Nothing to Fear
For Sunday, June 21, 2015 – Mark 4:35-41 Why am I so slow to believe it, that I have nothing to fear? No storms need to be a threat to my inner calm. No chaos can overwhelm us. Defeat, and even death, might come, but as Jesus famously said, “What more can anyone do to us?” Regardless of being lashed about, knocked down, inundated by waves […]
Planting the Realm of God
For Sunday, June 14, 2015 – Mark 4:26-34 Jesus teaches a simple way to help grow the realm of God. Simple, yet surprisingly difficult to live. “The kingdom of God,” he says, “is as if someone scatters seed on the ground, then sleeps and rises, sleeps and rises, until the seed sprouts and grows.” The […]
Not Alone
For Sunday, June 7, 2015 – Mark 3:20-35 What a predicament Jesus is in. From all directions he is being doubted, tested, misunderstood. “He has gone out of his mind,” people are saying. Even his family comes, hoping to restrain him. So in case you have ever wondered if Jesus knows how it feels when […]
Born Again
For Sunday, May 31, 2015 – John 3:1-17 Too often the Pharisees get a bad rap. We imagine them as all the same when, like the rest of us, they come in a variety pack. Legalistic and self-righteous? Sure, sometimes—like me and you on some topic or another—but also hungry for truth, dedicated to seeking after God. One of […]