Our journey with Jesus picks up today not at the Eastern Gate—though it is Palm Sunday, but after his time of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he was arrested. Listen to this part of our story for today (Matthew 26:47-50, 55-57, NLT)… And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal:...
Folks, last week we started off by talking about Jesus’ decision to go on to Jerusalem and face the end of his life—the one God had in mind for him. As the NRSV translates it, Jesus ‘set his face to go to Jerusalem’; he was determined to reach that destination because he knew that if he did he’d be fulfilling God’s will for his life … and saving the world from itself. So, on down the road he went, from that lonely mountain in Galilee … south to Jerusalem… But...
Today, we’re going to go to our scripture immediately. Listen now as we go to the Gospel of John for the first time this season, hearing a bit of his version of what happened that day (John 19:25-27, NKJV)… Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to...
Folks, I want to begin today with the DARE TO BE GREAT CHALLENGE that we started with last week. Are you ready? A GREAT COMMITMENT TO THE GREAT COMMANDMENT AND THE GREAT COMMISSION DONE WITH GREAT COMPASSION WILL GROW A GREAT CHURCH! Did you get that? Do you remember this from last week? A great commitment to the great commandments and the great commission done with great compassion will grow a great church! And you know what else? It’ll grow a great Christian, too! How many of you want to...
The Calling of Matthew (Levi) 13Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him. 15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) 16...
