THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:15-19 “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Mark 11:17, Isaiah 56:7) God’s original design was that all creation would be a place for prayer. And by prayer, I mean more than ‘asking God for things’. Prayer, like worship, means more than the narrow ideas we usually give…
Author: Norm
Overflowing with fruit!!!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:12-14 “Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit.” (Mark 11:13) Jesus’ action seems harsh, since “it was not the season for figs.” (v.14) Apparently fig trees in Israel do produce fruit out of their normal season. A fig tree in…
Join the praise parade!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:8-11, Psalm 118 “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9; Psalm 118:26) The people are excited, they are hopeful Jesus is the One. They start singing from their sacred song book (Psalms), words that inspire and encourage. Their excitement stems from two things: (1) Their shame and suffering…
WWJD (What Would Jesus Drive)?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 11:1-7 “When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.” (Mark 11:7) When the pope came to America, he opted to be driven in a Fiat. “His choice to stick to an understated classic in a country where big cars rule the road and…
Complicating faith?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 11:45-54 “You have taken away the key to knowledge.” (Luke 11:52) I often think the church of history is guilty of a similar offence. Jesus presents a very simple message: trust Me, put your hope in Me. This simple message of faith has morphed into a complex message of beliefs. You must…
What about you?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 11:37-44 “A Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table.” (Luke 11:37) What happens when we invite Jesus into our life? We invite Him to see the inside of our heart — the nice and not so nice. And because Jesus cares, He speaks…
Bright eyes
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 11:33-36 “Your eye is the lamp of your body.” (Luke 11:34) In what sense are my eyes the source of light or darkness in me? What I look at, what I focus on, these determine whether I am light or dark. If we focus on God and His kingdom, our life will…
The way to God’s blessing
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 11:27-32 “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke 11:28) There are definite advantages to be related by blood… to be kin. People tend to care for, and bless their own, most of all. For the Jews, being Jewish was as much a racial thing as…
Kingdom confidence!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 11:14-26 “If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Luke 11:20) Genesis 1 gives us the first description of the kingdom of God. Adam and Eve, created to be like God, ruling over creation with God’s authority. But in Genesis 3 we find…
The best prayer request!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 11:5-13 “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13) God wants the very best for you. God wants everyone to have the ‘very good’ life we were made for. God also respects our freedom, He does not force feed us pressure us….