Woodland Friends Church

Sometimes bad odors get acclimated to our senses when our body takes over and utilizes "nose blindness." It's our body's way of considering a threatening smell non-threatening, and thus telling our brains to forget it. False teaching creeps in that way, and what happens when false teachings have persisted subtly for generations so much so our spiritual noses have developed its own nose blindness to it?

The Bible is about Jesus. And despite Jonah's glaring faults, Jesus voiced the ministry of Jonah only positively. That should color our interpretation of the prophet, and point us - as always - back to Jesus.

“Punishment? What’s that? You still believe that, Pastor? That there will be a judgment? A day of reckoning?” The people of Nineveh, firstly unaware of Yahweh, believe this man Jonah upon his entrance! We are, of course, materialists. That is, we tend to believe what we subjectively see, what can be detected with our five senses… So maybe it was easier and more in common for these ancient people to believe, interact and worship gods and spirits of all kinds. Perhaps they were more quick to believe Jonah about this God and His threat of punishment. But IT IS as Jesus called His own hearers out in Israel hundreds of years after Jonah: “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign…" “You expect us to believe that You, flesh. Blood. Homely. Before our eyes… is all powerful? Has authority? Has bearing on our lives? Prove it!” They demanded a sign “but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”

NWYM Supt. Jim LeShana joined Woodland Friends Church this morning in person to encourage us to be building together! (Audio was not captured first few minutes, look at Woodland Friends Church YouTube Page for this sermon if interested).

Is disobedience worth it? “Well. I don’t have to answer to God, so.” Yeah, now. And if He isn’t sending a fish after you that isn’t lucky-you. You’re missing out on so much more if He’s not reeling you in anyways. It’s telling God no to adventure. It’s telling God no to something both hard, and so totally worth it when you’re in the center of God’s will, plan and purposes. It’s telling God no to the fullness of joy. Listen: you can be in the most comfortable, lively, vibrant, distracting place ever with a million things at your fingertips, and inside you’ll still hear the screaming about the void in your life. Because you’ve maybe gone down, down, down to Joppa so as to go to Tarshish, instead of choosing Nineveh. And no matter how inviting Tarshish seems or how ominous Nineveh is, God has ways of making Nineveh your joy anyways, right?

Reading the text I was supposed to be preaching on - and even beginning a sermon - maybe felt less than accomplished. I was distracted. When I finally brought those distractions to God and asked, "So what does a smelly bunch of sailors on a boat in a storm have to do with anything? Why is this even in the Bible, period?!" God told me why!

I want to share with you a tale of three storms. Because as we compare these very similar storms in the Bible, we get a glimpse of the Gospel actually. Jonah says his life is required to calm the storm. For the storm to be calmed in Jesus’ story? His Word was all that’s required. And in Paul’s storm? It requires faith. “Believe me, God said I and the entire boat will be saved. Just the boat will be lost.” Life was required. Christ’s Word was required. Faith is required. This is the Gospel.

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!