Tag: Trusting Jesus

Digging in Deeper: Mark 2:13-14

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“Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the toll booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me,’ and he got up and followed him.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

I love a good whodunit story. It’s always fun to me to spend a movie or book trying to figure out which character committed the crime. The best of these stories manage to keep you guessing until the very end. When the final revelation comes, if it’s done well, your first reaction is shock: “I can’t believe that was the one who did it!” But then, when you’ve had a bit more time to think through the details of the story a second thought follows soon in the wake of the first: “Well, of course, that’s who did it. Nothing else makes any sense.” This next story in Mark’s Gospel isn’t a whodunit, but it does have a surprise twist to it that is just as shocking as any great whodunit has.

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Foes to Friends

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Yesterday we continued our look at the story of the first church in Acts as told by Luke. This week we see how God can bring boosts to His kingdom work from places we would never expect them to come. But, if this is going to happen, He needs something from us. Read on as we talk about what that is.

Foes to Friends

Kanye West is not a man well-known for his modesty and humility. Over the course of his career, he’s bounced around from one name to another and one grandiose claim to another. He’s been crude and crass and just downright rude. One of his biggest moments in the spotlight came when he grabbed a mic out of Taylor Swift’s hands when she was accepting a music award in order to make the case why she shouldn’t have won it. He was never known as a friend to Christianity.

Then he became one.

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Get Your Head on Right

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Is faith all we need to be useful to Jesus? That’s not as easy a question to answer as it might seem. Certainly faith is all we need to enter into a relationship with Him, but being useful goes beyond that. As we continue our series, Being Useful, we talk about something that has to go with our faith if we’re going to hit that mark. Keep reading to find out what it is.

Get Your Head on Right

I grew up in a hymn-singing church.  Every single Sunday morning we sang hymns.  As a result, the great hymns of the faith are like a warm, familiar embrace for me.  I suspect that in this room, I’m not alone in that sentiment either.  I suspect there are many of you who grew up with the hymns and have a genuine love in your heart for them.  Now, I love worshiping by singing more contemporary praise music too, but just like anything that was a regular—and positive—feature of your childhood just feels good, the hymns are that for me. 

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Digging in Deeper: Judges 11:30-31

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“And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, ‘If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.'”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Here we see yet another dark chapter in the record of the judges.  Jephthah was a scoundrel and an outlaw.  When the leaders of Gilead sought him out, they had not sought the Lord.  In fact, although we are told near the end of chapter 10 that the Lord had grown impatient over their misery, He had told them rather explicitly that He was not going to come and save them this time because they had shown over and over again their dogged intention to reject Him.  He does relent a bit and helps the guy they foolishly choose win the battle, but beyond that He does not have a hand in the events here. Read the rest…