Posts with the tag “grace”

"He does everything well!" (Mark 7:37)What amazes the crowd (i.e., those who walk around with Jesus observing Him) is His core value: God's glory that is evidenced in His words and actions. Do you remember the response of the crowds to His excellent sermon? The crowds were amazed because He spoke with authority, not like the religious leaders who were so busy quoting everyone else that they could ...  Read More

Today we will focus on the sacrament of baptism in our 'We Believe' series of Sunday sermons. You will hear an expression I first remember hearing from one of my seminary professors, Dr. Rob Staples: 'an outward sign of an inward grace.' Our reading today illustrates that well (Mark 7:1-23*). Ceremonial washing was a part of ritual worship established in the days of Moses in the wilderness. It ext...  Read More

When soldiers return from their tours of service, their family reunion is sweet. It is a beautiful thing to behold. When missionaries return to their family in their land of origin, often there are tears of joy and the embraces are warm and extended. I have been there. Both of these are long anticipated, often they come with flowers and signs, and many times added supporters as an expression of lo...  Read More

The Kingdom of Heaven"Your kingdom come...(6:10)." "...the the kingdom of God has come...(12:28)." "The kingdom of heaven is like...(13:24,31,33,44,45,47)." Now and then. Already and not yet. This wonderful and divine tension exists between the present reality and the future promise. The truth is, where Jesus is, there is the Kingdom. No, we have not received all we have been promised, and so we l...  Read More

It happened in Jesus' day and it happens today. We cannot control how others act and react to us, but we can control (by God's grace and His Spirit within us) how we respond to others. Jesus' words in Matthew 10:16 are captivating...  Read More

Genesis 9:20-23 has both fascinated and perplexed me at the same time, every time I read it. Last year I attended the dedication of a new church...  Read More