Healing a Demon-Possessed Man – Mark 5:1-20 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. Jesus’ arrival in our lives always carries long-lasting implications: sins are forgiven, bondage is broken, and injustices are corrected. Jesus didn’t come simply so we could go to Heaven, but so He could transform our lives…
Healing a Blind Man – John 9:1-41 Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see! Aren’t you glad you don’t have to know all the answers? After all, theologians have debated countless issues for centuries, and they still don’t agree. Wiser…
Walking on Water – Matthew 14:22-36 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid… Our tendency when reading this story is to give Peter a hard time… after all, he takes his eyes off Jesus and begins to sink. Jesus even chides Peter a little bit, calling him, “You of little faith.” But let’s…
Feeding the Five Thousand – Luke 9:1-36 Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. I find it interesting that this passage about the Sending of the Twelve comes immediately before the Feeding of the Five Thousand. The disciples had just been traveling throughout the countryside with no…
E100 #13: “Who Is My Neighbor?” Text: Luke 10:25-37The Good Samaritan gives us a concrete example of how we ought to reflect the character and nature of God. After looking at a couple of lessons from the parable itself, Pastor Jon takes a closer look at the context of the parable, suggesting that the Bible…
Lost and Found – Luke 15:1-32 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. – Luke 15:10 A lost sheep. A lost coin. A lost son. These stories all have in common the idea that something was lost, but now…
The Good Samaritan – Luke 10:25-37 “…and who is my neighbor?” – Expert “…which of these three was a neighbor?” – Jesus There’s a lengthy story between these two quotes, so it’s easy to miss the fact that Jesus doesn’t answer the expert’s question. In true rabbinical fashion, he responds to the question with another…
The Kingdom of Heaven – Matthew 13:1-58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. – Matthew 13:58 This chapter is full of images about the Kingdom of Heaven – it’s like a pearl of great price… or like a mustard seed… or like a little yeast. We read…
Sermon on the Mount – Part 2 – Matthew 6:5-7:29 Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Three times in the beginning of Matthew 6, Jesus uses this particular phrase. When you give… when you pray… when you fast… do it in secret… “then your Father, who sees what…
Sermon on the Mount – Part 1 – Matthew 5:1-6:4 You are the light of the world – Jesus But wait a minute! I thought that Jesus was the “Light of the World.” After all, last week we read John’s words where he said that Jesus was the true light that gives light to every…