Mark 8:34-38 This is the second part of my teaching on this text. In the previous episode, I stated that you and I must take several ACTIONS to accept the costs associated with discipleship. The first action was to “give up your identity.” We delved into the profound act of surrendering to Christ, choosing to […]
Mark 8:34-38 When I shop for an item I need, one of the first things I do is look at the price. I have an idea of how much I’m prepared to spend. I sometimes think about how long it took me to earn the money. Is what I want to buy worth the effort […]
Mark 8:27-33 Throughout history, a diverse array of perceptions about Jesus has emerged. From His birth to the present, people have attempted to shape a Jesus that resonates with them. A blog post by Kevin DeYoung provides some thought-provoking examples. He writes: “There’s the Republican Jesus—who is against tax increases and activist judges and for […]
Mark 8:11-26 Many of us played “Blind Man’s Bluff ” as children. It works like this if you have never played it: One group member is blindfolded, and the other players disperse. Then, the blindfolded one must go and find the other players. In some versions, the first person tagged becomes “it.” In other versions, […]
Mark 8:1-10 I read a story about a first-grade class where some students were recent refugees from other countries. The topic being taught in class was simple fractions. The teacher defined halves and quarters and then asked the children to write down whether they would prefer a half or a quarter of a […]
Mark 7:31-37 Have you heard the saying, “He has the Midas touch?” The saying refers to the mythical King of Phrygia, an ancient kingdom in Asia Minor, now modern-day Türkiye. One day, peasants in Midas’s kingdom found a foreigner asleep on the land; they bound him and brought him before their king. Midas recognized […]
Mark 7:24-30 Thomas Edison was an amazing person. It is said that “[He] was more responsible than anyone else for creating the modern world. Specifically, no one did more to shape the physical/cultural makeup of present-day civilization. Accordingly, he was the most influential figure of the last 500 years.” Edison’s early life wouldn’t have indicated […]
Mark 7:14-23 You have probably heard the saying, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” Some people think it’s a quotation from the Bible! You know that God gave specific commands for hygiene in the Old Testament Law. He wanted His people to enjoy good health, and cleanliness was part of it. These commands are not just […]
Mark 7:1-13 Fiddler on the Roof, a timeless classic first released in 1964, held the record for the longest-running Broadway musical for almost a decade. The story centers on the weight of choices as Tevye, a milkman in the village of Anatevka, grapples with preserving his Jewish religious and cultural traditions in the face of changing times. One of the most […]
Luke 12:22-34 There once was a king who had all this world could afford. But the thing he loved most was to laugh. Once while he was being entertained, a jester came along. He wanted to join in the festival and perform for the king. His opportunity came and he put on the best comical […]
