Historical Posts
What Must I Give Up?
What did Paul give up?
Paul gave up his life as Saul, when he persecuted Christians and made havoc of the Lord’s church (Acts 7-9; Galatians 1:13-14).
What did the rich young ruler give up?
He was asked to sell everything to the poor, but went away sorrowful for he had great possessions. Sadly, he was not willing to give up anything (Matthew 19:16-22).
What did Jesus’ disciples give up?
As many were fishing when Jesus called them, they immediately left their nets to follow Him in order to be “fishers of men” (Mark 1:16-20).
What did Peter give up?
Peter had to give up many Jewish customs in order to preach to the Gentiles (Acts 10:9-16, 28-29).
Should we give up our family?
We cannot love our family more than Jesus; otherwise we are not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:37-39). If they want us to do things contrary to the will of God, we “must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).”
What did some churches give up?
The Corinthians gave up all unrighteousness (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). The Galatians gave up idolatry and many Jewish customs (Galatians 4). The Ephesians gave up the flesh and a time without Christ (Ephesians 2). The Colossians gave up the time when they were alienated from God and their wicked works (Colossians 1).
Should we give up ourselves?
Jesus said one must “deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24-25). Paul became dead to himself but alive unto Christ (Galatians 2:20). When one becomes a Christian, the old man is crucified and the body of sin is destroyed (Romans 6:6). No longer one serves the flesh, but the Spirit. The new man is put on and thus all things have become new (Colossians 2:11; 3:9-10). We must give up ourselves and alive to Christ!
Content by Richard Dillon
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Estate Planning
Useless disagreement
One of the saddest events in the ministry of Jesus is recorded in Luke 15:13-15. It has to do with a family disagreement over how the inheritance was to be divided. One came to Jesus with the following request: “Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus responded, “Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?” Then He warned: “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). To further impress this truth upon His hearers, Jesus told the story of a certain rich man whose harvest had been so bountiful that he did not have room for it all. He determined to tear down his barns and build greater ones. Then he would sit back, take it easy, and enjoy the good life. But it would not happen. That night he died. All he had was left to others.
Important items are not found in the accumulation of things
It really isn’t any different today. Many spend their lives accumulating things, only to die and leave them behind for others to fight over. Happiness, joy, peace, and contentment aren’t found in the accumulation of things. They are the byproducts of living for Christ.
Leave behind real value
Sadly, most of us have seen this story acted out too many times in the lives of friends and associates. Families have been ripped apart as brothers and sisters fought over who got what. Homes have been destroyed because mothers and fathers gave their children every “thing,” but failed to provide a foundation for life centered in Jesus.
Parents, if you want to leave your children with something of real value, leave them the memory of a mother and father faithful to God. Provide them with an example of faith, love, devotion, and commitment to truth that will live on in their hearts long after you are gone. The really valuable estates aren’t measured in dollars and cents, but in faith, love, and service to God!
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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Nearer My God to Thee – Joshua 24:14-15 – audio
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Text: Joshua 24:14-15
1. Fear the Lord
2. Serve the Lord
3. Put away other “gods”
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Increasing Our Faith
A man brought his son to Jesus, knowing that he could heal him of his mute spirit.
Jesus told him that anything was possible to him who believes, and he replied “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:17-24). After seeing this man’s faith, Jesus healed his son. There was a desire in this man to build his faith.
The apostles, likewise, said to the Lord “increase our faith.” Jesus then showed them that if they had faith as a mustard seed, they could tell the mulberry tree to be moved and it would happen (Luke 17:5-6).
One day when Jesus was walking on the water, Simon Peter was not sure if he was seeing the Lord.
Peter said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” When Jesus told him to come, he walked on the water until he took his eyes of Jesus and began to sink. Jesus caught him and said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:22-31)
Simon Peter did allow his little faith to grow.
He told Christians that being very diligent, we should add to our faith: virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Peter 1:5-8).
Faith comes from hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), and must work or else it is dead (James 2:20).
The book of Hebrews gives us the importance of faith.
It is defined as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).
Without it, one cannot please God because we must believe that He is, and He rewards those that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
We must remain faithful until death to receive the crown of life (Revelation 2:10), all the while looking unto Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Do you have Faith in Jesus?
Content by Richard Dillon
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Baptism
Purpose: Baptism is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38)
Even though one must repent of sins (Luke 13:3,5), the sins are not removed until one is baptized.
Ananias told Saul to “arise and be baptized to wash away his sins (Acts 22:16).”
Baptism washes the entire body to cleanse its conscience before God (1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 5:26; Hebrews 10:22).
Demonstrated: Enough water must be used to wash sins away.
Philip went down into the water with the Ethiopian eunuch, baptized him, and came up out of the water (Acts 8:36-39).
Sprinkling or pouring is not found in the Bible; rather, more water is needed to immerse someone as Philip did the Ethiopian eunuch. John baptized where there was much water (John 3:23).
Symbolic: Why is much water needed to immerse a new convert?
Jesus died according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again the 3rd day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).
Likewise, a person dies to sin, is buried with Christ in baptism, and raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:1-6).
When the person is raised again, the body of sin is destroyed! What happens to sin?
It is all washed away and nailed to the cross with Christ (Colossians 2:12-14).
Thus, we are forgiven and the sacrifice of Christ is made of full effect.
Benefits: What happens when one is baptized into Christ?
He receives the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; Acts 9:17-18). This is also the only way one is placed in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:27).
Why does one want to be in Christ? Because, that is where all spiritual blessings are: the redemption and forgiveness of sins, the hope of eternal life, the fellowship with God and others; and many more things found nowhere else (Ephesians 1:3ff.).
Essential: Is baptism then really necessary?
Consider the words of Jesus Himself: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16).
Peter also said in 1 Peter 3:21, “there is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God…).”
Have you been baptized?
Content by Richard Dillon
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“I Want” is the Problem!
I Want
“We can’t control everything,” “Life hardly ever seems perfect” and “life rarely turns out the way we imagined”. The problem really revolves around the words, “I WANT”. So much of our “wants” control so much of our life don’t they?
I walked into the living room last night and the television was on, though no one else was the room, I finally got a chance to set down to read a book and was only paying a small amount of attention to what was happening to the television. Then the scene switched to a husband and wife and a little girls setting beside a river with a campfire roasting marshmallows. The little girl said, “I want to stay here forever”. The mom said, “Now dear, you know we can’t do that.” The dad chimed in, “why not?”
Their discussion then turned to all of the things they would have to give up to achieve that “I want” and all of the things that would change in their lives. The mom then said, “As I think of all of the things we have at home that keep us working long hours to keep the things, I think I could move here and live without them.”
How many of you have echoed those thoughts at one time or another? “If only we could simplify our lives, if only we didn’t have so many bills to pay, if only we didn’t have so many cars to maintain, rooms to heat, television programs we just couldn’t miss, if only¦”
Most of the problems in our lives revolve around “I want” don’t they? These two words affect our relationships, our work, and our lives in general. Let me say though that there is nothing wrong with wanting, but as Mister Spock said so many years ago on the Star Trek TV series, “you may find that having is not as pleasant as wanting”.
I read a book titled, “How to get what you want and want what you get” by Willard Tate. It’s a great book for helping us learn to focus on the things that are really important in life. He says at one point, “wealth and success are no guarantee of happiness or contentment” “Solomon made that clear thousands of years ago”. Solomon tried everything the world had to offer and came to this conclusion. To “serve God and keep his commandments, this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
So, perhaps we need to ask ourselves, “What is our mission, our purpose or our motivation in life, where are we trying to get to?” Perhaps we need to figure out just how “I want” will help us reach that end. Perhaps we need to think more seriously about what effect “I want” is having on all aspects of our life and our relationship with God. (Matthew 6:33)
Do you know what I really want?
- I want to serve God better than I have in the past.
- I want to live my life so that I can bring him joy and glorify his name!
Am I willing to do whatever it takes or change whatever needs to be changed, to give up what needs to be given up? That is the real question isn’t it? (Matthew 16:24)
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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No Hope?
One of the saddest phrases in the whole world is:
There is no Hope
Although many don’t realize it this is the condition of most of those we know, whether they are religious or not.
Paul tell us in Ephesians 2:11-12, “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh——who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands——that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”
The only end to their lives is a hopeless end.
But the word of God doesn’t end there
It continues in Ephesians 2:13; “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
Isn’t that good news! By the blood of Christ we can have endless hope! We are no longer without Christ, aliens or strangers, but we are now near to Christ and have God in our lives.
In 1 Peter 1:3-5 we read, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
These verses tell us that we not only have endless hope, but it is a living hope that gives us an inheritance in Heaven.
There is more good news
In Hebrews 6:19: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil”
It is revealed that this hope is our anchor which enables us to face the trials and temptations of every day.
How wonderful it is to move from a hopeless end to an endless hope
Hope that is alive, providing the strength we need daily, and ultimately a place in Heaven.
This hope only comes through the blood Jesus shed on the cross for us.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Sound Doctrine – 2 Timothy 4:1-8 – audio
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(abbreviated audio presentation)
Text: 2 Timothy 4:1-8
Introduction
- Apostasy, is a falling away, a withdrawal, a defection from abiding in the doctrine of Jesus Christ that will lead to your own destruction – Jude 1:3-5.
- The Bible teaches some will depart from the faith – 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5.
- Apostasy, is the work of the devil to turn the saved to the unsaved, and preacher’s of the gospel must endure the waves of the devil & continue to preach the Word (without addition or subtraction) – Proverbs 30:5-6; 2 Timothy 4:2-5.
- Don’t be fooled, you can fall away and be lost in your sins, just as some of Paul’s fellow laborers in the gospel did – (Philemon 23-24); 2 Timothy 4:10 (Demas).
Return to the Source of Sound Doctrine – The Word
- If you’re in the process of sliding into apostasy, your love for God and His ways have been diminished and you need to ignite the fire for the Lord again – Psalm 119:11; Psalm 119:104-105.
- If you have left your first love, Jesus Christ, it is time return. The church at Ephesus had a similar problem and needed to repent – Revelation 2:1-5.
- An urgent need to study God’s Word, and communicate the truth where unrighteous unveils itself is necessary – 2 Timothy 2:15; Jude 3.
When Some Will Not Endure Sound Doctrine…
- Shall we leave them alone? In Luke 15:3-10, Jesus teaches the value of seeking a lost soul. There’s benefit from turning one in error to the truth – James 5:19-20.
- When you see a brother or sister walking in darkness it is your duty in love to tell/warn them to turn from darkness and walk in the light – Ezekiel 3:17-19 Sometimes we forget that one of the purposes of the Word of God is to rebuke and correct – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
- If your on the brink of apostasy, if you have lost your zeal for the things of God, today is the time to return to your first love. The Bible teaches us that now is the acceptable time, now is the day of Salvation – 2 Corinthians 6:2.
- Why not come.
HEAR BELIEVE REPENT CONFESS BAPTISM
Content by Harry (Andy) Anderson Jr.Return to the Home Page
Favoritism – Galatians 2:6-9
1. Does God show favoritism with matters of salvation?
Paul explained that God shows no personal favoritism to anyone, but wants both Jews and Gentiles to be saved (Galatians 2:6-9).
2. How did Peter learn this?
In Acts 10, Cornelius was a devout man who prayed to God always, gave much alms to the poor, and feared God. However, he did not know what to do to be saved until Peter was sent to him. Peter had a vision of unclean animals descending from heaven, and a voice said ‘Rise, Peter kill and eat (verse 13). After refusing, Peter was told, ‘what God has cleansed you must not call common (verse 15).’ Eventually Peter learned God was telling him the gospel is for more than just the Jews, but for every nation (verses 34-36).
3. Who is the gospel for?
The gospel is God’s power to save everyone that believes—the Jew first, but also the Greek (Romans 1:16).
4. Is there partiality in Christ?
Once all have obeyed the gospel, there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, and neither slave nor free; all are one in Christ (Galatians 3:26-29).
5. Should we show partiality to one another?
Sadly, often times people are judged on how they look, what they wear, or how wealthy they are. It should not be this way! If we show partiality, we commit sin (James 2:1-9). Remember that God does not see as man sees; man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
Content by Richard Dillon
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Suffering – 2 Timothy 3:12 – audio
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Text: 2 Timothy 3:12
Introduction
- How many remember when you were baptized into Christ, when all of your sins were washed away?
- Was it not a time of rejoicing and happiness?
- Just as it was when Philip baptized the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:38-39.
- It was said of him “… and he went on his way rejoicing.” – Acts 8:39
- And truly the time of one’s conversion is great occasion because “… old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
- And then one day you come to Bible study excited, until you learn about what is written on the board:
- “SUFFERING”
All Christians Will Experience and Endure Suffering
- The express will of God says, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” – 2 Timothy 3:12
- Suffering for Christ, is like taking all the necessary classes, doing all the readings, reports, and tests to get your degree.
- When we are partakers in Jesus sufferings, we’re also partaker in His blessings – 1 Peter 4:1-2; 1 Peter 4:12-16
- Our sufferings in the Lord will be an everlasting blessing, if we endure to the end – James 5:10-11
- There is a great reward in heaven for those who will suffer for the name of Christ – Matthew 5:10-12
Conclusion
- Consider what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:18, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
- Therefore, let all of us be encouraged and not be afraid to suffer for Jesus that you might have life.
Hear Believe Repent Confess Baptism Live Faithfully to Death
(Invitation – Gahanna-Jefferson Church of Christ 8-22-2012 by bro. Harry D. Anderson, Jr.)
Content by Harry (Andy) Anderson Jr.Return to the Home Page
Few Versus Many – Luke 13:23-28
Text: Luke 13:23-28
In Luke 13:23, An individual asks Jesus if there are few who can be saved. The disciples asked a similar question in Matthew 19:25, wondering who could be saved. Here the question is ‘how many?,’ rather than ‘which ones?’
Many Will Attempt to Enter Heaven
Jesus says in Luke 13:24 that there are many who will attempt to enter, and cannot. We must not be with the many. Instead we must strive to go in the narrow gate.
A similar passage is Matthew 7:13-14, where Jesus compares the wide gate and broad way that leads to destruction wherein many enter, with the narrow gate and difficult way which few find. The wise man says “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).
But Are Not Known by Jesus
In Luke 13:25 Jesus says that some will be on the outside looking in, and will say “Lord, Lord, open for us.” Instead of being admitted, they will not be known.
Jesus rebuked those that said “Lord, Lord” but did not do what He said (Luke 6:46). Again in Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus says that not everyone that says “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those that do His Father’s will.
We Must Truly Be His
People will claim to do things in the name of Christ in Luke 13:26, but have they? After all, Paul commands us to do all in His name (Colossians 3:17). He also warned Timothy and Titus to beware of false teachers, and that many would be led astray by them. John said not to believe every spirit, but to test each one to see if they are of God (1 John 4:1ff.).
The False Will Be Lost
Jesus confirms they are false in Luke 13:27, telling them to depart for He never knew them and they work iniquity (see Matthew 7:21-23 above, and Matthew 25:41-46).
In Luke 13:28, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all prophets are in the kingdom of God, but some will be thrust out.
We don’t want to be on the outside looking in! On the outside there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; rather, we should be on the inside. Remember, “many are called, but few will be chosen” (Matthew 20:16).
Content by Richard Dillon
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Done with Love
“Everything Must be Done with Love”
1. What one characteristic must be present in everything we do? Everything should be done with love (1 Corinthians 16:14).
2. How does God show His love for us? First of all, God is love (1 John 4:7-10) and showed it by sending His only begotten Son (John 3:16).
3. How does Christ show His love for us? He lay down His life for us (John 15:13,14).
4. How do we show our love for Him? When we keep His commandments, He knows we love Him (John 14:15). This involves an action; love must be done in deed and in truth (1 John 3:18). When we love one another, we love Him (1 John 4:7).
5. Do we love others by preaching the gospel? Certainly! Jesus commanded the gospel to be preached to every creature (Mark 16:15-16). It is God’s power to save (Romans 1:16), and it is the truth! The truth sets us free (John 8:32), and it is Christ Himself (John 14:6) and God’s word (John 17:17). Paul said we are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15,16).
6. What chapter teaches us the most about love? 1 Corinthians 13 does! Read it!
Content by Richard Dillon
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Jesus Frustrated? Mark 8:14-21
Text: Mark 8:14-21
I know God doesn’t have human emotions, but Jesus sometimes experienced something very close to exasperation – part of His humanity, perhaps?
I wonder if we ever make Him want to throw up His hands in frustration?
Here’s one time it happened:
Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread.
And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”
They said to him, “Twelve.”
“And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”
And they said to him, “Seven.”
And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” (Mark 8:14-21)
It’s almost funny how off the mark the disciples were. Jesus mentioned the “leaven” of the Pharisees and of Herod, and they really thought He was talking about bread.
How could they be so obtuse?
They were hung up on the physical instead of the spiritual.
They were in so many ways spiritually shallow and short-sighted, and Jesus struggled to get them to think more deeply.
As easy as it is to point fingers at the disciples, perhaps we’re all guilty of it.
Sometimes we get caught up in the day’s minutiae:
- What we’re going to eat, wear, and do
- 401(k)s and stock portfolios
- Getting the leaves raked
- Taking the trash to the road
After all, life’s ridiculously busy.
There’s nothing wrong with that kind of “leaven,” of course. Chores have to be finished, and to-do lists need to be conquered (or at least started).
Are we caught in the minutiae?
I think what frustrates Jesus is when we stay at this superficial level. When that’s our life’s focus. When we obsess over things that ultimately don’t really matter.
“Do you not yet understand?” He asked the disciples.
That’s probably a question we all need to consider.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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How to be Blessed – Psalm 1:1-6
Text: Psalm 1:1-6
We Christians sort of throw the word “blessed” around somewhat flippantly, don’t we?
- “How are you?” “Oh, I’m blessed.”
- “Have a blessed day.”
- “Bless you.”
- “He’s been a real blessing to me.”
It’s definitely a powerful word, but sometimes using a word too much, especially without thinking about it, robs it of its true significance.
Of all the words he could’ve chosen, the psalmist uses “blessed” as the first word of the first psalm:
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalm 1:1-6)
What does it mean to be blessed?
Sometimes we associate it with material prosperity… “The Lord has blessed us with so many things.”
Or maybe physical well-being… “I’m blessed to be cancer-free.”
There’s nothing wrong with using it like that, but blessed is so much richer.
In this psalm it means to be favored by God.
It means to live the life God called you to live.
It’s related to the word “happy,” but it’s so much richer than the fickle, tied-to-today’s-fortunes kind of happiness that characterizes many folks.
The psalmist makes it quite clear: the blessed person is the one who avoids the choices of the wicked but instead chooses to delight in God’s law.
God always blesses that person.
- Will he be rich? Probably not.
- Will his health be good? Not always.
- Will his life be struggle-free? Rarely.
But he’s blessed.
God always blesses those who seek him more than anything else.
If you’re looking for this, you won’t find it in a financial windfall or a clean bill of health or a streak of good luck.
You’ll find it when you seek God above everything else.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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The Word Love – John 13:35
Text: John 13:35
The word love was tossed around a lot yesterday (February 14th).
- Somewhere a second-grader gave his secret sweetheart a pink card with a few mints taped inside. He’s loved her “forever”… since almost the beginning of the school year, if not longer! He discreetly watched her open it, and hoped nobody saw.
- A couple of sixteen-year-olds exchanged cards and candy yesterday as well. Deep down she thinks he may be the one. She’s pretty sure she loves him.
- A young married couple celebrated their first Valentine’s Day, and their affection is deeper, more meaningful, than it’s ever been.
Millions of other couples at different life stages said “I love you.”
Most meant something slightly different when they said it.
Love for some has endured challenges, perhaps many challenges, over times:
- Career struggles
- Health problems
- Loss of loved ones
- Empty nests
Love changes over time, doesn’t it?
The love we share now isn’t the same as it was when we were younger.
And it won’t be the same a year from now, or a decade after that.
Shared experiences add a depth, vitality, a genuineness, to love… these qualities mature over time.
What we’re searching for, stretching toward, is genuine love.
- Not the cards-and-candy, Hallmark kind of love.
- Not the warm fuzzy feelings kind of love.
- We’re aiming for love that’s truly self-sacrificing, other-focused.
We never quite get there, at least not all the way.
But as believers we know what it is, and we try to feel it, practice it, and live it.
It’s perfectly demonstrated only in God’s love toward us, of course. When he lived for us, when he died for us, we get a glimpse at what love really is.
Valentine’s Day may be over-romanticized and too commercialized, but at the root of it is a longing in each of us.
To love and be loved.
To experience a kind of love that’s not tied to what we deserve, and love that we extend even when it doesn’t feel good. Especially when it doesn’t feel good.
In the midst of all of yesterday’s cards and chocolate, think again about what love really is.
Let it cause you to get on your knees and thank God for loving you when you were rebelling against him.
And let it remind you that the love you’ve received is the love you’re to give to:
- Spouses
- Children
- Parents
- Fellow believers
- Co-workers
- The unlovable
- Everyone
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10).
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have lovefor one another. (John 13:35)
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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My Dad Vs. Your Dad – Mark 9:33-37
Text: Mark 9:33-37
Stick two boys of roughly the same age in your front yard, and within 10 minutes they’ll be arguing.
- “I’m way faster than you.”
- “No you’re not.”
- “Yes I am. Come on, let’s race.”
- “Look how far I can hit the ball. I’m probably gonna play in the big leagues one day.”
- “Wow. Is that as far as you can throw? Give me the ball. Watch this.”
We’ve seen it happen so many times that we created a modern-day label for childish arguments like this: “My dad can beat up your dad”.
But at least we grow out of it, right?
If only that were true.
Mark is brutal in his portrait of the apostles. Here’s a quite unflattering story about one of their arguments:
Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?”
But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.
And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.” (Mark 9:33-37).
Incredible, isn’t it?
No wonder they were too embarrassed to tell Jesus what their subject actually was.
(paraphrasing)
“Hey guys, what were you talking about back there?”
“Oh, nothing really. Just sports and politics, mostly. Stuff like that.”
To make it worse, their silly argument happened right after Jesus had reminded them about his approaching crucifixion.
Apparently they were too busy jockeying for position in the soon-to-come Jewish Empire to focus on unpleasant things like death and crosses and tombs.
“I’ll be closer to Jesus’ seat in the kingdom than any of you guys,” one said.
“No chance. He practically promised me that I’ll be his right-hand man.”
And so it went.
It’s funny because they’re acting like playground show-offs.
It’s not funny at all because it shows they had absolutely no idea about what it meant to follow Jesus.
It’s funny because we’ve witnessed kids doing this.
It’s not funny because we act just like them.
We might be more subtle, but we’re often no less concerned about personal advancement:
- Name-dropping
- Expensive toys
- Fancy Clothes
- A car that makes a statement
- A big house with a prestigious address
We’ve got lots of ways to impress people with our success. So often our sense of self-worth is tied to human measures of accomplishment, like position or power, instead of our acceptance with God.
Jesus wants us to know it can’t be this way in his kingdom.
Following him means sacrificing self-interest and embracing an other-focused mentality. It means radically abandoning our pride and obsession with self and learning to put others ahead of us.
Discipleship has no place for I’m-better-than-you arguments, whether stated with a playground-like bravado or expressed in less obvious ways.
In the end it doesn’t really matter who’s got the tougher dad.
What counts is whether we got serious about thinking about others more than we do ourselves.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Learning From A “Crazy Person” – Mark 5:1-17
Text: Mark 5:1-17
Jesus once recruited a “crazy man” to be one of his evangelists
Even though the would-be soul-winner hadn’t exactly finished at the top of the class in one of the leading seminaries (a little sarcasm)…
You’ve probably heard the story about this man. He was possessed by a whole host of demons who made his life miserable; he was violent, annoying, and uncontrollable.
A “perfect candidate” for the “How to be a Soul Winner” class, don’t you think (a little more sarcasm)?
Here’s what the Lord did for him: he threw the demons out, and he gave him his life back.
Can you imagine how wonderful that must have been for this guy?
Living a horrible, self-obsessed life characterized by constant pain and misery, only to have a stranger come along one day and give you the life you thought you’d lost forever?
This man knew he had been given a sweet deal. Suddenly felt a call to ministry. As Jesus was leaving, the man did everything but stow himself away on the boat. He begged the Lord to allow him to go with him.
When Jesus got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged that he might be with Him.
And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” (Mark 5:18-19).
But Jesus did not permit him. Instead, he wanted him doing these things:
- Go home and tell your story.
- Tell your friends what I did for you.
- Tell your family how I gave you your life back.
In other words, be an evangelist, because that’s what evangelists do. They don’t wear suits and scream and shout on TV. They don’t necessarily work for a congregation, surrounded by books and desks and diplomas.
Evangelists do what this man did.
They go home to their friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for them, and how he has had mercy on them.
- Has the Lord saved you?
- Has He given you your life back?
- Has He given you a reason to live, something to hope for?
Do what the crazy man did.
Go to your friends and family and tell them what Jesus did for you.
You’ll be an evangelist, even without the diploma.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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After Death – Mark 12:18-27
Text: Mark 12:18-27
What happens after death?
We’ve pondered the question for ages: What happens after death? Will there be anything at all?
What you believe about that, really believe, pretty much determines how you really live.
If you believe you’re finished when they pull the sheet over your face, you’re probably trying to squeeze as much fun out of life as you can. Eat, drink, and be merry, as the saying goes. This is all you’ve got.
You won’t care what some clergyman speaks over your grave.
You won’t care because you won’t know, and you won’t know because you won’t exist anymore.
Many people believe that, and that’s how they live.
We live, we die, that’s it. Game over. It’s what the Sadducees believed.
They were so sure about it that they had created what they thought was an insurmountable argument.
They’d used it before, and now they plan to try it on this up-and-coming Rabbi who had proved to be a difficult sparring partner. As it turns out, he poked a few crater-sized holes in their argument. Here’s the confrontation:
Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying: “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring. And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise. So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife.”
Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’ ? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.” (Mark 12:18-27).
They’d probably stumped quite a few teachers in their day, and they were eager to see Jesus wilt under their inescapable logic. But Jesus was no ordinary Rabbi. By quoting one Scripture he exposed their biblical ignorance and theological bias.
They denied the afterlife not because there was no evidence, but because they didn’t want to believe in life after death.
- You are quite wrong, Jesus says.
- I’d say that’s a pretty huge thing to be wrong about.
Imagine living your life as if this is it, only to die and find out there’s more. Much more. An eternity more. Imagine:
- Accumulating the toys and chasing the dreams and squeezing every ounce of fun out of life . . . only to realize that you missed the whole point.
- Realizing that God wanted you to live a selfless life to prepare you for something infinitely better than the passing fancies of a self-centered life here.
- God as the God of the living, not the dead.
- Eternity with him.
Believing there is life after death completely changes the way we live.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Hell
Most of us prefer to avoid the topic of Hell because it’s not exactly a bring-in-the-crowds kind of subject.
And let’s be honest: who likes to think about a never-ending place of suffering where everyone is separated from God and all that’s good?
I don’t.
Apparently I’m not alone, because a well-known author sparked a firestorm last year when he published a book arguing that hell, at least in the traditional sense, doesn’t really exist.
Part of me wishes he was right.
I’d like to believe that hell is nothing more than a scare tactic created by pulpit-pounding preachers to manipulate their hearers.
But then I read again what Jesus actually said. Here are some examples:
- And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” For everyone will be salted with fire (Mark 9:47-49).
- And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28).
- You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? (Matthew 23:33).
- And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46).
- The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes . . . And he called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame” (Luke 16:22-24).
The truth is, Jesus taught it, and we’ve got to be very creative to get around it, and then we never really do.
We ought to reflect on what it means to us.
- Hell is somewhere we don’t ever want to go.
Nothing in this life, no matter how fun or exciting, is worth it. We should remind ourselves of that daily. - Hell is somewhere we don’t want people we love to go.
Is there a friend or family member you need to talk to about the Lord? Sure, it may be hard and uncomfortable, but this really, really matters. - Hell is somewhere we don’t want anyone to go.
We’ll never regret doing something to help save a soul. Maybe the Lord has opened a door for you to help a missionary, or send correspondence courses, or encourage a soul-winner. How is God leading you to reach a lost person in his name?
Maybe sometimes we wish that we’d overlooked something.
We hope we somehow missed some obscure verse that sheds new light on everything Jesus said about hell, but that verse isn’t there.
No interpretation, no matter how creative or novel, can undo the words of Jesus. Hell exists.
And really, in the end we have no choice but to submit to God’s sovereign will in all things,
We have to submit even in things that are emotionally and intellectually difficult.
Hell is real
Our view of God ought to include our conviction that he’s prepared a place for those who live and die in rebellion against him. Let’s decide not be be in rebellion.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Everyone Knows Peter – Mark 15:40-41
Text: Mark 15:40-41
Everyone knows who Peter was!
He walked on water (not for long), spoke his mind (too often), and tried to take off another guy’s head with his sword (he missed).
There’s also Paul, probably the most prominent and influential Christian ever.
And the Bible has quite a few other household names, like Abraham, Moses, and David.
I wonder how many sermons have been preached on these men over the years?
Some are less known.
When is the last time you heard a sermon about people like these?
- Mary Magdalene
- Mary the mother of James the younger
- Salome
Yet God has done most of his work over the years through people like them.
Mark inserts this little tidbit into his narrative of the Lord’s crucifixion:
There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem. (Mark 15:40-41).
While Jesus was dying, several people were conspicuously absent.
The apostle John was there, but where were Peter and James?
Where were the rest of the apostles?
We don’t know for sure, but they were probably huddled up somewhere hoping they weren’t found and arrested in the excitement surrounding Jesus’ execution.
These women were there!
These women were somewhere near the cross, more courageous at this point than their male counterparts.
And notice also what Mark says about what they had done for Jesus: “they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women…”
It seems that Mark wants us to know that it wasn’t just the prominent names working with Christ.
Many “unknowns” worked with Jesus.
It was the ones who were willing to work in the shadows to do what needed to be done.
They supported him financially. They also probably prepared food and made clothes and tended to a thousand other needs of a traveling group of missionaries.
In other words, they did the stuff behind the scenes that doesn’t make splashes.
But without this service, the public ministry doesn’t get done.
That describes a lot of you.
- You’ll do things today in service to Him that’ll never be recorded in a history book, and no one in the church will know.
- You’ll change your baby’s diaper and sing her a song about Jesus.
- You’ll send a note to a discouraged believer.
- You’ll buy a gift card for a struggling family.
- You’ll do what needs to be done to promote Jesus in the hearts of the people around you.
I think that’s what Mark had in mind when he told us about these women.
God mostly works through people whose names the world will never know.
But he remembers, and he’s recording every deed and every name.
Thank you for doing what nobody, but God, knows you do.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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