FUMC Bentonville Sermon Podcast

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

On this April Fools’ Day eve, we will acknowledge how ridiculous our faith story seems on some level, and yet we cannot imagine living with any other story. This foolish story is the beginning of hope and faith, and the means of true love.

Matthew 5:43-48; Matthew 26:14-25, 47-50

This week we confront Jesus’ teaching that we should love our enemies, and we also confront the reality that loving our enemies is not a safe thing to do. It very well may lead to our own profound loss. To what extreme are we called to love? Is this kind of love just for Jesus or for us too? Is it true that the test of our faith is not if we love Jesus but if we love Judas?

Mark 17:1-17, John 2:1-11

Casting demons into pigs to save one person and saving the best wine for last both prove that foolish love creates a tremendous amount of waste – wasteful grace.

Matthew 20:1-16, 18:12-13

The parable of the workers in the vineyard and the story of the 99 sheep left behind for the sake of the 1 show us that foolish love is not an equitable equation. It is not a utilitarian decision, but in fact, sometimes it means making the least fair decision in order to include more in the field of love.

Mark 7:24-29; Luke 13:10-17

This week we will look at how love inspires us to break the rules. We will center not only in the stories of the Syrophoenician and bent over women, but also in the story of Liam Bruzatori, a beautiful child who continues to challenge us to love.

Matthew 5:21-24, 18:21-35

Looking at these 2 teachings about Jesus forgiving someone multiple times and the servant who does not forgive the debt of his fellow servant, we will start to understand how refusing to forgive is to continue to judge others and carry hate in our own hearts. This keeps us from being able to fully love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

To set the scene for this series, we will look at this definition of love given in this letter of Paul’s. As this series is meant to help people understand how better to love like Jesus, we will practice the “Replace the word love with your name” practice of this passage. That will help us know what kind of work we need to do to love better.

Mark 14:1-9

The act of the woman who anoints Jesus is characterized as wasteful. What if it is instead an act of confidence that the reign will provide? There will always be enough to take care of the poor AND worship and care extravagantly for others.

Mark 10:17-31, 12:41-44

Where is our security? For the rich man, it seems like it was in his assurance in how the world was supposed to work, and in his belief that his stuff would keep him safe. The poor widow will come along and flip all of that on its head. How is Jesus inviting us into the freedom of letting go?

Mark 6:1-13

This sermon looks at the little difference Jesus can make in his hometown, up against the commissioning of the disciples to go cast out demons! What miracles are at our fingertips that we do not even try to make happen because of the assumptions we make about it being impossible?

Ephesians 2: 19-22 & Ephesians 4:15-16

Where are we right now as a community of faith and United Methodists in this unique place at this unique time. What are the issues we face today? What ways we can continue to uphold our faith while we are in the formidable details of our lived experience. Can we infuse our daily work and life with the joy of worship and stand firm in the path of community, worship, meaning, and joy?

1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Revelation 21:1-7

Luke 2:1-19

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Luke 1:26-33

Third Sunday of Advent

Luke 2:25-35; 8:19-21;    John 2:1-12

Second Sunday of Advent

Luke 1:46-55, 2:41-52