From the Pulpit to the Streets (StDavidsACNA)

Seeing Jesus’ response in Mark 12:28-34 to being questioned about the greatest commandment points us back to God’s original intention for us to be His image-bearers, loving Him with all our heart, soul and might, and loving our neighbors as ourselves; by following Jesus and obeying God’s commands, we can glimpse our future as a new humanity redeemed and reconciled forever to God.

Perceiving in Luke’s gospel story of blind beggar Bartimeus calling out to Jesus for healing the bold faith it took for this man to recognize Jesus for who He truly was and to seek a miracle from Him no matter the cost; inspiring us today to always “listen” for God and grow our faith in Him even when we may not see the full picture around us, so that we too might live that bold faith in action, crying out to Jesus, allowing Him to heal us, and following Him always.

Sermon on Mark 9:38-48, identifying key challenges that Jesus’ Disciples both then and now face when it comes to accepting newcomers to the faith and working together toward common goals; revealing that we must not ever compare or judge the position of others or their ability to be used by God, but rather let HIM work in and through people while we simply serve, welcome, love, and pray for all those who

Focusing on the uncomfortable truth that the ways of God’s Kingdom appear “upside down” next to the ways of this world, where it’s in our fallen nature to seek our own gain; and it’s by Jesus’ teaching and example we see that the path to true greatness is the way of service, and humbly seeking to be last and servant to all in this life leads to a place of honor in the world to come.

Sermon based on Mark 7:31-37 seeks to understand the reasons behind Jesus’ sigh before He healed the deaf and mute man, revealing key insights into the nature and character of God and giving us a deeper understanding of the incredible, all-powerful, and compassionate love of Jesus for us, as He truly knows our painful and isolated condition and will always seek to reconcile us with the Father through His merciful healing and redemption.

Inviting us to ask "Who is Jesus?" and come to terms with the mysteries of how God works uniquely in each of our lives to wake our spirit through the power of his Holy Spirit--calling us to believe in his son Christ Jesus who died for the life of the world, and to follow him, that we might also be raised up on the last day to share in his love and life eternal.

Exploring the ways in which God provides for His people both physically and spiritually, pulling from Exodus 16, Mark 6, and John 6 examples which show how God gives us something more important to eat: the spiritual food that lasts for both this life and all eternity in the relationship He offers through His son, Jesus Christ, empowering us to live that spiritual life now and walk in the hope of His eternal promise.

Revealing in Mark’s Gospel story of Jesus walking on water while his Disciples in the boat were afraid of the terrible winds that our God always comes to us in His own perfect timing, showing the fullness of His glory and leaving us no doubt that it is He alone who rescues us; and by knowing who He truly is, we can take heart that His love is greater than our deepest fears and that our faith in His goodness will carry us through any of life’s storms.

Showing us how truly compassionate God is with examples from Chapter 6 of Mark’s Gospel and throughout the Bible, showing His true Kingly character as merciful, loving, protecting, and sacrificial; calling us to be like Jesus in seeing and meeting the needs of others before they can even ask, serving as living examples that point toward the true nature of the loving and compassionate God we worship.

Sermon asking several key questions about how Jesus sent out his Disciples and gave them authority in Mark Chapter 6, noting that the same instructions (found also in Matthew 10) still apply to his disciples today: following what Jesus himself had done, asking us to trust that God will provide all that’s needed to reach the lost, share our hope, and bring healing and restoration—all by the Father’s will and authority through the power of his Holy Spirit.