January 19 – Devotional

Key Verses: Lord, you have been our help, generation after generation. Before the mountains were born, before you birthed the earth and the inhabited world – from forever in the past to forever in the future, you are God. – Psalm 90:1-2, CEB

Psalm 90 tells use one thing is certain: God never changes. From everlasting to everlasting, from beginning to end, He is God. What has changed, especially in recent years, are the culture, people’s lifestyles and the relationship, or lack thereof, people have with the church. Years ago, people graduated from high school and then furthered their education, served in the military, or directly entered the workforce; they got married and had children. Their lives tended to follow a linear progression. It was common for people to spend their whole life in their hometowns and attend the same church from birth until death. In 2026 life looks completely different; while some people follow the traditional pattern, many people’s lives are now full of twists and turns. Some adults continue to live at home well beyond their high school years or live with roommates or with a partner. An increasing number choose to remain single and childless; others choose to become parents outside of marriage. People are more mobile; they often live thousands of miles away from their hometowns and make several major moves in their lifetimes. Due to changing lifestyles and a multitude of alternatives competing for our attention, people became less interested in finding a church home.

Another change that has contributed to the decline in churches is technology; instant access to websites and social media platforms allows religion on demand as an alternative to connecting with a specific church community. A changing world necessitates changing how we “do church.” In order to move forward into God’s best future, the authors of Future-Focused Church emphasize the need for churches to be flexible and adaptable as they move from HERE to THERE; and, to understand THERE might be multiple options that continue to iterate, rather than one vision that is set in stone for many years to come.

Pray:

• • How were our church structure and programming designed for the world as it was? What examples does God bring to mind?
  • How willing are we to recognize that THERE may be multiple options and to accept the need to be flexible and adapt, experiment, and iterate as we move forward? What are tangible ways we can trust God to continue to be God during times of transition?

Listen: With open eyes, ears, and heart, listen for God to speak to you now and throughout the day.

Share: You can share your thoughts where you feel best. You can share your thoughts in your printed devotional booklet, you can share below in the comments, you can share a comment on our Facebook page, or you can share a comment on the First Houston United Methodist Church App by following the Daily Devotionals Channel.