FUMC Bentonville Sermon Podcast

August 11th, 2024 - "Heroes and Villains: Mirabel and David (Encanto)" - Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris

1 Samuel 16:1-13

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

August 4th, 2024 - "Heroes and Villains: Maleficent and Judas (Sleeping Beauty/Malificent)" - Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris

Matthew 27:1-10; Acts 1:15-20

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

July 28th, 2024 - "Heroes and Villains: Scar and Athaliah (The Lion King)" - Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris

2 Kings 11:1-20

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

July 21st, 2024 - "Heroes and Villains: Lotso and Satan (Toy Story 3)" - Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris

Job 1:6-12; Revelation 20:7-10

We start out looking at those who appear to be friends or at least part of the group, but then become those we must battle against. Does that come from a change in them or a change in our relationship with them?

July 14th, 2024 - "Way of the Triune God: God the Creator" - Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris

Genesis 1: 1-5

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

July 7th, 2024 - "Way of the Triune God: Jesus Christ" - Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris

Romans 5:6-11; Hebrews 9:11-15; Philippians 2:5-13

In a small, unofficial poll of adults in our church in which Pastor Michelle asked about topics related to Jesus, unanimously people want to know more about how to understand atonement, which is the saving work Jesus does on our behalf. There is more than one way to approach the atonement, and we will examine 3 in this sermon.

June 30th, 2024 - "Way of the Triune God: The Holy Spirit" - Rev. Dr. T. Ray Wheeler

Luke 24: 44-49, Acts 2: 1-8

Beginning this series where we look at the three parts of the Trinity, today we explore the jazz of the Holy Spirit.

June 23rd, 2024 - "Holiday Road: Destination" - Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris

Acts 28:11-16, 30-31

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

June 16th, 2024 - "Holiday Road: Detour Sign" - Michelle Amos

Acts 16:6-15

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

June 9th, 2024 - "Holiday Road: On Our Way" - Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris

Acts 15:12-35

Barnabas and Paul are sent out with authorization from the apostles to preach to the Gentiles. The journey is underway!

June 2nd, 2024 - "Look and See (After Bentonville Tornado)" - Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris

Acts 9:1-30

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

May 19th, 2024 - "Freely in the Faith" (Pentecost and Confirmation Sunday) - Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris

Galatians 5:13-14

We will celebrate confirmation today as a choice that these youth have made of their own free will. But we will also affirm that the choice they have made is to love their neighbor as themselves.

May 12th, 2024 - "A Principled People: The Social Community" - Kristin Wells

1 Corinthians 12:13-22, Mark 2:1-12

As we close out our series on the United Methodist Social Principles we will discuss The Social Community. We will take a close look at the story of the paralytic man in Mark 2:1-12 who is lowered through the roof by his friends to gain access to Jesus and reflect on this as a picture of our United Methodist DNA.

 

May 5th, 2024 - "A Principled People: The Political Community" - Rev. Dr. T. Ray Wheeler

Micah 6:6-8 (CEB), Luke 6:31

What does the Lord require of the political community and the aspirations of the United Methodist Church? Micah 6:8 is an excellent summary of these detailed and subtle political statements in the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church. We generally try to avoid “being political“ in the religious community; however, these statements are concerned with addressing public justice and not partisan politics. Our heritage calls us to both private and social holiness.

April 28th, 2024 - "A Principled People: The Economic Community" - Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris

Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15

Sabbath is an economic statement. It lays claim to the need to care for ourselves in order to care for others and God’s world. Yet for far too many of us, Sabbath is a luxury. How do we reclaim this gift God has given us?

April 21st, 2024 - "A Principled People: The Community of All Creation" - Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris

Genesis 1:28-31

We will look at aspects of our care of creation in our Social Principles in light of the very first set of instructions God gives to humanity – to be stewards of all of the earth.

April 14th, 2024 - "A Principled People: The Social Creed" - Johnna Kosnoff

Mark 12:28-34

The words we choose and the words we say form us. That is the purpose of creeds – to form us around a collective identity. We have creeds that help us understand who we are. Our United Methodist Social Creed is one example, reflecting what we affirm in our Social Principles.

April 7th, 2024 - "Total Eclipse of the Heart" - Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris

Joel 2:1-11

Getting ready for the eclipse the next day, and also coming out of the season of Easter, we look at how people have viewed heavenly events like eclipses as apocalyptic signs, but we will also discuss the prophetic call to prepare for the Day of the Lord. It continues the prophetic call to love and care for each other or face the consequences of a world turned upside down.

March 31st, 2024 - "Foolish Love Is the Hope of Easter" - Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

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

March 24th, 2024 - "Foolish Love Is Risky" - Rev. Dr. T. Ray Wheeler

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

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