Text: Isaiah 43:18-19 18 “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold...
Scripture Mark 2:27-3:1-6 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind...
Tom Nelson outlines a sermon on why work matters.
Text: Our third sermon in this series returns us to the Scripture from the first sermon, though...
Mark 1:9-11 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as...
Then the apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come with me...
This remarkable passage not only teaches us compassion and hope for the obsessed and depressed, the cutters and crack-crazed, but also the...
We live in the age of the entrepreneur, the hipster, the startup, the app. Things new and digital often demand our attention...
After Jesus was arrested, he was taken to the home of the high priest, where he was interrogated by Jewish leaders from...
Jesus meets us where we are.
Some people are saying these are the end times. Jesus tells us these things aren’t the beginning of the end, they are merely the end of the beginning.
When Kevin stopped by his son’s grade school to pay for lunch, he met Linda—and got more than he bargained for. Because this cafeteria supervisor is more than a cook.
Four verbs: take, bless/thank, break, and give. These four verbs demonstrate for us how God’s economy works.
Jesus doesn’t take away our fears, but he can transform them.
Holiness happens when children are present.
Some Pharisees ask Jesus a question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?” They were probably trying to draw Jesus into a debate about the appropriate grounds for divorce.
Jesus challenged his followers to be “good salt,” seasoning their lives and their relationships with a rich gospel flavor.
In the intimate setting of the secret Galilean trail and the privacy of the home, Jesus uses very direct language. There are...
My mom was a Christian, but my dad was not. During junior high, my parents gave me the choice to go to church with my mom or stay home with my dad.
In a season focused anew on old symbols of ethnic pain, Jesus’ example reframes discrimination as a short-sighted and closed-hearted sin.
Why do we create art? Why do we patronize the arts? Is it a waste of time and money?
Fear and suffering have ways of recalibrating even our most heartfelt convictions.
Rev. Susan Pendleton Jones and Dr. George Cladis offer three sermons outlines about faith and work. This issue focuses on rest, kindness...
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! ...
The ending of the Gospel of Mark presents multiple mysteries. Most English Bibles print several options for the concluding verses of Mark 16, usually with notes that explain the manuscript evidence.
Mark 15:43 introduces a man named Joseph, who was from Arimathea, a small town northwest of Jerusalem. He is identified as “an honored member of the high council.”
In my last reflection, I focused on the women who were faithful to Jesus even as he was crucified. Their example stood in contrast to that of the male disciples who deserted Jesus.
Before Christ died, Peter did the “unthinkable.” He rejected Jesus. He denied any personal association with "this man." Peter was not alone, of course, because all of his disciples deserted him.
Jesus found a way to express the cry of his heart: Why had God abandoned him? Why did his Father turn his back on Jesus in his moment of greatest agony?
Jesus had said this would happen. For quite some time, he had predicted his suffering and death. The first time came right after Peter confessed him to be the Messiah.
There’s no doubt that Peter truly believed he would never, ever deny Jesus. He and his fellow disciples were sure that they would die for Jesus rather than deny him.
After Jesus was arrested, he was taken to the home of the high priest in Jerusalem. There, many accused him, but Jesus remained silent. Finally, the high priest questioned him directly.
Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is, in my opinion, the most unexpected prayer ever. There is no prayer in Scripture...
Almost all Christians remember the events of the Last Supper and reenact those events on a regular basis. Some of us call this “Communion.” Others call it the “Eucharist” or the “Lord’s Supper.”
Recognizing how expensive her perfume was (perhaps around $20,000 in today’s money), they objected when she anointed Jesus with it.
In the days before his passion, Jesus took a break from teaching in the Temple of Jerusalem in order to spend some time with his followers and friends in Bethany.
Mark 13:32 is one of the most shocking verses in all of Scripture. At least it shocked me when, as a young man, I first read it.
On January 12, 2010, the people of Haiti were in dire straits as a result of a major earthquake that rocked their nation. As often happens in a tragedy like this, many people responded.
When Jesus was asked by one of the Jewish theologians which was the greatest commandment of all, he began by quoting a crucial passage from the Jewish law.
How can we love the Lord with our minds? This begins, I would suggest, with choosing to think about God.
As Jesus spent time in the Temple courts, some of the leaders were trying to find a way to have him arrested or even killed. Several came to him with a trick question.
It’s not surprising to see that many Jewish religious leaders wanted to arrest Jesus. He was undermining their authority and besmirching their...
Some Christians don’t pay attention to Jesus’ hyperbolic teaching style or broader biblical teaching on God’s nature, and we turn Mark 11:2...
In the day of Jeremiah, the Temple had become like a den of thieves. The people felt they could hide, safely protected from divine judgment, because they had access to the Temple.
When Jesus entered the Temple on the day after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, those who had welcomed him the day before...
Throughout his ministry, Jesus had proclaimed the coming of the kingdom of God. For first-century Jews, this implied that a divinely anointed royal figure would soon expel the Romans from Judea.
As Jesus and his disciples journeyed near Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was about to pass his way...
“We want you to do whatever we ask of you.” Wow! Now that’s some request. It’s as if they wanted a blank...
Peter was probably hoping for a word of reassurance, something like, “Don’t worry, Peter, you’re in.” But what he heard from Jesus...
Mark 10:17-27 is one of those passages in the Gospels that makes most of us terribly uncomfortable. Like the man who asked Jesus how he might inherit eternal life, we also have “many possessions.”
Does Jesus mean we should seriously think about cutting off our body parts if they’re involved in sin?
Have you ever been caught red-handed? I think of a time when, as a boy, I was playing baseball in the backyard...
The story of the Transfiguration shrouded in mystery, reveals something of the divine nature of Jesus. He was certainly much more than a human messiah, that’s for sure.
Mark 9:1 is one of the more puzzling statements of Jesus. He said that some of those “standing here right now” would not die “before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in...
An Introductory Note from Mark: ...
I don't look down on Peter as a fool. Neither did Jesus, for that matter, since he upheld Peter as a leader...
For centuries, Holy Week was the focal point of the Christian calendar.
In the middle of primetime, I sink into the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table, legs forming a desk for...
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately,” I confessed to my husband Brad over dinner recently. “I’ve got writer’s block or something. I feel like I’ve got nothing to say.” ... ...
We all want to succeed at our jobs. It’s part of our makeup as human beings. We are passionate about growing and...
The transfiguration is one of those events during Christ’s time on earth that registered as barely more than a curiosity for me for several years. Recently, I have developed a great appreciation...
Many of us tend to forget that Jesus spent a great deal of time in a carpenter shop.
Have you ever read something Jesus taught and thought to yourself, “I don’t get it”?
We all have to answer crucial questions in life.
Time and again throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus healed people with a simple word or touch. These healings were instantaneous, sure evidence of the power of God working through Jesus. But in...
As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” Mark 8:15 In Mark 8:11, the Pharisees began arguing with Jesus. “Testing...
Mark 7:32-35 is a short healing story in which Jesus healed a man who was deaf and who also had a speech impediment (which often happens with people who lose their hearing at...
In the first century A.D., the Pharisees were among the most zealous of Jews when it came to keeping the Law of God. Yet they found it easy to focus on externals and...
After the crowd received nourishment from Jesus, both literal bread and the truth of the kingdom of God, they finally departed. Meanwhile, Jesus’ disciples had taken a boat and were trying to...
After the disciples of Jesus returned from their mission trip, in which they proclaimed and demonstrated the kingdom of God, Jesus perceived...
Earlier in Mark 6, Jesus had sent his disciples out two-by-two, having given them authority to engage in the ministry of the kingdom of God (6:7).
The story of Herod and John the Baptist is a curious one with a sad ending. Herod Antipas ruled over Galilee during...
As Jesus moved about in Galilee, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God and demonstrating the presence of the kingdom through works of power, he sent out his disciples to share...
For a considerable time, Jesus had been proclaiming and demonstrating the kingdom of God in the eastern parts of Galilee. Finally, he returned to his hometown of Nazareth and began teaching in the...
How I wish I could have witnessed this event in Mark’s Gospel!
In the previous section of Mark, where Jesus encountered the Gerasene demoniac, Jesus acted in ways that were puzzling, even distressing to those who witnessed them. The puzzlement continues in the...
The story of Jesus and the Gerasene demoniac is full of riddles.
When I was a young man, this story from the Gospel of Mark disturbed me. I was happy enough that Jesus delivered a man from demonic bondage, but I just couldn’t understand why...
We don’t know exactly what the disciples of Jesus thought about him in the early stages of his ministry.
In one of the parables of the kingdom of God in Mark 4, Jesus compares the kingdom to a mustard seed.
In Mark 4, Jesus tells a series of parables that reveal something of the nature of the kingdom of God. The first of these parables is usually called The Parable of the Sower...
One of the striking and, frankly, sad aspects of Mark’s Gospel is the description of Jesus’ relationship with his natural family. Mark does not give us any account of Jesus’ birth. The first...
This passage from the Gospel of Mark has worried Christians for centuries. It speaks of a sin that will not be forgiven, often called the “unpardonable sin.” As a pastor, I have counseled with...
As Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom of God and healed the sick, his popularity grew. He was being followed by those he had specifically called and many others as well. ...
The Sabbath is a day for saving life, not just in the particular sense of rescuing someone from a life-threatening situation, but...
In a world so filled with busyness, where electronic communication invades every moment, where people are running ragged and neglecting their most...
Yesterday I offered some reflections on Mark 2:22, a verse that speaks of wine and wineskins. Today I want to add some additional thoughts before I move on in the Gospel of Mark...
When I was the pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, I once got into considerable trouble with a man who was upset with...
In this story from Mark, a man with leprosy comes to Jesus for healing. Jesus was his only hope of getting free...
In yesterday’s reflection, I noted how Jesus remained faithful to his purpose, even when that meant disappointing the crowds who were clamoring for him. I suggested that you and I need a similar...
Shortly after Jesus began his ministry in Capernaum, he arose early one morning to find an isolated place where he could pray...
In the Greek original of the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel, the word euthus appears twelve times. This word, a favorite of Mark, who uses it forty-two times in his Gospel, appears as...
In the time of Jesus, Jewish teachers often focused on the fine details of legal interpretation.
In Mark 1:15 we read a summary of the Good News preached by Jesus: “The time promised by God has come at last! The Kingdom of God is near!” ...
After announcing that God’s time had finally come, Jesus focused the Good News in a few words: “The Kingdom of God is near!”
After Jesus’ baptism, he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan. Mark does not supply the details about this temptation that are found in Matthew and...
By the time Jesus came to the Jordan River in order to be baptized, John the Baptist had already baptized hundreds if...
I cannot read Mark 1:3 without hearing echoes in my mind of the stirring song from the 1970 musical Godspell (an old spelling of the word “gospel”). Here, John the Baptist sang in the language of...
I want to reflect for one more day on the opening verse of Mark. In yesterday’s reflection, I focused on the meaning of “Good News” in the statement: “This is the Good News...
An Introductory Note from Mark ...
The head honchos of the Jews—that would be the Sanhedrin—didn’t have the authority to actually carry out a death sentence once they had condemned someone to death. So this second trial of Jesus.....
I learned that gardening can be both an ecstasy and an agony.
I struggle with anger. I do not need professional counseling or incarceration. I am not actively destroying property or abusing people. I simply struggle. I grew up with a father who conditioned me...
In Mark 8, Jesus uses the imagery of crucifixion to call people to follow him sacrificially. If they want to experience the...
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John is an attorney who grew up working in his father’s hardware store. He says it prepared him to practice law. Because in customer service, he says, he learned to "address the problem...
Dear Friends, During the month of August, I’ll be on vacation with my family, and then I'll take a few days for...
Mark 2:1-12 paints a powerful picture of how you and I can care for the people in our lives who are suffering...
"Listen, Janet," Richard said in frustration, "this report is not acceptable. You need to redo it and have it on my desk...
Everything we do is marked by the steady march of time. Seconds lead to minutes to hours to days to weeks to...
"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people." Matthew 4:19 "He also said, 'The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and...
And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest for a while."
A certain major airline employs it. So do the Container Store and people and companies ranging from an NBA coach to the...
Work and workers are everywhere in the Gospel of Mark.
God’s full presence in the world in the person of the man Jesus is news, astonishing news.
Jesus himself comes to John to be baptized, as if to declare that he is the one John has been proclaiming.
Before Jesus can even begin his work of proclaiming the good news, God’s Spirit drives him into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan.
The entire gospel is the story of the kingdom of God coming from heaven into every square inch of the universe.
The good news is not a story of God abandoning the universe and retreating to heaven with a few special people.
For these disciples to follow Jesus, they have to allow their identity, status, and worth to be determined in relation to Jesus rather than to their occupation and possessions.
The Sabbath consecrates a portion of time free from the demands of work.
Jesus’ healing in this episode occurs through personal touch.
Jesus’s power to cleanse and heal overcomes the physical, emotional, and social disabilities that exclude people from full participation in the community.
Work as Prayerful Relationships: Mark 5 (Click Here to Read) This sermon from The High Calling discusses another healing miracle of Jesus in Mark (5:1-20) where Jesus brings healing to both a wayward...
The calling of Levi is another incident that occurs as Jesus is moving (Mark 2:13-14). The passage stresses the public nature of...
In addition to the accounts of the calling of specific disciples, there is also the account of the appointing of the apostles...
The Gospel of Mark, more than the other Gospels, highlights the ignorance, weakness, and selfishness of the disciples. This comes despite the...
The Sabbath principle allows us time to focus on God in a different way than the working week allows.
Mark contains only two parables that are not also found in the other Gospels. Both of them concern work, and both are...
Jesus’ encounter with a rich man who asks “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” constitutes one of the few passages in Mark that speaks directly to economic activity. The man’s question...
A distinctive aspect to Mark’s rendering of the story is its juxtaposition with the account of the little children being brought to Jesus, and the subsequent statement that the kingdom is to be...
The subsequent words of Jesus (Mark 10:23-25) elaborate the significance of the encounter, as Jesus stresses the difficulty faced by the wealthy in entering the kingdom. The young man’s reaction illustrates the attachment...
The incident where Jesus drives out the vendors and money changers from the temple has mercantile overtones. There is a debate over...
The issue of taxation has arisen obliquely already, in terms of the call narrative of Levi (Mark 2:13-17, see above). This section treats the matter a little more directly, although the meaning of...
Our work can be a way of loving others if we work as God would have us do it.
The topics of status and grace return to the fore as Jesus faces his trial and crucifixion. “The Son of Man came...
The Gospel of Mark is not organized as an instruction manual for human work, but work is visible on every page. We...
Verses Themes Mark 1:16-20 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake — for they were fishermen. And Jesus said...
If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb...
“At crucial moments of choice, most of the business of choosing is already over.” (Iris Murdoch) The two main approaches to decision-making...
Do you wonder if God has anything to say about your work? Explore key verses from each chapter of the Bible that...
While most people would recognise that lawyers play a unique role in society and they are respected, at the same time there are also a huge number of lawyer jokes. As well as...
A biblical perspective on influencing others when you are in a lesser position of power.
How can a church integrate workplace issues into a normal structure of weekly preaching and small groups? This integrated series can serve as a model. The Ruth series, piloted by Reservoir Church in...
Week 2 covers the topic of investing in other people, especially those people who seem like unlikely candidates for investment.
Week 3 demonstrates how to bring a guest speaker into an integrated sermon and small group series. Val Snekvik, a guest speaker...
Week 4 demonstrates how a pastor can integrate work stories from members of the congregation into the order of the service. (See this additional resource on how to conduct faith and work interviews...
This is the fourth sermon in the series: “Inspired: The Whole of Life with God in the Picture.” It was delivered by Steve Watson, Senior Pastor, at Reservoir Church Cambridge Massachusetts on October...
This is the fourth sermon in the series: “Inspired: The Whole of Life with God in the Picture.” It was delivered by...
Week 5 offers some real life examples of people doing work that they feel is for God in the course of their...
Will Messenger of the TOW Project delivers the sermon for week 6. This sermon covers the biblical basis for the goodness of...
This is the sixth sermon in the series: “Inspired: The Whole of Life with God in the Picture.” It was delivered by...
This content is part of the Ruth and Parables curriculum, an 11-week integrated sermon and small group series on faith and work...
In week 8 Senior Pastor Steve Watson talks about risk taking and planning for a legacy using...
Week 9 discusses the work of redemption. Senior Pastor Steve Watson uses Boaz’s actions in the book of Ruth to discuss how...
Will Messenger of the TOW Project delivers the sermon for week 10. He offers his own perspective from the business world on...
For the last week of this series, blogger Leah Archibald speaks about finding fulfillment in work from the point of view of...
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