Sermon Audio - Christ Community Church, Willmar MN

“Love God, and Love People.” It seems so simple, doesn't it? Yet, how is it that a Scribe understands this, but Jesus still says he is outside the kingdom?

The words games with Jesus never end. This time, the Sadducees come forth with a test of Jesus' resolve. What they don't know (according to Jesus) is twofold: the Scriptures, nor the power of God.

Taxes. We all pay them, and likely don't like doing it. We are not the first people to deal with paying a little extra for the things we utilize. In fact, Jesus uses a simple coin with Caesar's face on it to teach us a more profound truth about what it means to belong to God.

The tensions between Jesus and the “higher-ups” continue to mount. In his teaching ministry, Jesus utilizes parables in order to communicate truth. Not all parables are created equally, and the Parable of the Tenants displays Jesus' judgment against the religious elite.

A storm is brewing between Jesus and the religious elite. With the crowds still enraptured by Jesus and his teaching, a plot comes to light to discredit Christ and his ministry. However, what the religious leaders don't know is how authoritative Jesus truly is.

Mark serves up a rather odd meal for us this week. The first course is a strange encounter between Jesus and a fruitless fig tree, and the second course is a rather angry encounter between Jesus, pigeon sellers, and money changers in the Temple Courts. How in the world do these two narratives fit with one another?

The story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem is one of the most popular—and yet, why did he do it? Why a donkey? This week we look at the glaring question that stares us in the face after ten chapters of Mark's gospel, “What's the point?”

With so much talk about the “Kingdom of God,” the question remains: who's in? That is, the wealthy young man in Mark 10 asks the question that so many of Jesus' time were wondering themselves: “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Marriage and divorce are two topics that draw a lot of opinions both inside and outside the Church. In today's text, Jesus takes some religious leaders to task over some dismissive attitudes regarding these realities. In the end, how does Christ's kingdom bear weight on one of the most sacred of earthly relationships: marriage?

What do a child, a mysterious man casting out demons, and tying a millstone around your neck while swimming have in common? In this section of Mark's Gospel, Jesus teaches us what it means to be “little” and “least,” and therefore “great.” (AUDIO NOTE: Due to a live analogy, the audio quality decreases from the 17:15-20:00 mark.)

What happens after you go up a mountain? You have to come down. Right after the glorious mountaintop transfiguration, Jesus encounters what he calls a “faithless generation.” What does that mean? And, what does Christ offer them?

Moses, Elijah, and Jesus (oh my)! Why does Mark suddenly give us an interaction (on a mountaintop nonetheless) between these three figures?

This saying of Christ, to take up our cross and follow him, is often rehearsed by Christians. But, what does it actually mean and look like to do this?

Did Jesus really call a woman a dog? This is a baffling passage, but Mark wants us to see what Jesus saw in the woman: a faith that pleases God.

We love traditions. In fact, we love law! “Do this” and “do that” is so natural to us. But, what can happen when Laws and Traditions become the focal point of our faith? How is the Law of God meant to function within our life? Where does the Gospel come in? Jesus teaches us in his collision with the Pharisees and Scribes in Mark 7.

Where is Jesus when we are struggling? What do we do when we feel like the grips of life (and winter!) just never seem to let go? And, what does any of this have to do with boats?

Feeding the 5,000 is one of Jesus' most popular miracles. But this feeding is more than just loaves and fish, it is a display of biblical imagery and is full of the merciful heart of Christ for sinners.

We typically associate Palm Sunday with shouts of cheers and loud “Hosannas!” But, Jerusalem has a reputation: she is not friendly to her prophets. Sin, condemnation, and a “triumphal” exit of John the Baptist.

Mark caps off this section showing us the final enemy of faith: death.

This is a wild story in the Gospel of Mark, but its significance should not be understated. What do demon-possessed men, pigs, and baptism have in common?

Jesus in the boat…it's a classic Sunday School story. But why? Why this story? What does Mark want us to see about Jesus, ourselves, and what it means to have faith?

It's easy to reduce Jesus' parables into moralistic stories, but what is Christ seeking to really reveal to us in these c classic teachings?

Throughout Jesus' ministry, many came to him for healing and miraculous manifestations. But Jesus has an odd relationship with large crowds. In Mark 3, we get a sharpened view into the heart and ministry focus of Christ.

What does it truly mean to be sick? What does it truly mean to be made well? Mark teaches us about sin, sickness, forgiveness, and healing, and what it means to know the Great Physician.

Mark's fast-paced gospel brings us to the subject of the Kingdom of God. Jesus, as the one who ushers in the Kingdom, shows us exactly to whom the Kingdom belongs.

”Since the Holy Spirit inspired David to write Psalm 34, it comes from God himself. He wants you to know him, see him, taste his goodness, be in awe of him, and rejoice in him. God is good—he blesses and protects everyone who trusts in him.” Do you believe that?

The Bible is filled with broken, messed up people who believe in unbroken, precious promises. When the light of the world goes dark, Advent reminds us of the light found in our only hope: Christ (the King!) alone.

This gut-wrenching Psalm of David shows us what it looks like to come to the end of ourselves, but also what it means to hope in God's mercy and grace.

“This I know, that God is for me.” This wonderful gospel reality is ours in Christ, and Psalm 56 goes at great length to sing it over us.

Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved in all of the Psalter. What does this well-known Psalm teach us about the Shepherd-heart of Christ?

504 years ago, something happened to change the course of history. Martin Luther with his 95 Theses set off what is now known as the Protestant Reformation. Though he was a bold person, Luther often struggled deeply. His favorite Psalm, 46, often pulled him through his darkest hours.

Nature can take our breath away and make us stand speechless as we gaze upon its beauty. Though we may be silent, it is not. Psalm 19 shows us how God's world, His Word, and we all declare His glory.

We begin the book of Psalms with the very first one. The Psalmist shows us the way of righteousness, wickedness, and the outcomes of both. But, where is Jesus in this Psalm? The answer might not be where you think…

How do you summarize one of the greatest letters ever written? It's full of doctrine and theology, but also practical help for every church. Taking some cues from C.S. Lewis, we dive into the themes of Romans in a creative way.

The promises of the gospel in Romans are astounding, but they were never meant to remain in the ivory tower of theological fortitude. No, these wonderful realities bring shape and life to the local church!

Unity is important to a Christian church because it is important to Jesus. What is it, and how does it grow within a church body?

In our days we have been inundated with an endless barrage of opinions. We are told what to believe about almost everything. How do genuine Christians, genuinely disagree, and still remain genuinely unified?

Does a 2,000 year old letter have anything to say to 2021 Christians and how they relate to government? How does the gospel shape our attitudes as God's people?

Someone once said, “everyone wants to do big things for Jesus, but nobody wants to do the dishes.” What does it look like to be an ordinary, everyday Christian in this life? Are we supposed to be that? What does Romans 12 teach us?

By the time we arrive at Romans 12, we are confronted by the glaring reality that God's grace changes and reorients our entire lives. When it comes to being gifted by God and His grace, why does He do this? What's the purpose? How should we view our own gifts, other's gifts, and gifts in general?

Now that Paul has taken 11 chapters to explain the glories of the gospel, it's time for us to do our part, right? Romans 12 begins the last section of Romans (Gratitude), and specifically how God's grace doesn't “stop,” but rather sustains us in our everyday practical life.

Romans 11 can feel a bit like a maze with all of Paul's confusing statements. However, when we consider the greater picture we see a glorious God who has worked in Christ to save sinners throughout history.