Sunday Teaching: Maturity Profiled 01 — Overview of the Mature (James 1:1-11)
Read moreThe Great Tribulation: The End of the Age -- Mark 13:15-23
All these exhortations Jesus gave during his teaching about the end of the age have a Jewish bent. Housetops were used in that region as a place for leisure in the cool of the evening. You could dine, relax, sleep, store goods, and pray on your home's flat roof. And Jesus had already said it was the citizens of Judea who should flee when the abomination of desolation occurs. Many Christians, when the armies of Titus began arriving at Jerusalem, did flee the city before the greatest destruction came.
Read moreThe Great Tribulation: The Abomination of Desolation & the Anti-Christ -- Mark 13:14
On the Mount of Olives, overlooking the temple precincts, Jesus continued his teaching about the end of the age. Peter, John, James, and Andrew sat riveted as their Master explained the end times.
Read moreJesus Prepared His Followers for Tribulation Through the Olivet Discourse (Mark 13:5-13)
Jesus began his teaching on the Mount of Olives warning about the tendency to be led astray (5). He knew some would come and lead many astray, so he sought to bolster his followers by telling them to see to it that they were not led astray (5). And many will come in Jesus' name, he said, even declaring themselves to be the Christ, and will deceive many. Ideologies, movements, and individuals will always arise, declaring themselves to be the savior the world needs.
Read moreKnowing God 13—God's Commands—Exodus 20
Sunday Sermon: Knowing God 13—God's Commands—Exodus 20
Read moreReasons the Olivet Discourse Points to Future Events (Mark 13:1-4)
As we enter Mark 13, we come to a passage of Scripture that is hotly debated. Some, like myself, believe it communicates the doctrine of future things. Others, many of whom I respect and read, believe the entirety of this chapter has to do with the destruction of the Jewish temple in the first century. And others are in between those two views. Regardless of our position on this chapter or other apocalyptic passages in Scripture, we should treat one another with respect, humility, and love. We will discover who was right someday, but we don't know today. With that as an attitudinal backdrop for the next few weeks in Mark, let's get into this next movement and chapter.
Read moreKnowing God 12—God's Invitation—Exodus 19
Sunday Teaching: Knowing God 12—God's Invitation—Exodus 19
Read moreWhat Jesus Treasures, Part 2 (Mark 12:41-44)
Previously, in Mark 12, we saw how Jesus was moved by the gift of the poor widow at the temple that day. He used her example to teach his disciples that she had given more than the wealthy with their immense contributions, because her sacrifice was greater. To Jesus, this woman was a model of devotion, an example of worship, and a true lover of God. Let’s look at some more lessons from her story.
Read moreWhat Jesus Treasures, Part 1 (Mark 12:41-44)
In today's passage, Jesus lets his disciples in on a secret found in an anonymous woman's story.
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