FaithWestwood UMC

1 Peter 2:4-10 Imagine you’re a builder, creating a stone structure as a place of worship. You start with one well-chosen stone--the cornerstone. All other stones align with it. God is the master builder, Jesus is the cornerstone, and we are God’s chosen stones, built into his temple of priestly people. Welcome to the rock club!

1 Peter 1:13-23 Peter talks about faith and hope. In this we have a choice to make. We can either live our lives in quiet desperation and confused chaos, or we can live with hope-filled faith. Let’s choose the latter.

1 Peter 1:1-9 “But for now.” Those can be potent words, can’t they? As Jesus’s chosen people, we’ve received a new birth in this life, and we’re promised a glorious future in the life to come. But for now--for a little while--we suffer many trials. Our faith gets tested. It is purified and proven genuine, like gold refined by fire.

Luke 24:1-12; 1 Corinthians 15:50-55 The opening round was brutal for the challenger Life. Formerly undefeated and undisputed champion Death pummeled Life with blow after stinging blow. By mid-afternoon Friday, spectators were already dispersing, assuming the fight was over. Death celebrated that evening and throughout the second day. Then in the third, Life surprised even its biggest fans. “Death...

Matthew 21:1-17 On Palm Sunday we remember Jesus’s donkey ride into Jerusalem. The people laid down their coats before him, waving tree branches and shouting “Hosanna!” Then Jesus walked into the Temple courtyard, knocked over the money tables, and sent the buyers and sellers out of God’s house. Jesus could get rough with religious people – conservative and liberal alike. By the way, on this Sunda...

Ephesians 6:10-13 Earth is a battlefield. Our enemy desires to steal, kill, and destroy us, but Jesus has come to reclaim and restore us. Prayer is essential for Jesus’s people if we’re going to prevail in the daily struggle against the evil one. One way to practice prayer is to recognize that we’re fighting in a battle on the side of God’s kingdom. And we don’t have to be strong pray-ers to do it...

John 10:22-30 Do you talk too much when you pray? Maybe so. Sometimes we need spend more time listening. And by God’s grace, he makes it possible for you to hear him. So listen for his nudge. Does your impression align with scripture? Is it Christ-like? Through trial and error, you’ll become better at distinguishing the Lord’s voice and yielding to it. Sometimes it may even come through a wise fri...

Psalm 130:1-8 Certain ways to pray may not come naturally to us. Contemplation is one of those. It’s a kind of yielding prayer where words fade into the background, where we let ourselves be embraced by the presence of God. In our hectic, hyper lives, this kind of prayer may feel like a waste of time. But it’s just what we need, to be still and be. Watch video 6 at prayercourse.org. Optional: Read...

Mark 14:32-36 It’s easy to give up on prayer when we’ve been disappointed. We decide “it doesn’t work.” But even the prayerful Jesus experienced unanswered prayers. Sometimes we demand to know why an all-loving, all-powerful God doesn’t intervene, and yet those answers elude us. Where do we turn? Do we abandon God as weak or remote or uncaring? What did Jesus do? Watch video 5 at prayercourse.org....

Matthew 18:19-20; James 5:13-16 Amazingly, God lets us share in the flow of grace to others – not only by our actions but also through our prayers. Intercession simply means asking God to help others. To intercede is to stand between them and God, praying on their behalf. Fortunately, God is willing to guide us in how to pray for them. Watch video 4 at prayercourse.org. Optional: Read How to Pray,...

Matthew 7:7-11 Prayer at its simplest “means asking God for help” (Pete Grieg). Sometimes we feel we shouldn’t bother the Almighty with our small things. Yet Jesus taught us to pray for daily concerns: food, forgiveness, guidance, deliverance. We pray to a God who welcomes our requests and wants to meet our daily needs. Watch video 3 at prayercourse.org. Optional: Read How to Pray, chapter 5

Psalm 131:1-3; Philippians 4:4-5 When we pray, it’s easy to launch right into our list of requests. But a better way to begin may be to pause and be still before God, recognizing his presence, receiving his love. Quietness prepares our hearts to rejoice in the Lord, to offer praise and adoration to God – even if we don’t feel like it at the moment. Watch video 2 at prayercourse.org. Optional: Read...

Luke 11:1-4 We may find it hard to pray sometimes, but we all do it. We may not be certain what happens when people pray, but we’re comforted knowing others are praying for us. And during certain moments, even an atheist will find it hard not to ask God for help, to give thanks, or to experience transcendent wonder. Prayer is the only topic Jesus’s disciples asked him to teach them about. So he ta...

1 Kings 11:1-13 In God’s world, actions have consequences. We may assume we’ve been able to evade those consequences, but they eventually catch up with us. The scriptures teach that true wisdom means obeying God’s way – even when it’s costly. Wisdom knows that going off on our own way costs us more in the end. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instru...

1 Kings 10:1-9 Just as we must always beware of becoming proud of our humility, we must also avoid being impressed with our wisdom – or trying to impress others with it. The visiting Queen of Sheba was impressed with Solomon’s opulence and wisdom. Did he become “wise in his own eyes”? How do we avoid that trap? “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil” (Proverbs 1:7). Jesus: “...

1 Kings 3:16-28 As king, Solomon not only created laws and led the nation, he also served as its judge. One famous case involved two women, each claiming to be the mother of a certain infant. His strategy to discover the truth brought him fame for his wisdom. As Jesus’s people we also need God’s wisdom. Fortunately for us, God gives wisdom generously when we ask for it. “Speak up and judge fairly;...

1 Kings 3:3-15a Solomon knew he needed what only God could give: wisdom beyond his own. At the beginning of his reign the young king prayed for a discerning heart to govern and judge the people wisely. This Sunday we’ll look at the difference between God’s wisdom and human wisdom. “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6). Jesus: “I praise you, Fat...

1 Peter 3:13-16 Those who put their faith in Jesus and put their lives in his hands are considered strange by many – and dangerous by some. That’s the world we live in. The Apostle Peter tells us, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” What’s your answer? On January 9, Pastor Steve will share his answer for why he (still) beli...

Matthew 2:16-18; John 1:1-3 Christmas is finished. People will be taking down the lights and returning gifts. Where is all the Peace on Earth - Goodwill for All Persons? Darkness wants to come back in and flood us with fear and cynicism, but we have a Light that has dawned and still shines. There is a lot of reason for rejoicing. Darkness is not winning the day.

Psalm 77:11-15 If your memories were wiped away, who would you be? Our identity is bound up in our memories. And if we’re going to have a healthy relationship with God, we need to remember what God has done. That’s what Asaph sang about in Psalm 77, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord (v. 11).” On this last Sunday of 2021, we’re going to look back on the year and see what God has done in our li...

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7; Luke 2:1-7, 8-14, 15-20 Remember those words when you were a kid? “Wake up! It’s Christmas.” Then it was a rush to see gifts under the tree. It’s similar to the message announced by shining angels to now-wide-awake shepherds one dark night, “Do not be afraid! . . . A Savior has been born to you.” Then they scurried into Bethlehem to see the child. It can also be your story this Ch...

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 We pray as Jesus taught us, for God’s kingdom to come “on earth as it is in heaven.” Already his reign of peace has begun to change the world. Even now he is bringing justice and righteousness into human affairs, working through all who will listen. No wonder we sing, Joy to the world; the Lord is come! “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will rei...

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 Most resumes list degrees earned and positions held. The best resumes also show how the person’s skills and experience could contribute to the success of the company. The applicant hopes to make an employer say, “This is just who we need!” And Jesus the Messiah is just who we need. Notice how his royal qualifications go beyond the merely human. “And he will be called Wonderful Coun...

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 Advent, the season of long-nights-getting-longer is here. The world’s problems seem so unfixable, sometimes we wonder if God has gone on vacation and left us to figure it out on our own. Then we hear some shockingly wonderful news, an announcement more beautiful than we could have imagined. A king is coming to renew the earth. He will be a gift from God, the hope of the world. “For...

Matthew 28:16-20 Making disciples of Jesus Christ We are Jesus’s people, and he gave us our mission. He announced our objective. He issued our orders. And it doesn’t matter how good or big a church is, if we miss this, we miss our calling. Jesus says to disciple people. That means introducing them to Jesus and walking with them on the journey. And by doing so, we will see God give them new life in...