Broken
“While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.” (Mark 14:3, NIV) The week before Jesus’ death, he […]
Where’s the Real King?
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2, NIV) Try to imagine, for […]
Good Shepherd, Bad Sheep
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1540397101335{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]”“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—” (John 10:14, NIV) Last week, we were introduced to one of the ongoing analogies the Scriptures use to describe us: sheep. And I suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that maybe we’re called sheep because we’re so cute. And yet, I’m pretty […]
No Regrets
“So he got up and went to his father.” (Luke 15:20) The word regret carries the etymological idea of looking back to weep. Repent means to regret to the point of amending one’s life. Obviously, the difference is huge. And the key is “change.” This Sunday we’re looking at the story Jesus told of the […]
Jesus’ View on Women
Yesterday, talking with my wife, I made the mistake of stating my opinion on something I had no clue about. She, on the other hand, had studied the issue and could cite chapter and verse. She called me on it. I thought of that as I prepared for this week’s sermon. I hear very vocal […]
Judas’ Cry for Help?
“When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them…and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.” (Luke 6:13, 16) In recent weeks, two celebrities ended their own lives (truth be told, I knew neither). Suicide is heart-breaking! The US Center for Disease Control claims that the suicide rate in our nation […]
The Taxman Cometh
“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.“ (Matthew 9:9, NIV) A little boy goes to the grocery store and asks the clerk for a box of detergent: “I need it to wash […]
Believe
“The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.“ (Mark 1:1, NIV) That’s how Mark begins his Gospel. No genealogy, no manger, no shepherds or wise men. Where Matthew and Luke build up to that conclusion – that Jesus is the Son of God – Mark puts it out there in the […]
A Spiritual Battle
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12, NIV) “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine […]
On History and Memorials
Jesus was a master teacher, using stories, illustrations, and object lessons to make his spiritual points. When he said that memorable line: “I am the vine and you are the branches,” he and his disciples were walking through a vineyard one evening on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane. What a memorable way to […]
Pearls Before Swine
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you…Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their […]
The Gate
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.” (John 10:9, NIV) In the Gospel of John, Jesus has painted a picture for the disciples as the “Good Shepherd.” They (we) were the sheep. He warns the sheep of the dangers of robbers […]
