January 4, 2026

This week Sister Crystal Dolson delivered a wonderful meditation titled Trust in God. Sister Crystal pointed out that while we depend on family, friends and others through their humanity can fail you however God will never fail you. She cited 1 Samuel 17:40-54 (David fighting Goliath) Daniel 3:19-30 (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace) and Matthew 14:28-31(Peter walking on water) as examples of everyday people putting not just their trust but their lives in God’s hands finding victory, literally coming through the fire and performing supernatural acts of faith. We must trust God in all areas of our lives, get out of His way and stop giving Him suggestions on how to handle His business. Exodus 14:14 states that He will fight for us, we need to only be still and trust thatGod is already working on our behalf. Not even birds concern themselves; they trust in God (Matthew 6:26). She then led us in worship with the song Trust in God by Elevation Worship. 

Our beloved Reverend Mary Gunther, Pastor delivered our sermon titled Where Is God?

Scriptures: 

Mark 15:30 

Luke 23:35-39 

Matthew 27:39-44 

1 Samuel 30:6 

Isaiah 41:10 

Psalm 27:14 

Philippians 4:6-7 

Joshua 1:9 

John 4 

John 19:28 

John 7:37 

The God we serve is everything, everywhere and unchanging all the time. God is always where He has always been, directly in the middle of everything. Not feeling God brings us to a point of thirst for Him just as a deer searching for water and only finding dry brooks.This thirst becomes greater and even consumes our every thought and becomes our motivation for doing all things. Without feeling His presence, the voice of the enemy grows stronger. 

Sometimes we don’t feel Him like we used to. We struggle between fear and faith. We yearn for the reminder of how it feels to be caught up in the Spirit. In times like these, we are called to encourage ourselves (1 Samuel 30:6) and wait, not to fear, trust and rely on God knowing He is always with us (Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 27:14, Philippians 4:6-7, Joshua 1:9). 

Nothing satisfies us like knowing the presence of God, once you come back into His presence there is nothing in this world or that this world can give you that compares. The woman at the well exemplifies how our thirst is quenched with Jesus, our living water. Without this living water we will not be satisfied in any area of our lives. Luke 16:21 makes it clear that even the riches of this world are like a man with leprosy desiring the crumbs from the rich man's table while a dog licked his sores. This is a vivid visualization of whatit is to look to the world as a replacement for the presence of God. 

Jesus died to quench our thirst and was raised so that we would never again have to thirst. Where is God? Right there in the middle of everything. Come in faith and drink His living water and thirst no more.