Tapestry
April 20, 2025
Easter Sunday. What does Easter mean to YOU?
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1352866649192003
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/2061447827697998
It’s all about our perspective.
God’s love for us has no end. There is nothing that you could ever do, that would cause Him to revoke that love, but something that we should understand is that God is not a human…He is God, and the way He loves is pure and unadulterated, and I think that we as humans can not always identify… or recognize His love, maybe because we are not used to “pure and unadulterated” love.
There are times that God’s love does not feel very loving. Am I the only one who feels that way? To be completely honest, most days, I feel like I am God’s “favorite”, but during the times that I don’t, it’s usually because I have been disappointed in some situation, great or small. I feel that way when I have determined that “my plan”, is better than God’s. I have even had the audacity to say, “well, if I were God, I would have done “this” or “that” way”. But then, after a sufficient time of moping about, I remember, or really, I remind myself of all the incredible things I have seen God do, and that His plan, in hindsight, is always so much better than mine. I can do this because I have a history with God. I have read the Bible through many times, and on those pages, I have read about the impossible made possible, and it never gets old.
When I am in a time of trial, whether it be a minor disappointment, or a major catastrophe, and it is most certainly after I have had a temper tantrum, I take a “stroll” through the Bible, I begin at Genesis and list the amazing things that my God did for His people. I remind myself that God has always been faithful, I’ve seen it time and time again. I remind myself that my heavenly Father has declared many times, in His Word, that He loves me …. So if things are not going the way that I would like, well, it is not because God does not love me. I also know His character, because He tells me who He is, this also is in His Word; He is good, He is righteous, He is just, etc. So if things are not going my way, it is not because He is cruel, or uncaring. I also know that He is infinite, and wise. So, if my life, or my world, is not looking like I would like it to, it is not because “He just doesn’t understand”, Oh He understands…everything, and He is able to see through the corridors of time, and knows what is, ultimately, the best thing for me. And as I remind myself of all these truths and reflect on all the good things He has done for me over the course of my life with Him, I arrive at a place of peace. Because I know that I can trust Him, and that the “facts” of life…do not always line up with the truth, and the truth is that the God of the universe has a vested interest in your life, after all, He purchased it with His blood.
Whatever you are going through, God has you. You may feel abandoned by Him in your pain and disappointment, but I promise you, if you remind yourself of what you know about Him, and if you spend some time reminiscing about all the times that God “delivered” you from your personal “fiery furnace”, you will be able to withstand the present storm, and you will even grow in the midst of it.
David wrote Psalm 42:11 while in a crisis, and faith was colliding with his “reality”. David was not feeling very hopeful; he was worried. It didn’t make him a bad child of God, or a weak man, it made him a normal person, a person who was discouraged by the circumstances of his life. But David did not jump on the “discouragement train”. David did not even let the train leave the
station. David questioned himself….”Hey self, why you so sad?” Why are you in turmoil? I always read it as David is giving his soul a motivational talk. He asks his soul, “why are you downcast, O my soul,” put your hope in God! Good for David! That is exactly how we all should react, and it was a good reminder to me that we all need to “preach” to ourselves, during those tough days. I’m glad that David had that “bad day”, and I’m glad that he needed to remind himself, in that moment to hope in God, and I am really glad that David wrote it down so that you and I could read it. We live in a fallen world, and we all suffer with the consequences of sin, sometimes it is other peoples sinful actions that affect our lives, and sometimes it is our own sin, but no matter which, God has promised to walk with us, and He does have a plan that will be so much better than yours, and then that becomes another “faith brick” in your foundation, and it becomes a part of your testimony, and then when you meet someone who is facing a tough time, you can tell them just what your God did for you, in your time of trial, and that is part of the beauty of suffering! – Ginny Axelrod
April 18, 2025
Good Friday Service
One Service 7:00 pm
April 13, 2025
He would humbly announce himself as the Messiah by riding a lowly donkey into Jerusalem.
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1018878196870219
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1202039781437697
Dear Family,
Next week is Holy Week, the most important week in church History. It is a week of remembering. It was no coincidence that The Passover happens to be observed right around the same time. It was all part of God’s plan. The Passover is a celebration of God’s protection of the Jews, while death had gripped all those around them, and it is a celebration of deliverance from the bonds of slavery.
Jesus and His disciples observed the Passover supper, and this year The Ridge will once again gather together to take part in that tradition. Passover falls on April 12th this year, and I think that gathering together, as a church family, to celebrate, is a perfect way to begin Holy Week. I realize that not everyone could attend, so I decided, in the effort of including you all, that I would share the opening remarks here. It is a brief explanation of what the Passover is all about. I would also like to remind you about the Prayer Clinic. It starts at 6:00pm, on Thursday, April 10th. We will be there until 7:30pm, but you can come and go as you are able. I am praying that our spirits will be invigorated this Holy Week! I hope you will join us on Sunday to celebrate Palm Sunday as we prepare our hearts for Holy Week, and Easter Sunday!
Ginny
The Passover
Haggadah means “the telling”. The Passover is an ancient ceremony. It has been kept for thousands of years. And as we gather tonight, there are families all across the world, gathered together to share this same meal, but it is not just a meal. It is a ritual, it is a ceremony, it is a memorial. It is filled with sight, sound, aroma, and taste. God is very smart, and He knew before the science, that our senses are a powerful tool in locking a memory into our brain. Our frontal lobe.
You see, The Passover is all about remembering. Remembering what God did for the children of Israel so many years ago. They were commanded to keep it each year on this day. But why? This is not a magic ceremony, and it was not to earn God’s favor. The reason is simple. In keeping this Holy day, they would remember, and share with the next generation, the burden of slavery, and how God delivered them from that bondage. They would remember the power and might He displayed. And this would kindle the flame of faith, for themselves and for their children.
Let me share a little history. Jacob and his family sought refuge from the famine in Egypt. God had providentially prepared the way through Jacobs’ own son, Joseph. Joseph, who had been sold into slavery, found favor with Pharaoh, and was elevated to second in command. Jacob, who God called Israel, settled in Egypt with his sons, and their families. Over time, they grew in number and strength, but there came a day when a new Pharaoh came to power, and he did not know Joseph.
This Pharaoh saw the Israelites grow in number and might, and his concern grew. He thought, “what if war broke out and the Israelites joined my enemy”. So, he oppressed them and laid heavy burdens on them. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied. So, Pharaoh slaughtered their newborns. But God continued to bless them, and their numbers increased. So, pharaoh enslaved them. Their lives were made bitter.
God heard the groaning of His children, and He remembered His covenant. He raised up a man that He had prepared to lead His people out of bondage. Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s household, and God called him to go before Pharaoh, and speak His words, “let my people go”. Pharaoh refused. So, God sent 10 plagues. The tenth and final plague was the death of the first born. But God protected His children. The children of Israel were instructed to slaughter a perfect lamb and apply its blood to their lintel and doorposts. This was a sign and seeing it the Lord would pass over and not allow the destroyer to enter that house. In the Passover we see the foreshadowing of the Messiah, the once and forever perfect lamb, who’s blood would cover our sin, and the plague of death would pass over us.
Set before you is the seder plate. It holds the ceremonial items of Passover. Odd items to be sure, but each have an important meaning. There are bitter herbs, a roasted egg, a sweet apple mixture, parsley, and a bone. (Only on Paul’s plate) These are part of the telling, the story. Each item meant to add a sensory experience. Because the Passover is meant to be an immersive experience. My prayer is that you will be blessed by this experience, and that you will allow yourself with all your senses to truly experience it, tasting each ingredient, and listening to every word. Allow it to be seared into your memory.
Jewish people around the world will be experiencing this just as we are, and as they do, they will hope for the arrival of the Messiah. For us we see the foreshadowing in the ceremony and in the scriptures that will be read, and for us we see the fulfillment of those prophecies in Jesus Christ the Messiah. We pray their eyes would be opened, and that they would also see that their waiting is over, and their hope has been fulfilled.
The first Sunday of every month we celebrate communion. A remembrance of what is called The Last Supper. At the last supper Jesus gathered those He was closest with, his friends, to celebrate the Passover, to remember the great things God had done. Jesus led that Passover, and it is crazy to think that the ceremony we are about to take part in, Jesus himself led. Jesus spoke these same words, said these same prayers, and ate the same food. But even more, the following day Jesus would fulfill the Passover. He would be that perfect lamb, that was sacrificed for the sake of our sin, so that death would pass over us. Here, as we participate together in the Passover Seder, may we recall once again God’s redemption and reconciliation. – Ginny Axelrod
April 6, 2025
Forgiveness of Sin. “A New Covenant.”
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1405891730406713
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1062642325696115
The God of the Impossible.
I do believe the creation story. I believe God was perfectly able to do it all in six days. Yes, He could have also done it over millions of years, but would that really be an amazing feat? I’ve listened to arguments over the years claiming that the incredible stories of the Old Testament, were just that; stories, embraced by the ignorant masses, to help them cope and make sense of a world that they could not intellectually understand, and if that is what you believe, that is your prerogative, but I think it is a small view of God, and that is the point. Satan has always wanted to diminish God’s greatness. Obviously, he is not able to do that, so the next best thing is for Satan to lead people to believe that all those “stories” in the Bible are nothing more than fairy tales, thus diminishing God’s greatness in the eyes of the people that He created.
God has always been about displaying HIs greatness, and He does this by doing the “impossible”. Take, for instance, the virgin birth, it was impossible for a woman to become pregnant without sexual intercourse, and yet it happened. In Joshua chapter ten, God causes the sun to stand still so that Joshua’s army could complete their battle, and win the victory; it stood still for about a day. In the book of Judges, chapter 7, God whittled away at Gideon’s army of 22,000 men to 10,000, and finally to 300 men. The army of Midian and their allies were about 135,000 strong. God gave 300 Israelites the victory over the 135,000 men of the enemy army, and if you want to read that story, it begins in Judges, chapter 6, and it is really interesting, and impossible. God also caused the sun to go back 10 degrees, as a sign to King Hezekiah, that he would be healed and given an additional 15 years of life. This is recorded in 2 Kings 20:9-11 and Isaiah 38:7-8. God parted the Red Sea, caused an axe head to float, and a donkey to speak.
God is not a man. You and I are beholden to the laws of nature; gravity will pull us down if we are not careful, we are all getting older with each passing day, and eventually our bodies will run its course, and we will all die. But God is the creator of it all. He is the Master of the universe, He created it all, and all the laws of nature, science, mathematics, and time, were created by God, and He is not beholden to them, they bow and bend to His will. He is their master.
Miracles are a sign given to mankind to confirm the existence of God, or to get our attention, and nothing captures the attention of our finite minds more than being confronted with the impossible. Jesus’ miraculous birth was confirmation of God’s promise made throughout the Old Testament. Jesus’ death brought confirmation to the prophecies, and Jesus’ resurrection brought confirmation that He was who He said He was, the Son of God.
Most Christians believe in the virgin birth. They don’t blink an eye at His turning water to wine, or raising Lazarus from the grave, and they have no problem with His resurrection. These are all pretty “impossible” acts. So why are the incredible acts in the Old Testament so hard to embrace? I’m not judging you if you think this way. I just would love for you to see God, as the God of the impossible, because that is what He is; a God so big and infinite, and yet He knows you, and has set His affection on you. Whatever is going on in your life, God has not forgotten you, and He is more than able to be your shelter and supply your needs. He is the God of the impossible. – Ginny Axelrod
March 30, 2025
Daniel predicted when the Messiah would be rejected.
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/538497882205340
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: NOT AVAILABLE
DEVOTIONAL NOT AVAILABLE
March 23, 2025
Sermon NOT AVAILABLE
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: NOT AVAILABLE
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: NOT AVAILABLE
Good Grief
Death has a different meaning for the Christian, than it does for the world. In 2017, on Palm Sunday, two Coptic churches, in Egypt, were targeted by Isis. The bomb blasts killed 47 people and injured 109. So much death and suffering, the grief was real, but how did the Coptic church respond? They thanked Isis. I know that is pretty incredible, but their response was dictated by their faith. They thanked the terrorists because those 47 members were sent straight into the arms of Jesus, and the Coptic church family knew that their brothers and sisters were experiencing pure joy, in the presence of God, the very thing that we are waiting for, with anticipation. They also acknowledged, with gratefulness to the terrorists, that after the attack, the church was absolutely packed, and the church saw it as an opportunity to minister to the “sheep that had wandered” and had found themselves drawn back to the community of Believers, seeking comfort and hope, during a time of great suffering. These two groups of Believers trusted in the sovereignty of God, and trusted that even amidst these acts of hate and violence, God was still God, and all things were going according to His divine plan, but that does not mean they did not grieve.
Two years ago on St. Patrick’s Day, my grandson, Theo died. He passed in the comfort of his mother’s warm belly, surrounded by love. Being present for my daughter’s labor was both one of the saddest and most joyful experiences of my life. Because even in the midst of great suffering God was present, and I experienced a grief that overwhelmed me as I watched my daughter labor to bring forth a baby, who would never draw the breath of life, and at the very same time experiencing, and being overcome by God’s presence and love, and the understanding that we were not alone in our sorrow.
March 17th was St. Patrick’s Day, and it was the two-year anniversary of Theo’s heavenly birthday. I had not planned to grieve, but when I checked my phone, the first thing that popped up was a play list of photos from March 17, 2023. My iPhone paired it with some very nice music. I felt in that moment all the grief sitting on my chest. Grief is a funny thing. At first it is like a toddler in the midst of a temper tantrum; out of control, demanding to be heard, and seen, and felt, and then, after a while, grief is accepted and embraced, and we settle into out “new normal”, a quiet ache, that assimilates into our lives, but every so often grief jumps out from behind the corner in a sneak attack, and the pain feels fresh and raw, and that is ok.
In our culture, when we experience a loss, we are encouraged to “move on”, or we are told it is time to “get over it”, but maybe we are not supposed to move on. If I had a friend or a family member move out of the country, and I knew that I would not be seeing them for a very long time, I wouldn’t banish them from my thoughts or my memory. I would reflect on the happy memories, I would pray for them, and I would write them e-mails, or send them texts. I know I will see them again, and so I would hold space for them in my heart until that day. It is similar with those who have gone home before us. We may not be able to hold them, but we can hold space in our hearts and in our memories for them, because we will see them again. We can be grateful that they are safe, have no pain, and they have no worries. They have received the healing that was promised, and walk in total freedom, and they are celebrating in the presence of God. And one day when we step into that heavenly kingdom, they will be there to greet us. There will be times when grief begs to be heard, and that is ok, because grieve is an expression of the love that we have for the one that has parted.
Jesus cares about the brokenhearted. In chapter 11, of the Gospel of John, we have an example of how Jesus dealt with Martha and Mary, during their time of mourning, and we also see how He dealt with death. Both sisters were mourning the loss of their brother Lazarus. He did not tell them to, “get a grip, the stone has been placed, it’s time to move on.”. Jesus took time to listen. He let them “feel their feelings”, and He offered them words of comfort and hope…Jesus gave them the Word. Jesus knew that He was about to raise Lazarus, He knew that within minutes, Martha and Mary would be reunited with their brother, but He also knew that their present grief was real and painful, and Jesus cried with them. Jesus knows that you will be reunited with the one you've lost, but He also knows that your pain is very real, and He is right there with you, letting you cry, but also knowing that one day you will stand with your loved one in His presence, and there will be a joy that you cannot imagine. – Ginny Axelrod
March 16, 2025
To Hear is to be Obedient
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: NOT AVAILABLE
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: NOT AVAILABLE
If Israel had listened to God, the conflict in the Middle East would not be what it is today. When God gave the Children of Israel the Promised land, He instructed them to eradicate the occupants. This order does not seem congruent with the God that we know, who is all loving and kind, so why did He issue it? The lack of understanding has caused many Christians to turn from God and denounce their faith, claiming that the God of the Bible is an immoral monster. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Israel was a unique people. They were set apart. Their moral code was drafted by the God of the universe…now I’m not saying they kept it perfectly, but they were given a law that was very different from surrounding cultures, and it did set them apart. The standard of “good”, and acceptable behavior for Israel was dictated by Yahweh, but for the Canaanites, the acceptable behavior was determined by their deity’s behavior, and the gods and goddesses of the Canaanites were brutal, and immoral. Their gods had incestuous relationships, so incest wasn’t treated as a serious moral wrong. Their gods demanded child sacrifice, so offering up your baby for sacrifice was not considered a crime. Canaanite gods were ok with bestiality, adultery, and the slaughter of innocents. Since man is designed to reflect that which they worship, the Canaanites reflected the character of the gods that they worshipped. They were a violent people and passed that on from generation to generation. This was their “norm”.
Before we judge God by our human understanding; let’s consider a few things. God is good, and He is loving and full of mercy. Remember it was God who prompted Jonah to warn the city of Nineveh, and it was God who granted that barbaric, bloodthirsty nation mercy. It was God who would have spared the City of Sodom, for the sake of ten righteous souls. God provided an ark and a preacher to save the people from the flood, but they would not hear. When I read the Old Testament all I see is a God so full of love and grace for the people that He created, not just His chosen people, but the surrounding nations also. Just as He sent prophets to guide and warn the people of Israel, when they were “straying off the path”, He also sent His prophets to warn the surrounding nations when they committed atrocities. It was such a brutal time. People were abused by those in power. The strong ruled without mercy. And innocents were harmed. God does not like abuse. He does not like for the weak and innocent to be used. Much like Israel, these nations received much patience and long-suffering from God. These conflicts go all the way back to Genesis. Four hundred years or so is a lot of patience, but God needed to protect His people from the threat of all the “Ites” that lived in the land. It was not a rash, knee-jerk reaction.
When God instructed Israel to destroy the people of the land, not only was He wanting to provide His children with a safe home land, but He was also using Israel to execute His justice on nations that preyed on the weak and powerless, and viciously conquered villages and cities, without mercy, and so they received no mercy, because they had rejected God and His mercy. In the end Israel failed to remove the people from the land, and there was unending conflict…and it is still going on to this very day.
The situation in the Middle East is complicated, and a bit confusing. I know it is a controversial topic, but however you feel about it, it is important to be aware that Jews and Christians alike are being slaughtered. Last week in Syria, 1800 people were slaughtered, many were Christians, Alawites, and other religious minorities. These people were killed because of who they worship. Whole villages were said to have been massacred. Women, children, and elderly were not spared…these were civilians. Please pray for our global, Christian family as they face persecution. Pray for their persecutors, that God would have mercy on them, just as He did on that great city Nineveh, and that they would run to the cross, and cry out to the one that died for their sin. Pray for peace around the world, and here at home. Pray for me, and I’ll be praying for you, because we all need it! Ginny Axelrod
March 9, 2025
It is the Blood that Makes Atonement.
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/9327423843971474
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: NOT AVAILABLE
I’m glad Lent is here.
God is a very understanding God. He knows His creation very well, He knows you…like the
palm of His hand, because He formed you… in the palm of His hand. So God knows how easily
His little children are distracted, and that is why He gave them feast days, or days of holy
observation. These days serve as a tether…or maybe a winch, to draw back to God, and to
remind us of who we are, and who we belong to. I am glad Lent is finally here. I am excited to
see what God is going to do in my life…I am expecting Him to do something wonderful!
To be completely honest, I am feeling a bit weary. I know that I am not alone in this. We have
many of our church family going through some “marrow” level trials, the kind that pierce your
heart and soul. They need our love and support, and they need for us to stand in the gap, and
pray for them. Often when we go through a time of trial, we feel utterly alone, and the truth is
we do have to face those trials alone, because they are our trials, no one can face it for you, but
the love, the encouraging words of hope, and the promise of prayers, that we receive from a
brother or a sister, can make all the difference, we may have to face the trial alone, but we are
never really alone, because we have family who prays for our hurts, and asks for our strength,
and we have a God, who although we may not feel His presence at times, He is there, because
He promised that nothing could ever separate us from His love, and we can go to Him and pour
out our hearts, and lay our burdens before Him, and He will hear.
Along with the many needs in our church family, there are family members around the world
who are suffering. Many for the sake of claiming Christ. On February 13, In the democratic
Republic of Congo, Isis Militants rounded up 70 Christians, and beheaded them. These were
our brothers and sisters, and we should grieve their deaths. The church in Ukraine, is also
under persecution, there have been arrests of clergy, and raids on churches. We in America, do
not really understand persecution, but our brothers and sisters across the globe live with it on a
daily basis. This should move us to prayer, because we all know that this will only get worse,
because we have read Revelation, and God has not been wrong yet. My heart is burdened for
people that I have never met, but I know that my prayers bring them comfort.
There is a lot going on, in our daily personal lives, and there is a lot going on around the world,
and that is why I am looking forward to this Lent season. My intention is to withdraw from the
distractions, and hide under my Father’s wing. I am asking for a time of renewal, refreshing,
and strength…and some extra energy, because there is a lot of work to be done. I am asking
that God would continue the work that He began in my heart all those many years ago, and that
I would be willing, able, and available for all the good works that He has for me, and that by the
end of the Lenten season, I would find myself knowing God better, and loving Him more! And I
will be praying that for all of you, as well ! Praying that God will do wonderful things in each of
us! – Ginny Axelrod
March 2, 2025
Miracles
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/652312160549165
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1179924503801578
The Creator of the universe wants to spend time with you! Isn’t that a lovely thought? When I think about God, The Creator, The Sustainer, The Perfect, and think that He wants to spend time with me, I have to wonder why? God knows me. He knows my thoughts; He knows me inside and out, and yet, He still wants to spend time with me. It is hard to believe, at times, especially on a bad day, but even on my worst day, when I don’t even want to spend time with me…my Heavenly Father loves to hang out with me, so much that He died so that He could.
Prayer is just visiting with God. We have the honor, and the privilege, and even the right to “pop in”, and visit with our Father any time we like. Isn’t that a nice thought? Any time you are sad, or lonely, or depressed, or scared, or worried, you can run to your Daddy. He is always available, and there is no request that is ignored…He is always listening. You may not have received an answer yet, but that does not mean that He hasn’t heard. God has knowledge of the past and of the future, so He knows what is going to serve you best…it is always about what is best for His children.
In the book of Jonah, God wanted the citizens of Nineveh to receive grace, and He had chosen the reluctant prophet, Jonah, to deliver the warning. Jonah was not thrilled with this mission trip, so he turned his back on the call. God will not force a person to accomplish His will, but He certainly made Jonah’s mutiny uncomfortable and allowed him to wallow in that discomfort until he was ready to obey. My point is that God wanted a message delivered, so that the souls of Nineveh would be spared, but He needed for His servant to come around to HIs way of thinking.
You may be praying for something good, and maybe you have been waiting a long time, but there are many pieces to that “puzzle”, that you are not aware of…maybe there is a stubborn piece to the puzzle, like our reluctant prophet Jonah, that God is patiently waiting for, until they willingly submit to His plan, and the answer to your request. Keep praying!
I would not want to get out of bed in the morning, if I were not confident that God was on His throne, and despite all the craziness going on in the world, God is in control, and He has a plan, and you are part of that plan.
Could God have saved Nineveh, without Jonah? Yes, absolutely, but God had chosen Jonah to be the means of His grace, and likewise God has chosen to accomplish His will, through the prayers of His people. Your prayers are important, and the joy that you will feel, when you see your prayer fulfilled…not because you “got what you wanted”, but because the God who is enthroned above it all, bent His ear to listen to you, and He cared. He is a good Father! – Ginny Axelrod
February 23, 2025
We are all Lepers.
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/644081398007445
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: SERMON UNAVAILABLE
DEVOTION NOT AVAILABLE
February 16, 2025
Sermons Unavailable
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: SERMON UNAVAILABLE
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: SERMON UNAVAILABLE
What is the truth?
For about the last 20 years or so, there has been a trend in church culture, where a group of Christians gather together and discuss what a passage in scripture means to them. This is all well and good, discussion is a good thing, but here’s the problem; often, these discussions are based off of feelings, opinions, or the desire to justify sin within their own lives, and because of this they can miss the true message in the text. I guess at this point it is no longer considered a trend, and rather just the state of the church in America.
When we read scripture, we tend to ask the questions; How do I fit into this story, or what does this story mean to me? But the more important question to ask is, “What does it mean to God?” After all, it is His story, and He is the author of it. Each word has a meaning, and those words were grouped together to form sentences which convey the thoughts and ideas of the Creator to you. Now I don’t mean this to be rude, but I don’t really care what you think it means or what you would like it to mean, I want to know what God meant, because that is really all that matters, and that understanding has the ability to change the heart of a man.
The Bible is an ancient document, and as we scour its pages, we must take that into consideration. Does it have a message for us today in this modern world? Yes, yes it does, but we will not have a clear understanding of that message unless we first understand what it meant to its original audience.
When we study the Bible, we need to consider the language used, the cultural norms of the time, the literary style being employed, and “kingdom and tribal politics”, or how the various people groups related to one another. There is a story being told, and there are lessons to be learned, but if we don’t understand the words that are used, or the culture of that day, we could miss the important truths that are being revealed. We do not want to miss that!
There are many religions that hold to the position that Jesus was a sage, a prophet, a good man, but that Jesus never actually claimed to be God. Jesus being part of the Trinity is a foundational truth embraced by all religions with orthodox values, and it is one of the foundational truths on which our faith stands. Jesus, God himself, died for man’s sins. It was necessary for God to do this, because only a perfect man could pay the price for sin, and the only one born without sin was God Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ. When Jesus said, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am”, He was giving His name, just as, when Moses asked of God, who shall I say sent me, or what’s your name, and God responded with, “I Am”. Jesus was claiming the same title as God.
Our modern-day false religions may not understand what Jesus was getting at, but the pharisees of His day certainly did, and that is why they wanted Him dead. Every person within earshot would have known exactly what scripture Jesus was referring to, and they knew exactly what He was claiming, because they had context, and they understood what the Old Testament said, so they understood that Jesus was claiming to be equal to God. Understanding this today, is just as important as it was back then. And that is why understanding God’s Word, and what it is saying is so important. There are people who will present their version of the truth with absolute confidence, and with the best intentions, but in the end those good intentions will lead many to a death without God. That is heartbreaking.
The Bible is the most important document ever to be penned, each word, each sentence, is God revealing who He is, to us. It was written with love, and paid for with blood, people have sacrificed their lives to ensure that it would be carried to the ends of the earth. It has the power to save, and the wisdom for how to live, and that can change the world…One soul at a time! – Ginny Axelrod
February 9, 2025
Sermons Unavailable
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: NOT AVAILABLE
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: NOT AVAILABLE
2025…So what do you think of it so far? I feel like we have all lived a year’s worth of News in this first 36 days; actually, I felt that way by January 3rd! There is an awful lot going on in our little world, isn’t there? There is also a lot going on in our little church. We all have “things” going on. We are all dealing with our own little…or big, trials.
As Christians we are told that there will be trials, so we shouldn’t be surprised, and yet we often are. James tells us to:
“Consider pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” James 1:2-3 Notice that it is not “if” you face trials, no, it is “whenever.” We will face trials, and those trials may break our hearts, they may make us angry, they may even make us angry at God, but they will serve a purpose, they will produce perseverance, and we need that to “finish our race.” Each time we face a trial 1 Peter tells us
“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:3-7
In the passage above, I love that Peter gives us the good news first! He starts out by lifting up a little praise, because it is hope for a weary soul! If you read verse 3, Peter praises God for His great mercy. What is that great mercy? He has caused us…you, to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of His Son. What is that living hope? We have an inheritance that is imperishable (there is no expiration date), undefiled (it is pure), and it is unfading, and it is being guarded, protected, “Kept in heaven for you” …for you! Peter goes on to say in verse 5, “who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time”. Who is being guarded through faith? That would be you, and me too! Peter tells us to rejoice in that, remember that, hold on to that, because he knows that here on planet earth, the home of the original sin, we will be “grieved by various trials”. But…. There are some important, encouraging things to be learned in this short passage, especially if you are being grieved by your own variety of various trials;
First: You may be in a time of pain and suffering, but God has not forgotten you; He is guarding your inheritance in heaven, and He is guarding you here on earth, through the faith He has imparted to you. God will keep you in this storm, you will hold fast to Him, because He is holding you together, you will not be lost! You may feel that He is far, far away in this time, but He is right there, causing every breath, every heartbeat, saving every tear, feeling all your pain.
Second: In verse 6, Peter tells us that this trial is only “for a little while”, this should give us hope in the midst of the storm, our suffering is not forever, there will be an end. Just hold tight to God, as the waves come, the Word of God will be your lifeboat.
Third: Notice, also in verse 6, it says “if necessary”. There would be no trials if they were not absolutely essential to our growth. Consider this; God is a good Father, and He loves you so much that He allowed His Son to go through unimaginable pain and suffering, so that you could be His child, that is how important you are to Him, so with that in mind, do you think He would make you face the storm if it wasn’t essential? The storm is horrible, but He is not making you walk alone; He is right there with you, lean into Him, and you will find comfort.
Life is, for most of us, that we are either in the midst of a trial, or we are just coming out of one, or we are heading into one, they vary in severity, and intensity, but they all serve a purpose, and Peter sheds light on that. Verse 7, “so that the tested genuineness of your faith…may be found to result in praise and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ”. This essentially is telling us that once we arrive on the other side of suffering, we will praise and glorify God, because we will see that the faith which He has given us has held sure against the storm, and we will remember that for the next storm, and we will be able to praise His name through that storm, and we will be able to offer hope to a world that is suffering in an ocean of sin and pain, we just need to “cast the net” and share that hope. – Ginny Axelrod
February 2, 2025
The Mesiah Spoke in Parables.
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1132131318457911
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1132131318457911
I’ve said it before, in this little corner of my life, that God hates sin. God takes sin very personally, after all, sin directly opposes, and seeks to obscure, God’s nature. Think of it like this; an artist, not just any artist, but the greatest artist of all time, with great care, and thoughtful creativity, paints a masterpiece, and it is perfect; the colors, the shading, the perspective…everything is perfect, and then some crazed, irrational, lunatic, approaches the painting, and takes a black crayon, and violently slashes through that breathtaking work of art, with that black crayon. The beautiful painting is ruined, and that is what sin has done to God’s creation.
God created a perfect world. I know that you will agree with me that even with the mar of sin, we can still see the beauty of this planet…imagine what it would have been like before the bite was taken. We witness the evidence of the intelligence of the Creator when we look at the human body…when the human body behaves as it should, it is a brilliant design, designed to grow, learn, and heal itself. God has quite a colorful imagination. You know He could have just made a “fish”, and lots of the same design, but no, God made somewhere between 25,000 to 35,000 species of fish…Why? So, we wouldn’t get bored? No, I think God just had fun creating the various varieties with His artistic flourish. And within that creative genius, He has a whimsical sense of humor. Consider the platypus, or better yet, the axolotl. If you don’t know what that is, run to google! An axolotl is an aquatic salamander, and it resembles a cartoon drawing. They smile and have little hands, and they are adorable! Oh, but they can also be a little cannibalistic, and I’m pretty sure that would be the result of sin. Because sin affected everything. This is why God hates sin.
Before sin entered the world, everything was perfect, axolotls did NOT eat each other! There was no jealousy, there was no strife, there was no war, there was no sickness or disease, and there was no death, but most importantly, before sin made its destructive entrance into the world, there was perfect communion between man and God.
Sin creates a division between man and God, and sin ultimately leads to death. God hates sin, not because He is a grumpy old man, who takes pleasure in denying His creatures a “little fun”, but rather because He is a loving benevolent Creator, who wants to protect His creation from the anguish that sin always causes. I challenge you to name one sin that is good for you. Sin destroys the body, sin causes division, sin tears families apart, sin breaks down society, sin has caused a destructive imbalance to our ecosystem. What we think of as “just a little fun”, is the very thing that wreaks havoc in our lives. God hates sin, because it hurts YOU. God hates sin because it keeps you from His presence, and He knows that we experience the “fullness of joy” in His presence. God always, always, always wants what is best for us.
We talked about shame last week. Internal shame is the result of sin (sometimes shame is thrust upon us by someone else’s sin), and shame is a barrier that keeps us from pursuing God, and sin is quick to offer a substitute for God….sin is quick to offer up something that will distract us momentarily from that shame, but the result of the sin….more shame, and thus a cycle begins….sin, shame, sin to distract from shame, more shame…more sin.
Are you ashamed of the things that you have done? Well, you are not alone in that “club”, but sin causes isolation, because we try to hide that sin. You may be able to hide that sin from your friends and family, but you will never be able to hide that sin from God. It is laid out before Him, and He witnesses it all, but guess what? God is not shocked. In fact, that is exactly what He expects from an unregenerate person. God has offered a remedy for your sin, and it is available to all mankind. You see, sin seeks to obfuscate the truth about God, and part of that truth is that He is truth (John 14:6), and in His High Priestly Prayer, Jesus prayed that His followers would be sanctified in the truth, and He followed with, “your word is truth”.
“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” John 17:17-18
From the beginning, Satan sought to muddy the waters of truth, The truth of His greatness, the truth of His grace and mercy, and the truth of His love, but the truth is out there, available on every page of the Bible, and on those pages you will learn about a loving Father, who sent His equally loving Son, to ransom you from sin’s grasp (you may still sin, but sin won’t “have” you), and you will learn that true joy and contentedness is found in God, and you will also learn about the Holy Spirit who will now and forever help you to navigate around those “thirst traps” of sin.
We all sin, and we all deal with the mess that it creates in our lives, but God is good, and He is not waiting for you to “clean up your act”, He is just waiting for you to come…just as you are! He will welcome you with open arms, and a heart full of love! – Ginny Axelrod
January 26, 2025
Tapestry . . . Oops Part 2
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/2923208064528235
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/610251278429375
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”, and although I cannot tell you everything that was in the heavens, or on the earth, what I can tell you, is what there was not. When God created the heavens, the earth, the living creatures, and man, there was no sin, was no shame, and there was no guilt. Can you imagine a world without the hefty weight of guilt and shame?
I think that many non-Christians think of the God of the Bible as an uptight, narrow-minded, prude, who spends His time casting down shame and guilt lightning bolts from heaven, while clutching His pearls. But God is not the author of shame. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve roamed around without a stitch of clothing. When God created Adam, he was naked, and after God created him, God said that it was very good. God did not think that there was anything shameful about their naked bodies, nor did He feel the need to cover them up. Adam and Eve felt no shame, because they had never sinned, and without sin…there is no shame.
When Eve was seduced by the serpent’s lies, sin was ushered into the perfect world, and the two humans felt the effect immediately; they felt shame. You see humans were created in God’s image, and that means we share in His ability to create, we also have emotion just as He does, we have the power of reason, intellect, and will, but we also know what is right in the eyes of the Lord, because His Law is written on the hearts of men (Romans 2:15). Eve knew the “rules” of the Garden, after all there was only one; Don’t eat from the tree, but she decided to take a nibble anyway, and then shared it with her husband, and in that instance their innocence was gone, and they stood there feeling exposed, and ashamed, and so they scurried off to “make themselves presentable”. My point is that God saw no shame in who they were; it was Adam and Eve who sought to cover themselves, but it was God who covered their shame with the first blood sacrifice, and that is a wonderful foreshadow of the ultimate everlasting sacrifice that He would make by dying for our sins, and covering our sins with His blood.
For the Christian, all of our sin has been forgiven, all our debt is paid. Remember that piece of penny candy you stole when you were 7? Well, God doesn’t. He has forgiven you, that sin is gone, and if there is no sin, then you have no shame! But along with that, if you are a Christian, and you do sin, you are going to feel that same emotion that Adam and Eve felt…shame, and in that case, that shame is a reminder that you have done something against God’s nature, and it should signal us to run to the Father. Shame should never stand between you and your Father, because He is always waiting for His children to remember who they are, and who they belong to. There is absolutely nothing that you can do that would ever cause God to revoke His love for you. He paid a one-time price, but it’s the gift that keeps giving…every time we sin. But when we really consider the cost of our salvation, it causes us to consider the weightiness of sin, and every sin that we committed, or commit, equaled a portion of God’s wrath poured out on His sinless Son. God knew the perfect amount of wrath to cover the sins of all those who would come to Him, but if I willfully decide to sin, I have willfully added to that wrath, and that thought makes me want to run as far as I can from sin. The bonus…less sin, less shame! And this is a side note. God hates sin. He doesn’t hate it because He is a stodgy old thing who hates fun. No, God hates sin because it harms His people. Have you ever known of a sin that benefits a person’s life? Have you ever heard of a sin that makes a person healthier, whether spiritually, emotionally, or physically? I haven’t. Sin destroys and ultimately leads to death. God has always sought to protect His children from the ramifications of sin.
God is good! He is so loving that He crafted a perfect world free of guilt and shame for man to rule over, and knowing exactly what would happen in the Garden, He provided a Savior, who would ransom humanity from their prison of guilt and shame, and restore them to right standing before their heavenly Father, not separated by sin, not weighted down by guilt, and not hiding in shame, but standing before Him as an heir, as His beloved…just like in the Garden. – Ginny Axelrod
January 19, 2025
Tapestry . . . Oops!
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1752221232226414
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/921621616826494
INCARNATION
That is what Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter – all of the “Jesus seasons”, are all about…INCARNATION. So, what is it? What is incarnation, and why should we care?
Incarnation is the idea that God became a human being, took on flesh and blood and lived in our midst. In Jesus Christ, God became fully human and lived among us.
How did this happen? For starters, God gave us His “Law” – found in the first five books of the Old Testament which include such wondrous teachings as the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5). But humanity, people, you and I needed more. We didn’t seem to get it, although God gave us plenty of opportunity to try.
So, God sent prophets…quite a number of them, to interpret His Law…to show us what it means to live a godly life. And if the teachings of one prophet didn’t work, God would send another and then another. There was Amos, then Hosea, then Isaih – actually in the Book of Isaiah can be found at least three different prophets. Jeremiah must be listed, and this page could be filled with many more.
We didn’t listen to them very well either. In fact, some were run out of town; some were jailed; some were even put to death.
Mixed in with all the prophets, there was a history itself. Kings were raised up – people like David, Josiah, and Hezekiah. But most of the kings were pretty rotten, even causing the split of Israel into two nations, north and south, occasionally even fighting each other.
And of course, Israel and Judiah were in the midst of huge empires that continually harassed them. First, there was Egypt who originally held them in bondage. Then, there was Assyria who conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, gobbling up the ten northern tribes. Later on, the Babylonians conquered Judiah taking the important people into exile for 70 years. Persia’s defeat of the Babylonians made it possible for the exiles to begin returning home (although many had become acclimated to Babylon and remained there). And of course, the little country would have to deal with Alexander and the Greeks, and later the Romans.
Finally, God looked at the mess that humanity had made, and no doubt said to Himself, “I’m going to have to down Myself.” Hence, TA DAH! INCARNATION.
God came in Jesus becoming a human being, living the life of a human being. He was born as a wee baby. He faced a life similar to the life we live. He was raised in a family with brothers and sisters…INCARNATION. He remained as a part of that family until he was about thirty – perhaps as head of the family after Joseph apparently died. Then at 30, he began his ministry, teaching the word of God to all who would receive it. And many would not receive it; hence he gave his life on a cross
Of course, we know that the story doesn’t end there, does it?
But why all of this? And why INCARNATION?
John’s gospel make it clear; God loved the world so much…despite our misconceptions, despite our sins, despite our likelihood to turn our back on Him…Lod love you and me so much…so much…so much…that he walked this earth in the flesh of His Son (INCARNATION), living for us, teaching us, reaching out to us, even giving His life for us. And even that is not the end of the story.
The story begins all over again with Jesus’ Resurrection and continues to our day and beyond. Praise God! – Paul O. Bond
January 12, 2025
Peace on Earth
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1191630725925698
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/822093320078626
Not Available
January 5, 2025
No Services Due to Inclement Weather
Not Available
December 29, 2024
One Service Followed by Potluck Luncheon
Tapestry
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service:
Not Available
December 24, 2024
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1095862898532196
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1277556070030062
December 22, 2024
Christmas Traveling.
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1281974129781050
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1277556070030062
December 15, 2024
Two things can be true at the same time.
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/2034550616970040
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1732289157503931
December 8, 2024
Blood is thicker than water, or is it?
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/955909946395352
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/599741742432287
December 1, 2024
Tapestry: This
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/562731143137930
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/950740930439763
HOPE
When God created the world, He said that it was good! When He created man, He said that it was very good! But then…. sin entered the world. Sin has permeated everything in this beautiful world that God created. Everything in this world has been affected by sin. Even the things that we count as beautiful have been tainted by sin. Think about it, the rain, once pure and drinkable is now contaminated. The rivers at one time provided fresh water for weary travelers, but nowadays, leery travelers will risk a sip only with a filtration straw. The soil we grow our crops in are depleted of its minerals, and if the soil has less mineral content, then guess what, so does your food. There is a lot more I could point out, but I think you get the picture. The world has been affected by sin.
Mankind has also been affected by sin. Right and wrong no longer exist, but rather “what is right for you may not be right for me.”. Love, kindness, compassion, and empathy, seem to be wanting in our world. Not too long ago, and you may remember this from the News, a mother left her baby in a pack and play, with a bottle full of formulas, and went off on a vacation. When she returned, she found her baby was no longer alive. I mention this because in my opinion it reveals the depths of sin in our culture. When a mother is able to leave her baby uncared for…to suffer a horrible death all alone, her cries for comfort unanswered, it shows how far we have strayed. I use this example, because the most natural thing in the world is for a mother to love her child. In Romans 1:26, Paul tells us how much sin has affected mankind, and within his list, he tells us “that even women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.”, and while this could be referring to sexual sin, every time I read a news report of child abuse, or child exploitation, this is the scripture that comes to mind, and it breaks my heart. But I think it is just an example of how sin has corrupted what is good, and natural. If it were not for the Gospel there would be no hope!
When sin entered the world, God was not surprised. He, the Triune God, had already made a plan. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, agreed that the Son would come and save the day! God didn’t keep this a secret, He shared this plan with His prophets so they would have HOPE. Those prophets recorded these promises, and those promises were fulfilled in the birth of Jesus, and this was a sign that HOPE had arrived! (If you are curious to read a few; Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2, Jeremiah 23:5-6.)
God, from the beginning, has promised to make things right, and to undo the effects of sin, and what happened on Christmas, all those years ago, was the beginning of that process. Jesus was born in that manger, but that is just the beginning, He would go on to live a life that began a revolution. He would heal, He would feed, and He would teach, and through those teachings mankind would learn that God places value in life, and that every person born is precious to Him. That is why Jesus willingly gave His life, so that they could be saved, but not just saved from the consequences of their own sin, but also freedom from the influence of sin that would cause them to victimize others. Jesus humanized…. humans. He taught those who “heard” to love others and showed them what that looked like. And if we listen today, we hear that same message. And that is why I have hope for a better world, because for each person who hears the Gospel, and receives that message, their lives are changed, and the way they treat others also changes…and that changes the world! We hold on to that hope, even in the darkest days, because we know that God’s promises hold true! – Ginny Axelrod