He was quite a guy. Rich, sincere, young, and had lived an exemplary life in many ways. But as he approached Jesus with a question about how to gain eternal life, he found out that there was one thing he still lacked, and that one thing was very close to his heart. Join us as we look at Jesus’ wisdom for this young man, and how it challenges all of us to take a real, honest look at our own hearts.
Filed under Early Church of Christ
From the spectacular moment on the mountain when the disciples saw Jesus, Moses, and Elijah together, to the valley where Jesus dealt with the doubts and demons of the crowd, we see the Messiah acting with authority, compassion, and a vision of what his disciples should be.
That was the theme of the confrontation between the Pharisees and Jesus in Mark 7. It all started with the Pharisees balking at Jesus’ disciples for daring to eat lunch before washing their hands. I went downhill for the Pharisees from there, but through the conflict Christ reveals some truths about transformation and grace that we all need to hear.
Filed under Early Church of Christ, podcast
I think every church should be a church irreligious people love to attend. Why? Because the church is the local expression of the presence of Jesus. We are his body. And since people who were nothing like Jesus liked Jesus, people who are nothing like Jesus should like us as well. There should be something about us that causes them to gather at the periphery and stare.
– Stanley, Andy, Deep & Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012.
You’ve probably heard the quote, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown.” Jesus said this in Mark 6 when the people of his own hometown rejected him as the Messiah. They didn’t do so because they didn’t believe his miracles were real; they did. They didn’t do so because they thought his words unwise; they didn’t. They did so because they just couldn’t except that someone they thought they knew so well, and had already pigeon-holed might actually be more than they expected. Have you been there? If so, you’ll find encouragement in this message from the life of Christ.
Filed under Jesus
• Disciples were stuck on a small boat in a big storm.
• A demon possessed man was living in a cemetery.
• A father had a daughter back home, dying quickly.
• A woman was hemorrhaging blood for 12 years.
• You.
What do all of these people (and you) have in common? Listen to this week’s message from the Gospel of Mark and see what Jesus wanted you to see and know.
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