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.By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville

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.By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville

While we can read God’s Word and know what it says, our fruitfulness depends on what we do with what He’s said.By Josh Firey

God wants to free you from the burden of your future so you can succeed in the present.By Josh Firey

How do we find rest in a culture of unrest?By Josh Firey

The Holy Spirit is the presence of God that lives inside of those who have trusted in Christ as Savior, but so many of us either don’t understand the Holy Spirit or have distanced ourselves from it because we have seen the Holy Spirit blamed for a lot of weird things.By Josh Firey

The Lord takes joy in you and in being in relationship with you!By Josh Firey

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 consequ…

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.By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville

To get your emotions to align to your belief, you have to shift your focus to what you believe.By Josh Firey

There's a difference between knowing ABOUT God and really KNOWING Him. Knowing Him and engaging in a relationship with Him brings life.By Josh Firey

A lot of us have lived in dead religion because we thought the only part of what Jesus did that was for us was his death.By Josh Firey

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 …

Luke 15: 11-32; Matthew 5:38-42 The prodigal son story and the turn the other cheek teaching show that foolish love ignores offenses and just seeks to love, and love abundantly. Note: the definition of prodigal is wastefully extravagant. Prodigal is better applied to the father than the son in this story. Because this shares some of the themes of t…

Mark 17:1-17, John 2:1-11 Casting demons into pigs to save one person and saving the best wine for last both prove that foolish love creates a tremendous amount of waste – wasteful grace.By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville

Peace comes when your faith is rooted in who God is, not in what He does.By Josh Firey

God not only sends us into life with a purpose, but He goes with us and empowers us.By Josh Firey

Matthew 20:1-16, 18:12-13 The parable of the workers in the vineyard and the story of the 99 sheep left behind for the sake of the 1 show us that foolish love is not an equitable equation. It is not a utilitarian decision, but in fact, sometimes it means making the least fair decision in order to include more in the field of love.…

Mark 7:24-29; Luke 13:10-17 This week we will look at how love inspires us to break the rules. We will center not only in the stories of the Syrophoenician and bent over women, but also in the story of Liam Bruzatori, a beautiful child who continues to challenge us to love.By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville

Repentance is not resisting your sin, but it is leaving it behind so that you can pursue all the good that God has for you.By Josh Firey

Confession is being honest about your past so you can find strength for freedom in your future.By Josh Firey

Matthew 5:21-24, 18:21-35 Looking at these 2 teachings about Jesus forgiving someone multiple times and the servant who does not forgive the debt of his fellow servant, we will start to understand how refusing to forgive is to continue to judge others and carry hate in our own hearts. This keeps us from being able to fully love.…

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 To set the scene for this series, we will look at this definition of love given in this letter of Paul’s. As this series is meant to help people understand how better to love like Jesus, we will practice the “Replace the word love with your name” practice of this passage. That will help us know what kind of work we need to do t…

Brokenness should move us to action because our brokenness moved Jesus to action.By Josh Firey

Do not let the circumstances of your life determine the course of your life.By Jared Lett

Mark 14:1-9 The act of the woman who anoints Jesus is characterized as wasteful. What if it is instead an act of confidence that the reign will provide? There will always be enough to take care of the poor AND worship and care extravagantly for others.By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville

A look into the life of Esther to answer the question: What is a life well lived?By Mike Campbell

Mark 10:17-31, 12:41-44 Where is our security? For the rich man, it seems like it was in his assurance in how the world was supposed to work, and in his belief that his stuff would keep him safe. The poor widow will come along and flip all of that on its head. How is Jesus inviting us into the freedom of letting go?…

Your view of death will determine the way you live.By Josh Firey

Mark 6:1-13 This sermon looks at the little difference Jesus can make in his hometown, up against the commissioning of the disciples to go cast out demons! What miracles are at our fingertips that we do not even try to make happen because of the assumptions we make about it being impossible?By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville

We will never reach the full potential of prayer until we pray with God not just at God.By Josh Firey

Philippians 1:6-11 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel…

Ephesians 2: 19-22 & Ephesians 4:15-16 Where are we right now as a community of faith and United Methodists in this unique place at this unique time. What are the issues we face today? What ways we can continue to uphold our faith while we are in the formidable details of our lived experience. Can we infuse our daily work and life with the joy of w…

Jesus paid the price for you to have victory over the enemy, and he wants you to experience the benefits of what he paid for.By Josh Firey

When I don’t know which way is right, God does. I can rest in asking for him to do what is best.By Josh Firey

Joshua 4:21-24, Revelation 19:5-8 January is a time when we are looking forward to the excitement of a new year. But before we, as a church, strike out on this new shiny new year, let’s pause and appreciate the path behind us. What has come before us and who are the folks whose faithfulness and the corner of 2nd & A have carried this ministry to to…

1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Revelation 21:1-7By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville

God wants you to walk in a settled peace that gives you the freedom to be present.By Josh Firey

Luke 2:1-19By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville

Do you want to hide and justify your faults or do you want overcome them?By Josh Firey

Fourth Sunday of Advent Luke 1:26-33By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville

Christmas is the moment that your soul’s worth was solidified.By Josh Firey

Third Sunday of Advent Luke 2:25-35; 8:19-21; John 2:1-12By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville

We tried all we knew to do but we still had no hope, so God stepped in and did what we could not.By Josh Firey

Second Sunday of Advent Luke 1:46-55, 2:41-52By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville

First Sunday of Advent John 19:25-27, Acts 1:12-14By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville

1 Thessalonians 1:2-9By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville

When the Christmas story talks about peace on earth, it is all about your relationship with God.By Josh Firey

The kind of joy that God wants you to have is a gift, not a reaction.By Josh Firey

Luke 12:22-34By First United Methodist Church | Downtown Bentonville