After Paul and Barnabas return from their missions trip, they are met with a bit of hostility from local church leaders who say these new Gentile converts need to follow the laws of Moses if they want to belong to the church. Paul and Barnabas get into a heated argument with them, and they all agree to take this one to Jerusalem for some answers.
Jesus utters these words from the cross: “My God, my God; Why have you abandoned me?” First of all, is that even possible? Can God the Father actually abandon God the Son? No. Is Jesus asking a question looking for answers? No. He knows exactly what is happening. So if it’s not a question, and it’s not even possible - what is Jesus saying and why is he saying it? What if he is pointing to Psalm 22 from the cross?
Guest Preacher Brooks Simpson (Grace Community Church, North Liberty, IA) joins us with a message from Mark 11 on how Jesus is not the king we all want, but he is the king we need.
The Invitation Rodney Gehman – December 24, 2023 – Isaiah 55:1-13 We say this from time to time but you did not choose a perfect church this afternoon. We don’t…
The women arrive at the tomb on Sunday morning to take care of Jesus' body, only to find he is gone. Some angels remind them that he said this would happen. What implications does Jesus' resurrection have for us today?
The religious leaders need the Roman authorities to rubber stamp the execution orders, so they take Jesus to the governor of Judea, Pilate. After much back and forth discussion, Pilate offers an exchange: The guilty for the innocent; the criminal for the king; Jesus Barabbas or Jesus the Christ. The religious leaders make their choice, and the crucifixion is approved.
Resurrection Sunday, 2023 – Every one of us has a dominant story that shapes the way we view the world, ourselves, and God. For some it's a story of pain, loss, rejection. For others it's a story of hard work, effort put in, and reward or accomplishment. But all of those stories are but smaller stories inside the Greatest Story...the Story of God as spoken in the Bible.
God promises us a way out of temptation, but makes no such promise when it comes to suffering. But he doesn’t run from us or watch us suffer from a distance - he enters into our suffering, even giving us the words to say when we can’t work up the prayer on our own
Jesus drills the whole conversation about being prepared for his return to three simple but powerful words: Repent or Perish.
Jesus leaves the home of the Pharisee who invited him for dinner, and prepares his disciples to face a crowd of thousands by saying, “Be on your guard against hypocrisy.”