The Gospel of Mark
“Who do people say that I am?” (Jesus, Mark 8:27) The identity of Jesus is a big deal. As C.S. Lewis put it in Mere Christianity, we don’t have the option of labeling Jesus Christ as simply a good teacher. We must reckon with the fact that he claimed to be the eternal God, and ...
Good Friday: Jesus Died
Branch Life held its first Good Friday observance on April 6. We prayed that God would give us a sobering look at the brutal death of the man who never sinned, and the part we all played in his death. here are the notes from my brief message at the service: {Readings from Isaiah 53:3-12, ...
Enemy Theology
Jesus always flips our understanding of who God is, who we are, and what he expects of us. He did such a thing for the disciples in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:43, Jesus declares, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to ...
Christ, Community, Neighbor
During the month of January, BLC is walking through a sermon series entitled “Christ-Community-Neighbor.” We are looking at various passages throughout Scripture that teach us about proclaiming the gospel message, the mission of the church, and the obligation we have to our neighbors. Our hope for this series is three-fold, as the title suggests: We ...
The Hope of Advent
Advent season has begun. Our church celebrates Advent because we want to have our hearts filled with awe and wonder at the coming of the King. This is truly a time for rejoicing, thanksgiving, and amazement. Celebrating Advent as a church and in our homes reminds us of the indescribable gift of God and what ...