Calvary: the Hill Sermons

The final session of our retreat explored what manner of behaviors, thoughts, and/or forces might inhibit our ability to hear God's word to us. Rev. Dr. James Kearny works with Presbyterian Reformed Ministries International teaching Christians how to properly treat the Holy Spirit and His power.

In this first session of our retreat, James introduces himself and shares with us his journey finding Christ and his challenge to reconcile his learnedness with the spiritual experiences he'd had serving in ministry. Rev. Dr. James Kearny works with Presbyterian Reformed Ministries International teaching Christians how to properly treat the Holy Spirit and His power.

At the end of this section chalked full of Jesus' miraculous works, Jesus rolls back into His hometown along with an entourage of disciples. Though impressed by Jesus' accomplishments, the people from Nazareth are far too familiar with Jesus to believe that He's God's Messiah (Mark 6:1-6).

Isaiah's book of Immanuel concludes with a promise for a divine Son who will take over the Davidic dynasty for all eternity. Also promised is a global restoration of not just humanity, but also the animal kingdom.

When a man desperately asks Jesus to help his dying daughter, Jesus makes His way through a crowd and is touched by a woman suffering from an ailment for twelve years. Jesus helps them both and extends the faith of the onlookers (Mark 5:21-43).

Isaiah has a vision of God seated on His throne and God calls him to a ministry of prophecy. Through Isaiah, God tells Israel of their coming judgment by Assyria and their coming Savior --God with us.

When Jesus sets free a man terribly tormented by demons. Jesus' miraculous deliverance is met with fear and rejection. If we too have been delivered from anything by Jesus, we have the commendation to share our story to those who will listen to us, but may never listen to Jesus Himself (Mark 5:1-20)

God looks upon His people and has judged them unfaithful. The people of Israel and Judah have given themselves to idolatry. In losing sight of the one true God, not only have they lost their worshipfulness, but they've also stopped caring about one another. Replacing charity for overindulgence, God's people have earned judgment. Even so, God has for-ordained their redemption.

When Jesus' disciples and a fleet of followers cross the treacherous Galilee at night, a perilous storm strikes. The disciples rouse Jesus awake and He rebukes the contrary winds. This miracle leaves Jesus' closest friends wondering who he is (Mark 4:35-41).

The decline still continues toward the inevitable collapse of Judah. Along the way, Josiah is crowned and restores holy worship to Israel. But when he dies, judgment does come and Judah is carried away to Babylon. Still, God's promise to David endures when a remnant of the Davidic Dynasty is spared and provided for by Nebuchadnezzar's successor.

Jesus became dead, but now He's alive forevermore. If Jesus has overcome the grave, it changes everything we know; it changes every aspect of our otherwise temporal lives! (Revelation 1:18)

Jesus continues to speak in parables concerning His message. In these two parables, Jesus likens His kingdom to a seed that grows to miraculous proportion. We see in these teachings that the growth of the Gospel is a supernatural and miraculous work (Mark 4:26-34).

While Israel's legacy of idolatrous kings continues, a similar king ascends in Judah. Israel is finally given over to their adversaries in Assyria. Then, Hezekiah comes to power in Judah destroying the high places and refusing to fall before Assyria. Though Sennacherib tries to also sack Judah, Isaiah foretells his failure and the protection of Judah. When Hezekiah becomes unexpectedly ill, he pra...

Jesus' parable presents a strange event --the arrival of a lamp. In this passage we explore the dynamic of Jesus' words being given to mankind as a discoverable gift challenging us to listen in for the eternal words of God (Mark 4:21-25).

The pace quickens as the narrative speeds past king after king. Aside from a repair of the temple, most developments in Israel's and Judah's follow a steady decline toward their eventual captivity.

Jesus teaches an intentionally cryptic message surrounding the theme of hearing. When His disciples ask Him to explain why He chooses to speak in parables, it becomes clear that the disciples also didn't understand the parable He recently spoke. The Parable of the Sower is a survey of the various hostilities with which the word of God is met (Mark 4:1-20).

This series of chapters follows Jehu's crusade over the Northern kingdom of Israel. Jehu exterminates the remaining members of Ahab's dynasty. Although God's judgment is poured out upon Ahab, we see that Israel's present is an entirely new low and a greater departure from God's character.

When the multitudes seek out Jesus for a free meal, Jesus thins the crowd of followers with outrageous comments about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Outrage aside, it is true that God has welcomed us to His table enter into a household of salvation (John 6:48-58).

Jesus shocks when He challenges His listeners to not invite their close friends and relatives to their dinners. Instead, He tells them that inviting the destitute and poor is a greater heavenly investment. Like many of the people in His parable, many of us find ourselves making poor excuses to not join Jesus' table. If we can learn to accept Jesus' company, we might be more apt to being accepted b...

These chapters catalogue the many miracles God has done through Elisha. Within this list, we see God's compassion shown in the greatest of tragedies even to the most mundane of inconveniences. These miracles give us a glimpse into the reality of God's work beneath the visible surfaces.

The hospitality Jesus showed extended to associating Himself with sinners. Not only was he found at the tables of flagrant members of society, but also those guilty of the sin of self-rigteousness (Luke 7:36-50).

Ahaziah reigns after his father Ahab and proves to be of a similar sort as his father. Elijah's ministry comes to a close and he passes his mantle to his student Elisha. Elisha now continues this ministry prophesying of God's judgment upon His people. But, when Moab revolts, Israel's victory further proves that God's favor still remains with them.

The Bible, especially the Old Testament, was written in the context of Middle Eastern culture wherein hospitality is of the utmost courtesy. In a time where cities were set miles apart with nothing in between, a hospitable host could mean the difference between life and death. Abraham shows us how a servant of God should serve even strangers in a sacrificial gift proportionate to his means (Genesi...

1 Kings comes to a close with the death of Ahab and Jezebel. Though the faithfulness of Judah's king Jehoshaphat lends mercy to Ahab's line, his continued sinfulness does bring him and his wife to divine judgment.

Jesus has looked out into the room of his disciples and said "you are my family". This high honor is extended to us through the ages. Though sin has corroded family and community, Jesus Himself has welcomed us into the household of God and the family customs and traditions have been given to us (Mark 3:31-35).