Woodland Friends Church

Perhaps right up there with Revelation, Song of Solomon has been debated and disagreed upon for centuries. For much of church history, the predominant view has been that this book is NOT about sexuality and married love, but about Christ and the Church. The 19th century brought overwhelming change into finally taking the Book at its word. What does it have to say about our messed up world when IT...

Believe it or not, the proverbial Utopia has come in the power, work and grace of Jesus Christ! Even all this, though, is just a preamble! This is just a precursor! A foreshadow! A down-payment! Much remains. The fact that you and I can identify that something is profoundly wrong with our world, so much it compels us to want to get on the wagon of many causes in trying to fix it, tells us that we...

Believe it or not, the proverbial Utopia has come in the power, work and grace of Jesus Christ! Even all this, though, is just a preamble! This is just a precursor! A foreshadow! A down-payment! Much remains. The fact that you and I can identify that something is profoundly wrong with our world, so much it compels us to want to get on the wagon of many causes in trying to fix it, tells us that we...

The fact that Paul is arguing for resurrection primarily and preeminently because of Christ’s resurrection should cause us to consider Christ’s resurrection. The Gospel accounts gives us a picture of a Resurrected Body in Jesus at least that is flesh, bones, tangible, that wants to eat, but has other, admittedly, super-natural, not-what-we’re-familiar-with abilities. What we see of the Resurrected...

The fact that Paul is arguing for resurrection primarily and preeminently because of Christ’s resurrection should cause us to consider Christ’s resurrection. The Gospel accounts gives us a picture of a Resurrected Body in Jesus at least that is flesh, bones, tangible, that wants to eat, but has other, admittedly, super-natural, not-what-we’re-familiar-with abilities. What we see of the Resurrected...

The Second Coming, like Jesus’ first coming, provokes two predominant reactions. Consider: we have the joy of the shepherds. The wonder and awe of Mary and Joseph. The rest of Simeon. But also, we have the deeply disturbed sinners like Herod and the rest of Jerusalem. Because Jesus' coming means He’s in charge. So shall it be when He comes again!

The Second Coming, like Jesus’ first coming, provokes two predominant reactions. Consider: we have the joy of the shepherds. The wonder and awe of Mary and Joseph. The rest of Simeon. But also, we have the deeply disturbed sinners like Herod and the rest of Jerusalem. Because Jesus' coming means He’s in charge. So shall it be when He comes again!

Jesus doesn’t throw more laws, more rules, more regulations, more programs, more governmental incentives, more platforms at the problem, He goes to the problem itself, and He uproots it, and He gives sinners new hearts. He gives sinning people the very Spirit of Himself, and He lives through us! That’s what we need. But we wrestle. We sin again. We mess up. Sin gets done to us. The fall, the curse...

Jesus doesn’t throw more laws, more rules, more regulations, more programs, more governmental incentives, more platforms at the problem, He goes to the problem itself, and He uproots it, and He gives sinners new hearts. He gives sinning people the very Spirit of Himself, and He lives through us! That’s what we need. But we wrestle. We sin again. We mess up. Sin gets done to us. The fall, the curse...

You and I are made, formed, created to be worshipers, is because even though you or I may not adoringly respond in heart and mind to the Spirit of God 24/7, we are nevertheless 24/7 adoringly responding in heart and mind to something. And you might say, “No, that’s not true, sometimes I’m just depressed,” and I’m just saying sometimes adoration leads people to depression when it’s not expressed, n...

You and I are made, formed, created to be worshipers, is because even though you or I may not adoringly respond in heart and mind to the Spirit of God 24/7, we are nevertheless 24/7 adoringly responding in heart and mind to something. And you might say, “No, that’s not true, sometimes I’m just depressed,” and I’m just saying sometimes adoration leads people to depression when it’s not expressed, n...

You wouldn’t word it this way, but it seems like everything you pour your life into, you always come up empty! Depressed! Sad! More tragedy! More defeat! And so you think, “Do I need a new job?! Do I need a new location? Has this new hobby I’ve been enjoying lost its enjoyment? What’s the deal?” You're working for food that perishes....

You wouldn’t word it this way, but it seems like everything you pour your life into, you always come up empty! Depressed! Sad! More tragedy! More defeat! And so you think, “Do I need a new job?! Do I need a new location? Has this new hobby I’ve been enjoying lost its enjoyment? What’s the deal?” You're working for food that perishes....

The King doesn’t save Himself. He doesn’t get down off the cross. Rather He dies for the world to see. He dies for His opponents who just knew He wasn’t the Messiah, to die. He dies for His Disciples who were certain that He was the Messiah! For all those watching, Jesus died. But He was the King! He was the Messiah! He was bringing a Kingdom! He and the Disicples took a covenant together! So why...

The King doesn’t save Himself. He doesn’t get down off the cross. Rather He dies for the world to see. He dies for His opponents who just knew He wasn’t the Messiah, to die. He dies for His Disciples who were certain that He was the Messiah! For all those watching, Jesus died. But He was the King! He was the Messiah! He was bringing a Kingdom! He and the Disicples took a covenant together! So why...

The Church doesn’t describe a building but a people. Early Quakers called facilities Meetinghouses. Why? Because the Church meets in the meetinghouse, just like the church is welcome to meet on a hilltop, or in a town, at a park, in somebody’s backyard, in somebody’s house. The church doesn’t describe a building but a people... What does the Bible say the church is?

The Church doesn’t describe a building but a people. Early Quakers called facilities Meetinghouses. Why? Because the Church meets in the meetinghouse, just like the church is welcome to meet on a hilltop, or in a town, at a park, in somebody’s backyard, in somebody’s house. The church doesn’t describe a building but a people... What does the Bible say the church is?

Baptism in the rest of the protestant church, versus baptism in the Quakers, is the symbol thing right? The rest of the protestants find rich symbolism in the immersion of water, and rising up in the new man. Quakers love symbolism. But they have higher standards than just water. They want the symbolism of the new inner life proven by the outer life. The actions. Outward affections.

Baptism in the rest of the protestant church, versus baptism in the Quakers, is the symbol thing right? The rest of the protestants find rich symbolism in the immersion of water, and rising up in the new man. Quakers love symbolism. But they have higher standards than just water. They want the symbolism of the new inner life proven by the outer life. The actions. Outward affections.

In a perfect world we are created to reflect God’s image, which is a symbolic way of saying we are created to worship Him. Isaiah 43:7 says we were made for the glory of God, formed and made for Him. Verse 21 of that same chapter says we were formed for Himself to declare His praise. You need to understand this: airplanes are made to fly, toasters are made to toast bread, ovens are made to cook, c...

In a perfect world we are created to reflect God’s image, which is a symbolic way of saying we are created to worship Him. Isaiah 43:7 says we were made for the glory of God, formed and made for Him. Verse 21 of that same chapter says we were formed for Himself to declare His praise. You need to understand this: airplanes are made to fly, toasters are made to toast bread, ovens are made to cook, c...

Suppose the mailman came up to your house tomorrow. Your spouse, family member, whoever, goes down and picks up the mail for you and announces what you got.

“You got a bill. A brochure. Junk mail. A letter from God Almighty of the Universe. A letter from your cousin Bob.” How many of us are going to nonchalantly say, “Oh, I’ll take the letter from Bob. Put the rest on the Table.” We have a letter...

Suppose the mailman came up to your house tomorrow. Your spouse, family member, whoever, goes down and picks up the mail for you and announces what you got.

“You got a bill. A brochure. Junk mail. A letter from God Almighty of the Universe. A letter from your cousin Bob.” How many of us are going to nonchalantly say, “Oh, I’ll take the letter from Bob. Put the rest on the Table.” We have a letter...

I dare you to keep the news and keep the TV off for a day. Get up, read the Scriptures. Take a walk or a scenic drive. See if there’s something on your walk or drive that God uses to speak to you. I dare you, to instead of listening to any other voice tell you what sins your political opponents need to repent of, see if there are sins you need to repent of. See if the Spirit says to you, “2020 is...

I dare you to keep the news and keep the TV off for a day. Get up, read the Scriptures. Take a walk or a scenic drive. See if there’s something on your walk or drive that God uses to speak to you. I dare you, to instead of listening to any other voice tell you what sins your political opponents need to repent of, see if there are sins you need to repent of. See if the Spirit says to you, “2020 is...