This Is WholeLife

ARISE to Old Testament Spiritual Justice The Old Testament points toward the arrival of God on earth through the birth of Jesus. Jesus’ purpose was to illuminate the true character of God, and his life clearly taught that mercy, plus justice, equal righteousness. One cannot be a true follower of Jesus and not ARISE to the concern for justice and mercy. One of our #WholeLifeReflections this week as...

Threatened By Love – Bernie Anderson Jesus spoke in the synagogue and by the end of his message about love and justice for the marginalized, he was almost thrown off a cliff! Seems odd, but God’s love is threatening whenever we decide we’re the exclusive recipients of it. For followers of Christ, we stand with Jesus and His threatening love. We stand with the marginalized, poor, and broken. Whatev...

ARISE With God's Spirit – Ken Wetmore When Jesus returned to heaven, he left us with a Comforter, a Holy Guide, to help us bring God’s Kingdom to our world. Our future is bright because of the promises we have been given of unconditional love and undeserved grace. Let us ARISE, and move into 2022 confident in the mission Jesus has called us to accomplish. (John 14:29-31) One of our #WholeLifeRefle...

ARISE With Confidence – Ken Wetmore We live in a time when it’s a real challenge to know what or whom to believe. We regularly make presumptions based on our personal biases. However, when we have doubts and questions, there is one constant, and that is the life of Jesus. Even when the way of Jesus seems unreasonable, difficult, or even impossible, he calls us to ARISE and believe that, in him, al...

ARISE With Peace – Jeff Cinquemani It’s impossible for us to see into the future, and that’s probably a good thing. However, sometimes we find ourselves desperate to understand our current situation. We are called to trust, and we are invited to find freedom in God’s sovereignty. In the midst of our darkest storms or our brightest mornings, Jesus asks us to ARISE and find peace in his presence.&nb...

ARISE With Trust – Ken Wetmore If nothing else, 2021 taught us we are not in control. Finding ourselves in the third year of shutdowns and restrictions caused frustration and a desperate need for autonomy. As we consider the Mission and Vision of WholeLife Church, what can we learn from this past year about the fragility of human solutions and the need to trust the One who invites us to ARISE, pic...

New Years Day Worship 2022 – Ken Wetmore A special celebration of worship and communion at WholeLife Church as we launch 2022! One of our #WholeLifeReflections for this week asked:  After reflecting on your list of 7s and what they say about you, if you could only accomplish one thing in 2022 what would it be? We would love to hear about your thoughts on the 7s and the one you’d love to accom...

Keep the Change: A Look Back at 2021 There was a lot of change in 2021 at WholeLife Church and today we take a look back! We would love to hear how WholeLife Church has impacted your life this past year and what you see God leading you to in 2022! Reach out to us with your questions and comments using the information below: ■ Text/Voicemail:   407-965-1607 ■ Email:   podcast@wh...

Simply Christmas: Simple Peace – Ken Wetmore John 14:27 (NLT) “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” This Christmas it’s simple: Jesus has gifted you with peace. One of our #WholeLifeReflections for this week asked: If peace is a fruit of the Spirit, how often are you asking God for that gift? We...

Simply Christmas: Simple Gifts – Ken Wetmore Isaiah 9:6 (NLT) says, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This Christmas it’s simple: the greatest gift ever given is friendship with God. One of our #WholeLifeReflections for this week asked: If God is...

Simply Christmas: Simple Joy – Ken Wetmore Psalms 67:4 (NLT) says, “Let the whole world sing for joy because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world.” This Christmas it’s simple: we have joy because Jesus reigns over our lives. One of our #WholeLifeReflections for this week asked us to: Do you believe God makes life better/joyful? If so, how do you share that Go...

Simply Grateful – Ken Wetmore Thanksgiving and Jonah: it may seem like an unlikely pair. With that said, Jonah has a lot to teach us about gratitude. We often express more gratitude for the material comforts that God gives us than the relationships he has also given us. This Thanksgiving, remember to thank God for ALL the people who have been placed in your path. One of our #WholeLifeReflections f...

Love Is…Faithful, Hopeful, and Enduring – Ken Wetmore Love never gives up. Love never loses hope. Love lasts forever. These words are even more powerful as we understand that they are God’s attitude toward us. God desires us to have the same attitude toward others. Our #WholeLifeReflections for this week: Reflection Question 1: Which aspect of love found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 do you find most ch...

Love Is… All About Truth & Justice – Ken Wetmore It isn’t just Superman who put Truth and Justice together. In 1 Corinthians 13:7, Paul writes that love never rejoices about injustice but instead rejoices when the truth wins. If we are to love like Jesus, we can never be happy--or worse--apathetic when we see injustice. God’s people are to fight for truth and justice in this world, even if it...

Love Is… Not A Grudge Holder – Ken Wetmore When Jesus told his disciples to forgive others 70 times 7, he wasn’t suggesting we keep a tally board. He was suggesting we are to forgive so much that we can’t keep track of how much we have forgiven. The happiest people are those who are able to let go of the scoreboard and hold onto God’s love... One of this weeks #WholeLifeReflections asked: What wou...

Love Is… Not Irritable – Ken Wetmore Paul concludes 1 Corinthians 13:5 with a declaration that love is not irritable. Not being irritable is next to impossible. Irritation, however, is the seed from which bitterness and rage grow into a plant the crowds love. One of this week's #WholeLifeReflections asked: What steps do you take to resolve irritability? Are there more steps you need to add? Let us...

Love Is…Flexible – Ken Wetmore Love does not demand its own way. In other words, love is flexible. It allows others to exercise freedom. This does not mean there are no consequences. It simply means that true love is an open hand, not a closed hand. Someone once said that you can hold more sand with an open hand than with a hand made into a fist.  One of this week's #WholeLifeReflections was...

Love Is… Not Rude – Ken Wetmore There are a few jerks out there, but for the most part, we aren’t rude until we perceive someone is being rude to us. Paul reminds us that true love isn’t rude even when others are rude to us. Love compels us to ask ourselves, What is the proper way to act in this situation in spite of how the other may be treating me? There weren’t any #WholeLifeReflections for thi...

Love Is…Not Boastful – Ken Wetmore Guy Kawasaki, venture capitalist, author, and chief evangelist for Apple, once said, “If you don't toot your own horn, don't complain that there's no music.” Self-confidence carefully mixed with humility is a good thing, but without humility, self-confidence can quickly turn into arrogance, and from there into bragging that promotes one’s self at the expense of o...

Love Is…Not Jealous – Ken Wetmore Jealousy is a love killer.  In North Carolina, an imported plant called Kudzu spreads quickly, destroys all other vegetation, and is difficult to eradicate. Jealousy is a lot like Kudzu. It quickly destroys relationships and, once introduced, is difficult to overcome. This week we’ll explore the cost of jealousy and the solution to eradicating it. This week o...

Love Is…Patient and Kind – Ken Wetmore What are you willing to suffer for another person? Patience is defined as being “ able to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.” Certainly, this is something we see displayed in Jesus' life. Today, Jesus is asking his family to be patient with family members who make life difficult. The Good News is this is a g...

The Messy Middle – John Monday Instead of giving answers, God places us in complex, messy, fraught relationships and tells us, “Love and trust me as I have loved and trusted you. And love and trust each other.” It’s not for us to help God achieve his goals; it’s our job and privilege to love each other, to hold one another’s hand in the pain, the joy, the confusion... in the mess. This week one of...

Great Question 4: Does God Cause Pain and Suffering? – Ken Wetmore Considering, the story of Hagar and Sarah:  In the Genesis version, there is a lot of difficult complexity - for instance, God sends Hagar back into bondage then tells Abraham to listen to Sarah and cast Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness. Then, Paul does a REALLY horrible retelling of this story in Galatians. He makes a po...

Great Question 3: Jesus vs Denomination? – Ken Wetmore (Part 1) How do we, as a church, stay focused on Jesus when so many in our denomination believe that our mission is to fixate on major doctrinal issues, political hot potatoes, and/or cultural preferences? (Part 2) As someone not raised Seventh-day Adventist, I have embraced the warmth and freedom I have found at WholeLife church. However, I h...

Great Question 2: Grace vs Merit? – Ken Wetmore It seems like our world – and even Christian organizations – give rewards on a merit-based system – what someone can or cannot accomplish. How can we, as Christians – and especially those of us who work in various organizations – offer the grace God has given us to others? This week one of our #WholeLifeReflections asked: What are some practical step...