Text: Mark 6:30-56Following last week’s scripture reading about Herod’s feast that resulted in the beheading of John the Baptist, we encounter the familiar story of another feast; Jesus feeding the five thousand. Recognizing that the crowd is “like sheep without a shepherd,” Jesus acts in a completely different way from Herod. Rather than seeking a…
Text: Mark 6:1-13Having just been rejected in His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus sends His disciples out two by two with a warning that they also may not always be welcomed. As we live out our faith, we may also encounter rejection but Jesus tells us to not let those moments linger; we are to continue…
Mark 5:1-20The story of Jesus healing the man with an unclean spirit reminds us that the grace of God follows us to wherever we’ve been cornered and offers help both now and forever more. This story is ours as well, and contains our mission; because God has loved us, we are not cast out from…
“Jesus, Prophet of Grace”Text: Mark 4:26-41We continue studying the Gospel of Mark. This passage, which echoes the Old Testament prophets Ezekiel and Jonah, reveals the prophetic power of Jesus Christ. The fullness of God’s message has been found in Jesus Christ; he is the embodiment and the fulfillment of God’s prophecies. Whatever the world might…
Isaiah 6:1-8We welcome Maine District Pastor (and one of our congregation’s newest members) Amanda Lawton to the pulpit this week as she shares the story of her calling.
“Counted Among the Disciples”Text: Mark 3:1-19Following our “Why We Worship” series, we return to our study of the Gospel of Mark. In this passage, Jesus appoints His disciples. Mark describes them as having three purposes; “to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out…
“Why We Worship: Scripture”Sermon Text: Acts 3 : 11-26We continue our mini sermon series on the worship practices of our local congregation at the Cape Elizabeth Church of the Nazarene. In today’s passage, Peter intentionally makes the point that the healing of a man unable to walk was not anything done in His own name,…
1 Peter 3:13-16, Deuteronomy 5:12-15What do you think of when hearing that someone lives a “questionable lifestyle?” What if we are the ones who are called to live by this description? Guest preacher Pastor Kim Richardson joins us and asks these questions, using 1 Peter and the book of Deuteronomy to discover how living a…
Text: Mark 16:1-8He is risen! On this Easter Sunday, we read the Gospel of Mark’s account of the resurrection of Jesus. The story of Easter is that God is pleased to raise one who is absolutely forgotten and rejected from the dead. This is our experience as well; no one is forsaken or forgotten. Each…
“Still Breathing Life Into Dust: Living in the New”Text: Mark 2:18-22We continue our Lenten series from the Gospel of Mark, where the Pharisees ask Jesus why His disciples do not fast. His reply reminds us that the grace of God is not determinant upon our preconceived notions; like new wine in old wineskins, it bursts…