Posts from April 2025

As a missions pastor, naturally I am always willing to speak about the Great Commission. So, when Billy asked me to finish up our series in the book of Mark by preaching the Great Commission, it was kind of a no-brainer…at least until I started really working on it.  In my head, the Great Commission was a natural follow-up to the resurrection: Jesus is alive, our sins are forgiven, he is victorious—therefore, we should go tell everyone! However, unlike Matthew’s…

Are you familiar with this old children’s prayer? Now I lay me down to sleep,I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen. The first appearance of this poetic prayer was in Thomas Fleet’s New England Primer in 1737. It soon became widespread in its use in Christian households, and was referred to as one of the “Common Prayers” that can be used by families to teach…

This Sunday we are studying the story and the message of the Cross that Jesus died on.  The Christian Cross might be the most recognizable physical symbol in all the world. You will find in virtually every cemetery in the westernized Christian background world rows and rows of crosses over the burial site of the dead.   On our first ever trip to Europe Patty and I took our young kids to plenty of memorable historical sites. The most striking…

While preparing for this Sunday’s story, it made me think of famous trials in history and the sentencing the followed.  There is no shortage of interesting ones in history. Here’s some examples:   As I have been studying the story out of the Gospel of Mark for this coming Sunday’s message, it led me think about accusations, judgements, evidence and ultimate verdicts from historically famous trials. I then looked up a list of ‘famous trials’ of the past, and believe…