Saint Matthew United Methodist Church

Log in

  • Mary’s Corner

    Mary Teague

    Words That Carry Us Closer

    Every breath we take, every move we make—everything we do is done in the presence of God.

    Over the past three weeks, we’ve explored how words matter—how communication is not just between us and others, but between us and God. We talked about the way we speak to each other, the way we speak to ourselves, and the way we speak to God.

    And what we’ve discovered is this: it’s all conversation with God.

    We are commanded to love our neighbor—that’s how we speak to each other.

    We are created in God’s image and pursued by grace—that’s how we speak to ourselves.

    And when we pray, worship, sing, study, and serve—that’s how we speak to God.

    I hope you’ve found something meaningful in this sermon series. I know I have.

    Please lift up our dear friend and church member Linda Pruett in prayer. She experienced a stroke last week and is now recovering at home. Her daughter is with her, and she’s doing well—but prayers are deeply appreciated. If you’re one of our Methodist chefs, a few small meals would be helpful in this season of healing.

    And now… Max is back!

    This Sunday, I encourage you—if you’re able—to be present in the pews. If not, send him a note or a message to let him know you’re glad he’s back. I’ll be sitting in the pew myself, feet up, simply ready to be fed by whatever word God has placed on Max’s heart.

    I love you all,

    Mary

  • Kids’ News – Barnabas and Saul Are Sent

    Sue Kelcey

    This week, we learned about the moment when the early church sent Barnabas and Saul (who we now know as Paul) on a very important journey. Before they left, the believers gathered to pray and worship. During that time, the Holy Spirit spoke and made it clear that Barnabas and Saul were being called to do something special for God.

    Then something powerful happened: the church laid hands on them.

    The laying on of hands is an ancient practice—a way of saying, “We believe in you,” and “We’re with you.” When the early believers placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul, they weren’t just sending them off—they were reminding them that they weren’t alone. The whole community was with them in spirit, and more importantly, God was with them too.

    That’s how the Holy Spirit works. The Spirit speaks, calls, and sends. And the Spirit gives us strength, just like Jesus promised:

    “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” (Acts 1:8)

    Even today, the Spirit is still calling people to do big things in love, kindness, and faith. And sometimes the Spirit calls kids, too.

    What We Learned:

    • The Holy Spirit calls and sends people out to share God’s love.
    • When we pray for each other, we are showing that we are a community of faith.
    • God’s Spirit gives us power to be brave, loving, and kind wherever we go.
    • We are never alone—our church and the Spirit go with us.

    In class, we talked about what it means to be “sent” by God—not just to faraway places like Barnabas and Saul, but even to our schools, neighborhoods, and homes. We colored cutouts of hands and wrote encouraging prayers on them to remind each other: you’re not alone, and you are loved.

    See you in church Sunday, where we’ll learn more about the Holy Spirit!

  • Newsletter for July 2, 2025

    Jason Hardy
    2025-07-02 St Matthew TodayDownload

  • Words Matter: The Way We Speak to God

    Jason Hardy
    YouTube player

    Watch the full service on our YouTube channel by clicking here.

    https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/saintmatthewumc/episodes/Words-Matter-The-Way-We-Speak-to-God-e3505fs

    Tags:

  • Friday’s Word

    Max Brennan

    Atheists are under severe threat.
    There is a minefield of evidence that God is real—and at any moment, the atheist may find his worldview blown to bits.

    In my convalescence from my fall onto concrete (bruised but not broken), I’ve watched a lot of YouTube.
    And I watched a couple of NDE accounts, which triggered the algorithm—bringing up hundreds.
    My YouTube is wall-to-wall NDEs.

    Many have titles like: Life-long Atheist Dies and Meets God.
    And suddenly, those lifelong denials are shattered in seconds.

    Their experience of God is undeniable.
    The NDE is said to be more real than anything in this world.
    And they don’t want to deny it.
    Because the God they meet in their NDE is truly what they have looked for all their lives.

    Yes, they have lived as atheists. They have not accepted Christ or held any religious beliefs.
    That does not change God’s love for them.

    The atheist encounters in heaven the unconditional love Jesus told us about.
    It’s a love so powerful and so transforming, words cannot describe it.

    Now—anyone, atheist or otherwise, who has lived an evil life may have a less pleasant experience.
    But most people are not evil.
    And most atheists just do not know enough to believe.
    They are, simply, ignorant about reality.

    Everyone will eventually believe in God.
    We can resist God in this world.
    But the instant we die—God is there.
    Loving us.

    So—
    Why wait till we die to enjoy that love?

    (I will return to the pulpit on July 6—in one week.)

    saintmatthewumc.com
    [email protected]