Scripture: Matthew 5:38-42, Romans 12:14-21 Description: Turning the other cheek is not passive acquiescence. Far from it. In an oft misunderstood biblical passage, we detour from the lives of unsavory biblical characters and find Jesus’ direct teaching on how to confront the “bullies” of our lives. Jesus’ recommendation is neither retaliation nor …

Scripture: Luke 19:1-10 Description: Though Jesus’ confrontational approach to many religious leaders is well-documented in the gospels, he is not always overtly “in-your-face.” This is true even when interacting with people whom the public might consider an unsavory character, like Zaccheus the “chief tax collector.” In this morning’s passage, Jes…

Scripture: John 2:12-25 Description: Jesus’ cleansing of the temple in both the Synoptic Gospels and the gospel of John is a very curious incident. We are told it is evidence of Jesus’ zeal for the true worship of God (2:17), but the passage itself is complicated by the fact that the purchase and exchange of animals for sacrifices was a necessary c…

Scripture: Acts 9:1-19 Description: Until Lent, we will be traveling through a sermon series titled “Biblical Bullies: What They Teach Us About Ethics, Living Like Jesus, and Romans 12:21.” The purpose is to look at some unsavory characters in the Scripture to discover various truths about living as God’s children and “overcoming evil by good” (Rom…

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12 Description: The Sermon on the Mount is one of Jesus’ five great teaching moments in the gospel of Matthew. Here, we take a look specifically at the eight “blessings” or Beatitudes that Jesus pronounces, blessings that seem counterintuitive. It would be a mistake for us to see the Beatitudes as simply a new list of moral i…

Scripture: Matthew 4:18-22 Description: After leaving on a spur-of-the-moment mission trip to Furcy, Haiti, Pastor Ryan returns to WUMC and shares his experience with the congregation. Apologies ahead of time for any of the dead spots. The talk featured a large portion of Q&A.Af Great Commission Local Vision

Scripture: Matthew 4.1-12 Description: While Pastor Ryan serves on a mission trip in Haiti, Lay Servant Tedd Brungard blesses WUMC by preaching on the topic of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness.Af Great Commission Local Vision

Scripture: Matthew 3.13-17 Description: The baptism of Jesus Christ in the gospels has been a theological conundrum for at least two millenia. Early Christian writings wrestle with the topic of why a sinless savior (Heb 4.15) seeks to be baptized by John, who is out dunking people for repentance from sin (Mat 3.11). For insight into the role and pu…

Scripture: Luke 23:33-43 Description: Compassion can be a hard sell. Enemies, outcasts, those we deem unworthy, we can be very selective toward those whom we believe do not deserve compassion or forgiveness. By praying–on the cross–for his enemies, Jesus nullifies any excuse we might have for not reaching out in love. If Christ can do it from the c…

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:1-9 Description: Faith can be difficult to claim or achieve in the midst of trying and difficult life situations. As a pastor, when I sit with families and individuals who struggle, I often hear prayers asked for God to come in and fix the situation or get the out of the hardship. In this passage from Jeremiah, the Jewish exi…