On Sunday mornings we are going through the book of Mark. Last time we saw many of people coming to faith. This time we see stories of what happens when there is no faith. In the National Gallery of Scotland houses works of art worth millions of pounds. If you don’t understand art, you might not appreciate […]
We are speaking about danger, demons, disease, death and Jesus. Sounds dark and morose. These are things we can encounter from time to time. We encounter evil and it affects us and other people. It is unavoidable and they can come quickly and harm us. We see in this passage that Jesus can deliver from these things. We will […]
We are continuing our studies in the Beatitudes. ‘And they lived happily ever after’ is often the start of a fairytale. But we are made happy today because we are able to see and know God in his word. When we see God, we want to draw closer. To draw close to God we need […]
People generally consider what they are doing before drinking wine. We will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper today and we want to think about what the drinking of the wine and breaking of the bread represents. We consider Christ as a thirst-quencher, someone who satisfies our thirst, but also as a cleanser to wash us clean.
Blessed be the merciful for they will be shown mercy. When people suffer, they feel the people who have made them suffer should suffer too. That’s the norm. The beatitudes are not naturally the way we behave. We need help to be what God wants us to be: merciful. ‘A ladder of light’ is what Charles Spurgeon […]
The Beatles once claimed that they were bigger than Jesus. However, when we read our bibles, we see this cannot be true – he is the Son of God and the most influential figure in history. The identity of Jesus is what it’s all about. We are running a Christianity Explored course soon which explores the […]
Levi was a tax-collector. Tax collectors were considered by the Jews to be traitors because they collected taxes for the enemy, the Romans, and exploited their position to their own benefit. They were not allowed in the synagogue, being regarded by the Pharisees as unclean and sinners. In this bible passage, Levi is rescued by Jesus. […]
… and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled’. We long for things like holidays, football matches and even the outcome of referendums. However, these things don’t last and can lead to disappointment. For Christians, our lives should show that we are longing for righteousness. We have to be careful not to put things like […]
We continue our studies in Mark looking at the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus is in Capernaum. The people have heard he is there, the news has spread and the crowds have gathered in a house to listen to Jesus preaching. They listen to someone who speaks with authority. Imagine the scene – the heat and […]
So far in chapter 1 of the gospel of Mark, there have been two key moments: the Holy Spirit has descended on Jesus Jesus says the kingdom of God is here – repent & believe The ministry of Jesus Christ has begun and Mark explains the many reasons why we should follow Jesus: he has […]