1 Timothy #5: God's Kingdom In A Fallen Culture (1 Timothy 2:8-15)

September 19, 2026 Rob Woodrum

Sunday we’ll be continuing our exploration of the 1st letter to Timothy – reading chapter 2:8-15.

This passage continues Paul’s encouragement from the first part of the chapter – challenging both men and women to carry themselves differently from what the cultural expectations are. Paul does this a lot in his writing – and he cleverly subverts the norms of this broken world to show how the values of the Kingdom can operate even within the fallen culture.

This passage also contains a very difficult passage – one that’s stirred much controversy over the years. As we said at the outset of our teaching, we have to be good tourists when we come to these letters. We have to factor in the culture and historic setting and all of the influences that would prompt Paul to write the things he does to this ancient church. Our challenge will be to piece together a picture that can help us understand his words without forcing him to be contradictory to other parts of his writing.

It’s not an easy task – and I’ll warn you that we’ll spend a good amount of time exploring a handful of verses – but my hope is, it will be worth it and that we’ll all find it encouraging and freeing. Hope you can join us this Sunday at 10 am!

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1 Timothy #4: How Can We Make A Difference? (1 Timothy 2:1-7)

September 6, 2026 Rob Woodrum

This Sunday we’ll be reading 1 Timothy 2:1-7. Paul started off his letter with instructions about keeping the Gospel streamlined…not adding sensational stories or heavy-handed rules. From doctrine, he moves to practical instructions about the church’s place in this world, and our primary means of making a difference.

In v1-2, Paul gives specific instructions about how we are to deal with our fellow human beings…from our neighbors to our president. What is his instruction? Why does he make that such a priority?

Paul’s call to pray for the leaders is interesting considering who was in charge when he was writing this. At the time that this was written, it was established in Rome that whoever was in charge should be worshipped as a deity. The fact that Paul says to pray FOR and not TO the leader is an act of rebellion. Why do you think Paul doesn’t continue the rebellion by telling the Christian’s to fight back against such a tyrant?

In v3-7 Paul describes the ultimate way we as the church make a difference in this world. In light of the prevalent call to political activism, these last verses seem to temper our understanding about what the church is called to do and represent. What does that mean about our primary mission in the world?

We invite you to join us this Sunday at 10 as we study the word together and learn how these words from so long ago can apply to our own lives today.

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1 Timothy #3: God's Messy Children (1 Timothy 1:12-20)

August 30, 2026 Rob Woodrum

We’re going to continue our series in 1 Timothy this Sunday, reading 1 Timothy 1:12-20.

In our text last week, Paul launched his war on error, describing how the leaders in Ephesus had lost their way and were corrupting the message of the gospel. The things that he highlighted gave us clues about what was happening with these leaders. They were reading into genealogies to create some sense of elevation for themselves…a claim to a higher calling and closer position to God.

Since they were making themselves out to be special…Paul bares his own past, and shows what kind of person he had been, and how suitable he considered himself to be a minister of the gospel. What does he say about his own background in light of his present calling, in v12-17?

In light of leaders trying to elevate themselves, what do you think Paul is trying to get across here? V15 gives one of the most brilliantly succinct summaries of the gospel and it’s message to the world. A person could spend a lifetime contemplating that verse, and all of it’s implications.

Timothy, the one the letter is written to, was a young man Paul had been mentoring. He’s very likely only in his early 20’s at the writing of this letter. This tells us something about how GOD goes about making someone qualified for the work of His kingdom…and it’s a far cry from the expectations we normally like to place on people.

Paul finishes off the chapter by calling out two guys by name, Hymenaeus and Alexander. We don’t know anything about them. Hymenaeus is mentioned again in 2 Timothy 2:17, and the “cancerous” teaching they endorse has to do with the claiming that the resurrection at the end of the age had already happened. The implications of that message could take believers down many different rabbit holes…even to the point of abandoning their hope in Christ. Paul “hands them over to Satan”…that is, he’s not going to try force them into truth…if they want to ally themselves with the enemy of God’s plan, let them go for it. But he has a reason for letting them go…a goal he’s hoping to see accomplished. What is that goal, in v20? What does that tell us about our hopes, even for those who seem to have lost their faith?

The Church isn’t a haven for really good people to get together in and pat themselves on the back for how much better they are than everybody else. The church is full of messy people who’ve been rescued by the unrelenting love of God through Jesus.

I hope you can join us as we dig into this section on Sunday!

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1 Timothy #2: Paul's War On Error (1 Timothy 1:3-11)

August 23, 2026 Rob Woodrum

This Sunday we’ll be continuing in our new study of 1&2 Timothy. We’ll be reading chapter 1, v 3-11.

After his quick greeting, Paul jumps right into correcting teachers in Ephesus (through Timothy whom he sent there in order to get them re-established), warning them that they’re veering off the path Paul originally pointed to. What are some of the things he warns against in v4?

So…we might start thinking: “what’s the big deal Paul? Why is doctrine such a sticky issue with you? What does it matter what some people believe?” We live in a day and age when doctrinal views and philosophies are fired at us as fast as water from a fire hydrant – so those kinds of questions seem appropriate. As we examine Paul’s words, how does v4 evaluate the results of what’s being taught in Ephesus? What does that tell us about the importance of maintaining a healthy doctrinal understanding?

The issue seems to be a slide into mysticism, and another attempt to introduce the Old Testament law into New Testament living. Who does Paul say the the law is for? How do we understand this, in light of Paul’s message of salvation and life in Jesus Christ?

Should be an interesting foray into a very timely epistle, I hope you can join us this Sunday!

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1 Timothy #1: An Introduction to 1 Timothy (1 Timothy 1:1-2)

August 16, 2026 Rob Woodrum

Back in 1979, David Macaulay wrote and illustrated Motel of the Mysteries, an imaginative picture book of an archeological find in the far flung future of 4022. In the ancient country of Usa, archeologist Howard Carson finds the remains of an ancient motel buried beneath many feet of earth and debris. It’s a fun exercise in acknowledging the challenges of making sense of artifacts from an ancient world. He sees the “do not disturb” sign hanging on a doorknob and assumes he has discovered a royal burial chamber. He decides the T.V. was an ancient worship device through which the primitives communicated with the gods. Stuff like that.

It really highlights the challenges we as Bible readers face in trying to grasp the meaning of some Scriptures. We are very far removed by time and culture from the original audience, and it requires diligent exploration of the time and culture of the ancient world in which the Scriptures emerged. That’s something we’re going to think about this Sunday as we begin a new series in the books of 1&2 Timothy

Both the letters to Timothy as well as Titus have become known as the “pastoral epistles”, because they written to specific church leaders with instructions about leading and church structure. Some people assert that their only real purpose is to set up church policy and government, but I beg to differ. It seems to me, that while the regulation of leaders and doctrine brackets the whole work, the real import of the message is staying on target with the Gospel which should effect our lives with REAL change. That is, change that gets evidenced in the lives we live.

This week as we introduce the book, we’ll be reading chapter 1 v 1-2, and we’ll introduce Paul and Timothy and talk about the ancient city of Ephesus, in hopes that we can lay the groundwork that provides a better understanding of some “difficult” aspects of these ancient letters.

I hope you’ll join us this Sunday at 10 AM as Janelle and I introduce these amazing letters.

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Matthew #61: The Conclusion of Matthew (Matthew 28:16-20)

August 2, 2026 Rob Woodrum

Well, after a year and some change, we have come to the final study in the Gospel of Matthew. We will be finishing up chapter 28, reading verses 16-20. This is Matthew’s abbreviated account of Jesus meeting up with his disciples after his resurrection. It’s a brief passage, but there is a lot of stuff to consider in these final words.

For one thing, v16-17 are fascinating and delightful to me. As his followers gather around their previously deceased Rabbi, they respond in a way that is telling about the nature of Christ. They worship him. Jesus allows them to worship him. What does that tell us?

In V17 it says that some doubted. It’s a very brief and unqualified statement which Matt just slips into the narrative. What did they doubt? That it was Jesus? Or did they doubt that he had really died? What doubts would you be wrestling with if you stood in their sandals?

Jesus goes on to give several instructions in these final verses. Go to all nations, make disciples, baptize, teach, obey and trust. This is what will be going on until, as he puts it, the end of the age. Which of those imperatives are more challenging for you? How has our study of Jesus’ ministry helped to shape our understanding of what this will look like?

I hope you’ve gotten as much out of Matthew’s gospel as I have. I hope we all gain a clearer focus of God’s kingdom and heaven meeting earth to make all things new.

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Matthew #60: The New Creation (Matthew 28:1-15)

July 26, 2026 Rob Woodrum

I’ve said many times before how much I love the Gospel accounts of the resurrection of Jesus. Critics will often point out all the discrepancies we find in them and declare the whole story as untrustworthy because of them. But it’s precisely because of those discrepancies that I find them so compelling! The narrative carries the tone of people who were shocked by something unexpected and impossible to believe, who stumble all over themselves trying to piece together the chain of events that led to their world being turned upside down.

We’re just a few studies out from completing our study in Matthew, and we’ll be reading Matthew 28:1-15 which describes the mind-imploding event of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

Everything about this event carries the message of God’s intent for this world. Resurrection proclaims new creation. That’s what we’ll be focusing on this Sunday.

There’s an interesting pattern of reversal that we find that bridges ch 27:45-66 and ch 28:1-15. We start with darkness, then an earthquake, then Jesus dies and the religious leaders plot. Then in ch 28 we begin with light, and an earthquake, then Jesus lives, and the religious leaders plot. It’s a reversal of things…well, not all things, the religious leaders seem stuck in their repeated action – but for those outside of that, new life, new light, and new hope has dawned.

We’ll get into in more depth on Sunday. I hope you can join us as we explore the most important event that human history contains.

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Matthew #59: The Curse Removed (Matthew 27:32-66)

July 19, 2026 Rob Woodrum

It’s amazing to me how much the crucifixion of one Middle Eastern man two millennia in the past has persistently and relentlessly invaded the imagination of humans right up until this present day. We just can’t escape the cross. That cross emanates something we vaguely intuit. There is a key there and we can’t shake it.

The New Testament presents the crucifixion of Jesus as a central theme from which the hope of the gospel flows out. While a robust theology of this event was still in it’s primitive stages in the minds of the NT writers – one thing is crystalline clear: Something VERY important happened in relation to the human condition and the future of the world when Jesus died on the cross. That much they unflinchingly declared.

This Sunday we’ll be reading the account of Jesus’ crucifixion in our ongoing study of Matthew – we’ll be reading Matthew 27:32-66.

As you read over the passage – what other consequence of sin, if any, do we see Jesus bearing in our place? Are there connections to the curse from Gen 3 that you can pinpoint that Jesus takes on himself at the cross? We’ll be looking at those specifically in our study.

This, again, is a brutal yet beautiful passage – a window into the heart of God towards you and I. Hope you can be there this Sunday!

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Matthew #58: The Beauty Of the Cross (Matthew 27:1-31)

July 12, 2026 Rob Woodrum

This Sunday we’ll be reading Matthew 27:1-31. It describes the preliminary stages of the cross experience of Christ. We’ve stated before that the cross is the central revelation of God’s character. So, we’ll be focusing on the cross in our teaching, discovering what it reveals and provides for us. It’s a very painful section to read and discuss, but it is also beautiful when understood as a picture of God’s heart towards humanity. That’s one of those strange, delicate tensions that the Gospel is full of.

In v1-10, Judas went to the temple and the temple leaders because his heart was burdened by what he’d done. What response did he meet there? What does that tell us about what had happened to the temple system of that time? How does that contrast with Jesus’ ministry and what warnings do we discern when it comes to our own framework for the practice of our faith?

Through the rest of the section we’ll cover we read about the trial before Pilate. Pilate had political aspirations and clearly wanted to protect those, but he also had difficulty with the apparent innocence of Jesus. The crowd and their leaders wanted blood and Pilate wanted to avoid a riot which could further tarnish his reputation as a competent leader for Rome. He offers a trade – he’ll let one prisoner go as a gesture of good-will for the Passover – the crowd chooses guilty Barabbas and innocent Jesus takes his place. Matthew is pretty heavy handed with the telling of this – it’s obvious what he wants us to see. What do you see? What is this a picture of the cross revealing about God’s heart and the Gospel?

When the soldiers mock Jesus, they dress him up like a clown king…a parody of what a ruler should look like. They fashion a crown out of thorny brambles to put on his head. The Creation story comes to mind, and the curse pronounced because of sin:

Gen 3:17…”cursed is the fertile land because of you;
in pain you will eat from it
every day of your life.

Considering that curse, what does Jesus being crowned with thorns mean to you? What can it be picturing about what the cross of Christ is providing for us?

As I said – it’s a heavy and painful section of Scripture to read – but beautiful beyond comprehension as well. Hope to see you Sunday.

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Matthew #57: When Our Faith Is Failing (Matthew 26:31-75)

July 5, 2026 Rob Woodrum

Gen 3:17…”cursed is the fertile land because of you;
in pain you will eat from it
every day of your life.

Considering that curse, what does Jesus being crowned with thorns mean to you? What can it be picturing about what the cross of Christ is providing for us?

As I said – it’s a heavy and painful section of Scripture to read – but beautiful beyond comprehension as well. Hope to see you Sunday.

Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.

Matthew #56: Tasting The Tree Of Life (Matthew 26:17-30)

June 28, 2026 Rob Woodrum

When I was in college, one of my professors led an activity that has stayed with me ever since. He said the word “apple” and asked us to write down as many descriptive words as we could. We wrote things like fruit and tree. Then he showed us a picture of an apple, and our list grew with words like red, round, and leaf. Next, he brought out a fake apple, giving us even more details to describe. Finally, he passed around a real apple. Now we could write about its weight, texture, smell, the sound of a bite crunching, and other characteristics that were impossible to experience through the previous examples.

The purpose of the exercise was to demonstrate how much more we learn when multiple senses are engaged. The professor encouraged us to involve as many senses as possible when teaching because it increases the likelihood that people will understand and remember what is being communicated. Hearing alone has its limits, but understanding grows when we add sight, touch, and even taste.

I often think about that lesson when I consider why Jesus commanded us to eat and drink in remembrance of His sacrifice. We are not called only to listen or to watch. We are invited to taste and touch as we remember what Christ has done and worship Him.

This Sunday we will continue our study in Matthew by reading chapter 26, verses 17 through 30. In this passage, we will see the Last Supper, where Jesus transforms the Passover meal into a reminder of the New Covenant established through His sacrifice. What stands out to you about Jesus’ words and actions?

If you would like to study more of the context ahead of time, The Bible Project has excellent resources on Passover and the biblical covenants that provide helpful context for this week’s passage. We hope you will take a few minutes to explore them, and we invite you to join us this Sunday as we study God’s Word together.

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Matthew #55: Proximity Doesn't Mean Transformation (Matthew 26:1-16)

June 21, 2026 Rob Woodrum

Join us as Nate and Lawana continue in our study of the book of Matthew.

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Matthew #54: Identifying With The Insignificant (Matthew 25:31-46)

June 14, 2026 Rob Woodrum

I once had a job where I wasn’t entirely sure what I was supposed to be doing. Every time my boss walked into the room, I suddenly felt the need to look busy. The problem was that I wasn’t even sure whether what I was doing was close to what was actually expected of me.

Maybe you’ve felt that way before. Have you ever wondered if you’re spending your time on the things that matter most? Have you ever wished someone would simply tell you exactly what was expected?

I know someone who started a new job and never received any training. A few weeks in, some friends asked how things were going. He replied, “To be honest, I still have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing.”

His friends were stunned and asked what he did all day. He said, “Well, I found a clipboard. Every now and then I walk around looking busy, and I make sure to walk somewhere with a sense of urgency.” As you might expect, he did not last long in that position.

This Sunday, we will finish the final section of what is often called the Olivet Discourse. In these teachings, Jesus responds to His disciples’ questions about the fulfillment of God’s kingdom and His return. Interestingly, Jesus does not focus primarily on when these things will happen. Instead, He focuses on how His followers should live while they wait.

Throughout this section of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus has used parables to answer those questions. He has been showing His disciples that waiting for His return is not passive. It is a time of purposeful and faithful service.

This Sunday, we will study the parable of the sheep and the goats. If you’ve ever wondered what our job is while we wait for his return, this passage offers some of the clearest answers in all of Scripture. It challenges us to examine our lives and ask a sobering question: If Jesus returned today, would my priorities line up with what Jesus has defined in scripture?

We invite you to join us this Sunday at 10:00 AM as we study Matthew 25:31–46 together and consider both what Jesus’ return will look like and what He calls us to do until that day.

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Matthew #53: The Risk of Grace (Matthew 25:14-30)

June 7, 2026 Rob Woodrum

This week we’ll be reading a very familiar parable – what is often called “The Parable of the Talents”, in Matthew 25:14-30.

As you read this story, remember that parables aren’t meant to be exact representations of God’s kingdom in all the details. Jesus said it is “like” this sort of thing. The most important element of this story to discern is just what Jesus meant the bags of silver to represent. Older translations call this money “talents”, which is a literal translation. A talent was Roman currency. We get our English word “talent” from this parable, interestingly enough. Do you think Jesus is talking about money? Probably not, since money is the image he’s employing. Do you think he’s talking about our skills though? What else do we know that God has entrusted to us, his subjects, to manage while our King isn’t presently seen?

The element of investing the talents is intriguing to me. It carries the implication of risk-taking. What would taking risks with what God has entrusted to us look like in our lives? What would it look like in our churches?

The third steward in this story seemed to speak respectfully to his master. But what do you think his actions actually revealed? Contrast the way the first two stewards interacted with the master and the third stewards assessment of what the master is like. What do you make of that contrast, if anything? Here’s a hint – how did the Pharisees understand God’s nature in contrast to Jesus’ revelation of God?

We’ll have a lot to think about as we engage this passage on Sunday. I hope you can join us!

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Matthew #52: Waiting For The Wedding (Matthew 25:1-13)

May 31, 2026 Rob Woodrum

It seems like every culture has a different approach to weddings and the rituals associated with them. This Sunday, as we continue our study in Matthew, we’ll be reading about the unusual wedding rituals of ancient Palestine as we study chapter 25:1-13.

As you read the parable that Jesus tells, what do you believe the main point is? How comfortable or uncomfortable are you with the topic of the end times? If you knew for sure that Jesus was going to return within the next hour, is there anything you would do differently?

It’s interesting to note that both sets of girls fell asleep while waiting for the bridegroom during a long delay. The only time the differences began to show up between them was when the alarm was sounded. One group was prepared, one was not.

In what ways can we see to it that we are prepared for the reveal of Christ as King?

I think this will be an interesting topic for our study – plus, we’ll be celebrating Communion – hope you can join us this Sunday at 10 AM!

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Matthew #51: Faithfully Waiting (Matthew 24:36-51)

May 24, 2026 Rob Woodrum

My wife and oldest daughter were in Chicago once, trying to navigate our way to my son’s house on the city’s train service. This was back before it became much easier and all on your phone – at that time we had to buy metro cards and load them with the proper amount for our trip. My daughter had gotten hers in order and had gone through the turnstiles, but my wife and I encountered a problem and the cards wouldn’t work.

“Wait for us on that side, we’ll be there soon!” we shouted to her above the noise on the busy platform.

We finally got things squared away, paying more than we probably needed to, inserted our cards and moved through the turnstiles to look for my daughter. She was nowhere to be found. We looked around, confused and feeling a bit panicked, when we heard a shout from behind us. There she was, back from where we had just come, on the other side of the turnstiles, smiling sheepishly.

“I got tired of waiting and came to see if I could help.” she offered. Happily, she got through and we made it to our train…but just barely.

It can be a frustrating thing when we’ve asked someone to wait for us, and they don’t do it or befuddle a plan by doing something extra. It can be a devastating thing if we fail to wait faithfully for Jesus when he told us to.

This Sunday we’ll be reading Matthew 24:36-51 in our study of that Gospel. In our text, Jesus makes it as explicit as he can that nobody will know just when Jesus will return. It’s astonishing how many ignore that bit of Scripture.

Jesus will use a few picture to emphasize the point. It will be like the days of Noah – everything going along as it always had until it doesn’t. Some will be swept away in judgement, others will remain behind in safety. The only difference, apparently, is their faithfulness in waiting.

Then Jesus tells a parable to explain what faithful waiting looks like. What was the faithful servant doing when the landowner returned? How does that contrast with the unfaithful servant – what parts are common denominators in both their descriptions? What do you think we learn about the nature of faithfully waiting for Jesus to return? What might it entail in a real-life scenario?

Hopefully we’ll be challenged and grow from our exploration of this text. We’ll have a missions update from Suzy Zechman about In Deed and Truth ministries as well! Hope you can join us!

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Matthew #50: Wise Living In A Troubled World (Matthew 24:15-35)

May 17, 2026 Rob Woodrum

This Sunday we’ll be continuing our trek through Matthew 24, reading v15-35. Much of what Jesus predicts in this section deals with the upcoming siege of Jerusalem, a prediction that was fulfilled in 70 AD.

As we did last week, we’ll focus on the instructions we receive from Jesus concerning how we respond and live in light of the temporal nature of this world’s systems. As you read through the passage, pay attention to the places where Jesus gives specific instructions to his disciples and consider how those instructions would apply to our lives in this present world.

While so much of our modern Church’s interest is in the speculations about when, what and who of these predictions, Jesus seems to focus on more pragmatic issues. What can that tell us about how we, as the Church, should respond to these words?

This will, hopefully, be an encouraging study – I hope you can join us this Sunday at 10 AM.

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Matthew #49: Living In A Fading World (Matthew 24:1-14)

May 13, 2026 Rob Woodrum

This Sunday we’ll be starting chapter 24 of Matthew’s gospel this Sunday reading the first 14 verses. End time predictions are almost a cottage industry in the Church over the years…needless to say, we won’t be adding to those. What we’ll learn from Jesus is that there is a presupposition of the world’s ending. It’s how we live in the time we have that’s truly important.

v1-3 give us the overall heading of this section. Jesus predicts the end of something – what is it? The disciples ask him when this will happen, and what sign to look for to signal his coming. Do you find that odd? He’s right in front of them – why are they asking about his coming? They didn’t expect him to leave – what were they talking about? The word “coming” in the Greek is “parousia” – the arrival of a king. They are asking when he’ll be revealed as King and bring the present, broken world to it’s conclusion. They don’t realize it, but they are asking two different questions. What then, are the two subjects in view in this section?

Jesus describes things that sound like current events to us and could be alarming – except for what Jesus says in v6. What are these events, in his view?

Instead of giving his disciples a straight forward answer about when these things would happen – what does Jesus say to his disciples as instruction? (hint: v4, v6, v13)

Before things really end, what is happening according to v14? What is our mission then, in light of the end? Does knowing when the end may come have any bearing on what our mission is? Does it change? If not, what does that tell us?

We may not all agree on how to view eschatology (views on the “end times”), but that should never be a reason to divide us. Let’s approach this text as objectively as we can and see what we may learn by God’s Spirit. See you this Sunday!

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Matthew #48: Bad Religion (Matthew 23:1-39)

May 3, 2026 Rob Woodrum

Join us as we continue our study of the book of Matthew. In this passage, Jesus pronounces woes upon the religious leaders.

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Matthew #47: God's Redemptive Plan (Matthew 22:15-46)

April 26, 2026 Rob Woodrum

This Sunday we’ll be reading through a string of confrontations Jesus experiences in Matthew 22:15-46 as we continue our study in that Gospel. It’s delightful to me how Jesus is able, not only to gracefully answer his accusers, but to weave clues into his answers that reveal an overview of what God is up to.

The section we’ll be covering breaks down into four sections – v15-22, where Jesus is asked if it’s lawful to pay a poll tax to Rome. It was an extremely loaded (even dangerous) question. His answer reveals that Jesus wasn’t a political crusader – he was loyal to only One. In what way do you think we bear the image of God the way a coin bore the image of Caesar?

In v23-33 Jesus is approached by the Sadducees who rejected the notion of a resurrection at the end of the age (we’ll go into why on Sunday). They pose a riddle meant, in their minds, to highlight the absurdity of resurrection. V 32 sums up Jesus’ unassailable response. What do you think his point is, that God is the God of the living, not the dead?

The famous confrontation about the greatest commandment is found in v33-40. Why do you think Jesus said that the entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on the two commandments to love God and our neighbor as ourself? How would love be the main component of all that the law of Moses required?

Finally, Jesus turns the tables and asks them a question in v41-46, about the existential nature of the Messiah. We’ll go into what Jesus was getting at, and we’ll see how it actually brackets the whole section by subtly pointing back to the image of Caesar on the coin.

I think this will be an encouraging section to dig into. I hope you can join us this Sunday as we do!

Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.