Podcast appearances and mentions of John Wesley

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Wednesday morning, the 19th of August, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. Today I am going to read a scripture out of the Amplified Version of the Bible - Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].”That is very powerful. I want you to try and meditate on that fact. You see, faith is real, but you can't see it, you can't touch it, you have to believe it. Now, yesterday I shared with you how John Wesley, on his trip to America, got caught in a huge storm, was devastated, thought the ship was going to sink, the passengers were panicking, and there was a group of Moravian believers standing on board, singing calmly, singing hymns. They were not afraid at all, and it blew him away.He realised he wasn't even saved. Now I want to continue. Once Wesley came back to England, another Moravian, Peter Böhler, came along 3 years later, in 1738, and he told him he was at his lowest ebb spiritually. In fact, he wanted to give up preaching altogether. This is what Peter Böhler said to him and it has impacted my life as well. He said, “Preach faith till you have it, and then because you have it, you will preach faith.” I want you to think about that.In 2008, the Lord laid upon me to book the biggest tent in the world at that time which could seat over 30,000 people. It took 17 40-ton trucks, with containers on board, to bring it to the farm, and took over 2 weeks to erect it by a man called Attie Van Staden, whose life was impacted by erecting it. It was the size of 4 rugby fields in the end. I had R500 in my pocket, that's all I had but by faith I booked it but I didn't ask for a penny, I never charged for a ticket, and we had it on this farm and we had an amazing encounter with God. Because of faith, God sent 60,000 men, 30,000 in the tent and 30,000 outside of the tent, and He paid for everything. I want to encourage you today to trust God. He will not fail you.Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day.Goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 18th of August, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Hebrews 11:6: ”But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” In other words, without faith we can't please God.Then we go to Romans 10:17:”So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Lots of people have written to me over the years and asked me, ”How do you get more faith?” Well, there's the answer. It comes by hearing and listening to the word of God and reading the Bible.John Wesley tells a story that took place in 1735. He boarded a ship for the USA, and on board were many English passengers and Moravian people going to America. Moravians from the early church that was started in Germany. As they went to sea, it was winter, it was freezing cold. A great storm arose, the mast broke, and it looked like the ship was about to sink. Now remember, John Wesley was a theologian. He had a Master of Arts Degree in Theology. He thought he was a man of faith. He thought he was a Christian but listen to the story.The storm got so violent that the English passengers aboard were panicking and screaming. Then Wesley looked up on board, and he saw the group of Moravians quietly, calmly singing hymns to God as the sea washed across the top of the ship. Then he realised that he was not saved and that he did not really know God. It changed his life. I'm talking about faith being a practical thing. Folks, we need to realise faith is not a noun like a cupboard or a chair. Faith is a doing word. It is a verb. By action, those Moravians showed John Wesley that he wasn't even saved, but afterwards, in a little Bible study in Aldersgate in London - he went to a Bible study. He sat there quietly, and he said a strange warmth came over his heart, scales fell from his eyes, and he believed that at that moment he was born again. We need to walk the talk. People need to see our faith by our actions.Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day. Goodbye.

The sermon exhorts believers to emulate David's bold commitment to God by declaring, "I promise to keep your words," as found in Psalm 119. It argues that true devotion stems from viewing God as one's ultimate portion and relies on the power of grace rather than human strength. The preacher highlights historical examples like King Josiah and John Wesley to illustrate the transformative impact of renewing one's covenant with God. This active, vocal dedication serves as a powerful motivator for holy living and spiritual resilience against sin. Ultimately, the message encourages Christians to stand firm in their faith, trusting that God's power enables them to live obediently.

Can Mainline Christianity find its future? In this episode, Loren Richmond Jr. talks with United Methodist scholar Lovett Weems to discuss his new book, An Aura of Hope: United Methodism's Next Chapter in the United States. While the conversation begins with the United Methodist Church's recent disaffiliation, it quickly broadens into a thoughtful exploration of the challenges facing Mainline Christianity as a whole—from shifting demographics and institutional decline to recovering a clear sense of mission. Weems argues that the greatest challenge before the church isn't simply theological disagreement, but a loss of focus. Drawing on John Wesley's theology and decades of church leadership experience, he encourages congregations to rediscover "the people God has given us" and to evaluate every ministry by asking a simple question: "So that...?" What fruit is this producing? How is it helping the church fulfill its mission? Whether you're Methodist or not, this conversation offers practical wisdom for pastors and church leaders wondering what faithful ministry looks like in a rapidly changing world. Together they explore: What the United Methodist disaffiliation teaches the wider church Why churches lose their sense of mission and identity John Wesley's vision for "the people God has given us" Lessons from the Sunday school movement Rural churches, urban growth, and changing demographics Why reaching younger and more diverse communities matters The difference between institutional success and biblical fruitfulness Dr. Lovett H. Weems, Jr., is distinguished professor of church leadership emeritus at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. He came to Wesley in 2003 as the founding director of the Wesley's Lewis Center for Church Leadership after eighteen years as president of Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City. Previously he was a pastor in Mississippi for many years. A native of Mississippi, Dr. Weems is a graduate of Millsaps College; Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University; and Wesley Theological Seminary. He holds honorary degrees from Baker University, Central Methodist University, and Millsaps College. His years in local church ministry in Mississippi were marked by both evangelism and social concerns. His work in Mississippi led distinguished Mississippi writer Willie Morris to describe him as “one of the persons who added much to the growing civility of Mississippi.”  He is the author of numerous books including his widely used church leadership text, Church Leadership: Vision, Team, Culture, and Integrity, described by Rosabeth Moss Kanter of Harvard Business School as “an invaluable guide to leadership in the church.” His most recent book is An Aura of Hope: United Methodism's Next Chapter in the United States.        Mentioned Resources:

In week one of Well Rounded, Mat sits down with Sally Campbell-Evans to talk about what it means to keep growing in faith—and what that growth looks like when we're raising the next generation. Drawing from Proverbs and John Wesley's understanding of discipleship, they explore how following God engages both our heads and our hearts, why we never truly graduate from learning, and how raising faithful kids can become part of our own journey of faith. Because teaching children what we believe also invites us to keep asking questions, growing, and living out that faith ourselves.Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Sermon OutlineBig Idea: We naturally hunger for more than mere existence. Jesus declares that He alone is the Bread of Life who satisfies our deepest hunger and gives eternal, abundant life.Key Verse: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” — John 6:35I. We Hunger for More Than Mere ExistenceCentral question: Where can that life be found?II. Bread Meant LifeTo understand John 6, we need to appreciate the significance of bread in the ancient world.Bread represented:Sustenance — wheat and barley bread were staples of everyday life.Provision — “bread” could represent food and physical necessities generally.Fellowship — breaking bread communicated hospitality, acceptance, friendship, and peace.Sacred memory — Passover bread recalled the Exodus; manna recalled God's provision in the wilderness.Throughout Scripture, therefore, bread points beyond itself to God as the One who provides life for His people.This background makes Jesus' declaration extraordinarily powerful: “I am the bread of life.”Jesus does not merely give the bread we ultimately need. Jesus is the Bread.III. The Crowd Wanted the Bread but Missed the SaviorJohn 6:25–29IV. Jesus Is Greater Than MosesJohn 6:30–34V. Jesus Is the Bread of LifeJohn 6:35VI. Zoe Does Not Mean an Easy LifeJesus' promise of abundant life does not mean:our problems disappear,suffering ends,life becomes easy,Christians never experience sorrow.Jesus Himself says:“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33Sermon ApplicationThere are two responses to Jesus' words.For those who do not yet follow Christ:Do not make the mistake of the Galilean crowd—wanting what Jesus can provide while missing Jesus Himself. The Bread of Life is offered freely. Come to Christ, trust Him, repent, and receive the life only He can give.For followers of Christ:We can belong to Jesus while still clinging tightly to areas of our lives we refuse to surrender. Yet we cannot experience the fullness of life in Christ while deliberately withholding parts of ourselves from Him.The question becomes: What am I still trying to control that Christ is asking me to surrender?Sermon QuestionsWhat do you think people today most commonly pursue in an attempt to experience a meaningful and fulfilling life? How does Jesus' promise of zoe differ?Why is the cultural and biblical significance of bread important for understanding Jesus' statement, “I am the bread of life”?The crowd wanted what Jesus could give them without recognizing who He was. In what ways are we tempted to do the same thing today?What is the significance of Jesus contrasting the manna given in Moses' day with Himself as the “true bread from heaven”? What does this reveal about Jesus' identity?Jesus promises abundant life but does not promise an easy life. What area of your life might Christ be asking you to trust Him with or surrender more completely to Him?Resources ConsultedCarson, D. A., R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, and G. J. Wenham, eds. New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994.Gaebelein, Frank E., ed. The Expositor's Bible Commentary. Vol. 8. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1981.Got Questions Ministries. “What Can We Learn from Jesus' Feeding of the 5,000?”Keller, Timothy. “The Feeding.” Gospel in Life. YouTube.Milne, Bruce. The Message of John: Here Is Your King! The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993.Ryle, J. C. Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John. Various editions.Wesley, John. John Wesley's Notes on the Whole Bible. Various editions.Questions?Do you have a question about today's sermon? Email Tim Winkler ().

The Plagues Were Against the Gods of EgyptIn this study we will take a look at the miracles that Yahweh performed on the Egyptians, when Israel was held in bondage, during this period in Exodus. We will see that those miracles were against the Egyptian deities or gods that they worshipped.The story of Moses is not just the story of the freedom of a group of slaves from Egypt in the second millennium BCE. It is the blueprint of the Plan of Salvation of the world as seen from the structure laid down in the Bible. Moses was the prototype of the Christ or Messiah. More importantly, the nation of Israel saw Moses as a prototype and the Bible record illustrates that point. Moses said: ‘And Yahweh said unto me, they have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.' (Deut. 18:17-18).In this study I continue in Exodus Chapter 11 verse 8The warning of the Last Plague8              And all these thy servants = Pharaoh's nobles, ministers, courtiers and counselors, who were then in his presence, and stood about him, to whom Moses pointed.   shall come down unto me = from Pharaoh's palace, which might be built on an elevated piece of ground, to the place where Moses had dwelt during the time he had been in Egypt, which might lie lower; or these should come from Zoan, or from Memphis, whichever of them was now the royal city, to the land of Goshen, which lay lower than the other part of Egypt; or it may only denote the submission of Pharaoh's, servants, that they should in the time of their distress be so humble and condescending as to come themselves to Moses, and as it follows.  and bow down themselves unto me = in the most submissive manner, humbly entreating, and earnestly begging him. 9              And the Lord said unto Moses = Not at this time when he went out from Pharaoh, but some time before this, for the words may be rendered, "the Lord had said", for so he had, as is related, Exod. 7:3, but the historian makes mention of it here, to show that Moses was not ignorant of the event of things; he knew that Pharaoh's heart would be hardened from time to time, and that one plague after another must be inflicted, before he would let the people go; and therefore when he prayed for the removal of any, it was not in expectation that he would abide by his promise, but to do the will of Yahweh, and the duty of his calling.  Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you = to Moses and Aaron, and let the people of Israel go as required of him.  that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt = which Jarchi interprets of the smiting of the firstborn, dividing the waters of the Red sea, and the destruction of Pharaoh and his host in it; but since these words were said before any of the plagues, were inflicted, it may refer to them all. I read from Thomas Horn Book ‘The Gods'10           hardened = ‘châzaq' ‘khaw-zak'' ‘chet-zayin-quph' ‘Aleph-Tav'Chet = (tent wall) outside, divide, halfzayin = (mattack) food, cut, nourishquph = (sun on the horizon) condense, circle, timeAleph = (ox) strength, strong, power, leaderTav = (cross) sign, covenant seal, mark and crossThis Hebrew word means to Seize: To grab hold tightly, to refrain or support by grabbing hold. But by adding the ‘eth' we see that the Spirit of Yahweh/Yahshua is the one that is actually seizing Pharaoh's heart. Why is Yahweh doing this? I believe so that all of the Egyptian deities would be defeated by the miracles perform by Yahweh/Yahshua Messiah!Chapter 12Verses 1 – 20              The Passover InstitutedVerses 21 – 28            The Passover CommunicatedVerse 31 – 14:31         Yahweh's Deliverance of Israel I Read from the Legends of the Old Testament, Moses before Pharaoh, PDF page 291The Institution of the PassoverThe deliverance from Egypt [which is symbolic of bondage] is to be not only from physical but also from spiritual slavery. Israel [whom El commands or rules] is to be freed from all heathen influences and consecrated to the service of Yahweh. These commandments concerning Passover open the religious legislation of the Torah. The occasion when they were given and the manner in which they were enjoined emphasize the basic importance of that Festival in the life and history of Israel. The Exodus from Egypt is not only one of the greatest events and epochs in the history of the Jews, but one of the greatest events and epochs in the history of the world. This Exodus proves without a shadow of doubt that Yahweh is the most powerful Creator throughout the world, has He defeated all the gods of the Egyptians. 1          the Lord spake unto Moses = rather, “had spoken unto Moses and Aaron”; for it is evident that the communication here described must have been made to them on or before the tenth of the month.2              this month = It is supposed that Yahweh now changed the commencement of the Jewish year. The month to which this verse refers, the month Abib [which signifies an ear of corn, and at this time we find that the barley was in ear], answers to a part of our March and April; whereas it is supposed that previously to this, the year began with Tisri, which answers to a part of our September; for in this month the Hebrews suppose Yahweh created the world, when the earth appeared at once with all its fruits in perfection. From this circumstance the Hebrew have formed a twofold commencement of the year, which has given rise to a twofold denomination of the year itself, to which they afterwards attended in all their reckonings: that which began with Tisri or September was called their civil year; that which began with Abib or March was called the sacred or ecclesiastical year.3              tenth day of the month = 10 equals Ordinal Perfection [expressing divine order or succession. Keep in mind that everything that Yahweh does is always in order! What does this mean for us Christians of today?I quote John Wesley comments on this verse.Have any questions? Feel free to email me keitner2024@outlook.com

Most of us do not wake up intending to serve money. Yet financial pressures, ambitions, and fears can quietly begin shaping our choices. Before long, money may influence where we find security, how we measure success, and what we believe will bring us peace. Jesus speaks directly to this danger in Luke 16:13: “You cannot serve God and money.” Money was never meant to be our master. But when it is placed in its proper role, it can become a useful tool for serving God, caring for our families, and blessing others. So, what does a biblical approach to money look like? Money Is a Gift to Receive With Gratitude The Bible speaks frequently about wealth, possessions, generosity, and stewardship. One of its clearest principles is that money is not the goal. It is a resource entrusted to us by God. Ecclesiastes 5:19 says: “Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them…this is the gift of God.” God is not opposed to provision or the appropriate enjoyment of what He provides. His gifts should be received with gratitude rather than guilt. We see a picture of God's abundant provision when Jesus feeds the five thousand in Matthew 14. Christ not only meets the immediate needs of the crowd, but the disciples also collect twelve baskets of leftovers. The point is not indulgence or excess. It is that God is a generous provider who delights in caring for His people. Everything we possess ultimately comes from Him. Recognizing that truth allows us to enjoy His provision without believing we own it independently of Him. Money Reveals What We Trust Although money can be a gift, it also carries spiritual significance because it reveals the condition of our hearts. 1 Timothy 6:10 warns that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” Paul does not say that money itself is evil. The danger arises when we love money or look to it for something only God can provide. Money cannot give us lasting security, establish our identity, or bring genuine peace. When we expect it to do those things, a useful tool begins to take the place of our faithful Provider. Every financial decision can reveal something about our trust. Our spending may expose what we value. Our saving may show whether we are preparing wisely or attempting to control an uncertain future. Our generosity may reveal whether we believe God will continue to provide. The question is not simply, “What am I doing with my money?” It is also, “What is my money doing to my heart?” Money Is Meant to Serve God's Purposes Ephesians 4:28 gives us a broader vision for our work and resources. Paul instructs believers to work honestly “so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” We do not earn merely to accumulate. God enables us to work so that we can provide for our responsibilities, prepare wisely for the future, and share with others. That perspective transforms the purpose of our financial lives. Work becomes more than survival or personal advancement. It becomes one way we participate in God's generosity. Saving becomes thoughtful preparation rather than an attempt to eliminate every uncertainty. Investing can become an act of stewardship when it supports future responsibilities and generosity. This purpose often expresses itself through ordinary decisions: choosing to give even when the budget feels limited, avoiding unnecessary debt, setting aside money for future needs, or creating enough margin to respond when someone needs help. Those individual choices may feel small, but over time they shape both our finances and our hearts. Money becomes especially useful when it flows outward in service rather than being gathered inward as a source of identity or control. Money Must Remain a Servant When Jesus said we cannot serve both God and money, He was establishing the proper order of our allegiance. Money must remain a servant rather than becoming our master. In his sermon “The Use of Money,” John Wesley described money as a valuable gift when it is used in the hands of God's people. It can feed the hungry, provide clothing for those in need, and offer shelter to the traveler and stranger. That is a beautiful picture of money placed in its proper role. It is not worshiped, feared, or pursued as an end in itself. It is directed toward purposes that reflect God's love and generosity. Money may help us accomplish many good things, but it is never qualified to lead our lives. Only God deserves our trust, devotion, and obedience. Money Is Temporary, but Its Use Can Matter Eternally 1 Timothy 6:7 reminds us, “We brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.” Every dollar we manage is temporary. Homes, accounts, investments, and possessions will eventually pass from our hands. Yet the way we use those temporary resources can have lasting significance. When we remember that money is temporary, we can begin to hold it more loosely. We can enjoy God's provision without being controlled by it. We can plan wisely without placing our hope in wealth. And we can give generously because we know that God—not our bank account—is our ultimate provider. Before your next decision about spending, saving, investing, or giving, consider asking a different question: Lord, how can this money serve You and others? Money is never the destination. It is simply a tool God places in our hands to accomplish purposes greater than ourselves. This is a central theme of Our Ultimate Treasure, a 21-day devotional designed to help you treat money as a tool rather than a treasure so that it can find its proper place in your life. You can order a copy—or copies for your church or small group—at FaithFi.com/Shop. On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions: My father gave me $75,000 after my mother passed away. My husband and I are nearing retirement with no emergency savings, about $140,000 in personal-loan debt from his failed business, plus a mortgage and car loan. We spend nearly $10,000 a month. After giving, should we use the money to build savings, pay down debt, or invest some of it? My husband and I are approaching 65, qualify for Social Security, and plan to keep working. I'm also eligible for a teacher pension. Should I claim Social Security now, delay it, or rely on my pension first? Would a Certified Kingdom Advisor® (CKA®) be the right person to help us evaluate our options? My father-in-law recently passed away, and I'm helping my mother-in-law with her finances. She has about $11,000 across six credit cards. Some issuers have offered to freeze the accounts and stop the interest while she repays them. Should she accept those arrangements or consolidate the balances into one loan? Her Social Security benefit is small, and my father-in-law's check has stopped. Could she qualify for a survivor benefit based on his record? Resources Mentioned: Faithful Steward: FaithFi's Quarterly Magazine (Become a FaithFi Partner) Christian Credit Counselors FaithFi Field Guide: How Much Money is Enough?  Our Ultimate Treasure: A 21-Day Journey to Faithful Stewardship by Rob West Wisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on Money Look At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and Anxiety Rich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich Fool Find a Certified Kingdom Advisor® (CKA) FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions every weekday at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. You can also visit FaithFi.com to connect with our online community and partner with us as we help more people live as faithful stewards of God's resources. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"Social Life in England 1750-1850" by F.J. Foakes-Jackson offers a vivid exploration of British life during a transformative century, captured through engaging lectures delivered in 1916. The author paints a rich tapestry of the era, featuring figures such as the itinerant preacher John Wesley, the rural poet George Crabbe, and a colorful array of societal characters from convicts to Regency fops. This historical account resonates today by reflecting the complexities of social dynamics and cultural shifts that continue to shape modern society. Foakes-Jackson's insightful observations invite listeners to appreciate the enduring nature of human experiences and the lively spirit of a bygone era.

In this episode Dr Mark Olson discusses the chronological development of John Wesley's doctrine of sin as well as the structural organization of Wesley's doctrine of sin in its complete form. Visit Dr Olson's website for more information on John Wesley: https://wesleyscholar.com/

Send us Fan MailWe begin this episode on the Methodist Church denomination by noting that even though John Wesley founded the Methodist church, he lived and died in the Episcopal Church. According to the Methodist Church, it had its origin within the Church of England. It was in 1729 that John and Charles Wesley began to entertain the beliefs that led to the development of the Methodist Church. John Wesley was a preacher in the Church of England. In this year they joined a group of students called a Holy Club. They were called a number of derisive name including Methodists because of the methods they used. Ultimately they adopted that name for themselves. The first Methodist Society was formed in 1739. Similar organizations were established after that. John Wesley provided rules and regulations for these Methodist Societies in 1784. Also in 1784, the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States had its beginning. We discuss a number of divisions and unions in the Methodist Church in the USA. We next talk about some of the doctrines, teachings and views of the Methodist Church, including its name, sacraments, baptism of infants, and where they changed their view on Total Hereditary Depravity. We run out of time before completing our discussion of the Methodist Church. We will complete it next week, Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what w are saying. There is a transcript of this Buzzsprout episode provided for your convenience. 

A sermon preached by Rev. Dr. Yongchi Rhie with Foundry United Methodist Church, July 12, 2026. "Sermon Series Part II: The United Methodist Way". Scripture: Exodus 2:15–22; Hebrews 13:1–2   On a hot July day in 2014, I stood in a long line outside the United States Embassy in Seoul. All around me, people were checking their documents, whispering the latest rumors about American immigration policy. Some were praying. Others were quietly rehearsing their lines. When my number was called, I sat down across from a consular officer who read through my papers, jotting notes, pausing on certain pages longer than I would have liked. My pulse rose with every pause. Finally, he looked up and asked, "Ms. Rhie, I see you have just returned home after living in England for quite some time. You already hold a Ph.D. Why do you wish to study theology in the United States?" He had a fair point. What could I say? That after seven years of dissecting the Bible within an inch of its life, I had finally realized what Scripture is for — not an object of intellectual indulgence, but a word meant to be lived out in the lives of people? Should I describe my grief at preaching to empty pews in an increasingly secular Britain, where so many considered the Bible, faith, and God simply no longer relevant? I had to be careful. I had been denied a visa once before, for this very reason. The officer asked about my story, but he seemed to be working from a script of his own, testing whether my story would hold. Every visa interview requires delicate tuning: you must convince them you have real plans for their country while assuring them you have no intention of staying. I truly desire to come to your country! I see abundant opportunity there! Will you let me in? But don't worry — I will never get comfortable enough to call it home. A month later, my passport came back with a visa stamped inside. It declared me a legal alien. That word “alien” always makes me laugh. Ever since I left my home country, I have been a legal alien. And I have learned that it doesn't take green skin, an oversized head, or extraterrestrial powers to be counted an outsider. Sometimes the way I look, the way I speak, or simply the way I carry myself is enough to register as a threat, or at least a discomfort. I could learn the customs of a new land. But would I ever be permitted to call it home? For most of my adult life, I have lived as a stranger in a strange land. A Man With No Country Moses knew that feeling so intimately that he engraved it into his son's name: "She bore a son, and he named him Gershom; for he said, 'I have been an alien residing in a foreign land'" (Exodus 2:22). Hey, Moses, did you ask Gershom about this? Did his mother agree? I feel for the boy. Imagine carrying your father's loneliness as your name. Let's step into the story and meet Moses by a well in Midian. His whole life, up to this moment, has been an exercise in not belonging and his very name tells the story. Pharaoh's daughter called him Moses, "because," she said, "I drew him out of the water" (Exod. 2:10). Drawn out: a Hebrew baby lifted from the Nile, out of a death decree, into a palace that was never quite his. Hebrew by blood, Egyptian by upbringing, Moses grows up belonging to neither world. And when he finally goes out to "his people," as the text pointedly calls them in verse 11, everything unravels. He sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave and strikes the Egyptian down (2:11–12). The next day he tries to reconcile two Hebrews who are fighting, and one of them turns on him: "Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Do you hear the wound in that question? Yes, Moses committed a crime the day before; out of anger, perhaps, but also out of compassion for an enslaved kinsman. Today he steps in again, and his own people read his help as a grab for power: the palace insider playing ruler over the enslaved. His act of deliverance is recast as a threat; his sacrifice, as ambition. When word reaches Pharaoh, the king seeks his life. So Moses flees - rejected by Egypt as a criminal, rejected by the Hebrews as a pretender - a man with no country, no people, and a name that only reminds him he was pulled out of one world without ever being planted in another. That is the man who collapses, exhausted, by a well in Midian. What Happens at a Well Now listen closely to how the text tells what happens there, because every detail is doing holy work. Scripture says, "he sat down by a well" (v. 15). In the Hebrew Bible, nothing significant ever happens by accident at a well. Wells are where Abraham's servant found Rebekah, where Jacob met Rachel, where Jesus met a Samaritan woman: places of encounter where God's providence quietly gathers up displaced people and gives them a future. When the original audience heard "Moses sat down by a well," they leaned in. Something is about to begin. Seven daughters of the priest of Midian come to draw water, and rough shepherds drive them away. Hear the Hebrew: the shepherds vayegarshum — they drove them out. It is the very root, garash, from which Moses will later coin the name Gershom, the driven-out one. And here is what astonishes me: Moses inserts himself again. Consider what meddling has already cost this man- his home, his standing, very nearly his life. The prudent thing would be to keep his head down, drink his water, and let Midian's troubles remain Midian's troubles. He owes these women nothing, and no one in this town even knows his name. Yet the one who has been driven out cannot sit still while others are driven out before his eyes. And what does the text say he does? "Moses stood up and saved them" (v. 17) — vayoshian, from yasha, the root that will one day give us the names Joshua and Jesus. Here, at a foreign well, in a single unrewarded act - defending strangers, drawing water for distressed people and their animals - the fugitive rehearses his calling. This is the man through whom God will save a people. Then comes the irony. The daughters run home and report, "An Egyptian delivered us from the shepherds." An Egyptian! Moses is a Hebrew raised in Pharaoh's house, a man belonging fully to neither world, and even his good deed is credited to the wrong identity. Why Bother? And then the young women are gone, and Moses is alone again. No thank-you. No name asked. Not even a drink of fresh water from the well he had just defended. Three times now he has stretched himself for others, and three times his actions went unacknowledged, his words were rebuked, his authority was denied, his very identity was questioned. Sitting in the dust by that well, Moses might well have wondered: Why do I keep doing this? Why can't I just mind my own business? When your act of hospitality is met with silence — or worse, resentment — the temptation whispers: Why bother? I could just live for my own interest, my own comfort, my own happiness. Going the extra mile only makes you tired and pushes you further from your home. Friends, be honest: have you been there? Why do we help others? What is going on inside us when we stretch ourselves for people who may never stretch back? The One Who Noticed But even in the middle of this mess, someone notices Moses. Hearing what happened at the well, Reuel asks his daughters: "Where is he? Why did you leave the man? Invite him to break bread." Reuel is a Midianite priest - a foreigner, an outsider to Israel's story —- and yet he is the one who models the hospitality that the daughters, and Egypt, and even Moses' own people had failed to offer. This foreigner does not interrogate the stranger's papers. He sets a table. And at that table, the fugitive becomes family. Moses marries Zipporah and holds a son whose name tells the truth — ger, stranger. It is no accident that the Torah will later command Israel more than thirty times to protect the ger: "You shall love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." We lament the loss of this entire ethic of welcome in today's world. And notice: it all happened around the well. The well was already there. Before Moses arrived - before he had done anything right, and long after he had done something terribly wrong - the water was waiting. This is the heartbeat of our United Methodist way. John Wesley called it prevenient grace: the grace that goes before us. Before we repent, before we believe, before we even know God's name, God's love is already at work ahead of us, digging wells in the deserts of our lives. Moses thought he was a fugitive stumbling upon a random watering hole. In truth, grace had arrived before him; with a family, a vocation, and, on a nearby mountain, the God who says, "I have observed the misery of my people, and I have come down to deliver them." Two Loves, One Gospel Our second reading today, the letter to the Hebrews gathers this whole story into two luminous verses: "Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:1-2). The Greek translation is even better than the English here, because it names two different loves. Mutual love is philadelphia — the love of brothers and sisters. Anyone from Philly here? Did you know your city's name means the love of kinship? Philadelphia is the affection we give people who are already ours: family, friends, fellow members — the ones who look like us, pray like us, vote like us. That love matters. "Let it continue," Hebrews says. But then comes the harder word: philoxenia. Literally, love of the xenos — the stranger, the outsider, the one who shares nothing with you but a common humanity. Philadelphia loves the person already inside the circle; philoxenia widens the circle. Any club can manage philadelphia. Only the gospel produces philoxenia. And we know the opposite word all too well, because it is one of the few Greek words English never bothered to translate: xenophobia — fear of the stranger. We see it whenever an entire people is reduced to a threat: when immigrants are spoken of as terrorists and criminals rather than as mothers, fathers, and children of sacred worth; when a teenager sits in a church pew and learns to hide who they are, because the sanctuary feels less safe than the street; when a synagogue or a mosque must hire armed guards just to gather for prayer; when a job application is quietly set aside because the name at the top sounds too foreign. Xenophobia is the world's oldest sickness. It built Pharaoh's brickyards, and it is still building walls that separate children from their parents today. But friends, I have also seen philoxenia — and so have you. I have seen it in congregations that furnished apartments and stocked refrigerators for refugee families they had never met. I have seen it right here in this city, when buses of migrants arrived at Union Station with nothing, and churches and neighbors showed up with food, coats, and cots — before the cameras did. I have seen it in church basements turned into English classes and legal clinics, and at kitchen tables where someone simply said to the new family on the block, "Come, eat with us." Hospitality, Scripture insists, is not charity flowing downhill from host to guest. It is "entertaining angels without knowing it." It is the doorway through which God's love slips into our lives, often unannounced. Holy Meddling Now, this is the final Sunday of our series on the United Methodist way. Who are we? What defines us? What is our calling — as Christians, as United Methodists, as members of Foundry? I want to name something about Moses that we United Methodists have always claimed as our own: Moses meddles. Three times in one chapter he inserts himself into conflicts that were, strictly speaking, none of his business: an enslaved Hebrew, two quarreling kinsmen, seven harassed women at a well. He refuses to stay in his comfort zone. That holy meddling is our family trait. Our Social Principles declare of our public witness: "The United Methodist Church believes God's love for the world is an active and engaged love, a love seeking justice and liberty. We cannot just be observers." There is no private faith that hoards grace and calls it piety. As Desmond Tutu warned us: "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." Friends, this is who we are. We are the people who refuse to mind our own business when God's children are being driven out — from lunch counters to detention centers, from housing courts to hospital waiting rooms. We wrestle with Scripture, we wrestle with our assumptions, we wrestle with our faith and our calling — and like Moses, we stand up. Because we serve a Lord who said, "I was a stranger, and you welcomed me." From Gershom to Eliezer Church, watch what grace does with a meddler. Moses named his first son Gershom: "I have been a stranger in a strange land." But his second son he named Eliezer: "My God is my helper." Between those two names lies an entire conversion. The stranger became a host. The man who once sought water at a well became the one through whom God drew a whole people out of bondage, through mighty waters, into freedom. God still loves to do this. God takes our Gershom — our alienation, our wounds, our wandering — and rewrites it as Eliezer: my God is my helper. Helper: not in advancing my ambitions or protecting my own wealth, family, and safety, but in teaching me to love God and to love my neighbor as myself. People often mistake "with God, all things are possible" for a guarantee of personal fulfillment. No. God helps us toward something far greater: to serve higher purposes, to forgive and to love, to give and to build, to lay down our lives for friends who were once strangers. We can live out the radical, divine, universal love of God — because God is with us, and God helps us. The Invitation So here is my invitation: this week, don't leave the town of Philly just yet. It is good to stay connected to the love of kin — philadelphia. But intentionally seek out and practice philoxenia. Is there a newcomer in the pew near you, or new to your building, your office, your block? Don't wait for the welcome committee - go say hello, learn their name, and remember it. Does someone need prayer? Don't merely promise to pray for them; ask if you may pray with them, right there, for two holy minutes. Is a neighbor navigating a new language, a new diagnosis, a new grief? Set a table, the way Reuel did: "Invite them to break bread." Philadelphia is dinner with your sister; philoxenia is adding a chair for someone whose story you don't yet know. One helpful discipline for the coming week: each evening, ask yourself two questions. Who did I love today who already loves me? That's philadelphia — good, keep it up. And: Who did I welcome today who could give me nothing back? That's philoxenia — the stretch. If the second column stays empty for a few days, that's the invitation talking. And now, before we close, one more invitation, because sermons about wells should end at one. If today you are the one in the wilderness - if you walked in this morning feeling like a stranger in a strange land - hear the good news: the well is already here. Grace arrived before you did. Before you ever learn to love yourself, before you learn to love your neighbor as yourself, you are already loved by the God of living water…not because of anything you have done, but because of whose you are. If you doubt this grace, then as we sing our final hymn, I invite you: come. Come to this altar, and let us pray with you. You don't need the right words; Moses didn't have them either. Just come and stand by the well with us. And perhaps you came in this morning already full. Then I invite you to consider the many ways you can become a living well for others: a place where people come to know and experience the way of philoxenia, the love of the stranger. The name you have yet to forgive. The prayer you will offer on the spot. The table you will set for the weary. The grace you will give without asking anything in return. Whether you come forward or stand still, the invitation is the same: Come to the well, and then go and become one. Amen.

Who was John Wesley? What is John Wesley most known for? How did John Wesley become the founder of both Wesleyanism and Methodism?

Join Dr. Chaps on PIJN News as he reports on the remarkable revival happening in America, with millions attending megachurches weekly. Explore what John Wesley might say to today's United Methodist Church amidst theological debates. Delve into the resilience of America's large churches post-pandemic and the ongoing spiritual awakening. Plus, revisit a patriotic performance celebrating America's 250th birthday with John Wayne and others. Tune in for thought-provoking discussions and spiritual insights.

Send us Fan MailThis week, I'm reaching back into the archive to reprise the most popular episode in the history of my podcast.The Rev. Ben Cremer has built a significant and growing social media presence—one that caught my attention when I stumbled across a lengthy essay he titled “Myths We Believe.” In it, Ben details the things he was taught to embrace but has since had to unlearn. As I read it, I was struck by how closely his journey tracked my own.Ben was homeschooled from kindergarten through twelfth grade in what he describes as “a deeply conservative environment in rural Idaho—as far right politically and theologically as you can imagine.” He would eventually serve as a pastor in a small, traditional, conservative church that mirrored Idaho's deep-red culture, and later as campus pastor at Cathedral of the Rockies, a progressive, affirming United Methodist congregation in Boise. He no longer serves as pastor at either church.When we recorded this conversation, Ben had recently appeared on Boise's local ABC affiliate, Channel 7, in a feature exploring politics and religion. The journalist interviewed two pastors at opposite ends of the spectrum: Blaine Conzatti, a conservative pastor affiliated with the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches and president of the Idaho Family Policy Center, and Ben.In our conversation, Ben and I unpack his remarkable journey, beginning with those early homeschool years and a curriculum rooted in the “Christian Identity” movement—a worldview that denied the Holocaust, argued that slavery was good because it introduced Africans to Christianity, and taught that the separation of races was part of God's design.From there, Ben moved through college and graduate school, where he learned to read widely, ask questions, and pursue his curiosity. His passion for ministry took him through seminary and into pastoral ministry. But lonely, underpaid, and increasingly burdened by questions, Ben slipped into a dark spiritual depression.In this vulnerable and deeply open conversation, Ben tells his story of recovery, redemption, and transformation—and of finding a faith that is open, fresh, and alive.It remains the most listened-to episode in my podcast history. If you missed it the first time—or if you're ready to hear it again—I think you'll understand why.SHOW NOTESSign up for Ben's Newsletter INTO THE GRAYSupport the showBecome a Patron - Click on the link to learn how you can become a Patron of the show. Thank you!Ken's Substack PageThe Podcast Official Site: TheBeachedWhiteMale.com

A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli with Foundry UMC, July 5, 2026, sixth Sunday after Pentecost. “We Know Who We Are”series. Texts: Jeremiah 22:13–16; Luke 14:12–24   This weekend our nation marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. This is an occasion for celebration. It's also an invitation to reflection. Moments like this invite us to look backward with gratitude, to look honestly at who we have become, and to consider what kind of future is still possible. This year those reflections seem incredibly important. Ours is a nation of extraordinary gifts and extraordinary contradictions. We inherit remarkable democratic ideals alongside a history that has too often failed to live up to them. We are living through another season when many of us are deeply concerned about our common life. Because our nation is broken. We see division deepen, neighbors dehumanized, militarism, cruelty and violence normalized, power abused for personal gain, and disregard for the rule of law. Perhaps you'd describe our situation differently, but I can't imagine anyone would argue that everything's OK. And while it doesn't make it any better, I think it's helpful to remember that what's happening in our nation and world right now has happened many times before. If the prophet Jeremiah were to wander into our capital city he would feel right at home—surely to his dismay. Let me explain by telling you a story. Jeremiah is preaching in the final decades before Jerusalem falls to Babylon. Assyria has collapsed. Egypt and Babylon are competing for power. Judah is caught in the middle. The world order is shifting dramatically and it is a time of profound national anxiety—about security, identity, economic stability, and the future. In our text, Jeremiah is speaking not to the people, but specifically to the king, Jehoiakim. And he's none too pleased with what is happening. But to understand why you need some backstory. Jehoiakim's father, Josiah, had been one of Judah's finest kings. He wasn't perfect, but he loved God, took the covenant and the laws established during Moses' time seriously, and sought to govern with justice. As Jeremiah remembers him, he “judged the cause of the poor and needy.” Then Josiah died unexpectedly on the battlefield. It was a devastating national loss. The future suddenly felt uncertain. Egypt quickly asserted control over Judah, deposing one of Josiah's sons and installing another—Eliakim, whose name Pharaoh changed to Jehoiakim (a classic power play). Jehoiakim wasn't in an enviable position. He was set up to do the bidding of Pharoah, required to pay tribute, and anxious about survival for himself and his people. Maybe it was the pressure or maybe it was pure opportunism, but Jehoiakim made a choice. Rather than “judging the cause of the poor an needy,” he consolidated power, exploited labor, and built a magnificent cedar palace as a symbol of royal prestige. Jeremiah looked at that palace and didn't celebrate its magnificence but instead says, “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness...” He asked a different question than everyone else. Not, “Isn't it impressive?” but, “How did it get built? Who paid the price? Who was harmed in the process?” And then this: “Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness?” This may seem a random question, but it reveals that Jeremiah's critique isn't about having wealth or a comfortable life. In other words, Josiah wasn't a monk. He enjoyed the ordinary gifts of life. The difference isn't that one king denied himself while the other indulged himself. The difference is that one understood leadership as doing justice and practicing right relationship, while the other understood leadership as entitlement. One king governed as someone who knew God, while the other governed as though power itself could save him. Jeremiah continues, clarifying his critique: “Your father judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. ‘Is not this to know me?' says the Lord.  But your eyes and heart are only on your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.” Again, the question Jeremiah asks it key: “Is not this to know me?” If someone asked you to finish the sentence, “To know God is...” what would you say? To worship regularly? To believe the right things? To pray? I imagine all of those can be valid answers. But Jeremiah offers this: to know God is to set your eyes and your heart on what God cares about; to attend to the needs of the most vulnerable, to use power wisely, generously, and compassionately, to treat workers with fairness, to do justice. Is not this to know me? In every age there is a dominant story about what will make things in your life “well.” There are temptations and pressures to sacrifice the good of the “we” for the benefit of only “me.” And in every age, God's faithful are called to offer a counter-testimony. And just to finish storytelling time, Jehoiakim made his choice. He went to a lot of trouble to try to make himself and Judah look strong. He builds his palace, projects confidence, accumulates wealth, uses forced labor. But within about twenty years, Jerusalem is destroyed. His dishonest gain and self-serving choices did not make things well. The palace doesn't save anybody—not the nation and certainly not the people. Jeremiah saw that writing on the wall. And his message to the king is one we need to hear again and again: A society cannot create security—a nation will never be great—while abandoning God's call to compassion and justice. There is no separating our love of God from care of our common life. John Wesley would agree wholeheartedly. He insisted there is no holiness but social holiness. He didn't mean that we're saved by activism. He meant what we discussed last week: that grace blesses me AND creates “we,” forgives me and sends “us.” Ours is not a private practice. Grace always creates community, reshapes relationships, and spills over into the way we use money, exercise power, welcome neighbors, and seek the common good. Personal holiness overflows into public holiness. That's one of the gifts of being United Methodist. Our tradition has never imagined that following Jesus ends at the sanctuary door. For more than fifty years we've had something called the Social Principles—not as a substitute for Scripture or as a party platform, but as a guide for Christian moral discernment. They are our denomination's attempt to ask, together, “What does faithful discipleship look like in the complexities of modern life?” And in 2024, our worldwide church thoroughly revised them. That revision wasn't simply updating language. It reflects the wisdom of the faithful from our whole denomination—disciples from Africa, Europe, the Philippines, the United States, and beyond—asking together how the Gospel speaks into economics, creation care, technology, war and peace, migration, human dignity, and public life. The principles guide our action and advocacy, but we don't pretend every faithful Christian will reach identical conclusions about every public question. We also refuse to pretend that the Gospel has nothing to say about public life. Our United Methodist Social Principles remind us we don't have to figure all this out alone. We inherit Scripture. We inherit tradition. We inherit the wisdom of Christians around the world. All helping us answer Jeremiah's question: What does it mean to know God? Jeremiah says that to know God is to care about what and who God cares about. Again and again Jesus shows us how to live that. He sits down at tables with all kinds of people. And in today' Gospel, while dining with a prominent Pharisee, he quietly begins rearranging everyone's assumptions about belonging. “Don't invite only the people who can return the favor,” he says. “Invite those who cannot repay you.” Then he tells a story about a banquet where the invitation keeps widening until there is room for everyone God longs to gather. ...the invitation keeps widening until there is room for everyone God longs to gather. The table is big enough. Grace is abundant enough. And everyone—from the richest to the poorest, from stranger to friend—is invited to be filled. And then things are well. As we celebrate our nation's birthday, the question before us is not simply what kind of nation we want to be, but what kind of people God is calling us to become. Christians have always loved their country best not by confusing it with God's reign, but by measuring every nation—including our own—against God's justice, God's compassion, and God's welcome. So we keep listening for Jeremiah's question, “Is not this to know me?” And we keep allowing Jesus to reshape our imagination around his table where there is always another place and the invitation keeps reaching farther than anyone expected. Friends, we're about to come to that table. Every time we gather here, we embody a different story from the one our world tells. The world teaches us to ask: Who deserves a place? Who has earned it? Who belongs? Jesus asks different questions: Who still needs an invitation? How can we make more room? And then he places bread in our hands and sends us back into the world to live the answer. Amen.   + + + Sending: This week, take one faithful public step. Maybe it is serving. Maybe it is giving. Maybe it is speaking up for someone whose voice is overlooked. Maybe it's inviting someone who wouldn't expect an invitation. Maybe it is reading a section of the Social Principles and asking where they challenge or deepen your own thinking. Not because the church is trying to tell you what to think, but because discipleship asks us to think faithfully about the world God loves. Just take one step. Because that's where holiness always begins. God in peace and power…

In this episode, we continue in 1741 with the challenges faced by John and Charles Wesley in Bristol and London, ending with John's first earnest journey into the midlands as the revival spreads. Check out https://journal.historyofmethodism.com/ for the illustrated journal of John Wesley's early years.Check out https://lectern.wrootpress.com/ for the Lectern Preaching Resource. Wroot Press https://wrootpress.com/ has a number of new editions of Wesley's sermons as well as a new edition of the Explanatory Notes on the New Testament.You can support the podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/historyofmethodism. The videos are found on our patreon.And you can look at the Wesley Corpus website here: https://corpus.historyofmethodism.com/

Há mais de cinco séculos, o questionamento sobre o que significa ter fé deu origem a um movimento que atravessou continentes e revolucionou a espiritualidade ocidental. O movimento evangélico deixou de ser apenas uma dissidência teológica para se tornar uma das maiores forças de mobilização social do planeta. Este documentário explora a trajetória de três homens fundamentais para essa expansão. Na Inglaterra do século 18, John Wesley percebeu que a Igreja Anglicana estava distante da classe operária, rompendo com o tradicionalismo para pregar nas ruas e organizar o que daria origem ao movimento metodista. Do outro lado do oceano, nas colônias americanas, o teólogo Jonathan Edwards tornou-se a figura central do Grande Despertamento, unindo o calvinismo reformado a uma intensa experiência espiritual e emocional.

When you picture someone who changes the world, who comes to mind? A CEO? An influencer with millions of followers? But what if the most lasting impact rarely happens on center stage at all? Meet Andrew—a fisherman so ordinary his name simply meant "man." No famous sermons. No epistles. No miracles bearing his name. He didn't even make Jesus' inner circle. Yet today five nations claim him, and the gospel spread because of him. How? Through one quiet, extraordinary gift. Discover the shape of an Andrew heart—and why you might have one too. Listen now.

O crescimento exponencial do movimento evangélico transformou definitivamente o cenário religioso, político e social de diversas nações ao redor do mundo. Em mais um documentário exclusivo, a Brasil Paralelo investiga a fundo as raízes históricas do protestantismo, desde o Pietismo alemão e o Metodismo de John Wesley até o marcante Avivamento da Rua Azusa, em Los Angeles. Compreenda como uma fé que começou com reuniões em templos abandonados superou rígidas barreiras raciais e sociais, alcançou os países do "Sul Global" e se estabeleceu como uma força política decisiva no século XXI. A ascensão evangélica reconfigurou parlamentos inteiros, influenciou legislações morais profundas e preencheu lacunas institucionais em áreas que carecem do suporte do Estado.

A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli with Foundry UMC, June 28, 2026, fifth Sunday after Pentecost. “We Know Who We Are” series. ​​​ Texts: Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:28-35​​​​   Humans are storytelling creatures. Our stories help us understand who we are and how life works. They teach us how people have lived and thought and loved and struggled through the ages. They give us a framework for how to be in relationship. Humans are also ritual-making creatures. Just as the stories we tell shape our sense of identity and reality, so too rituals shape our actions and the way we embody our values. Every culture has stories that shape human imagination and understanding. Every culture has rituals that shape human desires and loyalties. While powerful, formative, and often positive, we know stories can be told in ways that distort truth and do harm. And rituals can include habits that are unhealthy or destructive to persons or communities. Consumerism tells a certain story and has its rituals. White Christian Nationalism tells a certain story and has its rituals. Political tribes tell their own stories and have their rituals. Social media…well… All these things and more tell us who we are and what matters most. Christians also tell a story and practice rituals—it's a story of God's grace, mercy, and liberating love. And the rituals? Water. Bread. Cup. A few weeks ago, as we began focusing on the United Methodist way of living the Christian story, we thought together about the means of grace and the practices that shape us. We reflected on how we are all being formed by something. The question is: What is forming us? What stories, rituals, and practices are shaping our imagination, our desires, and our values? The sacraments are among the primary ways God shapes us into the people we are called to be. And because these rituals are so familiar, it is easy to participate in them without ever stopping to ask what they mean. Why do we call themsacraments? What do United Methodists actually believe is happening when we baptize someone or come to the Lord's Table? These are important questions to ask. Because if we are going to know who we are, then we need to understand the practices that have formed Christians for centuries and the theology that stands behind them. Let's begin with the word sacrament itself. United Methodists define a sacrament as “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.” In other words, sacraments are the places where the invisible grace of God takes visible form. I could reasonably argue that, with that definition, every act of beauty, love, tenderness, and justice are sacramental acts. But the two liturgical sacraments recognized by our tradition are those Jesus specifically commanded his followers to practice in the stories recorded in scripture: baptism and communion. Here again, our rituals are embedded in our stories and our stories are embedded in our rituals. Stories and rituals belong together. In many cultures, stories are not merely told. They are enacted. Danced. Sung. The story becomes part of the people through repeated actions that connect memory to the body. Christians do something similar. We do not merely tell the story of God's grace.We enact it. We embody it. In baptism, we tell not just one story, but many: the story of dying and rising with Christ, of being washed by grace and mercy, and of being claimed and named as God's beloved and part of the Body of Christ. The beauty of sacrament is that it can hold multiple meanings at once. And we don't simply talk about those things. We pour water. We listen for the sound of the flow. We feel the water on our skin. In communion, we tell the stories of Christ's sacrificial, self-giving love, of God's provision and faithfulness; we reaffirm the story of God's mercy—of forgiveness, reconciliation, and belonging. But we do not simply describe those things. We break bread. We share the cup. The story is embedded in these rituals. The rituals carry the story. And over time, the story carried by the ritual shapes the people who practice it. One United Methodist resource describes the sacraments as God's “show and tell.” I love that image. If you've ever watched a child during show and tell, you know that simply describing something isn't the same as holding it in your hands. God doesn't simply tell us that grace is real. God shows us. Think about it: God showed us by drawing near in flesh, in Jesus of Nazareth. Andthat is just the most extraordinary way God has revealed a willingness to work through physical things. The God who came to us in a body still meets us through tangible signs: Water. Bread. Cup. So let's linger with some of the stories our sacraments tell. First, baptism tells the story of grace that comes before our response. In many churches, baptism is understood primarily as a public declaration of faith—as a person's decision to accept God's love and to follow Christ. There is truth in that. But United Methodists begin somewhere else. We begin with God's action. Before we choose God, God chooses us. Before we respond to grace, grace is already at work in our lives. Before we seek God, God is seeking us. That conviction lies behind one of the practices that often raises questions: infant baptism. Why do we baptize babies who cannot yet profess faith for themselves?Because baptism is first and foremost a story about God's grace, not our achievement. It is a visible reminder that grace comes first. Before a child can speak a word, God has already spoken a word over them: Beloved. Of course, each person must eventually respond to God's grace for themselves. But regardless of age, baptism reminds us that the first move always belongs to God. Baptism also tells the story of belonging—to God and to one another. In baptism, God claims me. And God joins us. When we baptize someone, we are not simply celebrating an individual spiritual experience or handing someone a ticket to heaven. We are welcoming a new member into the Body of Christ. That is why the congregation makes promises. We promise to nurture, encourage, teach, pray, and journey alongside one another. Baptism tells us who we are—beloved children of God. And baptism tells us who we are together—a people, a community, a body, a family bound together by grace and by a shared story. Baptism also tells the stories of forgiveness and liberation. The waters are a sign of God's mercy and cleansing, assuring us that nothing we have done or will do lies beyond God's capacity to forgive, that we are not bound to the worst things in our past or present, but freed for better things in our future. And the waters tell yet another story. Paul tells us in Romans that in baptism we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. We die to an old way of being.We are raised into new life. Baptism is not simply about where we have been. It is about who we are becoming. It's about claiming the freedom and power God gives us to live a new kind of life. So baptism is the sacrament that initiates us into the Christian life both as persons and community. And Communion is the sacrament that nourishes us along the wayand continually reconnects us to Christ, to one another, and to our neighbors. We call it the Lord's Supper because Christ is the host. We call it Holy Communion because we are united with God and one another. We call it Eucharist (from the Greek word for thanksgiving) because it is an act of thanksgiving. But perhaps the most important thing to understand is that communion is more than remembering a dead prophet. It is being present with a living Christ. Certainly, we remember Jesus at the table. But United Methodists believe something more is happening—that communion is more than merely symbolic. We believe Christ is truly present. We call it a holy mystery precisely because we don't claim to fully understand how. But we trust that Christ meets us here and offers grace through the sacramental meal. Once again, as with Baptism, the sacrament is both personal and communal. At thetable Christ invites, forgives, and nourishes me. At the table Christ forms, nourishes, and sends us. Personally, we come seeking grace, forgiveness, strength, comfort, courage, and renewal. But communion is never merely about “me and Jesus.” Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10 that because there is one bread, we who are many are one body. At the table we practice belonging to one another. We remember that our lives are bound together. We learn gratitude, humility, reconciliation, and love. The table does not simply feed individuals. It forms a community. This conviction also helps explain why United Methodists practice an open table.You do not have to be a member of this church, or a United Methodist, or to have everything figured out, or even to be baptized. The invitation belongs to Christ our host. And because grace comes before worthiness, Christ's table remains open. I will never forget the moment when a committed atheist who had been attendingthe congregation I served with her fiancé for more than a year, presented herself in line to receive the elements saying, “I have no idea why I am here, but I just felt that I needed to come.” People might encounter Christ for the first time in the midst of the gathered Body of Christ around the Table. Because sometimes people are moved to respond before they have language for what is happening. Sometimes grace reaches us before we understand it. John Wesley strongly encouraged frequent communion because he believed it was one of God's most powerful means of grace. Early American Methodists often received communion only quarterly because circuit-riding preachers and ordained elders were scarce. What began as necessity became habit. The church I grew up in still practiced quarterly communion! But in recent decades we have reclaimed Wesley's conviction that we need all the sacramental grace we can get! And so we return again and again to water, bread, and cup. Simple, ordinary things.Yet through them the story of God's grace is told, embodied, and practiced.Through them God reminds us who we are. Through them God reminds us whose we are. And through them God continues to shape us—both as individuals and as a community—into the likeness of Christ. Because over time, the stories embodied in our rituals become the lives we learn to lead. Thanks be to God. Thanks be to God.

1 John 5:1-5 John Wesley believed in the radical love and acceptance of all humans. He believed in the Imago Dei. Every person was created in the image of God. This moved him to go to the poor working class in Bristol, England and preach outdoors to large numbers. John also brought recrimination on his ministry in Bristol by being an outspoken opponent to slavery. Bristol was a central market for slaves, and there were many wealthy people who would stand to lose if slavery was abolished. The eighteenth-century world was a challenge for young John Wesley. His spiritual life and his public holiness can serve as an example for us as we interact as followers of Christ in our current world.

Today we look at Isaiah 43:18–21, and are reminded that God is always at work doing "a new thing," even in seasons of uncertainty and transition. Spoken originally to Israel as they faced exile, God's promise to make "rivers in the desert" demonstrates that He brings life and hope where none seems possible. While our past experiences—both successes and failures—shape us, they do not define us. Like Peter, Paul, and John Wesley, we are continually renewed by God's grace. The invitation is to stop living captive to yesterday, trust that God is already working ahead of us, and faithfully join Him in the new work He is accomplishing today. Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word. You can read today's passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2043%3A18-21&version=NRSVUE Click here if you'd like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST. - https://groupme.com/join_group/107837407/vtYqtb6C You can watch this reflection in video form and subscribe to my Substack here - https://www.revandy.org 

Did John Wesley believe the Bible is without error? Some argue that calling Wesley a supporter of biblical inerrancy is anachronistic because the term developed after his lifetime. In this episode of More to the Story, Dr. Mark Olson joins me to tackle this important historical and theological question.Together, we explore how historians approach questions about historical figures and ideas, examining the difference between imposing modern categories on the past and identifying continuity in theological convictions. Olson argues that while Wesley did not use the language of contemporary inerrancy debates, the substance of his view of Scripture clearly reflects a belief that the Bible is free from error. The conversation highlights Wesley's writings, his understanding of divine inspiration, and the methods historians use to assess theological claims across centuries.Whether you are interested in Wesley studies, biblical authority, or historical theology, this episode offers a thoughtful and engaging discussion.Youtube - https://youtu.be/h9lFjurIl9YAudio - https://andymilleriii.com/media/podcastApple -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-to-the-story-with-dr-andy-miller/id1569988895?uo=4If you are interested in learning more about my two full-length video-accompanied courses, Contender: Going Deeper in the Book of Jude andHeaven and Other Destinations: A Biblical Journey Beyond this World , visit andymilleriii.com/coursesAnd don't forget about my most recent book, Contender, which is available on Amazon! Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching - Recently, I updated this PDF document and added a 45-minute teaching video with slides, explaining this tool. It's like a mini-course. If you sign up for my list, I will send this free resource to you. Sign up here - www.AndyMillerIII.com or Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching. Today's episode is brought to you by Wesley Biblical Seminary. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Check out our certificate programs, B.A., M.A.s, M.Div., and D.Min degrees. You will study with world-class faculty and the most racially diverse student body in the country. www.wbs.eduIf this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and leave a review! For more from Andy Miller III, visit andymilleriii.com or follow @andymilleriii on X.Thanks too to Phil Laeger for my podcast music. You can find out about Phil's music at https://www.laeger.net

Mark 2:13-17 As we begin a new series exploring significant moments in Methodist history, we'll look at how founder John Wesley challenged religious and social norms in pursuit of the Gospel. United Methodists are proud of our Wesleyan heritage, but some of us still wrestle with an important question: did Wesley's witness truly resemble the way of Jesus? What does it mean to faithfully follow in Christ's steps — and if we find the answer, will it change anything about the way we live?

If money is a tool to be used, how exactly do we use it without letting it take over our hearts? How do we balance providing for our families without becoming greedy? One of the greatest theologians of the 18th century, John Wesley—the founder of the Methodist movement—preached a famous sermon called "The Use of Money." In it, he laid out three brilliantly simple, yet incredibly challenging pieces of advice for how Christians should handle their finances. These aren't just historical footnotes; they are fiercely relevant to how we live today.

A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli with Foundry UMC, June 7, 2026, Second Sunday after Pentecost. “We Know Who We Are”series. Texts: Romans 12:1-2, 9-13; Acts 2:41-47   Last week we reflected on grace. We remembered that God's grace comes before we ever think about God, before we ever do anything right, before we ever earn anything. Grace comes first. Grace comes last. Grace is always the ground beneath our feet. This week the question is: If grace comes first, how does grace actually change us?   I grew up before car seats were common. Heck—I regularly rode in the back of my dad's or grandpa's pickup truck to get ice cream or drive out to the lake. Looking back, it feels like I was raised in the Wild West!?  As a teenager, I'd been driving a year or so when a new law was passed that required seatbelts. We started hearing about studies showing how seatbelts saved lives. There were those crash-test dummy commercials—remember those? But putting on a seatbelt wasn't something I thought about.  And so every time I got into the car, I had to remind myself: Put on your seatbelt. Sometimes I'd forget. Sometimes I'd remember halfway down the road. But I kept doing it. And then one day I noticed something. I was driving somewhere and realized I already had my seatbelt on. I hadn't thought about it. I hadn't reminded myself. I had just done it. What had once felt awkward and inconvenient had become a habit. It had become instinct. I had practiced and learned a new thing.   Most of us understand this when it comes to driving. Or learning an instrument. Or speaking a language. Or playing a sport. Or exercising.   A friend once told me, “Nobody likes running when they first start. You have to just do it. After a while you'll reap the benefits.” I never forgot the wisdom. You may not start out loving the practice. But you practice because of what the practice is shaping you to become.   And I've been thinking this week that much of the Christian life works the same way. Many of us want to become more loving, more patient, more generous, more courageous. We want to respond to conflict with grace. We want to be less fearful and more trusting. We want our lives to reflect the love of Christ. But how does that happen?   John Wesley believed that the goal of the Christian life was what he called “Christian perfection.” Unfortunately, that phrase has caused confusion for generations. Wesley wasn't talking about becoming flawless. He wasn't talking about never making mistakes. He wasn't talking about acting like we've got it all together. He was talking about becoming so filled with the love of God that God's love begins to overflow from our lives.   I often picture it like a pitcher being filled with water. As we open ourselves to receive God's love and mercy—God's grace!—we are filled. And just as a pitcher overflows once it becomes full, so God's love begins to overflow in our lives. Love spills over. Mercy spills over. Compassion spills over. Generosity spills over. Wesley believed that this could happen. In fact, he believed it was the goal of those who would follow Christ.   Or as the hymn puts it: “Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love.” I love that phrase. The impulse of thy love. Because it suggests a life in which love becomes our first instinct. A life in which generosity and mercy become as natural as breathing. A life in which our hands move at the impulse of God's love. Wouldn't that be something?   The question is: How do we become those people? And Wesley's answer was surprisingly practical. We practice. We train. We place ourselves again and again in the flow of God's grace. Wesley called these practices “means of grace.” Prayer. Scripture. Worship. Holy Communion. Christian conversation and accountability. Small groups. Acts of mercy and service.   And this week, I want to invite you to choose one. Not all of them. Just one. Spend a few minutes each day reading scripture. Or pray each morning before you reach for your phone. Or read a daily devotion. Or intentionally perform one act of kindness or service each day. Choose one way to place yourself in the flow of God's grace and practice it every day this week.   These are means of grace not because they are things that earn God's love or make God love us more. They are not means of grace because checking enough religious boxes gets us into heaven. But because these practices place us where God's transforming grace can reach us. God's grace is always present—whether we're practicing the means of grace or not. But these practices have been shown over the centuries to place us in the flow of God's grace in a very concentrated way.   There is a distinction between trying and training. Anyone can try to run a marathon. But only someone who trains will actually finish one. The same is true of the Christian life. Anybody can try to be more loving. Anybody can try to be more patient. Anybody can try to forgive. But becoming Christlike requires more than trying. It requires training in grace.   This is why Methodists became Methodists. John Wesley was nothing if not methodical. The early Methodists became known for their methods—the practices and habits that helped them grow in love of God and neighbor. And that brings us to Romans 12.   After eleven chapters proclaiming the mercy and grace of God, Paul writes: “I appeal to you therefore...on the basis of God's mercy...” Paul doesn't begin with an appeal based on obligation or guilt or fear, but rather an appeal on the basis of God's mercy. Grace comes first. Then Paul says, “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” Notice that he doesn't say, “Present your beliefs.” He says, “Present your bodies.” The Christian life isn't simply a set of ideas we agree with. It is a way of life. It is embodied. It is practiced.   Then Paul says: “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” This is such a perennial call—true in every age! It is easy to become conformed to the things of this world. All of us are being formed by something. The news forms us. Social media forms us. Fear forms us. Our families, culture, and education form us. The question is not whether we are being formed. The question is: By what?   Paul doesn't tell us to transform ourselves. He says, “Be transformed.” God is the one doing the transforming. Our work is to place ourselves where God's grace can do its work. And then Paul immediately shows us what a transformed life looks like: Let love be genuine. Love one another. Rejoice in hope. Be patient in suffering. Persevere in prayer. Practice hospitality.   These things are not feelings. They are practices. They are things we do again and again until they begin to shape who we are. Nobody wakes up one day naturally hospitable. Nobody wakes up instinctively patient. Nobody wakes up automatically generous. These things are formed through grace and practice.   And then our reading from Acts shows us what that formation looks like in community. The Spirit comes at Pentecost. Thousands are baptized. A movement is born. And what do they do next?   Luke says: “They devoted themselves.” That may be the most important phrase in the whole passage. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. They devoted themselves. Not occasionally or when it was convenient or when they felt inspired. They devoted themselves. They showed up again and again. They listened to the story of Jesus. They prayed together. They shared meals. They worshiped together. They cared for one another. And over time something happened. They became a different kind of people.   Their possessions became less important than their neighbors' needs. Their tables became larger. Their hearts became more generous. Their lives became more joyful. Their witness became more compelling. The Pentecost miracle of Acts 2 is not only that the Spirit came in a wondrous way and moved previously fearful disciples to do wondrous things. The miracle is also that people kept showing up. They devoted themselves to practices that opened them to God's grace. And God's grace formed them into a community that looked different from the world around them. They were not conformed to their age, but were transformed by the saving grace and love of God in Christ Jesus.   Friends, this is part of who we are as United Methodists. We have practices. We have rhythms. We have a path: prayer, presence, gifts, service, and witness, and all the means of grace handed down through generations. They're not handed down because God needs them, but because we do. Not because they earn us salvation, but because they help open us to receive the grace that is already being offered.   And over time, through worship and prayer, through scripture and communion, through service and generosity, God does what only God can do. God transforms us. God fills us. And little by little, sometimes so gradually we hardly notice, our lives begin to move at a different impulse. The impulse of love. The impulse of mercy. The impulse of grace.   “Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love.” That is the goal. It's not about perfectionism. The goal is perfect love—lives so shaped by God's grace that one day we discover we are no longer merely trying to love. By the grace of God, we have begun to move at the impulse of God's love. This week, choose one way to place yourself in the flow of God's grace. Not because God needs it. Because you do.  

Many Pentecostals and charismatics claim that a natural part of the Christian life is to experience a "second baptism" of the Holy Spirit - but is this modern teaching true or is it a form of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Even more importantly, what is the true ministry of the Holy Spirit? Is it to cause men to babble and faint and tell the future, or to make men Holy as God is Holy?In this episode of The Conquering Truth, we trace the roots of Pentecostalism from John Wesley's Holiness movement through the teachings of Parham and Seymour and examine how the "second work of grace" and "entire sanctification" theories have led to a theology and practice that replaces the Spirit's work of true holiness with mystical experiences, chaos, and even physical foolishness.By looking at scriptures like Acts 1, 1 Corinthians 14, and John 16, we contrast the "spirit" of the Charismatic movement—which often exalts disorder and pride—with the true Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth, Wisdom, and Order. The Holy Spirit was sent to give power to the church for the spread of the Gospel and the work of the ministry, and to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, not to make a mockery of the faith through barking or hysterical laughter.At The Conquering Truth, we believe that theology drives the world. Join us as we dismantle the errors of Pentecostalism and point back to the sufficient, transforming power of God's Word.Timecodes00:00 Blaspheming the Holy Spirit10:05 Tongues for Unbelievers15:08 Biblical Prophesy21:12 Mocking God34:44 Christ on the Holy Spirit43:47 Running to Destruction52:00 World Transformation01:03:45 Conformed to Christ01:10:15 Bringing into OrderProduction of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NCPermanent Hosts - Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua HornTechnical Director - Timothy KaiserTheme Music - Gabriel Hudelson

Many Pentecostals and charismatics claim that a natural part of the Christian life is to experience a "second baptism" of the Holy Spirit - but is this modern teaching true or is it a form of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Even more importantly, what is the true ministry of the Holy Spirit? Is it to cause men to babble and faint and tell the future, or to make men Holy as God is Holy?In this episode of The Conquering Truth, we trace the roots of Pentecostalism from John Wesley's Holiness movement through the teachings of Parham and Seymour and examine how the "second work of grace" and "entire sanctification" theories have led to a theology and practice that replaces the Spirit's work of true holiness with mystical experiences, chaos, and even physical foolishness.By looking at scriptures like Acts 1, 1 Corinthians 14, and John 16, we contrast the "spirit" of the Charismatic movement—which often exalts disorder and pride—with the true Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth, Wisdom, and Order. The Holy Spirit was sent to give power to the church for the spread of the Gospel and the work of the ministry, and to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, not to make a mockery of the faith through barking or hysterical laughter.At The Conquering Truth, we believe that theology drives the world. Join us as we dismantle the errors of Pentecostalism and point back to the sufficient, transforming power of God's Word.Timecodes00:00 Blaspheming the Holy Spirit10:05 Tongues for Unbelievers15:08 Biblical Prophesy21:12 Mocking God34:44 Christ on the Holy Spirit43:

There is so much conflicting wisdom about money in the world . Some teach you to get and save as much as you can. Others instruct you to spend it while you have it. Even the church often gets money wrong by ignoring its importance, seeing it as evil, or selfishly desiring more of it. Why should Christians care about money and how does our faith inform how we approach money in our lives? Today we're going to look at how we make our money, and what the founder of methodism, John Wesley has to say about it. Because this man had a lot to say, and some of it remains pretty timely. Also, we're going to look at a couple of grounding scriptures for how to view the money we make.

“God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” (Matthew 5:10 NLT) The great preacher John Wesley was riding his horse one day when he realized that three days had passed since he’d been persecuted in any way. In that time, not a single brick had been thrown in his direction. He’d not been hit by even a single egg. He stopped his horse and said out loud, “Could it be that I am backslidden or I have sinned?” Slipping down from his mount, he knelt on one knee and asked the Lord to show him if there was anything wrong with him spiritually. A man who disliked Wesley happened by and saw him kneeling in prayer. The man picked up a brick and threw it at him, barely missing the preacher. When Wesley saw the brick fly by, he said, “Thank you, Lord! I know I still have Your presence.” Is it any wonder that Wesley was such a powerful preacher? The takeaway from this story isn’t that we should pray for bricks to be thrown our way. The takeaway is that opposition and persecution are often signs that we’re doing something right, spiritually speaking. There’s no reason for our spiritual enemy to attack ineffective believers. But believers who have the potential to make a difference for God’s kingdom scare him. So, he hauls out the big gun of persecution to try to silence them. If you’re a follower of Christ, your very presence will bother some people. You don’t even have to say anything to arouse their opposition. Your presence is like a bright light shining in a dark place. And for some people, that’s not necessarily a good thing. Jesus said, “God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil” (John 3:19 NLT). The persecution we experience because of our beliefs aligns us with the One in whom we believe. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (John 15:18–19 NLT). To be treated in the same way that Jesus was treated is an honor and a blessing. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs” (Matthew 5:10 NLT). Sometimes persecution shows itself as a brick coming our way—that is, as some kind of physical harm, or perhaps even death. Other times, it shows itself in the form of mockery or rejection and causes us to lose friends or perhaps even a job. Whatever form it takes, the reality is this: If you’re living a godly life, then you will face persecution. If you endure and thrive in the face of that persecution, you’ll forge a powerful testimony that impacts people more than words ever could. Reflection question: What would enduring and thriving in the face of persecution look like in your life? Harvest Crusade tickets are fully claimed—but it’s not too late to participate and witness what God does on July 11. Invite your loved ones to watch online with you and make sure you join the waitlist in case more tickets become available. — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Tyson made $400 million and ended up $23 million in debt. A janitor named Ronald Reed made minimum wage his whole career and left $8 million to charity. The difference had nothing to do with income — and everything to do with one rule. That's where this conversation starts. Linda and I were guests at a church for their "Money Talks" series and the questions were so good we wanted to bring this to the podcast. We walk through the John Wesley framework we based our whole book on (make all you can, save all you can, give all you can — and enjoy it), the one number that tells you whether you're moving forward or backward financially, why net worth is actually the wrong thing to track as a Christian, the "Never 100 Rule" that changed everything for us, the one-category budget that works when every other budget fails, and what happened when we started giving in a way that felt irresponsible but resulted in our mortgage being paid off in three years. If you enjoyed this, we'd love to send you a free copy of our book — you just cover shipping. It has over 1,000 5-star reviews on Amazon. Grab it at seedtime.com/free.   WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE Here's a little of what we cover in this episode: Why "net worth" is actually the wrong metric for Christians — and what to track instead The one number that tells you whether you're moving forward or backward financially right now The Never 100 Rule: the single rule that makes all the difference between building wealth and staying stuck Why Mike Tyson went broke (and what it has to do with your budget) The one-category budget — why it gets 80% of the results of full budgeting with 20% of the effort Why willpower-based budgeting always fails — and what to do instead The giving account that made generosity actually fun (instead of a guilt trip) What Bob and Linda would tell their 19-year-old selves about money How to handle money differently when you and your spouse are total opposites   BIBLE VERSES MENTIONED 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 2 Corinthians 8-9 Proverbs (referenced as a daily reading practice — one chapter per day)   RESOURCES MENTIONED Simple Money, Rich Life (the book) Assets Under Management free resource   DISCLAIMER Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting. Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions. Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.

Genesis 1:31 reveals a powerful truth about God's character: He is a God of order, purpose, and intentional design. In this devotional, Deidre Braley explores what it means to be created in the image of God and how His orderly nature is reflected throughout creation. From the boundaries He established in the natural world to the systems that allow life to flourish, God demonstrates that order is not restrictive—it is life-giving. As believers, we are called to reflect His character by bringing peace, clarity, and purpose into the spaces we influence. Highlights God’s creation reveals His nature as a God of order and purpose. Being made in God’s image means reflecting His character in everyday life. Order creates space for people, relationships, and communities to thrive. Stewarding our homes and possessions can be an act of worship. Healthy systems and organization help good work flourish. Peacemaking reflects God’s heart and brings stability to relationships. Christians are called to bring clarity and hope into chaotic situations. Small acts of intentionality can create lasting impact in our daily lives. Join the Conversation Where do you sense God calling you to bring greater order, peace, or purpose into your life? Have you experienced how creating healthy rhythms and boundaries has helped you grow spiritually? Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/ Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: What it Means to Be Made in the Image of an Orderly God By Deidre Braley Bible Reading: God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. - Genesis 1:31 NIV Marie Kondo is known as one of the world’s most beloved tidying experts, and one day she convinced me that the path to inner peace would be to pull all of the clothes out of my closet and throw them on my bed to be analyzed, one by one. I had just watched the first episode of her show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix, in which she teaches her proteges to ask this question: When I touch this item, does it spark joy? If the answer is yes, then the item gets to stay. If the answer is no, the directive is to thank the item for its service and then bid it adieu. Even if this sounds a little woo-woo, I have to say that after I had removed a great many joyless items from my wardrobe and reorganized the rest of my clothes back into the closet, I felt an internal sigh of relief. I did feel more joyful. I felt as though a burden had lifted, as though a weight I’d been unwittingly carrying around for years was suddenly gone. In 1872, John Wesley preached, “Cleanliness is, indeed, next to godliness,” and though he was talking specifically about the way a person dressed and cared for their appearance, I think he was pressing on a deeper spiritual truth, too. Cleanliness is the visual representation of order, and our Creator is, as evidenced by creation, a God of order. If you look carefully at the creation story, you will notice that God did not just bring all things into being—he also gave them each a designated spot, a boundary for existence, a specific space in which to thrive. He separated the light from the darkness, giving both their time to reign, as day and night. He gave each plant one specific fruit to bear. He told the sea how far it could go and then said, “No more.” Biblical scholar Rachel Smith describes God’s work in a way that Marie Kondo would approve of: “It (the world) was designed to run well and to be a well-ordered environment for its occupants. This is the sense of good in the creation account. Everything God created He declared good because it acted within its purpose and provided benefits” (Rest Assured: What the Creation Story Was Intended to Reveal About Trusting God, pg. 62-63). Intersecting Faith & Life: What does it mean to bear God’s image? It means to care about the things he cares about, and to reflect his character out into the world. And one of the things that God cares about is order, which creates space for life to thrive. When we enter into chaos and bring disorder back into equilibrium, we are doing the work of God. Here are some practical areas where we might do that today. In our physical spaces Declutter one area of your home. Choose a junk drawer, a closet, or a bedroom. Remove everything, and only put back what serves a purpose or, per the advice of Marie Kondo, brings joy. Give each item a designated space, and then, if you can, bring a little extra beauty to that area. Organize by color. Add flowers. Freshen with a scented sachet. Is there a time of day that feels particularly chaotic? Create a ritual to help it go more smoothly. If morning times are hectic, for example, pre-set your coffee pot the night before. Lay out your clothes. Wake up ten minutes earlier. Light a candle while you eat breakfast. See how these adjustments bring a sense of peace to what used to feel overwhelming. In our workplaces Administration may not be glamorous, but it is essential for bringing order. If you have the gift of administration—that is, organizing information, communication, and actions into systems that run smoothly—put it into practice in your workplace. Good structures help good work to thrive. Be a problem solver. If you see that something is not working and have an idea for how to fix it, say something. Be someone who steps into situations and brings clarity and excellence. In our communities Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). In our communities, bringing order looks like bringing peace—to relationships, to organizations, to broken systems. When we step into disordered situations or strained relationships in our neighborhoods or even global communities, we are reflecting God’s image by bringing equilibrium. This could look as simple as serving on the PTA and being a voice of calm and reason when the meetings get heated, or it could look like serving in outreach ministries to provide for the real, everyday needs of neighbors. Further Reading: Genesis 1:1-31 Rest Assured: What the Creation Story Was Intended to Reveal About Trusting God by Rachel Booth Smith Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The video centers on the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, emphasizing that true spiritual impact—exemplified by figures like George Whitefield and John Wesley—stems not from human effort alone but from divine empowerment. It highlights the biblical truth that every believer, upon receiving Christ, hosts the Holy Spirit, who desires not merely to reside but to reign and direct one's gifts for extraordinary purposes. The message underscores that authentic evangelistic calling is not driven by personal ambition or worldly motivation, but by a divine, personal summons that is available to all who are willing. With a pastoral and encouraging tone, the sermon calls listeners to embrace the Spirit's leadership, trusting that God's design for ministry surpasses human capability and is rooted in a faithful, Spirit-led obedience.

The video centers on the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, emphasizing that true spiritual impact—exemplified by figures like George Whitefield and John Wesley—stems not from human effort alone but from divine empowerment. It highlights the biblical truth that every believer, upon receiving Christ, hosts the Holy Spirit, who desires not merely to reside but to reign and direct one's gifts for extraordinary purposes. The message underscores that authentic evangelistic calling is not driven by personal ambition or worldly motivation, but by a divine, personal summons that is available to all who are willing. With a pastoral and encouraging tone, the sermon calls listeners to embrace the Spirit's leadership, trusting that God's design for ministry surpasses human capability and is rooted in a faithful, Spirit-led obedience.

A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli with Foundry UMC, May 24, 2026, Pentecost Sunday. “We Know Who We Are” series. ​​​​Texts: Acts 2:1-21; John 20:19-22​​​​   Last Tuesday evening, I found myself seated at a table listening to live jazz in the nave of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC. The occasion was the celebration for my mentor, Rev. Dr. Serene Jones upon her retirement as president of Union Theological Seminary after an extraordinary 18-year tenure. It was such a gift not only to be in the room with and for Serene, but to reflect on her influence upon my life through her words, actions, and friendship. And when she rose at the end of the evening to address the crowd, she urged all of us to pay attention to the prompting of Spirit and to follow God's call on our life.   It was a gift to receive this charge: to ponder, remember, and honor God's call upon my life and how Spirit has been falling afresh on me at every age and stage of my journey. Sometimes Spirit's meddling and God's call have felt aggravating, disruptive, heavy, and even painful. But, with every twist and turn along the way, God has brought me through and Spirit has stirred me to keep going.   And the truth is, I didn't always recognize Spirit's presence while it was happening. Sometimes it was only later, looking back, that I could see how God had been nudging and guiding and sustaining me all along. Maybe you know something about that too. Maybe Spirit has shown up in your life in ways you didn't fully recognize at the time—in a relationship that changed you…a burden you couldn't shake…a moment of courage you didn't know you had…a conviction that kept growing in you…a grief that opened your heart…or a persistent tug toward compassion, justice, mercy, or love.   And it makes me think about how we focus just one day of the liturgical year on the miraculous story of Spirit blowing into the community of Jesus's disciples and setting them on fire to move out into the streets to tell God's deeds of power. But, really, Spirit is at work in all sorts of ways all the time.   I get it, though, why we make a whole day out of Pentecost. It is a powerful story, the church's origin story really, of the moment when the disciples realized that Jesus' promises would be kept—that the Holy Spirit would baptize them and empower them to continue the saving work of God in the world. That very day they did things that seemed impossible—they spoke in ways that people from all over the known world could understand. And in that moment Peter recognized and proclaimed the fulfillment not only of the promise of Jesus, but the prophecy of Joel. That God would pour out Spirit upon all flesh, empowering all to have visions and dream dreams and prophesy. It's very dramatic—like a sci-fi movie that brings unlikely people together acrossunimaginable odds to do extraordinary things—with the bonus of great special effects. And I love it! But I also recognize that Pentecost wasn't the first time Spirit showed up among the disciples. Maybe it was the first time they recognized so clearly the Spirit who had been carrying them all along.   How else were they able to have the courage to leave their familiar lives to follow Jesus? How else were they able to go into villages and tell the good news and care for the sick and those struggling with their demons? How, apart from Holy Spirit, did they feed the five thousand? How did they stay together after the trauma and terror of crucifixion?   And maybe that's why I love the quieter story in John chapter 20 so much. The disciples have had the wind knocked out of them. By grief, fear, trauma. By watching everything they thought was going to happen collapse before their eyes. They are huddled behind locked doors, trying to figure out what comes next.   And then Jesus comes among them—not first with demands or instructions, but with peace. “Peace be with you.” And then he breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” And honestly, I need to receive this right now and am pretty sure I'm not alone. I believe many people have had the wind knocked out of them. By grief. By fear. By the cruelty and chaos of this moment. By exhaustion. By disillusionment with the church. By watching Christianity so often get presented as domination instead of service, exclusion instead of welcome, certainty instead of compassion.   And on this Memorial Day weekend, many of us are carrying grief not only for lives lost in service, but also for the deep fractures in the country those lives sought to protect.   Many of us wonder whether the church can still mean something beautiful. Whether faith can still sound like Jesus.   We need the story we tell today! John and Acts tell it differently—but perhaps they are showing us two movements of the same Spirit. In John, Spirit comes like breath in a fearful room—restoring peace, courage, and life to weary people. In Acts, Spirit comes like wind in the streets—pushing those same people beyond fear and beyond every barrier to bear witness in a broken world.   But it is the same Spirit. The Spirit who restores breath to weary people. The Spirit who revives people who have had the life knocked out of them. The Spirit who reminds fearful people who they are.   And only then comes the sending. Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you…” Notice that Jesus does not come into the room and say, “Once you've resolved all your fear…once you feel confident…once you fully understand everything…THEN I'll send you.”   No. The doors are still locked. The disciples are still afraid. And yet Jesus breathes Spirit into them anyway. God's mission doesn't wait for us to feel ready. Spirit meets us in the midst of fear, uncertainty, grief, and confusion—and sends us anyway.   What does it mean to be sent by Jesus as Jesus is sent by his Father? If the accounts of Jesus' life are our guide, then it means that we, like Jesus, are sent into the world to bring healing into places of suffering, hope into places of despair, mercy and forgiveness into places of sin, comfort into places of grief, peace into places of violence, love into places of hatred. To be sent as Jesus is sent is to be bearers of God's life in the world, to put our lives on the line for the sake of justice, and to stand in solidarity with those who are hurt by the systems of the day.   As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are a people who are not only gathered into the family of God—those who “go to church”—but we are also, inherently, a sent people, called to BE the church all the time and in every place we are.   Think for a moment of the life-giving rhythm of our bodies breathing in and breathing out. A healthy body needs to do both. The in-breath of the Body of Christ—the church—is the Spirit gathering us in to be loved, supported, fed, strengthened, and given purpose through sacrament and worship and study and community. Every Sunday or whenever we gather, the Body breathes in, takes in God's grace and power. And the out-breath is like the Spirit of God blowing out across the chaos of the world at the very beginning, bringing peace and new life. The “sent-ness” of the church is like that—the church moving out into the chaos and brokenness of the world to bring love, mercy, healing, and hope. Every day between Sundays the Body exhales, breathing the Spirit into places thirsty for life and hope and kindness.   As the founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, famously said: Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.   I remember during the painful debates and divisions of the United Methodist General Conferences of 2016 and 2019, one of the pieces of legislation brought to the floor proposed changing the United Methodist mission statement—which is “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”—by dropping the second half: “for the transformation of the world.”   I was aghast at the idea. It felt like a vision of discipleship focused only inwardly, as if Jesus followers were meant to crowd back into locked rooms and focus only on their personal “disciple” ticket. It sounded like a church withdrawing its prophets from proximity to the powers and principalities that so desperately need their voice. It sounded like a church trying to hold its breath. I'm happy to say the legislation didn't pass. Because the story of this day—the story of Pentecost, the story of the work of Holy Spirit in and through disciples across the ages—is clear: Spirit always exhales—sending us into the world to embody the love and justice of Christ. The way we say it at Foundry is “Love God. Love each other. Change the world.”   And so I want to extend to you the same charge I received from Serene: pay attention to the prompting of Spirit who is always at work and respond to God's call on your life. Every day. In all the ways and places and by whatever means you can. And if you aren't sure where to begin, I invite you to decide right now on one act of service or outreach you will do this week, even small, for the wider community. Just do one concrete act of service beyond your usual routine. It could be running an errand for a friend who needs a hand. Or calling your state or federal representatives. Or paying for someone's meal. Or any other thing that Spirit prompts.   Because Spirit has been nearer than you realized all along. And Spirit will keep giving you breath—and wind at your back—to move beyond yourself and into the wondrous, love-fueled mission of God.

The video centers on the enduring legacy of John Wesley, highlighting his transformative impact through passionate evangelism and a radical commitment to spreading the Gospel beyond traditional church boundaries. It emphasizes Wesley's personal conversion experience—marked by a profound realization that salvation comes through personal faith in Christ, not merely religious discipline—and his revolutionary declaration that 'the world is my parish,' underscoring a missional vision that reached the marginalized, including miners and farmers. The narrative connects Wesley's 18th-century revivalism to the American circuit rider movement, illustrating how his model of mobile, accessible preaching shaped modern evangelism. Through a pastoral and reverent tone, the message celebrates Wesley's lifelong devotion to Christ, the poor, and the proclamation of the Gospel, culminating in his final words, 'Best of all, God is with us,' as a testament to enduring divine presence and purpose. The sermon invites contemporary listeners to embrace a similarly expansive, Christ-centered mission rooted in love and sacrifice.

The site of outdoor preaching by John Wesley and George Whitefield is a backdrop to emphasize that the Gospel is not confined to church buildings but belongs to the entire world. It highlights how the message of Christ brought profound hope to marginalized people, such as soot-streaked miners, transforming their lives through spiritual renewal despite enduring hardship. The central theme centers on the universal call to proclaim the Gospel of peace, rooted in Scripture and exemplified by the radical conviction that 'the world is my parish.' The preacher calls the modern church to be humbled and motivated by past faithful witnesses, urging a renewed commitment to share Christ's transformative message with all people in everyday life. Ultimately, the sermon affirms that true hope is found only in Jesus Christ, whose Gospel offers both present comfort and eternal promise.

The site of outdoor preaching by John Wesley and George Whitefield is a backdrop to emphasize that the Gospel is not confined to church buildings but belongs to the entire world. It highlights how the message of Christ brought profound hope to marginalized people, such as soot-streaked miners, transforming their lives through spiritual renewal despite enduring hardship. The central theme centers on the universal call to proclaim the Gospel of peace, rooted in Scripture and exemplified by the radical conviction that 'the world is my parish.' The preacher calls the modern church to be humbled and motivated by past faithful witnesses, urging a renewed commitment to share Christ's transformative message with all people in everyday life. Ultimately, the sermon affirms that true hope is found only in Jesus Christ, whose Gospel offers both present comfort and eternal promise.

The video centers on the enduring legacy of John Wesley, highlighting his transformative impact through passionate evangelism and a radical commitment to spreading the Gospel beyond traditional church boundaries. It emphasizes Wesley's personal conversion experience—marked by a profound realization that salvation comes through personal faith in Christ, not merely religious discipline—and his revolutionary declaration that 'the world is my parish,' underscoring a missional vision that reached the marginalized, including miners and farmers. The narrative connects Wesley's 18th-century revivalism to the American circuit rider movement, illustrating how his model of mobile, accessible preaching shaped modern evangelism. Through a pastoral and reverent tone, the message celebrates Wesley's lifelong devotion to Christ, the poor, and the proclamation of the Gospel, culminating in his final words, 'Best of all, God is with us,' as a testament to enduring divine presence and purpose. The sermon invites contemporary listeners to embrace a similarly expansive, Christ-centered mission rooted in love and sacrifice.

Pastor Vicki Harrison takes a question she hears all the time and brings it straight to Scripture: What does God actually think about animals? Starting in Genesis 1:24-25, she introduces the Hebrew word bara — the special kind of creation God reserves for the heavens and earth, the animals, and humanity. She traces God's care for animals through Noah's ark, then reads through Psalm 104, where the psalmist paints a picture of an entire world God has designed and sustains for every creature in it. Then she gets personal: a glass frog with see-through skin, a 62-foot whale shark that eats only plankton, a platypus that feeds its young through pores in its skin, and a blobfish designed for the very bottom of the ocean — each one perfectly suited to where God placed it, each one pointing to a Creator who makes things with intention. She also takes on the question almost every pet owner eventually asks: Will I see my pets in heaven? She's honest about what Scripture does and doesn't say — and what John Wesley, Martin Luther, and C.S. Lewis believed. She lands in Matthew 6:25-26. Jesus points to the birds of the air — your heavenly Father feeds them. If he tends to the creatures with that kind of care, how much more does he attend to you? Three truths. One message. A God who makes things on purpose and loves his people without limits.

When the Day of Pentecost was Fulfilled Acts 2 by William Klock Luke opens the second chapter of Acts writing, “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in the same place.”  [Page 1081 in the pew Bibles].  “When the day of Pentecost had come—or some translations say arrived.  The old King James is better: “When the day of Pentecost was fully come.”  Or it might be even better to say, “When the day of Pentecost was fulfilled.”  The Greek word can mean come or arrive, but it has a powerful sense of filling and fulfilment and I think that's particularly important here.  First, this is the day that the church was filled full of God's presence and truly became his living temple, but second, it was also the day when the promises of God contained within this ancient festival were finally fulfilled.  It's about the fulfilment of God's promises to his people. You see, Pentecost was one of the great festivals God told his people to observe when he gave them the torah.  It was a harvest festival, when the people would bring the firstfruits of their grain harvest as offerings to the Lord.  But it was also a commemoration of the giving of torah.  The Passover marked Israel's deliverance from her slavery in Egypt and then fifty days later, Israel met the Lord at Mt. Sinai.  There he gave her his law and established his covenant with her.  You could say that Pentecost was the day that marked Israel's formal creation as a nation—when the Lord had said, “I will be your God and you will be my people.”  And every year, for over a thousand years, the people took their grain offerings to the temple in Jerusalem, laid them before the Lord, and remembered who he was and who they were and they recalled his promises, while looking forward in hope to the day those promises would be fulfilled.  So when Luke writes, “When the day of Pentecost was fulfilled,” we should hear something powerful in that.  Just as Jesus fulfilled the Passover once and for all in his death and resurrection, God is going to fulfil the ancient festival of Pentecost once and for all. Brothers and Sisters, this is important, because ever since John Wesley, there's been a powerful tendency to see Pentecost more as a stage of personal spiritual growth than as the once-and-for-all fulfilment of God's promise happening within the great story of God and his people.  A hundred and twenty-five years ago, a group of Christians in Los Angeles had an unusual spiritual experience that needed an explanation.  They explained it as an end-times renewal of “Pentecost” and the Pentecostal movement was born—a movement that taught—and in most places still today—teaches that while every Christian ought to experience Pentecost and be baptised into the Holy Spirit, it's a second event, a second blessing that follows a person's conversion and that many never receive—and those who never received it include virtually every believer between the First Century church and the birth of the Pentecostal movement in 1901.  This highlights the danger of interpreting scripture in light of our experiences.  Instead, we need to let the scriptures do the talking and understand our experiences in light of them. Because just as every single man or woman who has been united to Jesus the Messiah by faith is a full recipient of the benefits of his fulfilment of the Passover, just so every single man or woman who has been united to Jesus the Messiah by faith is also a full recipient of the benefits of his fulfilment of Pentecost.  The church—the whole church, not just some part of it that began 125 years ago—is pentecostal.   It takes a lifetime to learn to live into both of these realities, but to separate them or to say, as some have, that you have to earn baptism in the Spirit through the process of sanctification is to horribly misunderstand the scriptures and the story they tell.  I have more to say about that, but let's get straight into that story as Luke tells it and, especially, as Peter will explain it.  So, again, this is Acts 2: “When the day of Pentecost was fulfilled, they [that's the disciples] were all together in the same place. [Probably, the upper room where they had eaten the Last Supper.]  Suddenly there came from heaven a noise like the sound of a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  Then tongues, seemingly made of fire, appeared to them, moving apart and coming to rest on each one of them.  They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other language as the Spirit gave them words to say.” This is the fulfilment of God's promises to come and dwell with his people.  After generations upon generations, millennia upon millennia of sin separating humanity from God, this is God's homecoming.  Jesus' death as a perfect sacrifice for sin washed his people clean, it purified them.  It made them fit and prepared them to be God's temple—the holy place where he will dwell.  And now he's sent his Spirit to take up his dwelling in this new temple. It's also a moment of covenant renewal—again, fulfilling God's promises to Israel.  That's why the imagery of Passover and Sinai are so important here.  In his ascension, Jesus is like Moses going up the mountain and at Passover, like Moses returning with the law and God establishing a covenant with his people, this time God sends down his Spirit to establish a new covenant with this renewed Israel.  And this time it's not an external law carved on stone tablets, but God's own Spirit indwelling, renewing, regenerating and writing his law of love on their very hearts.  Hearts of stone made hearts of flesh. And this fulfilment of God's promises, this covenant renewal, this new temple are all part of the answer to Jesus' prayer that it may be on earth as it is in heaven.  In his ascension, Jesus took a bit of earth—our humanity—to heaven, and on Pentecost he sent to earth, to dwell with us, the Spirit—a bit of heaven.  And that Spirit sent by Jesus, the new Adam, breathes the life of God into the new humanity.  Brothers and Sisters, between the Old Testament imagery that God draws on in doing this amazing thing and the careful choice of words Luke uses to describe it, we ought to see a powerful image here of new creation. And new creation doesn't exist simply for our sake.  New creation began with Jesus and now it's come to his people, but it's not meant to stay with them.  When he ascended, Jesus told his disciples that they would carry this good news throughout Judea and Samaria and eventually to the whole earth.  Once empowered by his Spirit, their mission would be, not only to live out this new creation, but to go out with the announcement that Jesus is Lord and that world belongs to him.  And right here we get a sense of that dominion as these one-hundred-twenty disciples begin to unexpectedly speak in other languages.  Why?  Look at verse 5: “There were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem at that time.  When they heard this noise they came together in a crowd.  They were deeply puzzled, because every single one of them could hear them speaking in his own native language.  They were astonished and amazed.” Thanks to the Exile, Jews were spread out across the known world, but Pentecost was one of those feasts where everyone returned to Jerusalem.  So there's an international crowd in the city and this work of the Spirit gets their attention.  Luke goes on in verse 7: “These men who are doing the speaking are all Galileans, aren't they,” they said.  “So how is it that each of us can hear them in our own mother tongues?  There are Parthians here, and Medes, Elamites, and people who live in Mesopotamia, Judaea, Cappadocia…[The international list is a long one.  Jews and proselytes (converts), from the known world.]…We can hear them telling us about the mighty works of God—in our own languages!” Notice about this gift of tongues: It was a gift of known languages.  The speech was intelligible.  And it wasn't for any kind of spiritual benefit of the speakers.  This was a miracle—a first work of the Spirit—to announce what God was accomplishing (or fulfilling!) through Jesus and the Spirit and through this renewed Israel—what we call “the church”.  And Luke says they were all “astonished and perplexed.”  “What does it all mean?” they were asking each other.  But some sneered.  “They're full of new wine,” they said.  Then Peter got up, with the eleven. He spoke to them in a loud voice.” None of the disciples was expecting this.  They were expecting something.  Jesus had told them to go back to Jerusalem and to wait.  So they did.  They waited and they prayed.  Like I said last week, these were men steeped in the scriptures.  Combine that with patience and prayer and understanding will come.  And despite not expecting this exact situation, Peter immediately understands what's going on through the lens of the scriptures, of Israel's story, and of God's promises.  And so—verse 14—Peter says to them, “Men of Judaea!  All of you staying here in Jerusalem! There's something you have to know.  Listen to what I'm saying.  These people aren't drunk, as you imagine.  It's only nine o'clock in the morning!  No, this is what the prophet Joel was talking about when he said, ‘In the last days, declares God, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and your daughters will prophesy; your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams; Yes, even on slaves, men and women alike, will I pour out my Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.  And I will give signs in the heavens above, and portents on earth beneath, blood and fire and clouds of smoke.  The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and glorious day.  And then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Joel's prophecy was a prophecy of covenant renewal.  Back at the beginning—sort of the first Pentecost, if it helps to think of it that way—before Israel entered the promised land, Moses reiterated the covenant to the people.  If they would be the holy people the Lord had set them apart to be, if they would keep his law, if they would give him their allegiance and not worship other gods, he would dwell with them and bless them in the land.  But if they refused to do these things, he would curse them and eventually exile them—because an unholy people cannot live in God's presence.  And, of course, exile is precisely what happened.  And even when the people of Judah returned from their exile in Babylon, even after they'd rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple, it still felt an awful like the exile wasn't really over.  Judah was ruled by pagan gentiles.  The Lord's presence had never returned to the temple.  And so they hoped in the promises the Lord had made to one day renew his covenant.  Through Isaiah, through Ezekiel, through Jeremiah, through Joel the Lord had promised.  He would not let his people languish in exile forever.  One day he would come and forgive their sins and their idolatry, one day he would come and fix their broken hearts, giving them hearts of flesh instead of hearts of stone; breathing new life into dead, dry bones; pouring out his Spirit to make Israel new.  And in that rushing wind, in the tongues of fire, as he and his friends suddenly found themselves speaking other languages Peter recognised the words God had spoken through Joel.  This was the day.  Through Jesus and the Spirit, the God of Israel was renewing his covenant, through Jesus and the Spirit he'd returned to dwell again with his people: men and women, young and old, slave and free.  Judgement was coming soon on the unrepentant, but for those who called on the name of the Lord—on Jesus the Messiah—there was renewal.  And so Peter announces Joel's promise to Israel: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” And then he does something astounding.  We're so used to hearing it that we might not even give it a thought, but Peter now takes this passage from Joel that was about the Lord, about Yahweh, about the God of Israel and he makes it about Jesus.  Look at verse 22: “You men of Israel, listen to this.  Jesus of Nazareth was a man marked out for you by God through the mighty works, signs, and portents which God performed through him right here among you, as you all know.  He was handed over in accordance with God's determined purpose and foreknowledge—and you used people outside the law to nail him up and kill him.  But God raised him from the dead! Death had its painful grip on him; but God released him from it, because it wasn't possible for him to be mastered by it.  This you see, is how David speaks of him: “I set the Lord before me always; because he is at my right hand, I won't be shaken.  So my heart was happy, and my tongue rejoiced, and my flesh, too, will rest in hope.  For you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will you allow your holy One to see corruption.  You showed me the path of life; you filled me with gladness in your presence.” Peter's quoting from Psalm 16.  What's that got to do with any of this.  Well, he goes on: “Men and Brothers, I can surely speak freely to you about the patriarch David.  He died and was buried and his tomb is here with us to this day.  He was of course a prophet and he knew that God had sworn an oath to set one of his own physical offspring on his throne.  He foresaw the Messiah's resurrection and spoke about him “not being left in Hades,” and about his flesh “not seeing corruption.”  [So here's his point.]  This is the Jesus we're talking about.  God raised him from the dead and all of us here are witnesses to the fact.  Now he's been exalted to God's right hand; and what you see and hear is the result of the fact that he is pouring out the Holy Spirit, which had been promised, and which he has received from the Father.”  So Peter's explaining to them that Jesus, in his resurrection, has fulfilled the messianic prophecy in Psalm 16 and what they're seeing happening in the wind, the tongues of fire, and the other languages is the evidence of Jesus' exaltation to his throne.  And in the same way that Jesus' resurrection has fulfilled Psalm 16, his ascension is fulfilling Psalm 110. Peter goes on in verse 34: “David, after all, did not ascend into the heavens.  This is what he says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I place your enemies underneath your feet.'  So the whole house of Israel must know this for a fact: God has made him Lord and Messiah, this Jesus, the one you crucified.”  Again, what they're seeing is the proof that God is vindicating the claims of Jesus to be Israel's Messiah.  Jesus fulfilled God's promises when he rose from the dead, he fulfilled God's promises when he ascended into heaven, and now he's fulfilling God's promises in pouring out God's Spirit, now seen and heard in the wind, the flames, and the tongues.  Again, God is renewing his covenant as he promised. Luke goes on in verse 37: “When they heard this, they were cut to the heart.  “Brothers,” they said to Peter and the other apostles, “what shall we do?”  “Repent!” replied Peter.  “Be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus the Messiah, so that your sins can be forgiven and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The promise is for you and for your children, and for everyone who is far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Notice—this is important—even though, yes, it is individuals who do the repenting, one by one, what Peter is calling for is national repentance.  Israel must repent—from sin, yes, but most of all from her rejection of Jesus as Messiah.  That's why Peter puts so much weight on how all that's happened is proof of Jesus' messiahship.  Jesus had warned over and over that if Israel would not repent, if Israel insisted on rejecting him as Messiah—and Jesus put this rejection in terms of idolatry—judgement would come on Israel and this time it would be permanent.  The Romans would destroy Jerusalem and the temple and the people would be exiled, not for seventy years, not for 490 years, but forever.  As an aside, Paul will pick up this same theme with the Athenians in 17:31.  As salvation was for the Jew first and then for the gentiles, just so would God's judgement be.  He would judge Israel for their idolatry and then come for the gentiles.  So Peter urges his fellow Jews to repent of their idolatry, to put their faith in Jesus as Messiah, and they will become part of this renewed covenant community—this new temple in which God, through his Spirit, has come to dwell. Luke says in verse 40 that Peter “carried on explaining things to them with many other words.”  No doubt walking them through more of Israel's story and more of Israel's scriptures to show them how Jesus and the Spirit have fulfilled them.  “Let God rescue you,” he was urging them, “from this wicked generation.”  Those who welcomed his word were baptised.  About three thousand lives were added to the community that day. And, again, the result is new creation, lived out in this renewed community of men and women.  Pentecost isn't just a personal exercise in spiritual growth any more than Jesus' death and resurrection were.  It's about the formation of a new people of God that would be God's temple in the world.  A temple made of people, transformed from the inside out, a temple that would—that still does—steward God's presence, God's wisdom, God's new creation for the sake of the world.  Luke makes a point of contrasting it with the old Israel, trundling along blindly in unbelief, in idolatry, and heading straight into inevitable judgement and destruction.  In contrast, this new Jesus-plus-Spirit people [verse 42] live out their baptism by “giving full attention to the teaching of the apostles and to the common life, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  Great awe fell on everyone and many remarkable deeds and signs were performed by the apostles.”  At the centre of their life together was this apostolic teaching that we see Peter giving: Teaching showing how Israel's scriptures, God's promises were being fulfilled in Jesus.  Truly good news.  And it drew them together as they shared meals—just as Jesus had done—including that last meal he'd shared with them, transposing the Passover meal, the covenant renewal meal of the people of God, transposing it around himself, his death, and his resurrection.  And they prayed.  And this transformed them.  “All those who believe came together and held everything in common.  They sold their possessions and belongings and divided them up to everyone in proportion to their various needs.”  No, they didn't become Marxists.  Luke's point is that they became a family.  They became what Israel was supposed to be.  Not a people who did their own thing; not a people who grabbed and hoarded for themselves; not a people who disengaged from community seven days a week, and then gathered with a group of religious acquaintances for a couple of hours one day a week.  No, Jesus and the Spirit made them a family.  Jesus and the Spirit made them a people of love, of grace, of abundance (even in their physical poverty), a family that witnessed the character of the Spirit and the goodness and abundance of God's new creation.  And the people around them noticed: “Day by day they were they were all together attending the temple.  They broke bread in their various houses and ate their food with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and standing in favour with all the people.  And every day the Lord added to their numbers those who were being rescued.” Brothers and Sisters, our great desire should be that the church today—not just our congregation, but the whole church—should look just like this, simply on a much larger and global scale.  We are no less a people of Jesus and the Spirit than those first Christians in Jerusalem were.  We should be such a family where the scriptures are read and the mighty works of God—the fulfilment of his promise; the good news about Jesus, crucified, risen, and ascended—are not only believed, but lived out and proclaimed.  A family where God's new creation generosity is actively lived out.  A family that not only keeps this covenant renewal meal, but lives out its implications throughout the week.  A family that clasps its hands together and prays that it might be on earth as it is in heaven, not just because Jesus told us to, but Brother and Sisters, because we are the people whose King shares our earthly nature and reigns in heaven; because we are the people who have been, ourselves, plunged into heavenly life by God's Spirit; and because we are people who are ourselves the fulfilment of God's promises and therefore a people of hope and witness of God's glory. Let's pray: Faithful God who never fails to fulfil your promises, you have purified us with the blood of your Son and filled us with your Spirit to make us your temple; give us grace to be that temple, to be your new creation, to be the stewards of your presence and your gospel for the sake of the world; and in your faithfulness, cause our faithfulness to bear fruit for your kingdom.  Through Jesus the Messiah, our Lord and our rescuer, we pray.  Amen.

Crowhill and Pigweed drink and review a Sweet Baby Jesus chocolate peanut butter porter and discuss a question that's challenged churches and society for centuries. Should religion and politics mix?Using a collection of social issue position papers published by the United Methodist Church as a starting point, the conversation explores the history of Methodism, from John Wesley's "heart strangely warmed" experience and the Holy Club at Oxford to the circuit riders who helped spread the movement across the American frontier. Along the way, they examine how Methodism became deeply associated with social reform, including efforts against slavery, drunkenness, and other social ills.The discussion then turns to modern political issues, including immigration, worker justice, climate change, the death penalty, abortion, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Crowhill and Pigweed consider how churches apply biblical principles to contemporary policy debates, where the line between moral teaching and political advocacy should be drawn, and whether clergy are always equipped to speak authoritatively on complex public issues.A recurring theme is the idea that movements formed in crisis often institutionalize a crisis mentality. If a religious movement was born by confronting genuine social problems, does it eventually develop a habit of searching for the next great cause? And does that tendency sometimes lead churches to exaggerate modern problems by comparing them to historic struggles such as slavery, Jim Crow, or the civil rights movement?It's a wide-ranging conversation about faith, public life, church authority, social reform, and the challenges of living out religious convictions in a deeply political age. Plus, as always, there's a beer review to get things started.

John Wesley once asked, “Where is the joy I knew when I first saw the Lord?” Maybe you've asked the same question. In this message, Dr. James Boice will be looking at Psalm 85 where the psalmist asks, “Will you not revive us again?” To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29?v=20251111

On this Pentecost Sunday, we explore Acts 2 and the powerful arrival of the Holy Spirit—not just as the “birthday of the church,” but as a launching point for believers into a new future. Through stories of graduations, rocket launches, and John Wesley's Aldersgate experience, this conversation reflects on what it means to be moved forward by God's Spirit with love, courage, and understanding in a divided world.

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when faith moves from the head to the heart? This Pentecost message explores the fire of the Holy Spirit, the “strangely warmed” heart of John Wesley, and why many believers settle for cold religion when God offers living communion with Christ.HOME | PLAN YOUR VISIT | BLOG | DIGITAL BULLETIN

Rev. Jonathan Brown 05/11/2026 Sometimes the things that become central to who we are begin as a surprise. They do not always arrive with a clear plan, a perfect explanation, or a sense that we understand exactly what we are saying yes to. Sometimes a door opens, an invitation comes, a possibility appears, and only later do we realize that something important in us began to take shape there. When Francis came to us at eleven, he spoke very little English. I spoke no Spanish. Katy knew a bit. And DC Child and Family Services seemed to consider a person bilingual if they had Google Translate on their phone. Every day, I thank God because his young mind has been able to adapt to our language, while I still find myself cursing Duolingo. And since Francis became part of our family, he has also become an accomplished cyclist. He has won two Under 19 series championships, and he spends his free time training to get better. At our local bike shop, someone told us he was a unicorn because he fell in love with cycling even though his parents were not already obsessed with it. This was not a family culture he simply inherited. It became his. One day after a race, I was kind of in awe of him and all he had accomplished, and I asked him, “Francis, how did this happen? How did cycling become your thing?” And he said, “Do you remember when I first moved in with you, and you asked if I wanted a bike?” I said, “Yes.” And he said, “I did not know what you were saying, and I did not want to be rude, so I just said yes. Then I fell in love with it.” I love that. Because so much of life is like that. One day, seemingly out of the blue, something comes into our lives that we did not plan for and could not have predicted. At first, it may feel random. It may feel small. It may feel like a simple yes to a simple question. But over time, that unexpected beginning can become a practice, then a passion, then a major part of who we are. A bike becomes more than a bike. A first ride becomes a rhythm. A rhythm becomes a love. A love becomes part of someone's identity. And that helps me hear Mark's story with fresh ears. Simon and Andrew do not wake up that morning knowing they are about to become disciples. James and John do not begin the day expecting their lives to turn in a new direction. They are working. They are casting nets. They are mending nets. They are living the life they know. Then, seemingly out of the blue, Jesus walks by and says, “Follow me.” What may have felt sudden in the moment becomes the beginning of their identity. They will come to be known as disciples, apostles, witnesses, people whose lives are forever shaped by Jesus. One ordinary day becomes the day they discover the call that will define them. In this first movement of our series, we are asking one of the most basic and important questions Christians can ask: Who are we? In a culture that often tells us our worth depends on success, power, control, or fear, the gospel speaks a deeper truth. We are beloved. We are called. We are connected. We are sent. And today, we begin with this: we know who we are because we know who we follow. We follow Jesus. Mark tells the story with striking simplicity. Jesus passes along the Sea of Galilee and sees Simon and Andrew casting a net into the sea, because they are fishers. Jesus says to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Immediately, they leave their nets and follow him. Then Jesus goes a little farther and sees James and John, the sons of Zebedee, mending nets in their boat. He calls them too, and they leave their father in the boat with the hired men and follow him. That whole scene unfolds with surprising simplicity. Jesus walks along the water and sees ordinary people in the middle of their ordinary work. The call of Jesus meets them right there, in the texture of daily life, among boats, nets, family, labor, and responsibility. Before they have time to prepare themselves, before they know where the road will lead, Jesus invites them into a new life. He finds them in the routines they know and calls them toward a future they cannot yet imagine. That is good news, because many of us assume that if God is going to call us, we need to be somewhere else first. We need to become more faithful, more prepared, more certain, more spiritually mature. But Mark tells us Jesus calls people in the middle of life. Jesus calls them as they are, but he does not leave them as they are. “Follow me,” he says, “and I will make you fishers of people.” That phrase can sound strange to us, especially when it has been used in ways that feel manipulative or aggressive. But Jesus is calling them into a way of life that gathers people into the nearness of God. He is calling them to participate in healing, mercy, liberation, forgiveness, and beloved community. Jesus calls these first disciples to walk with him until his way becomes their way. That is discipleship. Discipleship is the lifelong practice of being shaped by the one we follow. That is why this sermon title matters: “We Know Who We Follow: Jesus.” The church is always tempted to forget. We are tempted to follow success, fear, nostalgia, outrage, or whatever gives us belonging without transformation. But Christians belong to Jesus Christ. And Jesus shows us who God is. As we follow Jesus through Mark, we see what God's life looks like in the world. We see Jesus announcing good news, healing bodies, restoring people to community, touching those others refuse to touch, feeding hungry people, welcoming children, challenging religious hypocrisy, confronting oppressive powers, and refusing to abandon the vulnerable. We see him going to the cross rather than returning violence for violence. We see him raised by God, with the promise that death and empire and abandonment do not get the final word. So when we say, “We follow Jesus,” we are saying our lives are being reoriented around the crucified and risen Christ. We are saying that the clearest picture we have of God's character is Jesus eating with sinners, touching the untouchable, forgiving enemies, blessing the poor, challenging the powerful, and giving himself in love. That is not ideology. That is a way of life. This is where our United Methodist tradition helps us. Methodism began as a renewal movement of people who wanted to follow Jesus with their whole lives. Early Methodists gathered in societies, classes, and bands. They prayed together. They confessed sin together. They studied scripture together. They gave money to the poor. They visited the sick and imprisoned. They held one another accountable in love. As the movement grew, John Wesley gave the people called Methodists what became known as the General Rules: first, do no harm; second, do good; third, attend upon all the ordinances of God. In more recent years, Bishop Rueben P. Job helped many United Methodists recover the power of these rules in his book Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living . Job summarized Wesley's General Rules in language that has become familiar across our tradition: do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. These rules are a way of asking, every day, “What does it mean to follow Jesus here?” What does it mean to follow Jesus in this conversation, this conflict, this family, this workplace, this church, this neighborhood, this moment? There is a sitcom called The Good Place that, beneath all the jokes, bright colors, frozen yogurt shops, and absurd afterlife architecture, is really about moral formation. The show begins with Eleanor Shellstrop waking up after death and being told that she has made it into “the Good Place.” But Eleanor quickly realizes she does not belong there. In life, she had been selfish, rude, careless, and often cruel. So at first, her moral project is not really about becoming good. It is about passing as good. That is part of what makes the show so funny and so honest. Eleanor wants to learn enough ethics to blend in. She wants goodness as a disguise. And if we are honest, that is not always far from how people can treat religion too. We can learn the language, the gestures, and the right answers. We can learn how to pass as good. But Jesus does not call us to pass as faithful. Jesus calls us to follow. And this is where Chidi becomes so important. Chidi Anagonye is a moral philosophy professor. He knows the ethical theories. He can explain Kant, Aristotle, utilitarianism, virtue ethics, and moral duty. If anyone should know how to be good, it should be Chidi. But Chidi's problem is that knowing about goodness does not automatically make him free to live it. He is so afraid of making the wrong choice that he struggles to make any choice at all. His knowledge is real, but it has not yet become courage. His ethics are serious, but they have not yet become love in motion. That makes Eleanor and Chidi surprisingly helpful for the church. Eleanor reminds us that faith is not about passing as good. Chidi reminds us that faith is not only about knowing what is good. Knowledge matters, but knowledge alone is not discipleship. Discipleship is when what we know becomes a life. Discipleship is when truth becomes practice. Discipleship is when grace becomes courage, mercy, forgiveness, service, and love. Over time, Eleanor and Chidi both change because they are drawn into a deeper kind of formation. Eleanor has to practice honesty, compassion, and care for someone beyond herself. Chidi has to practice trust, courage, and choosing love even when he cannot calculate every possible consequence. In other words, both of them have to be discipled beyond appearance and beyond certainty into faithfulness. That is what makes The Good Place surprisingly Wesleyan. The characters become different not because they master one idea or earn enough points, but because they keep practicing a better way of being human. Christian faith is not self improvement with hymns. The gospel is grace. It is God meeting us before we are ready, loving us before we are worthy, and calling us before we fully understand where the road will lead. But grace does not leave us unchanged. Grace begins to form us. That is why the Methodist tradition has always cared about practices. We practice faith because practice keeps us open to the love that is already working on us. We practice doing no harm. We practice doing good. We practice staying in love with God. And over time, through the mercy of God, those practices begin to shape us into people who look a little more like the one we follow. The first rule is: do no harm. Harm is not only physical violence. Harm can come through words, neglect, silence, systems, assumptions, jokes, posts, grudges, and the people we refuse to see. To follow Jesus is to ask: Is my life causing harm? Are my words causing harm? Are my habits causing harm? Are my comforts causing harm? Most of us are not being asked to leave literal nets on the shore, but we may need to ask what nets we are holding. What old ways of being keep catching us? What habits make us feel safe but keep us from love? The second rule is: do good. Christian faith is about participating in God's healing of the world. “Follow me,” Jesus says, “and I will make you fishers of people.” In other words, your life is going to become part of God's work of gathering, healing, feeding, forgiving, restoring, and liberating. Sometimes doing good is serving someone who cannot repay you. Sometimes it is telling the truth when silence would be easier. Sometimes it is forgiving someone, apologizing, showing up, or acting with courage at work or at home. The third rule is: stay in love with God. Wesley's original language was “attend upon all the ordinances of God,” meaning the practices that keep us open to grace: public worship, prayer, searching the scriptures, receiving communion, fasting, Christian conversation, and works of mercy. In other words, stay close to the practices that remind you who you are and whose you are. Because we cannot follow Jesus for long on outrage, willpower, or guilt alone. We need grace. We need prayer. We need worship. We need scripture. We need communion. We need community. We need people who help us remember when we forget. And we do forget. The disciples forgot. Peter left his nets immediately, but later denied Jesus three times. James and John followed Jesus, but later argued about greatness. They followed, but they stumbled. They were called, but they were not instantly complete. And that should comfort us. Following Jesus does not mean we never fail. It means that when we fail, grace calls us again. This matters because the world is full of rival formations. Every day, something is trying to disciple us. Fear disciples us. Consumerism disciples us. Nationalism disciples us. Algorithms disciple us. Anger disciples us. Anxiety disciples us. The endless need to prove ourselves disciples us. The endless need to belong by having an enemy disciples us. So the question is not whether we are being formed. The question is: Who is forming us? So when we talk about discipleship, we are talking about formation. We are talking about what shapes our loves, habits, reflexes, speech, courage, compassion, and imagination. The world is constantly discipling us into anxiety, resentment, consumption, suspicion, and fear. But Jesus calls us into another formation. Jesus says, “Follow me,” and then teaches us the way of mercy, justice, courage, humility, forgiveness, and love. And when Jesus says, “Follow me,” he is giving us both a command and a promise. “Follow me, and I will make you…” The making belongs to Jesus. The transformation belongs to grace. Jesus calls us as we are, and then grace begins its work. Grace teaches us to do no harm. Grace strengthens us to do good. Grace draws us deeper into love with God. Grace makes us into people who can bear witness to another way of life. So this week, choose one small way to follow Jesus intentionally. Serve someone. Forgive someone. Act with courage in your work or home. Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God. Not because these practices save us by our own effort, but because they open our lives to the grace that is already calling us. Because somewhere, even now, Jesus is walking along the shoreline of our ordinary lives. He sees us. He knows us. He calls us. And his invitation is still the same: “Follow me.” May we have the grace to leave behind what binds us. May we have the courage to walk in his way. May we have the humility to be made new. And may our lives become a clear witness to the truth we proclaim: we know who we follow. We follow Jesus. Amen.

Summary Michael Easley teaches from Psalm 71, framing aging not as decline alone but as a deeper invitation into enduring trust in God. He begins with a prayer that confesses human sinfulness, dependence on God's Word and Spirit, and the global contrast between comfortable worship and believers who gather in fear around the world. Turning to Psalm 71, Easley outlines the reality of aging: diminishing strength, ongoing life struggles, and increasing loneliness. Drawing from personal experience, historical voices like John Wesley, and cultural observations, he shows how physical capacity fades while life's pressures often remain. Yet Easley emphasizes that aging believers are not abandoned. He highlights the richness of aging—confidence formed through decades of God's faithfulness and a life that becomes a visible testimony to others. Life itself can become a “marvel,” shaped by both hardship and divine deliverance. The sermon then shifts to resources: older believers are called to invest their wisdom into the next generation through intentional mentoring, discipleship, and storytelling of God's work. Finally, Easley emphasizes the rewards of aging: worship, joy, and a deeper understanding of God's righteousness and faithfulness. Through stories like Polycarp and Floyd Sharp, he illustrates what it means to finish life with courage, purpose, and unwavering devotion. He challenges listeners to reject bitterness and self-absorption and instead declare God's works until the end. Takeaways Aging brings real loss of strength, but it does not mean God's presence or care diminishes. Life's struggles and loneliness often continue in old age, yet God remains a refuge in every season. Long obedience to God builds deep confidence in His faithfulness across a lifetime. A faithful life can become a “marvel,” marked by both suffering and God's steady deliverance. Older believers carry the responsibility to disciple and invest in the next generation. The goal of aging in faith is joyful worship that proclaims God's righteousness and faithfulness to the end. To read the Psalms,⁠ click here⁠. ⁠Click here⁠ for other Michael Easley Sermons.

Good morning. As the sun finally begins to coax flowers into bloom, the Chelsea Flower Show will open its gates today. The Royal Horticultural Society's annual event sees organisations create beautiful planted spaces, which inspire and educate visitors. With our news headlines full of unremitting contempt and calamity, millions of us will tune into coverage of Chelsea this week for relief. I'd like to think this is more than just a comforting distraction.Christian writer CS Lewis wrote about his vision of hell in the novella ‘the great divorce'. Hell was a place of continual twilight where people moved further and further apart into infinite space, driven by mutual suspicion and a sense of time ticking down. Paradise, by contrast was a place of colour, fruitfulness, and sunshine – open to anyone bold enough to stay. In paradise, people were unafraid of each other or the future. They sought out newcomers, working to convince them to remain.The show gardens at Chelsea may be sanctuaries of beauty, but they are also about shared spaces and living well together. Many, like the Trussell ‘together' garden, are inspired specifically by the way communities deal with hardship – the Trussel Trust's foodbanks tackle food poverty. Like Lewis' paradise, communal gardens like this one combat the notion that safety and solace can only be had by building walls and retreating from the world.John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, wrote a collection of health remedies based on what people could grow or source themselves. Titled ‘Primitive Physick' and published in 1747 it would run to 23 editions during his life. Although his remedies were of their day, his commitment to people's access to healthcare and use of what was readily available still bears weight. Today, the rooftop garden of the national Methodist offices in London is planted with herbs and flowers used in Primitive Physick, recognising the importance of gardens to our collective mental and physical well-being.A reality of life in Britain today is that access to outdoor space is not equal: many do not have gardens. A Christian vision for good community still resists the notion that beautiful outdoor spaces are only the preserve of private wealth. After the show, all of the Chelsea gardens will find their way out into communities around the country – plants will go to balconies, windowsills and neglected urban spaces, gardens to hospices, schools, and the verges of motorways. They will join many other community gardens schemes, allowing even those of us who live surrounded by pavement, to put our hands in soil and see something grow. These gardens are places of retreat, yes: but also places of truth telling about the quiet work of living peacefully together.

When Jessica Fredericks and Andrew Freiser founded Fredericks & Freiser Gallery in 1996, the art world was a different place. New York was a different place! What surviving as a gallery meant back then has changed drastically in some respects, but the core principles remain: show what you believe it, and do it with honesty and care. The parts that have changed, indeed, are art fairs, social media, a more savvy artist and more informed collector. But Jessica and Andrew, through a program of showing estate, middle career and young, emerging artists that create what they call "psychological figuration," have weathered multiple storms and the highs and lows of the art market to have one of the most consistent programs in New York. And that is important, as they know they often give an artist their long-sought-after "first New York solo show." That, to this day, will always be a milestone. We sat down with Jessica and Andrew the week of the Independent Art Fair, one of two big art weeks in New York during the year, just after they opened a solo show with Maria Calandra a few nights before. This is the type of schedule we wanted to know about. What makes a gallery work? What makes them interested, three decades into their careers as dealers? What are the ups? The downs? What has changed? Is New York still the epicenter of Art? In this conversation, we talk about the early years of the gallery and how to establish a program that lasts 30 years. From being one of the first galleries in Chelsea, to the blessing of John Wesley and being one of the first galleries to show Jenna Gribbon, they have many stories to tell over 3 decades. That is no small feat in the gallery world, and the advice and direction both Jessica and Andrew have taken and given over the years offers an insight for all galleries starting up today.