In the sermon text this morning from Mark 14, we are presented with two contrasting pictures: the devotion of the woman with the alabaster flask, willing to pour out the costly oil as a gift to Jesus, and the treachery of Judas, going out of his way to betray his Lord for money. This contrast between “the way of life…
This Sunday is the first Sunday of Lent, a traditional time of prayer, fasting, and repentance observed by Christians since the days of the early church. Several elements of the service have been adjusted to fit the penitential character of this season. We will begin each Sunday by singing What Wondrous Love Is This (meditating on the sacrifice of Christ…
The passage Pastor Grant is preaching on this week is one of the most well-known apocalyptic scenes of the Bible: the “Olivet Discourse,” found not only in Mark 13, but in parallel passages in Matthew 24 and Luke 21. Given all the terrifying imagery of war, famine, earthquakes, “the abomination of desolation,” and “tribulation as has not been from the…
Here at the end of Mark 12, we find Jesus proclaiming the greatest commandments—to love God, and to love our neighbors. The centrality of love to the Christian life, and the tremendous difficulty this poses, forms the focus of today’s service. When we sing hymns such as Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, O Worship The King, and My God,…
We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. —2 Corinthians 1:8-9 Unlike the Pharisees, who added many layers of oral tradition to the law, the Sadducees…
In Mark 12, Jesus confronts the religious leaders of Israel as they seek to trap Him again with their questions. Jesus seizes the opportunity to instruct them by means of a parable about wicked tenants. This parable points to the character of God the Father as He sends His beloved son. It confirms that Jesus will be rejected as the…
In the second half of Mark 11, we see two incredible displays of Jesus’ divine authority: when He curses the fig tree and when He cleanses the temple, along with an attempted challenge of His authority by the Pharisees. This morning, we will declare this authority in word and song, beginning with the words of Jesus Himself in today’s Gospel…
The passage Pastor Grant is preaching through this morning tells the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem—the event we commemorate every year on Palm Sunday. Because of this, we will sing quite a few pieces associated with that celebration, such as All Glory, Laud, And Honor, Sing Hosanna, and Crown Him With Many Crowns. Of course, Palm Sunday this year…
This morning, we will hear quite a bit about humility. The Gospel Invitation from Philippians reminds us that Jesus emptied Himself (some versions say, “made Himself nothing”) by coming to us as a servant—or as the poet puts it, “His chariot is humility” (Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates). The hymn All Creatures Of Our God And King calls…
The first portion of Mark 10 seems to be a series of ethical teachings on various topics: marriage and divorce, the dignity of children, and the love of money. But on a closer inspection, with each situation, Jesus is contrasting the wisdom of the world with the way of the Kingdom of God. We’ll find this contrast in a number…