Paul goes to Cyprus during his first missionary journey to spread the Gospel and the first thing he runs into is opposition from the “son of the devil.”

Congregational health isn’t found when things are easy, but when things get difficult. We will lose something and it will hurt. We will face and embrace the unknown. A challenge that brings anxiety and conflict.

The direction of the church must be to adapt and find new ways of communicating the gospel to make more and better disciples.

The hard parables hang together in one important way. You don’t get to be the Eden you anymore. You don’t get to be in Christ and then go on being self-serving. But that’s the stuff we like and it’s hard to give up. If a sermon, bible study, etc makes you uncomfortable, it’s God shining light on the self-serving Eden you.

The hard parable asks, if that’s what people are willing to do to secure their future in this life, what are you willing to do to secure your eternal future?

Christ’s flesh and blood in communion is the real food and real drink of real life, connecting us to – and filling us with God’s Spirit.

“Render Unto Caesar what is his and to God’s what is God’s” seems like a simple separation of church and state. But Jesus aims to overturn our way of life.

This is a literal camel and a literal needle. It’s something impossible. It’s the largest animal in Palestine going through the smallest opening in Palestine. It’s impossible.