Sermon on the Mount: A Good Reason to Leave the Assembly Early
Have you ever left worship angry? Let me ask that another way, have you ever left the assembly because you were angry and realized that you had to make it right before you sang one more song or said “Fine, how are you to one more person?” Jesus straight up tells us that if […]
Sermon on the Mount: Fulfilling the Law and the Prophets
In Jesus’ day the phrase Law and Prophets was shorthand for their Bible which we call the Old Testament. The Law included Genesis-Deuteronomy. The prophets included the historical books (Joshua-Esther) and the prophets as we know them (Isaiah-Malachi). What is not included specifically in that phrase are the wisdom and poetry books. There are a […]
Sermon on the Mount – Salt and Light
Jesus starts the sermon on the mount with some lessons on being instead of lessons on doing. Blessed are the…You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world. The apostle Paul picked up this same approach in several of his letters, reminding people of who they are before telling them […]
The Sermon on the Mount – The Beatitudes Part 2
Last Sunday I spent some time unpacking the meaning and application of Jesus’ beatitudes in the sermon on the mount. When you have a moment give it a listen. I believe you will be blessed and encouraged as you listen to just how much God loves you.
The Sermon on the Mount – Beatitudes
The greatest sermon ever preached actually did end with an invitation. The parable of the wise and foolish builders closes the sermon and invites the hearers to participate in the kind of life Jesus described in the sermon. That is how the sermon ends. How does the sermon begin? It doesn’t start with a list […]
Jesus Came Proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom – What is the Gospel?
We have been following through the ministry of Jesus and are just now only in the very beginning stages. I have written an article on the beginning of Jesus’ ministry over at Wineskins that will serve as the next post in this series. You can read it here. Jesus Came Proclaiming the Gospel of the […]
Striking Parallels Between Jesus’ & His Disciples’ Ministry in Matthew
I am working through the Gospels in the Sunday morning sermons right now because I believe Jesus is to be our single, solitary focus and that everything else must find its place around him. We have been through his birth, his baptism and his temptation. At this point in the Gospels, Jesus launches into his […]
Why Was Jesus Baptized?
Baptizing the spotless lamb of God and savior of the world seems like an odd sort of way to begin Jesus’ ministry. He didn’t need to be made righteous. He didn’t have any sins to repent of, which was part of John’s baptism. Jesus didn’t need to be baptized in the since that you and […]
The Birth of Jesus Starts on the Margins
Check out my post over at Wineskins today, The Birth of Jesus Starts on the Margins. Jesus entered this world in the humblest of circumstances but it is far more than just being born to a poor family in a manger. The story of the margins in the life and ministry of Jesus has far […]
In the Bible Courage is Almost Always Based on Two Things
As I was working through where the word courage is mentioned in both Testaments, something really jumped out. There were two things that came up over and over again as the reason for the courage we are to have. Here are some verses to consider in both Testaments to give you an idea of what […]