Sunday, June 14: Joshua Joshua 24:1-33 Joshua 24 recounts the last words of Joshua to the people of Israel. This is after the many years of battle, through the conquest of Canaan, and through the varying degrees of faithfulness that the Israelites have shown to God. Through it all God has remained steadfast, just, and faithful. […]
Sunday, June 7: Joshua Joshua 13-22 In Genesis 15:18, God makes a promise to a childless old wanderer: “To your offspring I give this land.” That old man would go on to become the father of a great nation, and for over 600 years his descendants would cling to that promise. Land. Rest. In that time, […]
Sunday, May 31: Joshua Joshua 10-13:7 Israel’s decision to start from the instructions of God and to make a covenant with some of the Canaanites has some unexpected consequences this week. Not just for the Israelites, but also for the Gibeonites who have been folded into the family of God. The decision to follow after God […]
Sunday, May 24: Joshua Joshua 9 9“They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were […]
Sunday, May 17: Joshua Joshua 7-8 Two weeks ago, we saw God perform one of his most famous miracles in bringing down the walls of Jericho. From the outside, Jericho looked impenetrable. Fortified walls six feet thick. No one came in. No one went out. But not even that could stop God and He delivered the […]
Happy Mother’s Day! Thank you for all you do! Tune in for our Mother’s Day sermon to learn about how the family came to be and what that means for us today. Great job Gary!
Sunday, May 3: Joshua Joshua 2, 5 and 6 What’s the most famous story in the old testament book of Joshua? If you said anything but the walls of Jericho, you would be wrong! Within the story of Jericho in Joshua chapters 2, 5, and 6 we see a lot of situations that make us raise our […]
Sunday, April 26: Joshua Joshua 3-4 In Joshua 3, Israel arrives at the cusp of the Promised Land for a second time. The first time, recorded in Numbers 13, did not go well. Israel sent spies into the land who brought back a mixed report: the land was good, but also well-fortified and inhabited by giants! […]
Sunday, April 19: Joshua Joshua 1:1-9 Do you know who Jarrett Stidham is? (No cheating with an internet search.) I’ll give you a minute. With Tom Brady departing to play quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jarrett Stidham is currently the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots. I feel bad for that guy! Imagine stepping […]
Sunday, April 12: Easter 2 Peter 1:16-21 I hope you are as excited for Easter as I am! Last week, Jeremiah finished our series on Mark 1–8. The first half of Mark ends with Jesus asking his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” I imagine the disciples were pretty hesitant to speak up, but […]
Sunday, April 5: Son of God Mark 8:22–38 Being a disciple ofJesus would have been the privilege of a lifetime, constantly seeing God at work in the world, following him wherever he went, and regularly having to reconsider what you thought you knew about him. He’s certainly a healer, but who is he willing to heal? […]
Sunday, March 29: Son of God Mark 8:1–21 If Jesus had a go-to meal, it was probably fish and bread. I know some of you are missing your sports statistics, so let me just point out that Jesus has already fed 5,000 men a meal of fishes and loaves, and this week he’ll feed another 4,000. […]
Sunday, March 22: Son of God Mark 7:1–37 How is the social distancing going? As it turns out, this week we will be talking about the importance of washing your hands. Seriously. That’s our text for the week. But it’s not what you think. In Mark 7, Jesus gets into a debate with the Pharisees about […]
Sunday, March 15: Son of God Mark 6:30–52 This week we continue our study series based on the Gospel of Mark. You might remember that right out of the chute, Mark told us what he’s up to: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” For six chapters Mark has been showing […]
Sunday, March 8: Son of God Mark 6:14-29 The life of John the Baptist was anything but normal. In the womb he was jumping for joy for God, and he didn’t let up on that enthusiasm up until the day he was executed. The book of Mark introduces us to John’s death so abruptly that […]
Sunday, March 1: Son of God Mark 6:1–13 In Mark 5, Jesus performs his most amazing miracle yet. The synagogue ruler Jairus tells Jesus that his sweet little girl is dying and begs Jesus to save her. Jesus agrees, but before he reaches the man’s house, the girl passes. Jairus’ servants meet him on the road […]
Sunday, February 23: Son of God Mark 5:21–43 This week we follow Jesus back across the Sea of Galilee, into the town of Capernaum where his ministry began. Having just visited the Gentile country, Jesus has shown that his ministry isn’t limited to the Jewish people, but back on the home field Jesus is quickly met […]
Sunday, February 16: Son of God Mark 5:1–20 In Mark 5:1–20, Jesus and his disciples arrive at other side of the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as they get off the boat, they are confronted by a hostile figure—a man possessed by the demon Legion. Jesus and the demon(s) battle until Legion […]
Sunday, February 9: Son of God Mark 4:35–41 In Mark 4, Jesus embarks on a journey with his disciples across the Sea of Galilee. In a small fishing boat. In a storm. At night. The trip goes about as well as you fear. The wind roars. The waves crash. The boat starts to take on water. Did I mention it […]
Sunday, February 2: Son of God Mark 4:1–34 Jesus’ teaching ministry in the book of Mark begins with the use of parables. These parables hold deep truths, in seemingly simple stories. Sometimes they’re confusing, and actually, most of the time they’re not easy to understand in the first read-through. So what’s the point of these stories? […]
Sunday, January 19: Son of God Mark 2:13–3:6 Do you have that friend who is an amazing storyteller? The one who, even when you have previously heard the story, makes it dynamic with their energy and enthusiasm? The Gospel of Mark is kind of like that. Mark, with enthusiasm and energy, loves to tell the story of Jesus! […]
Sunday, January 12: Son of God Mark 1:21–2:12 Last week, we looked at the ministry of John the Baptist. John was a strange dude—he ate locusts and honey, wore a garment made of camel hair, and hung out in the wilderness dunking people in the Jordan River. But, as strange as his dress and diet were, […]
Sunday, January 5: Son of God Mark 1:1–20 Happy New Year! New year; new sermon series. This Sunday we are diving into the Gospel of Mark in a series called Son of God. Mark is a story about Jesus. It has all the elements of a good story: setting, characters, plotline, and themes; and the central conflict of the narrative is: Who is Jesus? Now, […]
Sunday, December 29: Bound by the Spirit Acts 28:11–31 There we found some brethren and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and thus, we came to Rome. Acts 28:14 There is no way to read that verse with the full emotional weight of Luke’s words. This is the climax of the book. Paul had set […]
Sunday, December 22: Christmas Luke 2:1–20 Merry Christmas! This week, we are taking a break from the Book of Acts to look at the Christmas story in Luke 2:1–20. This is fitting, as Acts is actually the second book in a two-part series we could call Luke-Acts. So, before we finish up Bound by the Spirit […]
Sunday, December 15: Bound by the Spirit Acts 27:1–44 Paul’s journey is getting close to the end, and having been dismissed by King Agrippa and his crew of bad guys, Paul sets sail for an easy cruise over to Rome. Delightful, serene… none of these words describe what Paul encounters. Instead, what should have been a […]
Sunday, December 8: Bound by the Spirit Acts 26:1–32 Paul’s persistence on his missionary journey has gotten him to the place where he can once again deliver his testimony. He’s asked to speak to the manager often enough that folks have given him an audience with King Agrippa himself. And even before he shares the particulars […]
Sunday, December 1: Bound by the Spirit Acts 25:1–27 Every person who wonders about the truth of the Christian faith should answer this question. What was it that transformed a hot-headed, self-righteous, law-keeping, Christian-killing Pharisee named Saul, into a gracious, unselfish, Christian missionary and servant of Christ named the Apostle Paul? What took place to make that happen? The short answer starts with an event recorded in Acts 9. On the […]
Sunday, November 24: Bolivia Sunday 2019 Ten years ago, we entered into a partnership with Food for the Hungry to work in a Bolivian community called Ushpa Ushpa. In 2010, things were bleak in Ushpa Ushpa—there was no clean water, the schools were under-resourced, parents were compromising their kids’ safety to make ends meet, and […]
Sunday, November 17: Bound by the Spirit Acts 24:1–27 Procrastination. There must be ten thousand websites on it, covering scholarly essays, articles in psychological journals and university studies. There are tests you can take to quantify how bad off you are. Apparently, twenty percent of us can be identified as chronic procrastinators. You can even find […]
Sunday, November 10: Bound by the Spirit Acts 23:12–35 Have you ever been in a situation where things did not turn out the way you had planned? Maybe you scheduled a romantic getaway, only to be foiled by a sick kid. Maybe you planned a huge holiday meal for your family, but the turkey didn’t get […]
Sunday, November 3: Bound by the Spirit Acts 22:30–23:11 I recently heard a speech by Martin Luther King that some say lost him credibility. In this speech he stood for the convictions of moving from a culture that values things, to a culture that values people. At the time, some of his supporters left him. But […]
Sunday, October 27: Bound by the Spirit Acts 22 Paul’s conversion is a pretty dramatic moment, he’s on his way to hunt down some Christians and he’s hit with a light so hard it knocks him off his horse. He hears the voice of Jesus himself, and it turns out the religion that he’s been chasing […]
Sunday, October 20: Bound by the Spirit Acts 21:1–36 Paul’s not the guy to stay in the same place very long, and this week he’s dead-set on making his way to Rome. He’s going to encounter some resistance along the way though, with opposition from the bad guys and from the home team. What do you do […]
Sunday, October 13: Bound by the Spirit Acts 20:17–38 It’s easy to say goodbye to some people at times – like the neighbor who throws his grass clippings over the fence into your yard every week. It’s never easy, however, to say goodbye to people you really love and care about. The tighter the ties the […]
Sunday, October 6: Bound by the Spirit Acts 20:1–12 Sleeper, Awake! Rise from the dead And Christ will shine on you. This week we come to one of the more familiar scenes in the book of Acts. People who forget almost everything else in the book remember the story about a boy named Eutychus. Why is he famous? He […]
Sunday, September 29: Bound by the Spirit Acts 19 Preview Have you ever felt like you were not up to the task God has given you? Maybe God recently called you to move. Maybe it’s a job or career change. Maybe you have a child with a special need. Sometimes, God calls us to things that are […]
Sunday, September 22: Generous In 2 Corinthians 8:9, Paul writes “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” What do these words mean? How do they relate to generosity? In Luke 19, we […]
Sunday, September 15: Generous If you’ve ever been to a fancy hotel, you know that at some point somebody takes your luggage from you. They’re supposed to, in fact, it’s their job. The steward, or bell-hop, or porter, is given the task of taking your bags for you to your room. So you hand over […]
Sunday, September 8: Generous If you don’t mind, I would like you to take a short survey. Below are five statements. Please answer with either, True or False. I have, at least once, spent money unwisely. T or F? I have, at least once, compared myself with someone else financially. T or F? I […]
“Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.” (Psalm 67:3–4 ESV) Psalm 67 reminds us that God reigns over all the nations, not just Israel. One of our callings as […]
Sunday, August 25: Psalms Psalm 23 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4 ESV) Is there a better verse in the whole Bible? Probably not. Psalm 23 is arguably the best-written […]
Sunday, August 18: Psalms Psalm 46 Be still and know that I am God. Some of you might remember an old song from the 60’s: He’s Got the Whole World in his Hands. Don’t try to sing it or even hum it. It can drive you crazy if you can’t get the tune out of […]
Sunday, August 11: Psalms Psalm 133 We’re going to be continuing our sermon series on the Psalms and looking at Psalm 133, a brief Psalm on the goodness of unity. There are familiar adages that say, “Two heads are better than one.” or “United we stand, divided we fall.” We get that it’s better not […]
Sunday, August 4: Psalms Psalm 40 This week we are going to take a look at Psalm 40. The overarching theme within Psalm 40 is the work of Christ in our waiting. We are called to wait on the Lord, but what does waiting on the Lord even look like? It’s one of those commonly used “christian-ese” […]
Sunday, July 28: Psalms Psalm 137 This week, we are continuing our theme of praying The Psalms. Last week, we looked at Psalm 88—a raw, emotional outpour to the LORD. This week, we are looking at another emotionally charged psalm: Psalm 137. Psalm 137:9 says, “Blessed shall be he who takes your little ones and […]
Sunday, July 21: Psalms Psalm 88 In his book, Answering God, Eugene Peterson notes that The Psalms differ from most of the Scriptures in that they are often not written about God, but rather to God. He writes:“Our habit is to talk about God, not to him. We love discussing God. The Psalms resist these […]
Sunday, July 14: Psalms Psalm 121 Psalm 121 has been called the traveler’s Psalm, or the Soldier’s Psalm, because it engages with the reality that sometimes we run into tough spots. The path gets hard, there are uncertainties, there are questions of how we’ll even make it through, and it can seem like there’s no […]
Sunday, July 7: Psalms Psalm 27 What would you say is the most common command in Scripture? Before you answer I’ll tell what it’s not. It’s not for us to be more loving. That may be at the center of God’s heart for us but that’s not his most frequent instruction. It’s also not to be less […]
Sunday, June 30: Psalms Psalm 1 The Principle of the Path by pastor and writer Andy Stanley is one of my favorite books. It’s about the many paths available to us in life that lead to various destinations. Some are good. Some are bad. Some lead to joy and others, sadly, lead to pain and heartache. The […]
Sunday, June 23: Psalms Psalm 34 We’re kicking off our Summer series in the Psalms by reading a Psalm of David in a pretty strange time of his life. He’s coming off of a pretty big military victory, he’s been honoring God with his words and with his deeds, when out of nowhere, his friends become his […]
Sunday, June 16: Baptism The other day, my daughter screeched at me, “DAD! You haven’t been listening to a word I have been saying!!!!” What a strange way to start a conversation. Be thinking of your favorite dad jokes and make sure there is propane in the barbecue, because this Sunday is Father’s Day! It’s […]
Sunday, June 9: Moses Deuteronomy 31–34 If you knew that you were coming to the end of your life, and you had one last chance to share a word of wisdom with your family, what would you say? How would you summarize your life in one lesson? Would you share a mistake you made that you […]
Sunday, May 26: Moses Numbers 20:1–13 Have you ever wondered if the decisions you make in your life actually matter? If you grew up with “Choose your own adventure” books you might remember the drastic consequences that a single wrong decision could make. Turn to page 23, and oh! Quicksand. Life or death at the […]
Sunday, May 19: Moses Numbers 16 We all have a rebellious streak resident within us. The only difference is the size of the stripe. The problem of rebellion against authority is as age old as Adam and Eve sinning in the garden. From then on, rebellion became a part of the human condition. If you […]
Sunday, May 12: Baby Dedication and Mother’s Day Join us this Sunday for a special Mother’s Day message for everyone and our baby dedication at both services. See you on Sunday!
Sunday, May 5: Moses Numbers 13–14 Many of us are familiar with the story of Israel sending the twelve spies into the Promised Land in Numbers 13–14. When ten of the spies (all but Joshua and Caleb) report back that there is no hope for defeating the giants who live in the land, Israel loses heart […]
Hi! Thanks for joining us in our series about Moses. Today we talked about how we often need something in front of us to feel connected to God. What things do you place before God? Do you feel like you get closer to God through good times or dark times? Have a listen to today’s […]
Sunday, April 14: Moses Exodus 20:1–27 God’s people are parked at the base of Mt. Sinai. After coming through the Red Sea, they have been adjusting to life in the wilderness for three months. It hasn’t been easy. As we observed last week, they’ve had a lot of trouble trusting God. So far there’s been […]
Sunday, April 7: Moses Exodus 17:1–7 At the start of Exodus 17 the Israelites have come a long way. God had prepared and sent them a deliverer in the person of Moses to help them escape from Egypt. Then when their backs were against the wall, with the Egyptian army behind them and the Red […]
Sunday, March 31: Moses Exodus 16 The Israelites still don’t trust God? Even after the plagues? Even after the Red Sea being split? Actually, this week in Exodus 16 we see the patient provision of a loving God. When the Israelites still grumbled, God chose to give them ‘manna’ from heaven. But they would soon […]
Sunday, March 24: Moses Exodus 13–15 Having been freed from slavery in Egypt, the Israelite people find themselves setting off in a new direction. For the first time since they were enslaved the Israelites are confronted with the immensity of the question, “What now?” Now that we don’t have to make bricks everyday, now that […]
Sunday, March 17: Moses Exodus 11–12 As God continues to make himself known to Pharaoh, Moses, and everybody in Egypt really, the ever-more dangerous plagues finally reach their crescendo in chapters 11 and 12. In the tenth plague we see the final consequences of a life lived in opposition to God, death. While the death […]
Sunday, February 10: Moses Exodus 5–11 Last week, Gary shared a quote from A.W. Tozer: “What we think about when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” There is truth to this. Your thoughts about God affect much of your life and behavior. If you think God is judgmental, you’re going […]
Sunday, March 3: Moses Exodus 3–4 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14) Last week we left Moses in bare feet, standing in front of a shrub burning with the presence of God, when the Lord […]
Sunday, February 10: Moses Exodus 2:11–3:12 Even for those who are not all that familiar with the Bible, almost everyone knows the story of Moses. If you’re on the younger side, you probably saw, The Prince of Egypt. If you’re a little older, you might remember Cecil B DeMille’s classic biopic, The Ten Commandments. The life of Moses […]
Sunday, February 17: Moses Exodus 2:1–10 If you were to make a Mount Rushmore of Old Testament figures, who would you put on it? (One rule: you can’t say “Jesus.”)You’d probably put Abraham on it. After all, the three major western religions all trace their origins to Abraham. You might put Jacob on it. The […]
Sunday, February 3: Lord of All Acts 19:1–20 “And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Acts 19:2 As the gospel message spreads, Paul and his crew reach a wider and wider audience, pick […]
Sunday, January 27: Lord of All Acts 18:1–28 “After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.” Acts 18:1 We spent last Sunday with the Apostle Paul in Athens where he delivered his famous Mars Hill message. This Sunday we pick things up in the city of Corinth as he begins the last leg of […]
Sunday, January 20: Lord of All Acts 17:16–34 God is not far from each of us. Acts 17:26 This week we come to one of the most well-known scenes in the story of Acts: The Message of Paul on Mars Hill.In the middle of Acts 17 the Apostle becomes separated from his traveling companions and […]
Sunday, January 13: Lord of All Acts 17:1–15 What do we mean when we say “Jesus is Lord”? What is He lord of? A country? A people? An idea? And what about other so-called “lords”? What are they lords of? Last week’s message on Acts 16 ended with Paul leaving the Roman colony Philippi in relative peace […]
Sunday, January 6: Lord of All Acts 16:16–40 What must I do to be saved? That’s the question posed to Paul in Acts 16:16-40. It’s asked by a Philippian jailer who had no familiarity with God or with the Bible. The jailer was just a regular guy working a regular job for Rome. He guarded all kinds of […]
Sunday, December 30: Lord of All Acts 15:36–16-15 Following the clarification given by the Jerusalem council in Chapter 15, Paul sets out to strengthen and encourage the churches that he, and his missionary team, planted earlier on. The message they have is important, especially for the Gentiles who are still a little unsure of their […]
Sunday, December 23: Christmas Luke 2:1-12 And the angel said to them (the shepherds), “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in […]
Sunday, December 16: Lord of All Acts 15:1–35 What does God think about you?Is He happy with your life? Is He disappointed? Are there things He wishes you had done differently? How often do you wrestle with questions like those? Many of us wrestle with them on occasion. Some of us wrestle with them a […]
Sunday, December 9: Lord of All Acts 14:1–28 Three times in the New Testament Paul describes his life before Jesus. In each of his accounts, he uses the same word to describe his demeanor—zeal. Paul had intense passion for God and for his people, Israel.So, when he is set apart for missionary service, Paul is […]
Sunday, December 2: Lord of All Acts 13:13–52 “And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’” Acts 13:32-33 One of […]
Sunday, November 25: Lord of All Acts 13:1–13 Acts 13 opens with the Spirit of God and the church at Antioch setting apart and sending out Paul and Barnabus for what will become their first missionary journey. Together, along with an intern named John Mark, they sail to the Island of Cyprus to tell people about […]
Sunday, November 18: Lord of All Acts 12:1–24 Christmas is still a few weeks away, but I thought it might be nice to have an early Christmas message this year. It’s the story of Mary and a miracle. It’s a story where an Angel appears with a message of hope. There is a star and […]
Sunday, November 11: Lord of All Acts 11:1–30 Last week, we looked at a turning point in the history of the church: Peter’s meeting with Cornelius. For the first time ever, a Gentile believed in Jesus and received the Holy Spirit! You would think that Peter’s return to Jerusalem after the meeting would be marked […]
Sunday, November 4: Lord of All Acts 10:1–48 This week we are going to look at a guy who wanted to worship God but couldn’t because he was unclean.This guy had quite a story. First, he was a slave. Somehow, he ended up in the Roman infantry, and then he so distinguished himself that he […]
Sunday, October 28: Lord of All Acts 9:32–43 In Acts 9:32-43, we are reunited with the Apostle Peter and join him as he visits the early church in Joppa. The ministry of Peter is similar to Paul in many ways, but it also shows us how different people are equipped in different ways around a […]
Sunday, October 21: Lord of All Acts 9:20–31 What comes to your mind when you think of the Apostle Paul? Great preacher and apologist. Courageous missionary to the Gentiles. Unflinching defender of the Christian faith. A.W. Tozer went so far as to call him, “the world’s most successful Christian.” I’m not sure about that but […]
Sunday, October 14: Lord of All Acts 9:1–19 Last summer we did a study based on the questions of Jesus. At the start of the series, we looked at the first recorded question of Jesus in Luke 2. As a young boy he had been left behind by Joseph and Mary in Jerusalem, and when […]
Sunday, October 7: Lord of All Acts 8:4–40 I hope you are looking forward to Sunday as much as I am. There is something special about gathering together with God’s people in corporate worship. We encounter God in many ways during the week, but corporate worship remains a category of its own. This week, we […]
Sunday, September 30: Lord of All Acts 6:8–8:3 Acts 6-8 is one of the most memorable scenes in the whole book. We are introduced to a promising young man named Stephen—he’s full of the Holy Spirit and powerful in all that he does, and he’s put in charge of caring for widows in the early […]
Sunday, September 23: Making a Greater Impact 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not […]
September 16, 2018 Family Ministries Where is our church growing? What can we improve? These are questions we talk about this Sunday concerning the vision of our church. So, what’s next? Last week, we talked about how life together is better. What better way to continue that discussion than to share our plans for the […]
Sunday, September 9: Life Together George Gallup has written that Americans are among the loneliest people in the world. How can that be? Most Americans (75 to 80%) live in either cities or large suburbs. We are surrounded by a sea of people. Why would folks feel lonely? Your guess is as good as anyone […]
Sunday, September 2: Missions Recap “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” John 17:18 As the people of God, we are sent out into the world, just as Jesus himself was sent out into the world. We participate in acts of service, by visiting brother and sisters […]
Sunday, August 26: Questions of Jesus John 7:53–8:11 This week we are going to look at a fascinating story about Jesus. In John 8:1-11, a woman is caught in the act of adultery and brought to Jesus for judgment. All is not as it seems, though. John tells us that she was brought to Jesus […]
Sunday, August 19: Questions of Jesus Luke 7:36–50 In our text this week Jesus tells a little story that closes with a question. It’s a real simple story. Two people owe someone money but one person owes ten times as much as the other. When neither person can pay it back, however, both are forgiven of […]
Sunday, August 12: Questions of Jesus Mark 4:35–41 Do you remember the feeling of being afraid of the dark? As a child, if you heard the tiniest sound you knew for certain a stranger was pushing open a basement window and would be coming up the stairs any minute to kidnap you. Or, you might […]
Sunday, August 5: Questions of Jesus Luke 10:25–37 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers? Luke 10:36 One of the ways that Jesus taught during his earthly ministry was with a beautifully-formed question. The sort of questions that made his listeners pause […]
Sunday, July 29: Questions of Jesus Mark 10:17–22 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” Mark 10:17-18 […]
Sunday, July 22: Questions of Jesus John 6:1–71 One of the many things I appreciate about Jesus is that he always told people the truth, even if it hurt.This week we come to a scene where Jesus needs to tell some folks the truth about themselves and it is not very pretty. In fact, rather […]
Sunday, July 15: Questions of Jesus Luke 8:43–48 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” Luke 8:45 What does it mean […]
Sunday, July 8: Questions of Jesus John 11 The Jewish historian Josephus tells the story of a first-century shepherd who rose up to become king of the Jews. There was nothing remarkable about this shepherd. He wasn’t wealthy. He wasn’t educated. He wasn’t powerful. The shepherd was humble and unassuming, but he had passion for […]
Sunday, July 1: Questions of Jesus Matthew 16:13–17 Imagine what it must have been like for the first followers of Jesus to see him in action. Healing the sick. Casting out demons. Multiplying bread and fish. Calming storms. Walking on water. Raising the dead. What would it have been like to see those things live? […]