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, 9/15/25 – 9/20/25
Faith UMC
MONDAY 9/15/25: Philemon 1:1-25, “The Slave is Our Brother”
This is the shortest letter of Paul’s, the most personal of notes, and the inspiration for line in “O Holy Night.” It’s odd that the early church would preserve this letter as part of the Holy Scripture. What makes it’s so important? In it, Paul is returning an enslaved man to a slaver, but with a not-so-subtle instruction to treat his as a sibling. Paul is breaking the social order of enslaved/slaver in asking this. How does this real look at Paul living out his ethic affect your ways of reading Paul? What questions come to mind?
TUESDAY 9/16/25: Mark 10:1-31, You lack one thing
Two questions about the Law are put before Jesus, with an interlude of welcoming children between them. Let’s not ignore that interlude of children! The Pharisee and rich man ask questions (out of selfish motivation) and receive tough answers. The children are embraced and blessed. What is Mark teaching us in this juxtaposition? It seems so easy for children to enter the Kingdom of God and so hard for this rich man.
WEDNESDAY 9/17/25: Psalm 92, Song for the Sabbath Day
What should we do or say during our Sabbath rest? Our psalm today teaches us to praise God and give thanks for God’s bountiful provision. The psalm is entitled “A Song for the Sabbath.” Practicing the Sabbath is not simply doing nothing. During our Sabbaths, we should take up activities that celebrate God’s goodness to us, we should rest, play, and give thanks to God. How can you turn your rest-activities into activities that praise God?
THURSDAY 9/18/25: Exodus 31:1-11, Workers filled with the Holy Spirit
God instructs Moses and the Israelites to set up a place for worship and remembrance of God’s love and justice. After giving precise instructions for the place and the furniture, God points out that he chosen a few workers (artists and carpenters), and has filled them with his holy spirit. This is Scripture’s first mention of people being filled with the Spirit, and they aren’t pastors or teachers. They are workers and artists. Can you see the Holy Spirit empowering you to do your work?
FRIDAY 9/19/25: 1 Corinthians 14:1-12, Prophesying vs. Speaking in Tongues
Love is the greatest spiritual gift, but we ought to talk about the lesser (and more mystical) ones. For Paul, prophesying (more truth-telling than future-telling) is better than praying in tongues because it benefits the whole community. The guiding value for Paul here is the health of the community over the heightened-spirituality of the individual. Our gifts our for the benefit of the community. How are you blessing the community?
SATURDAY 9/20/25: Romans 1:25-2:4, Missing Paul’s LGBTQ Point
There are a handful of Bible verses Christians use to mount devastatingly harmful attacks on the LGBTQ community. We reject and condemn such actions and stances that dehumanize and harm our LGBTQ neighbors and siblings, and we also have to reckon with the Bible verses people use. In worship, tomorrow, we’ll tackle head-on one passage, and show through a more faithful reading, that people who use Paul’s words to judge and harm have completely missed Paul’s point. Join us in worship. You matter to God.
Faith UMC
MONDAY 9/15/25: Philemon 1:1-25, “The Slave is Our Brother”
This is the shortest letter of Paul’s, the most personal of notes, and the inspiration for line in “O Holy Night.” It’s odd that the early church would preserve this letter as part of the Holy Scripture. What makes it’s so important? In it, Paul is returning an enslaved man to a slaver, but with a not-so-subtle instruction to treat his as a sibling. Paul is breaking the social order of enslaved/slaver in asking this. How does this real look at Paul living out his ethic affect your ways of reading Paul? What questions come to mind?
TUESDAY 9/16/25: Mark 10:1-31, You lack one thing
Two questions about the Law are put before Jesus, with an interlude of welcoming children between them. Let’s not ignore that interlude of children! The Pharisee and rich man ask questions (out of selfish motivation) and receive tough answers. The children are embraced and blessed. What is Mark teaching us in this juxtaposition? It seems so easy for children to enter the Kingdom of God and so hard for this rich man.
WEDNESDAY 9/17/25: Psalm 92, Song for the Sabbath Day
What should we do or say during our Sabbath rest? Our psalm today teaches us to praise God and give thanks for God’s bountiful provision. The psalm is entitled “A Song for the Sabbath.” Practicing the Sabbath is not simply doing nothing. During our Sabbaths, we should take up activities that celebrate God’s goodness to us, we should rest, play, and give thanks to God. How can you turn your rest-activities into activities that praise God?
THURSDAY 9/18/25: Exodus 31:1-11, Workers filled with the Holy Spirit
God instructs Moses and the Israelites to set up a place for worship and remembrance of God’s love and justice. After giving precise instructions for the place and the furniture, God points out that he chosen a few workers (artists and carpenters), and has filled them with his holy spirit. This is Scripture’s first mention of people being filled with the Spirit, and they aren’t pastors or teachers. They are workers and artists. Can you see the Holy Spirit empowering you to do your work?
FRIDAY 9/19/25: 1 Corinthians 14:1-12, Prophesying vs. Speaking in Tongues
Love is the greatest spiritual gift, but we ought to talk about the lesser (and more mystical) ones. For Paul, prophesying (more truth-telling than future-telling) is better than praying in tongues because it benefits the whole community. The guiding value for Paul here is the health of the community over the heightened-spirituality of the individual. Our gifts our for the benefit of the community. How are you blessing the community?
SATURDAY 9/20/25: Romans 1:25-2:4, Missing Paul’s LGBTQ Point
There are a handful of Bible verses Christians use to mount devastatingly harmful attacks on the LGBTQ community. We reject and condemn such actions and stances that dehumanize and harm our LGBTQ neighbors and siblings, and we also have to reckon with the Bible verses people use. In worship, tomorrow, we’ll tackle head-on one passage, and show through a more faithful reading, that people who use Paul’s words to judge and harm have completely missed Paul’s point. Join us in worship. You matter to God.