Midweek Check-in (April 1, 2026)

Good morning, church family!

Let’s stop in the middle of this beautiful Wednesday for a midweek check-in.

The prophet of Isaiah 50 was a wise man whom the Lord spoke through. In these later pages of Isaiah, we receive the word of the Lord from a prophet who often speaks encouraging, supportive words to a broken people. These messages are both refreshing and beautiful.

And in Isaiah 50:4, we get a glimpse of where Isaiah gets his inspiration.

"The Lord gave me

an educated tongue

to know how to respond to the weary

with a word that will awaken them

in the morning."

I wish more people had what Isaiah received from the Lord. To be honest, the world is a better place when God’s people speak with “an educated tongue” to encourage the weary.

So how is it that Isaiah received such a blessing? How is it that the Lord gave him a gift that he used to bless the weary and speak truthfully and intellectually into their lives? How might you be able to do that as well? Isaiah tells us in the rest of verse 4…

"God awakens my ear

in the morning to listen,

as educated people do."

Listening. It’s such an essential practice in the life of an educated believer. And it’s exactly how Isaiah was able to fulfill his God-given mission.

On this Wednesday of Holy Week, it’s a great time to listen. The Lord’s word is more accessible now in a wider variety of formats than ever before. Yet, we don’t always take advantage of the great blessings right at our fingertips. So whether you read a printed copy, open a Bible app or listen to an audiobook version of the Bible – take time to receive the word of the Lord today. During Holy Week, I'm especially spending time in John 18-20.

Here’s the message Isaiah heard from the Lord and proclaimed to the people after listening to God:

"How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of a messenger

who proclaims peace,

who brings good news,

who proclaims salvation,

who says to Zion, 'Your God rules!'”

-Isaiah 50:7

Your pastor,

Billy Byler

GOOD FRIDAY: Our Good Friday service is this Friday, April 3 at 6 p.m. in the sanctuary. This is a powerful, unique time in which we linger in the shadow of the cross, remembering the sacrifice Jesus made for us.

EASTER SUNDAY: We are seeing some really good days at Woodland Lakes Community Church, and the Lord is adding to our numbers! This means we have some big expectations for Easter Sunday in terms of attendance, and we need your help making room for everyone. So please, if you’re able, arrive early Sunday, find a face or two you don’t recognize and introduce yourself. Also, scoot in toward the middle of your row, if possible, and leave the aisles for newer or late-arriving guests to more easily find a seat. Thanks for being the warm and welcoming church I know we are! Our Easter Sunday worship service starts at 10:30 a.m., and we’ll have coffee and doughnuts ready and a photo booth for family pictures in your Easter best! Come worship our Risen Lord and Savior on Easter Sunday!

THE NEXT INITIATIVE: Our next series between Easter and Pentecost Sunday will focus on seeking the Lord’s will for the future of Woodland Lakes Community Church and committing to His mission for us. Here are two ways I’d like you to contribute:

·      Participate in our 24 hours of prayer and fasting by signing up to come to the church sometimes between noon April 10 and noon April 11. Prayer is an essential first step in seeking the Lord’s will, and we’d like people praying in our sanctuary for 24 hours straight as we begin this series. Sign up at The NEXT Initiative booth in the church lobby this Sunday morning.

·      Throughout the month of April I’d like everyone in our church to attend a Vision Gathering, which will take place at various homes around Wichita. Some are on weeknights, some on our weekend afternoons, but all will provide an opportunity to hear details about The NEXT Initiative, our goals and vision for the church. You’ll also receive some delicious snacks and drinks and have the chance to ask questions and make comments. Spots are filling up quickly, so sign up online or at The NEXT Initiative booth in the church lobby this Sunday morning.

TEXT MESSAGING: We have a new way to communicate important, time-sensitive information from the church: text messaging! If you don’t want to receive text messages from the church, do nothing. But if you’d like to be added to our texting list, you can opt-in here. We’ll use this primarily for things like weather-related announcements and special, all-church events.

PRAYER: I’d like to know how I can best pray for you. We have a way to submit prayer requests online anytime day or night, which will help me join you in prayer.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Later this month the City of Wichita will consider a proposal for a developer to build a Buc-cee's gas station on a parcel of land next to our church. More details here.

JUST FOR FUN: Hey, you read Pastor Billy's midweek check-in all the way to the end! As a reward, check out these crazy stories I came across recently:

• For the first time in more than 50 years, NASA astronauts are headed back to the moon… today! The launch window for NASA’s Artemis II opens just before 5:30 p.m. Central Time. The goal of this mission is to send four astronauts around the moon (farther away from earth than any human has ever travelled) as they test systems and plans for future Artemis missions, including a mission to land humans on the moon’s surface sometime in 2028. You can watch today’s launch on NASA’s website.

• A truck carrying 40,000 pounds of tofu crashed in Missouri and was left on the side of the road for about a month. The stench was “like a dead animal, but worse,” according to the local fire chief.

• A man bought a burger from McDonald’s, took the tomato slice and tried to grow a tomato plant with it. It was way more successful than he’d thought.