Focal Passage: II Thessalonians 1:3-12 If you can consider hell free from any pause in your spirit, doubt, or struggle then you might be doing so too flippantly. I feel small and insufficient when I consider a place of torment that people go to forever. If you feel the same way then we are in good company. Commenting on a passage in Matthew, David Platt writes, “If we’re honest,
Focal Passage: Mark 14:32-42 What does the text say?: In the gospel of Mark, chapter 14, verses 32-42, we find Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He brings Peter, James and John with Him and begins to experience deep distress and anguish. Falling to the ground, He prays that, if possible, the hour might pass from Him. He uses an intimate term for God, calling Him “Abba,” which means Father.
Focal Passage: Matthew 7:13-23 There are some scary words we hear in life, “license and registration (cops)” … “I’m calling about your latest tax return (IRS)” … “I’m sorry, our ice cream machine is down (McDonalds, always).” Warning: that will be the last humorous part of this article. What will be discussed from here on out is the most serious subject we can consider, eternal destiny. We must be sobered
Focal Passage: Mark 13:24-37 What does the text say? Mark 13:24-37 contains Jesus’ words about His second coming. He paints a vivid picture of cosmic events that will accompany His return: “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” Jesus then emphasizes
Focal Passage: I John 5:1-13 I love Chick-fil-A. Their food is delicious, the restaurants are clean, their service is friendly and efficient. I would like to nominate whoever designed their drive-thru system for the next president (I’m only half kidding). In my opinion Chick-fil-A stands out as the model for excellence among every other fast-food option. What makes this franchise so different than all the others? I believe it goes
Focal Passage: Mark 11:15-25 What does the text say? Mark 11:15-25 narrates a powerful incident in Jesus’ ministry when He enters the temple in Jerusalem. He observes that the temple had become a marketplace, with merchants and moneychangers exploiting worshipers. In response, Jesus overturns the tables, driving out those who had turned His Father’s house into a den of thieves. Following this dramatic act, Jesus begins to teach about
Focal Passage: Job 30:26-31, 42:1-6 I am writing this article right after visiting a precious church member who seems to be nearing the end of a years-long battle with cancer. It wasn’t too long ago that I sat with this lady and discussed the next steps of her treatment confident that it would be effective. In the same room, in place of a comfy chair, she now inhabits a hospital
Focal Passage: Mark 10:32-45 What Does the Text Say? In Mark 10:32-45, we find a profound teaching moment in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus and His disciples were on their way to Jerusalem when Jesus took His disciples aside and shared a remarkable message. He told them that He would be betrayed, condemned to death, mocked, and ultimately crucified. Despite this impending suffering, Jesus emphasized that He had come not to
Focal Passage: John 10:22-26, 14:8-14 I wonder to myself sometimes, “Why doesn’t God (insert miracle) to show that He is real, powerful, and loving.” Perhaps you have thought something similar? Then I’m reminded that there were people that were with Jesus, people who saw His power and heard His teaching firsthand who still rejected him. We can see this dynamic most profoundly in the Pharisees. Have you ever noticed how
Focal Passage: Mark 9:17-29 What Does the Text Say? In Mark 9:17-29, we find a powerful account of a desperate father seeking Jesus’ help for his demon-possessed son. The father’s plea reveals the depths of his distress, as he describes how the demon has tormented his son since childhood. Even the disciples of Jesus had attempted to cast out the demon but failed. In this context, Jesus arrives, and the
Focal Passage: II Thessalonians 1:3-12 If you can consider hell free from any pause in your spirit, doubt, or struggle then you might be
Focal Passage: Mark 14:32-42 What does the text say?: In the gospel of Mark, chapter 14, verses 32-42, we find Jesus in the Garden of
Focal Passage: Matthew 7:13-23 There are some scary words we hear in life, “license and registration (cops)” … “I’m calling about your latest tax return
Focal Passage: Mark 13:24-37 What does the text say? Mark 13:24-37 contains Jesus’ words about His second coming. He paints a vivid picture of
Focal Passage: I John 5:1-13 I love Chick-fil-A. Their food is delicious, the restaurants are clean, their service is friendly and efficient. I would like
Focal Passage: Mark 11:15-25 What does the text say? Mark 11:15-25 narrates a powerful incident in Jesus’ ministry when He enters the temple in
Focal Passage: Job 30:26-31, 42:1-6 I am writing this article right after visiting a precious church member who seems to be nearing the end of
Focal Passage: Mark 10:32-45 What Does the Text Say? In Mark 10:32-45, we find a profound teaching moment in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus and His
Focal Passage: John 10:22-26, 14:8-14 I wonder to myself sometimes, “Why doesn’t God (insert miracle) to show that He is real, powerful, and loving.” Perhaps
Focal Passage: Mark 9:17-29 What Does the Text Say? In Mark 9:17-29, we find a powerful account of a desperate father seeking Jesus’ help for
