... seek His own will. Let's look Mark 1:9-15 (NRSV) [9] In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. [10] And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending ... what that means for you and me is that we never, ever, not once, have to face the temptations of life alone again. In Hebrews 2:18 (NRSV) we read: "Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested." And then in ...
... : Just ask the angels what they think of Jesus, they’ll tell you, “A Savior has been born unto you, He is Christ the Lord.” Ask John the Baptist and he’ll tell you, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Ask the demons what they think ... knew he would. 1. Jerry Anderson, Hummingbirds & Hollyhocks, (Knoxville: Seven Worlds Corp., 2000), pp. 99-100. 2. Newsweek, July, 18, 2005, p. 4. 3. Stephen Mansfield, Never Give In (Highland Books, 1995), p. 127. Cited by Dr. R. L. Hymers ...
... another person, our outstretched hand is the sign that we are willing to reconcile. "A man of many companions may come to ruin" (Proverbs 18:24). Howard Hughes, with a reported net worth of about $4 billion, said, "I'd give it all for one good friend." Jesus ... tears and wiping them with her hair (Luke 7:44). On the last evening of his life, Jesus washes the disciples' feet (John 13:1-16). His act of abject humility actually cleanses their hearts of selfish ambition, kills their pride, and teaches them the ...
... a death similar to crucifixion including pierced hands and feet pierced (Psalm 22), his clothes will be gambled away (Psalm 22:18), not a bone was broken (Psalm 34:20), though his side will be pierced (Zechariah 12:10), he will die among ... the throne of David a righteous descendant and he will do what is just and right throughout the land." What does that mean? It means what John proclaims in 1:14 "So the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. And we have seen his glory, the glory ...
... ; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" (Isaiah 43:18-19). God will provide the proper route that will allow us to renew our lives. This certainly must have been a comforting message to ... Jesus had similar ideas as clearly demonstrated in the New Testament. We recall Jesus' encounter with a woman "caught in the act of adultery" (John 8:21-11). Jesus did not condemn the woman but told her to go and sin no more. In other words, Jesus was ...
... and placed something in his hand. It was . . . his credit card. Sometimes dads do come in handy. Comic Robin Fairbanks says, “I have an 18-year-old; her name is Alexis. I chose that name because if I hadn’t had her, I’d be driving one.” (1) It’ ... a purpose that is for a life. Some of you probably saw the movie some years back, Oh, God! starring George Burns and John Denver. Burns played God. Denver played a grocery store manager named Jerry. One day God decides to communicate his love to the world ...
... Chevy Chase's outlandish display in the movie, Christmas Vacation. So far his record is 18,000 twinkling lights — only 7,000 more to go! Like John Grishman's book, Skipping Christmas, Frosties begin to adorn yards and rooftops. Let's ... home. "What should I do?" he asked himself. He stared at the man and then walked away. What should he have done? What would you have done? John tells us, "If you have two shirts, two coats, food or money to share, do it" (Luke 3:11 cf). That young man would remember the ...
... of Israel, who says, "Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing" (vv. 18-19). The setting for this unimaginable word from the Lord is the era of one of the great empires of the late Old Testament ... more than the ordinary son of Mary and Joseph. Herod was so burdened by the guilty memory of John the Baptist that he could only imagine that Jesus was John come back to haunt him. The speculating crowds could only guess that Jesus was Elijah, Jeremiah, or one ...
... led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. Note that. Jesus had just come off of a spiritual high. He had just been baptized by John the Baptist. He was full of the Holy Spirit. And that’s when the Tempter came. That is so true to life. You go off to a church retreat. You have a spiritual mountaintop ... . 97-98. 6. MONDAY FODDER, http://family-safe-mail.com/ 7. Rev. Adrian Dieleman, http://www.trinitycrc.org/sermons/jam1v13-18.html. 8. Lyrics by Helen H. Lemmel.
... a new commandment that we should love one another. Even more important, he demonstrated how this new commandment is to be lived out. John tells us that while the meal was still in progress, Jesus stood up, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his ... not always. One of the most obvious examples of the power of servanthood was a young Albanian girl named Agnes. At the age of 18 Agnes gave in to the tugging on her heart that she had felt for many years. She became a nun. When she announced her ...
... mission and ministry. Rather, it is the first chord of a final triumphal march towards “glorification.” The “hour” that Jesus had been announcing as imminent (John 12:33,27,31;13:1) is now at last here. It is the hour when the Son of Man will be glorified and through ... “Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Leviticus 19:18 added to this love by commanding that God’s people “shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your ...
... or always apart, there is no music. It is the moving in and out of separateness and togetherness that makes the music. Brother John of the Taize community says that “The clearest sign of Christ’s ongoing presence in human history is a community of believers, the ... on the lost being found. Although a form of the first of these parables, the “lost sheep,” is also found in Matthew (18:12-14), the other two, the “lost coin,” and the “prodigal son,” are unique to Luke’s text. Luke’s masterful ...
... , numbed by grief and still in shock. She should carefully watch every step but she can hardly manage a shuffle. She saw Jesus die and John’s gospel offers nothing that would have us conclude that Mary hopes Jesus is alive again. Why is she coming to the tomb now? Ask ... , Oregon. He was 95 and most people remember him as one of Jimmy Doolittle’s flyers who bombed Japan on April 18, 1942. That air strike was America’s first offensive effort against the Empire of Japan after the Japanese sneak attack upon ...
... the same thing through Isaiah the prophet, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing” (Isaiah 43:18-19). That is the exciting thing about knowing God. God loves doing a new thing. You and I are often afraid of change. We long to ... no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends” (John 15:15). Could it be that our names have been changed? We are calling ourselves failures while he is calling us ...
... defeat. Maybe you, too, are blinded by your circumstances. You do not even know that, when you are in this room, you too are in the presence of the risen Christ. “For where two or three gather in my name,” says the Master in Matthew 18:20, “there am I with them.” John Calvin once said that the Bible is like a pair of eye glasses. Think about that for a moment. The Bible is not a spiritual encyclopedia where we go to have all our questions answered. With years of studying the Bible we may never come ...
... the weekend worship experience, but the other is through what we call “life groups.” One of our driving goals over the next 12-18 months in this church is to ramp up our ministry particularly in homes where we can involve every single person that is willing ... if you love God or not? The mystery is over. The Bible specifically tells us what it is. 1 John 5:3 says, “This is love for God: to obey his commands.” (1 John 5:3, NIV) To love God is simply to obey God and do whatever God tells you to do in ...
... , and hypocritical. There is a reason I used that example, because almost 60% of Americans between the ages of 18-25 have significantly altered their appearance at some point in their life using tattoos, dying their hair an untraditional ... it we must be willing to deal with the splinter in someone else’s. Jesus, again, said it best in John 7:24, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” (John 7:24, ESV) What does that mean? You never judge a tree by its leaves, but you should judge a ...
... deprecating. Listen to these questions, astonishing in their chasteness: “What things?” Luke 24:19 “Why do you call me good? Mark10:18 “Who made me judge over you?” Lk12:14 He repeatedly asked his disciples who they thought he was, what they thought ... looks behind the face at the deeper truths of the heart. We have a God who doesn’t look on outward appearances (1 Samuel 16:7; John 7:24, 2 Cor.5:12). Jesus looked beyond the face to the heart. We don’t need a church of Humvee holiness, but of heart ...
... who would like to make the first journey to another planet to submit an application. Within a matter of days, over 18,000 people applied. These applications were then given to a panel of psychologists, who upon reviewing them concluded that the vast ... us on a mountaintop, in a deep valley or on the level plain. Wherever we are, God is with us. 1. Uncle John’s 24-Karat Gold Bathroom Reader, Bathroom Readers’ Institute, (Kindle Edition). 2. http://www.sermonnotebook.org/new%20testament/Heb%2012_1-3(2 ...
... part of what Jesus meant when he said that in order to receive the kingdom of God, you must become like a little child (Matthew 18:3). I hope that every one of our boys and girls feels God’s presence in their lives. I hope that every one of our ... ? What is that saying to your children? I appreciate something that Rose Kennedy, the matriarch of the family that gave us President John Kennedy and his famous siblings once said: “Whenever I held my newborn babe in my arms,” said Rose Kennedy, “I used to ...
... in your world but fear the risk of being involved? Do you feel the power of Christ compelling you to become the person you know deep inside you were created to be but fear leaving your comfort zone? Remember what scripture says, “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). And I will add, “Perfect power casts out fear.” You need not be afraid. If the power of Christ is inspiring you to move, to act, you can be sure that the power of Christ will give you every- thing you need to see it through. Paul ...
... a reminder that sometimes the smallest gift can be used by Christ in a magnificent way. Our lesson for the day from John’s Gospel is set at the Last Supper. Jesus is preparing his disciples for his betrayal and crucifixion. The events that are coming ... 26 different locations during his captivity. Some of his cells were cold, dark, underground holes only six by six in size. After 18 months of captivity, Sutherland was put in solitary. That, too, was in an underground cell. He became so discouraged that he ...
... to wicked Queen Jezebel. He ended up hiding in a cave where he felt the weight of a mountain on his shoulders (I Kings 18-19). Our Lord was certainly acquainted with mountains. One of the temptations of Christ took place on a high mountain (Matthew 4:1- ... of the Jewish faith, Moses and Elijah. Then they heard a voice: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Peter, James and John did listen to his voice and we revere their names to this day. Listening to Christ and obeying his leading is the key to a ...
... has been made of the fact that he went “by night.” Some speculate he didn’t want others to see him, particularly his fellow Pharisees. There may be some truth to that, but in John’s Gospel light and dark are spiritual categories. Jesus, he tells us, is the light that shines in the darkness. So for Nicodemus to come by night suggests he is moving from moral and ... , TN, 2001 pp. 9-10. [ii] D. Duane Cummins, Handbook for Today’s Disciples, 3rd edition, Chalice Press, St. Louis, MO, 2003 pp 18-21.
... behavior and attitude. After a reading session that was continuously disrupted by this student, the teacher in her frustration said to the boy, “John, I am going to turn you over to God.” Another boy who happened to be walking by said, “Mrs. Jones, God is ... there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (3: 17-18). And of course this is the central message for today. When we are put on hold, as we sometimes are, we hold on ever firmer to ...