Commentary

Author:  Rev. Bill McCartney We often describe God as AMAZING.  At Christmas we come face to face with the reality that ours is also an AUDACIOUS God.  Note the various audacious, “off the wall”elements in the story.  Those elements dare to turn our world upside down. All elements of the Christmas story fall outside the norm, are counter-intuitive. The child is to be born in an … [Read more...] about An Audacious Christmas

Peace "The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together,and a little child shall lead them.  The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's … [Read more...] about Advent Peace

Author: Tim Crouch, Lay Delegate, North Texas Annual Conference Matthew 14:22-33  Peter following Jesus walking on the water. I recently used this text in a presentation to my church in Denton about the upcoming special session of the General Conference and what it could mean to our local church.  I wanted to focus on Peter in this story.  Peter, who got out of the boat on faith, and walked … [Read more...] about Matthew 14:22-33 – In the Storm around the Special Session – Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

Author: Philip Sloat, Pastor of Franklin and Macon UMC's in Nebraska At the end of the tenth chapter of Mark, Jesus and his disciples pass through Jericho on their way to Jerusalem.  As he prepared for his final journey to Jerusalem, Jesus repeatedly told the disciples what awaited him.  Three times he told them: “See, we are going to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the … [Read more...] about Mark 10:46-52 Recovering from Spiritual Blindness

Author: Tom Brady Let me begin with a challenge!  I challenge you to spend the next six days reading one chapter of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians each day.  When you get finished, take a day off, and repeat the process.  After reading through this letter twice, read it a third time, taking in one chapter each day.  When you are finished, if it hasn’t happened already, apply what you have read … [Read more...] about Ephesians – Breaking Down Dividing Walls

Author:  Barry Dundas In the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman at a well. It is a well-known story and often portrayed as one of the first converts to follow Jesus and one of the first evangelists of the Christian faith. The woman’s life was changed by her encounter with Jesus. There may be something more going on in this story. Samaritans and Jews had … [Read more...] about John 4:1-30 The Woman at the Well

Author:  Mark Holland A key scripture for Mainstream UMC is the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15:1-35 This is the debate about whether or not new converts had to live according to the Law of Moses in order to be saved. The primary issue was circumcision. The result was an ecclesiology (understanding of the church) that was open to everyone. Circumcision was the definition of being a person … [Read more...] about Acts 15:1-35 New Mission Fields