareness and spiritual care if any explanation is even offered. We know resistance will be present, but that means we are experiencing growth.

Would our body respond? This welcomed form of solitude and intentional decision to slow our roll would invite Jesus to take over. Much like when we change up our exercise routine, going against the grain will not come easy. In the moments when the lies start to fill our heads, labeling our stillness as laziness, we can invite Jesus to remind us of our new pace. As we force ourselves to stay in one place instead of hopping from here to there, we will experience the freedom to just be with Jesus and experience His kindness.

Jesus never intended His children to travel at breakneck speed and still maintain a mind of peace. He knows that if we can accept the change of pace, we will be shocked at how much our understanding of our purpose follows. The rush-around no longer will cause a rush inside us; it will remind us that our heavenly Father’s pace is perfect.

Jesus, thank You for the ability to slow down and be still in You. While You provided us with bodies to soar to great heights, You created us to have boundaries that, when crossed, make us weak. Settle our minds when we feel the pressure to speed up, and remind us that You are transforming us. In Jesus’s name, amen.

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, w

06/04/2026

🙏🏽”Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 NIV

06/03/2026

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Knowing the Hope Giver

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ROMANS 15:13 NIV

Oftentimes we think that if we could just change our viewpoint, that would be the answer to all our problems. We have been told that perspective is powerful, which is certainly true, but we miss a crucial point. What if instead of searching for a different pair of glasses, we focus on the Hand that is moving us forward? Our route would then become all about who is leading us, trusting the plan of the Guide and His wisdom on this treasure map called life.

God is not holding hope in a jar, choosing to delve out amounts according to our allegiance. He does not desire to ration our supply or “teach us a lesson.” Oh no. He is generous beyond belief and yearns for our pursuit of His heart so that we may become more like Him.

Remember, the only way to attain a heavenly perspective is to spend time with the One who made heaven itself—the One who knows what forever really looks like and what it expects from us now. If we want to share the hope we have found, we must know the hope we have found.

Are we hopeful because our life looks as promised, or are we hopeful because we know the Giver of hope and firmly believe that He has our best interests at heart? Life will never keep the same set of circumstances; even in the mundane, our situations evolve, and our resources change. This uncertainty can scare us, or it can draw us in, searching for our Savior and the security of His character amid the unknown. With the Giver of hope as our guide, we can have the same assuredness in our steps on our hardest and our happiest days.

Lord, thank You for being the Giver of all hope. As we go about our day, remind us that hope is who You are, the very nature of Your being. Let us draw near, spend time with You, and be reassured that because we can trust Your heart, we can always have hope beyond our situations. In Jesus’s name, amen.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

06/03/2026

🙏🏽”Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 NIV

06/02/2026

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Even the Waves Obey Him

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!” MATTHEW 8:26–27 NIV

We can all close our eyes and imagine the ocean; it is its own beast, gigantic and mysterious in all it holds. Most of us can remember a time we learned about the power of the waves as we were knocked down and carried by a current we severely underestimated. This image allows us to really picture ourselves in the biblical story of Matthew 8:18–27. Here we are, on a boat in the middle of the sea, with the storm pulsing all around us. Despite our frantic concern, Jesus is lying still, sleeping. We wake Him and He immediately calms the waves. Stills them, actually. Roaring tidal waves become like glass.

Jesus knew that the disciples needed to physically feel and see His power. Even though their faith had drifted, His authority had not. The disciples were placing their trust in what they could see, but Jesus was asking them to trust in what they could not see.

Jesus, the One who can silence the sea, is watching over us too. How can we not be hopeful? How can we let the bumps so easily discourage us? Belief in Him has never been about the absence or disappearance of storms; it is about the faith to get in the boat and the hope that will guide us until we get home.

When our life feels chaotic or we feel as if God is taking a nap in the middle of our hurricane, let this story remind us of the truth. He is not worried, because He is in control. When the rest of the world is calling “Mayday” or those around us are unsure, we will take refuge in Him.

Good news for us: the Captain of our ship is also the Creator of the ship and all that surrounds it. Our security is His top priority and our peace is His top concern. So remember when the storm comes, He has navigated through many before yours.

Dear Jesus, thank You for telling us of the time You stilled the waves and calmed the storm. Remind our hearts that You are our safe place, the Source of our peace. Our eyes are on You. You are mighty in our life, and we trust what You’re doing. In Jesus’s name, amen.

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even