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Disciple #3 - Three Witnesses

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The hymn asks the right question: What do you want us to see there that your close companions saw? Through the eye-witness accounts of Peter, James, and John, we get to take in this heavenly vision before the deepest darkness of Jesus’ passion, his suffering, and his death. But what are we to see there? What are we to take away? When Jesus was baptized, God spoke there, but that time he spoke for the sake of Jesus. He told him, “You are my Son…” (Mk 1:11). Here, Jesus is glorified, and the Father speaks once again, but, this time, for the sake of the disciples. He speaks to them (and through them to us): “This is my Son…Listen to him.” Today, once again, we become witnesses of his glory. Mark 9:2-9

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Disciple #2 - Four Friends

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We often read this story and consider Jesus’ interaction with the leper. But if we read this story from another perspective: the friends’ perspective. Why did they tear that roof apart? What kept them from sparing no effort or embarrassment just to let their friend down in front of Jesus? What did they hope he would do? Whatever it was, Jesus did more! What will you do for your friends to lower them down in front of Jesus? A sermon on Mark 2:1-12

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Disciple #1 - The Leper and Prayer

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If you were a leper, it didn’t just mean you were sick and had an incurable disease. It meant you were separated from God, ostracized from society, and an outcast, both physically and spiritually unclean. So, this request of this man is astounding. He dares to approach Jesus in his need and in his uncleanness. As he did so, he lived in the “perhaps” – he wasn’t sure what Jesus would do for him, but he held to the promise of cleansing from sin, and he waited to see what he would do about this disease. To what promises of God do you hold that make you bold and unashamed before your holy and mighty Savior? Mark 1:40-45

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NEW SERIES - Disciple: Hope in the Gospel of Mark

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Disciple: Hope in the Book of Mark

We regularly find ourselves at the end of our ropes, despairing, helpless, and at the end of ourselves. What we find, however, is that when we are at the end of ourselves, God is at his beginning. In the Gospel of Mark, we meet many individuals who had nearly lost all hope – all hope except what they had in Jesus. In this three-week series, we’ll meet three of those who found in Jesus what they needed when they were at their end. Jesus was just getting started with them!

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A Day in the Life - #4 - Prayer Lessons

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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

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A Day in the Life - #3 - Rolling Back Curses

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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

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A Day in the Life - #2 - Worship is War

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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.

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A Day in the Life #1 - Called

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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)

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New Sermon Series: A Day in the Life

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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

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Unwrapped #3 - First Shots

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Things move quickly here in the Gospel of Mark. One thing and then another thing and then another thing. From time to time, Mark will slow things down, but here is not the time. We’re only twelve verses into the good news about Jesus, and he is already at war. There was a spiritual battle taking place that few could see or understand, but Jesus was in it to win it. The war has been won, but the battle rages on. Jesus remains in it to win us. Mark 1:12-13.

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Unwrapped #2 - Worship's Purpose

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Last week we heard what Mark had to say about John. We heard what John had to say about Jesus. And that’s important. These are men who are speaking as God inspired and spurred them on to speak. But what is equally important if not even more important is that we listen to what God himself has to say about Jesus and even about us. His announcements carry far more weight. (Mark 1:9-11)

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Unwrapped #1 - The Beginning

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If you were going to write a story about Jesus and tell it faithfully and true, how would you start it? Maybe you’d start with a listing of his family tree, as Matthew did. Maybe you’d start with a claim to authentic research and a historically accurate account like Luke did. Maybe you’d start with a doxology of praise proclaiming his greatness like John did. Or maybe you’d start with John the Baptist, his story, and his work. That’s the way Mark starts his account, his good news about Jesus. We want to understand why he starts here. A sermon on Mark 1:1-8.

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Shaped for Survival - #6 - The Power in Persistence

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God is serious about our salvation. As obstinate and stiff-necked as his people were, God was even more so. He would not give up on his people - for twenty-three years! It’s good for us in preparation for him to hear him now. At the same time, it is also good for us to join the prophet in our own persistence with the word of the Lord. Shoulder the load - repeatedly. Persistently. - that’s what he did. God help us! A sermon on Jeremiah 25:1-7