August 31, 2014 | Matthew 20:25-28 |
In this conclusion to our “Simplify Your Life”, Mike Laramee helps us understand what it looks like to make an impact in the Kingdom of God – we must be humble, available, and faithful.
August 31, 2014 | Matthew 20:25-28 |
In this conclusion to our “Simplify Your Life”, Mike Laramee helps us understand what it looks like to make an impact in the Kingdom of God – we must be humble, available, and faithful.
August 10, 2014 | Matthew 4:19 |
Pastor Gary Combs begins a new 4-week message series entitled “Simplify Your Life” with this message from Matthew 4:19about Christ’s simple call. Jesus challenged his disciples with a simple call: “Follow me.” Jesus called them to a relationship with Him. He called them to be Jesus-followers. Of course, this meant leaving everything else behind. He called them to simplicity, but he also called them to a radical life change. Jesus still makes this same simple call. We make it too complicated. But it’s simple. Do you want to learn how “less is really more?”
February 13, 2014
Between the four gospels, seven last sayings of Jesus are recorded. This is saying number six. Here, Jesus repeats David’s haunting words from Psalm 22:1. For the first time in eternity, fellowship between the Father and the Son is interrupted. Jesus who knew no sin, became our sin. Jesus who is the Life, took our death. Jesus the eternal Son of God, took our separation. So, we might receive His righteousness, life and sonship by believing in Him. What was Jesus’ seventh saying? “It is finished” (John 19:30). Jesus accomplished His mission for our salvation.
February 9, 2014
This is Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemene the night before His trial and crucifixion. It’s one thing to follow God’s will into an unknown future, but quite another to obey with eyes wide open to suffering. Yet, this is what Jesus did. Oh, the love and obedience we see here! For the Lord drank that cup of suffering, swallowing all its bitter dregs of sin, separation and death. So that, we who believe on Him might receive His righteousness, sonship and eternal life.
February 7, 2014
This is from the Parable of the Talents. Matthew’s gospel has this parable arranged in alignment with Jesus’ discussion of end times in chapter 24 and nested between His Parable of the Ten Virgins and His discussion of the judgment of the sheep and goats. Its placement and the parable itself point to the idea that Jesus will return and expect an accounting of our stewardship. God has entrusted certain gifts and abilities to each of us that are to be invested and used. He cares about our work. He wants us to be busy using what He has entrusted to us. How we manage our 3 Ts (Time, Talent, and Treasure) matter to God.
February 5, 2014
Has the gospel yet been preached in the “whole world?” Not yet. But surely, the time is coming soon. According to Wycliffe, there are 6,900 languages spoken in the world today, as the world’s population approaches seven billion. Of those, 180 million people (who speak about 1900 different languages) do not have a Bible in their heart language, nor anyone that is currently working on one. All the major languages have been translated. The ones remaining are small population groups. Of course, Bible translation is only part of the equation. Someone still needs to preach the gospel so that they can hear and understand.
January 30, 2014
Jesus described the new Kingdom economy to His disciples. He modeled the new servant-leader paradigm by washing His disciples feet and then dying on the cross for our sins. To James and John, who aspired to leadership, He didn’t rebuke them, He showed them a better way. Jesus radically changed the leadership model. He descended to greatness.
January 29, 2014
You can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat children. If they are patient and fun with little ones, it reveals something about their heart. If they are nervous and frustrated, this too shows. Jesus loved little children. He always made time for them. I’ve observed that most people who come to Christ, do so before adulthood. The older we get, the more our hearts harden. Yet, it’s never too late to see Jesus with childlike eyes and receive Him with a childlike faith.
January 25, 2014
Jesus took His inner circle of disciples, Peter, James and John, up on a high mountain. There the heavenly veil was pulled back for a moment and they saw Jesus in His glory. They also saw Moses and Elijah. Those who have questions about how far is heaven and whether we will know our loved ones who died in the Lord should take note. Heaven is near. And yes, we will know them.
January 20, 2014
What is this Kingdom that Jesus preached? It is like a treasure hidden. Yet, some find it. A treasure so valuable as to be worth selling everything you own. Yet, the one owning the land is apparently unaware of its presence and is willing to sell it, like Esau selling his birthright. It takes spiritual eyes to see this treasure’s worth. Only a few find it.