Mercy Spokane: Sermons

In Mark 3:1–6, Jesus walks into a synagogue and into a trap.

A man with a withered hand stands in the room. The Pharisees are watching closely, waiting to accuse. And Jesus does something bold. He calls the man to the center and asks a question that goes far beyond Sabbath rules:

“Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”

This moment is not just about healing. It is about authority. About control. About who stands at the center.

When Jesus restores the man’s hand, the religious leaders respond not with joy, but with a plot to destroy Him. Hard hearts refuse to celebrate restoration. And this is the turning point where the cross becomes inevitable.

Rev. Tommy Allen, 3/1/26

Why don’t Jesus’ disciples fast?

In this passage, Jesus answers with a wedding image: you don’t fast when the bridegroom is present. The One Israel longed for has arrived, and it’s time for celebration.

Through the images of new cloth and new wine, Jesus makes it clear He didn’t come to patch up religion built on merit. He came to fulfill the law, inaugurate a new covenant, and give new life. At the cross, the Bridegroom would be taken away. At the resurrection, He would burst the grave. (Mark 2:18-22, Rev. Tommy Allen)

Jesus calls a tax collector, eats with sinners, and confronts self-righteous religion. In Mark 2:13–17, we see grace in action.

Jesus comes not for those who think they are well, but for those who know they are sick. He seeks sinners, welcomes the outcast, and exposes the danger of self-righteousness.

(Mark 2:13-17, Rev. Tommy Allen)

In Mark 2:1–12, Jesus does more than heal a paralytic. He forces a question that cannot be ignored: Who does he think he is?

This sermon explores the attraction, audacity, and authority of Jesus. His grace draws the broken, his words confront the self-righteous, and his healing power confirms his authority to forgive sins. As in every turning point moment, a decision must be made. (2/1/26, Rev. Tommy Allen)

In this sermon from Mark 1:29–45, we see Jesus step straight into sickness, chaos, and social outcasts. He enters an unprepared home, heals freely as crowds gather, and then does the unthinkable by touching a leper. Grace does not wait for polish or preparedness. It moves toward need, refuses to stay contained, and ultimately trades places with the unclean.

This passage points us forward to the heart of the gospel. Jesus does not save from a distance. He steps into our mess, takes our uncleanness upon himself, and restores us by taking our place. (Rev. Tommy Allen, 1/25/26)

In Mark 1:21–28, Jesus enters the synagogue and immediately confronts both religious complacency and cosmic opposition. Unlike the scribes, he teaches with unmistakable authority, and that authority is dramatically confirmed when he silences and expels an unclean spirit. This moment is more than a local miracle. It is a declaration that the kingdom of God has arrived and that the powers of darkness are already on notice. In this sermon, we explore what it means for Jesus to speak and act with divine authority, and why that authority still demands a response from us today. (Rev. Tommy Allen, 1/18/26)

What does it mean when Jesus says, “The time is fulfilled”? In Mark 1:14–20, Jesus steps onto the scene announcing that the waiting is over and God’s kingdom is breaking in now. In this sermon, we explore why Jesus begins in Galilee, what repentance really means, and why his call to “follow me” is both radically gracious and deeply disruptive. As Jesus calls ordinary fishermen to leave their nets and join his mission, we’re confronted with a question that still presses on us today: if the kingdom is at hand, how will we respond? (Rev. Tommy Allen, 1/11/26)

In this sermon from Mark 1:4–13, we step into the wilderness where John the Baptist calls Israel to repentance and prepares the way for the coming King. What does John’s baptism mean, and why does Jesus submit to it if he has no sins to confess?

This passage reveals Jesus as our representative. He goes through the waters of repentance, identifies with sinners, and hears the Father’s declaration: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” From the Jordan to the wilderness, the gospel begins with Jesus standing in our place.

This sermon explores repentance, forgiveness, baptism, and the stunning truth that what God says about Jesus is true of all who belong to him.

Scripture: Mark 1:4–13 (ESV) 

Rev. Tommy Allen

Matthew’s Christmas story is not sentimental. It's dangerous.

In this sermon, we follow Jesus from Egypt to exile to Nazareth and see how the Son of God enters a world marked by fear, violence, and grief. Drawing on the idea of eucatastrophe, this message shows how Jesus relives Israel’s story and bears our guilt, shame, and rejection in order to bring redemption.

Christmas does not deny the darkness. It declares that the darkness will not last. (Rev. Tommy Allen, 12/28/25)

Matthew tells the Christmas story from Joseph’s perspective, not as a hero’s tale, but as the story of a righteous man faced with a scandal he did not create. Forced to choose between preserving his reputation and showing costly mercy, Joseph becomes a quiet picture of faithful obedience.

This sermon explores why the virgin birth matters, what it means that Jesus saves his people from their sins, and why “Immanuel, God with us” is the true heart of Christmas. Christmas is not about sentiment or nostalgia. It is about a Person. When we understand who Jesus is and why he came, everything changes. (Dr. Tommy Allen, 12/21/25