Posts with the category “follow-the-king”

This sermon explores Mark chapter 1, verses 21-45, revealing Jesus's divine authority over both the spiritual and physical realms. The message emphasizes that Jesus didn't come merely to remove symptoms or provide temporary relief, but to offer complete cleansing and restoration from sin. Through examining Jesus's interactions in the synagogue, at Peter's house, and with a leper, the sermon demonstrates that Jesus chose obedience over popularity and redemption over fame. The central theological point is that Jesus has supernatural authority to drive out darkness and make people truly clean—not just healed, but spiritually restored. The sermon challenges listeners to recognize that everyone is searching for something to satisfy them, but only Jesus can fill that void through His cleansing power and redemptive work on the cross.  Read More

This sermon explores Jesus's inaugural message in Mark 1:14-15, which Mark calls "the gospel in a nutshell." Pastor Mike examines how Jesus announced the arrival of God's kingdom following John the Baptist's arrest, emphasizing that this was a pivotal "kairos" moment in history. The message unpacks what it means that God's kingdom has come near and challenges listeners to examine what prevents them from fully embracing this good news. The sermon emphasizes that God's kingdom is not a physical territory but the domain where God's will is effectively done. Jesus invites people to relinquish their own "crowns" and the burden of being king or queen of their own lives, offering instead to enter His kingdom where He provides protection, provision, purpose, and peace. The call to "repent and believe" is reframed not as shame-based religion but as turning away from whatever obstacles prevent us from clinging to the good news of God's reign.  Read More

This sermon explores Jesus's inaugural message in Mark 1:14-15, which Mark calls "the gospel in a nutshell." Pastor Mike examines how Jesus announced the arrival of God's kingdom following John the Baptist's arrest, emphasizing that this was a pivotal "kairos" moment in history. The message unpacks what it means that God's kingdom has come near and challenges listeners to examine what prevents them from fully embracing this good news. The sermon emphasizes that God's kingdom is not a physical territory but the domain where God's will is effectively done. Jesus invites people to relinquish their own "crowns" and the burden of being king or queen of their own lives, offering instead to enter His kingdom where He provides protection, provision, purpose, and peace. The call to "repent and believe" is reframed not as shame-based religion but as turning away from whatever obstacles prevent us from clinging to the good news of God's reign.  Read More

This sermon introduces a year-long study through the Gospel of Mark, emphasizing the importance of not rushing past Mark's prologue. Pastor Mike establishes that Mark presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, particularly from Isaiah, showing how God "tore open the heavens" and came down in the person of Jesus Christ. The message explores the hypostatic union—Jesus being fully God and fully human—and how this understanding is essential for reading Mark's Gospel. Rather than immediately conquering Rome, Jesus first confronted Satan in the wilderness, positioning His ministry as a spiritual battle. Mark invites readers on a journey to discover for themselves whether Jesus is truly who He claims to be, not through theological arguments alone, but through encounters and conversations that reveal His character and mission.  Read More