Devotion 2026 Oct 15

By: Pastor Dennis

Luke 10:29 “But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’”

The lawyer in today’s text has just answered Jesus’s question about what is written in the law about eternal life. Yet, he does not seem to understand who his neighbor is. Jesus goes on to clarify in this “Parable of the Good Samaritan” and that same question seems to be before us in today’s modern world. 

What We Should Know

There’s an old children’s

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Devotion  October 9, 2026

By Pastor Dennis

 Luke 16:13  “No servant can serve two masters; for he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon.”

 Some of the most dis-trusted and dis-liked people in the Bible were the tax collectors.  While their job was to collect the king’s taxes, they were free also to increase the taxes to enhance their own bank accounts.  The people knew that and they

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Devotion October 2, 2026

By: Pastor Dennis

Matthew 25:14-15 “14. For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his own goods to them. 15. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another, one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  

When the master returned, he expected to see the interest earned by each of his servants as they invested his goods. Two did well

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Devotion September 25, 2026

By: Pastor Dennis

Luke 12: 15 “And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses.’”

In this Parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus challenges the spirit of covetousness. In this parable, Jesus tells of the rich man who devotes his life to storage of his earthly belongings with no consideration for edifying the kingdom with his wealth. Such a person’s view of life according t

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Devotion September 18, 2026

By: Pastor Dennis

Matthew 13:3-4 “3. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: ‘Behold a sower went to sow. 4. And as He sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.’”

Statistics of farming show that a percentage of seeds planted will not sprout and produce crops due to any number of calamities in nature. Some seeds  just land on non-productive soil  and wither away or are scooped up by birds. Most of tho

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Devotion September 11, 2026 

By: Pastor Dennis

 Psalm 150:1 “Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament.!

Throughout our journey through the Psalms, we have experienced every emotion from extreme dread to utter joy. With King David as our guide, we have witnessed the joy of victory and the “agony of defeat” through the guilt of realized sin against others as well as against God.

What We Should Know

We should first know the feeling of looking into a spiritua

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Devotion September 4, 2026 

By: Pastor Dennis

Psalm 139:23-24 “23. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties. 24. And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

These are the closing verses of Psalm 139 where David has acknowledged the omnipotence of God who knows all and sees all. David is overwhelmed by the facts of God’s presence, grace, love and forgiveness in spite of his personal sins.

What We Should Know

Through th

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Devotion August 28, 2026

By: Pastor Dennis

Psalm 100:1-2 “1. Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.”

This Psalm is obviously a celebration of thanksgiving. As we read the Psalms each week and witness the revelations of the goodness, love and grace of God in spite of our sins, we commit ourselves with joy and appreciation to acceptance of and service to His perfect will in spite of our sinful natu

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Devotion August 21, 2026 

By: Pastor Dennis

Psalm 46:7 and 11 “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Throughout Psalm 46 we are reminded over and over again that in spite of all the desolations and destruction and calamities of life, God is always there. Through roaring waters, earthquakes, raging wars and unruly kingdoms, God is there to bring peace and  ultimate victory and the means to that ultimate peace lies within our faith. We are told twice (ve

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Devotion, August 13, 2026

BY: Pastor Dennis

Psalm 91:1-2 “1. He who dwells in the secret place Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

God’s place is a secret place because God knows all the mysteries of the universe and the good news is He loves to reveal His secrets to those who seek Him. God’s place is secret because the world cannot see it in a physical way. 

What We S

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Devotion August 7, 2026

By: Pastor Dennis

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble.”

Our life is filled with times of trouble beginning with the experience of birth. Starting school is a trying         experience for a child. Having to go away for college or the military or getting married and starting a family. Finding one’s place in the job market can be a challenging experience. Maybe it’s a medical diagnosis of    ourself or one of our lo

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Devotion July 31, 2026

By: Pastor Dennis

Psalm 126:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”

Psalm 127 emphasizes the importance of God’s will in every direction in life. All that we acquire in life should be through the glory and faith in God’s will. 

What We Should Know

Everything….food, family, friends and lifestyle are from God and proudly acquired from His will. We should seek a

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Devotion July 24, 2026

By: Pastor Dennis

Psalm 23:1-3 “1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

In this Psalm David presents a wonderful caricature of God as the shepherd who watches carefully over His sheep. As the shepherd guides His sheep over sometimes difficult terrain, so God guides us (His sheep)

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To: My Church Family

From: Pastor Dennis

Subject: My Love and Gratitude

 Words cannot begin to express what I felt as you honored me Sunday Morning; especially when I realized the amount of planning and coordination that went into it. You are not just my church, you are my family and Ginny and I have never been happier in our ministry than what we have experienced right here at 1st UMC Plant City. Your love and appreciation rang clear as you celebrated with me eighty years of

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Devotion July 10, 2026

By: Pastor Dennis

Psalm 19:13-14: 

13Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

In the Lord’s Prayer we say “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” We are asking God here to steer us away from sinf

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