Woodland Hills Church

The story of the rich man and Lazarus has often been used to ground our theology when it comes to the doctrine of Hell. This message aims to broaden our imagination about this issue by looking at this passage in the larger biblical context.

Dive into the complex world of divorce and remarriage through the teachings of Jesus. Discover how love redefines the law and the importance of genuine motivations rooted in faith. Hear the poignant story of a woman's struggle in an abusive marriage, navigating her commitment amid deep emotional challenges. Gain insights into the sacredness of matrimonial vows and the path to healing. Finally, be inspired by a heartfelt prayer for wisdom and freedom in love, encouraging a deeper understanding of God's intentions for relationships.

Jesus tells us that “no one can serve two masters.” But what could this possibly mean? Don’t we all have many obligations and responsibilities? This message challenges us to live every area of our life in devotion to God.

One of the best ways to draw out the meaning of Christmas is to look at the experience of Mary. Saying “yes” to God meant she would have to pay a tremendous price, but she was willing. Will we do the same with our lives? We are called to accept that doing God’s will is greater than any fears we might have.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is one of the Bible’s great examples of faith. God chose her as the human vessel through which God would enter the world! Mary responded with great faith even though it would certainly introduce many challenges and change her life’s path.

As Kingdom people, we always want to be aware of the dangers of consumerism and irresponsible spending. However, if we take on too much responsibility for fixing the world we can fall into guilt and become judgmental. Jesus modeled a balance between responsibility to those who are less fortunate, and the freedom we have to celebrate and share the good things that God has given us.

Christians are called to live generously all year round – not just at Christmas time. Jesus models four distinctives that we are to imitate in our lives and in our communities. We can easily get caught in the flow of our culture so these distinctives are challenging for us, but they’re crucial for expanding God’s Kingdom.

What does it mean to use material resources in a godly way? All of our money and “stuff” will pass away but the relationships we have with people have real eternal value. God wants us to use our resources to advance his Kingdom rather than our own.

Most of the time we try to fit Jesus into our culturally-accepted view of God, and the early Christians did the same thing. But Jesus doesn’t fit into our categories. As Kingdom people, we’re meant to follow Jesus’ example and revolt against what’s normal in our culture. Three disciplines that can help us are practicing God’s presence, fasting and community.

There are two sons in the parable of the Prodigal Son, and in this passage we find out how the older son responds when the younger son returns home. He’s judgmental of his brother, but it’s easy to understand why because his reaction stems from a sense of justice that we all share. However, the Kingdom of God challenges us to avoid judgments and instead, extend God’s grace to others.