Pastor's Corner: WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?

  ALL HAIL THE PASSOVER KING:  Palm Sunday 2023 John 12:12-16 Introduction: This past week we were shaken by the news of yet another mass shooting, this one in a school, Covenant [Christian] School in Nashville, TN. Six dead, three nine-year-old children, three adults. Families forever shattered by the senseless violence. We share in their grief, it is heartbreaking. We grieve, but not as those who have no hope. We know that our Redeemer lives. Even this tragedy is yet another reminder that this is why Jesus came – He came into this fallen, broken world, to suffer violence at the hand of sinners so we could be reconciled to God. As Peter said in his first letter, “… after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen ” (I Pet 5:10-11). And so, in the midst of the brokenness of this world, we come together ...

  Believing is not Seeing! (or, “ Of Signs and Sighs ” ) Mark 8:10-13 Introduction : In His post-resurrection appearance to Thomas, Jesus said, “… Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe .” A little further on in this chapter we’ll see Jesus heal a blind man, miraculously granting physical sight. In this short few verses, Mark 8:10-13, the Pharisees are once again revealed as being spiritually blind. Their request, and the intentions of their hearts, reveal that they cannot see what is right in front of them: the promised Messiah was here! It seems to me that one of the truths that we see in the Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus is that faith, believing, is taking God at His word , not being convinced by the signs that He did. Think about the miracles that Jesus did in the Gospels. Healing paralytics, restoring withered limbs, cleansing lepers, casting out demons, giving sight to the blind and opening the ears of the deaf, even raising the dead! The evidence is com...

  The Bread of Life! Mark 8:1-10 Introduction : Spring training is in progress, so forgive me if I start with a baseball reference! Yogi Berra died a few years ago and even Philly fans will have to admit that he had a great career as a catcher for the NY Yankees! He was an 18-time all-star, and played in 14 World Series with the Yankees, of which they won 10 (more than any other player in history). He is also well known for some of the sayings he came up with over the years (OK, most of which are memorable because they don’t make sense!), like… 1) “ No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded! ”; 2) “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore. ”; 3) “Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical!” ; 4) “ The future ain’t what it used to be! ”; 5) “ When you come to a fork in the road, take it .”; 6) “It gets late early out here! ” and finally, 7) “It’s like déjà vu all over again! ”          At this point in Mark’s G...