Thiells Garnerville United Methodist Church

09/07/2026

9.6.2026 Fellowship Hour / September Celebration

09/07/2026

9.6.2026 Sunday Worship Service

"Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”"
[Mark 12:43-44]

09/02/2026

8.30.2026 Sunday Worship Service

“And he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”"
[Mark 11:16-17]

09/02/2026

“And he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”"
[Mark 11:16-17]

In Mark chapter 11, we encounter two linked and startling moments: Jesus cursing a barren fig tree, and Jesus driving out merchandisers while overturning tables in the Temple courts. At first glance, cursing a tree that was simply out of season seems unfair. A fig tree produces two crops: the early, small 'phage' in spring, and the large, delicious 'te’enah' in late summer. Under biblical tradition, owners were expected to leave the early phage on the branches so the poor, the traveler, the widow, and the hungry could eat. But because the tree produced valuable market figs only after the phage was stripped away, landowners routinely cleared them early to maximize profit. During Passover in early spring, a tree completely bare of fruit revealed that people had deliberately discarded the food meant for the needy out of pure commercial greed. Jesus cursed the tree to expose the hardened, merciless hearts of people obsessed with profit at the expense of compassion.

This same distortion greeted Jesus when He walked into the Temple courts. Historically, pilgrims traveled long distances for Passover and were required to sacrifice a year-old male lamb without defect. In response, a marketplace had grown inside the courts, allowing people to exchange currencies and buy approved animals on site. On the surface, the setup seemed practical, reasonable, and convenient. Yet it had corrupted the sacred purpose of worship. Under the corrupt sanction of religious leaders, the Temple had morphed into a bustling center of negotiation, greed, and financial exploitation. Jesus drove them out, quoting the prophets: "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers."

During the Exodus, God gave Passover so His people would remember that He is the One who heard their cries in Egypt and delivered them out of slavery and suffering. Scripture constantly reminds us that the true sacrifice God desires is a broken spirit, a posture of love rather than empty ritual, and worship offered in spirit and in truth. When worship is reduced to what is casual, comfortable, or personally advantageous, we lose the heart of God entirely.

Today, Jesus looks at our hearts and our communities with that same searching gaze. The church is not defined by its denomination, the size of its bank account, or the influence of its leaders; it is meant to be a living house of prayer where weary souls meet the mercy of God. If Christ meets you along the road seeking fruit, may He find a life rich with the quiet, generous mercy of His Kingdom.

Pastor Woo Lim Michael Kwak

08/26/2026

Join us in our Praise Night Worship Service at 7:30 pm!
Please click the link below!

Thiells Garnerville UMC in NY, TGUMCCopyright License CCLI No.111...

08/26/2026

““What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”"
[Mark 10:51]

In Mark chapter 10, we encounter four different groups whose perspectives reveal how easily our human ambitions distort our understanding of the Kingdom of God. The Pharisees reduced God's reign to rigid external legalism, seeking to look spotless and maintain religious authority. The rich young ruler viewed eternal life as an earned reward tied to wealth, prestige, and outward moral performance, walking away in sorrow when asked to surrender his earthly security. Even Jesus' inner circle stumbled over this same misunderstanding. Right after Jesus predicted His suffering and death for the third time, James and John approached Him seeking the highest seats of power and glory, sparking bitter indignation among the other ten disciples who were equally obsessed with rank and greatness.

In stark contrast to those seeking status, Jesus highlighted the very individuals that ancient society dismissed as insignificant and unworthy: young children and Blind Bartimaeus. Culturally, children were treated as incomplete human beings who had no right to approach respected adults, yet Jesus became indignant when His disciples pushed them away, declaring that the Kingdom belongs to such as these. Likewise, Bartimaeus was treated as a cursed, sinful outcast whose blindness made him a societal nuisance. When the crowds demanded his silence, Bartimaeus shouted all the louder for mercy, recognizing that Jesus was the compassionate healer who sees the dignity in every overlooked soul.

The heart of this chapter is framed by a single question that Jesus posed to both the ambitious disciples and the roadside beggar: “What do you want me to do for you?” James and John answered out of entitlement, requesting prestige and authority over their peers. Bartimaeus, however, answered out of humble, expectant faith, crying, “Lord, I want to see”. In a profound spiritual irony, the religious leaders, the wealthy ruler, and the disciples were completely blind to the true essence of God's sacrificial love, while the physically blind beggar was the only one who truly saw Jesus for who He is.

Today, Jesus approaches each of us and asks that exact same question: “What do you want me to do for you?” The Kingdom of God is not built on self-reliance, worldly influence, or religious performance; it belongs to the humble, the servant-hearted, and those who dare to depend entirely on God’s grace. Take time this week to examine what drives your prayers and pursuits. Lay down the heavy burden of pride and ego, and join Bartimaeus in crying out for true spiritual sight so that you may see the least around you with the compassionate eyes of Christ.

Pastor Woo Lim Michael Kwak

08/24/2026

8.23.2026 GMC Breakfast

It was a joyful moment to gather together in the presence of God’s Spirit. All are welcome to join us in GMC (Good Morning Church) Breakfast!

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
[Matthew 18:20]

08/24/2026

8.23.2026 Sunday Worship Service

"“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.""
[Mark 10:51-52]

Special thanks to Donny and Hayoung for the beautiful music!

08/20/2026

Please click the link below to watch yesterday's Praise Night Worship Service.

https://www.youtube.com/live/Jhx0-wpWsn8?si=mJFHnki00Z1h9GJN

Thiells Garnerville UMC in NY, TGUMCCopyright License CCLI No.111...

08/19/2026

“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”"
[Mark 9:35]

In Mark chapter 9, we witness a striking contrast between Jesus’ sacrificial path and the self-centered concerns of His disciples. While traveling quietly through Galilee, Jesus sought time alone to teach them about His impending suffering, death, and resurrection. Yet, rather than seeking to understand His words of sacrifice, the disciples were consumed by pride, ranking themselves along the road and arguing over who among them was the greatest. Even after experiencing the wonder of the Transfiguration, the chosen inner circle fixated on their own superiority rather than the spiritual reality before them. When John proudly reported that they had stopped an outsider from driving out demons in Jesus’ name, it exposed a deep insecurity—a desperate effort to protect their own exclusive status, power, and privilege after having recently failed to heal a boy themselves.

Jesus lovingly yet firmly dismantled their ambitions with a foundational truth of the Kingdom: "Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all." The tragedy of the disciples' journey was that while they wanted the authority, acclaim, and greatness that came with following their Master, they repeatedly missed the heart of His mission—a gospel defined not by dominance, but by deep compassion, sacrificial love, and humility. They were awake to the dazzling display on the mountain, but fast asleep to the quiet, devoted prayer through which Jesus was transfigured. When asked why they had failed in ministry, Jesus pointed directly to the root of the problem: "This kind can come out only by prayer."

We are often no different from the disciples. In our daily lives, workplaces, and even within our churches, it is easy to get caught up in our own egos, chasing recognition, comparing our status to others, and guarding our own comfort. When we rely on our own strength and lose our connection to God, we lose our true purpose and end up fueling conflict, gossip, and division. But Jesus calls us to a different way of living—to be the "salt of the earth" that preserves love, brings healing, and stays at peace with one another.

True spiritual power and humility do not come from our natural abilities, titles, or cleverness; they are cultivated only through sincere prayer. As we enter this week, set aside intentional time in your daily routine to quiet the noise and pray. Lay down your desire to be first, surrender your pride, and ask God to fill your heart with Christ’s servant-hearted love. As you dwell in prayer, the Holy Spirit will empower you to become the salt of the earth, shining the transformative grace of Jesus into a broken and hurting world.

Pastor Woo Lim Michael Kwak