Three families are doing life: Jesus’ brother and sister in His home town, His newly formed family in the kingdom, and the twisted family of Herod. But the question will be asked of us: What kind of family do we want to be a part of?

The disciples witness a raw confrontation between Jesus and the powers of darkness when they encounter a demon-possessed man living among the dead. That’s when crazy, scary things begin to happen…

The beginning of a new year is a perfect time to pause and examine ourselves. For the believer, the best days are always ahead of us. It’s good to glance back at our past, but we cannot live there. The past is our reference point to chart our course for the future.

Come December, every year we traditionally count down the number of days left. Most people pause and glance back to see what kind of year they had. Everyone hopes that this coming year will be better than the last. Are we at the mercy of our days? Or has God given us tools and power to live well in whatever season we find ourselves in?

When Jesus told the wind and waves of a storm to be still, the disciples were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” It’s important to understand Jesus as more than just a baby in a manger.

The story of the prodigal son is really the story about the heart of our father in Heaven.

The kingdom Jesus illustrates in these three short stories does not come by normal observation. It seems slow, small, and upside down from everything we have learned about life. But that’s the catch…

Jesus told many stories as parables: dangerous, short works of fiction that illustrate the larger truths of the Kingdom of God. But while truth is powerful and life changing, it all depends on what kind of heart one has while listening.

There is a stern warning for those who ignore and even deny the work of the Holy Spirit. There is also a great promise of eternal family with those who have aligned themselves with his Lordship and His kingdom.

All that Jesus had done so far was sure to draw a crowd, and he quickly reached rockstar status. Everyone wanted to be near him… but why? As Jesus keeps his distance from the crowd, he instead appoints a small number of disciples and commissions them to go and preach the gospel.