When we see the wicked prospering, what are we to do? Psalm 73 tells us to see God in his sanctuary. There we see that our God holds us tightly when we are despairing and that our God will judge the wicked. Since Jesus became our sanctuary, we are to hope in him forever.

This summer we will look at the "Psalms of Asaph." One of the recurring themes is trusting in God for his just judgments. Today we start with a very basic, but important, lesson -- remember that the Lord is Judge. In particular, we need to see how Jesus was judged for us and how his grace to us leads us to live for him.

Saul's taking his life in battle (1 Samuel 31) certainly is a somber, if not disturbing, passage. It is a picture of what happens when one lives only for him/herself. Yet, it leads us to see the ultimate life that is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. This hope in Christ leads us to say, "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Sermon Points: 1. Why we don't repent 2. Why we need to repent 3. How we are to repent

We would never say we hate God, but that actually is a good definition of sin. Sin is more than actions against God; it is an attitude, disposition, heart against God. In Mark 12:1-12 Jesus tells the "Parable of the Tenants" and teaches us to see the sinfulness of sin and what it means to make Jesus your one, true foundation in life. Read Online: Mark 12:1-12 Listen Here: Enter the link to the audio between the quotes on this line. If you cannot see the audio player, you may need to upgrade your web browser. Watch Here:

In Mark 11:12-25, we see Jesus curse a fig tree. That seems odd to us, but it teaches us how Jesus' new kingdom is radically better than the old. It is the difference of living in freedom under the Spirit versus living in slavery under the Law. Listen and find out how to enter that new kingdom and experience its freedom.

Jesus says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. Wow! Who then can be saved? Find out how all things are possible with God as we study Mark 10:17-31.

It is an understatement to say that raising children is difficult. Yet, we are not alone in the task! In Mark 10:13-16, Jesus affirms that he is for our children and that he gives us, both as parents and as a church, much grace to help our kids know and love God.

This morning we will be looking at Mark 9:38-41. The Kingdom of God, the better Kingdom that Jesus is building, is often marked differently than if we were to build our own, thankfully.  The biggest factor is ME.  And you.  We get in the way of building a better kingdom so often because we often seek our own self interest.  We want things our way, when we want them, and how we want them.  But Mark 9 will show us that Jesus is building a better kingdom because He seeks the ultimate good. So we can humbly submit to and proclaim Him and His better kingdom with joy.