Woodland Friends Church

Here’s what I wonder for churches if they approach Jesus, and they say, “Lord, what about the Coronavirus taking over the world? What about the George Floyd protests? What about more and more legislation being passed to hinder our rights or condemn what we believe? Here’s what I think Jesus would do: redirection.

Maybe you haven’t had the bizarre vision of a huge blanket with lots of animals coming down and hearing God say, “Rise, kill, and eat…” but maybe you’ve had a bizarre dream. A passion, an inspiration to do something that just sounds bizarre because you’re too old. Because it would never happen. It could never work. Because you’re unqualified. You’re not capable. People would laugh, scoff, resist,...

Maybe you haven’t had the bizarre vision of a huge blanket with lots of animals coming down and hearing God say, “Rise, kill, and eat…” but maybe you’ve had a bizarre dream. A passion, an inspiration to do something that just sounds bizarre because you’re too old. Because it would never happen. It could never work. Because you’re unqualified. You’re not capable. People would laugh, scoff, resist,...

Sometimes we approach healing passages apologetically , “Well hey it does happen. I’m sorry it doesn’t happen to you all the time. Healing can still happen though. Here’s why it happened then.” The truth of the matter is, is healing is a sign of the Gospel. Healing did literally happen here, but there are indications of greater truths.

Sometimes we approach healing passages apologetically , “Well hey it does happen. I’m sorry it doesn’t happen to you all the time. Healing can still happen though. Here’s why it happened then.” The truth of the matter is, is healing is a sign of the Gospel. Healing did literally happen here, but there are indications of greater truths.

I share the faith of Saul, but I want to have the faith of Saul. I didn’t have a dramatic conversion like Saul. Even so, I say I'm saved, although it seems my faith just ebbs and flows. I just don’t see that in Saul. Rather I see something that comes from Saul that is drawn from his proclamation that Jesus is the Lord! For Saul, that changed everything about his life. That is not an understatement...

I share the faith of Saul, but I want to have the faith of Saul. I didn’t have a dramatic conversion like Saul. Even so, I say I'm saved, although it seems my faith just ebbs and flows. I just don’t see that in Saul. Rather I see something that comes from Saul that is drawn from his proclamation that Jesus is the Lord! For Saul, that changed everything about his life. That is not an understatement...

In this story that you and I are never beyond redemption. No matter how far in or down you think you are, it’s never beyond redemption. Saul is a pharisee of pharisees, this means Saul has invested hours and hours, and labors, and persecutions, and he’s known, he’s infamous, he’s famous among his kind, and he’s infamous among the church, and he’s got a reputation, and in our day and age you’d say...

In this story that you and I are never beyond redemption. No matter how far in or down you think you are, it’s never beyond redemption. Saul is a pharisee of pharisees, this means Saul has invested hours and hours, and labors, and persecutions, and he’s known, he’s infamous, he’s famous among his kind, and he’s infamous among the church, and he’s got a reputation, and in our day and age you’d say...

It’s easy to look at Saul and say, “Well this is a very special occasion. We’re talking the beginning of the Mission to the Gentiles. We’re talking about a Biblical author. Saul’s in a special category. He needed to be saved. God set Him aside for a special work. But why would God care about my whoever?” Saul himself believes God cares about your whoever. . .

It’s easy to look at Saul and say, “Well this is a very special occasion. We’re talking the beginning of the Mission to the Gentiles. We’re talking about a Biblical author. Saul’s in a special category. He needed to be saved. God set Him aside for a special work. But why would God care about my whoever?” Saul himself believes God cares about your whoever. . .

When true believers trusted in King Yahweh in this time before Samuel, when true believers trusted in Jesus that He was Yahweh Incarnate... when true believers trusted in God’s grace in a time when the church was dark, and taught only good works get you into heaven... when true believers trust in Jesus under domineering monarchies, under corrupt democracies, under tyrannical dictatorships, under s...

When true believers trusted in King Yahweh in this time before Samuel, when true believers trusted in Jesus that He was Yahweh Incarnate... when true believers trusted in God’s grace in a time when the church was dark, and taught only good works get you into heaven... when true believers trust in Jesus under domineering monarchies, under corrupt democracies, under tyrannical dictatorships, under s...

God was rejected here, and He conceded and showed extreme compassion! He showed extreme graciousness! He said, “Have it your way, and I will help you so that Your way is divinely blessed with my resources!” And now I see some repentance happening in Israel.

God was rejected here, and He conceded and showed extreme compassion! He showed extreme graciousness! He said, “Have it your way, and I will help you so that Your way is divinely blessed with my resources!” And now I see some repentance happening in Israel.

God has not only conceded to Israel about their want of a King instead of Yahweh, rather, He’s giving Israel the kind of King they want with every possible chance at that King being in the best scenario ever! The scandalous mercy our King has! The people have made their bed, now they have to sleep in it. But God has also made the most perfect bed possible, He’s given Saul a new heart. He’s given S...

God has not only conceded to Israel about their want of a King instead of Yahweh, rather, He’s giving Israel the kind of King they want with every possible chance at that King being in the best scenario ever! The scandalous mercy our King has! The people have made their bed, now they have to sleep in it. But God has also made the most perfect bed possible, He’s given Saul a new heart. He’s given S...

This is God in a much bigger, much more significant way letting the child place their hand on the burner, right? “A little experience will show them.” And in all this, though we see the red flags, we see this: that you and I have a King in God who gives sinners a chance. That’s a scary thing. That’s a fair thing. We see that God isn’t a marionette and we’re puppets. Simply because God lets sinners...

This is God in a much bigger, much more significant way letting the child place their hand on the burner, right? “A little experience will show them.” And in all this, though we see the red flags, we see this: that you and I have a King in God who gives sinners a chance. That’s a scary thing. That’s a fair thing. We see that God isn’t a marionette and we’re puppets. Simply because God lets sinners...

Christ’s sacrifice for you means nothing, and comes to nothing, and in fact you forfeit, you nullify what He’s done when you start to believe ‘I need Christ and blank. For the Galatians it was circumcision, but this shows up in our day in the forms of food prohibitions, Sabbath arguments, Bible translation arguments, whatever else we think makes us more holy than others to be saved. There is no Ch...

Christ’s sacrifice for you means nothing, and comes to nothing, and in fact you forfeit, you nullify what He’s done when you start to believe ‘I need Christ and blank. For the Galatians it was circumcision, but this shows up in our day in the forms of food prohibitions, Sabbath arguments, Bible translation arguments, whatever else we think makes us more holy than others to be saved. There is no Ch...

I dare you to be the sort of person that Paul wanted to be here to the Corinthians. I dare you to be the person, of whom others say, “They told me about Jesus and Him Crucified. They said to me that I need to know Jesus and He crucified. They showed me a life of Jesus and His being crucified.” That’s what we’re called to be. While we pray for believing hearts and saved souls, because we can’t do a...

I dare you to be the sort of person that Paul wanted to be here to the Corinthians. I dare you to be the person, of whom others say, “They told me about Jesus and Him Crucified. They said to me that I need to know Jesus and He crucified. They showed me a life of Jesus and His being crucified.” That’s what we’re called to be. While we pray for believing hearts and saved souls, because we can’t do a...

If 1 Samuel 8 is a history-altering chapter in the Bible, I argue that 1 Samuel 8:7 is a life-altering verse. God is very upset with Israel's demand for a King. But here’s what I love… even though the Sovereign God is bending to the will of the people, not only is He going to reluctantly absorb it, rather it’s going to be come the greatest symbol, the greatest prophetic design pointing to Jesus in...

If 1 Samuel 8 is a history-altering chapter in the Bible, I argue that 1 Samuel 8:7 is a life-altering verse. God is very upset with Israel's demand for a King. But here’s what I love… even though the Sovereign God is bending to the will of the people, not only is He going to reluctantly absorb it, rather it’s going to be come the greatest symbol, the greatest prophetic design pointing to Jesus in...