As we look to the new year, I think it's important for all of us to ask,what would God have me pursue in 2022?Now in reality, we are all going to pursue something or someone. At the end of next year, all of our8,760 hourswill be filled up with something. On behalf of your elders and staff, our hope is that your minutes are marked bythe pursuit of God.We are living in a ver...

Week 7: Thick Skin and a Tender Heart What isonesignificant truthyou have learned from our7-weekstudythrough the book of Titus? Read Titus 3:9-11 Do you have thick skinanda tender heart,neitherof the two, or one of thembutnotthe other? After telling Titus tostressthe truth ofthegospel(3:8), Paul then told him to avoid other things. Whaterrorsdid Paul ...

Week 6: Thy Mercy, My God From Sunday'ssermon, what did you find either mostencouragingor mostchallenging? Read Titus 3:1-8.Whatis theroleof humangovernmentand ourresponsibilityto those incivil authority? (See also Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-15) What are thebordersof itsauthorityand thelimitsourobedience? Paul moved from ourresponsibilitytowardgovernmen...

Week 4: The Character of a Healthy Church From Sunday'ssermon, what did you find either mostencouragingor mostchallenging? Read Titus 2:1-10.Whatinstructionsare given specifically forTitus? Why isteaching the truthsoimportant? Of the4 typesof people listed in verses 2-8, whichtypeare you? As you look at your life, how do Paul's words here offer you bot...

Week 3: The Ministry of Confrontation From Sunday's sermon, what did you find either most encouraging or most challenging? In your reading of the entire letter of Titus, how were you encouraged? How were you challenged? Read Titus 1:9-16. Based on Paul's instructions to Titus, how can you spot a false teacher; what are their characteristics? Are y...

Week 1: Truth That Leads to Godliness From Sunday'ssermon, what did you find either mostencouragingor mostchallenging? Read Titus 1:1-4.Paul identifies himself as "a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ."What is your identity? What uniqueabilities,gifts,resources, orexperiencesmight you use toservethe Lord and bring Him glory? In vers...

Unfolding Grace Week 39 The King Speaks to His Churches (Revelation 1-3) Read pages 579-587 in Unfolding Grace. 1. What is the main item that the book of Revelation reveals? How does chapter 1 already accomplish that purpose? 2. (Read 2:1-7 Ephesus) How are we either different from this church or like them? What do you behold about Jesus from His message to thi...

1. From Sunday's sermon, what did you find either most encouraging or most challenging? 2. From your reading of Ephesians 1-3, what did you find most encouraging, challenging, or confusing? 3. Read Ephesians 1:3-14. Meditate on what God has done for you and how He sees you if you are "in Christ." How does it make you feel? 4. How does it encourage you to know wher...

Unfolding Grace Week 35 The Gospel Begins to Spread (Acts 9-12) Read pages 533-545 in Unfolding Grace. From Sunday's sermon, what did you find either most encouraging or most challenging? From your reading of Acts 9-12, what did you find either most encouraging or most challenging? Spend some time reflecting on your own salvation story. Then, briefl...

Unfolding Grace Week 32 Jesus' Death and Resurrection (Mark 13-16) Read pages 483-496 in Unfolding Grace this week. From Sunday's sermon, what did you find either most encouraging or most challenging? From Mark 13-16, what did you find either most encouraging or most challenging? What was the significance of Jesus' using the phrases "I am" and "Son ...

Unfolding Grace Week 31 Jesus' Journey to Jerusalem (Mark 9-12) Read pages 465-480 in Unfolding Grace. From Sunday's sermon, what did you find either most encouraging or most challenging? From Mark 912, what did you find either most encouraging or most challenging? Why was Jesus transfigured? Why did the God who came incognito momentarily reveal His...

Unfolding Grace Week 29 Jesus' Ministry Begins (Mark 1-4) Read pages 435-447 in Unfolding Grace. What has beenoneof yourmost significanttake-aways from completing yourreadingof theOld Testament? from thesermon seriesthus far? How is John'shumble messageabout Jesussimilarto what we should tell others about Him? Why do you think God chooses thewildern...

Unfolding Grace Week 28 The Hope of New Life (Ezekiel 34-37) Read pages 419-431 in Unfolding Grace. InEzekiel 34:16, God says, "I willseekthelost,bring backthestrays,bandagetheinjured, andstrengthentheweak" How has the Shepherd done thesefourthings in your own life? Who is thisShepherdand newDavidic King(34:23-24), and how does His identity fulfill theexpe...

Unfolding Grace Week 27 The Hope of a New Covenant (Jeremiah 30-33) Read pages 397-417 in Unfolding Grace. From Sunday's sermon, what did you find either mostencouragingor mostchallenging? Read Jeremiah 31:1-26 Jeremiah usesthreemetaphorsto describe God in these verses God isHusband(31:3-6),Father(31:7-9), andShepherd(31:10-14). In what ways do these m...

Unfolding Grace Week 26 The Hope of a New Creation (Isaiah 63-66) Read pages 379-395 in Unfolding Grace. If God is all powerful and all loving, why is there evil in the world? How could a loving God send people to hell? How do each of these questions answer the other? In Scripture, Hell is pictured as punishment, destruction, and banishment. ...

Unfolding Grace Week 25 The Hope of a New Exodus (Isaiah 52-55) Read pages 365-376 in Unfolding Grace. (Isaiah 52:1-12) What is the good news the herald brings (7-10)? How are these verses also fulfilled in evangelism and missions? (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) What are the key aspects of who the Lord's servant is and what He accomplishes? What do you know a...

Unfolding Grace Week 24 Israel Recommits to Obey God (Nehemiah 8-10) Read pages 351-361 in Unfolding Grace. The book of Nehemiah records the story of the building of a wall around Jerusalem for the protection of the city. What walls do you need to build around your life and family? What are you trying to keep out? What are you trying to protect? How would ...

Unfolding Grace Week 21 The Kingdom Divided (1 Kings 11-14) Read pages 303-319 in Unfolding Grace this week. The story of Solomon is one of the most tragic stories in all of Scripture. How did King Solomon go from loving the Lord (3:3) to loving "many foreign women" (11:1)? How could such a wise man become such a fool? How might Solomon have justified his ...

Unfolding Grace Week 18 The Covenant with David (2 Samuel 5-8) Read pages 249-259 in Unfolding Grace this week. 1. What does 2 Samuel 6 teach us about the holiness of God? 2. What does 2 Samuel 6 teach us about the true worship? 3. In 2 Samuel 7, God establishes a covenant with David. How does this covenant fit within the covenant that God made with Abraham? ...

Unfolding Grace Week 16 Israel Receives a King (1 Samuel 7-11) Read pages 219-231 in Unfolding Grace this week. God had long promised to provide a king for Israel (Genesis 17:6, 49:10), and even given direction for the appointment of a king (Deuteronomy 17:1420). So, what is wrong with Israel's request for a king in this passage? Israel wanted Yahweh as th...

Unfolding Grace Week 15 Israel Needs a King (Judges 17-21) Read pages 199-216 in Unfolding Grace this week. If you had to sum up the message of the whole book of Judges in a few words, what would you say and why? The refrain of this section of Judges is "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." How does this section reveal the consequences of embracin...

Unfolding Grace Week 14 Israel Enters the Land (Judges 1-4) Read pages 183-196 in Unfolding Grace this week. How is Israel's story in the book of Judges your story also? What does the cross mean to you? What does the resurrection mean to you? What do they mean for the world? From Sunday's sermon, what did you find either most encouragi...

Unfolding Grace Week 12 Israel's Journey and Rebellion (Numbers 10-14) Read pages 151-166 in Unfolding Grace this week. Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-11. Writing about the events of the exodus from Egypt, Paul says that "these things took place as examples for us," and that, "they were written for our instruction." What can you learn from the example of the Israelites ...

Unfolding Grace Week 11 The Idolatry of Israel and the Heart of God (Exodus 32-34) Read pages 139-149 in Unfolding Grace this week. What or whom do your unbelieving friends worship? Are any of those things a temptation for you? Why do people prefer to worship things and people rather than God? What are the stated and unstated demands of each? What does ...

Unfolding Grace Week 10 God's covenant with Israel (Exodus 18-20) Read pages 129-137 in Unfolding Grace this week. Read Exodus 19:16. God is about to give Israel His law. What is the foundation He lays in these first verses for commanding obedience to His law? Why is it important to remember that God delivered Israel from slavery first, and then gave the T...

Unfolding Grace Week 8 God's judgment of Egypt (Exodus 7-10) Read pages 99-111 in Unfolding Grace this week. Many people have a hard time with OT stories in which they think God appears vengeful and unyielding. Do you think that is the case in his dealings with Egypt? Does this God seem different to you from the God who became flesh in Jesus Christ? Why or why ...

Unfolding Grace Week 7 Israel's Oppression and Moses' Call (Exodus 1-3) Read pages 89-96 in Unfolding Grace this week. What does Exodus 1-3 reveal about God's heart and character? For those Israelites who were holding onto the promises that God would bless them and give them the land of Canaan, how did their current circumstances seem to call that promise ...

Unfolding Grace Week 5 The Promise of Isaac and the Blessing of Jacob (Genesis 25-28) Read pages 57-70 in Unfolding Grace this week. What obstacles do God's promises to Abraham face in these chapters? How does God overcome these obstacles? What does this reveal about God's character? Over and over again in Genesis we are seeing that God does not c...

Unfolding Grace Week 4 Abraham and the Promise of Isaac (Genesis 15-18) Read pages 45-54 in Unfolding Grace this week. Read Genesis 15:1-6. Putting your own name in place of Abraham's name, what would it mean to you personallyto hear God say to you in your own situation, "Fear not, _____, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great"? How is Abraham's...

Unfolding Grace Week 3 Babel and the Promise to Abraham (Genesis 10-12) Read pages 35-42 in Unfolding Grace this week. God told Adam and Noah: "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." Do you see a problem in relation to God's clearinstruction in the opening verses of chapter 11? What is it? The people repeatedly say, "Come, let us," inviting all th...

Unfolding Grace Week 2 The Flood and God's Covenant with Noah (Genesis 6-9 ) Read pages 23-32 in Unfolding Grace this week. This has been an eventful, and awful week. What have you heard, seen, read, or experienced that has encouraged you in the past seven days? What does the judgment of the flood teach us about humanity's character? Compare Genesis 6:5 ...

Unfolding Grace Week 1 God's Creation and Humanity's Fall (Genesis 14 ) Read pages 5-20 in Unfolding Grace this week. 1. What are you praying for God to do in your life in 2021? What do you hope to get out of your reading of Unfolding Grace? 2. What were some of your insights/thoughts from Genesis 1-4? 3. Luke 24:27 tells us that, "Beginning with Moses and ...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

As a way to stay connected with you and help you stay connected with the Word of God, we will be providing short, video devotionals for you that will cover our church-wide bible reading plan. We marvel at God's sovereignty in preparing in advance for us to read through the book of Psalms together at a time when we desperately need to be reminded of where our hope comes fro...

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This year we will be providing several different reading plans throughout the year. Choose the one that's right for you and join us as we study His Word. ...

Dear Church Family, As we prepare for the celebration of The Resurrection, I wanted to write you a quick note of encouragement. Easter is the "High Holy Day" of Christianity. It is a day that commemorates the historical event of the raising of Jesus from the dead. All of human history turns on the events we remember this weekend. Here are some ways we can prepare for this...

2 Timothy 2 Paul writes Timothy as his own life is about to come to an abrupt end under the decree of CaesarNero. Paul's main emphasis throughout this letter is simply: "Don't give up and don't give in." He wants Timothy to finish well and avoid the trap that so many fall into, including the trusted companion Demas who, "in love with this present world, has deserted me....

2 Corinthians 1 (2 Cor 1:20) For all the promises of God find their "Yes" in Him! Paul's statement in verse 20 is one that every believer should commit to memory. What an amazing promise! Everything the Father has committed to us find their fulfillment in Jesus and their confirmation in Him. We can trust what He is going to do in the future by His track record in t...

1 Corinthians 12 There is something in each of us - something deep in our hearts - that leads us to rank ourselves in comparison with others. You would think we would have learned by now that this rarely plays out well. I know that for me personally, I am either (1)leftdespondent - feeling inferior or (2)I attempt to "one-up" those in my "category," or (3) I eitheridolize...

1 Corinthians 7 In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul gets very practical in what is already a very practical letter. He addresses marriage, singleness, divorce, self-control, lust, sex in and out of marriage and contentment. (7:1-5) Paul tells married people that it's okay to have sex. It sounds strange that he would have to say that, but the Corinthians were people (like us) or e...

1 Corinthians 2 (2:1-5) When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, ...

Luke 21 I wanted to thank Scott Butler for writing my blogs for the past few weeks (great job) and Linda Butler for her amazing editing. Today, I thought it would be helpful to simply give you a solid commentary of what many (me included) find to be a difficult passage to understand. The following is from "The Bible Knowedge Commentary"by the faculty of Dallas Seminary....

Luke 1 I am really enjoying our reading plan. I especially like that the plan has us reading a different Gospel every season. Winter was Mark's Gospel, Spring was the Gospel according to Matthew, Fall will be the Gospel of John and Summer (beginning today) is Luke. The four Gospels are all biographies of the life of Jesus written in the first century either by eye witn...

Colossians 1 Paul begins his letter to the Church of Colossae with his standard, greeting, thanksgiving and prayer. From his prayer for this young church, we can learn much about how to pray for one another and (in light of this being BYBC week) our Great Adventurers. If you ever struggle with how to pray for another believer, just turn to the prayers of the Apostle Pau...

Ephesians 6 Paul ends this letter with a "bang" as he lays out practical instruction for the natural world, while reminding us that our real battle is happening on a supernatural level. He tells us that, "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 e...

Ephesians 1 Ephesians chapter 1 is the kind of chapter where I don't really know where to begin. There is so much here to digest, to wonder over and to thank God for. However, there is a clear theme that is repeated again and again throughout the chapter. That theme is the sovereignty of God in our salvation and in our lives as a whole. Paul doesn't get past verse 1 befo...

Romans 12 When I was a student at Columbia Bible College, I remember one of my professors (Dr. Bill Crabb) making the following statement: "If your theology isn't practical, it's probably not biblical." At the time, I wholeheartedly agreed with him, but for all the wrong reasons. Now, I still agree with Dr. Crabb, but for all the right reasons. Let me explain. By the t...

Matthew 25 A few days ago we read this sober warning by Jesus in Matthew chapter 7: (Matthew 7:21-23)"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mig...

Matthew 15 "Watch your mouth!" Those words take on a significantly more serious tone when they come from Jesus instead of just your Mom. But, that is exactly what the Lord warns us about in Matthew 15. Jesus warns His disciples: (Matthew 15:18-20)"What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, mu...

Matthew 5 Matthew chapter 5 begins Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. I believe that it is, hands down, the best sermon ever preached! Of course, when God Himself is preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit and ever word He speaks is Scripture, can there be any competition? John Stott referred to the Sermon on the Mount as, "The nearest thing to a manifesto that Jesus ever utt...

James 5 One of the things I really love about the book of James is that it doesn't end. By that I mean that James is sharing hard truth and calling for clear application until his very last word. James has a lot to say and packs it into five brief chapters. For me, the most moving part of chapter 5 is when James describes the return of his big brother. In words that so...

Galatians 6 I don't know about you, but I love the final chapter of New Testament letters. They are like the "catch all" chapter. It's like the author gets to the end and the Holy Spirit decides to hit you with 10 random and very practical applications. Galatains 6 is no exception to this rule. (Galatians 6:1-2)Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you wh...

Galatians 1 We have been studying the book of Galatians on Sunday mornings for the past 4 weeks. I love this little letter! It only takes about 15 minutes to read the whole thing and yet I know that I'll be attempting to apply its truths for the rest of my life. Here are some of my jumbled thoughts from my sermon prep and my quiet time. If we embrace the message of Gal...

Hebrews 9 In Colossians 2:17, writing about Old Covenant ceremonies and festivals,Paul states,"These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ." That verse could serve as an explanation of much of what we have been reading in the book of Hebrews... especially chapters 8 and 9. In Hebrews 9, I find much for which to thank God. (Hebrews 9:...

Hebrews 4 When we decided to read through the New Testament this year, our thought was simply this: Is there anything we could do this year that is more significant than helping our people meet daily with their Heavenly Father? Is there any discipline in the Christian life that could more profoundly impact our church family more than spending time in God's word? I must ...

Acts 26 It was Teddy Roosevelt who said,"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." In Acts 26, the apostle Paul dares mighty things. I love this chapter...

Acts 22 (Acts 22:15) "For you will be a witness for Him to everyone of what you have seen and heard." The Book of Acts is exciting, amazing stuff! And it is also very encouraging.I am encouraged that the greatest evangelist ever, the Apostle Paul, would often default to simply sharing his personal testimony. Paul had an awesome intellect, was highly educated,skilled in...

Acts 17 Great chapter! Paul ministers is three very different cites, facing opposition in each while remaining faithful to the gospel.If you are looking for an example to follow, Paul is a pretty good one! Thessalonica -(Acts 17:2-3) ...he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from th...

Acts 12 This passage begins with the sober news that Herod, "killed James the brother of John with the sword." As I read this sentence, my thoughts landed on John - the little brother who was left behind. What if you were John and youreceived news that your brother and best friend had just been martyred for his faith in Jesus? How would you feel? How would you respond? ...

Acts 7 Stephen makes his entrance in Acts 6 and his exit in Acts 7. He isdescribed as being "Full of grace and power." Grace and power is an unusual, but awesome,combination. It's kind of like "sweetness and strength."You will need both to be an effective witness for Jesus. These two chapters tell us that Stephen was "Full of grace and power," "Full of the Spirit and o...

Acts 4 A couple of Sundays ago, I kicked-off our new sermon series, "Follow Me," with a message from Mark 3. The statement that really jumped out to me in that passage was, (Mark 3:14) "He appointed twelve that they might be with Himand that He might send them out to preach." Before they were called to do stuff for Him, Jesus wanted them to be with Him. In Acts 4,...

ACTS 2 Holy Spirit You are welcome hereCome flood this place and fill the atmosphereYour glory God is what our hearts long forTo be overcome by Your presence Lord ("Holy Spirit" by Bryan Katie Torwalt) I love the books of Acts. I love the boldness of the Apostles, thegenerosityand selflessness of the saints, the growth of the church, the clarity of the message an...

Mark 13 The Gospel of Mark moves so quickly. If you were to read it in a single sitting, it would only take you about 45 minutes. Just 45 minutes to tell us the story of the most significant person in the history of the world. These 16 brief chapters walk us through the 3-year ministry of the Savior. As the story reaches its climax, there is a shift in the tone. Jesus i...

Mark 8:1-38 I am so thankful that the perfect scriptures honestly record the imperfections of its people. (Mark 8:4) - The disciples want to send away 4,000 hungry people, even though Jesus had already proved (Mark 6) that He could feed 5,000. (Mark 8:16) - Jesus warns them about the heart attitude (leaven) of the Pharisees and the disciples think He's upset tha...

Mark 6:1-56 In Mark chapter 6, Jesus goes to His hometown with His disciples and begins to teach in His own synagogue on the Sabbath day. This is a great opportunity for Jesus to be a blessing to those who have known Him the longest. (Small town boy makes it big!) (Mark 6:2) and many who heard Him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's ...

Mark 4:1-41 Parables are confusing, right? In fact, they can even be a little bit frustrating. Why is that? Because, there is something in me, let's call the "Consumer," that expects truth to be handed to me in the most simple and palatable way possible. Now, I don't need a "silver platter," but I don't want to work for it. Parables cause us to work for it. Parables mak...

Mark 2:1-28 It has often been lamented that, "familiarity breeds contempt."But, I think more often, it simply breeds indifference. It's kind of like this. Every now and then I imagine how awesome it would be to live somewhere really beautiful (California, Colorado, Maine, Hawaii), where I could wake up ever day to stunning scenery that would take my breath away. But, I...

Mark 1:1-45 The Gospel of Mark hits the ground running. There's no introductory genealogy. There's not an elaborate backstory with a description of Jesus' miracle conception and birth. There's not even much of a theological explanation of what you are about to read. There is simply, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." What does this tell me a...

"Behold my Servant..." The opening words to this passage are what we will be spending the rest of the year (and all of eternity) doing. Isaiah probably seems like a strange place to begin a read-through of the New Testament. After all, Isaiah wrote these words around 700 years before the birth of Christ. Regardless, that is exactly WHO he was writing about, and this p...

I read today that, "The most important skill for 2014 is deciding what you will pay attention to." In an age where we are absolutely overwhelmed with things vying for our attention, we each need to decide......

This Sunday we're making a big announcement about future partners in the Gospel....