Jesus speaks to his disciples and explains that if they really want to follow him, it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be harder than they could imagine. He explains in verse Mark 8:34, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow... [More]

Someone recently sent me an email that told the story of an old man who frequently went out onto a pier by the water to feed seagulls. People saw and thought of him as an odd old man, perhaps even sad, doing that as often as he did. But as the story unfolded we learn that this... [More]

Jesus commissions his disciples into service. He commissions us to work alongside him in the work that he himself is doing. Sometimes it doesn’t end up exactly as we think it should. I’m sure it would be much easier for God to do the work himself. Instead, he chooses to include... [More]

The journey of Christian faith often costs a lot. But we find at the end more than we expect; more than we might hope for or imagine. As we look at these two case studies – the synagogue ruler, Jairus, and the bleeding woman – we get a picture of what the path of faith looks... [More]

After experiencing the brokenness of our world, human beings put systems in place hoping for some sense of rest.  Like children who are victims of abuse, or perhaps children of alcoholics or drug addicts.  Exhausted by the continual chaos, the child becomes a perfectionist. ... [More]

The more fear we have, the less faith we have. The less fear we have, the more faith we have. That being the case, it only makes sense that we would strive to have a great faith. Nobody wants fear to rule over them. But what happens when the thing in which your faith rests shows... [More]

Teenage children have a very particular view of what is cool and, as far as they can tell, their parents are often completely out of touch with it. Parents look at their children’s taste and wonder what happened. These different frames of reference create conflict and keep... [More]

The devastation caused by the earthquake in Haiti this week raises several questions. One is pragmatic – what can we do to help? The other is theological – where is God in this? In Luke 13 Jesus teaches us something about tragedy. He teaches us to see it as a warning shot... [More]

Late last week temperatures got down to 12 year lows. When it gets cold outside we like to build a fire, cook turkey soup, grab a blanket and settle on the couch with a good book or movie with the kids. The cold invites us to do things at home we don’t normally do and, in a... [More]

Rev. Allen White explains Jesus call to become fishers of men in light of today’s environment.    Standard Podcast [43:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download  Read More →