King of Kings — Bob Whitaker (16 Apr 2017)
Luke 24:1-12. Like the people who shouted “Hosannah!” at Jesus arrival to Jerusalem and later chanted “crucify him,” we, along with generations before us, have also misunderstood our King. At Easter, we stop to remember our need for the grace of God. We remember, too, that he stands ever ready to give us that grace.
A Reason to Shout — John Mangrum (9 Apr 2017)
A look at the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem as their one and only true king, foretold in Zechariah 9:9-10. We oftentimes try to reign over our own lives instead of acknowledging the sovereignty of Jesus.
Confessing Sinner, Confessing Saint — Bob Whitaker (2 Apr 2017)
The Bible is honest enough to describe the weakness and failings of the New Testament disciples. However, few of the disciples seem more human than Peter. At one moment he claims that Jesus is the Son of God. At another, he denies that he ever knew Jesus. Between those two stories Jesus rebukes him for […]
Confronting the Darkness — Bob Whitaker (26 Mar 2017)
From Mark 5:1-20. When Jesus came to announce the Kingdom of God, he declared his lordship through miracles. Some of those miracles included specific encounters with the forces of darkness – a war with Satan and his demons. Some modern people are skeptical of the very idea of supernatural power. However, the life and teachings […]
A Mountaintop Experience — Dan Waugh (19 Mar 2017)
Mark 9:2-13 recounts the events on the Mount of Transfiguration and highlights the uniqueness of God’s one and only Son. The passage isn’t difficult to understand, but how are we supposed to respond to it? Why did the Gospel writers, three of them at least, think these events needed to be included in the story […]
The Invisible Kingdom of God — Bob Whitaker (12 Mar 2017)
According to the parables in Mt. 13:24-35, there are three things we know: 1) The kingdom of God is invincible; 2) the kingdom of God is often invisible; and 3) we are not always capable of identifying how God is establishing his kingdom. Let’s consider the beautiful mystery of the visible and invisible kingdom of […]
Come and Follow Me — Bob Whitaker (5 Mar 2017)
From Mark 1:14-20. “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men…they left their nets and followed.” In Mark’s gospel Jesus’ call to discipleship is radical, immediate and abbreviated. Radical because it was a call to complete surrender, immediate because they left their nets on the sand and abbreviated because Jesus gave them no […]
Jesus Wept — John Mangrum (26 Feb 2017)
From John 11:17-37. Jesus knows death, both the grief of others and the experience of it himself. The ancient Jews had customs of walking through a period of mourning that involved the community. Jesus’ sacrifice provides the ultimate comfort for our grief; his death has brought us eternal life both now and in the life […]
For God So Loved the World — Rob Girvin (19 Feb 2017)
Youth Sunday message from John 3:1-16. The Gospel writer John shows us that God’s love came first and is not dependent on our ability to earn it.
The Finest of Wines — John Mangrum (12 Feb 2017)
From John 2:1-11. What can we learn about the glory of God revealed in Christ through the story of Christ’s turning water into wine?
