In the story of Mary and Martha, it can be easy to divide it into two examples: what to do and what not to do. However, Jesus doesn't condemn Martha for doing the wrong thing. He simply acknowledges that Mary has chosen the better thing: sitting at His feet. For us today, how can we practice the act of Mary here by sitting at Jesus' feet?
To most, Jonah is all about him getting swallowed by a big fish, but the theme of his book is so much more. In these 4 chapters, Jonah offers three deep principles to our humanity: our deepest issue, our deepest frustration, and our deepest hope. Ultimately, Jonah's life would be a precursor to the Messiah that would come and would be in the grave three days and three nights, who would be the greatest source of hope to all of humanity.
When Jerusalem was overtaken and exiled into Babylon, Daniel was among those taken captive. Babylon was polytheistic and overrun with idol worship, yet Daniel remained true to the one true God. He shows us how to engage in our cultures, finding the balance of assimilation vs. separation, because we are to serve the one true King, Jesus.
Because we serve a big and powerful God, we can easily find Him in big and grand moments. But what if He also presents Himself in the small and ordinary? When the prophet Elijah encounters the living God on the mountain, God doesn't present Himself in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in the still, quiet whisper. Pastor Jon recognizes that there are many big moments that we tend to look into for God, but that we are to also be aware of the gentle, lowly moments as well.
David was a mighty king, but he also battled with sin, and many times it influenced his faithfulness. Yet, despite his record of what he had done, God still redeemed him to fulfill the promise of the everlasting kingdom that would come through his house. Even today, we face the same battle with sin because of Adam, but we also face forgiveness and glory because of Jesus.
When we think of courage in the Bible, Joshua is one of the first characters that comes to mind. After his mentor Moses died before reaching the Promised Land, Joshua is raised up and takes God's people into the place they had been longing for. Because of that incredible quest, Joshua is a man full of courage who shows his faithful allegiance to the one true God. Pastor Jon encourages us that, with Joshua's life in mind, that we are to be courageous in our world today by remaining firm in faith, loving others well, and forgiving others in true courage.
Moses, the accredited author of the first 5 books of the Bible, leads the nation of Israel out of the land of Egypt in search of the Promised Land, where they would be free of oppression and released from slavery. However, for God's people, the story doesn't end there. What seemed to be the ultimate deliverance to them was just a foreshadowing of the ultimate salvation that would come through the true Messiah of Israel—Jesus. Jac Munson recounts the life of Moses, drawing parallels and connections to how Moses' life points us to the life that was to come in Jesus Christ.
Joseph the Patriarch is well-known for his technicolor coat that he gets from his father, which then gets him wrongfully accused from Potiphar's wife. However, Joseph's story runs much deeper than the monumental stories we've learned about his life, but that his entire story—and life—point us to Jesus. Jac Munson parallels the life of Joseph to Jesus, showing us how Joseph's story of redemption points us to the greatest story of redemption of all.
All throughout the Scriptures, we meet and read of individuals who have set an example in faith. Some of them lived righteously while others lived disobediently. In this series, Faith Influencers, we're reading 12 stories of those who set great and not-so-great examples of faith. Pastor Jon kicks off this series talking about Adam and Eve and their interaction with God in the garden of Eden, and how we don't have to live in a state of shame.
At Central, there are two sacraments that we take part in: baptism and communion. How do we as a church approach these sacraments? Pastor Jon provides insight on Central's belief on both baptism and communion
In Genesis 2, we see the first mention of 'death' in the Bible. But what does it mean? Is it the material life we know passing away, or is it so much more? Jac Munson expounds on this concept of death by talking about the word 'nephesh,' a Hebrew term that encapsulates the entire essence of life, and how Jesus will one day restore us to a complete nephesh because of His resurrection.
The Heidelberg Catechism is a document of teachings that focuses on theological principles that we get from Scripture, and is a series of questions and answers that focus on the faith. In the first question and answer, it asks us, "What is your only comfort in life and in death?" Pastor Jon opens up this new series by answering that question, reminding us that our only hope in anything we experience, both in life and in death, is in Jesus Christ.
In Acts 8, there is a moment when Philip has a monumental encounter with an Ethiopian eunuch, and this encounter changes his life. The eunuch believes and is immediately baptized. As we continue to follow Jesus today, what is our approach to evangelizing in our culture to those around us? Pastor Jon looks at this account and challenges us to have the boldness of Philip by loving Jesus and sharing His good news with those around us.
As Paul concludes this letter to the church, he gives them a strong warning to withdraw from living idle lives and to avoid the brothers who were walking in idleness. In his final prompt, he tells them to "not grow weary in doing good," knowing that the example that they were to set was to follow the example that Paul set while he was with them.
What is our purpose in life? In this chapter of 2 Thessalonians, Pastor Jon looks at the text through the lens of that question as Paul gives further insight into this man of lawlessness who is to come and how we are to stand firm.