A friend shared this quote with me, something to stop and make us think… The loneliest moment in life is when you have just experienced that which you thought would deliver the ulimate and it has let you down. We have a whole generation of people around the country today empty, because they are moving…
holding back, resisting, doubting
SCRIPTURE: Mark 9 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: “’If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” [Mark 9:23-24] I have often used these words myself, they describe how I often feel about my own weak faith. This passage presents Jesus as a glorious messiah…
drawn by Jesus, not His message
A thought-provoking quote by Hugh Halter in The Tangible Kingdom ”Our main contention is that what drew people to Jesus, surprisingly, was not his message. It was him. His face, the softness in his voice, the whimsical look he gave the children, how he laughed, and how he lived. His message repelled people. Many people…
I can’t see clearly now…
SCRIPTURE: Mark 8 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put…
spit shiny clean
SCRIPTURE: Mark 7 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.’” [Mark 7:15] By ‘unclean’, Jesus is not talking about visibly dirty, but spiritually dirty, and therefore unacceptable to God. His point in this passage is that God is…
miracles all around me
SCRIPTURE: Mark 6 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith. [Mark 6:5-6] Why do some people experience miracles, and others do not? I believe miracles are happening all around us, but not everyone sees them…
don’t be afraid
SCRIPTURE: Mark 5 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” [Mark 5:36] This passage reveals the power and authority of Jesus – over demons, over sickness, even over death. This is why Jesus is the hope of the world, He is the only one that can overcome the power…
preaching on Mark 10
This coming Sunday (Sep 6) I am speaking on Mark 10. Please read it and suggest what part to focus on. Its a big chapter, with lots of sections. Divorce? Little children? Rich young ruler? Jesus dying? Leading by serving? Healing the blind man? If you were to pick out one lesson from this passage, one that…
see, hear and do!
What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand. (Confucius) What does this say about “preaching”, as it is presently understood. We separate the message from real life, we enclose the ‘preaching event’ in a hall with podium and chairs, we insist that everyone be passive and silent, and…
exploring mysteries with Jesus
SCRIPTURE: Mark 4 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables” [Mark 4:11]. When Jesus spoke in public, He kept His message simple, in stories that made people think. He did not explain His stories, He was intentionally…