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Failure Doesn’t Have to be Final

May 8, 2013 — Leave a comment

Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. (2 Tim 4:9-11)

Demas and Mark are contrasts in failure. One example continues to provide words of warning; the other example, words of hope. As people who stumble in many ways (James 3:2), we need both.

This sermon explores what we can know about both men and emphasizes a powerful point: whatever your past failures, your trajectory can be changed at the foot of the cross.

In Bible, Pitfalls Audio, chance, Demas, fail, final, forgiveness, hope, Jason Hardin, Mark, mp3, outline, Paul, pdf, recovery, redemption, second, sermon, sin, Timothy

How Do We Know Jesus Was Raised From the Dead?

January 7, 2013 — Leave a comment

Video of Dr. William Lane Craig—lecturing in Berkley, California—laying down numerous evidences supporting the historical resurrection of Jesus Christ. The session concludes with a Q & A session.

In Bible answer, apologetics, Bible, Christ, dead, evidence, Gospel, historical, Jesus, John, lecture, Luke, Mark, Matthew, question, resurrection, Scripture, William Lane Craig

He told them not to spread the news.

Jesus sternly charged [the newly-cleansed leper] and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone…” But [the newly-cleansed leper] went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter. (Mark 1:40-45)

Taking [the man who was deaf and had a speech impediment] aside from the crowd privately, [Jesus] put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. (Mark 6:31-37)

He told them not to spread the news.

But they did.

It was such … overwhelmingly good news!

On the other hand, he has specifically told us to spread the news. The best news.

“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16)

He has told us to spread the news. The best news.

But are we?

Are you?

The former leper couldn’t help but speak freely and openly of his freshly-cleansed skin. Jesus had touched him.

The formerly deaf man and his friends couldn’t help but zealously proclaim the news of freshly-opened ears. Jesus had healed a speech impediment.

And you? Me? The stains on our souls that rightly condemn us to hell have been washed away. Jesus has died to atone for our sins.

Jesus told them not to spread the news. But they did.

Jesus has told us to spread the news. The best news. But we aren’t.

Have we forgotten what … overwhelmingly good news it is?

Around the Web (4/23)

April 23, 2012 — Leave a comment

Dene Ward’s Soul Food: Lessons From Hearth to Heart releases today, just in time for Mother’s Day. Available from DeWard and Amazon.
Three questions to ask before you post something on Facebook.
Ever wondered about the “pods” the prodigal longed for?
Some interesting stats provided in this “State of the Bible 2012″ report.
Robert H. Gundry’s Commentary on Mark is available for FREE today only.

In Around the Web 2012, ask, Baker, Bible, book, books, Christian, commentary, Dene Ward, DeWard, encouraging, Facebook, food, Gundry, helpful, lessons from hearth to heart, Mark, media, old, pigs, pods, prodigal, questions, smell, social, son, soul, State, swine, true, Twitter, why, Wisdom

Are the Gospels Historically Reliable?

October 24, 2011 — Leave a comment

The authorship of the first four books of the New Testament has fascinated scholars for centuries. If the authors were eyewitnesses, one could assume greater reliability. If not, then questions are naturally raised about the historicity of details in the writings. Because the first three Gospels are so similar, many theories have been proposed and argued to explain the sources of verbatim sections, as well as the unique material. Did Mark rely on Peter for eyewitness details? Luke admits his use of other sources, but did he use Mark or Matthew or both? What about Matthew and John?

New evidence in the discussion of these questions and more was the focus of this captivating lecture delivered by Dr. Peter Williams on March 5, 2011. In probing the historical reliability of the gospels, Williams suggests four tests:

The test of what people are called.
The test of geography.
The test of botany.
The test of the feeding of the 5,000.

My guess is you’ve never heard a lecture on historical evidences quite like this one, and I highly recommend it.

In Bible Bart Ehrman, Dr. Peter Williams, gospels, historicity, John, lecture, Luke, Mark, Matthew, New Testament, The Lanier Library Lecture Series

If You Knew You Were Going to Die on Friday…

April 20, 2011 — Leave a comment

What would you do if you knew you were going to die on Friday?

Speak honestly about what angers you (Matthew 23:1-36).
Provide perspective to those around you (Matthew 24).
Reflect on what really matters (Matthew 25).
Have dinner with friends (Matthew 26:26-30).
Let those around you know how much you love them (John 13:1-20).
Comfort your friends with hope (John 14).
Encourage your friends to press on in the future (John 15-16).
Pray (Matthew 26:36-46).

[ht: Forward Progress]

In Bible atonement, betrayal, death, die, disciple, Gospel, Jesus, John, Judas, last, Life, Luke, Mark, Matthew, passion, pray, sacrifice, week, words

Visualization of Jesus' Last Week

April 19, 2011 — Leave a comment

A visualization (click to enlarge) that harmonizes the four Gospel accounts of the last week of Jesus’ life. The individual threads are helpful for an examination of the “who,” “what,” and “where” of events leading up to and through the resurrection.

For example, below is a closeup of the chart showing Jesus in Gethsemane and his betrayal by Judas.

Timeline of Jesus in Gethsemane

First, Jesus draws Peter, James, and John aside and entreats them to pray while he also prays. Then Judas and a crowd arrive; Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss, Jesus is arrested, and the disciples flee, while Peter and John follow at a distance. The visualization shows you the main characters in the story and provides Biblical references for you to read the story yourself.

[via the Bible Gateway Blog]

In Bible betrayal, death, events, gospels, graph, holy, James, Jesus, John, Judas, Luke, Mark, Matthew, passion, Peter, Pilate, resurrection, timeline, visualization, week

Video Bible Study of the Life of Jesus

January 11, 2011 — Leave a comment

Bible Class videos

In 2010 at Laurel Canyon, our Sunday morning adult Bible class was on The Life and Times of Jesus the Christ. From January through December, we harmonized the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—in an effort to study Jesus’ life from a chronological point-of-view. Thanks to the hard work of a number of talented people, the entire year of those classes is freely available online.

Download the Study Guide
Watch the class videos

In Bible adult, Bible, Christ, church, class, Gospel, guide, Jason Hardin, Jesus, John, Luke, Mark, Matthew, pdf, study, Video, workbook

Dramatic Presentation of the Gospel of Mark

January 7, 2011 — 1 Comment

Max McLean is an American actor and narrator for audio books. If you’ve listened to the Bible on cassette tape, CD or online, you very well may have been listening to McLean. His most recent project has been a word-for-word dramatic recitation of the entire Gospel of Mark. It went from a live show in Chicago, to DVD, to freely available on YouTube.

Each video below represents a chapter of Mark’s Gospel. It runs for about an hour and a half in total length.

Do yourself a favor this weekend. Take an hour and a half and watch the Gospel of Mark. Immersing yourself in the entire book at once, as an uninterrupted testimony, is a powerful and edifying experience.