Doing the Right Thing will Cost You 1 Kings 16:30-33 This is the context into which the rest of this story takes place. 1 Kings 17 Because of the wickedness in the land, Elijah prophecy’s that there will be no rain, not even dew. Verse 7 Shows that what Elijah prophesied came true, no rain,...
Baptism The word Baptize There are two basic forms of the word baptize in the NT • One, which is used less frequently means “to dip” or “to dye” We see both of those images in baptism. • The Other form which is used far more frequently refers to the Jewish cleansing practices. o If...
For the Love of Weeds (Matt 13:24-30) • Verse 24 Jesus tells a parable using language and concepts they would have been understood. But of course, adding new meaning and symbolism. Verse 24 The kingdom of heaven is the kingdom of God. Jesus tends to use these terms interchangeably. • The man or farmer here...
In this passage we take a look at Jesus’ warning about the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod. Jesus is talking about the world views of religion and government. Heeding this warning from Jesus will help us discern the times we are living in. Of Governments and Religion (Mark 8:1-18) Verses 1-3 This passage...
In this message we look a the deep connection between love and obedience. Love compels obedience. Jesus says he can only do what He sees the Father doing, and He can do nothing by Himself. He did the miracles he did through the Power of the Holy Spirit, acting in obedience to what the Father...
A brief introduction to the Holy Spirit and the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Living in the Spirit: Being Filled (Ehp 5:15 and Acts 8) Eph 5:18 The verb here in the NIV as “be filled” is a present passive imperative in the Greek. o There are three components to this grammar...
Trust Last week I talked about walking into the fire, and how it takes deep trust in God to be able to enter in. But, in the fire we find what we were looking for all along. This week I want to talk about why can it be so hard to trust God, and where...
Everything we need is the found in the presence of God. Moses knew this. Chapter 33 of the book of Exodus contains some incredible comments by Moses, statements that serve us well as we seek to know God and encourage others in the 21st Century. Even though Moses already had an incredible and personal relationship...
In the frantic pace of today’s society, the concept of rest sounds like a quaint antique. However, Sabbath rest is biblically fundamental to the kingdom of God. Sabbath rest is highlighted in the Ten Commandments, where God goes out of his way to remind us to “remember” the Sabbath. In the agricultural age of...
In Matthew chapter 12, Jesus illustrates spiritual realities through the natural world that apply to us as humans. Fruit trees require great care and attention to produce good fruit. The same is true for us – the words we speak reflect the condition we have cultivated in our hearts. Jesus condemns the religious leaders (the...
Words have great power. We were made in God’s image, and if we truly want to imitate him, we will use great care with our words and get in the habit of speaking blessings, not curses. The apostle Peter tells us that we should speak God’s words so that we advance Jesus’ kingdom, not...
There is no getting around it – God is concerned about justice for those who have no voice. Justice was a major part of Jesus’ ministry as well. In fact, the word “justice” is used 130 times in the NIV translation of the Bible. Jesus saved some of his harshest words for the religious leaders...
My House Shall Be Called A House of Prayer. This scene comes during the Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem. After Jesus comes riding into the city with everyone cheering and singing praises there is this little verse where Jesus goes into the Temple and looks around. Verses:12-14 He curses the fig tree and a...
