Wayside Bible Chapel

Moses confronts Pharoah and proclaims, “Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, ‘Let my people go, that they may serve me.” Each time Moses confronts Pharoah, he promises a plague from God almighty against the false gods of Egypt. Each time Pharoah resists and hardens his heart. In this message, we examine plague #5 (Death of the livestock), plague #6 (Skin boils), plague #7 (Firey Hail), plague #8 (Locusts) and plague #9 (Darkness). Finally, we set the stage for the last and final plague, the Death of the Firstborn.

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The disciples of Jesus went from complete dejection to unspeakable joy. The message takes that journey with them trying visualize and understand their experience. It also challenges us with the call that Jesus gave to them and to us.

The ruler of the synagogue humbly and urgently pleaded with Jesus to heal his daughter. Jesus went with him in the midst of a throng. A woman with a bleeding problem sneaked through the crowd to touch the tassel of his garment. She, like many, believed the tassel of the Messiah's tunic had the power to heal. She was healed and Jesus relieved her fear by calling her "daughter". The synagogue ruler's daughter died, but Jesus told him to not be afraid, only believe. He raised her to life. The parallels and contrasts of these two incidences are instructive and insightful.

Jesus and the disciples were met on the shores of Gadera by two men who look like zombies who came out of tombs and ran straight up to Jesus. The account seems to point to the demons stopping Jesus from reaching out to the Gentiles. But that is not the end of the story. The Lamb always wins!

After an exhausting day, Jesus set sail for the Greek side of the lake. He was so tired that He was sleeping through a storm that was swamping the boat. The disciples woke Him and He rebuked the wind and commanded the waves to be still. Jesus asked the disciples what we need to hear facing our storms, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"

While Jews around the world were reading of God's deliverance from their annihilation when God used Esther to expose the evil plot, Israel and USA began eliminating the Iranian regime which has vowed the destruction of Israel and America. The sermon illuminates the underlying theology and physical circumstances behind the attack. God's repetition of historical events on the same day on the Jewish calendar shows us that God is sovereign over history.

Jesus gave three short parables after the one on different types of soil. The first was about putting a lamp where it can be seen. The second was on the way the kingdom grows without our being aware of it. And the third was on the tiny beginnings of the kingdom of God and the promise of great growth. The more we shine and cast the seed of the Word, the greater is the growth of God's kingdom.

The parable of the sower is key to understanding parables. In it, we see the four kinds of soil that represent the condition of our hearts. We need to tend our heart's soil to see that we readily receive the Word when it is proclaimed and that we allow our roots of faith to grow deep into the living water if we are to bear fruit.

In this passage we learn about Jesus' family and the conflict with the scribes from Jerusalem. The sermon also covers the unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.