Woodland Friends Church

We’re not to be pressured, cajoled, influenced by the world. The world should be dead to us. The world should have no influence on us. In Christ, we’re a self-governing, self-autonomous entity, city, Kingdom within the kingdoms of this world. We’ve got our own laws, and we serve our own government and governor, we have our own culture!

Galatians 6:1-10 needs to be that for me. It’s more than just a list. It has a culture, a milieu behind it. It has the Spirit of God under it - which we believe in the Holy Spirit’s inspiration of the Scriptures, so we know that. There is this imagery of harvest: of sowing, of reaping. But it is this first fruit of Jesus, the wheat that falls into the earth (John 12:24) that under-girds it all. Th...

It’s the kingdom Jesus brought, and its in danger of not being inherited by people who practice these things on the list. That’s what’s at stake. How do you fix this? What’s the deal here? It’s kind of excluding, isn’t it? I mean, like I said, I was on the list, and I think, in some areas in life, I’m still on the list. How do you get off the list?

You want it real simple? It’s not a magic game, it’s not a formula, it’s not say 3 special prayers, light a candle, and wait, it’s this: say yes to everything He tells you to do! You’ll start feeling it! Isn’t that a simple take-away, say yes to Him? It’s a simple take away, but you’re gonna find it’s a little bit hard. But, just because something is hard, doesn’t mean something is impossible, or...

God wants in, and wants in on the parts of our lives that even married couples have trouble revealing about one’s self. I mean, honestly, you gotta get naked before God. That’s how it feels. That’s why it’s so offensive. The Law suggests to those who don’t receive it right, “You can do it. You can do what you need to succeed, to be saved, to be righteous before God.” And that way is safe. It’s, “W...

I want you to hear, to saturate on the depths, and width, and breadth, and scope of Paul’s words, “my efforts.” You ever work hard at something? Really hard? Suffering almost, and lo and behold, you worry that it’s going to be in vain? Here’s where Paul's at. "I’m thinking that I climbed those mountains, faced those stonings and beatings, and I’m afraid that it’s about to show up to be all for not...

Paul has lumped pagan religion, paganism, and Judaism into the same lump. Because what the Galatians are wanting to do is actually what some Christians still want to do today, they want to get in touch with the Law. So Paul is saying, whether it be pagan spirituality, or Judaism, practitioners of either are “slaves to those who by nature are not gods.” Christ redeems us from such slavery!

This doctrine that would teach that God’s not done with the Jews. Some would teach that there is a difference in God’s economy, and in His Salvation plans, in direct contrast to Paul’s words, that there is a special group who are the literal, bloodline descendants of Abraham and everyone else. That God did make promises to Israel that are forever binding, and despite this talk of divorce, God’s go...

This doctrine that would teach that God’s not done with the Jews. Some would teach that there is a difference in God’s economy, and in His Salvation plans, in direct contrast to Paul’s words, that there is a special group who are the literal, bloodline descendants of Abraham and everyone else. That God did make promises to Israel that are forever binding, and despite this talk of divorce, God’s go...

We sometimes get complacent. When God calls us and sends us, we are confronted with the terrifying presence of God. If our response is humility and honesty, God can work with that.

Just as authors of catechisms make some presuppositions, some assumptions about the readers and reciters of such catechisms, so this whole sermon, the whole book presupposes something. Paul’s writing a church that was Christian, and perhaps to give them the benefit of the doubt, Paul may’ve presumed that the Galatians passionately wanted to be the best Christians they can be. If that’s not the pas...

Deuteronomy 27:26 says, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do,” what? “EVERYTHING written in the Book of the Law!” How many things? Everything. There is no pick and choose! If the Law says: “Keep me to be counted righteous,” and you say, “Okay, I’ll pick and choose. It says not to eat pork, I won’t eat pork. It says keep the Sabbath, I’ll go to church on Sunday and convince myself that’s...

A group that likes to think that the church at large has it wrong, and they’re the ones returning to some lost, hidden, suppressed center and root of faith are the Judiazers that Paul is dealing with in Galatians. And they are flat out wrong. Paul’s point in our text today, is that what they’re arguing for, that somehow, to be a better Christian one must be Jewish, because that’s what the Bible sa...

The God of religiosity says, “Obey me, then I’ll love you.” Christ says, “I love you.” Period. “I love you!” No questions asked? No questions asked! No performance graded? No performance graded! I love you. God so loved the world! God came to SAVE the world, not to condemn it! “How do you know God loves you? The God who wrote the Law which condemns us as guilty?” He gave Himself up for me!

If we’re entering into this study of last things – by way of the feeling of our time, the tension of our days, then I feel like we need to address the tension first. Does that make sense? Because we have some particular lens on already. “Things look a little grim, is it the end of the world?” Let’s look at that first phrase – “things look a grim so I think it might be the end of the world.”

Though Paul, Barnabas & company and the Disciples found themselves respectively evangelizing different people groups (Gentiles as well as the Jews). These weren't different gospels for the different people, it was the same gospel for all. It was a gospel so set in stone, that when one of Jesus' closest disciples compromised on it, Paul called him to account.

Paul’s not worried about his reputation, He’s worried about the truth remaining in his hearers! Because the Gospel is not about Paul, it’s not about what you know, and “Wow, let me sit at your feet,” no the Gospel is simple, and it shouldn’t be changed, altered, added to, spruced up, and or watered-down! Paul’s got nothing to lose in the matter!

You are justified because of Jesus’ death and resurrection! You will be conformed to the image of Christ because of His death and resurrection! You will be glorified because of His death and resurrection – nothing else will suffice! There are no other means of grace or merit that will ever be, should ever be, can ever be sufficient – it is only Jesus who died and rose again! It is only Jesus!

Everyone I’ve met who has weird, creepy, stupid theology – that they need to be more Jewish to be better Christians, or that some Christians are too judgmental because Christians believe the marriage bed should be between a man and a woman, or kept pure before a wedding – I can tell you, 85% of the time, if not more, those people who try to defend themselves will then say, “Look at these teachings...

This is how we face suffering. We reset our perspective. “Paul, how can you willingly go into suffering?” Because it’s not about me. It’s not about my comfort. My convenience. It’s about the good news of God’s grace! God’s grace is food for the hungry, care for the helpless, redemption and freedom for the slaves-to-sin, regeneration for the dead in trespasses! And when a heart is set on the Gospel...

NOTE: Recorded at Kamiah Valley View Church of the Nazarene, 5/1/22, where Pastor Kevin had been invited for a baby dedication, and to preach. Scriptures are out of the HCSB primarily. Woodland Friends heard a bell choir the same morning. The same world that hates Jesus because He testifies its works are evil, and hated Him first before His disciples, is the same world that God sent His Son to die...

This Eutychus guy. You want to know what his name means? Fortunate. Lucky. Of course it does. Now some commentators have gotten really stuffy, and high and mighty with this picture. “Here’s why you shouldn’t fall asleep in sermons.” You know, “Eutychus gives the lamest picture, the poorest example, the lowest illustration – just, sleeping through sermons. Don’t do it.” It’s past midnight! Give him...

While the Resurrection terrifies some, it’s reassuring for others! While it’s an earthquake and the living dead for some, it’s a startling quake to wake up sleeping believers for others. Joseph Benson, writes: The resurrection of Christ, which is the terror and confusion of his enemies, is the joy and consolation of his friends; the ground of their confidence and hope, and the source of their comf...

It’s interesting to me that Jesus is appointing a substitution from the Cross. No longer would the God-Man be the Son for Mary, but Jesus appoints another Son, a brother of His in the faith for Mary, and Jesus appoints, yes, a mother for John. And there is this substitution happening. And without clear words, nevertheless in symbolism, in a sign, John likes to use signs, at the Cross, we are remin...

This is the hangup for many people. Maybe people will say, “Jesus, a good moral teacher. Great guy. Loved people. Served them well. Very compassionate. Good moral teacher.” And the connection is either never made, or never expressed – that He must’ve been a pathological liar too. This is what must be believed if someone cannot come to grips with His claiming to be God. CS Lewis rightly ascertained...