West Creek United Methodist Church, 189 Church Street, West Creek, NJ (2026)

04/05/2026

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3)

Easter marks Christianity's defining moment: Christ's Resurrection and the promise of eternal life alongside the Father in heaven. Freed from sin, suffering, and death. This amazing grace is the cornerstone of the Christian faith and distinguishes it from other faith traditions. Whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish (John 3:16) and the new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) who can enjoy freedom (John 8;36) and an abundant life (John 10:10). Not just in the future, but here and now.

I confess that the transforming wonder of Easter dims in the face of the mundane and massive challenges of life. My wary, intellectual skepticism rears its ugly head. Most days I don't feel newly born, spiritually or otherwise. And, as I approach 65, death from a terminal illness doesn't seem as remote as it once did. Yet, like so many aspects of our faith, the truth trumps my feelings. The wonder of Easter is renewed by seeking HIm in quiet reflection.

Peter captures the wonder so beautifully in just a few words. Indeed, how gracious the mercy of our God has given us new life on this side of Heaven and life eternal with Him through Christ even while we are still sinners (Romans 5:8). That is a hope that transforms us and our experience of this world.

The Gospel of Christ on the Cross proclaims, "I love you enough to give my life so you can have new life, full and free!" Resurrection Sunday declares we shall live together in glory, forever! Amen!

Prayer: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to Your great mercy, Lord, thank You for giving me new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Lord, I thank You that this hope is not dead or distant, but active, alive, and powerful within me. Thank You for the assurance of an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade, kept in heaven for me. Help me to cling to this living hope during seasons of suffering or uncertainty. When trials come, remind me of the resurrection power at work in my life. I praise You for Your loving-kindness and for rescuing me through Jesus. In His name, I pray. Amen."

04/04/2026

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

Waiting!? That is what Holy Saturday is about: waiting. As Jesus remained in the tomb, I imagine the disciples beaten down, with bloodshot eyes, anxious, and afraid. Surely they were asking each other, "What do we do now?"

Like the wife who waits for news of her deployed husband. Like a family in the waiting room during surgery. Like the one waiting on a fertility test. The farmer who is waiting for rain. Or a child waiting for his/her parents to come home.

We don't like to wait, especially when we are fearful of the outcome. Waiting can be maddening, especially when God is silent and we may feel abandoned. At the mercy of circumstances. It is stressful. It is fear-inducing. But Holy Saturday is also the seventh day of the week. I am sure that was no accident. It was on Saturday that Jeus "rested" in a cave tomb after the Passion.

There is a message here, by the way, I believe, for those of us who wait, a message of rest. Even in the grieving, even in the unknown. Even in the questions and the heartache and the pain. Or maybe especially then. Jesus seems to be calling from the tomb: Find your rest, and hope in Me!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your loving-kindness and faithfulness, even in my hardest times. Lord, I am holding onto Your promise that while weeping may last through this dark night of pain, joy is coming with the morning. Thank You that this trial is temporary and not my final story. When I cannot see the end of this sorrow, help me trust in Your presence and Your promise of restoration. Strengthen my heart to believe that joy is on the way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

04/03/2026

After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. (Matthew 27:31)

I love the thought of fresh starts and living free because of all Jesus did on the Cross. (Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!) IT is easy for me to skim right over the Good Friday part of Easter because it is so very bloody and traumatic. I cannot stand the thought of His suffering, the evil of those who set their hearts against Him, and the weeping of a mother seeing her son die. It brings tears to my eyes as I imagine or watch it unfold.

What I really want is the glory of Sunday morning, the angels, and everything being set right. I want to get to the part where the stone is rolled away and the excitement of the empty tomb. The part where the disciples are incredulous when Jesus walks through locked doors and shows up asking for dinner. The truth is that there is glorious "Christ is risen" without the preamble of "Christ has died".

It is the awfulness of Good Friday that makes Easter so good. It is in His facing and conquering of death that we can see a way out of our own mess. He didn't just do it so it would make a good Bible story. He died so we can get a chance at living the life He designed for us. Of being infused with His Spirit and being more that we ever thought we could be. He died because He loved us. Period.

And how do we, broken people that we are, respond to all that good strong loving? We can stand with our hearts open, not sidestepping Good Friday but acknowledging the severity of the Cross, and say, "I know what you did for me and I am ever thankful." And I am just that: thankful!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I gaze upon You as You were mocked, stripped of the scarlet robe, and led away to be crucified. Thank You for voluntarily suffering such deep humiliation and physical pain for my sins. Though You had the power to stop it, You chose to endure it out of perfect love for me. In my own moments of trial or when I feel misunderstood, give me the patience and strength to remain faithful, looking to You as my example. Help me to never take Your sacrifice for granted and to live a life that honors the high price You paid on that day. In Your Holy Name, Amen.

04/02/2026

Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:27-28)

As I write this, I discover that on this day, Maundy Thursday, showers are predicted. How appropriate that the sky still cries as the heavens recall the agony approaching the day of the Cross, the day of greatest sorrow. Jesus was about to face physical agony most of us cannot comprehend. Yet, His greatest suffering was spiritual because His Father, Almighty, Abba, Yahweh, was about to turn His face away from the sin Jesus would wear. Our sin.

And Maundy Thursday, the day of betrayal, was the last day the disciples would remain ignorant to Jesus' ultimate purpose on earth. The following day all hell would break loose on their friend and mentor. But on this day, what was the atmosphere as they gathered for the Last Supper? I imagine the faces of each disciple, one by one tensing with growing apprehension, and sadness. Why was Jesus speaking this way, these mysterious worlds of betrayal, eating of His body, His blood poured out for the forgiveness of sin, His Father's kingdom?

As Jesus spoke to prepare them, He still speaks to us. Sometimes His quiet voice urges us that change is coming. Sometimes He lets us know that rejoicing is soon to come, so hold on. Let your soul mellow in tune with your Saviour's. Enter into the holy hush. Consider the grief. But never lose sight of the Resurrection day around the corner. The disciples greatest loss was soon changed to rejoicing. Yours will be too.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the blood of the covenant which is poured out for many, for the forgiveness of sins. Thank You for Your promise of a new and eternal covenant, a covenant of the Spirit rather than one based on the letter of the Law. Thank You that Jesus came to cut the new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, and that He gave His Church the Last Supper as a reminder of His sacrificial offering for the sin of the world. Thank You that Jesus came as the final Passover Lamb, Who takes away the sin of the world, and that He is returning as the resurrected Lord, Who sits on the throne. I praise Your holy name for Your plans and purposes which have been revealed to all who will believe. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

04/01/2026

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8)

If I am honest, I have to admit I struggle to understand the Cross. We live in a world where, at least in modern countries, there is little concept of blood sacrifice. In ancient times, it was the way things were done. People sinned, then brought sacrifices to atone for their sins. The sins were symbolically placed on the animals, which were then killed for sins. Gory? Yes, but I am sure it made sense to the ancient people.

The Cross would have made sense in them as well. In fact, it had to be done this way to make sense at all. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, once and for all, for the sins of the world. I can talk about this all day long, but do I really get it? No.

A.W Tozer wrote this to help illuminate this: "We please Him most, not frantically trying to make ourselves good, by throwing ourselves into His arms with all our imperfections and believing that He understands everything, and still loves us."

I think what the Cross means is that I don't have to be good for Jesus to save me. He already did. I don''t have to sacrifice anything, or clean myself up, or atone for the evil things I have done and am. When I try to do those things, not only is it useless, but it takes away from the Cross; it insults what He did. The way I show my appreciation is to run to Him and let myself be loved by Him, with all my imperfections. It's free. I don't get this either. But I am so thankful!

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I approach Your throne of grace today, grateful for the free gift of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. I recognize that my own efforts and works cannot save me, but it is solely by Your amazing grace that I am rescued from sin and death. Thank You for the sacrifice of Your Son on the cross. Help me to never take this gift lightly or boast in my own efforts, but to live with a humble heart that gives You all the glory. Strengthen my faith daily to walk in obedience. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

03/31/2026

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

This echoes a similar proverb, recorded in verse 1 (Proverbs 16:1). A person can plan out every aspect of their life; yet God is the one who ultimately decides what will happen. New Testament writers such as Paul (Romans 9:20–21) and James (James 4:13–15) reinforce this idea. Nothing we intend can override God's will (Psalm 33:10; Job 42:2). That does not mean planning is wrong—but what we plan needs to be prepared in a spirit of humility and obedience.

Isaiah 53:6 describes human beings as sheep that have wandered away from God. We have all gone astray, and regardless of how intelligent a person is, "it is not in man who walks to direct his steps" (Jeremiah 10:23). Nevertheless, if a person seeks God's will and walks by the Spirit in the light of God's Word, the Lord will approve and guide his steps. Paul's letter to the Ephesians gives good counsel about how believers should walk. It tells us to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called" (Ephesians 4:1), walk not "as [unbelievers] do, in the futility of their minds" (Ephesians 4:17), "walk in love" (Ephesians 5:2), "walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8), and walk wisely (Ephesians 5:15). Galatians 5:16 instructs us to "walk by the Spirit."

Prayer: Dear Lord, I commit all my plans, dreams, and aspirations into Your hands. While I make plans in my heart, I ask that You direct my steps according to Your perfect will. Give me the wisdom to make right choices and the peace to trust Your guidance, even when it differs from my own. Thank You for directing my path. In Jesus' name, Amen.

03/30/2026

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile." (Romans 1:16)

In Romans 1, Paul addresses the Gentile believers at Rome and begins by explaining his mission, which was to preach the gospel to everyone. He concludes his explanation by saying, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (Romans 1:16–17; cf. Habakkuk 2:4).

When Paul says that he is not ashamed of the gospel, he is saying his confidence in the gospel is not misplaced. There is no disgrace in declaring it. Paul had given his life to proclaiming the truths that Jesus Himself had revealed to him (Acts 9:3–6; 2 Corinthians 12:2–4). He explained to the Romans why he did not believe that he had wrongly identified with Jesus and why proclaiming Jesus’ message was his life’s work.

This extends to us as well. Just as Paul placed his confidence in the gospel of Christ, so can we. We can proclaim with boldness the truths that God has revealed in His Word, with no fear that our confidence is misplaced. “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame” . We can rest in the knowledge that the Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of Scripture never changes. What was true thousands of years ago is still true. The offer of salvation that was presented to people of the first century is still open to us.

To live unashamed of the gospel means we proclaim it, but it also means we apply it to our lives and show we believe it. Paul’s life choices supported his message. He did not preach one thing and live another. We are “ashamed of the gospel” when we allow sin in our lives to go unchecked. When we indulge in worldliness and carnal desires or blatantly disobey scriptural standards, we indicate that we lack confidence in our own message. When we “walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the path of sinners, and sit in the seat of scoffers”, we are being ashamed of the gospel. We are not allowing its truth to pe*****te our lives so that others see its changing power. To live unashamed of the gospel means that we, like Paul, allow it to dominate our lives to the extent that everyone within our sphere of influence can see that we have “been with Jesus”.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You that the Gospel is Your powerful instrument of salvation to everyone who believes. Lord, please forgive me for the times I have been hesitant or ashamed to share Your love. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, that I may be bold in my walk and courageous in sharing Christ with the world. Help me to be a living testimony of Your power, unashamedly, so that others may know the hope of Jesus. In His name, I pray, Amen!

03/28/2026

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? (Matthew 21:42)

Jesus confronts a group of influential religious leaders from Israel, asking them if they are familiar with a specific passage from the Scriptures. He knows full well that they are, but he poses this rhetorical question to highlight how they've missed its true meaning.

The passage he references comes from Psalm 118, a psalm that is part of the Passover tradition. Specifically, he quotes verses 22-23, which lead up to the praises sung during his entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (see Psalm 118:25-26 and Matthew 21:9). Interestingly, the wording Jesus uses aligns with modern translations, reflecting the very phrases that angered these religious leaders when shouted by the crowd and echoed by children later on (Matthew 21:15).

In his interpretation, Jesus identifies himself as the stone that the builders rejected. The "builders" refer to Israel's leaders, including the chief priests and Pharisees gathered around him. Despite their rejection, he has become the cornerstone—the most vital stone in the entire structure. Historically, constructing a solid foundation was a significant challenge, and the most crucial stone was placed at the lowest corner to support the building.

Some scholars even suggest that this phrase could pertain to the keystone at the top of an arch. The Greek term used, "kephalēn gōnias," translates directly to "head of the corner." In either interpretation, this is the stone upon which the stability of the entire structure depends.

Jesus emphasizes that this is the Lord's doing, indicating that the dismissal by mere human authorities cannot thwart God's plans. More than that, it is "marvelous in our eyes." His ascendance as the Messiah stands as a profoundly beautiful act of God, not a mere fabrication of any human group.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the stone the builders rejected who has become the chief cornerstone. When I feel overlooked or rejected, help me to stand firm on you. I trust in your power to turn my hardships into a beautiful foundation, for this is your doing, and it is marvelous in my eyes. Be the cornerstone of my life, my family, and my future. Amen.

Day 35 (Mar 30)
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile." (Romans 1:16)

03/27/2026

For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:19,21)

Have you ever faced unfair treatment? I once found myself in a relationship where I believed I had acted with the best intentions. I truly wanted what was best for this person, but it seemed she interpreted my actions through her insecurities, leading her to misread my motives. Ultimately, she accused me of things I didn’t do and decided to remove me from her life entirely.

How could this occur? Every part of me wanted to defend myself and recount her own faults. I shed countless tears, praying for God to help her see the truth, to soften her heart, and perhaps even to teach her a lesson.

In the end, I was the one who learned something valuable. As the weeks went by, I thought about Jesus and the immense suffering He faced. He was completely innocent, yet He endured false accusations, brutal treatment, and ultimately crucifixion. He had every right to defend Himself and highlight the injustices inflicted upon Him but chose silence instead. "He did not retaliate when he was insulted. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly" (1 Peter 2:23 NLT). What allowed Him to respond in this way? His faith that God would be His defender.

This realization brought me hope and strength. I decided to emulate Jesus by trusting in God’s judgment every day. This involved letting Him examine my heart and surrendering the outcome of the situation to Him. It felt like a heavy burden was lifted, and I found peace. Jesus entrusted His case to God. Let us strive to do the same, following in His footsteps.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the example of Jesus, who endured unjust suffering with perfect trust in You. When I face unfair treatment or pain today, help me to respond with grace rather than anger. Give me the strength to endure, knowing that Christ suffered for me, leaving me an example to follow in His steps. May my response to trials reflect Your character and bring glory to Your name. Amen.

03/26/2026

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, (Romans 8:1)

Romans 8 is one of the most powerful and popular chapters in all the Bible. In it, Paul describes with great detail what it means to live as Christian, both now and for eternity. The chapter begins, as well, with one of the most comforting statements in all the Bible.

The previous chapter ended with Paul crying out in frustration about his wretchedness and asking who would deliver him from his "body of death." He answered by giving thanks "to God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 7:25). Now he states absolutely why the gospel is such good news for all who believe.

The Greek words translated as "there is therefore now no." In crystal-clear language, the Bible indicates there is absolutely no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus. None. Zero. Paul's statement leaves no room for even a tiny bit of condemnation to sneak in.

In short, if you are "in Christ Jesus," God will never, ever condemn you for any sin whatsoever. The condition of this statement, however, is crucial: salvation is for those who place their faith in Christ (Romans 3:23–26). There is no other way (Acts 4:12), and those who reject this salvation will not be rescued from condemnation (John 3:18).

How can this be? Paul has already built the case in chapters 3—5 of this letter to the Romans. When we place our faith in Christ, God so closely identifies us with His Son that He gives us credit for Jesus' sinless, righteous life, and He accepts Jesus' death as payment for our death-deserving sin. Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:21: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

So if God is judging us on the basis of Jesus' righteousness, how could we ever be condemned? God would never condemn Jesus, so He will never condemn those who are seen by God as being in Christ. And how do we come to be "in Christ"? Only by faith (Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:8–9).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the truth of Your Word that there is now no condemnation for me because I am in Christ Jesus. Thank You for liberating me from the power of sin and death. I release the burdens of guilt, shame, and unworthiness, and I choose to walk in the freedom of Your grace. Help me to live and walk according to Your Spirit, and not my flesh. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

West Creek United Methodist Church

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