The Vine: October 15, 2026
Our fresh take on The Vine, a devotional based on the upcoming Sunday’s sermon. This is a tool for you to dive deep into specific verses of scripture and get acquainted with spiritual practices. This iteration of The Vine pairs perfectly with the pastors’ “First Glance Podcast.” The Vine: First Glance Podcast is when the pastors sit down to discuss the scripture for the upcoming sermon. It is a wonderful opportunity to prepare your mind and heart for the week ahead. We invite you to make this a part of your individual spiritual growth throughout the week.
I Commit to Givng...
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 peter 4:10)
Over the past twenty-five years, Alisha, Ben, Andrew, and I have served various churches in different communities from rural to Round Rock and everything in between. As I look back on all the people we were privileged to meet, Mr. and Mrs. Pat from Central United Methodist in Waco come to mind. Pat and Pat were both in their late 70’s/early 80’s when we met. They were long-time active members at Central UMC and had the gift of hospitality and servanthood.
Every Sunday morning Mrs. Pat handed out free donut holes in the foyer just outside the sanctuary. Ben and Andrew were 10 and 7 when we moved to Waco so I will give you one guess as to who they befriended right away – Mrs. Pat. But Mrs. Pat didn’t just hand them a donut and send them on their way. She engaged them in conversation and took a real interest in their lives. The same was true for Mr. Pat.
As Ben and Andrew grew up, the content of the conversations with Mr. and Mrs. Pat would evolve – “Great game Friday night! I heard you played well.” “Congratulations on your Driver’s License.” “Heard you have a girlfriend!” But one thing did not evolve or change over time and that was Mr. and Mrs. Pat’s genuine interest in us.
There are many ways to think about the membership vow of supporting the church with our gifts – talents, skills, financial resources, etc. But have you ever considered that taking a genuine interest and caring about others is a spiritual gift? One of the best ways we can be faithful to Christ is to take a genuine interest in others and help them feel seen and valued.
I had the honor and privilege of officiating both Mr. and Mrs. Pat’s memorial services. At both of their services, I spoke of the impact they had on my sons by simply caring enough to develop a genuine relationship and encouraged them to use their God given gift of caring as well. Ben and Andrew cannot name or remember all the people they met in the churches we served, but I know two names they will never forget.
The donuts were good. But the relationship and gift of caring was better.
An Invitation
This week, think about who has been Mr. and Mrs. Pat in your life. Seek guidance with God on to whom you could be the same and consider practically what that would look like.
PREVIOUS WEEKS
To view all previous devotions go to https://fumc-rr.org/the-vine