Preacher Article (Page 2)
What If Jesus Wrote a Letter to You?
In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, Jesus authored letters to 7 different churches. Some churches were praised by Jesus. Some churches were criticized by Jesus. These letters reveal that Jesus is intimately aware of and deeply concerned about what is happening among His people. And it begs the question: what would Jesus say if He wrote a letter to you today?
“Behold your mother”
While Jesus hung on the cross, we’re told that his mother, Mary, a few other women, and “the disciple whom he loved” were all standing nearby. Upon seeing them, “he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’” (John 19:26-27). In this article, we explore why Jesus assigned the care of His mother to one of His disciples and what that teaches us.
Oblivious to Jesus
Jesus’ first resurrection appearance was to Mary Magdalene, but she initially didn’t even recognize Him. Why would somebody who was present for the crucifixion and burial of Jesus and a witness to the pronouncement of the angels that He was alive be oblivious to Him when He appeared?
The Embarrassment Saving Miracle
Throughout His ministry, Jesus performed many miracles. Some provided life-saving remedies for incurable medical conditions, some rescued people from the crippling bondage of demon possession, and some brought loved ones back from the dead. But His very first miracle was not as dire or complex as any of these. Why, then, is it so significant?
Fully Involved
Have you ever heard the phrase “fully involved”? For many, that phrase refers to whether or not you want all of the fixings on your sandwich at Firehouse Subs. However, that phrase actually comes from the world of firefighting. But how does it apply to discipleship?
Who Is Jesus?
Jesus asked His disciples the most important question man will ever answer. He asked, “Who do you say that I am?” This question only has one right answer, which means that it matters who we say Jesus is. But do we really know who Jesus is? It may help to consider all the names, titles, and descriptions associated with Jesus throughout the Bible.
The Genius of Jesus’s Genealogy
Ancestry.com is the largest for-profit genealogical company in the world, referring to itself as “the global leader in family history and consumer genomics.”2 It boasts access to approximately 40 billion historical records from 80 different countries of origin, has 3 million paying subscribers, and over 25 million people in its DNA network. User-generated content has resulted in more than 131 million family trees and more than 1 billion photographs, scanned documents, and written stories. Needless to say, what used to…
New Year’s Resolutions
A common practice that coincides with the start of a new year is the making of New Year’s resolutions. A New Year’s resolution is a personal declaration of what one intends to do at the start of a new year in order to change an undesired trait or behavior, accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise improve one’s life. Setting such resolutions can be beneficial because they provide a strategic plan for how you intend to make beneficial changes in the…
Be the One, Not the Nine
Although the Thanksgiving holiday traces its roots back to the 17th century and was first observed nationally under the presidency of George Washington, it did not become an annual holiday until 1863 by the proclamation of Abraham Lincoln. In Lincoln’s address regarding the Thanksgiving holiday, he noted that all blessings “are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.” His statement is reminiscent of Habakkuk 3:2…
Comfort Zone Caution
The story goes that a mother ran into the bedroom when she heard her seven-year-old son scream. She found his two-year-old sister pulling his hair. She gently released the little girl’s grip and said comfortingly to the boy, “There, there, she didn’t mean it. She doesn’t know that it hurts.” He nodded his acknowledgment, and she left the room. As she started down the hall the little girl screamed. Rushing back in, she asked, “What happened? The little boy replied,…
Just Like Pluto
For 76 years, Pluto was a planet. Then one day back in 2006, it wasn’t. On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) downgraded Pluto to the status of a dwarf planet based on their newly refined definition of a planet.1 The demotion of Pluto to the status of a dwarf planet was influenced by the fact that Pluto acts differently than the other eight planets. In particular, Pluto’s orbit is different. It is elliptical rather than circular and…
Hard to Follow
One of the great fallacies of discipleship is that once you become a follower of Jesus life gets easier. That’s just not true. Nowhere in the Bible are we promised that following Christ makes life easier. In fact, the Bible indicates that the exact opposite is true. Just consider what Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14… Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by…