Hyde Park United Methodist

In this episode of Beyond the Sermon, Mat and Pastor Magrey deVega put the Book of Proverbs to the test with a little “Proverbs Roulette.” They randomly select passages and try to make sense of what these ancient sayings can teach us about honesty, relationships, suffering, our words, and everyday life. Along the way, they unpack some unexpected proverbs, surprising interpretations, and a few moments where the wisdom isn’t quite as straightforward as it seems.

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The book of Proverbs is filled with easily portable and memorable ideas. At first glance, they might seem too trite to be helpful, much like we take fortune cookies with a grain of salt. But collectively, they point to how the ancient Israelites saw the world, and how we can be faithful in asking hard questions about life. Is there really a cause-and-effect relationship between our actions and the blessings and curses that happen? Where can we find wisdom that is reliable, and truth that lasts? 

Reflection Questions:
1. Where might humility and curiosity open you to wisdom you need today?
2. Who are the wise people in your life whose guidance you need to hear?
3. Where is God inviting you to move, wait, or trust?

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Job suffers and serves as a spokesperson for all humanity. He interrogates God, an act which itself can be a hopeful reminder that God encourages and allows that kind of intimate relationship. The result, in a way, is that Job puts God on “trial,” asking God for justification for all the harshness of life. And then in chapter 28, there is a “verdict” of sorts: the only source for wisdom to help navigate such difficult questions is the “fear of the Lord.” We may not receive all the answers we are seeking, but the solution remains clear: Continue to lean on God and trust, even despite the evidence.   

Reflection Questions:
1. What suffering has expanded your capacity for faith, love, or trust?
2. Where are you being invited to surrender control and trust God’s larger picture?
3. How might you lean into God amid today’s uncertainty?

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

In this episode of Beyond the Sermon, Mat sits down with Pastor Magrey deVega to unpack the second half of Job and the questions it raises about suffering, God’s power, free will, and what it means to trust a bigger picture we can’t always see. They also explore why wisdom often comes with time and experience, and how the wisdom literature invites us to step back and see the human story from a wider perspective.

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

This week Mat and Magrey kick off A Time For Wisdom by diving into the book of Job and what happens when the answers we've relied on no longer make sense. They talk about faith, doubt, unfairness, and the possibility that questioning what we believe can actually make room for something deeper and more expansive. Along the way, they explore why these ancient wisdom texts still speak so directly to the human experience today.

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

The sufferings of Job are legendary, but the hardest part of his story to comprehend is the source and conditions of that suffering. Does God really conduct such bargaining with suffering? That kind of level playing field between good and evil is certainly problematic, but it gives us insight into the way our ancient spiritual ancestors viewed the world at the time. How do we wrestle with questions of theodicy today? Why do good people suffer? What is the relationship between God and suffering? And what is our responsibility?   

Reflection Questions:
1. What disruption has challenged the theological container you inherited?
2. Where might God be inviting your faith to grow through difficult questions?
3. What would it mean to hold onto faith without holding onto easy answers?

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Structured similarly to the Three Simple Rules, Wesley had three simple rules regarding money: “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. It echoes his famous maxim, “Do all the good “Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.” Wesley saw money for its potential to do good and entreated Methodists to treat it as such. He saw far too often its dangers, often through the example of his own father, when the power of money went unheeded and used for selfish gain.   

Reflection Questions: 
1. How might your work become an act of prayer?
2. What would it mean to earn and save with generosity in mind?
3. What are you being called to give more freely?

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This week Mat and Magrey wrap up Well Rounded by talking about money, work, rest, and what it really means to give. From John Wesley’s approach to stewardship to Paul’s call to generosity, they explore why giving isn’t about getting something back — it’s about recognizing what we’ve been given and choosing how we use it. Because generosity isn’t just about money. It’s about the way we give our time, our work, our gifts, and ourselves to God and to others.

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

One of the most famous Wesleyan formulations is his “Three Simple Rules,” which are easy to remember but challenging to apply in every aspect of life: Do No Harm, Do Good, and Stay in Love with God (or, more formally, observe all the ordinances and commands of God.) In many ways, this is an extension of the teachings of Jesus, both in the Great Commandment and Golden Rule, as well as the Rule of St. Benedict, which has been influential on generations of Christians throughout history.

Reflection Questions:
1. Whom might you be called to stop fearing by choosing not to harm?
2. How can you add value and make God’s love real today?
3. What spiritual rhythm helps you stay in love with God?

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

In the final week of Well Rounded, Decker sits down with Pastor Magrey deVega to unpack John Wesley’s Three Simple Rules: do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. Their conversation explores how daily practices can become part of who we are, why we have more agency than we sometimes realize, and how small choices can add value to the people and world around us. Along the way, they talk about habits, neuroplasticity, judgment, free will, and what it really means to become the kind of person we want to be.

Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps