Pastor Michael J. Magwire

Luke 7:26-39

All of us have “baggage” that we carry around in life. Most of it can weigh us down and possess us, much like the guy in the Gospel.  What’s consuming us? What are our worries? Jesus wants to help by using his power and authority to find ways to “dump the stuff” in our lives – that which keeps us from a relationship with God and in community with others.

Luke 7:36-8:3

Luke 7:11-17

Luke 7:1-10

One of the common threads that surprisingly binds us together is our alienation from each other (i.e. rich/poor, black/white, Democrat/Republican) and our alienation from God. The Centurion felt the same way. He didn’t want Jesus to get too close for fear that he might be rejected by Him, but Jesus doesn’t alienate himself from anybody – he is available to all people, all the time.  With Jesus in your life, the healing of even hidden hurts can begin.

John 16:12-15

Dogma and doctrine can complicate one’s understanding of God. Are there absolute truths about who our God is without succumbing to “however one understands” God? Perhaps never before have we so desperately needed a guide to the truth about God who is manifest in Jesus and through whom we have a relationship – Jesus as one who walks beside us and gives us the real truth about life!

Acts 2:1-21

All conversations with God in Scripture involve some form of mediation. God comes to human beings through a third party that can act as a translator. But at Pentecost, something radical happens. The early church saw in this event the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel, who promised a day when humanity's connection with God would be unmediated. The Spirit falls on all flesh.

John 17:20-26

In the Gospel of John, Jesus talks a great deal about “one-ness.” Often, I think we hear him speak and what we hear is Jesus beckoning us to same-ness. But that’s not what one-ness is all about. Oneness in God is about the unity of purpose and direction, working and living towards the same goal. What is the goal? Jesus says it’s AGAPE, the orientation of all life towards building up, supporting, and encouraging that which is good.

John 5:1-9

Acts 11:1-18

Many like to assert that the Bible is the be-all and end-all of faith. And that because of this, it has to be followed to the letter, but even to the most casual reader something becomes quite obvious. The Bible is filled with contradictions, and even worse, sometimes the Spirit of the living God asks his people to move off the prescribed map. What do we do when that happens and how do we know that it’s really God speaking and directing when it does?