joy Archives | St. Luke's United Methodist Church

5 04, 2019

It’s not supposed to be easy

Sally Penning2019-04-05T09:56:10-05:00April 5th, 2019|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace|0 Comments

A PERSONAL PRAYER Dear Jesus, The other day after a sermon about the idols we worship, someone confessed to me that he has made "comfort and happiness" his god. I thought a lot about that. I think I can make the same confession. So many times I long for life to be easy. I find myself wondering why everything seems challenging, why nothing just flows along nicely without any bumps and bruises along the way. I think, "well, I must be doing something wrong. If I was doing it right, then life would be going smoothly." Ah, but now I see it. It isn't supposed [...]

7 08, 2016

When the World Shifts: Inside-Out Habits with Dr. Tom Pace for August 7, 2016

St. Luke's Author Author2017-03-28T14:56:37-05:00August 7th, 2016|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace|0 Comments

We pray. We study the Bible. We make friends. We tell our stories. We give ourselves away in generosity and service. A PERSONAL PRAYER Gracious and merciful God, Right now, things are calm in my world, at least as calm as my world gets. The problems I face seem surmountable. My heart is at peace. Thank you God, for seasons like this. Joy is easy to claim, and gratitude wells up from my heart. I praise you and thank you. But it hasn’t always been so, God; you know that. There have been some days, some seasons, when it seemed like everything [...]

17 04, 2016

Sabbath Rest: Inside-Out Habits for April 17 with Dr. Tom Pace

Robert Elliott2017-03-28T14:57:39-05:00April 17th, 2016|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace|0 Comments

We pray. We study the Bible. We make friends. We tell our stories. We give ourselves away in generosity and service. WE PRAY: A PERSONAL PRAYER “I am tired. I am weak. I am worn.” “Sometimes, I feel discouraged, and think my work’s in vain. And then the Holy Spirit, revives my soul again…” “When you’re weary. Feelin’ small…” O God, apparently, I am not the only one who sometimes feels depleted and discouraged, burned out and worn out. The songwriter expresses it so well. When that happens, I don’t feel your joy bubbling up inside me. I need [...]

28 02, 2016

Renewing Hope: Inside-Out Habits with Dr. Tom Pace for February 28, 2016

Robert Elliott2017-03-28T14:57:55-05:00February 28th, 2016|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace|0 Comments

We pray. We study the Bible. We make friends. We tell our stories. We give ourselves away in generosity and service. WE PRAY: A PERSONAL PRAYER Holy Spirit, I need your guidance. I read the words of Scripture, and want to follow them and apply them to my life, but I know that they only have power to really guide me when they are enlivened by you. Sometimes, I hear your voice speaking to me… or at least I think it is your voice. I sense your nudges and promptings… or at least it feels to me like they are from [...]

21 02, 2016

Who are You? : Inside-Out Habits with Dr. Tom Pace for February 21, 2016

Robert Elliott2017-03-28T14:57:56-05:00February 21st, 2016|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace|0 Comments

We pray. We study the Bible. We make friends. We tell our stories. We give ourselves away in generosity and service. WE PRAY: A PERSONAL PRAYER O Jesus, I pray to you today… Every morning I begin with an address to God my creator and parent, but I know that every time I pray, it is through you and in your name and character, Jesus. I imagine you, sitting there on the couch across from me, leaning forward, looking into my eyes and heart as I pray. I can see the weathering of the world on your cheeks, the burden [...]

17 01, 2016

Easier Said Than Done: Inside-Out Habits with Dr. Tom Pace for January 17, 2016

Robert Elliott2017-03-28T14:58:07-05:00January 17th, 2016|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace|0 Comments

We pray. We study the Bible. We make friends. We tell our stories. We give ourselves away in service and generosity. A PERSONAL PRAYER God of Peace, "Do not be anxious..." I hear you, God, but it is easier said than done. Sometimes, I know what makes me anxious. Will there be enough? Enough to pay the bills? Enough to do the things I feel you calling us to do? I have been so blessed over my lifetime, but there have been times in my life when too much of my energy was spent worrying about "enough." Forgive me [...]

1 11, 2015

Paying it Forward: Inside-Out Habits with Dr. Tom Pace for November 1, 2015

Robert Elliott2017-03-28T14:58:23-05:00November 1st, 2015|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace|0 Comments

We pray. We study the Bible. We make friends. We tell our stories. We give ourselves away in generosity and service. A PERSONAL PRAYER God, I am so grateful for those who gave and give themselves away in love to me. When I look back, my parents dragged me to church as a small child and must have planted a seed of faith in me. As a teenager, it was in the church family that I discovered real community, as so many people showed me what love looks like. Friends like Steve Warner and Mark Graham loved me joyously, [...]