FUMC Bentonville Sermon Podcast

Luke 16:19-31

And now we will look at the Hell we build around us all the time – flowing from the way we treat each other in this life here.

Revelation 20:1-15

We will take apart the ideas we have of Hell that misunderstand biblical imagery or that come from cultural representations like Dante’s Inferno.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Galatians 5:22-23

In spite of all of our divisions, the truth is, we want to be good people. We just need to remember our shared values and agree to practice them.

Galatians 5:1, 13-15; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; Isaiah 40:28-31 We get a lot of despair and bad news however much that bad news has always been around. We as Christians are called to look forward into the future with hope not fear. In all of these passages, the blessings are not in wealth power and politics, but in God’s presence with us.

Luke 13:6-9, Psalm 85

The Founders of our nation built a government that anticipates human failure. Our civic life includes ways to pause, evaluate, change course, and begin again. That does not make our nation perfect, but it does reveal something hopeful: we are not trapped forever by every mistake we make. As we begin this series reflecting on our nation, we will explore how this imperfect experiment can remind us of the deeper grace of God — a grace that tells the truth about failure, tends what is wounded, and makes redemption possible for all God’s people.

Esther 4:10-17

On this Sunday, Pastor Michelle will give us an update on this fiscal year’s budget, the budget for the year ahead beginning July, and discuss with us the plans for how we will determine what we do with the land to the west of the church building. We find ourselves in extraordinary circumstances. And when that happens, the call on our life from God will lead us into extraordinary things.

Luke 13:6-9 and Psalm 85

The Founders of our nation built a government that anticipates human failure. Our civic life includes ways to pause, evaluate, change course, and begin again. That does not make our nation perfect, but it does reveal something hopeful: we are not trapped forever by every mistake we make. As we begin this series reflecting on our nation, we will explore how this imperfect experiment can remind us of the deeper grace of God — a grace that tells the truth about failure, tends what is wounded, and makes redemption possible for all God’s people.

Gen. 12: 1-9 (NRSVue)

We are Blessed. Called to respond in Faith. Called to Serve Others.

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.

Acts 2:1-4; Numbers 11:24-30

On this Pentecost and Aldersgate Sunday, it seems appropriate to revisit our wild, Pentecostal tent meeting roots – remembering when we were accused of being too enthusiastic!

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?

Isaiah 58:6-8

Mama’s got your back… and so does God!

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

In this sermon, we are going to address the new trend of AI relationships. A chatbot can fulfill 1 Corinthans 13 easily. But are we creating unrealistic expectations of IRL relationships?

Luke 9:23-24

Jesus challenges his followers to take up their cross and follow him. But what does that actually mean? Pastor Michelle will dig into this important aspect of discipleship for us today.

1 Peter 4:8-11
We should all serve God, but in purposeful ways. If we serve the way we are gifted, then we can't help but feel joy!

Ruth 1:11-18

Love is a choice. Not even God coerces us into love. So what happens when we make that choice? God's will breaks out in astounding ways.

Mark 16:1-8

The women hear the news of Jesus’ resurrection… and then they run away and tell no one out of fear. But we do know the story. So at some point they must have overcome their fear. Courage is not the absence of fear – it is facing it and refusing to let it stop us.

Luke 23:1-25

Why do we call it "Good Friday?" Rev. Dr. Michelle discusses some of the existing atonement theories and the mystery of what happened both on the cross and in the tomb.

John 13:1-9, 12-17

Rev. Dr. Michelle reflects on the humble ritual of foot washing and its parallels in modern society.

Psalm 46:1-11 (NRSVUE)

This Psalm talks about the rage of the world, of kingdoms tearing each other apart. Yet within that we find refuge in God, and particularly in the silence, in the stillness, in the opposition to the madness. A good reminder as we head into the madness of Holy Week.