bpchurch Sermons

This week we will see how Mark prepares God’s church, in a secular and unbelieving environment, to maintain a fruitful witness of faith. It won’t be easy, there will be rejection, discouragement and distraction. But there will also be wonderful results, where the only explanation can be that “God is in this, look what God is doing in people’s lives!”

That’s what we want to see more of, even if it means risking rejection, troubles or failure, because God’s fruitfulness is worth our faithfulness.

God is doing something new—salvation in Jesus is new wine that cannot be contained in the old wineskins of religious rules and traditions. So, what are the new wineskins which will carry and convey God’s salvation to others? The answer may surprise you.

God’s grace can be hard to comprehend, especially if your categories for making sense of what God wants have hardened around expectations and rules. In this chapter, Mark has gathered several controversial episodes together to make a point: God’s grace in Jesus cannot be comprehended within a faulty understanding of God’s law.

We also often misunderstand God’s grace in one of two directions. Some of us mistakenly think that since grace has come, God’s law no longer applies. Others mistakenly think that God’s grace is for those who follow God’s rules. Neither of these can fully appreciate how God’s grace and mercy have always been an essential aspect of God’s character, which is seen in both the Law and in Jesus

This week, we start a new series, teaching through the Gospel of Mark. Week-by-week, this action-oriented gospel will help us to know and follow Jesus.

The story takes off right away in the first chapter. Jesus jumps right in, literally, as the Servant of the Lord, serving those he has come to save. Even this first chapter is full of opportunities for you and I to follow Jesus. Some of these are more obvious and some are inconvenient. But it is in following that you will know Jesus more fully. There is a next step that you can take.

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and as it turns out we have come to the only chapter in the entire book of Romans which makes explicit reference to mothers! I love it when a plan comes together! But, a holiday meant to honor moms (and sell cards and flowers…) can also be a hard day for some. It can be a reminder of hurt or loss, of pain from the past, or of joy never experienced.

"Why am I here?" is a question you will ask yourself many times in life. It can be a question of purpose, “What am I supposed to do with my life?” It can also be a question of longevity of usefulness, sometimes our seniors ask themselves, “Why am I still here?” It might even be a question of location, “Why don’t I follow others and move to Idaho or Texas?”

Romans 15 is an odd chapter that doesn’t seem to have as clear of a focused topic as most chapters in Romans. But what if Romans 15 actually pulls all the rest together into our ultimate purpose as a church in Jesus?

When have your personal preferences gotten in the way of your relationships with others? Maybe you like pineapple on your pizza and that has caused your friends to stop inviting you to pizza parties. Or maybe your political views have caused some difficulties in the office. Even in the church there are a lot of things we may not agree on. We have different thoughts and opinions on some of these less important issues, and the problem comes when we make them more important than they really are. Romans 14 helps us navigate the differences we have and encourages us to unite on what really matters.

Romans 13 seems like a fairly straightforward chapter: Christians should submit to government. And yet, we know that is not always the case—for instance, in WWII the Nazi government used this chapter to intimidate Christians and churches in Germany. So when, and in what basis, do Christians submit to or resist the mandates of government?

Easter Sunday is a Christian's most important holiday. Before Easter, the focus was all about the many things that Jesus did. After Easter, in Jesus’ resurrection, it is suddenly about all the things that Jesus' followers do because he is risen. Easter changes everything…or has it?

It’s easy to take Easter for granted. Of course, there are always church services, and special elements will be added as we celebrate the central focus of our faith: Jesus who died for us is risen! But, just a year ago, there weren’t any Easter worship gatherings. We were each in our homes, like Israel before the Exodus, waiting for a plague to pass. The good news is that Jesus’ death and resurrection overcome any plague!