Grow • Pray • Study
daily Devotional Guide
Our Grow • Pray • Study (GPS) Guide offers daily readings and thoughts that follow along the Scriptural themes of our Sunday Worship services.
In the month of May, we'll focus on the Gospel of Matthew. Join us as we highlight Matthew's emphasis on God's faithfulness to the people of Israel even as God surprises us with Jesus. The GPS will be updated weekly, so check back here often!
In the month of May, we'll focus on the Gospel of Matthew. Join us as we highlight Matthew's emphasis on God's faithfulness to the people of Israel even as God surprises us with Jesus. The GPS will be updated weekly, so check back here often!
G•P•S - Grow, Pray, Study Guide, 9/1/25 – 9/6/25
Faith UMC
MONDAY 9/1/25: Hebrews 12:1-15, You can win this race!
The New Testament takes up a running race metaphor as our task as Christians. We can run this race and win because we have (1) a cloud of runners who cheer us on, (2) Jesus as our lead runner showing the way, and (3) the promise that we are children of God. What more could we need! What race is God calling you to run today?
TUESDAY 9/2/25: Mark 9:30-41, Who’s on our team?
This is the first time Jesus mentions welcoming children to the group. He’ll repeat this teaching in the next chapter. When you welcome children, you welcome Christ. Next, some of the disciples are mad that other people are doing Jesus-like things without their permission. But Jesus’s answer is to embrace them. They’re on the team, too. How does this passage shed light on who we think is “in” and who think is “out” in the church today?
WEDNESDAY 9/3/25: Psalm 1, The way of happiness
The first psalm is a wisdom psalm and a psalm of orientation. When the world is as it should be, those who do good, follow God, and stay close to God’s instruction will be as unmovable as healthy trees. When the world is as it should be, wrongdoing will not be able to take root. While that is not how the world usually it, psalm 1 is a prayer, hope, and call to faithfulness. What do you hear in this psalm today?
THURSDAY 9/4/25: Exodus 20:1-21, Politics of justice and freedom
The ancient Israelites, who were once enslaved in Egypt, are now being formed into a nation, complete with its own religion, politics, and laws. Can you imagine this dramatic shift? As we reflect on what these 10 commandments would mean to a nation of once-slaves, let’s focus on the Sabbath commandment. What would it mean to command formerly enslaved to not work for a whole day, once a week? This commandment is a proclamation of freedom. You are free, too! How can you practice Sabbath as proclamation that you are not enslaved to your job, school, other people, etc.?
FRIDAY 9/5/25: 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, The body of Christ
Not only are we the temple of God, but Paul calls us the body of Christ. We are in Christ, and Christ is in us. We are connected to one another. At the center of all the controversy at Corinth is the selfish need to set oneself apart (and above) someone else in the church. Paul tells us that we are united, we are all valuable and necessary to the body. We each have unique roles and shouldn’t be jealous of one another. What is your role in the church? How has God gifted you to build up the body?
SATURDAY 9/6/25: 1 Cor. 1:10-25, Everybody hates Paul
Tomorrow we start up a new sermon series entitled “Problematic Paul,” where we’ll discuss some of the topics in Paul’s writings that put us on edge: slavery, women in leadership, and same-sex relations for example. How do faithfully handle these topics in our Scriptures for the world today? We begin with an introduction to Paul and what is at the center of his theology: Christ crucified, and what that means as we interpret everything else he says. See you Sunday!
Faith UMC
MONDAY 9/1/25: Hebrews 12:1-15, You can win this race!
The New Testament takes up a running race metaphor as our task as Christians. We can run this race and win because we have (1) a cloud of runners who cheer us on, (2) Jesus as our lead runner showing the way, and (3) the promise that we are children of God. What more could we need! What race is God calling you to run today?
TUESDAY 9/2/25: Mark 9:30-41, Who’s on our team?
This is the first time Jesus mentions welcoming children to the group. He’ll repeat this teaching in the next chapter. When you welcome children, you welcome Christ. Next, some of the disciples are mad that other people are doing Jesus-like things without their permission. But Jesus’s answer is to embrace them. They’re on the team, too. How does this passage shed light on who we think is “in” and who think is “out” in the church today?
WEDNESDAY 9/3/25: Psalm 1, The way of happiness
The first psalm is a wisdom psalm and a psalm of orientation. When the world is as it should be, those who do good, follow God, and stay close to God’s instruction will be as unmovable as healthy trees. When the world is as it should be, wrongdoing will not be able to take root. While that is not how the world usually it, psalm 1 is a prayer, hope, and call to faithfulness. What do you hear in this psalm today?
THURSDAY 9/4/25: Exodus 20:1-21, Politics of justice and freedom
The ancient Israelites, who were once enslaved in Egypt, are now being formed into a nation, complete with its own religion, politics, and laws. Can you imagine this dramatic shift? As we reflect on what these 10 commandments would mean to a nation of once-slaves, let’s focus on the Sabbath commandment. What would it mean to command formerly enslaved to not work for a whole day, once a week? This commandment is a proclamation of freedom. You are free, too! How can you practice Sabbath as proclamation that you are not enslaved to your job, school, other people, etc.?
FRIDAY 9/5/25: 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, The body of Christ
Not only are we the temple of God, but Paul calls us the body of Christ. We are in Christ, and Christ is in us. We are connected to one another. At the center of all the controversy at Corinth is the selfish need to set oneself apart (and above) someone else in the church. Paul tells us that we are united, we are all valuable and necessary to the body. We each have unique roles and shouldn’t be jealous of one another. What is your role in the church? How has God gifted you to build up the body?
SATURDAY 9/6/25: 1 Cor. 1:10-25, Everybody hates Paul
Tomorrow we start up a new sermon series entitled “Problematic Paul,” where we’ll discuss some of the topics in Paul’s writings that put us on edge: slavery, women in leadership, and same-sex relations for example. How do faithfully handle these topics in our Scriptures for the world today? We begin with an introduction to Paul and what is at the center of his theology: Christ crucified, and what that means as we interpret everything else he says. See you Sunday!