Weekly Roundup: Sunday, June 8, 2025
Special Note:
Hey friends,
I'm in the middle of rethinking this little corner of the internet, and I could use your help.
As I've grown - over 400 subscribers - (and hopefully gotten better at this!), I've realized it's time to refresh what this newsletter looks like and how it serves you. I don't just want to hit "send" each week. I want this to actually matter, to be something you look forward to opening.
So here's where you come in: What kind of content would you love to see more of here? Please take a moment and share your thoughts in the comments.
Read Acts 2
Pentecost is a wild story.
Fierce wind. Wild tongues. Blazing fire. The Holy Spirit shows up, and the world is turned upside down. This is no ordinary breeze. This is the same breath that hovered over creation in Genesis 1. The wind that parted the Red Sea. The whisper that came to Elijah. Jesus released the breath on the cross—a breath of sacrificial love that never disappeared. When that wind blows again at Pentecost, 120 people breathe it in, and they are never the same.
Then comes fire, but it doesn't consume. It rests on them. It doesn't destroy; it ignites. In Scripture, fire has always meant God is near: a burning bush for Moses, a pillar of fire guiding the Israelites, a flaming torch sealing the covenant with Abraham, fire from heaven in Elijah's days.
Outside the house, a crowd gathered. Scripture says they were "from every nation under heaven." They hear the wind. They see the fire. They hear Galilean fishermen speaking the languages of Egypt, Arabia, Rome, Asia, and more. They're stunned. Perplexed. Some accuse the disciples of being drunk. But mostly, they ask, "What does this mean?" (Acts 2:12).
Peter stands up—this same Peter who had denied Jesus weeks earlier, scared even to admit he knew him. But now, he speaks with boldness. He quotes the prophet Joel: "In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams" (Acts 2: 17).
Peter says, "This—what you're seeing and hearing—this is that." This is the fulfillment of what God promised long ago. This is a new creation, a new covenant, God breathing life again into the dust of humanity.
So what does this mean for us? It means God's Spirit still moves. We need the divine wind to rattle our boredom and breathe new life into our questions. We need the sacred fire to burn away cynicism and light up courage. We need the Spirit not to make us weird, but to make us real. We need a fire that sets preachers ablaze with truth and sends the world to watch them burn. We need a fire that unsettles the comfortable and comforts the unsettled. We need a fire that breaks open hard hearts and remakes us into peacemakers, forgivers, truth-tellers, and justice-bringers.
When Jesus gave up his last breath on the cross, he exhaled love into the world. I like to believe that it didn't disappear. It became the wind of Pentecost. The breath of Jesus filled the room. It filled his followers. And suddenly, they began to live like him. They healed. They spoke the truth. They forgave. They changed the world because they had inhaled the breath of God.
What if you inhaled? What if you stopped just hearing the story and took a breath? A deep breath of Spirit-wind. A breath of the love that created the world. A breath of the fire that doesn't destroy but transforms. A breath of the same Jesus who laid down his life for you.
For parents, what if your home became a place where God's breath regularly fills the room? Imagine dinner conversations not just about grades or sports but about grace and spiritual growth. What if your kids grew up believing that God's Spirit is just as real in the living room as in the sanctuary?
For the more seasoned Christians, Pentecost reminds us that being used by God has no expiration date. Peter quotes Joel, saying, "Your sons and daughters will prophesy… your old men will dream dreams." God still has dreams for you to carry. The fire can still fall on you. Don't underestimate the impact of your wisdom, testimony, and faith-filled prayers. God's Spirit can light you up like a birthday candle.
Pentecost is not about looking back at a weird Bible story. It's about waking up to what God wants to do right now. It looks like courage rising up when you're scared to speak the truth. It looks like joy showing up in a dark season. It looks like someone forgiving the person who hurt us and meaning it. It looks like a family deciding to pray together, even if it initially feels awkward.
The same Spirit that hovered over creation, parted seas, and fell like fire on trembling disciples wants to breathe life into you today. Not to make you weird but to make you whole. Not to burn you out but to light you up. Not to confuse you, but to give you clarity, power, courage, and direction.
Pastor Jamey
(Click Here to Watch the Worship Service from Gainesville First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia)
Weekend Prayer
Spirit of the Living God, May we speak with boldness, listen with compassion, and act with justice, all by the power of your Spirit. Amen.
Wisdom Nugget: Pentecost turns fearful people into bold truth-tellers and peacemakers.
A Question to Consider: Where in your life do you need the Spirit to breathe fresh courage or boldness?
Meme of the week
Dad Jokes
What cars do eggs drive? A Yolkswagen!
What do you call a sleeping bull? A bulldozer!
Leadership Reflection:
Leaders committed to integrity, faithfulness, and long-term impact must remember that how we lead matters as much as what we achieve. Results are important, and leaders are accountable for fruitfulness. But when outcomes become our only scorecard, we're tempted to compromise what's right for what works.
Great leaders don't just get things done; they get them done the right way. They prioritize people over pace, character over charisma, and faithfulness over flash. Leadership done right shapes culture. It creates trust, not fear. It builds people, not just platforms. Your legacy won't just be what you achieved but how you treated people along the way.
So ask yourself:
Am I leading with integrity?
Are people thriving under my leadership?
Does my leadership reflect the heart of Christ?
Lead boldly, but lead with integrity. Lead toward goals, but lead with grace. Lead to achieve, but never forget that how you lead is part of what you achieve.
Pastor Jamey
Photo Taken By Me
Happening at Gainesville First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia
North Georgia Nonprofit Highlight
Love Your Story makes life a little easier for families impacted by disabilities.
Weekly Blessing and/or Quotes
May the wind of the Spirit stir your heart, disrupt your comfort, and breathe new life into your calling. May the fire of God rest on you, not to consume, but to ignite courage, compassion, and truth.
I love your newsletter as is and look forward to reading it each week! I read many newsletters and yours is among the BEST of all of them! 💜✝️
I love your newsletter and how you tie it to your sermons. I read each one!! Love them!