Sermons on Mark
Resurrection
Please enjoy our Easter Sunday worship service. Scripture: Mark 16:1-8 (CEB)
The Crucifixion of the Christ
We continue our Lenten sermon series based on the book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, journeying day by day through Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. We are quickly moving to the end of the week, and therefore closer to the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. Each day has been building, and this day we arrive at Jesus’ most profound teaching at the last supper. But that’s not the end of the day… Scripture: Mark 15:1-15…
A Meal, A Prayer, A Trial
We continue our Lenten sermon series based on the book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, journeying day by day through Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. We are quickly moving to the end of the week, and therefore closer to the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. Each day has been building, and this day we arrive at Jesus’ most profound teaching at the last supper. But that’s not the end of the day… Scripture: Mark 14:1-11…
Setting the Plot in Motion
On the Wednesday of Jesus’ final week, two of Jesus’ followers make important decisions that set the plot in motion for Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection. The writer of the Gospel of Mark contrasts for us the decisions made by the woman with the alabaster jar, and Judas, one of the twelve disciples. Scripture: Mark 14:1-11 (CEB)
Challenging Authority
This week we move to Tuesday and an expanse of texts from the middle of the 11th chapter all the way through the end of the 13th chapter. Roughly two-thirds of this section shows Jesus in conflict with the religious leaders in the temple, where Jesus is continually challenged with questions intended to entrap and discredit him in a public setting. Scripture: Mark 12:28-34 (CEB)
The Temple in Frame
We continue our Lenten sermon series based on the book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, journeying day by day through Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. This week we move to Monday, the day that Jesus turns over the tables in the temple. Known as a “cleansing” of the temple, Jesus’ motives and intentions have been widely explored in countless sermons and papers. This story is framed by a narrative about a fig tree, something that…
Royal Entrance
This is the first week of our Lenten sermon series based on the book “The Last Week” by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. As we open, we explore the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and compare this to the likely historical entry that Pontius Pilate would have made through the opposite side of the city. These differences are essential to understanding the divine power of the Christ, and his essential teachings during this final week. Scripture: Mark 11:…
Call & Response
This week we continue our post-Christmas sermon series called “Why Be Christian?” As we explore texts from the story of Jonah and the call of the disciples, we will consider the importance of our response: our response to God, to our faith, to the circumstances of the world. In doing so, we will ask ourselves whether these responses should be inward or outward… or perhaps both! Scripture: Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Mark 1:14-20 (CEB)
In the Beginning
This week we begin a new post-Christmas sermon series called “Why Be Christian?” This first week we begin at the beginning: with the opening verses of the Genesis creation story, and with the baptism of Jesus. These are essential beginnings to the stories of Christianity, and they offer us the opportunity to explore the beginnings of our own faith. Scripture: Genesis 1:1-5; Mark 1:4-11
Are We There Yet?
It’s the second week of Advent, and as you might recall, last week we kicked off our Road Trip: Journeying to Christmas series. We started by packing up, making sure we’re ready for the journey ahead, just like those anticipating the arrival of the Son of Man. This week, we’re on the road and maybe already starting to get a little antsy about the drive. Scripture: Mark 1:1-8
Packed & Ready?
This week we begin a four-week journey of Advent called Road Trip. Advent is the time leading up to Christmas where we eagerly wait and prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. It’s about anticipating the joy, hope, and love that Jesus brings into our world. During this season that is often filled with the nostalgia of Christmases past, we often find ourselves traveling to spend time with family and friends; our vehicles packed to the brim. There’s…
Everything She Had
Through our recent series on parables, there were several times when Jesus would teach the phrase we now hold familiar: the first shall be last and the last shall be first. The text this Sunday may offer a parallel illustration. The text contrasts those who like to be recognized in public, and the humble widow who quietly gives everything. We might consider how this inspires us to live as people of faith. Scripture: Mark 12:38-44
- 1
- 2