Apprentice 2 Jesus

Prayer

  • Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing

     15 They came into Jerusalem. After entering the temple, he threw out those who were selling and buying there. He pushed over the tables used for currency exchange and the chairs of those who sold doves. 16 He didn’t allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 He taught them, “Hasn’t it been written, My house will be called a house… Read more

  • Could I Invite You to LOVE the Body of Christ?

    1 Therefore, I have a request for the elders among you. (I ask this as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and as one who shares in the glory that is about to be revealed.) I urge the elders: 2 Like shepherds, tend the flock of God among you. Watch over it. Don’t shepherd because… Read more

  • When We’re Not Effective… We Argue

    In Mark 9 Jesus comes down from the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John. He finds the rest of his disciples in an argument with the legal experts. 14 When Jesus, Peter, James, and John approached the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them and legal experts arguing with them. 15… Read more

  • Do We Quit Too Soon?

    18 Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” so Joash took them. Elisha then said to Israel’s king, “Hit the ground with them!” Joash hit the ground three times and stopped. 19 The man of God became angry with him. He said, “If only you had struck five or six times, you would have finished the… Read more

  • The Miracle in Your House

    I am blatantly stealing from Tommy Barnett. I am an honest thief. He had a sermon called, “There’s a miracle in your house!” (And then a book.) 2 Kings 4:1-7 tells the story of Elisha and the widow. She has nothing to pay her debts. Elisha asks what she has in the house. She had… Read more

  • The “No More Signs” Generation

    We can’t be pursuing Jesus simply for the signs. We are in pursuit because of who he is. May we not be in the generation where Jesus says, “No more signs.” 11 The Pharisees showed up and began to argue with Jesus. To test him, they asked for a sign from heaven. 12 With an… Read more

  • How to Get Jesus to Say, “Good Answer!”

    Mark 7 has Jesus exploding all over the religious leaders’ views of what is “in” and what is “out.” What is “proper” and what is “improper.” Then, it’s lived out in the story of Syrophoenician woman. She has come to beg Jesus to cast a demon out of her daughter. Jesus has never hesitated to… Read more

  • The Lazy Prophet

    29 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Get ready, take my staff, and go! If you encounter anyone, don’t stop to greet them. If anyone greets you, don’t reply. Put my staff on the boy’s face.” 30 But the boy’s mother said, “I swear by your life and by the LORD’s life, I won’t leave you!” So… Read more

  • Short Attention Span Theater

    30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught. 31 Many people were coming and going, so there was no time to eat. He said to the apostles, “Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.” 32 They departed in a boat by themselves for… Read more

  • Two Possible Responses to Jesus

    In Mark 6 there are a couple of responses to Jesus. In vv. 1-6 the people familiar with Jesus didn’t think much of who he had become. They launched into stories of “I remember little Jesus when he was following his daddy around with a hammer…” In vv. 7-12 there is a different response. 7… Read more