Mattoon East Side Nazarene

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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.

10/21/2026

Minding the Mind

Job 38:36

36 Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart?

Your brain is composed of about 60% fat, floats in cerebrospinal fluid, and weighs about three pounds. It contains 86 billion neurons, consumes 20% of your body’s energy, and operates at speeds of 268 miles per hour.

The most important thing about your brain, though, is the thoughts that dominate it. The Bible says, “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:5-6 NIV).

We must consciously fill our minds with Scripture - read it, study it, and memorize it. We need to meditate on the Bible's words from Genesis to Revelation. God will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are fixed on Him (see Isaiah 26:3). It is our God who can put wisdom in our minds and understanding in our hearts.

“A biblical meditation on Scripture acts as a believer’s medicine because God’s Spirit always uses the balm of His truth to provide lasting comfort and help.” (David Saxton)

10/20/2026

His Death, Our Life

Hebrews 13:12

12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.

Let’s consider four things in this passage:

First, the person. It was Jesus, the Son of God. It was not some substitute, but He was the best God had. And it was this person, Jesus, the sinless one, who became sin for everyone.

Second, the price. There is no way, with my limited vocabulary, to express to you the depth of suffering that Christ endured on the cross. But the fact remains that He did, and we are the recipients of countless blessings because of His sacrifice.

Third, the place. Jesus’ sufferings “outside the city” underscored the shame that criminals experienced in New Testament times. The Christ was treated like a common criminal and was made to feel like a total outcast.

Fourth, the purpose. In order “to make His people holy,” Jesus invites us as believers to present our bodies, our lives, as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).

Jesus gave His life and died so that when we give our lives to Him, we can live!

~ Lenny Wisehart

10/19/2026

Are You Really Ready for God's Answer?

2 Timothy 2:15

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Imagine you pull your car in behind a man pushing an old car into a gas station. All four of his tires are flat. The headlights have been broken out. The battery is gone. All the fenders are dented and flopping. It has a gas tank, but there’s a hole rusted in the bottom. You are sitting behind him, waiting to get gas for yourself, and you are amazed when you see his attempt to fill the tank up. If you were watching, what would you think? You’d likely wonder, What for? We say, “Oh, God, show me your will.” God says, “Why? Why should I show you My will? You’re not prepared to do My will. You don’t really mean it when you say you want to know My will.”

Are you yielded to God? Don’t say, “I want to know the will of God,” unless there is willingness. Unless there is meekness. Unless there is openness. All those things were there when the Apostle Paul prayed and said, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” (Acts 9:6).

- What would it look like to yield to God in your life today?
- How do you prepare yourself for receiving direction from God?

Our Annual Missions Emphasis Sunday is always a highlight. It was an honor to bestow Distinguished Service Awards on Leo...
10/18/2026

Our Annual Missions Emphasis Sunday is always a highlight. It was an honor to bestow Distinguished Service Awards on Leo Van Scyoc and Mary Alice Walker. It was also our privilege to host Rev. Joe Techau, retired Nazarene pastor and missionary, as our guest speaker. The day concluded with a taco bar and baked goods auction.

10/18/2026

Morning Worship Service of the East Side Church pf the Nazarene in Mattoon, Illinois.

10/16/2026

God’s Concept of Happiness

1 Timothy 6:6

6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

The world's concept of happiness is getting what we want. All merchandising is based on this idea. To really be happy, we need a flashier car, a sexier cologne, or any number of items that are better, faster, or easier to use than what we already have. We watch the commercials, read the ads, and pursue all the latest fashions, fads, and fancy doodads. We buy into the lie that we're not really happy until we get what we want.

God's concept of happiness is summed up in the simple proverb: "Happy is the man who wants what he has." As long as you are focusing on what you don't have, you'll be unhappy. But when you begin to appreciate what you already have, you'll begin to experience the joys of life. Paul wrote to Timothy: "Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6-8).

Actually, you already have everything you need to live a joyful life. You have Christ. You have eternal life. You are loved by a heavenly Father who has promised to supply all your needs. No wonder the Bible repeatedly commands us to be thankful (1 Thessalonians 5:18). If you really want to be happy, learn to be thankful for what you have and not covet what you don't have.

PRAYER: Father, today I want to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, knowing that You will add to my life all that I need. Amen.

~ Neil Anderson

10/15/2026

The Importance And Necessity of Regular Church Attendance

Hebrews 10:24-25

24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

I have heard, far too many times, the statement (excuse) made: “You don’t have to attend church to be a Christian.” That may be true. But you may not be a Christian for long without regular attendance and commitment to the church body.

Regularly attending church provides essential spiritual, emotional, and social grounding that helps believers live out their faith in community rather than isolation.

Spiritual Growth and Worship

Biblical Foundation: Scripture instructs believers not to neglect meeting together, viewing corporate assembly as a vital expression of obedience and devotion (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Consistent Nourishment: Sitting under the regular preaching and teaching of God's Word deposits truth that guides and sustains individuals through life's challenges.

Means of Grace: Partaking in shared worship, prayer, and sacraments like the Lord's Supper roots personal faith in a collective rhythm of grace.

Community And Accountability

The Body of Christ: Christianity is designed to be lived as "Jesus and we" rather than "Jesus and me," meaning each member's presence and gifts are necessary for the whole group (1 Corinthians 12:21-26).

Mutual Encouragement: Regular interaction provides accountability, helping believers spot spiritual blind spots and spurring one another on toward love and good deeds.

Support In Trials: A local church family offers companionship, practical help, and emotional comfort during personal grief or hardship.

Service and Practical Impact

Exercising Spiritual Gifts: Attendance moves people from passive spectatorship to active service, allowing them to use their unique talents to help others (Ephesians 4:11-13).

Family and Cultural Grounding: Consistent participation reinforces faith-based values for children and youth, protecting families against cultural drift.

Holistic Well-Being: Studies indicate that active participation in a religious community can reduce stress, lower anxiety, and improve overall mental and physical resilience.

Several core Scriptural passages explicitly establish the foundation, practice, and necessity of corporate worship for the body of Christ.

The Command and Purpose of Gathering

Hebrews 10:24–25: "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

This text frames corporate gathering not as an optional routine, but as a mutual responsibility to sustain faith and endurance.

Colossians 3:16: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Paul emphasizes that corporate singing and instruction are interactive; they are tools for teaching and building up the community simultaneously.

Ephesians 5:19: "Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart…"

Similar to Colossians, this highlights the vertical aspect of worshiping God alongside the horizontal aspect of speaking truth to fellow believers.

Old Testament Models and Longing for the Assembly

Psalm 122:1: "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord!’"

This pilgrim psalm captures the communal joy and anticipation of worshiping together in God's designated dwelling place.

Psalm 149:1: "Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly!”

Scripture regularly distinguishes between private devotion and the specific power of praise raised by the gathered collective.

Psalm 34:3: "Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!”

Worship is framed as an invitation to shared experience, multiplying praise through unity.

The Practice of the Early Church

Acts 2:42: "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

The very first snapshot of the New Testament church shows that corporate devotion—sharing meals, sitting under teaching, and praying together—was the baseline definition of Christian living.

1 Corinthians 14:26: "What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.”

Paul outlines the order of corporate gatherings, confirming that the explicit goal of public worship is the spiritual construction of the entire local body.

Again, regularly attending church provides essential spiritual, emotional, and social grounding that helps believers live out their faith in community rather than isolation.

Before making excuses for why we cannot, or will not, regularly gather for worship, preaching/teaching of the Word, and the exercise of our Spiritual gifts, let us pray and obey the Word of God.

10/15/2026

There’s No Excuse

1 Corinthians 1:9

9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

“I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred” (John 5:7, NIV). The man beside the pool of Bethesda was focused on what he lacked. He lacked a friend to help him. He lacked the strength to do it on his own. But while he was preoccupied with what he didn’t have, he totally missed what he did have - he had Jesus! Standing right there!

What’s your excuse for continuing to lie down on your responsibilities? What’s your excuse for remaining a spiritual child when you should be mature in your faith? What’s your excuse for sleeping when you should be kneeling in prayer? What’s your excuse?

Is it lack of faith? Lack of willpower? Lack of knowledge? Lack of discipline? Lack of energy? There is no excuse you or I can come up with that is valid because we have Jesus!

~ Anne Graham Lotz

10/14/2026

Do You Love Me?

Matthew 19:29

29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

Jesus looked straight at Peter and asked persistently for the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” (John 21:17, NIV). Under the direct, searching gaze of his Lord, Peter must have known he was being asked whether he loved Jesus more than himself. This time did Peter squirm uncomfortably? Did he love Jesus more than the opinions of others, such as the servant girl in the courtyard? More than his own safety and comfort, as he would now be dangerously identified with Someone Who had been executed as an enemy of Rome? More than his own reputation? More than his memories of sin and failure?

Jesus reached into Peter’s heart and put His finger on Peter’s motivation for service. Peter’s motivation to live for Jesus and to serve Jesus was not to be an attempt to stave off guilt, or to earn forgiveness, or to avoid criticism, or to prove something to someone, or to gain approval or recognition. Peter’s sole motivation in service was to be his love for Jesus, pure and simple. (Anne Graham Lotz)

10/13/2026

The God of Hope

Romans 15:13

13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

The apostle Paul invokes the Lord as “the God of hope” in this verse, which is an unusual but important description for God found nowhere else in the Old or New Testament. So, how are the two nouns related in this Greek text, which is known as a genitive phrase, “the God of hope” (ho Theos tes elpidos)? The encouraging answer for us as believers in Christ Jesus is twofold.

First, our mighty Creator and Redeemer God is the only source who can give true hope. This hope is for the present life: “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). The hope is also for the life to come: “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).

Even more amazing is that Paul desired that we would “abound” or literally overflow with hope, as the Greek verb (perisseuo) implies. God does this “through the power of the Holy Ghost,” blessing His people with “all joy and peace in believing” as they trust in Him.

Second, God is also the object of our hope. The psalmist declared, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever” (Psalm 73:25-26). So we look “unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

Because we live in a sin-cursed world devoid of true hope, we must focus on the God of hope, not the problems of this life or our own strength.

~ JPT, ICR

Address

2129 S 9th Street
Mattoon, IL
61938

Opening Hours

10:30am - 12pm

Telephone

+12172586519

Website

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