“‘Well said, teacher,’ the man replied. ‘You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.’
“When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.” (Mark 12:32-34, NIV)
We ask questions in order to get answers, and so we sometimes feel that the answers are the most important thing. In the reading for Sunday morning (Mark 12:13-34), Jesus is asked lots of questions, but most of them are traps. Only one seems to be genuine. Sometimes it’s the questions we ask that are most important: Who is Jesus? Why did he come? What does it mean to follow him? How far am I from the kingdom of God?
I hope you’ll join us online at 10:30am for our Sunday morning service, as we look at some questions, and some answers.
“Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: ‘A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.’” (Mark 12:1, NIV)
Last Sunday the reading was about Jesus used a figtree to help us think about what it looks like to follow him. This week, we’re looking at a parable about an ideal vineyard, and ungrateful tenants. The story Jesus tells has a warning and a great promise for us. I hope you’ll join us online at 10:30am for our Sunday morning service, as we hear both warning and promise together.
“The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.” (Mark 11:12-13, NIV)
We're going to be spending the next few weeks in Mark's Gospel, finishing the journey we started back in June 2018. We're starting with a fig tree, without figs, when it wasn't the season for figs. Why has Mark recorded this for us? Why is it important? I hope you'll join us online at 10:30am for our Sunday morning service.
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory a...
“One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, ‘My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing-floor.” (Ruth 3:1-2, NIV)
Last week, the answer to Ruth and Naomi’s situation was clear - an eligible bachelor named Boaz. As we start Ruth chapter 3, however, several weeks have passed, and it looks like a marriage is no closer. In order to resolve this, Naomi concocts a bold plan of action. The plan is highly risky for Ruth: she will need to trust her mother-in-law and her redeemer totally if she is to be safe.
I hope that you’ll be able to join us in-person or online this Sunday, as we look at the second chapter of Ruth together. Why not spend some time reading the whole of Ruth before we look at it as a church family.