The Amazing Power and Compassion of Jesus Text: Mark 6:30-44 | November 10, 2019 Other than the resurrection of Jesus, this is the only miracle recorded by all four gospel writers—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This miracle—the feeding of the five thousand—is familiar to many, but the title is somewhat misleading. Jesus fed far more…
Martin Luther and the Reformation, Part 2
The first post (part 1) ended with Luther burning the Papal Bull, in which the Pope gave Luther 60 days to repent at the threat of excommunication. Luther never repented, and he faced the consequences. The Diet of Worms Luther was excommunicated in January of 1521, shortly after receiving—and subsequently burning—the papal bull. However, the…
Mark 6:14-29: The Murder of John the Baptist
The Murder of John the Baptist Text: Mark 6:14-29 | November 3, 2019 News of Jesus spread as He sent out the twelve disciples to preach (Luke 6:7-13). The people were confused about who Jesus was; they mistakenly thought Jesus was John the Baptist, Elijah, and a prophet from of old (6:14-15). Eventually, Herod the…
Martin Luther and the Reformation, Part 1
October is Reformation month, the last Sunday in October is Reformation Sunday, and October 31 is Reformation Day. In light of that, we are going to post a series of articles related to the Protestant Reformation. Sovereignty of God and the Reformation The Protestant Reformation was a significant event in church history, and as with…
Mark 6:1-13: Unbelief and Rejection
Rejection and Unbelief Text: Mark 6:1-13 | October 27, 2019 Jesus was ministering in Capernaum at the end of Mark 5, where we saw Jesus healing the woman with the bleeding disorder and raising Jairus’ daughter. Mark 6 opens with Jesus leaving Capernaum and entering Nazareth. This is His second and final visit to Nazareth…
Mark 5:21-43: The Divine Power of Jesus
The Divine Power of Jesus Text: Mark 5:21-43 | October 20, 2019 Jesus is back in Capernaum (Mk. 5:21) after a brief visit in the country of the Gerasenes (Mk. 5:1), where He cast out thousands of demons from a demon-possessed man (Mk. 5:1-20). As Jesus returned, a large crowd gathered around Him. We have…
Why Letters of Grace?
We chose “Grace” as a part of our daughter’s name not simply because it is a beautiful name, but because of the rich theological significance of grace in the Christian faith. Grace can be defined as the favor of God bestowed on undeserving sinners. Similarly, J. I. Packer, in his classic book, Knowing God, offers…