What does greatness really look like?
The religious leaders sent messengers to discover what kind of strength John the Baptist had, and what kind of threat he posed.
With an odd statement about sandals, John begins the complete reorientation of greatness from strength to service.
Gospel Prologue
As we begin a series "Life with Christ", we begin at the beginning. In Mark's gospel - the first account of the life of Jesus does not even mention Jesus. It's about John, who prepares the way in the wilderness.
In the same way, many of our stories of life with Jesus begin with other people who prepare the way, meeting us with compassion and love in our times of interior wilderness.
When Jesus saves us, he saves all of us. The whole thing. Not just part of us.
Today, Amanda takes us through Psalm 80, where the people of God cry out for salvation. In this season of Advent, we acknowledge our own need for salvation and hope for a Savior.
God is a Great King
Psalm 95:3 calls us to praise the Lord. This Psalm is known as the "Venite" and proclaims His greatenss through Creation.
Looking closely at verse 3 today, we discover that because God is a Great King, His Kingdom is infinite, just, and powerful.
To our great comfort, because He is our king, it is also a kingdom of love and welcome.
Priesthood
Every reformation and revival in the history of the church has placed all believers in the role of ministry - a doctrine called the priesthood of all believers. Priests are called to ministry and service.
Today, Bp. Andrew shows from Exodus, 1 Peter, and Matthew the beautiful calling that Jesus gives us.
A Great Invitation
Today, Paul shares with us from Amos and Matthew about a feast.
Jesus' parable of the wedding feast instructs us to be ready. To be ready, we must accept the great invitation and be prepared for the arrival of the bridegroom.
Saints and Martyrs
Since it's beginning, the Church has celebrated saints and martyrs - those who lived and died for their faith.
This faith tells us that we are blessed when we are persecuted - which is something we don't hear too often.
It's easy to be exhausted. We often feel like we don't have the energy we need to do the things God calls us to do, especially when the task is global.
Psalm 1 gives us a picture in response. Walking a Godly path can be lonely and difficult, but we have an inexhaustable source of life. The path to greater obedience and effectiveness is not burnout - it's growth.
Can a man rob God?
Today, we are talking about money. The prophet Malachi asks if it's possible for people to steal from God. Unfortunately, this scripture has been used to pressure people. But when we look more closely at this (and Matthew 22), we find that what God really wants is our hearts. He cares about how we use our momney because He cares about us.
In Matthew 22, Jesus tells a story of a wedding where the invited guests decide not to attend. Deacon Dave brings us through the parable today, and invites us to reflect on the beauty of Jesus, and our God that welcomes us to the feast.