Lord of the Sabbath : Part 2 Mark 3:1- 6 Missed Part 1? Catch it here! His Argument from Human Predicament The second incident recorded in our text occurs on another Sabbath day, here at the beginning of chapter three. Jesus is teaching in the synagogue. Nothing new with that, it was something He […]
Lord of the Sabbath : Part 1 Mark 2:23-28 Lord Shaftesbury was a member of Parliament in London in the late 1700s. He was a devout Christ follower and a tireless advocate for the poor and the mentally ill. Because he worked closely with the poor, he was well respected among them, and his […]
The Gospel Paradigm Mark 2:18-22 Recently, I came across the story of a famous Japanese criminal. Toc Kichi Ishii was born in the 1870s and executed in 1918. He was cruel beyond measure, like a wild animal, and he had no pity for his victims. Without any pricking of his conscience, he brutally murdered men, […]
The Offense of Grace Mark 2:13-17 Most religions of the world have some things in common. One is the belief in a higher power that can impact life in either a positive or negative way. Religions also share practices like worship, kindness, compassion, and community. But what is the goal of these practices? The […]
Jesus Forgives and Heals Mark 2:1-12 Most of us who have lived more than twenty or thirty years can look back on life and see the results of some of our decisions. Some decisions were good and brought blessings, others were not so good and brought us trouble and pain. This is our experience […]
A Celebration of the Incarnation Italicized/bold titles are song titles. It’s Christmas Time Joy to the World Thank you, men. And thank you for joining us for this special, Christmas edition of The Voice of Hope, a “Celebration of the Incarnation.” One thing I particularly enjoy about this season of the year is […]
The Authority of the Servant Mark 1:21-34 Most of you have probably heard of Robert Louis Stevenson’s story, “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” If you’re not familiar with it, it’s the story of one man with two vastly different personalities. Dr. Jekyll is a well-known, respectable citizen, Mr. Hyde is […]
Preparing the Son of Man : Part 1 Mark 1:9-15 Sometime around 2003 or 2004, George W. Bush was the US President, and he was invited to speak at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention. Joyce and I were attending that event at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. One of the […]
Preparing the Way Mark 1:1-8 Preparation is a major part of any task. Think about the construction of a major highway. There are engineering studies, environmental studies, soil studies, public hearings, an extensive permitting process, and the list goes on and on. All those preparations must be made before one cubic foot of earth […]
Gospel Theology: Why is Correct Theology Important for Salvation?” II Timothy 3:10 – 4:5 A number of years ago, a strange situation developed on a farm in New Zealand. Without warning, a farmer’s cows began to get sick and die. The illness was a mystery. The farmer had never experienced anything like it before, […]
