FaithWestwood UMC

16 May 2021 Colossians 3:15-17 Something happens when we worship together that doesn’t happen when we’re home alone. The presence of the Spirit residing in each of us creates a holy synergy. It happens when we sing together and pray together and receive the word of the Lord together. It happens when we receive the sacraments together and surrender ourselves to Jesus together. This week we’ll learn...

May 9 2021 Galatians 2:11-14 Healthy marriages are not conflict-free. It’s how couples do conflict and how they recover from it that matters most. And it’s the same with a healthy community. What does good conflict look like? How bold can we be when confronting one another? How do we accept correction? And how do we love each other through it all? This week we’ll learn about practicing healthy con...

May 2 2021 Acts 4:32-36 It’s an American ideal to be independent and handle our problems by ourselves. But it’s not very practical – or realistic. God’s ideal is for us to be in community. That includes giving and receiving in times of need. And it’s never a pressured thing. It’s about a generosity and humility inspired by the Holy Spirit. This week we’ll learn about caring for one another as Jesu...

4-28-2021 Galatians 5:13-26 Who doesn’t love a bonfire once in a while? We like to watch the flames grow bright and warm. But if each stick of wood was separated, the flames would quickly die out. Only when the wood is brought together – with a little space for air – do they all stay aflame. And when we stay in community, the work of the Holy Spirit keeps us aflame with life. This week we’ll learn...

4 April 2021 1 Thessalonians 5:9-15 Eating healthy foods makes you a healthier person. So do exercise and a good night’s sleep. Did you know that good relationships can also make you a healthier person? And gathering weekly with a worshiping community can boost your well-being. One way we do that is by encouraging one another. This week we’ll learn about being the kind of community where we build...

April 11, 2021 Galatians 3:26-29 We live in a divided world, don’t we? We like to label ourselves and others. Obviously, we don’t want to deny our differences – that would be foolish. But when we are “in Christ,” those differences don’t define who we really are. This week we’ll learn about our solid foundation for the community we crave.

Easter Sunday, April 4 Matthew 28:1-10, 16-20 In The Lord of the Rings trilogy, author J.R.R. Tolkien slips glimpses of the gospel into his epic tale. In the second book, Sam meets the previously dead but now living Gandalf. Sam asks him, “Is everything sad going to come untrue?” We could ask the same question of the risen Jesus. And he may reply as Gandalf did – with laughter – “and the sound was...

Maundy Thursday, April 1, 7 p.m. Matthew 26:17-46 Deep into the night Jesus prayed that he be spared the cup of suffering. He prayed that there might be some other remedy for guilty humanity. But he accepted the Father’s verdict, choosing to accept the cross. Earlier that evening Jesus took a cup, representing his suffering, and gave it to his disciples. He said, “Drink from this.”

Richer or Poorer Matthew 19:16-30 Matthew 21:1-11 You’ve made sacrifices. You’ve given up good things for better things. Jesus told a certain young man to walk away from his wealth and follow him. Why would Jesus ask that of him? How did the young man respond? And more importantly, what sacrifice might Jesus require of you to fully follow him?

March 21 2021 Matthew 16:13-28 It’s hard to be neutral about Jesus. And he doesn’t want you to be neutral. Either he is who he says he is, or he is not. There is no middle ground. If he is the Messiah, the Son of God, then following him requires our full allegiance. Even now he turns to you and asks, “Who do you say I am?”

A Day of Separation Matthew 13:24-43 You will never find a weed-free garden. Just like you will never find a perfect church. The church will always be flawed. It will always have some hypocrites. It will always have some very un-Jesus-like people. But Jesus made it clear that it’s not up to us to fix it. Separating the saved from the not-saved goes way beyond our paygrade.

Redefining Family Matthew 12:46-50 Who’s your family? Today, people are redefining family in all sorts of ways. Jesus was part of a biological-adoptive family and he loved them, but he also redefined family in a way that was shocking in his day. He created a bond among his followers that was stronger than blood, more powerful than parentage. Have you experienced anything like that?

Sunday, February 28 Matthew 8:5-13 “What do I believe Jesus can do?” It’s an important question to consider. Jesus lived in Capernaum when he wasn’t traveling, and it’s a question people there found themselves asking. One person believed Jesus could heal by command, even from a distance – and he wasn’t even Jewish. He was the enemy. But Jesus loves it when surprising people believe in him and what...

Sunday, February 21 Sight-Challenged Fans Matthew 7:1-5 Jesus set the record straight on judging others. He told his followers they had planks in their eyes. We are unfit to help others see straight until we recognize and set aside our biases. It’s like being in the stands 30 rows back and arguing with the ref. Are you, a biased fan, really ready to trade places with the official on the field?

February 14 Divided Genesis 45:1-8; 47:11-21 The people God uses for his purposes may have hidden flaws – unknown even to themselves. Joseph recognized God’s guiding hand in his life, allowing his family to be saved. They were given the best land in Egypt to settle. But Joseph also consolidated Pharaoh’s power during the famine and reduced the Egyptians to poverty and servitude. Would this inequit...

Dignified Genesis 41:33-43 Does it ever seem that your original dream has been swapped for another? Joseph’s been sold into slavery, falsely imprisoned, and forgotten by someone he helped. Now he gets his chance. After interpreting Pharaoh’s dream, he becomes Egypt’s second in command, charged with saving an entire nation from starvation. But what does this have to do with the original dream God g...

January 31 Delayed Genesis 40:1-15, 23 Have you ever gotten your hopes up only to find them dashed? That can be harder than never hoping at all. Joseph’s in prison, making the most of a bad situation, when he sees an opportunity to improve his fortunes. But the person who’s supposed to help him forgets all about him. Has God forgotten him, too? How do you keep hoping when hope is delayed?

January 24 Genesis 39:1-15 When you do what’s right, God’s supposed to bless you. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to work? And it did work that way for Joseph – for a while – until someone accused him falsely out of spite. Before he knew it, he was convicted and imprisoned. His dreams of great things were gone. But never say it’s over if God is still in the picture.

Genesis 37:1-11 Have you ever been right but handled it poorly? Usually it’s worse than being wrong and handling it well. That’s what happened to a 17-year-old from Canaan. God gave Joseph a glimpse of his future through some mysterious dreams. Unfortunately, Joseph didn’t handle it well when he shared these dreams with his family, and as a result, his brothers “hated him all the more.” Still, des...

January 3, 2021 John 1.1-18. On this 10th day of Christmas, we look at what the Gospel of John declares about the birth and what it means for us. God has done something audacious. We witness to this audacious action, and we live into the darkness around us with a light that transforms us. In this event, and in what will follow from it, we get to see what has been hidden and still is not known to m...

Christmas Eve 2020 Service Luke 2:1-14 • Gifts carefully selected and beautifully wrapped are opened in seconds -- then comes the chore of picking up all the paper and packaging. • A meal that takes hours to prepare can be consumed in minutes. Then the leftovers must be sealed and refrigerated and the dishes dutifully done. • It all goes by so fast – except for the cleanup. Christmas is about God...

Christmas Eve 2020 Service Luke 2:1-14 • Gifts carefully selected and beautifully wrapped are opened in seconds -- then comes the chore of picking up all the paper and packaging. • A meal that takes hours to prepare can be consumed in minutes. Then the leftovers must be sealed and refrigerated and the dishes dutifully done. • It all goes by so fast – except for the cleanup. Christmas is about God...

December 20, 2020 John 1:1-14 Light is not always welcome -- sometimes we’d rather hide in darkness. For some, this describes their reaction to Jesus and his message. John’s gospel says, “people loved darkness instead of light.” Yet the light continues to shine upon us in even our darkness, gently yet persistently loving us into the light. Key verse: The true light that gives light to everyone was...

December 13, 2020 Isaiah 61:1-4 The year 2020 has been extraordinarily challenging. Our lives have been uprooted by a pandemic. We’ve heard peaceful protests of the oppressed, and we’ve witnessed anger for those unjustly killed. We’ve seen looting and violence on our streets. We’ve endured a brutal election campaign year, too. And yet God promises that the ruins will be rebuilt, that a Leader will...

December 6, 2020 Luke 1:39-56 What’s got you beaten down? Could it be financial troubles? A lifetime of hurts? Is it dealing with injustice? Maybe it’s the effects of isolation and loneliness? At Advent we remember the promise of God -- that there will be joy. At the sound of our Rescuer’s voice, we will rejoice!