Okay, okay. I’m taking a bit of liberty here in talking about the fig tree for a fourth time, but even though these events technically took place on Tuesday, I think that this particular teaching brings a nice bookend to our study so far this week. Yesterday we saw the disciples walking by the […]
True Faith Tuesday Mark 11:20-26
The day after Jesus cursed the fig tree the disciples notice that it had withered and died, but as is their nature throughout Jesus’ teaching, the disciples missed the point of the lesson. We too can miss what Jesus is saying if we pick this text out of its context. Jesus tells the disciples […]
Manic Monday Mark 11:12-19
Mondays are hard. I’m not always on my best form at the start of the work week. I don’t like waking up after a long restful weekend. And if I’ve preached that Sunday, I’m even more exhausted. I understand now why most pastors take Mondays off. I often oversleep which means I don’t have enough […]
Palm (Leafy Branch) Sunday Mark 11:1-11
Every year we come to Palm Sunday and we hear the same story. It runs the risk of becoming common and familiar in a way that loses its impact on our lives. Furthermore, the Gospel of Mark withholds certain details about this first day of Jesus final week so that it leaves even less information […]
Remembering Billy Graham by John DeBrine
“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my […]
Forty Days of Identity with Christ by Micah Lovell
So much of the Christian faith is tied to the concept of identity. Though we have been given our individual identities by our Creator, we are often reminded that we are weak and in desperate need of assistance that must come from outside ourselves. Once we come to recognize that we are fallen and that […]
Sharing Jesus In A Hostile World by Adam Miller
It can be easy to talk about the things we love. If you want to see me light up, just ask me about my nieces and nephews. But you might not be as excited to hear me talk about some of my pet peeves. Just because we are passionate about something does not mean that […]
In The Wilderness by Michael Card
“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when He came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with […]
When Worship Leads to Witness by Adam Miller
Over the past several years we have been working through a strategic series of topics on the Christian faith. In 2015 we talked about the transforming power of the gospel in the life of a believer. We talked about preaching the gospel to ourselves and sharing that within our families and Christian communities as a […]
Advent Blessings: How Advent teaches patience in a commercial culture
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”, it has been said. And in some ways, the saying rings true. We tend to eat a little better (or worse, depending on which way you look at it), see a little more beauty in the windows of stores and homes, and find ourselves thoughtlessly humming or […]
Music is Great, Jesus is Greater by Bob Kauflin
This past May, our youngest child, McKenzie, graduated from Boyce College with a degree in biblical studies, focusing on music and worship. After 4 1/2 years of study, persistence, practice, and dependence on God’s grace, she finally joined the ranks of those who have a college degree. In her final semester, she had to give […]
When My Cup Overflows by Adam Miller
Galatians 6:1-10 Have you ever played that game you often see at youth groups, where you fill a cup with water and pass it down a line of kids to pour in a bucket at the other end? I played a game like that with some international students visiting the Cape this past summer. It […]