Our passage today will end with this statement: the apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught (Mark 6:30). It is one of only two instances in Mark's whole book when the disciples are referred to as apostles. (12 Minutes/3200 Words)
Read moreArchival Post: Partnering With God
After many years among the nations, making disciples, Paul returned to Jerusalem. He reported to the church. He told them "one by one the things God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry."
Read morePsalm 7—A Plea Of The Accused
Sunday Message: Psalm 7—A Plea Of The Accused
Read moreHow To Be the Church in a Secular Community (Jeremiah 29:4-9)
Jeremiah had an unenviable task. Called by God at a young age, he was given the assignment of a doomsday prophet to a rebellious Israel. For centuries—ever since they shifted from a theocracy to a monarchy—God's nation battled disobedience to God's law. And now, the day of reckoning would come. God needed to purge his people, beginning with a Babylonian invasion. (5 Minutes/1400 Words)
Read moreHow To Unleash Jesus' Mighty Work in Your Life (Mark 6:1-6)
The story before us is one of the most terrifying in all the gospel accounts. Jesus visits his hometown of Nazareth (1), and they are astonished at his words and works (2). They knew he was powerful, mighty works having been done by him all throughout the region (2). But since they had known Jesus and his family for many years, they took offense at him (3). (12 Minutes/3000 Words
Read moreArchival Post: Does My Parenting Style Promote Spousal Oneness?
Something mysterious was declared over the first marriage. After telling the man to leave his father and mother, God told him to be joined to his wife. “The two,” God said, “Will be one flesh.”
Read moreArchival Post: Leaving Ease, Entering Blessing
Sometimes the place of "blessing" is the worst place for us.
Read moreWhen Jesus Moves Slowly (Mark 5:21-43)
We know believers are called to "put on...patience" (Colossians 3:12). We know the Bible is filled with related words -- long-suffering, endurance, steadfastness, and waiting. But this waiting with patience is not our natural disposition. This is why we need the help of the Holy Spirit. When he bears his fruit in our lives, one evidence is patience (Galatians 5:22). (12 Minutes/3000 Words)
Read moreArchival Post & Podcast: Build A Support Team Like Jonathan
Home field advantage is a thing. Some athletes say they thrive on opposition, that they love playing in front of a hostile crowd. But, time and time again, it is a general rule that teams win a higher percentage of games when playing on their home field, ice, court, or turf. Many factors are cited, but one is the support of the fans.
Read moreJesus the Rescuer (Mark 5:1-20)
A legion of demons, a herd of pigs plummeting off a cliff, and a man living in a graveyard on the outskirts of town—these are the shocking images of this episode. Word after word, sentence after sentence, and paragraph after paragraph grips the reader. This happened! (12 Minutes/3000 Words)
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