by Bill Rowley | Oct 23, 2023 | Essentials-Sermons
Highlighted Text: Mark 1:1-8 Summary of the Text Ancient Lens Good News for Whom? When we read the gospels, we have three distinct audiences with which we are dealing. The first audience are those in the scene set by the Gospel writer. The 1st century natives of...
by Bill Rowley | Oct 23, 2023 | Essentials-Sermons
Highlighted Text: Mark 13:24-27 Summary of the Text Ancient Lens The Worst is Yet to Come I wonder if some of Jesus’ Galilean crew regretted volubly admiring the beauty of Herod the Great’s temple. I can see Peter quietly sidle up to John after Jesus finished his dour...
by Bill Rowley | Oct 23, 2023 | Essentials-Sermons
Highlighted Text: Matthew 22:15-22 Summary of the Text This passage includes one of the most iconic and quotable of Jesus’s interactions with his contemporary opponents. Jesus deftly steps out of a trap set for him by the Pharisees and Herodians which was meant to...
by Bill Rowley | Oct 23, 2023 | Essentials-Sermons
Highlighted Text: Matthew 22:34-46 Summary of the Text A Clash of Kingdoms: Just as with the lectionary passage next week, our text takes place in the temple courts during Holy Week. Jesus’ Kingdom of God is now clashing head on with the religious authorities of his...
by Bill Rowley | Oct 23, 2023 | Essentials-Sermons
Highlighted Text: Matthew 23:1-12 Summary of the Text If religion is to be true, its leadership must be true. —Frederick Dale Bruner [1] Whenever Anthony Bloom, a former bishop and archbishop serving in London, would teach, he would begin with this: “As I am a...
by Bill Rowley | Oct 23, 2023 | Essentials-Sermons
Highlighted Text: Matthew 25:1-13 Summary of the Text Ancient lighting took work. I remember watching a movie (I think it was The Mummy) where the protagonists descended into an underground structure built by the ancients. The structure was completely dark save for a...
