Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” The first time the Word of the Lord came to Jonah, Jonah did what most of us would do if God sent us to a…
We have worshipped the Infant in the manger with shepherds. We’ve worshipped the Child with the Persian astrologers who followed the star. Today we make a huge leap - thirty years later. We are on the banks of the Jordan River with John the Baptizer. Today is the Baptism of our…
Today is the first Sunday in the season of the church year called Advent, the four week fast before the feast of Christmas. Sadly, we don’t have much of a concept for fasting and feasting in our consumer culture. Our culture was shaped by a form a Christianity that didn’t have much use…
“Clothes make the person,” they say. And to a great extent we believe it. Clothes are important. The fashion industry believes it, or at least wants you to believe that you are what you wear. I dress therefore I am. We can “dress for success” or for failure. Show…
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem to die. The road to Jerusalem led through the town of Jericho, a town most known for Rahab, its most infamous citizen, and its miraculous capture under Joshua, when the army of Israel encircled the city, blew the trumpets, and the walls came tumbling down. The…
What is greatness? And what is glory? What does it mean to be great? Whom do you think of when you think of greatness and glory? Michael Jordan flying to a slam dunk. Or Ken Griffey hitting a home run. Or John Elway throwing a last-minute game winning touchdown.…
The Pharisees were out to trap Jesus in his own words. And what better place to trap Him than in the sticky matter of marriage and divorce. “Is it permitted for a man to divorce his wife?” It’s a trick question, designed to pull Jesus into the middle of an age-old debate.…
Can you imagine a total stranger coming up to you, sticking his fingers into your ears, spitting and touching your tongue? And your own friends brought you to him! It wasn't’ quite what the people had in mind when they brought their friend to Jesus. All they asked was for Jesus to…
The days are coming,” declares the Lord. The days weren’t so great for the people of Judah. It helps to have a bit of history. The kingdom of Babylon was on the rise. Nebuchadnezzar, the gifted war general and king, had defeated Egypt and was now looking to gobble up Israel.…
Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Jesus Christ is risen. And life can never be the same again.
Three women went to the cemetery early that morning on the first day of the week expecting to find a body. They were going to finish some unfinished business. …