Mattoon East Side Nazarene

Mattoon East Side Nazarene East Side is a church located in central Illinois on the south side of Mattoon, Illinois.

Here at East Side, our congregation is made up of people from all walks of life. Our desire is simply to reach out to enlist others - like YOU - to join us in our walk with the Almighty in this pilgrimage of faith we call LIFE.

09/01/2026

Are You Mature?

Hebrews 5:14

14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

When a child is very young, they can only consume milk. Foods with more substance are beyond them; they can process only what is meant for infants. In the same way, those who are spiritually immature can only deal in simpler spiritual matters. This is not bad when a person is a new convert. However, if a person remains in this state of spiritual infancy, when they should have grown enough to handle more solid spiritual "food," then they have only themselves to blame (Ephesians 4:11-15). According to the writer of Hebrews, his target audience will miss some of the deeper meanings he describes (Hebrews 5:11), since they are "dull of hearing." In this context, that "dullness" means laziness and apathy.

Just as a child has to be trained to grow beyond milk to eating solid food, so too must a Christian's spiritual maturity grow through effort and experience. The prior verse used the term apeiros to describe these spiritual babies, meaning they are inexperienced or unskilled. Spiritual maturity has nothing to do with age, since it's possible to remain an immature Christian for a long, long time. Rather, maturity involves developing the ability to put our faith to practical use.

In the context of the book of Hebrews, this has everything to do with making a purposeful effort. It requires that a person "pay much closer attention" to the faith (Hebrews 2:1). It means Christians are to follow God's will without fear and without disobedience (Hebrews 4:11). Maturity requires that a person learn to use our greatest spiritual tool, the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12), to aid our discernment. The result, according to this verse, is a person who can distinguish between good and evil. This is about more than just moral dilemmas—it's also a reference to knowing the difference between truthful, godly teaching and worldly, false faith.

08/31/2026

The Problem Is Our Want-To

John 5:40-43

40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

41 “I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.

This may be one of the clearest diagnoses of the human heart in the Bible. Jesus doesn't say, "You don't have enough information.” He says:

"You refuse to come to me.”

These men had evidence everywhere. They had seen miracles. They knew the Scriptures. They had heard John the Baptist. And now the Son of God was standing in front of them. Still, they would not come.

Why? Because the fundamental problem with fallen humanity isn't merely ignorance. It's rebellion.

We sometimes describe unbelievers as good people seeking God... We just need more evidence, more time, more convincing. Scripture paints a much darker picture: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God” [Romans 3:10–11].

This is what theologians call total depravity. It doesn't mean every person is as evil as he could possibly be. It does mean sin has touched every part of us… our bodies, minds, emotions, desires, and wills.

We don't merely commit sins. We are sinners. And apart from grace, our deepest problem is that we don't want God on His terms.

We want a god who affirms us.
A god who helps our plans.
A god who improves our lives.

Jesus is standing before these men, and He demands repentance, surrender, and worship. They don't want that, and they don't want Him.

And neither did we. That's why salvation must begin with God.

If salvation ultimately depended upon fallen man's natural willingness to choose Christ, no one would ever come. The Spirit must awaken what is dead, soften what is hard, open what is blind, and change our desires.

Grace doesn't merely make salvation possible. Grace makes sinners willing.

God doesn't drag people kicking and screaming into His kingdom. He does something far more beautiful... He changes their hearts. Suddenly the Christ we resisted becomes the Christ we desire. The Savior we rejected becomes precious. The cross that once seemed foolish becomes our only hope.

If you love Christ today, don't congratulate yourself for being good/smart/special enough to choose Him. Fall on your knees and thank God for grace. You love Him because He first loved you.

Take five minutes today and thank God specifically for pursuing you when you were unwilling, opening your eyes when you were blind, and giving you life when you were dead.

08/28/2026

A Foundation For Life

Matthew 7:24-27

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that you should build on His teaching if you want a life that is resting on something solid. We grab this and run away with it to say, “Jesus is my Rock.” But Jesus said to build your life on His sayings; that is what it means to have a house on a firm foundation. Our problem is that we claim Jesus as our Rock and have little regard for putting into practice His teachings in our own lives. Love your enemies, be a peacemaker, seek first the justice of the Kingdom, forgive, go the second mile, turn the other cheek, do not hate, do not name-call, give to the needy, do not worry, the Golden Rule, etc.; this is to build solid. To do the opposite of all this is to build your life on quicksand. Your house, your life, will crumble in the tests of the normal storms of life. It takes more than saying, “Jesus is my Rock”; it takes a life built firmly on the teachings of Jesus. The most solid and sensible thing you and I can do is to live our daily lives following the teachings of Jesus.

~ H. Lamar Smith

08/27/2026

Watch What You Say

James 1:26

26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.

In the book of James, the word “religious” means “pious,” denoting the meticulous observance of ritual and regulation. It could be sincerely or hypocritically performed, and in both cases it would appear to be devout. The word has the connotation of strict observance. However, James said that regardless of how religious you consider yourself, how many rituals you keep, or how many spiritual things you do - if you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless.

James said, “Put a tight rein on your tongue.” The picture is that of a person putting a bridle in his or her own mouth.

If you were to be graded on a scale from A to F, where A is superior and F is failing, how would your religion be graded in relation to your tongue?

A good principle to live by is this: If you would not write it down and sign your name to it, you probably should not say it.

~ Lenny Wisehart

08/26/2026

Whose Approval Do You Want?

John 5:44-47

44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

Jesus asks a devastating question: "How can you believe?”

What was standing in their way? The approval of other people... "you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from God…"

These men wanted the right people to notice them. To respect them. Admire them. Approve of them. Jesus says their appetite for human praise was actually keeping them from faith.

That's a frightening thought. The fear of man rarely feels like idolatry. It feels natural. We want to be liked. We want the invitation. We want the promotion. We want people to think we're successful, intelligent, spiritual, important.

But eventually every man has to decide whose approval matters most… God’s or man's? You cannot live your life facing two audiences. Sooner or later, obedience to one will require disappointing the other.

Then Jesus exposes something even deeper. These religious leaders claimed to trust Moses [v46]. They built their entire religious identity around the Law. Jesus says, essentially, if you really believed Moses, you would believe Me. Why? Because "He wrote of me."

There it is again. The Scriptures point to Christ.
Genesis isn't ultimately about Abraham.
Exodus isn't ultimately about Moses.
The Psalms aren't ultimately about David.
The prophets aren't ultimately about Israel.

The whole story is moving toward Jesus. The promised offspring. The greater Moses. The true Passover Lamb. The better Priest. The eternal King. The suffering Servant.

Christ is not God's Plan B inserted halfway through the Bible because everything else failed. He is the eternal plan of redemption. And Jesus treats the Old Testament as the authoritative Word of God. Not mythology. Not religious folklore. Not outdated spiritual literature. God's Word. There is no unhitching the Old from the New…

Brother, this means we don't stand over Scripture deciding which parts we will accept. Scripture stands over us. We submit our opinions to it. Our desires to it. Our wills to it. Our lives to it. And when Scripture costs us the approval of people, we choose the approval of God.

Remember… The applause of men is loud. But it is short. The approval of God is eternal.

Reflection: Where are you tempted to compromise what God has said because you want the approval of people?

PRAYER: Father, forgive me for craving the praise of people more than Your approval. Give me courage to stand beneath Your Word, submit to what You have spoken, and follow Christ wherever He leads. Make me faithful when obedience is costly and keep my eyes fixed on the audience that matters most. Amen.

08/25/2026

Choosing Friends

2 Timothy 3:2-5

2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Write down or at least think about who your three best friends are. Now think about the kinds of persons they are: Are they kind, do they spend time in the Word of God, do they talk about God and His influence in their lives? What are their basic goals for life? Now look in the mirror. You are probably looking at someone just like the people you described. We tend to become like those we are around.

When The Apostle Paul talked about the people in 2 Timothy 3, he said they were “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM.”

Paul is thinking here about the way people will be in the last days. However, all days have these problems in varying degrees.

There are people in every generation who have these characteristics, but Paul goes on to say in verse 5, “Have nothing to do with them.” The warning here in the Greek is a very strong one. Paul is saying, “Stay away from these people as far as being their best friend. These people can kill your spirit. Avoid these relationships at all costs.”

Choose your friends wisely - chances are you will be like them.

~ Lenny Wisehart

08/24/2026

Watch Your Words

2 Timothy 2:16

16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.

Another translation says it this way: “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.” In the ancient world, useless talking was considered to be caused by a sickness of the soul and demonstrated itself either in the quantity of the words spoken or the quality of the words spoken.

That is what Paul had in mind when he wrote to Timothy. “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.”

We’ve often heard it said you are what you “eat”. However, in a very real sense, you are what you “say”. If you want to find out what people are like, all you have to do is listen and see how they talk about others - they don’t have to say one thing about themselves. But you will know volumes about them by the manner in which they discuss others.

Paul says, “Avoid godless chatter” - because it will just make you more ungodly. Have you ever noticed that if you listen to godless chatter, you are tempted to do the same? The opposite is true too. If you set a pattern of positive, God-filled speech, you will influence others to do the same.

Your decision today is not if you will talk or not, but if it will be godless or godly talk! What you say says something about who you are. Watch your words.

~ Lenny Wisehart

08/21/2026

Faith with an “If Not” Clause

Daniel 3:18

19 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said in essence, “Our God is able, and we believe He will. But if He doesn’t, it’s not because He’s not able, and we’re not going to bow before your filthy image.” (See Daniel 3:16-18.) Notice they had a settled faith. They didn’t say, “Well, let’s huddle about it.” Their minds were already made up. They had a sure faith: “Our God is able.” But they also had a steadfast faith to say, “Even if He doesn’t, even if we’re turned to bacon in that furnace, we’re not going to worship your idol.”

Are you ready to quit just because God doesn’t do the thing you ask Him to do? You’d better have an “if not” clause in your faith. It doesn’t mean your faith is weak. It means that it is stronger than ever. “God, I know You’re able. But if You don’t do it, Lord, I’m going to serve You anyway. I’m not going to make bargains with You.” Sometimes we don’t understand why God does things. A mature faith bows to the sovereign purposes of God.

Where do you need to trust God, even “if not”?
How hard is it for you to truly trust God if He doesn’t answer as you desire?

Take time in prayer today to submit an area of difficulty before God. Ask Him to build your faith and help you trust Him, even “if not.”

~ Adrian Rogers

08/20/2026

Bewitched

Galatians 3:1

1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

The Greek word for “bewitched” is used only this once in the New Testament and does not necessarily refer to witchcraft as such. The connotation is “fascinated” or “deceived.” Unlike most of his other epistles, the book of Galatians includes no commendations from Paul, nor even any prayer requests. Paul evidently was very disappointed in this church and its ministry.

He had clearly preached the gospel to them, setting forth “Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2) among them, and they had apparently believed and started out well. They seemed to understand the great doctrines of salvation by grace and of liberty in Christ, and it was hard for Paul to understand how they had been so quickly led astray.

If anything, this is an even greater problem today than in Paul’s day. Professing Christians are being “tossed to and fro . . . with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14) - not only with legalism (as in Galatia) but also with evolutionism, hedonism, emotionalism, materialism, and many other unscriptural heresies. Many who profess to be Christians have, like the Galatians, been “bewitched” by clever persuasion and peer pressure into such deceptions.

They may consider themselves especially enlightened or intellectual or just up-to-date, but Paul would call them “foolish,” just as he did the Galatians. In Christ alone—our Creator, Redeemer, and Lord—are “hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). As Paul concluded his letter to the Galatians, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14).

~ HMM, ICR

Address

2129 S 9th Street
Mattoon, IL
61938

Opening Hours

10:30am - 12pm

Telephone

+12172586519

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