Woodland Friends Church

You think Paul got tired? It’s an unpopular message. It divides people. It’s almost like an entire world opposes Christians. You think Paul was tempted to say, “Forget this.” Why am I taking stonings? Why am I going from trial to trial? Why am I getting into fights with people who disagree with me and end up hating me? If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right? You ever get there? Like, thanks Jesus....

I heard another Pastor’s message this week, wherein someways he peeled back the layers for us to see - what we all know - who’s behind our cultural moral spiral. Why are people acting evil? Oh, because there are demonic powers at play. And it was hard to miss, and it was just - I don’t know how to put it - downright disturbing. Scary. Haunting. And so, it certainly caused me to consider my own pas...

What are you waiting for? Wherever you’re at, whatever you’re facing, if there is angst, questions, fears, unknowns, uncertainties, but what are you waiting for? It’s safe to land. It’s safe to head for shore. God has promised it, He is faithful, it’s all on Him, it’s not on you - what are you waiting for?

Bad weather. Contrary winds. Difficulties. Maybe it comes in the form of advice, people you know and love constantly saying, “Hey what are you doing?” Maybe it comes in the form of continued bad consequences, that if you thought about it - you could fix? “Why can’t I pay the bills off every two weeks?” When you’re subscribed to things you don’t really need, paying for things that are more wants th...

Paul has used his trial to bear witness to Christ, who He is and what He does. To this truth, we see in this passage five responses to Christ. We will see Paul’s, we will see Devout Angry Jews’ response, we will see Fetus’s response, Agrippa’s response, and then, I sum up the thinking between Festus and Agrippa as the world’s response. How do YOU respond?

You ever have those questions? Like, not only, “How did I get here today, to church,” but how did I get here, in life, generally speaking? For Paul, we see Festus's reasoning for his being "here," Paul's own reasons for how he got to where he was in life, until Christ confronted Him with His reasons as to why Paul is here.

I wonder if following Jesus ever looks like this to you? You follow Him, and it feels like the more closer you try to follow Him, the more animosity you run into. The more you take Jesus at His word, the more people grow a little more frustrated with you, because if you take Jesus at His Word, it’s going to make life different in the world. This world of rebels. The world’s ways aren’t God’s ways....

“Oh Pastor, the world’s evil. Here’s all these websites about all the junk that’s happening. And a war’s coming. And are you prepped and ready? And look at that evil cabal, they’re taking over the world,” Okay. So what? Like literally, what can you or I do about that? “Well do you have a verse Pastor? Tell me you have a verse!” Yeah. Cease from anger. Abandon wrath. Do not get upset.

With many storms of life surrounding Paul, one verse in this section shows the Lighthouse that he kept his gaze fixed on. It guided him safely to shore.

Here’s what I felt the Lord saying through this passage. When it’s easy to come to this Holy Day of Easter, shrouded in tradition, routine, ritual. I feel the Lord wants us to hear urgency. When it would feel more comfortable to go through the plans and schedules. For me: sunrise service, breakfast Potluck, church, easter eggs and so forth. I felt the Lord speak to me out of this passage to say, “...

"You intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” Says the High Priest to Peter and the Apostles. It’s interesting that they’re shocked by this accusation. There's quite an ironic statement from the crowds outside Pilate’s Praetorium. The crowds, I should say, according to Matthew 27:20 who are stirred and instigated by the Sanhedrin and High Priest. We heard "all the people answer Pilate, “His bloo...

Christ turned over tables at the Temple and upset the religious order. He did that the day after Palm Sunday according to Matthew Mark and Luke. Paul symbolically is doing the same thing. Paul’s imprisoned for what happened at the Temple. However, in his court battles he’s managed to turn the tables. He’s turned the tables on the Sanhedrin because he’s exploited their animosity towards him and eac...

Assistant Supt. Alan Weinacht of the NWYM of Friends joins Woodland Friends to share "Worship as Witness."

Suppose someone, instead of gluing themself before the TV or computer screen or phone and ingesting tons of Fox News, Newsmax, CNN, or whatever people watch, that this person instead lived for the day that another country that was indeed their true "home away from home" became accessible? What if their emotions, their heartstrings, everything they were and are was immersed in that other country? I...

As Paul of Tarsus once held the cloaks of those who murdered Stephen. Here we are again, people are throwing off their cloaks but this time not to lay at the feet of Saul, but to persecute Saul himself!

The transformation of a sinner, saved by grace should be compelling! Should be captivating! Should be liberating to those of us who may profess to be believers, but battle sins yet. Paul’s about to unpack his testimony here. He’s about to lay into how he was once a hostile. He was a hostile to the Christian like they are now. But he was really hostile to God per his own words in Romans 6:6-8.

I haven't earned the right to be here this weekend, but Jesus has, and it is my prayer that you will know the Lord when He opens your graves and raises you from your graves, because you belong to Him. And when we find out we belong to Him, we find out that it's not about us, but it's about who He is, and who He's saving.

I haven't earned the right to be here this weekend, but Jesus has, and it is my prayer that you will know the Lord when He opens your graves and raises you from your graves, because you belong to Him. And when we find out we belong to Him, we find out that it's not about us, but it's about who He is, and who He's saving.

You need the Spirit. The Word of God is not enough, you need the Spirit, You need Spirit, period, to not only revive the dry bones, but then to give those dry bones life. Whatever your facing: fighting sin, being the man God’s called you to be, whatever dry bones need resurrecting? It’s going not going to be doable without the Spirit.

You need the Spirit. The Word of God is not enough, you need the Spirit, You need Spirit, period, to not only revive the dry bones, but then to give those dry bones life. Whatever your facing: fighting sin, being the man God’s called you to be, whatever dry bones need resurrecting? It’s going not going to be doable without the Spirit.

God is commissioning Ezekiel to prophesy over dead bones. What’s God commissioning you today to say to your dead bones? How will His Word and His Spirit bring life from death? Do you believe it? Can it happen? How does the Lord want you to prophesy to those bones?

God is commissioning Ezekiel to prophesy over dead bones. What’s God commissioning you today to say to your dead bones? How will His Word and His Spirit bring life from death? Do you believe it? Can it happen? How does the Lord want you to prophesy to those bones?

There’s a question in the air. Dare you even go there? Dare you even begin to pry open the complications, the valley you’ve tried so hard to forget? You’ve gotten the GPS out, and have planned a detour, and know the detour roads by heart so you don’t have to go near the valley, but that pesky God, He’s led you out here. He’s set you down. And He’s asked the question?

There’s a question in the air. Dare you even go there? Dare you even begin to pry open the complications, the valley you’ve tried so hard to forget? You’ve gotten the GPS out, and have planned a detour, and know the detour roads by heart so you don’t have to go near the valley, but that pesky God, He’s led you out here. He’s set you down. And He’s asked the question?

In Mark 15, in the middle of perhaps the most well-known of Bible stories, the trial and crucifixion of our Lord and Savior, and we read today a very physical representation of the Gospel and what it is. We see an exchange of sorts take place, and it’s a physical representation of the spiritual reality for all our lives. If we understand this exchange in all of its ironies, all if its injustice, a...