King's Cross Church South Bay

At long last we come to the end of our series in the Gospel of Mark. And yet this passage raises so many questions: What do we do with this extra section of Mark in some of our Bibles? Is this really the end of the Gospel? If so, why does it end on such a downer note? How was this supposed to be encouraging - for the original hearers and for us? Let's talk about the irony of "They Said Nothing" an...

We are almost finished with our series in Mark. This week we come the burial of Jesus. What is striking in the New Testament is how much we hear of the death of Jesus -- and not just his resurrection -- as something for us to remember. Certainly the resurrection is our joy, but the death that precedes it (including the accompanying mourning) is a definite part of the Christian experience, especial...

Walk in Him. Walk by faith. Walk on. We hear these phrases often in Christian circles and understand the general premise of what it stands for. But what are we walking for? What holds it all together? We look to Jesus Christ who holds the cosmos, the church and everything together, or else it all falls apart. We can walk in Him because of who He is, what He has done, and what He will continue to d...

The poet Mary Oliver says, “Attention is the beginning of devotion.” We often become what we behold and give our attention to. We hope to give our time and dedication towards Christ, yet we sometimes struggle to give our attention fully to Him. Luke 19:1-10 introduces us to Zacchaeus, and we see the attention he was able to give to Jesus, even climbing up a tree to get a better view of Him. What s...

We are nearing the end of our series in the Gospel of Mark. This week we come to the cross. Darkness falls. Jesus cries out. The world is unraveling. This is not just having a bad day. It is despairing of life itself. Have you ever been there? St John of the Cross called it the 'dark night of the soul' - when you utterly lose all your bearings and any sense of hope. You are stripped bare and feel...

"Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers." English hymnwriter Stuart Townend penned that line almost thirty years ago in the modern classic How Deep the Father's Love For Us. It puts us in the shoes of mockers and scoffers as Jesus walks to his death. And it's a hymn of praise! It's not meant to crush us, but to lift us into joy - as we consider how God transforms both the hum...

This week as we continue our series in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is handed over to Pilate. And as Pilate asks questions, the motives of everyone involved begin to surface. Not only does that reveal particular fears, but it demonstrates why so many perceived Jesus as a threat. Much like the workplace or even our romantic lives, when we become envious or fear losing control, bad things tend to follo...

I've always had a hard time discerning with when to speak and when to stay silent. My instincts often get it exactly backward, leaving me kicking myself later. That's probably why I'm simultaneously bothered and fascinated by Jesus on trial. If I put myself in his shoes: at the moments I would have most wanted to defend myself, Jesus is silent. And the moments I would've kept my mouth shut are whe...

This Sunday we come to Mark's account of the arrest of Jesus. Judas betrays. Peter attacks. A man runs naked from the scene. What?! We only get that detail in Mark. I'm thankful we do. It jars me awake to hear it freshly. In hindsight, it's all too easy to dismiss Judas and Peter for missing the point, but we have the same problem. We miss the point. We lose the plot. When push comes to shove, we...

Everyone knows what it is like to feel overwhelmed, but what about Jesus? Sometimes it is hard for us to let that thought sink in, even when we read it. This week in our series in the Gospel of Mark, we come to the account of Jesus asking for the cup to pass. But what does that mean? And how is that helpful for us when we feel like we're going under? Let's talk about the immense hope for drowning...

Love is not an emotion as much as it is an attitude, an attitude that results in action. Jesus called us to acts of humble service for other Christians.

There were few more painful memories as a child than knowing I had failed my parents' expectations. Whether the 'test' was literal or a practical life lesson I failed to apply, I remember that horrible feeling in my stomach as the realization washed over me. This week we come to the most critical failure of Jesus' disciples in the Gospel of Mark. It's an entire chapter of failure. And yet somehow...

One of the most awkward things Jesus told his disciples was to eat his body and drink his blood. As we continue our study in the Gospel of Mark, we come to the institution of the Lord's Supper. Jesus commands his followers to remember him by the ongoing participation in a meal, but it is the way he describes it that is so off-putting. What exactly does Jesus mean when he says "this is my body" and...

What does Jesus say is beautiful? This week we come to a passage in Mark where Jesus uses that term - and yet the very thing he regards as beautiful, others in the room angrily criticize as wasteful. A woman anoints Jesus with a very expensive bottle of ointment. And ironically it is Jesus' own disciples who are most indignant. But Jesus comes to her defense, and even stresses that what she had do...

We come to a passage often avoided in intellectually-inclined circles. That's probably because so many of us just aren't sure what to do with it. Jesus throws out cataclysmic images of the sky falling, with a sense of immediacy, all while giving a stern warning. It is clear he wants his followers to stay alert and prepared - but for what? To do what? How could all this sense of judgment actually b...

What gives us confidence that our sins no longer condemn us, and that Christ the Savior King has redeemed us? Our confidence is not in us or in anything that needs to be done by our own doing. But we have this hope and truth because of the love, grace, and sacrifice of Christ our Savior King. He took our sins, as the greater High Priest, so that we who were sinners, can be called righteous. He is...

Jesus presses us with what it means for him to be "Lord." First Jesus surprises the scribes with his reading of Scripture, and then he surprises his disciples with a poor, overlooked widow as the model for their discipleship. Let's talk about what it means for him to be "Lord of Lords & Widows" (Mark 12:35-44).

Our Easter passage comes from Mark 12, where Jesus emphasizes the hope of the resurrection, even when some religious leaders openly mocked the idea. Let’s celebrate our “Hope Stronger Than Death.” 

It has often been said of Palm Sunday that "the people who shouted 'hosanna!' on Sunday would yell 'crucify!' on Friday." While many scholars have objected that the crowds were probably substantially different, it is worth noting: the loud supporters disappeared. What happened the week of Easter that would lead joyful supporters to fade into the background like the famous meme of Homer Simpson fad...

"Render unto Caesar." As if we didn't have enough reminders that it is tax season, here comes Jesus' famous quip. Some might think: taxes and politics - aren't those the kinds of things we go to church to avoid? Yet in the midst of an election year, the deeper connotations of Jesus' line bring much needed good news. The politics of the kingdom of God are exactly what equip a follower of Christ to...

Sometimes the boldness of Jesus' parables hits me freshly. This week's passage is one of those occasions. This story is so prescient and pointed, I find myself thinking, "He said that directly to them? Of course they wanted him dead." That, after all, is often how our own hearts work when someone calls us out publicly. Yet the beauty of this passage snaps into focus when I realize Jesus' pervasive...

Last week Jesus surprised us by overturning tables. This week in the Gospel of Mark he curses a fig tree. Why? It doesn't have fruit... but it's not even the season for fruit! Is Jesus being capricious or unreasonable? Next thing you know he is saying whatever you ask in prayer, it will be yours. But then he seems to obfuscate when asked direct questions by religious leaders. Unsurprisingly, this...

Throughout our series in the Gospel of Mark, we have repeatedly emphasized that Jesus’ most often expressed emotion is compassion. This week brings us to a major exception: the only known violent act of Jesus. He fashions a ‘weapon’ and runs people out of the temple. What would drive him to act so seemingly out of character? And what does it teach us about our worship today? Let’s talk about Jesus...

This week brings us to the account of Bartimaeus. He was a blind beggar, who had heard about Jesus, and so he purposefully placed himself in Jesus’ path. Not only is the compassion of Christ on display, but also we see here an art of discipleship our society has largely lost in an era of incessant distractions. How might we place ourselves in the path of Jesus, so we too might ask “Lord, Have Merc...

How many of us believe in the words of that well-known urban poet, “more money, more problems?” But wouldn’t most of us rather have the problem of more money than no money at all? Wealth can be a sensitive topic both inside and outside of the church. This week we will look at Mark 10:17-31, where the rich man asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The answer and explanation may stun...