Reading: Mark 3:7-35 Context: Why does Jesus need a boat ready and choose twelve specific apostles at this point in His ministry? The boat was to avoid being crushed by the swelling crowd. Jesus needed a place to go for safety’s sake. There may be a correlation between the size of the popularity He was […]
Read More WIWO: Mark – Episode 6: Kingdom CommunityEveryone has something to contribute. The challenge is to follow the Spirit’s leading to see who gets to contribute what they have to offer. It’s a wonderful challenge as well. That brother has his insight from a scripture he studied. That sister has her story of what happened with Jesus on Tuesday. That other brother […]
Read More Dryden Shorts – Fellowship TreasuresFaith is vital in the life of the Kingsman. In Genesis 26:1-6, 12-14, Isaac exemplified how faith works even in a famine. Here are some reflections on that. In a Famine, God Calls The famine plays a key part throughout scripture. Those who live in modern Western societies might not really understand what a famine […]
Read More KMCD 09: Faith in the Famine for the KingsmanReading: Mark 2:13-3:6 Context: Why would eating with “tax collectors and sinners” be particularly offensive to the Pharisees? As holy people and the standard-bearers of righteousness, the Pharisees had a clear insight into who was acceptable and who was unacceptable. A bit like the issue of the clean and the unclean. So the Pharisees knew […]
Read More WIWO: Mark – Episode 5: Conflict with Religious AuthoritiesBlessed assurance, Jesus is mine, oh a foretaste of glory divine. (written by Fanny Crosby) Connecting with something or someone is about what we believe about the something or the someone. Trust in Jesus is about having faith in who He reveals Himself to be. Faithful, loving, forgiving, encouraging, reliable, concerned, wise, and righteous. Consider […]
Read More Dryden Shorts – AssuranceKing Jesus operated in fascinating ways on the earth. In Matthew 9:9-13, we see Him call Matthew to follow Him and then respond to the disdain of the Pharisees for attending a dinner at Matthew’s house. Here are some reflections on the reach of the King. Who Jesus Chooses to Follow Him – What to […]
Read More KMCD 08: The Reach of the KingReading: Mark 1:35-2:12 Context: Why does Jesus withdraw to solitary places for prayer, especially after successful ministry times? Jesus withdrawal is about knowing when to be in the crowd and when to be alone with God. It’s a breathing pattern. He breathes in the quality time with the Father to receive all there is to […]
Read More WIWO: Mark – Episode 4: Ministry and SolitudePeople commit to regularly praying and sharing together. Cultivating a lifestyle in which regularly confessing, repenting, and believing, as part of learning more about Jesus, is core to individual and collective existence. In this, people appreciate the work that Jesus does in the lives of others in expressing the new creation through seasons of growth […]
Read More Dryden Shorts – Can You Imagine Church Like This?Previously, we considered the marvel of the gospel of Jesus Christ and how it influences the Kingsman. Let’s see how it impacts how the marvel is conveyed within and beyond the church. Conveying the marvel within the church The church must be a community where the marvel is celebrated, not assumed. Here’s how that happens. […]
Read More KMCD 07: The Marvel of the Gospel – Part TwoReading: Mark 1:16-34 Context: What does the immediate response of the fishermen tell us about Jesus’ authority and their recognition of it? Is this a recognition by the men of the authority of Jesus? Did they respond to a command or an invitation? The fishermen’s immediate response speaks more to the appeal of Jesus than […]
Read More WIWO: Mark – Episode 3: The Call to Discipleship
Life With CD 