Woodlands Church

Before we say a word, the way we love one another has already spoken. In week 2 of Built Up, Pastor Jon teaches from Ephesians 1:15–23, where Paul thanks God for the church's steady faith in Jesus and their love for the saints. Faithfulness isn't microwave spirituality. It's a long obedience in the same direction. Paul also prays for wisdom, insight, and open hearts, all grounded in the truth that...

Paul gets so caught up in the goodness of God that Ephesians 1:3–14 comes out like one long sentence of worship. Pastor Jon begins our Built Up series in Ephesians 1:1–14 with the blessings God gives us in Christ: he chose us, adopted us, redeemed us, equipped us with wisdom and insight, and sealed us with the Holy Spirit. Adoption means the old debts are paid and we're brought into a new family....

A resilient family isn't one that never gets hit. It's one that learns to bounce back together through the storms of life. In our Resilience series, Jed Haas teaches from Ephesians 5:19–33, 1 Thessalonians 2:7–12, and 1 Timothy 4:12–16. Marriage grows stronger when husbands and wives yield and sacrifice for each other under Jesus. Parents help kids with high grace and high truth. And kids need rea...

A resilient church doesn't survive by getting tougher. It stays steady because Jesus is leading it. In our Resilience series, Pastor Jon looks at Acts 2:42–47 and the first-century church. They were devoted to Scripture, together in unity, generous with each other, and focused on the mission. Pastor Jon also gives a plain warning: little "pebbles" of unresolved conflict, the poison of gossip, and...

Concluding the series through the book of Leviticus, this message from chapters 17-27 delves into God's "moral law" or "holiness code," revealing what it means to be His people. The sermon explores how God claims and defines holiness, establishing boundaries for sexuality and calling us to treat all individuals with dignity and respect as His image bearers. It highlights that acceptable worship is...

In the "Leviticus" series, this message delves into Leviticus 16, "The Day of Atonement," and its profound connection to Jesus Christ. It addresses the fundamental question of why Jesus' death is so crucial, detailing the Old Testament ritual that demonstrated the reality of sin, God's wrath, and the need for a remedy. The sermon explains how the sacrificial goat and the scapegoat provided both pr...

In week four of our series on Leviticus, we explore chapters 11-15, examining the ancient cleanliness codes and what it means to be God's people today. This message reveals that being God's people demands total dedication, impacting every aspect of life. It also calls for absolute dependence on Him, trusting His sufficiency even when circumstances are challenging. Finally, we learn that following...

In week three of our series through Leviticus, we explore chapters 6-10, focusing on the role and holiness of Old Covenant priests. The message highlights their responsibility as intermediaries and the absolute demand for holiness, strikingly illustrated by Nadab and Abiu's unauthorized offering. We then turn to Jesus' profound words in John 6:53-56 and the insights from Hebrews 8, revealing how C...

Leviticus is famous for killing Bible reading plans—but it may be one of the richest books in all of Scripture. In this opening message of a summer series through Leviticus, Pastor Dave builds the case that this ancient book of laws and rituals is essential for understanding the whole of Scripture, from the leper healed by Jesus in Mark 1 to the living sacrifice of Romans 12. Through three lenses—...

In part six of the Seven Churches series, Pastor Jon Ewton of Woodlands Church examines the letter to the Church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-12 — one of only two churches to receive no correction. Despite having "little power," this church was commended for keeping God's Word and boldly claiming the name of Jesus. Drawing on 2 Corinthians 12:9, Pastor Jon explores how God's strength is made...

The Church of Philadelphia had little power by the world's standards—and yet received no correction from Jesus, only an open door. Drawing from Revelation 3:7–12 and 2 Corinthians 12:9, Pastor Jon explores how God's economy runs completely opposite to the world's: strength is perfected in weakness, the small are used for great things, and faithful stewardship of small gospel moments leads to more....

The Church of Sardis had a reputation for being alive—but the risen Lord called them dead. Drawing from Revelation 3 and James 2, Pastor Jon explores what it means when faith produces no works, and why so many Christians drift into spiritual sleepiness. Through the history of Sardis's famously unguarded walls and the urgent call to "wake up," this message challenges us to fan the embers back into...

The church at Thyatira had so much going for it—love, faith, service, and a faith community that kept growing. But one fatal flaw threatened to unravel it all: the tolerance of sin within the body of Christ. Drawing from Revelation 2:18–29 and 1 Corinthians 5, Pastor Jon explores why tolerating sin is not an act of love but a form of cruelty—and what it looks like for a church to lovingly hold one...

In a city defined by Roman imperial power and the worship of emperors, the church at Pergamum faced a subtle and dangerous drift—not outright rejection of Christ, but a slow slide into idolatry. Drawing from Revelation 2 and the strange, comedic, and sobering Old Testament story of Balaam and Balak, this message explores how compromise creeps in through culture rather than conquest. Jesus' words t...

The church of Smyrna had nothing by the world's standards—and yet Jesus called them rich. In this message from Revelation 2:8–11, Pastor Jon explores a letter with no correction, only commendation, revealing what it looks like to be poor in the eyes of the world but wealthy in the things that matter most. At the heart of it all is a simple but convicting posture: surrender and dependence on a Savi...

Jesus writes to the church in Ephesus with both commendation and correction. They work hard, reject false teaching, and stand against evil—but they've abandoned their first love. This message from Revelation 2:1-7 examines what it means to drift from relational intimacy with God and compassionate engagement with people, even while maintaining doctrinal and moral correctness. The sermon calls us to...

Pastor Jon begins a new series in Revelation by unpacking the prologue (Revelation 1:1–8), reframing the book as a divine "revelation" rather than a doomsday prediction. He highlights three characteristics of the Triune God—the Father who is constant, the Spirit who is perfect, and the Son who is the faithful witness—and reminds the church that we are loved, freed from sin, and made priests in God...

In week two of Woodlands Church's vision series, Pastor Jon tackles real questions from the congregation about the call to multiply healthy churches in central Wisconsin. He addresses concerns about volunteer needs, financial stewardship, and how decisions are being made—clarifying that while the direction is clear, many details remain open to prayer and discernment. Drawing from James 1:5 and Phi...

On Easter, Pastor Jon opens Ephesians 2:1–10 to name the brutal reality—apart from Christ we're "dead" in trespasses and sins—and the even greater turning point: "But God," rich in mercy, makes us alive with Jesus. The message traces how sin is both a willful crossing of the line and a repeated "missing the mark," then lands on grace as a gift, not a paycheck. And it ends with purpose: those raise...

In this Palm Sunday message from the "No Longer" series, Pastor Jon opens 2 Corinthians 5:14–21 (with 5:17 at the center) to show that the gospel doesn't make you a slightly improved version of yourself—it makes you a new creation. Tracing the Spirit's transforming "metamorphosis" (2 Corinthians 3:15–18), he names what changes when the old passes away: a new motive controlled by Christ's love, a n...

Continuing the "No Longer" series, this message centers on Luke 15 and the promise that we are no longer lost, but found. Jesus' parables of the lost sheep and lost coin picture God's pursuit and the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. In the prodigal son, Pastor Jon traces what it feels like to be lost—losing your way, identity, and sense of relationship—and highlights the Father's compass...

In the new No Longer series leading to Easter, Pastor Dave traces a hard tension: Scripture says we're "no longer slaves" to sin—so why do so many Jesus-followers still feel trapped? From Luke 23's darkness and the torn temple curtain to Paul's language of dying with Christ in Romans 6 (with Galatians 5:1), the message frames the cross as victory that doesn't just forgive sin but breaks sin's powe...

Continuing Acts, this message follows Paul's journey to Rome in Acts 27:1–26 and the violent storm that drives the ship far off course. The sermon connects Paul's experience to our own storms: feeling lost, doing everything possible to keep it together, and taking real losses that must be grieved well. It highlights the need for "traveling companions" like Luke and Aristarchus, and anchors hope in...

 In Acts 25–26, Paul's case moves from Festus to a hearing with King Agrippa II and Bernice. The message looks closely at these historical figures—their backgrounds, wounds, and hidden brokenness—and shows how Paul presents the gospel through his own past, his encounter with Jesus, and his hope in the resurrection. It culminates in Paul's desire that they might become as he is—free—"except for the...

Continuing Woodlands' Acts series, this message follows Paul into a courtroom in Acts 24 before Governor Felix. A lawyer, Tertullus, brings charges of sedition, rebellion, and desecrating the temple, but Paul answers with respectful clarity: the accusations can't be proved, and the real issue is the resurrection and "the Way." Echoing Jesus' words in Luke 21, the trial becomes a witness. Felix lat...