Scripture: Revelation 2:12-17 Synopsis: Pergamum is commended for holding on to their faith in spite of the constant threat of persecution. Yet Christ has some very sharp words for those who are holding to the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. The issue in both cases is one of compromise with the cultural norms of the day–specifically in […]
Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11 Synopsis: Smyrna is one of only two churches in Revelation that receives no word of rebuke from Christ (the other is Philadelphia). Their biggest struggle was not some form of unfaithfulness; it was persecution. Smyrna was a hard place to follow Jesus, and as Christ indicates in v.10, it would get even harder in […]
Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7 Synopsis: The letter or message to the church in Ephesus is the first of Christ’s seven personal addresses to seven specific churches (Rev. 2-3). Ephesus was a church that was strong on orthodoxy–on insisting that its members were discipled according to the truth and away from error. This is what Christ commends […]
Scripture: Revelation 1:9-20 Synopsis: One way of describing Revelation’s message is that things are not as they appear. John is living at a time when the Roman Empire is ruthlessly persecuting Christians (John is himself in exile for his faith). More than that, the allures of worldliness, immorality, and idolatry were ever-present and seducing believers away […]
Scripture: Matthew 20:17-28 Synopsis: This Sunday is Abuse Awareness Sunday, and because all abuse involves a misuse of power, we’re looking at what Jesus had to say about the proper use of power. Jesus condemns the understanding of power that was prevalent among the Gentile rulers of his day: power as a means to glorify one’s self or […]
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 Synopsis: This Sunday’s text provides one of those metaphors that’s so familiar it risks becoming cliche: the church is the body of Christ. As we begin a new season of ministry together, we’ll revisit this ancient metaphor to be reminded of who God made us to be for one another as a […]
Scripture: Psalm 139 Synopsis: On the one hand, most of us don’t want to be all that deeply known by that many people. For understandable reasons, this is an age where we’re particularly concerned about our privacy. But even with those close to us, we have a tendency to want to hide certain parts of ourselves. […]
Text: Psalm 81 Synopsis: Psalm 81 served as a call to worship when the people of Israel gathered for the Feast of Tabernacles (a week of living in tents to remember the years their forefathers lived in the wilderness). However, the Psalm calls not only for worship but for decision (see vv. 8, 13). Israel […]
Text: Psalm 71 Synopsis: The writer of Psalm 71 twice mentions that he has old age on his mind (vv. 9, 18), and he recognizes that the final years of one’s life present unique challenges to the life of faith. The psalmist’s prayer indicates his determination not to become bitter, cynical, or just plain passive […]
Text: Psalm 80 Synopsis: Written sometime around the Assyrian invasion of Israel’s Northern tribes, Psalm 80 is a lament and prayer for the restoration of God’s people. It gives us a language for praying for the church as it faces all manner of corruption, opposition, and frailty. Using both the metaphor of shepherd/flock and vinedresser/vine, […]