SCRIPTURE: Mark 4:30-34 Why is God’s kingdom compared to something small and insignificant? Jesus’ point is to show the huge potential contained within His message from God. What He represents, what He has to say, what He is doing… has world-changing capability. The way of God – which produces the world God intended – seems weak…
Author: Norm
Selah, the sound of resting in God
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 46 We may not feel what this psalm expresses, but repeating these words can help you feel it more. Our world may be falling apart, the nations may be in disorder, but God remains in charge. Because God is here, the world will not fall, He will help those who honor Him. To defy…
Toronto Northern Lights ballad!
The Barbershop Harmony Society finally posted the official version of our gold-medal winning ballad. The costumes don’t make sense apart from our previous song, The Vegetable Medley. That one should be posted soon too. Simple summary, that song was about fighting vegetables learning how to work together. This ballad follows as a serious message on…
1 Kings 7-11
SCRIPTURE: 1 Kings 7-11 What do you sense the Lord saying to you? PRAYER
Can you see it?
“Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes – The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.” Elizabeth Barrett Browning I love this imagery. Today’s reading from Mark 4:26-29 reminded me of it. This is how God’s world works, He is present in and…
Reminder for today…
Here is what God’s world is like!
SCRIPTURE: Mark 4:26-29 Here is what God’s world is like. This is what we can see and know and hope for when we see this world with a God perspective. Buried beneath the soil, hidden the dirt and muck and mess, lies a living, growing seed. A seed of love, joy, hope, kindness, miracle, blessing, rising…
Time to change how we communicate the message?
SCRIPTURE: Mark 4:21-25 It seems that many people (including Christians) have become desensitized to the message… they hear it without really grasping it. This is why Jesus uses stories, to make sure that the light somehow shines. If people refuse to listen, then show them, don’t allow it to remain hidden. Jesus says that when people…
How am I responding to God’s message right now?
SCRIPTURE: Mark 4:13-20 On the one hand this parable describes different types of people. But now I also see that all of the seeds apply to me at different times. I have times when Satan snatches God’s message from me, times when I accept it in a shallow way, times when things distract me away from…
The power of story to penetrate
SCRIPTURE: Mark 4:10-12 I used to think that Jesus told stories to keep close-minded people from understanding. It seems that way from v.12, and how it uses Isaiah 6:9-10. But now I am realizing that instead of keeping people from understanding, stories are actually more effective at penetrating closed minds. You can’t argue a person out of…