Celtic Preacher

If you have trouble trusting, God you are in good company. From the beginning chapters of the Bible throughout the book, people tend to question, argue, doubt, and even laugh at God's promises.  Today we look at Zechariah's story, which indeed must confirm that God has a sense of humor.   This teaching will begin the Christmas series, part 2, next week.   The text can be found in Luke 1 

We have to learn how to live in this world with a degree of detachment, Jesus teaches; otherwise, we will forfeit our inner peace. Common ways of coping with life's stresses are not always the most helpful way.  Text is Luke 21:25-36 Advent 1

Sometimes we feel caught between a rock and a hard place. Either direction is going to cause trouble. Maybe I will offend someone, or perhaps I'll be misunderstood or disapproved of if I choose this direction or respond in this way. There is a high cost to being true to yourself and God. Do I have the courage to do the right thing? In our text today, Pilate finds the choice simply too risky and compromised everything he knows to be true. Text is John 18

Acts of generosity or help of any kind can be done for the wrong reasons, Jesus points out in our text today. Learning to give and help is essential to Jesus, but it's the kind of giving that has no strings attached, and that's not so common. Text is Mark 12:38-44  Podcast 105

There's a lot of weeping in our passage today; Jesus is grieving over the loss of his closest friend, Lazarus. Martha, Lazarus' sister, is angry, confused, and brokenhearted. The disciples are bewildered. Yes, you can trust God and yet still be angry,  confused, and brokenhearted. We get to be fully human, and even Jesus is overwhelmed with grief at times. The text is Gospel of John 11 

Change is necessary, Jesus would say. When we resist change, we stop growing. We get stuck in old ways of doing and thinking and lose our inner freedom. Jesus taught, if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:31

A question Jesus asked more than once was, "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus could have assumed the blind man wanted to be healed; instead, he invited Bartimaeus to articulate his desires. When we begin to express our deepest needs and desires, we have a far better chance of receiving them. Text is Mark 10:46-52

Whose idea is this? Teasing apart the difference between following someone else's agenda, your sense of direction, and following Christ are often not the same. The Zebedee brothers have all sorts of good ideas, but unfortunately, it's not what Jesus is asking them to do. We all have our "Zebedee" inclinations. Text Mark 10:35-45  

"I'm not dealing with this," and he walked away. Not every conversation with Jesus has a happy ending because Jesus always brings truth to a situation. The pattern is familiar, God shows us something about ourselves, and we get to choose to stay stuck or move on into freedom. It will cost us something, so it's a matter of paying the price or not. The text is Mark 10 and Hebrews 4 Pod100