FUMC Bentonville Podcast

John 12:23-28 On the other side of Easter, we will look at how things that look like death actually give rise to new life. This sermon will also include an update on the State of the Church, as we are in a season of tremendous growth and loss at the same time, and we will explore what it means to be Resurrection people in just such a season.

Luke 24:36-53 God took our worst disaster and turned it into our greatest hope. Not only did the disaster have no power; the mitigation of the resurrection transformed our world into something so much better – a life where we are saved by and can follow Jesus Christ!

Luke 23:13-25, 44-46 On this Palm Sunday, we often kick off our service with the celebration of the people shouting Hosanna. But shortly after that, many of those same people will be shouting “Crucify him! Crucify him!” That thunderous crowd calling down judgment on Jesus is the true storm of disaster. The crucifixion that follows is the destruction it unleashes. Everything is disrupted now.

Luke 13:10-17; 18:1-8 Recovery can be very long. It can take years or decades in some cases. Often, the most vulnerable among us suffer the longest. In the story of the bent over woman, we see a woman finally recovered after 18 years. In the story of the persistent widow, she keeps screaming at injustice until she sees an end. Recovery requires persistence and constant and inclusive attention.

Luke 10:25-37 When disaster hits, it is time to ignore those divisions among us and help our neighbors, beyond barriers and whatever the cost. The Good Samaritan models for us how to do that beautifully.

Luke 6:27-38 Some disasters are difficult to avert, but we can take away some of the destruction by practicing and learning how to recover in advance of that disaster. For a life of faith, practicing love of all (including our enemies), generosity, all the things recounted in this description of the children of God helps us navigate life when things do get tough, much like a tornado preparedness kit or chainsaw training does.

Luke 6:46-49 Some disasters never happen because we do the work in advance to stop them. Build your house on solid ground and watch it withstand the coming flood. Faith helps us reframe what could have been a disaster into a moment of strength and endurance.

Luke 4:1-13 The temptation in Luke involves the Devil trying to mislead Jesus into different (ultimately disastrous) possibilities. Jesus is prepared to keep the Devil at bay. But the passage also ends with these ominous words: “After finishing every temptation, the devil departed from him until the next opportunity.” Disaster may have been averted for now, but it is coming.

Exodus 1:15-20 The story of Shiphrah and Puah show two women who were willing to do what God wants instead of what Pharaoh wants. As a result, the Israelites multiply and become stronger. What does God ask of us? To bring 10% of what we have to him. Imagine if we all actually did that? We would not have any issues of funding in our church. None. But while we work to that point, imagine if just 2 of us who are not giving do start tithing? What happens then? And what happens when we start tithing to our relationship with money? We get a peace we haven't had before. The conference is sure learning that.

Exodus 1:15-20 The story of Shiphrah and Puah shows two women who were willing to do what God wants instead of what Pharaoh wants. As a result, the Israelites multiply and become stronger. What does God ask of us? To bring 10% of what we have to him. Imagine if we all actually did that? We would not have any issues of funding in our church. None. But while we work to that point, imagine if just 2 of us who are not giving do start tithing? What happens then? And what happens when we start tithing to our relationship with money? We get a peace we haven't had before. The conference is sure learning that.

Luke 21: 1-4 This passage, where the widow woman gives such a small amount but catches the attention of Jesus for her generosity, will allow us to explore the potential small increases when collected together. What if we gave $2 more a week? $20 more a week? $200 more a month?

Genesis 6:17-22; Genesis 8:14-22 This sermon will introduce the stewardship emphasis in 2025, and how the pairs of animals will multiply and fill all the earth. But with such precious and limited cargo, why does Noah sacrifice animals first thing off the boat? Perhaps there is a lesson in trusting God.

Mark 8:22-26 This story really puzzled me as a teenager when I stumbled onto it. Why did it take a repeated touch by Jesus for the blind man to see clearly? Did Jesus just not quite get it done the first time? Was it lack of faith on the part of the blind man? Or is there a deeper meaning we can glean from this strange “trees walking” tale of a double touch healing? See our worship broadcasts at: https://www.youtube.com/@FUMCBentonville

Leviticus 14:1-9 Sharing a story of raising a child with a skin disease, Pastor Michelle shares how Leviticus turned from a book of harsh laws to a handbook for inclusive communal life. See our worship broadcasts at: https://www.youtube.com/@FUMCBentonville

Mark 5:25-34 We make thousands of decisions each and every day. This Sunday, Angela Barrington shares how an encounter with the bleeding woman in Mark led to a decision that changed everything.   See our worship broadcasts at: https://www.youtube.com/@FUMCBentonville

Matthew 15:29-37

Romans 15:1-7 Do we make discipleship too complicated? This Sunday, Bill Fernandez shares how an encounter with Scripture in Paul's letter to the Romans revealed to him the simplicity of what it takes to be a disciple.

Genesis 2:15-25 Sometimes we come across a story in the Bible that we are sure we know. When we actually read it though, it is full of surprises. And the more we learn, the more the story becomes. This week Pastor Michelle will take us through the Adam and Eve Creation story in a way that is probably new to you. Come and be surprised!

Genesis 18: 1-15 We will unpack this surprising story in which Abraham gets a visit from three “men.” There is some dramatic ambiguity about the identity of these visitors. Scripture calls them three men, but Abraham addresses these three as “My Lord,” when he rushes to invite them to stop at his humble camp and be refreshed. Then Abraham “puts on the dog” as they say where I am from. He offers a feast and the Covenant promise is reiterated with a specific timeline. Sarah finds this promise laughable. What can we learn from these founding paragons of faith and their struggles with the promise of God, even when the Almighty is eating at your kitchen table!

Luke 2:1-20 We finish with the best story - the birth of Christ! This is good news - news that would make us tear open the shutters and throw up the sash!

1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Both Bentonville and Corinth get to draw strength from the incredible diversity and the energy of our towns. With such giftedness, there are no limits to what each church can do for Christ!

1 Kings 17:8-1 We will look at the story of miracles of care. When we are at our most desperate, so often a miracle occurs that saves our very lives.

Matthew 2:1-12 What gifts do we bring? We will look at how bringing something to the most vulnerable and the ones we love can make a small and a big difference – and both matter in God's world.

Acts 9:1-20 Both the Grinch and Saul started out breathing hate toward others. And both experienced a transformation that grew their hearts three sizes too big. Due to technical issues, this week's reading was done in post by Matt Nelson.

1 Samuel 8:4-20 & John 18:33-37      This is Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday of our Liturgical year. This Sunday reminds us that Christ is the King over all creation. The idea of a human king has negative implications. We see this in our Old Testament reading when Israel asks Samuel to appoint a King so they can be like other nations. The Lord tells Samuel to be clear to the people about what it means to serve under an earthly King. We contrast this with King Jesus before Pilate when Pilate interrogates Jesus about Christ being called the King of the Jews. We serve a heavenly King who invites us to serve and love him, rather than demands our unquestioning allegiance.

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 We will reflect on the State of the Church, and in particular, we will look at how our work as a church where as to where "All Are Welcome" is going. If we are to be truly living into that reality, then we will have to face the fact that all of us will feel unwelcome sometimes. It is about having enough humility to love in the midst of difference.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Both Bentonville and Corinth get to draw strength from the incredible diversity and the energy of our towns. With such giftedness, there are no limits to what each church can do for Christ!

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Corinth and Bentonville have become economic centers, and places of far greater influence than the world expects. Both are signs of the logic of God – to expect the unexpected.

1 Corinthians 11:17-26

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Luke 13:1-5; Romans 8:35-39; Matthew 7:24-25

Matthew 22:34-40 We'll be exploring the greatest commandment through the eyes of the piece that's often forgotten.

Revelation 21:1-7 In the end, we find our hope! It is hard fought and we are battle-scarred, but ultimately, as followers of Christ, we know that we will find ourselves in a place of peace and healing. We will affirm this without belittling what we have been through. Suffering is very real, but so is the power of Christ's redemption and love.

Revelation 16:12-21 Ever find yourself in an awful situation, something you barely think you have the strength to survive? And then ever have ANOTHER awful thing happen to you? As we look at this stretch of Revelation, we will dive into times when things just seem to keep getting worse and worse. How do we find hope in those times?

Revelation 5:1-6:8 It is natural when we go through something hard to wonder what is making all of this happen. It is also natural to lay the blame at the feet of God. And it is natural to then question whether that makes sense at all too. As we explore this passage of Revelation, we will make space for that ambiguous reality in the midst of struggle.

Revelation 1:9-20   We open this series with some discussion on the value of seeing the Book of Revelation as a companion in the journey of difficult times in life. We will also address the struggle of interpreting this book, ultimately giving us permission to stop trying to unravel the mystery, and instead, let the story carry us along.

Matthew 5:13-16 God doesn't want perfect little followers, and you don't have to be something you are not to be a good follower of Christ. We should bring all we are in our walk with Christ. Of course, we also must create space for others who find a home in our church. They need to bring their authentic selves as well!

Genesis 11: 1-9 What is the First Commandment God gives humanity? It's not what you think. Listen and learn how we can better follow.

John 15:12-13 Both Jesus and Baymax are not merely human, but may be the most human of all of us. Both came to bring healing. And both give their lives for others – friends and enemies alike. There is no greater hero than these.

1 Samuel 16:1-13 These two characters seemed like the least of their families. Turns out, they were incredibly special. There's a lesson here: look with God's eyes, not ours.

Matthew 27:1-10; Acts 1:15-20 Two stories for each villain - one in which the character is unredeemably evil; one in which the character is misunderstood and sympathetic. With these figures, we will see the lines between hero and villain are often blurred.

2 Kings 11:1-20 We hear a story from the Bible that is essentially the story of the Lion King (which is a retelling of Hamlet). What is it about this story of family destruction that is so deep in our human condition?

Job 1:6-12; Revelation 20:7-10 We start out looking at those who appear to be friends or at least part of the group, but then become those we must battle against. Does that come from a change in them or a change in our relationship with them?

Genesis 1: 1-5 In the last of the sermons in this series, we look at the First Person of the Trinity: God the Creator. But we will also use this sermon to talk about what the Trinity means in the first place.

Romans 5:6-11; Hebrews 9:11-15; Philippians 2:5-13 In a small, unofficial poll of adults in our church in which Pastor Michelle asked about topics related to Jesus, unanimously people want to know more about how to understand atonement, which is the saving work Jesus does on our behalf. There is more than one way to approach the atonement, and we will examine 3 in this sermon.

Luke 24: 44-49, Acts 2: 1-8 Beginning this series where we look at the three parts of the Trinity, today we explore the jazz of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 28:11-16, 30-31 Paul finally makes it to Rome and settles into this place that was meant to be a stop on the road, but that became his destination. In the journeys we take, we often find that the end was not in the place where we stopped, but in the journey itself, much like a life of faith.

Acts 16:6-15 Paul and his companions can't go to Asia, no matter how hard they try. Nonetheless, their detour leads to the baptism of Lydia's whole household. We often find blessings in the detours we have to take unexpectedly.

Acts 15:12-35 Barnabas and Paul are sent out with authorization from the apostles to preach to the Gentiles. The journey is underway!

Acts 9:1-30 Sometimes things happen in our lives that cause us to look at things and see them differently. It happened to Saul and this week it has happened to all of us. We will find our faith in that experience. Combined