Woodland Friends Church

Jonah is not lukewarm. In other words there’s still a passion. He’s not lazy. He’s not indecisive or struggling with unbelief. It’s simply that he’s adamantly against what God wants him to do. And while he’s not willing to travel 550 miles to a city, rather he’d board a ship and sail 2500 miles away from everything and everyone he’s ever known to just disappear. All because God has told him to arise, and I don’t know about you, but unlike me, Jonah is at least rising, right?

Several-year congregant, Todd Metzger, gives his testimony at Woodland Friends Church, July 19th 2026.

Jim LeShana gives a denomination-wide message for Yearly Meeting Sunday 2026. (Please be advised, to come is a locally given testimony from a local Woodland Friends congregant given this Sunday at Woodland Friends Church).

There are some recurring mentions in Revelation of an enemy "who spilled the blood of the saints and prophets." It seems like Jesus was speaking to similar enemies in His times (the Gospel accounts). Perhaps they are one and the same, and if so, it opens up our understanding of Revelation a little bit more.

First Peter 1:23 says we have born again of incorruptible seed through the Word of God? What is the Word of God? Jesus, who is the Word become flesh? The prophetic word more fully confirmed delivered to us by the Apostles? Yes, and more. Much more. More than ink and words on pages, it has power, and the latter epistles in our Bibles unpack this for us.

Salvation: What have we received? What does it do? And what is our response? The authors of Hebrews and James agree on their answer to these questions!!

Truth. Tough love. Hard sayings. When Jesus says things that rattles our 21st century senses, how are we to take them!? Just as they are. Dean Kalmukos guest speaks for this 3 entrance into his series he's preached sporadically at Woodland Friends!

Philemon is hard to categorize. About all we can do is throw it under "Paul's authorship," but otherwise it's hard to throw it in categories. The fact that it's a rather personal letter that made it to the rest of the canon might make us wonder the Holy Spirit's intentions in its eternal awareness. But we find it takes an overwhelming theme of the Bible and applies it to its very literal reality.

Sermons from the Woodland Friends Church in Central-North Idaho.

The Thessalonians, like many Christians today, did seem to have a preoccupation with the end of the world that Paul had to answer in his letters to them. But in and around those teachings about the end of the world, Paul did give some advice on how to live in light of that end.

Four snippets: Really, they’re just four passages lifted from these four letters of Paul to four churches. I had no intention to seek to connect them per-say, they just interested me and perhaps therefore might interest you this Sunday. And some of them did connect as I thought about it and wrote my sermon.

Corinth, you must recognize, perhaps in the heart of Paul was a place that would test Paul’s faith in Christ’s ability to redeem. Does Christ really own the whole world? Can He really save the likes of Corinth? I once read a post going around on social media, “If St. Paul were alive today, the Church in America would be getting a letter,” friends America already got a letter, two actually, and its the letters to the Church in Corinth!

Corinth, you must recognize, perhaps in the heart of Paul was a place that would test Paul’s faith in Christ’s ability to redeem. Does Christ really own the whole world? Can He really save the likes of Corinth? I once read a post going around on social media, “If St. Paul were alive today, the Church in America would be getting a letter,” friends America already got a letter, two actually, and its the letters to the Church in Corinth!

Paul says two manifestations of the Righteousness of God have been given to us. The first, we cannot acquire, we fall short. The latter, in all of its good news, is a gift: imputed onto us out of God's grace and kindness. This is the core of Romans!

Paul says two manifestations of the Righteousness of God have been given to us. The first, we cannot acquire, we fall short. The latter, in all of its good news, is a gift: imputed onto us out of God's grace and kindness. This is the core of Romans!

What do you think people mean by that statement: “I wish the Church was more like the church of Acts?” In which ways? What did the early Church have that we don't have?

What do you think people mean by that statement: “I wish the Church was more like the church of Acts?” In which ways? What did the early Church have that we don't have?

Listen to Jacob Walker, missionary with Overland Missions headed to DR Congo. Support him here: https://portal.overlandmissions.com/donate/sowingintothekingdom

Listen to Jacob Walker, missionary with Overland Missions headed to DR Congo. Support him here: https://portal.overlandmissions.com/donate/sowingintothekingdom

Surrounding the Resurrection of Jesus were doubters from the unlikeliest of places. What do they teach us about doubters today, and what is the one persisting factor in such doubt that turns all doubters on their heads? Where's the hope?! Where it always is!

Surrounding the Resurrection of Jesus were doubters from the unlikeliest of places. What do they teach us about doubters today, and what is the one persisting factor in such doubt that turns all doubters on their heads? Where's the hope?! Where it always is!

God's Word is in, throughout, sustaining everything and it's so clearly on display in all of Passion Week. What does that truth mean for us?

God's Word is in, throughout, sustaining everything and it's so clearly on display in all of Passion Week. What does that truth mean for us?

So what? Why is it important if you, or I, Christian believe in Jesus in this way, that He’s fully man and fully God? One word. Mediator.

So what? Why is it important if you, or I, Christian believe in Jesus in this way, that He’s fully man and fully God? One word. Mediator.

The Northern Israelites, if the paid any mind to the prophet from the south, Isaiah, could have wondered just who this Gideon figure was that would break their oppressor?! Their oppressor was Assyria! The Messiah comes several years later, and He's not breaking oppressive rods that anybody expected, He breaks a rod much more oppressive: sin!

The Northern Israelites, if the paid any mind to the prophet from the south, Isaiah, could have wondered just who this Gideon figure was that would break their oppressor?! Their oppressor was Assyria! The Messiah comes several years later, and He's not breaking oppressive rods that anybody expected, He breaks a rod much more oppressive: sin!

Who were the prophets of the books who bear their name in the Old Testament? Why is hard to read them? What were they all about? And do their prophecies contain the sensational, future-predicting stuff like Nostradamus, or what DO they contain? We answer all of that here...

Who were the prophets of the books who bear their name in the Old Testament? Why is hard to read them? What were they all about? And do their prophecies contain the sensational, future-predicting stuff like Nostradamus, or what DO they contain? We answer all of that here...

As we continue an overview of the Bible, we find in Solomon's books a search and unpacking for the meaning of life. We also find that where Solomon painted the background of the picture, he leaves a silhouette only Jesus fulfills.

As we continue an overview of the Bible, we find in Solomon's books a search and unpacking for the meaning of life. We also find that where Solomon painted the background of the picture, he leaves a silhouette only Jesus fulfills.

Guest Speaker, Passage text: John 15:4,5

Guest Speaker, Passage text: John 15:4,5

In this overview of the Psalms, the biggest book of the Bible, we go through such an overview only hitting the tip of the iceberg: Christ from the Psalms, how the Psalms inform our conscience, and how the Psalms help us converse with God.

In this overview of the Psalms, the biggest book of the Bible, we go through such an overview only hitting the tip of the iceberg: Christ from the Psalms, how the Psalms inform our conscience, and how the Psalms help us converse with God.

This is what we need to remember, and if we miss this, we miss Job. Because many people, myself included even after I came to this truth, this fact, what this book is about… many of us think, “Job - oh that’s about suffering. That’s why bad things happen to good people. That’s about the mystery of suffering.” This isn't so, and the book itself says so.

This is what we need to remember, and if we miss this, we miss Job. Because many people, myself included even after I came to this truth, this fact, what this book is about… many of us think, “Job - oh that’s about suffering. That’s why bad things happen to good people. That’s about the mystery of suffering.” This isn't so, and the book itself says so.

For me growing up, this was probably the least-touched on major narrative arc for me in all the Sunday School classes and VBSs I attended. I could remember the Flood and Ark, seems like I heard David and Goliath a thousand times, and I knew the names Elijah and Elisha and sure I knew the Esther story but couldn’t tell you when it happened… But the exile? The deportation to Babylon? I mean, also, sure, a few stories in Daniel I would know — but the general picture, the overwhelming, superintendency of God to say, “I have condemned you to exile. You have forfeited your side of the Covenant, and I’m disciplining you to Babylon, pagan overlords.” I never heard much teaching on that.

For me growing up, this was probably the least-touched on major narrative arc for me in all the Sunday School classes and VBSs I attended. I could remember the Flood and Ark, seems like I heard David and Goliath a thousand times, and I knew the names Elijah and Elisha and sure I knew the Esther story but couldn’t tell you when it happened… But the exile? The deportation to Babylon? I mean, also, sure, a few stories in Daniel I would know — but the general picture, the overwhelming, superintendency of God to say, “I have condemned you to exile. You have forfeited your side of the Covenant, and I’m disciplining you to Babylon, pagan overlords.” I never heard much teaching on that.

In the Kings of Israel (both kingdoms) we get snapshots of their hearts. Alarmingly, many echo the heart of Solomon in places like Ecclesiastes 2. Self-indulging. Pursuing the wind more than things that matter. What do these heart-pursuits teach us about the Christian life?

In the Kings of Israel (both kingdoms) we get snapshots of their hearts. Alarmingly, many echo the heart of Solomon in places like Ecclesiastes 2. Self-indulging. Pursuing the wind more than things that matter. What do these heart-pursuits teach us about the Christian life?

After the dark time of the Judges, God graciously gives Israel a time where His Voice was suddenly accessible and throughout Israel again by the ministry of Samuel. Even so, Israel desires its own voice at the rejection of God's (1 Sam 8:7-9) in their request of a King instead of the Office God had given to them at this time. By the end of 1 Samuel, we see how people can be so hard-headed against God's Voice that they think He's being silent, when it's really people themselves who through disobedience choose not to hear Him!

After the dark time of the Judges, God graciously gives Israel a time where His Voice was suddenly accessible and throughout Israel again by the ministry of Samuel. Even so, Israel desires its own voice at the rejection of God's (1 Sam 8:7-9) in their request of a King instead of the Office God had given to them at this time. By the end of 1 Samuel, we see how people can be so hard-headed against God's Voice that they think He's being silent, when it's really people themselves who through disobedience choose not to hear Him!

As we examine the books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, we might get weighed down in the first two about the epic, nation-building, nation-moving, nation-disastrous truths to think the points of the story are far removed from us. But then Ruth tells us that even when we can't see it because things look so "ordinary," God's promises and His rescue still providentially takes place in the every day! Woodland Friends now receives online giving! Consider giving on the "GIVE" tab at woodlandfriendschurch.wordpress.com

As we examine the books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, we might get weighed down in the first two about the epic, nation-building, nation-moving, nation-disastrous truths to think the points of the story are far removed from us. But then Ruth tells us that even when we can't see it because things look so "ordinary," God's promises and His rescue still providentially takes place in the every day! Woodland Friends now receives online giving! Consider giving on the "GIVE" tab at woodlandfriendschurch.wordpress.com

Unknowns. There are lots of things one could focus on for the first five books of the Bible. For our purposes, let us examine these themes in these books: Unknown Consequences, Unknown Destination, and an Unknown Fulfillment. What's the unknown in your life, and is the Answer of the Bible still your answer? You can give, now, to the ministry of Woodland Friends Church online by clicking on the "GIVE" tab at www.woodlandfriendschurch.wordpress.com

Unknowns. There are lots of things one could focus on for the first five books of the Bible. For our purposes, let us examine these themes in these books: Unknown Consequences, Unknown Destination, and an Unknown Fulfillment. What's the unknown in your life, and is the Answer of the Bible still your answer? You can give, now, to the ministry of Woodland Friends Church online by clicking on the "GIVE" tab at www.woodlandfriendschurch.wordpress.com

Gifts don't care about feelings, yet we approach Christ often considering our feelings and neglecting His gift.

Gifts don't care about feelings, yet we approach Christ often considering our feelings and neglecting His gift.

"He passed through their midst and went on His way." Now there are all sorts of speculation on this. None of the possibilities makes any difference. No matter how He did it. What’s telling is that Jesus is leaving. What’s telling is that, He gets over those who reject Him. In the sense that, probably quicker than I get over people rejecting Him. There are people you and I have likely been praying for, for years, and that’s good. And again, I know that Jesus desires all people to be saved. But if there is a person unable to accept Him, and another person more than willing and wanting to receive Him, guess who Jesus is going with for the time being?