POPULARITY
4 episodes with scripture: mark 6:14-6:29
5 episodes with scripture: mark 6:14-6:29
3 episodes with scripture: mark 6:14-6:29
2 episodes with scripture: mark 6:14-6:29
2 episodes with scripture: mark 6:14-6:29
2 episodes with scripture: mark 6:14-6:29
2 episodes with scripture: mark 6:14-6:29
2 episodes with scripture: mark 6:14-6:29
2 episodes with scripture: mark 6:14-6:29
The cost of not having courage is a weighty debt.
Continuing with our series called "The Servant King," (A Study of the Gospel of Mark).... Mark Ch 6: 14-29 In today's teaching, Pastor Ben goes over the 2 "Kingdoms" within our lives that are always at war. 1 Kingdom is the Kingdom of God, full of Hope, Love and Truth. The 2nd Kingdom is Counterfeit, promising everything in life that you would possibly imagine but Never delivering, leading people to do things they might never thought they would do otherwise., If you are interested in attending our LIVE teachings (Wednesdays @ 7:00 pm & Sundays @ 10:00 am), you are invited to visit us at 4218 Boston Ave. Lubbock, Texas. To connect with us, you can call us at (806) 799-2227, email us at calvarylubbock@hotmail.com, or checkout our website at CalvaryChapelLubbock.church. You can also watch us on Facebook and contact us through Facebook Messenger. Please feel free to let us know about your walk with Jesus, as we would love to hear it and pray with you. If you'd like to partner with us to help us take the Gospel to the world, just click on the DONATE button on our website, let us know through Facebook Messenger, or in person. We pray that the rest of your week be blessed and that you share the love of Jesus with everyone that you encounter.
Continuing with our series called "The Servant King," (A Study of the Gospel of Mark).... Mark Ch 6: 14-29 In today's teaching, Pastor Ben goes over the 2 "Kingdoms" within our lives that are always at war. 1 Kingdom is the Kingdom of God, full of Hope, Love and Truth. The 2nd Kingdom is Counterfeit, promising everything in life that you would possibly imagine but Never delivering, leading people to do things they might never thought they would do otherwise., If you are interested in attending our LIVE teachings (Wednesdays @ 7:00 pm & Sundays @ 10:00 am), you are invited to visit us at 4218 Boston Ave. Lubbock, Texas. To connect with us, you can call us at (806) 799-2227, email us at calvarylubbock@hotmail.com, or checkout our website at CalvaryChapelLubbock.church. You can also watch us on Facebook and contact us through Facebook Messenger. Please feel free to let us know about your walk with Jesus, as we would love to hear it and pray with you. If you'd like to partner with us to help us take the Gospel to the world, just click on the DONATE button on our website, let us know through Facebook Messenger, or in person. We pray that the rest of your week be blessed and that you share the love of Jesus with everyone that you encounter.
Southview Baptist Church
Southview Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Larry Hayward preaches on the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Scripture passages are Mark 6:14-29 and Ecclesiastes 9:12.
Sunday Sermons
Video from Sunday Worship Services
Video from Sunday Worship Services
This channel is an archive of all the sermons preached at South City Church of Little Rock.
This channel is an archive of all the sermons preached at South City Church of Little Rock.
Morning Communion Service Oct.'22
Northridge Free Will Baptist
The Death of John the Baptist.
Everyone would like to think that they would make the right decisions when the time comes but you never know until it happens. Some decisions are easy while others are made under extreme pressure. Each decision has its own reaction. Making godly decisions is more important than ever in today’s culture. You and I must be sure we have the power to make them! Sermon Notes @ http://bible.com/events/48804597
May the God of Wonders Bless You!
You CAN Fight City Hall
You CAN Fight City Hall
We are pleased to provide you with sermons from Mayflower Congregational Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mayflower is a growing inclusive church - Faith is a journey, God is good, Jesus saves, and the Spirit leads us to faith, hope and love.
We are pleased to provide you with sermons from Mayflower Congregational Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mayflower is a growing inclusive church - Faith is a journey, God is good, Jesus saves, and the Spirit leads us to faith, hope and love.
We are pleased to provide you with sermons from Mayflower Congregational Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mayflower is a growing inclusive church - Faith is a journey, God is good, Jesus saves, and the Spirit leads us to faith, hope and love.
The Rev. Brad Sullivan Emmanuel Episcopal Church July 11, 2021 Proper 10, B Mark 6:14-29 Filling the Hollows of Our Lives Paul wrote in Ephesians that we have an inheritance in Christ as God’s children, God’s beloved people. That inheritance is living God’s kingdom of love, united to God and to one another in this life and in the life to come. Paul went on to write, that we could squander our inheritance, removing ourselves as God’s children. “Entirely out of place”, Paul wrote, “is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” (Ephesians 5:4-5) That’s what we saw with Herod when he had John the Baptist killed. Herod was king of Israel, a puppet king propped up by Rome, but still king of Israel. He had power and authority to build up the kingdom of God within Israel. He could have led the people to live in love, to care for one another, to “put away…all bitterness and wrath…slander and malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another…” (Ephesians 4:31-32) That would have been living the inheritance of the kingdom of God. Instead of living the kingdom of God and guiding the people of Israel into the same, however, Herod used his power and authority, to enrich and glorify himself. He had John imprisoned for speaking the truth to him about his actions, and at the same time, he was drawn to John. He was drawn to the kingdom of God which John preached and taught people to live, but he would’t then follow John and live the kingdom of God himself. For him, with much potentially to lose, the sacrifice was too great. If he didn’t continue to enrich himself, would those with wealth look at him as less powerful, less important than they? If he chose to do the right thing, at John’s urging, would he look weak in the eyes of his courtiers and officers? If he broke his oath after his silly and vulgar talk to his step-daughter, would he appear foolish and lose some of his credibility? Money, power, influence: these were all Herod’s to lose, and wanting to keep those things, he executed an innocent man, a man whom he admired, a man who was leading him to the Kingdom of God. Herod had the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Love, right there to be received and to be grown and spread to others, leading others to the same Kingdom of Love, and instead, he squandered God’s kingdom, squandered his inheritance in money, power, and influence. Squandering his inheritance, Herod reminds me of a man in a parable Jesus taught, the parable of the prodigal son. In the parable, a son demands his inheritance from his father, receives his inheritance, and then squanders it all in raucous and extravagant living. Once the money is all gone, he finds himself starving and alone, feeding pigs on someone else’s land, wishing he could eat even the slop he is feeding the pigs. Herod is like that prodigal son, having received his inheritance and then squandering it completely. Herod had wealth, power, and influence, but the Kingdom of God was nowhere to be seen in his life. As far as joining with God in a life of love, grace, and mercy, using what he had to bring about justice and peace among the people, Herod was as poor and alone as the prodigal son, starving and penniless, wishing he could eat even the pig slop. Of course, the story of the prodigal son does not end there. The son eventually wakes up, realizing he is starving and miserable, and he returns to his father ready to work as a hired servant, knowing that at least he will have food and shelter. Then, while he is still a ways off, his father sees him coming home and he runs out to greet him, restoring his as his beloved son, overjoyed that he is back, alive and well. That’s God’s way. When we squander our inheritance and live selfish lives, unconcerned with others, leaving hurt and harm in our wake, we may eventually realize that we are starving for a life of love, grace, and mercy. When we realize that we are starving, and we begin to return to God’s kingdom of love, God runs out to us with open arms, strengthening us and guiding us back into our inheritance, living the Kingdom of love. The challenge for Herod was he never realized he was starving. He had his wealth, his power, his influence. He had his courtiers and officials all suckling up to him, and so he was able to remain blind to the damage left in his wake. He thought he had arrived, thought he had it all, but he was hollow on the inside, a puppet, not just of Rome, but also a puppet to all of his cravings, led by his desires for money, power, and influence. As a puppet mastered by his cravings, Herod lived outside of the Kingdom of God, squandering his inheritance. Of course, living the Kingdom of God is rarely as simple as you either are or you aren’t. Most of us are living our inheritance in God’s kingdom of love except when we’re not. So, my question today is, what is keeping us from living more fully into God’s kingdom of love? What fills the hollows of our lives, controlling us as puppets? For some, like Herod, it may be money, power, and influence that we are afraid to risk losing. I don’t mean to imply that any of us have people beheaded over it, but for some, money, power, and influence may master us, keeping us from decisions, actions, or beliefs which would risk our money, power, and influence for the sake of others’ well being. For some of us, our past hurts may be mastering us, keeping us from living more fully into God’s kingdom of love. All of us are hurting in some way and we end up building walls and defenses just trying to be ok. Sometimes those very defenses end up taking over, harming us and others, and we miss out on God’s kingdom of love. There are many things which can end up mastering us, taking over the hollows of our lives and controlling us as puppets. God’s response is to help wake us up to realize the ways we are being mastered, like Herod. God’s response is to help us become aware of the ways we are starving, squandering our inheritance like the prodigal son. God’s response is then to guide us back to our inheritance, to let go our fears, and to let God guide us into his Kingdom of love. God’s way is to offer to fill the hollows of our lives so that we are not puppets led by our fears and desires, but are instead walking together with God and one another. That is life in God’s kingdom, as Paul writes to, “put away…all bitterness and wrath…slander and malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven [us].” Even when we squander our inheritance through fear and desire leaving ourselves hollow and hungry, in God’s kingdom, there is inheritance still waiting for us when we wake up and return and strive again to live in the way of love.
From the 9am Sanctuary Service
From the 9am Sanctuary Service
7th Sunday after Pentecost Based on Mark 6:14-29 Rev. Anton Lagoutine
How do we deal with fear? Is it a state of being or a byproduct of our circumstances? Misalignment with God leads to fear for the future.
How do we deal with fear? Is it a state of being or a byproduct of our circumstances? Misalignment with God leads to fear for the future.
"Keeping it Simple" Wednesday night services. Verse by verse teaching through the book of Mark by Assistant Pastor Darrell Logan of Calvary Queen Creek, AZ
In this life temptation is unavoidable. It's not a question of if you'll be tempted with evil but merely when. However, temptation when it is endured can lead to some serious promotion. The only way up to victory is through the fire. So be sober, watch, and pray it's coming but you must be ready. www.kingdomrock.org
In this life temptation is unavoidable. It's not a question of if you'll be tempted with evil but merely when. However, temptation when it is endured can lead to some serious promotion. The only way up to victory is through the fire. So be sober, watch, and pray it's coming but you must be ready. www.kingdomrock.org
In this life temptation is unavoidable. It's not a question of if you'll be tempted with evil but merely when. However, temptation when it is endured can lead to some serious promotion. The only way up to victory is through the fire. So be sober, watch, and pray it's coming but you must be ready. www.kingdomrock.org
En plein milieu de l'évangile de Marc, il nous est fait mention de la mort de Jean-Baptiste, pourquoi ? certainement pour comprendre que l'important c'est d'être pardonner de nos péchés... Et que ce n'est pas un message très populaire.
Sermons from Living Hope Fellowship in Greenwood, Delaware
Sermons from Living Hope Fellowship in Greenwood, Delaware
King Herod said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.”
Brad Sullivan Proper 10, Year B July 15, 2018 Emmanuel, Houston Mark 6:14-29 Title John the Baptist was killed because of a hastily-made promise given by a man who was overly aroused by his step daughter’s dancing. With little thought as to possible consequence, Herod spoke his promise to give her whatever she wanted. He was acting out of emotion, feeling more than thinking, and so in his lust and over excitement, he got a man killed. I’d like to say that as disciples of Jesus, we don’t fall into that trap anymore, the trap of speaking and acting out of our emotions and letting our rash words cause harm to others. I’d like to say that we don’t cause harm with our rash words, but of course we all still do. As researcher and author Brené Brown points out, we like to think of ourselves as thinking people who also have emotions, but really, we are emotional people who also think sometimes. We are often driven by our emotions and even our rational decisions are often clouded by our emotions. We may not often get people killed with a hastily made promise like Herod did, but remember that even before Herod had John killed, he had him imprisoned. This was probably another hastily made decision, probably based largely on emotion. Herod was the named Jewish king. He was a puppet king of Rome, but even so, his assigned duty was to lead well the nation of Israel, so when he decided to marry his brother’s wife, John pointed out that doing so was against Jewish law. Now usually, Herod liked listening to John. He was perplexed by his teachings, but something about John’s teaching about God and about the ways of the people of Israel seems to have connected with Herod. Then John called into question Herod’s unlawful marriage, and in what was likely a tantrumy fit of emotion, Herod decided that there was no longer room enough in Israel for both John and him, so he had John imprisoned. “I don’t like what you have to say, so you’ll have to go.” That was Herod’s basic operating model with John. We don’t often get people killed with our rash words and emotionally clouded decisions, but “I don’t like what you have to say, so you’ll have to go,” is something I hear with increasing frequency. In our nation, with much of the vitriolic, emotional language surrounding any issue, people tend to be painted in absolute, binary terms. On one side of what we hear, if you agree with anything President Trump does or says, then you are described or thought of as a hateful racist (which is completely false). On the other side of what we hear, if you don’t agree with something President Trump does or says, then you are described or thought of as an anti-American nincompoop (also totally false). Put another way, much of what we hear is, “I don’t like what you have to say, so you’ll have to go.” That’s Herod’s way. This way of thinking with our emotions, lives not only in our political thoughts and civil discourse. The putting away of and rejection of the other ends up living in our church and our faith as well. My guess is that most of us don’t believe in overly emotional labels of the other. Most of us, when our emotions are down, don’t really believe in the “I don’t like what you have to say, so you’ll have to go” mentality. Most of us would not want to kick out of the church those who have different beliefs about our faith or different beliefs about various laws in America. We may disagree, but I’m guess that most of us would not want to declare those with whom we disagree no longer welcome in the Episcopal Church or no longer a part of the Body of Christ, and yet people continue to feel like that is exactly what they are being told. “Because of what you believe, you no longer belong.” I had a question recently from a friend in the Episcopal church, wondering about the Episcopal Church’s stance on a variety of current hot button issues. Ultimately, he was wondering if he still belongs in the Episcopal Church. He has more conservative views on most of the hot button issues of the day and he was wondering if because of his conservative views, he was going to be seen as a bigot in his church. Hearing what some in his church have said, hearing what some leaders in the church have said, he was guessing that he wasn’t welcome. Now, none of those leaders said he wasn’t welcome, but we hear it so much, that we hear “you aren’t welcome,” even when it is not being said or thought. Based on conversations and observations of others in his church, he was afraid. He felt that if he were to say that he agrees with some of President Trumps policies, that he would be labeled a hateful racist and be shunned. I assured him that as far as any official stance within the Episcopal Church goes, of course he is a part of the Episcopal Church, and of course his views are welcome in the Episcopal Church, and he is not viewed as a bigot for having conservative beliefs. Nor is anyone viewed as a nincompoop for having liberal beliefs. There are bishops, priest, and laity throughout the Episcopal Church on the far right, on the far left, everywhere in between, and all of those beliefs are welcome. It’s not as comfortable as it is to say, “I disagree; you don’t belong.” That’s a lot easier, but that is not the way of the Episcopal Church. One of the longtime hallmarks of the Anglican/Episcopal church is that we are united in Jesus, and our unity in Jesus overcomes any other divisions we have. Sadly, much of how we talk about our differences leaves us feeling like there is only room for some of us. I’ve been guilty of this in how I’ve talked and written. I’m guessing many of us have, when we talk emotionally about an issue and end up saying things in such a way that those with opposing views end up hearing very clearly, “I don’t like what you have to say, so you’ll have to go.” A one sided church is not, however, the way of the Anglican/Episcopal Church. The Anglican Church started off with bloodshed. When a catholic monarch was in charge, they killed the protestants, and when a protestant monarch was in charge, they killed the Catholics. Finally, Elizabeth basically said, We’re not doing this anymore. This isn’t the church of Catholicism; this isn’t the church of Protestantism. This is the church of England. Furthermore, this is the church of Jesus, and we are going to be united around Jesus and be united around prayer. So all of you Catholics who are so upset that there are Protestants here, terribly sorry, we’re keeping them. All of you protestants who are so upset that there are Catholics here, terribly sorry, we’re keeping them too, and we’re going to unite and come together in that tricky, messy middle place where we remain as one, united in Jesus. We continue to this day to seek a middle way between opposing views. We continue to believe that our unity comes from Jesus and that there is room enough for all of us, even with our opposing views. In Herod’s kingdom, there was room enough only for what pleased Herod. If someone challenged him or made him uncomfortable, then there was no longer room for that person. In Jesus’ kingdom there is room for all of us. We are all the Body of Christ and individually members of it. Not only is there room for all of us, but there is need for all of us. One of the issues my friend asked about was immigration. While he isn’t a fan of detaining children, he also believes that enforcing our immigration laws is a good thing. He is aware of the human tracking that happens everywhere in the world, including along our southern border, and as much as he wanted children to be reunited with their parents, he was also aware of the possibility that some of those children were likely being trafficked by people who weren’t their parents. As it turns out, on the issue of separating families on our southern border, both sides have truths that we need. We need to be compassionate in how we treat and speak about immigrants, and we need to enforce our laws with compassion and dignity, and we need to enforce our laws in order to keep people safe. Both sides are needed for America to be the nation we were founded to be, and both sides are needed for us to truly live as the Body of Christ. We need each other, and there is plenty of room in Jesus for all of us. Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians that basically there is no room in Jesus’ kingdom for enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, etc. There is room, however, for being wrong. There is room for disagreeing. There is room for striving for what is right and good, and coming up with different solutions for doing what is right and good. There is room within Jesus, within the Body of Christ for what Paul calls the fruits of the Spirit: love for each other, joy in creation and our faith, peace in our hearts, patience and kindness as we live with others, assuming each others’ goodness, faithfulness to Jesus, gentleness and self-control as we live with our differences. These fruits are how we live with one another in Jesus because these fruits are part of the character and nature of who Jesus is. Unlike in Herod’s kingdom of his way only, of rash words and decisions based on raw emotion and arousal, we belong to Jesus’ kingdom. No political or social belief unites us or divides us, and no rash words spoken by any of us in the heat of emotion get to declare that someone else doesn’t belong. We all belong in Jesus.
Brad Sullivan Proper 10, Year B July 15, 2018 Emmanuel, Houston Mark 6:14-29 Title John the Baptist was killed because of a hastily-made promise given by a man who was overly aroused by his step daughter’s dancing. With little thought as to possible consequence, Herod spoke his promise to give her whatever she wanted. He was acting out of emotion, feeling more than thinking, and so in his lust and over excitement, he got a man killed. I’d like to say that as disciples of Jesus, we don’t fall into that trap anymore, the trap of speaking and acting out of our emotions and letting our rash words cause harm to others. I’d like to say that we don’t cause harm with our rash words, but of course we all still do. As researcher and author Brené Brown points out, we like to think of ourselves as thinking people who also have emotions, but really, we are emotional people who also think sometimes. We are often driven by our emotions and even our rational decisions are often clouded by our emotions. We may not often get people killed with a hastily made promise like Herod did, but remember that even before Herod had John killed, he had him imprisoned. This was probably another hastily made decision, probably based largely on emotion. Herod was the named Jewish king. He was a puppet king of Rome, but even so, his assigned duty was to lead well the nation of Israel, so when he decided to marry his brother’s wife, John pointed out that doing so was against Jewish law. Now usually, Herod liked listening to John. He was perplexed by his teachings, but something about John’s teaching about God and about the ways of the people of Israel seems to have connected with Herod. Then John called into question Herod’s unlawful marriage, and in what was likely a tantrumy fit of emotion, Herod decided that there was no longer room enough in Israel for both John and him, so he had John imprisoned. “I don’t like what you have to say, so you’ll have to go.” That was Herod’s basic operating model with John. We don’t often get people killed with our rash words and emotionally clouded decisions, but “I don’t like what you have to say, so you’ll have to go,” is something I hear with increasing frequency. In our nation, with much of the vitriolic, emotional language surrounding any issue, people tend to be painted in absolute, binary terms. On one side of what we hear, if you agree with anything President Trump does or says, then you are described or thought of as a hateful racist (which is completely false). On the other side of what we hear, if you don’t agree with something President Trump does or says, then you are described or thought of as an anti-American nincompoop (also totally false). Put another way, much of what we hear is, “I don’t like what you have to say, so you’ll have to go.” That’s Herod’s way. This way of thinking with our emotions, lives not only in our political thoughts and civil discourse. The putting away of and rejection of the other ends up living in our church and our faith as well. My guess is that most of us don’t believe in overly emotional labels of the other. Most of us, when our emotions are down, don’t really believe in the “I don’t like what you have to say, so you’ll have to go” mentality. Most of us would not want to kick out of the church those who have different beliefs about our faith or different beliefs about various laws in America. We may disagree, but I’m guess that most of us would not want to declare those with whom we disagree no longer welcome in the Episcopal Church or no longer a part of the Body of Christ, and yet people continue to feel like that is exactly what they are being told. “Because of what you believe, you no longer belong.” I had a question recently from a friend in the Episcopal church, wondering about the Episcopal Church’s stance on a variety of current hot button issues. Ultimately, he was wondering if he still belongs in the Episcopal Church. He has more conservative views on most of the hot button issues of the day and he was wondering if because of his conservative views, he was going to be seen as a bigot in his church. Hearing what some in his church have said, hearing what some leaders in the church have said, he was guessing that he wasn’t welcome. Now, none of those leaders said he wasn’t welcome, but we hear it so much, that we hear “you aren’t welcome,” even when it is not being said or thought. Based on conversations and observations of others in his church, he was afraid. He felt that if he were to say that he agrees with some of President Trumps policies, that he would be labeled a hateful racist and be shunned. I assured him that as far as any official stance within the Episcopal Church goes, of course he is a part of the Episcopal Church, and of course his views are welcome in the Episcopal Church, and he is not viewed as a bigot for having conservative beliefs. Nor is anyone viewed as a nincompoop for having liberal beliefs. There are bishops, priest, and laity throughout the Episcopal Church on the far right, on the far left, everywhere in between, and all of those beliefs are welcome. It’s not as comfortable as it is to say, “I disagree; you don’t belong.” That’s a lot easier, but that is not the way of the Episcopal Church. One of the longtime hallmarks of the Anglican/Episcopal church is that we are united in Jesus, and our unity in Jesus overcomes any other divisions we have. Sadly, much of how we talk about our differences leaves us feeling like there is only room for some of us. I’ve been guilty of this in how I’ve talked and written. I’m guessing many of us have, when we talk emotionally about an issue and end up saying things in such a way that those with opposing views end up hearing very clearly, “I don’t like what you have to say, so you’ll have to go.” A one sided church is not, however, the way of the Anglican/Episcopal Church. The Anglican Church started off with bloodshed. When a catholic monarch was in charge, they killed the protestants, and when a protestant monarch was in charge, they killed the Catholics. Finally, Elizabeth basically said, We’re not doing this anymore. This isn’t the church of Catholicism; this isn’t the church of Protestantism. This is the church of England. Furthermore, this is the church of Jesus, and we are going to be united around Jesus and be united around prayer. So all of you Catholics who are so upset that there are Protestants here, terribly sorry, we’re keeping them. All of you protestants who are so upset that there are Catholics here, terribly sorry, we’re keeping them too, and we’re going to unite and come together in that tricky, messy middle place where we remain as one, united in Jesus. We continue to this day to seek a middle way between opposing views. We continue to believe that our unity comes from Jesus and that there is room enough for all of us, even with our opposing views. In Herod’s kingdom, there was room enough only for what pleased Herod. If someone challenged him or made him uncomfortable, then there was no longer room for that person. In Jesus’ kingdom there is room for all of us. We are all the Body of Christ and individually members of it. Not only is there room for all of us, but there is need for all of us. One of the issues my friend asked about was immigration. While he isn’t a fan of detaining children, he also believes that enforcing our immigration laws is a good thing. He is aware of the human tracking that happens everywhere in the world, including along our southern border, and as much as he wanted children to be reunited with their parents, he was also aware of the possibility that some of those children were likely being trafficked by people who weren’t their parents. As it turns out, on the issue of separating families on our southern border, both sides have truths that we need. We need to be compassionate in how we treat and speak about immigrants, and we need to enforce our laws with compassion and dignity, and we need to enforce our laws in order to keep people safe. Both sides are needed for America to be the nation we were founded to be, and both sides are needed for us to truly live as the Body of Christ. We need each other, and there is plenty of room in Jesus for all of us. Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians that basically there is no room in Jesus’ kingdom for enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, etc. There is room, however, for being wrong. There is room for disagreeing. There is room for striving for what is right and good, and coming up with different solutions for doing what is right and good. There is room within Jesus, within the Body of Christ for what Paul calls the fruits of the Spirit: love for each other, joy in creation and our faith, peace in our hearts, patience and kindness as we live with others, assuming each others’ goodness, faithfulness to Jesus, gentleness and self-control as we live with our differences. These fruits are how we live with one another in Jesus because these fruits are part of the character and nature of who Jesus is. Unlike in Herod’s kingdom of his way only, of rash words and decisions based on raw emotion and arousal, we belong to Jesus’ kingdom. No political or social belief unites us or divides us, and no rash words spoken by any of us in the heat of emotion get to declare that someone else doesn’t belong. We all belong in Jesus.
First Lutheran Church - Paola, KS
Power and Promise Mark 6: 14-29
You cannot put your love and heart into a better hand than Jesus'.
You cannot put your love and heart into a better hand than Jesus'.
How does Christianity alone offer freedom from the various fears and failures we all will face?
Rev. Stone brings us a message from Mark 6 about "king" Herod Antipas and the death of John the Baptist. 1. There is a pattern to sin 2. Freedom has boundaries 3. A guilty conscience is not a repentant conscience 4. The gospel is a gospel of repentance.
Providence Reformed Church of Bakesfield is a growing community of believers in Jesus Christ with diverse spiritual histories, who share a common story. Our spiritual hunger to know God and his Word more deeply, has led us to the great truths of the Gosp
Topical message for New Years Day
In the life and death of John the Baptist we see the cost of identifying with Jesus as King... and the ultimate victory and reward.
What are you committed to?
Being faithful to God does not mean that this life is easy.
Being faithful to God does not mean that this life is easy.
Message looking at the death of John the Baptist and how we respond to the choices of others that negatively affect us.
Union Avenue Baptist Church
In the middle of Mark chapter 6 we get the complete story of the end of John the Baptist's life, who died a martyr because he dared to stand up and correct Herod (and his stolen wife, Herodias) for a sinful lifestyle. It is a story of revenge and bitterness, but also one of true freedom in that John the Baptist was freed from this life, having run his race with endurance.
Rev. Casey W. FitzGerald preaches today from Mark 6:14-29.
St. John's Lutheran Church is a vibrant congregation with active adult ministries and numerous opportunities for children and youth. Founded in 1798, St. John's continues to grow being nourished by the Word of God.
Brad Sullivan Proper 10, Year B July 12, 2015 Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, Bay City, TX Mark 6:14-29 Hooray for getting to talk about beheading this morning. I know it’s my personal favorite topic first thing on a Sunday morning. Earlier in the week, Kristin asked me about mock enthusiasm if I was looking forward to preaching about the beheading of John the Baptist. “Is that the Gospel for this Sunday?” I asked. “Yup, it’s great, isn’t it?” She replied. “Oy,” I think was my response. There is grace in this story, however. We just have to find it. So here we go. Herod was basically a puppet king. Rome was the true ruler over Israel, even though Israel had some amount of self-rule beneath the umbrella of Rome. Herod was king of Israel, but only because Rome didn’t want to devote the resources to rule them directly. I can imagine Herod feeling rather powerless as this puppet king. He felt powerless and so he stared being reckless and dangerous. He promised up to half of his kingdom to his step daughter, but half of kingdom was not really his to give. Rome had the authority, not Herod. Despite this fact, despite being a puppet king, Herod did have the ability to rule his people well. He had the influence in Rome to bring about some good. While we don’t know exactly how he ruled, it seems that instead of ruling for his people, he generally sought more and more power for himself. He wanted to be great and mighty in the eyes of others. Feared. Admired for his wealth and influence. He wanted his ego stroked. So, in his powerless desire for power, he started being reckless. He gave himself a birthday party and began feeling powerful like he wanted. Surrounded by the powerful people beneath him, his courtiers, officers, and rulers of Galilee, he began to feel great and mighty in their eyes. His step daughter danced, and they were all pleased. He looked like a great king, or at least he thought he looked like a great king in their eyes. Drunk on his supposed power, he got brazen and did something stupid. He offered his step daughter more than he either could or wanted to give. Expecting a relatively small request from the young girl, he makes a grand gesture, again looking powerful. The plan was to look mighty and beneficent through his grandiosity in offering and generosity in giving. Then, of course, he got caught in his rash offer and was left with a choice. Have a good man killed, a man whom he feared and respected, or give up his ruse of power and do the right thing. Herod could have backed down from his rash oath he made to give his step daughter half of his kingdom. He could have said, “I’m sorry, but the power and authority of my kingship went to my head. I cannot give half of the kingdom. Without Rome, it is not mine to give. I am not powerful as I want to be as king. We will talk later about what gift I can give, but the head of this man, I cannot give. As for you, my courtiers, officers, and leaders of Galilee, we know we don’t have the power of a sovereign nation, but let us work together to be the best rulers we can be for the sake of our people.” That might be a little too 21st century to have actually come out of Herod’s mouth, but he could have admitted that he messed up, admitted that even the party he threw was a bit of a farce, and then sought to take the power that he and his officers did have and use it for the good of the people. I don’t know that any of them really had the character to do that, I do believe Herod regretted his decision and would like to have learned from it. The point, however, is not what could have been, but what could yet be based on the decisions we make. We all have power, even in small amounts. We all have some way to effect change in our lives or in the lives of those around us. Sometimes we also feel powerless to effect the change we would like to. I’m guessing in those times when we’ve felt powerless, we, like Herod have sometimes done the wrong thing, maybe not full on beheading, but the wrong thing nonetheless. We’ve likely regretted it. Here’s where graced comes in. Last week, we heard Paul talking about weakness, and God being strong when we are week. We heard about God’s grace being sufficient for us when we are weak. When we are weak and feel powerless, God’s grace is sufficient for us. We find with God’s grace that we don’t need the power we wished we had. With God’s grace, we find that what power we do have is sufficient. We may need to change our goals or recognize our area of influence to affect the world is smaller than we would like, but with God’s grace, we realize it isn’t our world, and what power we have to affect change is sufficient. When we mess up and regret it, we find God’s grace is sufficient for our forgiveness. God’s grace is sufficient for us to make amends. God’s grace is sufficient for us to admit that we’ve done wrong, talk openheartedly to those around us, and seek together to live God’s kingdom. Herod was a fool in offering his step daughter half of his kingdom. I’m guessing we’ve all been fools as one point or another. God’s grace was sufficient for him to get out of that by admitting that he acted rashly and repenting of it, like King David did. God’s grace is sufficient for us to admit when we acted as fools, repent, feel kinda dumb, and then accept the love and forgiveness of God and others. We’re God’s children, Paul reminds us. We are beloved of God. We’ve got a lot of darkness within us, enough even to do the stupid things Herod did. We’d be fools to think otherwise. Even with that darkness within us, we are still God’s children, beloved of God. We mess up, regret it, and there is God’s grace, unexpected, undeserved, offering us love, forgiveness, and guidance to start life anew. Amen.
Brad Sullivan Proper 10, Year B July 12, 2015 Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, Bay City, TX Mark 6:14-29 Hooray for getting to talk about beheading this morning. I know it’s my personal favorite topic first thing on a Sunday morning. Earlier in the week, Kristin asked me about mock enthusiasm if I was looking forward to preaching about the beheading of John the Baptist. “Is that the Gospel for this Sunday?” I asked. “Yup, it’s great, isn’t it?” She replied. “Oy,” I think was my response. There is grace in this story, however. We just have to find it. So here we go. Herod was basically a puppet king. Rome was the true ruler over Israel, even though Israel had some amount of self-rule beneath the umbrella of Rome. Herod was king of Israel, but only because Rome didn’t want to devote the resources to rule them directly. I can imagine Herod feeling rather powerless as this puppet king. He felt powerless and so he stared being reckless and dangerous. He promised up to half of his kingdom to his step daughter, but half of kingdom was not really his to give. Rome had the authority, not Herod. Despite this fact, despite being a puppet king, Herod did have the ability to rule his people well. He had the influence in Rome to bring about some good. While we don’t know exactly how he ruled, it seems that instead of ruling for his people, he generally sought more and more power for himself. He wanted to be great and mighty in the eyes of others. Feared. Admired for his wealth and influence. He wanted his ego stroked. So, in his powerless desire for power, he started being reckless. He gave himself a birthday party and began feeling powerful like he wanted. Surrounded by the powerful people beneath him, his courtiers, officers, and rulers of Galilee, he began to feel great and mighty in their eyes. His step daughter danced, and they were all pleased. He looked like a great king, or at least he thought he looked like a great king in their eyes. Drunk on his supposed power, he got brazen and did something stupid. He offered his step daughter more than he either could or wanted to give. Expecting a relatively small request from the young girl, he makes a grand gesture, again looking powerful. The plan was to look mighty and beneficent through his grandiosity in offering and generosity in giving. Then, of course, he got caught in his rash offer and was left with a choice. Have a good man killed, a man whom he feared and respected, or give up his ruse of power and do the right thing. Herod could have backed down from his rash oath he made to give his step daughter half of his kingdom. He could have said, “I’m sorry, but the power and authority of my kingship went to my head. I cannot give half of the kingdom. Without Rome, it is not mine to give. I am not powerful as I want to be as king. We will talk later about what gift I can give, but the head of this man, I cannot give. As for you, my courtiers, officers, and leaders of Galilee, we know we don’t have the power of a sovereign nation, but let us work together to be the best rulers we can be for the sake of our people.” That might be a little too 21st century to have actually come out of Herod’s mouth, but he could have admitted that he messed up, admitted that even the party he threw was a bit of a farce, and then sought to take the power that he and his officers did have and use it for the good of the people. I don’t know that any of them really had the character to do that, I do believe Herod regretted his decision and would like to have learned from it. The point, however, is not what could have been, but what could yet be based on the decisions we make. We all have power, even in small amounts. We all have some way to effect change in our lives or in the lives of those around us. Sometimes we also feel powerless to effect the change we would like to. I’m guessing in those times when we’ve felt powerless, we, like Herod have sometimes done the wrong thing, maybe not full on beheading, but the wrong thing nonetheless. We’ve likely regretted it. Here’s where graced comes in. Last week, we heard Paul talking about weakness, and God being strong when we are week. We heard about God’s grace being sufficient for us when we are weak. When we are weak and feel powerless, God’s grace is sufficient for us. We find with God’s grace that we don’t need the power we wished we had. With God’s grace, we find that what power we do have is sufficient. We may need to change our goals or recognize our area of influence to affect the world is smaller than we would like, but with God’s grace, we realize it isn’t our world, and what power we have to affect change is sufficient. When we mess up and regret it, we find God’s grace is sufficient for our forgiveness. God’s grace is sufficient for us to make amends. God’s grace is sufficient for us to admit that we’ve done wrong, talk openheartedly to those around us, and seek together to live God’s kingdom. Herod was a fool in offering his step daughter half of his kingdom. I’m guessing we’ve all been fools as one point or another. God’s grace was sufficient for him to get out of that by admitting that he acted rashly and repenting of it, like King David did. God’s grace is sufficient for us to admit when we acted as fools, repent, feel kinda dumb, and then accept the love and forgiveness of God and others. We’re God’s children, Paul reminds us. We are beloved of God. We’ve got a lot of darkness within us, enough even to do the stupid things Herod did. We’d be fools to think otherwise. Even with that darkness within us, we are still God’s children, beloved of God. We mess up, regret it, and there is God’s grace, unexpected, undeserved, offering us love, forgiveness, and guidance to start life anew. Amen.
If God is real, shouldn't we all live happily ever after?
Pastor Joe continues in Mark.
Pastor Joe continues in Mark.
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