We all keep secrets for one reason or another. Sometimes, for good reason. surprise birthday parties are fun and it would be terrible to share this secret and ruin the surprise. Joseph of Arimathea is the subject of today’s story. As a leader, Joseph didn’t speak up against Jesus’ crucifixion. In this story though, we…
Today’s Easter sermon focuses on what we might consider, “The Problem of Easter”. In the final moments of Jesus’ life, the two criminals crucified near him have very different responses. The first criminal chooses to mock Christ. The second asks that Jesus would remember him when he enters the Kingdom. In response, Jesus says that…
The story of the Prodigal Son is one that many are familiar with. Today, we examine the younger brother, the older brother, the father and what the story teaches us about God. In the midst of this story, Jesus is challenging us to consider whether or not we are withholding forgiveness from others. For the next couple of weeks, we are going…
This week we focus on the Parable of the Lost Coin. A woman has ten silver coins and loses one. She begins an exhaustive search to find the coin. When she finds it, she throws a party to celebrate. We put effort and search for things in our life that we value. This woman valued the coin and dedicated her time and…
We need to understand that celebrating Easter isn’t about a meal, an egg hunt, a grand Sunday morning service…those are fun and good…but rather we celebrate Easter best by aligning our lives to the call of the Gospel which has been placed upon our lives. We celebrate the reality of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead most effectively no just by an…
Steve Buss of the One Hope Network shared with us today from Colossians. Steve shared the exciting work of drawing local churches together in the name of Christ – something that is not an optional activity but a commandment. We are challenged to pray for open doors, that we would speak clearly, that the Gospel would be heard clearly, and that we…
As Cup Bearer to the King, Nehemiah was a in a position of power and responsibility. In the midst of his mourning about Israel, he choses to act and take a risk. The Cup Bearer was expected to keep the King in a good mood, but Nehemiah allows his sadness to show. He then requests…
Nehemiah continues with heartbreak. We recapped last week’s section of scripture, but then see that something changes in Nehemiah. He prays to God in a model that we may also be challenged to use: Ask God to hear our prayers – pray with humility Confess sins/ask for forgiveness Remember that God is Faithful Ask for…
The beginning of the book of Nehemiah starts with a dark scene. Aaron elaborates on the rich history leading up to this point. There is a picture in these first few chapters of a heart breaking for God’s people. We are challenged to consider what breaks our hearts. Nehemiah was a powerful figure in Israel’s…
We’ve come to the end of the book of John where Jesus reinstates Peter. Previously, Peter denied Christ three times. In a similar fashion, Jesus asks Peter three times if Peter loves Jesus. After reminding Peter of who he is and what he is called to, Jesus shares that the journey forward will be costly.…