Free Methodist Church of Santa Barbara: Recent Episodes
Sermons
By the power of the Holy Spirit and with Jesus' transforming love, we draw people to Christ, disciple them in the faith, and equip them for ministry.
AI and Human Flourishing, Wisdom for this New Age, Dr James Davidson (Encounter, 2.22.26) by Sermons
Wisdom and Foolishness in Counseling, Denny and Cheryl Wayman (Encounter, 2.1.26) by Sermons
The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom, Rev Scott Williams (Encounter, 1.25.26) by Sermons
Listening to God on Behalf of Others, Rev. Dr. Colleen Hurley-Bates (11.30.25) by Sermons
Hearing God's Call in the Parable of the Tenants, Rev. Shannon Balram (11.16.25) by Sermons
The Holy Spirit is the Fuel of the Great Commission- Pastor Dennis Leon (6.8.25) by Sermons
Supporting Family Members With Mental Health Challenges, Heather Crawshaw (Encounter, 3.30.25) by Sermons
Practical Support/Tools for Mental Health Challenges, Heather Crawshaw (Encounter, 3.30.25) by Sermons
How Our Attachment Style Affects our Relationship with God and Others, Dr. Andrea Gurney (Encounter, 2.23.25) by Sermons
How Christian Faith Impacts Roots of Common Mental Health Issues, Denny and Cheryl Wayman (Encounter, 2.9.25) by Sermons
Introduction: Mental Health and the Church, Nikki Ramage and Kaylie Grant (Encounter, 1.26.25) by Sermons
This sermon was written by Rev. Dr. Colleen Hurley-Bates and preached by Rev. Danielle Garcia
Hello listener! We sincerely apologize for the delayed posting of this track. We are catching up from a staffing transition. We hope you are blessed by this sermon.
Watch the Bible Project video that Pastor Colleen is referring to here ->https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/martus-witness/
Pickleball Pastor-Theology of Play & Sabbath- Pastor Nikki Ramage (Spring Encounter Series) by Sermons
Considering Mental Illness and How it Affects Us- Nancy Ranck (Fall Encounter Series) by Sermons
Church Abuse and "The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill" Podcast- Sandy Patterson (Fall Encounter Series) by Sermons
There were some issues with the audio at the beginning of the sermon, so it begins a few minutes in.
There were some audio issues at the beginning of this recording. It gets resolved at the 8:46 mark.
The Forever Priest- Aaron Bubert, Ryan Radujko, Meg Wolfgram, & Maddy Schulte(4.25.21) by Sermons
We had some technical difficulties with Part 1 of this Encounter, so we apologize for that. Please enjoy part 2!
The Surpassing Value of Knowing Christ Jesus My Lord- Rev. Nikki Ramage (10.25.2020) by Sermons
We get to hear the testimonies from Cristeen Short, Donald Velasquez, Bob Perlis, and TK Erickson.
Our Incomparable God- Olivia Bates, Theo Patterson, Eva Moschitto, Rev. Doug Ranck (5.17.2020) by Sermons
On this first Sunday of Lent, we pause our study in Samuel for just a week to meditate on a scripture about Jesus when He is led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. It is good that we think about all our Lord endured and important to remember how His difficulty was in the beginning of His ministry, as well as in the end. What stands out to us in this piece is the scripture Jesus uses against the promises of the enemy. Those three citations will be our focus. Jesus combats His temptation with the Word of God. It is a powerful reminder of what is available to us. God has equipped us with everything we need for knowing Him and doing His will. Sunday we will be partaking in communion as we celebrate Jesus' perfect life offered for us.
The text we have before us this week reveals a disparity between what God wants and what His people Israel want. In Samuel's old age the elders of Israel demand a king to take Samuel's place, which would introduce a monarchy into Israel for the first time. God wants to be their king but Israel refuses this because they want to "be like other nations." God warns them of the dangers of having a king, but then ultimately relents and listens to their request. What happens when what God wants and what we want conflict? Do we recognize that God wants to walk with us through all of life and wants us to trust Him? Or do we forsake him and turn to other Gods, trusting in earthly power and security? What do we do when the life we have chosen for ourselves doesn't add up and isn't what we wanted?
Encounter- Santa Barbara Mission Conference Recap- Members of J.O.L.T. (2.23.20) by Sermons
Due to technical issues with our recording equipment, we had to use a back-up recording for this week's sermon. Please excuse the lower quality of the recording and the missing introduction. Thank you for listening.
In this piece of scripture, we see Samuel at work. Much has happened since God called him and I encourage you to read chapters 4-6 to catch up on the story. I will be summarizing what has gone on in my message, yet it is always good to get a feel for movement of the narrative yourself. In chapter 7, Samuel is directing the people how to humble themselves before the Lord so they might have victory. There are many ideas we might think about here: the nature of holiness, warring neighbors, faithfulness to God. This is a classic passage about what life was like for Israel in that time. As we understand their reality a little bit, God has lessons for us to know about Him and how we trust Him today. How incredible that the God of Samuel is the same one we know today.
The chapter we read is one of the most important in the book, in my estimation, because it is a piece of the story which is wonderfully soaked in the Spirit of God. Because of this, we want to pay special attention to what is happening. Please read the chapter before you come into the sanctuary to worship the Lord. See how God is alive. Notice how He is bringing new life as He prunes away what is dead, diseased, and toxic. . .so He can make room for the fruit He so wants to produce for His people. All of it has to do with His holiness and those who serve Him. We will have many important ideas to think about together as we gather in the name of Jesus this Sunday. As you read this passage, what does the Lord say to you? He speaks to us today, just as He did to Samuel. What does that look like in your life? How would you welcome His voice more?
Encounter- The Five Issues that Bring People into Counseling- Cheryl Wayman LMFT (2.2.20) by Sermons
We have begun 1 Samuel and already we are drawn into a compelling story of the family who will change the history of a whole nation. Most people consider the main characters of this book to be Samuel, Saul, and David. However, some scholars count Hannah, and I think we should as well. She is the catalyst for this whole narrative. Without her sorrow and prayer of surrender, there is no Samuel. There is always the story behind the story, which is often crucial, and we want to stay another week on who she is and the part she played.
Sunday, we will use Hannah's prayer as our reflection for communion. I encourage you to meditate on her words and not skip over them to see what happens next. Prayer IS part of our story because it influences our actions. Those who pray see God work in powerful ways in their lives, as they invite Him to do what they cannot do for themselves. Take time this week to think about various parts of Hannah's prayer, asking the Lord what it means for you.
Dedicated to the Lord 1 Samuel 1:3-20; 2:1-10
This week, we will delve into the Old Testament to glean insight from the Lord through the familiar and the unknown. These stories may be ones we have read many times, yet the culture and time in which they are set can be difficult for us to grasp. However, the Lord has lessons for us to learn as His people today! As we read, let's listen for what He is saying to us both individually and as the church. We will begin with an overview of the books of Samuel, a critical and interesting time in the history of Israel. Then, we will talk about the story of Hannah, whose longing for a child led to choices which changed the trajectory of her life. God is faithful. He sees us and honors those who submit their plans to Him. Let us come into the house of the Lord on His day to bring Him honor and hear His voice. I hope to greet you with His peace! Praying for you all.
One, Vision, One, Voice, One Victory | 1 Corinthians 15:57-58
We are thrilled this week to welcome Pastor Kenny Martin speak to us on Sunday. He has been a good friend of our pastors for many years. We consider he and his wife Estelle, who also serves as a pastor, to be fruitful co-laborers for the gospel. Kenny was a nominee for Bishop for our denomination this year and serves in multiple leadership capacities across the nation. We are excited to hear what God has put on his heart. He and Estelle will hold a prayer meeting for our leaders on Saturday, and then he will preach on Sunday morning:
"Sunday's sermon is about God's ONE Vision for His people to be blessed and to grow in His likeness and divine image. It is important for us to hear the voice of the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit speaking to us with ONE Voice in unity. My prayer is the presence of God would speak and we would hear Him calling us to a higher place in Him. Also, there is ONE Victor who conquered death on the cross, Jesus the Christ, who has given us ONE Victory. My hope, as we leave this service, is we would celebrate and share the good news that in Jesus, we have won the Victory!"
- Pastor Kenny
Jesus the Bread of Life John 6:25-35 Wrong Questions and Right Answers
Happy New Year! It's the first week of the year 2020. Can you believe it? As you think about what kind of life you'd like to lead this year, what kinds of questions are you asking at the beginning of the year? The quality of questions we ask often determines the quality of answers we seek and receive. However, sometimes we ask wrong questions and thus find wrong solutions. Other times even when we ask wrong questions, Jesus out of his mercy, gives us right answers. In our text today the crowd asks Jesus a series of what they think earnest but wrong questions but Jesus provides for them right answers-i.e., what they need to hear. Together we will discover the significance and implications of Jesus' answers and his fitting "I Am" saying as we prepare hearts for the very first Communion of the year 2020. In this New Year, why don't we let Jesus frame our life's search for where, what, and who the will of God is for us?
On this first Sunday after Christmas day we will be exploring the way that Jesus describes himself as the "good shepherd" in John 10. The good shepherd distinguishes himself from the hired hand because the good shepherd knows his sheep and they know him. And, even more powerfully the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Do we entrust our lives to the good shepherd believing that he loves us and will lay down his life for us? Or do we entrust our lives to the hired hand who when the going gets rough leaves us and runs away? This Sunday we will be exploring God's identity as shepherd and what it means to be His sheep. This Sunday I hope we are reminded that It is never too late to join or rejoin the loving fold of our Good Shepherd.
"If you could change one thing in the world, what would that be and why?" How often have we heard this question in certain competitions? And the answer (drum roll) . . . world peace! Over the last three weeks, we have discovered more about our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and Everlasting Father. Join us this Sunday as we spend time with the Author of Peace, the Prince of Peace. We will answer a much better question, "How can we have peace in the midst of a troubled world?"
As we continue the kingly names found in Isaiah for Advent, we come to the third one: Everlasting Father. In our modern day democracy, it is hard for us to understand using the name father for a monarch. Yet, there is often a sense that a king or queen serves in a parental role for the nation. Because the ascend to the throne in a familial fashion, they can be seen as a parent, especially if they are beloved. They are seen as a protector and provider; the head of the country. It makes sense that people see them as Father or Mother. Sunday, we will explore what it means that Jesus comes to fulfill this role by studying the well-known passage of The Prodigal Son. This is a story which so often focuses on the offspring, yet we see living characteristics of the Everlasting Father in this story Jesus told. I encourage you to read it and ponder anew how Jesus' narrative teaches us about the role He came to fill for us.
On this second Sunday of Advent, we will continue with the names Isaiah says belong to the King sent by God. Last week, we explored the truth that Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor. This week, we will affirm Christ as Mighty God, taking as our text a story in Matthew where Jesus walks on the water. There are multiple scriptures we could explore and I encourage you to think about which one you would choose for this topic. Jesus demonstrates over and over again that He is our Mighty God. As we come to worship this Sunday, we want to prayerfully seek the Lord for what this truly means. Do we live as though we have a Savior who is mighty? Do we affirm His power by trusting Him and by proclaiming His truth?
Advent is upon us! How joyous and expectant is this season of the church when we celebrate the coming of Christ into our world. In advent, we rejoice in how Jesus came as God to die for us, in how He comes to meet us now in our everyday life, and as we wait in expectation for Him to come again. In the four Sundays of Advent, we are going to be centered in on the names of our Messiah from Isaiah 9:6 where we read these familiar words:
"For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Each week, we will be studying a scripture which shows the truth of how Jesus exemplified what each name signifies. This Sunday, we will study what it means that Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor, taking our cue from Hebrews 4. This is a passage about Jesus being our high priest who goes before us. He was in every way like us, yet without sin. This has eternal ramifications for us, which we will talk about as we partake of holy communion. What a fitting way to begin the Advent season. As we contemplate Christ's nature, our hope is to deepen our understanding of who we are in Him.
On this last Sunday of the Christian year, we will rejoice in our great God. It is a good thing to recount our blessings which are unique to us in this life. However, it is important in our giving thanks that we continue to honor the Lord, who is the Giver over all. In these words of David, there are beautiful truths about God, as well as His action in history. This is a beautiful reminder of the the great I AM we know and serve. Because these words are incredibly breathtaking to the soul, it has been called the Mount Everest of psalms. The influential English Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon said of this work, "There is too much in the Psalm, for a thousand pens to write, it is one of those all-comprehending Scriptures which is a Bible in itself, and it might alone almost suffice for the hymn-book of the church." In a season where we give thanks, we must always keep our great God at the center of our praise.
We have come to the end of James! I had some of you tell me when we began this book over the summer that you couldn't believe we were going through November with only five chapters. Yet, here we are. What an amazing time we have had. We have explored so much richness through the ideas in this letter. It has been a gift from the Lord for us.
Sunday, we will talk about the last two verses. What does it mean to bring back someone who wandered from the faith? As usual, there is a depth of wisdom in just a few words from James. To prepare, I want you to think about the times you have been part of restoring someone to God. . . or maybe about when you have been brought back to full faith in Him. The story of God throughout the Bible is about how He makes a way for people to return to Him. Let us pray about what that means for us in this season of life. We will also do a short recap of what we have learned through James in this study. So many important lessons!
The Lord is near to His people. He teaches us what it means to follow Him and to serve Him in the world. As we focus on reaching out to the lost, may we hear the Spirit speaking to us. God is near.
Our scripture this week is close to the end of the book and one of my favorites. In it, James is reminding the church about a gift they have been given: to seek the Lord for healing and hope. No matter how you find yourself, James is exhorting you to pray. If you are sick, suffering, or cheerful, the Lord is near and will hear your prayer. He will not only hear it, He will answer. In the middle of it, we get a lesson an Elijah, a faithful servant of God. This is a powerful passage, full of reminders of how the body of Christ is supposed to operate. Let's come to worship Sunday and be encouraged by the word of the Lord, given for us.
I am praying for all of us to know God more in this season of our lives. As we know Him more, may He lead us in what it means to live for Him outside the walls of the church.
This Sunday we are looking at only one, verse but oh, does it "pack a punch." James 5:12 starts with the words, "Above all . . ." Needless to say, after all James has said to us over this series and all he has yet to say he is making it clear to take a deep breath and listen a little more intently. Our focus will be on the power and challenge of integrity in our daily living. If you want to prepare yourself well for these words and worship then take the next few days to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses in living a life of honesty before the Lord and others. I know I will be tested! Join the family of God and we will learn together . . . and that's the truth!
In James 5: 7-11, we will focus on how delayed gratification and self-control lead to a more patient lifestyle and overall healthy person. I define patience in this context as the "ability to ask for help when you realize you may not have all the answers." Also, I define spiritual patience as the "ability to ask God for help despite circumstances, to be confident in Christ in times of uncertainty, and comfortable in Christ despite any situation." This week let's think about how prophets and pastors lead with anticipation for the second coming of Jesus Christ and what that means for us.
As we begin chapter 5, James is giving a strong warning to those who not only rely on their wealth but who also use that wealth as a tool of oppression. Reading this in anticipation of worship, how do these words hit you? Do they bring up strong feels or can you easily pass them by? What could you get out of this scripture that would encourage or strengthen your understanding of who God is and what He wants from you? These are powerful words and it seems that James is confronting the church on their actions in order to help save them, and others. How could these words galvanize us as a church?
James continues to bring it! And so will the Youth this Sunday when they lead us in worship and other parts of the service. I (Jake, the guy behind the guitar), as the "youth-est" one on the pastoral staff, will be preaching on our continued lessons from Pastor James, as we seek guidance from his instruction to the Church.
Last week, we looked at a pervasive spirit of judgement in the group of Christ-followers to whom James was writing. This week, we'll look at what he says about boasting; not boasting as synonymous with bragging (how we commonly think of the word), but rather boasting as a deeper level attitude of control over our lives. The alternative to this attitude is one of reliance on God, and the action point is to abide in Christ. It's my prayer that God speaks, and encourages you through our time together this Sunday.
This Sunday, we slow down a bit in the book of James and soak in what he has been saying to us. In these last weeks, James has been giving us strong exhortations about how we use our tongue, what wisdom truly is, how our hearts matter, and where conflict originates in our lives. There is much good inspiration to be found in the scripture we have read. His words have convicted us, yet I hope you have also received assurance for what it means to live as God's people.
We will only be looking directly at two verses for our meditation, yet the words from this last month will also play a part. In the passage for Sunday, he gives a warning about not judging one another. James is still teaching us about the impact of our words! As we receive Christ's death for us, may His word be our food.
In the busy-ness of the fall season for many, we pray Sunday worship is a time of renewal and strength for you.
- Pastor Colleen
James takes aim in the text this week at why certain struggles are happening in the church. Many of the troubles they are experiencing come from their own hearts. He has just finished talking about the tongue and the heart, both sources of good and harm to ourselves and others. Now, James zeroes in on how their actions come from desires which are not of God. He just lets them have it! As we read this passage, it should make us uncomfortable. These words are for a certain church in one place during a particular time in history. And, they are for all believers who follow God and want to do His will, wherever they are. Please read the passage and think about not only what these words have to do with you, and also the church today and the world around us.
What does wisdom look like to you? Would you say you are a person of wisdom? How do you know? These are going to be a few of the questions we ask on Sunday as we finish out the third chapter in James' letter to the church. In this section, he is contrasting human wisdom with the wisdom God gives to us. It is important that we are able to tell the difference between the two, as they are not the same. In this section, there are no word pictures to look at, which might have helped us. However, there are words that are alive and jump off the page at us and we want to think about them. This week, you might want to reflect on what true wisdom is. . .and why it matters to those who trust in Christ.
This Sunday, we will also have an update from the children's programs at CDCC. This ministry, begun in 1963, has loved so many people in the name of Jesus. Just this week, I had someone in my office who grew up coming to our preschool. Now an adult, they came back to seek the Lord in the place where it felt safe to them. We praise the Lord how He calls all people to Himself. Let us pray for the work God has given us to do.
I hope to see you all on Sunday, where God will meet us to give us His life. - Pastor Colleen
Sunday, we continue the study of James as we begin chapter 3. Our pastor gives more counsel about the tongue in this part of his letter and it makes us wonder: what kind of people need to be told to watch what they say? James uses multiple illustrations in this section to help his listeners understand the reality of how our words impact the world in which we live. We have already talked about sins of the tongue and now he goes to the next level as he talks about teachers, blessing and cursing, and the need for self-control. As we study these words, we are also going to look at a teaching of Jesus, which mirrors this passage in illuminating ways.
What a gift to seek the Lord. We have the freedom to be able to do so, as well as a beautiful place to worship Him. As the men gather in the mountains, we will congregate in the sanctuary this weekend. We believe our Lord Jesus will meet all those who meet in His name, wherever they are.
James' exhortation to the church has been incredibly foundational. Imagine not having his words to challenge and assure us. . .so glad his letter ended up in the Bible for all of us to learn from. For a second week, we will be in the same passage. Last week, we meditated on what it means to have a dead faith. Praise be to God that all things can be made new in Christ Jesus! Whatever is dead can come back to life again. What a gift His resurrection is to the world. We continue to proclaim that astounding truth.
Now, we want to look at this passage to study what these words mean. This teaching has been controversial in the church because people have understood them to mean that James doesn't think faith matters. This, of course, is in direct contradiction to Paul, who says in Ephesians 2 that we are saved by grace alone, THROUGH FAITH. This week we want to think through what James is saying. What problem is he trying to address in his context? How has the church, through the years, lived out this dual understanding? How do you understand it?
It is a privilege to be able to come freely into the house of God, learning together from His Spirit. What a gift to worship with no persecution. On Sunday, let us be grateful and pray for our brothers and sisters who have a very different reality. May the Lord continue to meet all those who seek Him in truth, by the power of His Spirit.
At the last supper, Jesus began a sacred tradition which His people have practiced daily since that evening. The Eucharist. Communion. The Lord's Supper. The Table. The Blessed Sacrament. Some of the names connote the different emphasis that is put on the act. Whatever it is called, it is meant to be a remembrance of His death on the cross for our sins. Although churches celebrate it in different ways, it is meant to be done with Christ as the center, as He meets supernaturally with His people.
For the next two weeks, we will be talking about words from James and two concepts Christians have grappled with for years: faith and works. While we understand we need both, this has been an important point of discussion, especially since various writers in the New Testament have written about them both. We are going to dive into the conversation in earnest next week. For this week, we will meditate on these words as we ready ourselves to take the elements representing the body and blood of Christ.
Please take time to ponder these words from James, not arguing about them, rather seeing the ideas which lead us to Christ. How good it will be to be together on Sunday!
We continue talking about the consequences for favoritism in our lives. The verses we study Sunday are connected to the thoughts we began, but now James goes a bit further, talking about the consequences for breaking the law Jesus set out when He was here. We will be talking about what it means to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. We will talk about why James is discussing the law. And, we will examine the role of mercy and judgment in our lives.
In worship on Sunday, we will also be taking the opportunity to pray for all those going back to school, an important tradition to begin our school year. Also, Sunday school starts again for our children and youth. We will also be praying specifically for our brothers and sisters in the Democratic Republic of Congo. God instructs us to set aside a day of worship once a week as His people. We hope to see you in this time of honoring and seeking our living Lord.
- Pastor Colleen
For our sermon text this week, James is highlighting a situation which must have been happening in the church under his watch. Reading through it caused me to wince, thinking of similar experiences I have had and know about from others. James is emphatic that those who follow Christ should refrain from treating only some people well, especially when it heightens the divide between rich and poor. We are going to talk about what this scripture means, how this kind of behavior has hurt the church historically, and talk about why we engage in favoritism at all. James brings it home by reminding us how God treats us. I encourage you to read this scripture before Sunday as a way of allowing the Holy Spirit to affirm His truth in you.
May we come into the sanctuary this week, seeing one another with His eyes. We will be singing a special song with the kids, since they will be joining us again for the last week before Sunday school begins.
James continue to calls things like he sees it. On Sunday, we are going to be looking at just two verses. In a wisdom literature kind of move, he gives us these last thoughts before transitioning to talk about partiality. While the text is short, he packs in a lot of ideas about being religious, the use of the tongue, caring for those who have had loss, and being holy. As we read them, we want to consider their importance for us today. We want to examine our beliefs and whether or not they are in alignment with our actions. When asked about your faith, how do you describe it? We also want to think about who we are as a church body living this out. It is a gift to be pastored by a strong leader from the early church.
What a joy to have the children and youth with us in these three weeks before Sunday school begins again. This week, there will be a short teaching from the sermon scripture for the kids during the 9:30am worship service. You won't want to miss that!
We come into the sanctuary of the Lord on the first day of the week to worship Him. We lay down our burdens and seek the living God, who is actively working in our lives and in the world. Let us not miss the opportunity to come before Him. Who in our lives could we be inviting to know Jesus? These words of his brother are life-giving for so many.
One of the best aspects of the book we are studying is how plainly the truth is told. Truth that the church needed to hear then and still needs to hear today. To grasp James' points, we don't need to unpack complicated doctrine or understand twisty arguments. Instead, he simply tells us what we need to know, expecting us to act on that knowledge.
This is the heart of the lesson this week. What do we know and what do we do with what we know? They are not the same. We can have all the knowledge in the world but if we don't practice what we understand to be true, it is useless. Humanity has a strange capacity for collecting wisdom and then doing exactly the opposite with it. How often have you heard someone say, "Well, I knew the best thing to do, but for some reason, that's not what I did."
James is giving us a good idea to think about here. On a Sunday where we take communion, it is an important truth to bring before the Lord. The Holy Spirit will be actively in our midst as we gather to worship the Living God. Come with expectation that Jesus has something to say to you.
The second verse of this week's text (James 1:18-21) are wise words in and of themselves: "...let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger" (v.19). If you've been around Christian circles, you have probably heard these verses used to rationalize why all anger is bad, or to embrace meekness at all costs. Images of a monastery with folks who have taken vows of silence and peace come to mind. But is that all there is to these verses? We've spent the last few weeks in James, and so far chapter 1 has been all about dependence on God.
We learned to depend on God for faith and wisdom to endure trials, then to do the same regardless of our financial situation, and last week we learned how our dependence calls us to wait on God, not to shift blame to or take credit for God's blessings. So how can James 1:19-21 be used to support this general theme of dependence?
In these verses, God is giving us both an encouragement and a warning. Our response to God's implanted Word says a lot about our reliance on God and about our dependence on God as God's beloved ones. This Sunday, let's open our hearts with all of our emotions. I pray that when we do so, the parts of our heart that need cultivation would be revealed.
James has always been a controversial book. It is very directive and this emphasis on action made Martin Luther think it ought not even be included in the Bible! So it's a little ironic that in the six verses we will examine this week, James urges us to wait!
As we have already seen in the earlier verses of the first chapter, and as we will see throughout the remainder of the letter, he wants to help us learn how to deal with the inevitable difficulties and hardships we face in life. In this week's section he suggests that we often fall into two opposing responses. When times are bad, we often shift the blame to God. And when times are good, we often shift the credit to ourselves. Instead, James says we must do neither, but instead, wait. This may be one of the hardest things for us to do as modern people. But he promises that if we can, there is an amazing reward in store.
Come with an open heart, and listen for places in your own life where Christ is saying to wait.
The book of James looks a bit like the Old Testament book of Proverbs dressed up in New Testament clothes. Its consistent focus on practical action in the life of faith is reminiscent of the Wisdom Literature in the Old Testament, encouraging God's people to act like God's people. The pages of James are filled with direct commands to pursue a life of holiness, and to remain consistent in the face of great trials and tribulations.
It is here we resume our study of James, diving deeper this Sunday into James 1:9-11. In three simple verses, the Church is invited to examine the trial of poverty and wealth in the life of a believer. James speaks dignity over those who have little, while simultaneously encouraging humility in those who have much. It is a wonderfully rich text, bringing both conviction and perspective on how faith should inform material wealth. It breaks barriers between poor and rich; uniting believers in Christ and grounding the church in the gift of contentment. It properly situates hope to be found in Christ alone, and not in fleeting material things which have no eternal significance. It is a beautiful reminder and a much-needed exhortation for us as believers to know we have enough because we have Christ. My prayers are with you this week and I hope to see you on Sunday!
This Sunday, we delve into James' first idea. With a brief salutation, he launches in by telling the church to be glad for hardships because of what they produce in our lives. There is no explanation given nor is there any context for what he is talking about. What I appreciate about this is that all of us have pain. We could all stop and think of a difficult situation or season in our lives when what we faced tested us beyond what we thought we could endure. James doesn't need to spell out a certain or real scenario because we all know what he is talking about. What Sunday will focus on is how he frames those times as joy. That is the difficulty. How do we decide, in all honesty, to look at the pain in our life as a good thing?
A Servant's Letter | Overview of James/James 1:1
This week, we begin the book of James. This is a practical book for believers in Christ, and one that acts as a reminder through the generations of what conduct as Christians looks like. This is not a narrative, nor is it meant to give us new information. It is meant to wake up its readers to what they have forgotten or failed to live into.
This is a general letter to the church, so it has no specific audience, which we will talk about. We want to get a grasp of this book, who wrote it, the language James uses as well as the images he draws on, and what we can understand as his purpose as an author. We will talk a bit about who we know James to be and tie this book to the Gospel.
This is our last week in Ruth! It has been a joy for me to go through this adventurous book with all of you. While a unique story in the Old Testament and difficult to completely understand the cultural and religious context happening, there are truths which come through in vibrant ways to enliven God's people today. When we read chapter 4, we see a transaction between two family members happening. On Sunday, these words will challenge and inspire us, I think. Who are we in business? How do we put ourselves on the line for those in our lives who need help? Do we honor and uphold the dignity of others when negotiate something? This is a passage about redemption, so we will also be thinking about what that word means and why it may be the key theme in all of Ruth.
In summer, let us continue to find ways to honor the Lord. My high school pastor used to always say, "You never take a vacation from God! Even if you are away, find ways to worship Him." These words have been on my mind as we are all going in so many different directions. May we continue to keep the Sabbath holy, giving God glory through the rest He longs to meet us in.
This Sunday we will once again pick up our series on the book of Ruth. We have been traveling with Ruth and her mother-in-law. Their lives took a series of different turns. In the process, we have learned about God's kindness through his people and what it means to follow Him.
We will catch up with Ruth in chapter 3, and experience her encounter with Boaz, who is a relative of Naomi. God's kindness once again shows up through Boaz, but the door was really opened as Ruth listened to and obeyed the wisdom of Naomi, not only as her mother-in-law but her mentor as well.
Join us as we listen to God's kind words and re-discover the value of how he calls us to be mentored by and mentor the people he has placed in our lives.
- Pastor Doug
This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, one of the most important days of the Christian year. In Acts 2, Luke records how the Holy Spirit came on the believers who were gathered together in one place. Just as Jesus promised, the sound of a violent, wind-filled the house where they were praying. Tongues of fire came to rest on each one there, and they were filled with God's very presence to do the ministry prepared for them to do. This is the beginning of the church.
We are going to sit with scripture from the gospel of John, where Jesus is talking about how it is beneficial for Him to go away so that the Advocate can come and live among us. Who better to hear from than the Lord Himself, telling the disciples who the Spirit is and why He is being sent. Pentecost is an important remembrance of the giving of the Holy Spirit, because we realize God has given His very life for each person. And, each one who believes in Jesus as Lord has the Holy Spirit living in them. We want to not only remember, but also celebrate all He has given us: the gifts, the fruit, the conviction, the discernment, the leading, the assurance, the power, the unity we share with all those who are part of Christ's body.
In these days of living out the faith, may we welcome God's Spirit on every level of our lives and may His church continue to embody His life.
- Pastor Colleen
For our communion meditation on Sunday we are going to reflect on a theme we have seen in Ruth thus far. As a reminder, I encourage you to read through the first two chapters of the book and notice how much of the book is about a necessary component of life: bread. In fact, the need for it is an organizing force around which the whole book is written. Without the need, there is not the same movement and we would have a very different story of this family. We want to reflect on how vital bread is to us and how God gives generously to us, as we partake of His blessed body.
This Sunday, we continue in the book of Ruth. In chapter 2, the story progresses significantly with Ruth going to find provision and God acting on her behalf. We want to explore how God operates to help humankind and if we really believe that in our lives. We will talk about those who are vulnerable and how the Lord uses His people to bring relief to them and to protect them. We want to think about the nature of kindness where it would be just as easy to take advantage of someone. I encourage you to read Ruth 2, beginning with Ruth 1, if you have not been with us thus far. It is a beautiful story, full of God's goodness. The bitterness we have been talking about is fading as He is bringing new life. As we honor the Lord, may we be mindful of what He is teaching us in this time of our lives.
This Sunday, we will take a break from our study of Ruth to share in the power of a testimony. This weekend I will have the honor of being ordained as a reverend for the Free Methodist Church. I am beyond grateful for our church community, and humbled by the call to serve the church as an elder. On Sunday, I will share my testimony in the hopes of offering an encouragement to the church and a reminder of how God's love radiates through people of faith. The church has been my home my entire life, a sanctuary where I grew in my faith and received the call to ministry. The church offered healing, provision of my needs, and hope. I look forward to sharing my story with you this Sunday, and serving our church as an ordained minister. Thank you for your love, prayers, and encouragement. I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday.
- Shannon Balram, Associate Pastor
Ruth 1:6-22
This Sunday, we delve into the first chapter of Ruth in earnest. In these verses, we find the most famous words from this book, "Where you go, I will go." Although many people have used them to indicate their commitment when getting married, these words speak to a strong bond found in a different kind of family relationship. This is not about romance; it is a decision Ruth makes to stay with a woman who clearly means the world to her. What a beautiful set of verses! There is a faithfulness here we want to think about. How does one just change one's life and follow someone else? We also see here how Naomi is headed home to Bethlehem. We will talk about what going back to a familiar means and looks like. Naomi is very much still in process of her grief, which comes out as bitterness and is something else we will talk about on Sunday. In the season of Easter, I pray you are reveling in Christ's love for you! He is Risen!
This Sunday, we begin a new six-week series on the book of Ruth. We will start with an overview, so we understand the context and how this historical narrative fits in with the rest of the Bible. Then, we will look at the first few verses, which set the stage for the rest of the story. Ruth is a beautiful narrative that is rich in history and the characters are fantastic. For this week, we will be focusing in on how our life stories can end up quite differently than we think and how loss is part of all our lives. We will accompany this text with some words from the Beatitudes, specifically Matthew 5:3-9, in preparation for receiving the Lord's Supper.
We continue to celebrate Easter. Jesus is Risen! As we gather for worship, may the King, the resurrected One, be honored as we sing His praise and seek Him fully.
Our text this week is the second two of three appearance stories in John 20. Jesus has risen, and in the beginning of the chapter, he appears to Mary Magdalene is the garden outside of the empty tomb, revealing himself to her, and then sending her to tell his other disciples what she has seen. Later that day, he appears to his disciples in a locked room, when they are filled with fear and wondering what is going to happen next. He reveals himself to the disciples in their fear and grants them his peace. Thomas, however, is not with them when Jesus appears, and he can't believe that Jesus has risen and appeared to them. He needs to see it for himself, just like Mary and the other disciples have. A week later, Jesus appears to the disciples again, and this time Thomas is with them. When Jesus shows up, Thomas proclaims one of the most profound expressions of faith we find in the gospels. Join us as we see how Jesus encounters his disciples where they are and invites them into something new.
John 21:1-14, Luke 24:13-35
This Sunday, we have the honor of celebrating our Risen King, Jesus Christ! What a joy to gather in His name for the most important day of the year. As is our tradition, we will meet at the beach early in the morning to watch the sun rise and join our voices with Christians everywhere as we read scripture and sing amidst God's beauty. At the Sunrise, I will be sharing thoughts on one of my favorite post-resurrection scripture where Jesus meets some of His followers on the beach as a surprise. We want to think about what this passage teaches us about the Risen Lord and also what it means for us. Bring your blanket and beach chair! I look forward to greeting you early on Easter morning.
For our text Sunday morning at church, we will be looking at another of my favorite passages of scripture: the walk to Emmaus. It is a beautiful picture of Jesus talking to some of His followers on resurrection day, but they don't know it is Him. As they walk, they are distressed and perplexed at what has happened, because nothing is clear yet. He explains to them, from the scriptures, what had transpired and why. On this Easter, we want to be encouraged in our faith, trusting in the Lord who rose and now lives with us everyday. What does it take for us to see Him?
Easter is a glorious day to follow Christ and an important day to pray for those in our lives who do not yet know Him. Please take time to invite someone to church or to tell them how you met Jesus. Like Him, we need to keep telling the story!
As Jesus is ushered into Jerusalem, we are brought into the most sacred of all times in the Christian year: Holy Week. Jesus has come into the city to die. We have come to this week after many weeks of Lent, eager for what God has for us as we remember what it means that He chose to die for everyone. What does it mean that sin now can die in us? What does it mean for our own death?
In the book of Luke, there is a word we want to focus in on this week, which is not found in Mark's version. When the crowds are joyfully praising Jesus, they call Him a king. Jesus is the King! Why? How can that title help us understand again who He is us as we begin the holiest of all weeks? It is a very important title and we want to worship Jesus just like those on the road into Jerusalem did that day. We take communion on Palm Sunday in order to ready our hearts for all Easter means. Praying for you on this Lenten journey. If you have not really engaged with any spiritual practices in this season, it's not too late. The booklets we have can be used for every week of Lent or for every day of Holy Week. Take some sustained time with the Lord in anticipation of Resurrection Sunday!
We come now to a familiar passage in the narrative we have been studying: Peter denying the Lord. As we have seen, relationships have come to the forefront in the arrest and trial of Jesus. Last week, we talked about how no one (especially Peter, who was there) stood up for their Master when people were lying and giving false testimony against Him. This week, we see that not only does Peter have no intention of being a witness for the defense, he will pretend to not even know Jesus. On Sunday, we want to think about why we have the capacity for denial and what this looks like in our lives. While we know Jesus gave Peter the grace he most needed later, we want to sit with the lies he utters three times and anguish that ensues for him. I encourage you to take some time with this passage, meditating in these waning days of Lent, asking God for wisdom for your life as you consider what He has to say through this passage.
Accused
This Sunday we will hear from four of our pastors, engaging the scripture above with different focuses:
Denzyl: We'll briefly review the history of the religious high court, and roles of the priests in the trial of Jesus. Through this trial, we'll explore how their motives against Jesus are counterintuitive to their roles, and what it means to refer to Jesus, through his death and resurrection, as our High Priest.
"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." - Hebrews 4:15
Colleen: When a group of people get together and decide something is true, when it is not, then what ensues can often be a tragedy. We know this to be true in our lives and in the world at large. When it comes to Christ, what then is our role?
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." - Exodus 20:16
Jake: In our passage for Sunday, Jesus reveals to the mob the truth of who he is: the Son of God. Jesus's words here are few and seem to be chosen very intentionally. Why does the God of truth pass up an opportunity to defend himself against the people's lies? What do His words, or lack thereof, show about God's character at this trivial moment?
"The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do." - Thomas Jefferson
Danielle: Our passage ends with the supposed victory of the Jewish leaders and the apparent defeat of Jesus. In this moment, we see the beginning of the defeat of death and the enemies of God through unexpected ways.
"He died, but he vanquished death; in himself he put an end to what we feared; he took it upon himself and he vanquished it, as a mighty hunter he captured and slew the lion." - St. Augustine
This Sunday we took a deeper look into Mark 14:43-52. We are going to open our hearts and minds to a story we may have heard many times. We might know the characters and the outcome. It is a story we often hear this time of year and it more or less blends in with the whole narrative of the crucifixion and the resurrection. It is a tragic story but perhaps we have become a little numb to how much it intersects with our lives. Within the passage we find different people and we see how they betrayed their relationship with Christ in significant ways. In the process we will find ourselves in the midst of these responses and lament how our own sinfulness is a part of our own betrayal of Christ. All this while remembering through Christ there will always be forgiveness, grace, mercy, resurrection and hope. Pray with me for open hearts and minds to what Christ wants to say to us.
- Pastor Doug
Our text for worship this week is a difficult one to read. Jesus, full of sadness, is imploring the Father to allow the pain of the cross to pass Him by. He is in agony. Meanwhile, the disciples sleep nearby. There are many angles to look at this scripture from. Which one might we choose? While these are familiar words to us, we want to be reminded of what God has for us in this season of Lent. As a spiritual practice this week, I encourage you to sit with this scripture each day until Sunday. Just read it, and contemplate what you see and how you feel. Read it aloud. Take it to your place of prayer. Allow God to speak to you. Write down your thoughts. Jesus is about to face the greatest challenge of His earthly life. As we journey with Him to the cross, may our focus on His word give us new insight and depth of understanding. May we hear His voice speaking to us, calling us closer to Him.
One of the greatest joys of my life has been going to worship God on Sundays and greeting my family in Christ. I look forward to seeing you and encouraging one another through His Spirit.
Our speaker on Sunday is Kate Wallace Nunneley, whom we invited to come preach because she is also our speaker for the Women's Retreat. We are so glad she agreed to stay an extra day! Kate is the Lead Pastor of Wellspring Free Methodist Church in Bakersfield, CA. She is also the co-founder of The Junia Project, a volunteer community which advocates for the inclusion of women in leadership in the church, as well as mutuality in marriage. She and her husband Leif have two dogs and a full life! Kate is a graduate of Azusa Pacific University and holds a Master of Science from the London School of Economics. Currently, she is pursuing a Masters of Divinity from APU.
For this Sunday, we will be stepping out of the book of Mark and into the book of Luke, who records an instructive account of Jesus' temptation. A helpful thing to do when we come to the end of something, is to look back to the beginning. We are now at the end of Jesus' ministry. He is coming into the time of His death. We have already begun the journey to the cross, both in the season and in our study. As we step into this 40 day season of Lent, we will go back to remember Jesus' 40 days in the desert. As we do, we want to focus on the hope that carried Him through the hardship of temptation. We pray that He would give us what we need for the Lenten deserts we face.
- Pastor Colleen
Synopsis: As Pastor Helen reminded us, we are now studying passages of the passion of Jesus. His suffering and death free us from the penalty of our sin. This portion of Mark gives us the account of how it happened and what Jesus endured. On this communion Sunday, we will be reading the most important passage for understanding the Lord's Supper in the New Testament. Jesus is having a meal with His followers to mark Passover, the most important holiday in Judaism, because it remembers the Exodus, when God delivered His people from slavery into freedom. Jesus takes this beautiful feast and adds a new element: remembering how He has saved all people.
Sunday, we will be thinking about what Jesus is saying in this passage as well as the action He takes upon Himself. This is the last Sunday before we begin Lent, the 40 day journey to the cross. It is right and good that we are once again encouraged by the Lord to take in His body and blood. The sacrament brings us into the very presence of our holy God. What a moment that fills us and makes us whole.
The last five weeks Pastor Colleen has walked us through Mark 13 with her thorough and thoughtful studies. This Sunday we enter the Passion Narrative in Mark (chapters 14 and 15) with a beautiful story of an anonymous woman anointing Jesus at Bethany, bookended by Jerusalem authorities' enmity toward and Judas's betrayal of Jesus. The wasteful love shown at Bethany contrasts the hatred at Jerusalem, and simultaneously, the hatred at Jerusalem highlights the love demonstrated at Bethany to the fullest extent. Despite people's hasty criticism of her wasteful act, Jesus accepted and appreciated her unrestrained act of devotion in light of his impending death. In the action of each character--the Jerusalem hierarchy, the unnamed woman, people (disciples), and Judas--we see how each one measured Jesus' worth. Is Jesus worth our extravagant love, our everything? If Jesus is the truest and highest good in our lives, what in our lives should change?
Well, we have now come to the end of Mark 13. What a great five weeks it has been! For a piece of scripture so daunting, I think we have done very well together. Thanks for hanging in there. It is vital that we wrestle with all the passages of the Bible, so we can know what we believe, so God can teach us His truth, so we can be ready to talk about it with others. God's word is alive because the Lord Himself meets us through it. He inspired those who wrote it and He inspires us as we read it. Living God=Living Word.
This Sunday, we will see that Jesus ends this teaching to Andrew, James, John, and Peter by telling them to be watchful. He goes back to what happened with the fig tree a few days earlier when they came into Jerusalem, and uses that as a launchpad to talk about His coming again. No one knows when Jesus will be back, even Him! A few weeks ago, we talked about how we always want to know WHEN as people. How do we live with the tension of the unknown?
Worship is vital as God's people. In these days, it can be hard to always want to make it a priority, yet it is part of what Jesus is talking to us about this week. I am praying for you as the Lord invites you to His house and for all of us as we gather together.
We continue our sojourn through Mark 13, but it is not really a walk in the park. This is a serious trek uphill for us, and each of us brings baggage to the climb which may or may not be helpful for the hike. Some of us have been training for the time the Lord is coming back. We have read apocalyptic literature, tried to figure out Revelation, devoured the Left Behind series, and immersed ourselves in the Old Testament writings of Daniel and Joel. Some of us have tried to pinpoint certain events happening in the world overlaid with scripture, knowing there are similarities and no coincidences. We have looked for signs of when God will come again. Others of us have mostly avoided all those things, preferring to focus in on the person and teachings of Jesus and the exhortations for the church today found in the epistles.
However you come to Mark 13, know that the words of Jesus here are for all of us. They are not meant to inspire intense fear nor should we turn away and not look at them. They are given to us so we can understand the bigger picture of God's redemption plan. So, get your boots on. Grab your water and protein bars. Sunday is going to be a good day for a hike, with the Lord as our guide. I hope to see you and greet you with His peace.
As we continue exploring the themes of Mark 13 this Sunday, we will be thinking about false teachers who come as leaders for God, but who have quite a different agenda than His will. They look and sound so much like people who should be followed, yet they actually only want to promote themselves or exploit others for their advantage. Jesus' words are ones we need to hear, both for our own past experiences but also as we exercise wisdom as the church today. This is a passage we will use for communion, as we draw near to the Lord in remembrance of His death on our behalf. Let us be in prayer this week for all God would say to us through His word as we gather to worship Him. Let us keep the practice of gathering weekly to seek the Lord.
We continue to study the themes of Mark 13 this week. In this dialogue spoken outside the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus is giving His followers instruction for what is to come in the future. The theme of the verses I will preach Sunday are about the opposition they personally will experience as people of the faith. They have no idea what will transpire in their lives. We wonder if, as Jesus is talking to them, they are alarmed or curious as to what His teaching is all about. Mark does not give us any clue as to what the disciples are thinking or feeling. He simply reports the Lord's words. As we read them, we will consider how they came true in various ways to many believers through the years. We will talk about the nature of persecution overall and how Jesus' words have been essential for generations of believers.
While these words are not entirely uplifting and happy, Jesus is giving the disciples something to hold on to for when He leaves.
Mark 13:1-8
The scripture we study this week begins with Jesus and His disciples leaving the temple. As they do, they begin a conversation in which Jesus imparts knowledge about what is to come and what the disciples are to watch for as time unfolds.
All of chapter 13 is Jesus telling them what will happen while also encouraging them in what they should do. This may be a challenging piece of scripture for us in some ways.
We may scratch our heads in some places and be utterly dismayed in others. What we always want to focus in on is our Lord, whose presence is forever with us and whose words are given to encourage and help.
May we give great thanks to the Savior of our world, who continues to walk with us and show us the way forward.
In this sermon, we delve back into the gospel of Mark. Remember before Advent, we were in the thick of Jesus being questioned about many issues by leaders who seemed to be trying to discredit Him, while hoping He would stumble over His theology. In the last verses of Mark 12, we will be looking at only what Jesus thinks. On this day, He has truths to convey to the people and to the disciples. A truth about the Messiah. A truth about hypocrisy. A truth about giving. We will be looking at His thoughts, while also considering His context and ours. Our Lord always has much to say to us. Let us listen well each day and when we are in His house.
It is a new year! May we be resolved to worship the Lord with all we are: our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. I pray He finds us faithful as we live in these days.
Have you ever considered what it was that made the wise men leave their homes to go and seek the newborn king? They were looking to the eastern sky and saw a star come up. This became a sign to them that a king had entered the world. Clearly, the Holy Spirit was at work...God was showing these men of learning and means that this was an opportunity for them to come and see His Son. Yet, what was it that compelled them to actually go? This was a big decision to leave their homes and work, so they must have been convinced it was going to bring meaning to them. They just had to see what this star was about. This Sunday, we are going to be contemplating this story and taking communion. It seems fitting for us to come and worship Jesus the King, remembering the life He gives us. Let's start the New Year off with a commitment to honor God before anything else. My prayers are for all of us to know the Lord more in 2019.
Over the last four weeks, we have been waiting in expectation for the birth of Christ. This Sunday falls during the twelve days of the Christmas season in the church calendar, and we have the opportunity to consider not just Christ's first coming but also his return. This child, born for us, changes everything as Immanuel, God with us. In his life, Christ revealed to us the kingdom of God and invited us to participate in that kingdom. Now, we live with a foretaste of what it will be like to live in the fullness of God's kingdom, and we wait with eager anticipation for Christ's return in glory and the fulfillment of his kingdom. We look forward to exploring the hope of Christ's return together.
Belief sometimes gets a bad rap. We have all experienced how easy it can be to believe in something yet not give it much worth. James 2:19 reminds us even the demons believe in God. We allow the word "believe" to sound surface level. We might say "It is not enough to just believe . . . "
John chapter 1 brings fresh life and depth to the act and reward of "believing." On this Sunday before Christmas we will celebrate the Christ who came to break through all that would keep us in darkness and doubt. Just as He surprised the shepherds in the fields He enters our world and calls us to believe. Like them may we be willing to leave our comfort, search for and worship the God who came in the form of a baby to dwell among us.
Luke 2:1-20, Isaiah 9:1-7
As we continue our portrait of the Incarnate God, who we understand to be Jesus Christ, we come to His birth. This Advent, we have talked about Him at the beginning and we have also looked at how what came before played in various ways in His story, most notably last week through Joseph’s experience.
This Sunday, we read the familiar words from Luke 2 as well as words from Isaiah 9. While the lectionary often pairs these two scriptures together for the celebration of Jesus’ birth, they are not a natural duo. Yet, side by side, they show a picture of the kind of God who rescues His people. In looking at them in tandem, we see the words of Isaiah were meant for an earthly king in his time. These words have come to represent Jesus birth today, so we want to talk about them. Mostly, we want to know the Lord whose plans coalesce in amazing ways throughout all of history.
I pray this has been a meaningful journey through Advent as we await the arrival of the Lord anew in our lives, and as we wait for Him to come again. Oh, what a day that will be!
May our worship of the newborn king bring Him honor and may it bring a fulfillment to our souls.
Mark 12:13-17
Before the crucifixion comes the testing. We often think about how hard Jesus' death was. . . and indeed the suffering endured by the Lord was probably worse than we can even imagine. But, what of the way His enemies try to discredit Him in public beforehand? As they look for an opportunity to find a loophole in His character or theology, they harass Him with questions which range from cagey to ridiculous. Their motivation has already been exposed. This is part of the game Jesus must play in order to get to where He knows He is going. The patience and the wisdom He displays are inspiring.
Mark 12:1-12
On Sunday, we will hear a story Jesus tells after the confrontation He had with the main three groups of Judaic leaders: chief priests, scribes, and the elders. You will remember last Sunday, we discussed the notion of authority and who has it. We thought about the truth of how our power only has the backing of God when we are in sync with Him. That idea is carried into the parable Jesus tells next, which He uses to overtly show how He understood the hearts of these powerful men. This is a story that has history, so we will need to unpack some facts from the Old Testament. We also know it is a parable where Jesus is employing foreshadowing, showing He knows all that will happen next. The situation is heating up, and Jesus is putting Himself in the center of it all. As we come into worship on Sunday, let us do so with minds open to God's Spirit.
Mark 11:27-33
This section which we will be looking at Sunday begins a series of difficult interactions which will ultimately lead to Christ's death. The Jewish leaders are becoming more aggressive with Him and He is not holding back either. We know the confrontations are part of the overall story, yet they can be painful/awkward/hard to read. In this story, Jesus is surrounded soon after He arrives at the temple. It is almost an ambush of sorts where they have approached Him ready with questions of who does He think He is, and who does He work for anyway? We will be thinking about the notion of authority and how that plays out in our lives every day. By the way, wasn't Youth Sunday fabulous? What a gifted group of young people we have in our midst! I thank the Lord for a loving congregation which encourages our teens and young twenty-somethings to explore how God has gifted them.
Luke 14:13-24
Our guest preacher Sunday morning will be Ryan Radjuko. Ryan began coming to our church as a young teenager and is currently a student at Westmont College. He interned with us over the summer and started the ordination process in our conference. Ryan has a wide range of ministry and educational experience from Costa Rica, the Foundry, Frontline Youth, and most recently in the Westmont's semester in the Middle East. He is exploring the call of being a lead pastor and it is an honor that he would bring the Word of God to us on Sunday.
"This week we're briefly jumping out of Mark into Luke, where Jesus tells a parable that reframes the common Jewish conception of the Messianic banquet. In it, the master of the house hosts a great feast and invites many people, but every single one of them turns him down. So he calls in the poor, the marginalized - anyone he can - to come and fill his home. While this story addresses the opening of the Gospel to the Gentiles, it is also an entreaty to every believer. We'll take a look at the characters in Jesus' parable - with surprising results - to see how God challenges our own views and calls each one of us to serve in His great redemptive work."
Mark 11:12-14, 20-26
For our communion meditation this week, we will be reading the story of the Fig Tree. This tree was cursed by Jesus as He was walking past one day because it had no fruit and He was hungry. When I read this, I find it to be an unexpected action from the Lord, which makes me question what's going on. It makes me wonder if this happens at the intersection of Jesus' divinity and humanity. Or is this a deliberate act, done so He could teach an important lesson to His followers? If so, I want to make sure to catch the lesson all these years later as well. Mark puts this story on either side of the one about the cleansing of the temple, which we just studied last week, so that adds to our discussion too.
Mark 11:15-19.
This Sunday is designated as Freedom Sunday, a day we set aside to worship the Lord as we grapple with the truth of living in a world where slavery is still a thriving business. As Free Methodists, we have been committed since the beginning of our movement in 1860 to take a stand against the inequalities in this world, which God did not mean to be. We declare all people are indeed created to live in equality and we work for that truth to become a reality.
The scripture we are studying this week is Jesus cleansing the temple. Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem and this is His first act in that great city. You will notice we skipped over the Triumphal Entry, because we studied that on Palm Sunday this year. And, since this passage is sandwiched in between a story about the Fig Tree, we will be studying that next week.
We might think about why Jesus is so mad here. This is a fairly violent scene as the Lord is acting as the High Priest. I encourage you to read through this a few times this week in preparation for our time in worship on Sunday in God's house. We will be finding some parallels between the commitment we have on Freedom Sunday and this act of Jesus.
Mark 10:46-52.
Do you believe in miracles? Have you ever experienced one in your life or seen one happen in the life of someone else? The book of Mark is full of miracles (at least 18 or 19, depending on how you count them). On Sunday we will be studying one of the last ones: the healing of a blind man named Bartimaeus. This is an interesting story, because we learn so much about this man Jesus heals. In all the times Jesus heals someone is a familiar scene with a unique aspect. Come and worship the Lord with us on Sunday. Our prayer is for God to speak to us individually and as a body of Christ.
Mark 10:35-45.
One of the best parts of the Gospel is seeing the inner workings of Jesus with the disciples. They are, at once, a family and also the beginning of God's people living out a new kind of life together, the church. What is striking about this passage is the type of request James and John bring to Jesus because it is so honest. There is no editing here. They just put out there what they really want. In the ensuing discussion, we are invited into the family to see how they work out what could have been a split in the group.
Mark 10:23-31.
This Sunday, we continue with a story we began last week. A man comes to Jesus asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. After affirming the man for keeping the commandments, the Lord tells him he lacks one thing: he must go, sell all he has, give it to the poor and then come back and follow Jesus. The man is shocked by this idea and goes away grieving.
While we understand this is only a moment in the man's life and he could have later come back having done what the Lord wanted, this interaction becomes a platform onto which Jesus gives a teaching about wealth. In essence, He says how hard it is for those who have abundance to enter God's kingdom. We are going to talk about this idea on Sunday, as we consider Jesus' words of warning to the disciples.
Mark 10:13-16.
This week we come to a familiar passage about a man who comes to see Jesus. In this interaction, the man is seeking what he must do to have eternal life. As they go back and forth, it is clear that the man is seeking more than the answer Jesus first gives him. We know that keeping the commandments is important, yet Jesus brought more when He came. This week, we will discuss the man's dilemma, as it relates to all of us. Next week, we will talk about wealth and the kingdom of God, as it relates to his story.
Mark 10:13-16.
The picture of Jesus blessing children is a touching scene. Yet, I am not sure Jesus is going for sentimentality. In these few verses which we will study on Sunday, we will focus on the way Jesus allows children to freely follow Him and how children help us know His world more. These words are known well to us, but I want us to think about the implications of what Jesus is saying here both for society and for the individual. In this way, we can think about what these words mean for us today.
Mark 10:1-12.
Sunday, we delve into a painful topic for many in our society: divorce. As long as there has been marriage, there has been a wish to somehow get out of it. Divorce provides the legal means to dissolve a marital union. Those who come to Jesus to ask Him a question about this issue do so with the intent of hoping He will make a mistake. Their interaction shows us much about the society at the time, as well as God's thoughts on it. We are all acquainted with divorce somehow and have ideas on whether it is moral or not. I invite you to read over the text so the Lord will begin speaking to you from it.
Mark 9:42-50.
When I was in high school, I read a book by F.F. Bruce entitled, The Hard Sayings of Jesus. It was about how Jesus made statements which are difficult for us to decipher or cause conviction in our souls. As we read the gospels, sometimes there are longer passages that we would rather not deal with and would like to skip over. To use Pastor Nikki's analogy from last week, to fast forward, so we can move on. The passage we study this week might be one of those for us. Jesus is talking about sin and hell, topics most people don't want to have anything to do with, let alone delve into. Yet, delve into we must if we are to understand our Lord and what He is trying to communicate to us in this passage. I encourage you to read the verses in Mark 9 in anticipation of our wrestling with it on Sunday. The Holy Spirit brings understanding and will show us truth from this scripture. May God in His fullness meet with us as we gather in His name for worship.
Mark 9:38-41
This week we will be listening in on an important teaching moment Jesus had with John and the disciples. Jesus' words to "not stop" the work that is going on in His name, even by those who are not following him, convict and challenge us today. What are ways we have tried to stop God's work out of fear, jealousy, or short-sightedness? We will be confronting our temptation to limit God and to define who can use His name. As we engage with the inclusiveness of God's power and Spirit unleashed in our world I hope and pray we would humbly ask for God's power to be manifest in our own lives too.
Mark 9:30-37.
This week, we will look at an argument the disciples have about who is the greatest. This comes right after Jesus, again, tells them about his death and resurrection. While it is tempting to dismiss the disciples as being ignorant, comparing ourselves to others is something we see every day. Jesus turns their argument on its head and tells us that greatness is found in serving others and not serving yourself. This is an important lesson for us to learn and one that has huge implications for how we live our lives. Let us pray about how God will speak to us this Sunday about what it means to be great.
Mark 9:14-29. There is rarely a dull moment in Jesus' days in the section of Mark in which we find ourselves. While coming down the mountain where God showed Peter, James, and John a glimpse of heaven, Jesus walks into a chaotic scene involving the rest of the disciples and a crowd who is eager to see Him. They know He will sort out what is happening and make sense of everything. At the center is a boy who needs attention, brought by his father who longs for his son to be made whole. This story causes us to wonder about how healing works, what part prayer plays in it, as well as the nature of belief. Jesus here has a response to the father and to those who would seek to understand how faith works on a deeper level.
Mark 9:1-13.
In recent weeks we have been traveling the road with Jesus and along this road, He has revealed more and more of himself to the disciples and the crowds that followed. Peter has declared Jesus to be the Messiah but Jesus has plainly described the role of the divine Messiah while laying out the profile of a true disciple. As Jesus has moved the people into the uncharted territory of denying themselves, taking up their cross and following Him, He has noted their troubled responses and confusion.
This Sunday we study a passage where Jesus purposefully keeps his promise to show those who follow the glorious kingdom that is to come. He specifically chooses Peter, James, and John to see His transfiguration. These three see the glory of Jesus and also experience the presence of Moses and Elijah. Join us as Mark 9:1-13 comes alive through the voices of our four pastors. Enter the sanctuary, worship the Lord and together we will experience the hope we can have in Him as we get a glimpse of His kingdom now and His kingdom to come.
Mark 8:27-30.
How does one decide who Jesus is? What needs to happen before a person can say with certainty that Jesus is the Savior God sent to save the world? Peter has shown us in the book of Mark his progression of being a fisherman called by the Lord to the passage we come to this week in which he shows clear understanding of Jesus' identity. What a gracious God! Have you stopped to think about that recently? We have a God who wants to be known by us. No longer do we have just the the word of the prophets or the early experiences of God's people, now we have record of the One sent from heaven Himself. And, not just a record, but we have received our own knowledge of Jesus as He has made Himself real to us. This week we celebrate the sacrament of communion. As we draw near to the altar, this passage will remind us of our own confession of Christ and we know once again He will meet us.
Mark 8:22-26.
We continue in the book of Mark. Jesus is in Bethsaida, which means 'house of hunting' and was home to a few of the disciples. It was a place we see a few times in the Gospel and is located close to the Sea of Galilee. While here, some people bring a man who is blind in order for to Jesus to touch him. Jesus does so and there is a miracle performed as the Lord restores sight to the man's eyes.
This Sunday, we are going to be a house of prayer. I will give you some lessons to think about from this scripture. Then, Pastor Helen Rhee is going to come talk about why we pray for one another in the historical framework of the church and what it means. She will then invite us to pray. We encourage you to come and be prayed over with oil by leaders for physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds. Or you may stay in your pew and pray with others around you. You may simply want to seek the Lord privately. All of us can use prayer and all of us know someone who could use prayer. Sunday, we are going to seek the Lord together, pray in HIS name for the needs we see around us, trusting in the healing He wants to bring.
Mark 8:11-21. Sunday, we will be talking about interactions Jesus has with two very different sets of people during His day. Neither go very well. . . so we are going to talk about why that is. What do we learn about Jesus here? What do we learn about ourselves? As you read it, what do you think is happening? What do you do when you have a conversation with someone that goes much differently than you think it will? What if that someone is God?
Mark 8:1-10. In the text we will study this week, we again see the generosity of Jesus. One of the best characteristics of the Lord is His consistency. We should not be surprised to see a similar event to one we have already seen in Mark, although we might wonder why the gospel writer records both events. If we were writing this, we might think telling about feeding 5,000 men in one sitting was sufficient, so we would skip the story about the 4,000. Do people need the repetition? Do we? What is Peter (for whom Mark is writing) trying to communicate by putting both in his book? Can we get past our familiarity with this passage and hear what the Spirit of God is trying to say to us? I think we can.
Mark 7:31-37. Healing is a topic we are all intensely interested in. Be it for ourselves or others, we spend much time in prayer for health and wholeness. We talk about our infirmities and we lament, with great reason, our diseases. Here, in Mark 7, Jesus touches a man with a devastating condition, one that has possibly plagued him his whole life. As we read it, we are struck by a few things. One is how Jesus heals Him. Another is the nature of the trouble. And another is what Jesus tells the man afterwards. I encourage you to take some moments in meditation this week on this passage, asking the Lord for insight and wisdom.
Mark 7:24-30. We are coming back to Mark, after a brief sojourn into Acts for Pentecost Sunday. The story we will discuss is very interesting, as it has parts that are hard to believe; how the woman comes and barges in on Jesus' privacy; the way Jesus talks to her; how she talks back to Him as if it is normal. We don't want to sail past this interaction without a bit of thoughtfulness on our part. In this interaction, there is much to learn about God and the courage we have to approach Him.
Acts 1:7-8; 2:42-47. In this week's passage, Jesus has ascended into heaven and leaves the stewardship of the Kingdom to his people as we await his return. On this Pentecost Sunday, we are able to get a peek into the genesis of the church. The Holy Spirit comes and fills the followers of Christ, enabling them to continue the work of God's Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. As you spend some time in the passage this week, consider the ways in which the disciples waited patiently and actively for Christ's return and how we might do the same.
Video clips available at fmcsb.org.
Mark 7:1-23. The passage we will study is one where Jesus is forcefully speaking to people who have taken God's commandments and made them more than they were meant to be. His goal is not just to protect the integrity of the Law, but to help them see the burden they have placed on themselves and others in following unnecessary traditions and rules made up to seem more holy. As Jesus talks to those who are trying to shame He and His disciples, we see how problematic it can be when human-made rituals take the place of what the Lord has given us. What a gift we have been given to know God's truth and to be given the freedom to follow Him.
Mark 6:45-52 The passage we study this week is a familiar one: Jesus walking on the water. This story is found in three of the gospels. . . Matthew, Mark and John. The Lord and the disciples have had an active time in the last few days before they come to this evening. Jesus goes to pray and sends the twelve across the lake. We are unsure when they thought they would see Him again, but it is clear they didn't think it would be when He was walking by them. Imagine being in a boat and Jesus is standing on the lake next to you, as if it was solid ground! As you take some time with this passage this week, think about how the disciples react to Him. We are going to talk about being afraid and how Jesus meets us in those times we are not expecting Him. This Sunday is communion, a moment the Lord meets with us in transforming ways. My prayer is for each of us to know His presence among us.
Mark 6:30-44
As we journey through the book of Mark together we continue to deepen our understanding of who Jesus is as the Son of God. The feeding of the five thousand is a miracle which reveals Jesus as our God who cares that His people eat and are satisfied. This is not news to people of faith who are familiar with YHWH providing manna in the wildnerness and with passages predicting the heavenly banquet at the end of the age. God loves to feed His people. What do you hunger for? Do you know who can satisfy that hunger? Do we trust God to feed us?
To watch the video mentioned, please visit fmcsb.org/media and learn more about Red Island Restoration, Eden Projects, and the Sarobidy Maternity Center.
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