In our busy, helter-skelter world and life, it often seems like there isn’t time to pray. But could it be that the opposite is true? There isn’t time NOT to pray. Jesus had just spent his day – dawn until late into the night – serving people. He must have been exhausted. The next day would be more of the same. Yet, what do we find him doing? We see him on his knees, off on his own, praying. I don’t mean to minimize the work that Jesus or even that we do. But which will make a greater difference? Our own work? Or getting the God of the Universe involved in the work? I think you know the answer. Jesus prays, and we learn to pray for him. Mark 1:35-39
A Day in the Life - #3 - Rolling Back Curses
When Adam and Eve sinned, God cursed humankind and the whole earth along with it. Their sin begat death and every other curse. When Jesus came, he came to redeem and restore all things. He came to make all things new (not all new things!). While our hope is sure that Jesus will do this completely at the end, already now (and then), we see Jesus go after the curse of sin in tangible, life-healing ways. Mark 1:29-24
A Day in the Life - #2 - Worship is War
Martin Luther once said, “Where Christ builds a church, there the Devil builds a chapel.” It shouldn’t surprise us then that whenever Jesus stands up to speak, the Devil would try to silence or overwhelm those words. It shouldn’t surprise that we have a demon-possessed man right there in church interrupting Jesus’ sermon. Nor should we be surprised if the devil shows up among us. But here is the power. As we gather for worship, we gather for war. Not just out there but in here too. And each time, Jesus stands up: “Silence! Be Still.” And he must. The Devil must flee before the Word of God. A sermon on Mark 1:21-28.
A Day in the Life #1 - Called
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” This is the life to which Jesus called the crowds and then his disciples when he began his ministry. First, he called them to faith. Then, he called them to vocation. Both calls require cross-bearing. Both calls require dying to self and rising in Christ to live. God help us drop our nets to follow him this year. (Mark 1:14-20)
New Sermon Series: A Day in the Life
The Gospel of Mark keeps moving from one thing to the next, from one activity to the next. It is an action-adventure. Mark’s favorite word is “immediately.” But sometimes, Mark slows the action down, and we stay in one place for a little bit. That’s what he does in the second half of chapter one. He slows down, and we follow Jesus for a day in his life. That’s what we’ll do as we kick off this new year; we’ll slow down and spend a day in the life of Jesus. It’s a day worth observing.
Series starts on 1/8/23