The Leander Table | A Podcast from Leander UMC

What if the healing we need begins when we stop trying to control where God is allowed to work? In this episode of  Back to Bible School , we revisit the story of Naaman from 2 Kings 5. Naaman is powerful, successful, respected, and important—but he is also unwell. When a young Israelite servant girl points him toward healing, Naaman discovers that grace does not arrive through status, ceremony, o...

What if David didn't defeat Goliath by becoming someone else, but by trusting what God had already placed in his hands? In this episode of  Back to Bible School , we revisit the familiar story of David and Goliath from 1 Samuel 17. Many of us learned this story as children as a lesson about courage, bravery, and facing our giants. But there is another question worth asking: why David? David wa...

In this week's message, guest speaker Rev. David McMinn explores the often misunderstood and incomplete story of Jonah. Moving beyond the Sunday school version, this sermon dives into the full narrative to uncover two powerful truths for our lives today: Finding God in the Depths: Whether we flee from our calling or face external trials that feel like a "pit," Rev. McMinn reminds us...

What if the prophet in the story is not the person with the title, but the one who can actually see what God is doing? In this episode of  Back to Bible School , we revisit one of the strangest and funniest stories in scripture: Balaam and his talking donkey from Numbers 22–24. It is a story full of political fear, blessings and curses, blocked paths, wounded pride, and one very perceptive animal....

Noah’s Ark is not a children’s story. In this episode of  Back to Bible School , we revisit Genesis 6–9 and the flood narrative with fresh eyes—moving beyond cute animals, calm waters, and rainbow decorations to face the grief, violence, and devastation at the heart of the story. But the flood is not only a story of creation coming undone. It is also a story of God remembering life. When the water...

What if the creation story is less about explaining the mechanics of the universe and more about healing the words spoken over us? In this opening episode of the Back to Bible School sermon series, we revisit Genesis 1 with fresh eyes, recovering the wonder, strangeness, and beauty of a story many of us first heard as children. Along the way, we explore how the words spoken over us shape the world...