In Discourse 10 on the Sermon on the Mount, John Wesley looks at some of the "hindrances to holiness" that prevent us from living the kind of "real Christianity" outlined by Jesus thus far. One of the most glaring obstacles to holiness is our tendency to judge others in ways that we ourselves would not want to be judged. Wesley says that Jesus' teaching on judging others in Matthew 7:1-12 is a "plain and equitable rule whereby God permits you to determine for yourselves in what manner he shall d...
Jul 21, 2021•31 min
It's been said that the only things that ever stay in the middle of the road for long are yellow lines and roadkill. That's true when it comes to serving God or serving "mammon" or money and possessions. As Bob Dylan sang back in the '80s, "You're gonna have to serve somebody," or as Jesus put it, "No one can serve two masters" (Matthew 6:24). In this important Discourse on the important topics of wealth and worry, John Wesley offers some clear teaching on the contrast between serving the one tr...
Jul 14, 2021•37 min
What does it mean to "lay up treasure on earth" versus having treasure in heaven? In this Discourse, John Wesley looks at the relationship of real Christianity to money and possessions and challenges his readers to consider how their use of these things reflects the glory of God. Having a "single eye" to pleasing God is essential for the Christian life, whether it's in our giving, our prayers, our spiritual practices, or in our bank accounts and homes. Read Upon Our Lord's Sermon on the Mount: D...
Jul 07, 2021•28 min
In this shorter Discourse, Wesley looks at Jesus' teaching on fasting in Matthew 6:16-18. This important and yet often neglected means of grace is one that every Christian should practice individually and that Christian communities should engage in corporately especially in times of trial or preparation. The self-denial we practice in fasting also trains us for the kind of self-denial we need in response to temptation and sin. Read Upon Our Lord's Sermon on the Mount: Discourse, the Seventh Send...
Jun 30, 2021•34 min
"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven." (Matthew 6:1). In a world where people are always seeking attention and virtue signaling their goodness on social media, the instructions of Jesus in Matthew 6:1-15 are vital teaching for living out "real Christianity." Here in his sixth Discourse on the Sermon the Mount, John Wesley expounds on Jesus' teaching and his model for prayer, calling us to conform our li...
Jun 23, 2021•57 min
"Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets," said Jesus. "I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them." Many Christians have tried to separate Jesus from the Law and the Old Testament from the New Testament to create a less rigorous brand of faith. Jesus, however, states that obedience to the Law and teaching of the Law in its fullness is vital for life in the Kingdom. John Wesley breaks down this passage from Matthew 5:17-20 line by line and challenges modern brands of...
Jun 16, 2021•42 min
What does it mean for Christians to be salt and light? In this discourse, Wesley makes clear that Jesus is not promoting a solitary, individualized form of faith but the kind of religion that is impossible to conceal. In a culture where rugged individualism and privacy are expected, especially when it comes to religion, this sermon challenges us to recognize that "real Christianity" is a faith that cannot be kept to ourselves. Read Upon Our Lord's Sermon on the Mount: Discourse, the Fourth Email...
Jun 09, 2021•43 min
The third discourse completes Wesley's discussion of the Beatitudes, describing the "pure in heart" who are also peacemakers, doing good to all. That purity of heart does not come without a cost, however, as the world inevitably persecutes those who are seeking the righteousness that comes from God alone. Host Bob Kaylor takes a detailed look at this sermon and its implications for the life of holiness. Read Upon Our Lord's Sermon on the Mount: Discourse, the Third Send your questions and commen...
Jun 02, 2021•41 min
In this second installment of Wesley's discourses on the Sermon on the Mount, we look at the Beatitudes concerning meekness, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, and mercy. Wesley sees these three marks of the Christian life as critical for implanting in us an appetite to be like and to love like Jesus. Read Upon Our Lord's Sermon on the Mount: Discourse, the Second Leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform and tell others about the show! Contact Bob with your questions and comme...
May 26, 2021•55 min
John Wesley called the Sermon on the Mount "the way to heaven, the true way to life everlasting, the royal way that leads to the Kingdom." The 13 Discourses on the Sermon take up nearly a third of Wesley's original 44 Standard Sermons and outline the practical reality of what it means to be people who are pursuing holiness of heart and life. Indeed, Wesley sees the Sermon as containing the core of "real Christianity" and the core of Christian practice. In this episode, Bob Kaylor offers a look a...
May 19, 2021•55 min
Methodist theologian Albert Outler called The Scripture Way of Salvation “the most successful summary of the Wesleyan vision of the [order of salvation] in the entire sermon corpus.” Here we see Wesley outlining the movement of prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace in the life of the believer and salvation as "a present thing, a blessing which, through the free mercy of God, ye are now in possession of.” In this episode, host Bob Kaylor looks at the importance of entire sanctification an...
May 12, 2021•33 min
"There is scarce any expression in Holy Writ which has given more offense than this...And whosoever 'preaches perfection,' [and] asserts that it is attainable in this life, run great hazard of being accounted by them worse than a heathen or a publican." These opening lines to John Wesley's sermon indicate that Christian Perfection is a widely misunderstood doctrine, even though it is at the heart of the Scriptures. Understanding what this term means is essential to understanding the key emphasis...
May 05, 2021•32 min
John Wesley believed that the doctrine of entire sanctification is the "grand depositum which God has lodged with the people called Methodists, and for the sake of propagating this chiefly He appeared to have raised us up." Christian perfection, entire sanctification, holiness of heart and life--all these are ways of describing the end goal of the Christian life. In this early sermon of Wesley's, written in 1733 and revised later for publication, John Wesley describes entire sanctification as a ...
Apr 28, 2021•36 min
How does the grace of God come to us? The ways are limitless, of course, but John Wesley argues that there are some "ordinary means" or what we might call "holy habits" through which the grace of God becomes activated in us through the power of the Spirit increasing our capacity to love God and our neighbors. In this sermon, Wesley looks at three of these "instituted" means of grace--those specifically instituted or commanded by Christ. Prayer, searching the Scriptures, and the Lord's Supper are...
Apr 21, 2021•45 min
On August 24, 1744, John Wesley ascended the pulpit at St. Mary's Church in Oxford and delivered a pointed sermon to the faculty and students on the nature of "scriptural Christianity." Wesley pulled no punches and knew that this would be the last sermon he would ever deliver in that place. In his Journal that day he wrote, "I preached for the last time before the University of Oxford. I am now clear of the blood of these men. I have fully delivered my soul." "Scriptural Christianity" is the ser...
Apr 14, 2021•51 min
What does it mean to be "born again?" How do Wesleyans understand the new birth? These are key questions for John Wesley who believed that being "born again" wasn't merely a state of being "saved" but was really the beginning of a new life marked by faith (including power over sin), hope, and holy love. Join host Bob Kaylor as he looks at these three "Marks of the New Birth" and their implications for understanding the Wesleyan way. Read The Marks of the New Birth Email your questions and commen...
Apr 07, 2021•33 min
In this sermon, which was written shortly after his Aldersgate experience, John Wesley expounds on the core doctrine of the Reformation: salvation by grace through faith. For Wesley, however, that salvation is about more than just a ticket to heaven--it's the activation of God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, transforming him or her from the inside out, moving them toward sanctification, and giving him or her power over sin. Join host Bob Kaylor for a look at...
Mar 31, 2021•38 min
In this sermon, Wesley describes the difference between the "almost" and "altogether" Christian. The answer may surprise you. Join host Bob Kaylor for a deep dive into this important sermon and take some time to engage in the self-examination in which Wesley challenges his readers to engage. Are you "almost" or "altogether?" Read "The Almost Christian." Follow Bob Kaylor on Twitter @revbkaylor. Leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform!...
Mar 24, 2021•25 min
Join host Bob Kaylor for a look at John Wesley's sermon "The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption" and its invitation to self-examination. Are you in the natural, legal, or evangelical state when it comes to your relationship with God? See also Charles Wesley's sermon "Awake, Thou That Sleepest" for a similar theme on spiritual awakening. Read " The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption" Read "Awake Thou That Sleepest" Email the host at pastorbk@tlumc.org and follow us on Twitter @revbkaylor. Subscribe to th...
Mar 10, 2021•30 min
Wesley wrote this sermon in 1739 in response to the Calvinist doctrine of predestination. In this episode, Bob and Jason take a look at Wesley's critique and offer some contrasts with the Wesleyan idea of prevenient grace. Discover how Wesley's vision of God's grace is both "free in all" and "free for all." To read Free Grace, click here . Contact the show by emailing Bob at pastorbk@tlumc.org....
Mar 03, 2021•1 hr 2 min
In this week's episode, Tri-Lakes UMC Associate Pastor Jason Baxter joins Bob to discuss John Wesley's sermon "Original Sin." "Nothing in human history is more original than sin," quipped Methodist theologian Tom Oden. Wesley, in line with other orthodox Christian traditions, sees original sin as the universal diagnosis of the human condition for which the gospel of Christ and the grace of God are the only cure. Naming the disease is the first step toward healing and beginning the process of bei...
Feb 24, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Wesley's sermon "The Image of God" isn't one of the Standard 44 but it is a key sermon in understanding both the glory and the problem of humanity in relationship to God. It's also a critical sermon in defining the "target" or "the one thing needful" in Methodist theology and practice: renewal in the image of God. In this episode, Bob Kaylor unpacks this sermon and offers some thoughts on how Wesley, in line with the classic Christian doctrine on humanity, speaks to the condition of humanity and...
Feb 15, 2021•57 min
In this first episode, host Bob Kaylor introduces the sermons of John Wesley and makes the case that reading and understanding them is an essential practice for clergy and laity in the Methodist family as well as for those who want to understand this grace-filled and transformational Christian tradition. Each Wednesday we'll be diving deep into one of Wesley's sermons and we invite you to read along. You can order a copy of The Sermons of John Wesley: A Collection for the Christian Journey here ...
Feb 13, 2021•40 min
