United Methodist Church Of Westlake Village

Send us a textThe unnamed antagonists in our lives—systemic forces like poverty, racism, corruption, and trauma—shape our stories in ways we often fail to recognize. Drawing from personal experiences fostering rescue dogs, teaching high school students, and insights from Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, this message explores how these invisible forces impact those Jesus calls us to serve.Guest Preacher Ryan Blanck introduces us to Polly, a rescue dog whose fear of men revealed a history of abuse without speaking a word. Consider Fantine, whose desperate measures to support her daughter weren't moral failings but responses to a system designed to crush her. And there's Jay, a struggling student whose test scores tell almost nothing about the real challenges he faces daily. These stories challenge our comfortable assumptions that success comes simply through hard work and determination.When Jesus speaks about the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and imprisoned in Matthew 25, he's not just calling