King's Cross Church South Bay

Our series in the Gospel of Mark continues this Sunday with Jesus appointing the twelve apostles. Crowds have begun to follow Jesus, so he appoints leaders. To us, it might just seem like a list of names, but it is fascinating to see the variety of backgrounds. While "diversity" has become a buzzword in our day, it was not a cultural value in Jesus' time. It's been said that there is no such thing...

Rest. Who wants some rest? It’s amazing to me how often I hear folks inside and outside the church expressing ongoing exhaustion. This week as we continue in Mark, Jesus argues with the religious leaders about Sabbath rest. As we saw the last two weeks, they think he’s soft on sin and has followers who aren’t devoted to God’s Word. So they watch him assiduously to discover any possible failing, an...

This week as we continue our series in the Gospel of Mark, some religious leaders accuse Jesus of being spiritually lackadaisical. If last week’s complaint was that he is soft on sin (eg, “he eats with sinners!”), this week’s complaint is that his followers are not devout enough (eg, “why don’t they fast like we do?”). As we said, this is the problem with performative religion: it engenders a “fra...

A paralyzed man is brought to Jesus, but the crowds are so huge, they have to lower the man through the roof. Dramatic entrance. Obvious need. All can see it. And then Jesus... forgives his sins? I can imagine his friends saying "No, Jesus - the legs! Heal his legs! Don't you see it?!" How often we come to God certain that we know what our biggest problems are, only to be disillusioned when God di...

As we continue our series in the Gospel of Mark, we come to the end of chapter 1. Here Jesus heals a leper. The miracle is what draws our eyes, but it's what we see of Jesus' heart here that holds our gaze and can change us. Most of us haven't dealt personally with leprosy, but we do know what it's like to experience isolation, disconnection and to feel alone. Jesus sees him and is "moved with pit...

This is the time of year when a lot of us realize how long we've been running hard and how tired we are. It's not surprising we think about vacation. What may be surprising, however, is... so did Jesus! He got tired. He got worn out and fatigued. It begins to boggle our minds that God-in-the-flesh would get exhausted, but that just reveals a practical disconnect from our theology. Jesus lived a fu...

This week we continue our series in Mark with the first miracle of Jesus in this Gospel: an exorcism. Now, we expect to read about this kind of thing in the Bible, but most of us have never seen or heard of such a thing in our lifetime - and we don’t really expect to, if we’re being honest. So are we unaware, missing what’s happening, maybe in the dark or in some other dimension? More importantly...

How does the largest human movement in history begin? It really is astounding to consider how inauspicious this beginning is. And yet all the major marks of Jesus' ministry are already on display. He brings good news - but it is the same 'good news' that will get him and John the Baptist killed. And yet it is also news good enough for these fishermen to walk immediately away from their lifelong vo...

We come to the baptism of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. The main question has been: Who is this? And here the Father answers. It says Jesus “saw the heavens being torn open.” The Spirit descends, and the Father announces his Son. The Trinity is on display, declaring Jesus’ sonship. But what does that do for us? What practical help is that? Well, the Spirit immediately sends Jesus into the wildernes...

Last week we began our new series in the Gospel of Mark, primarily by looking at the background and occasion for the book. Now we come to the opening passage in fullness, as we see John the Baptist - the New Testament Elijah - preparing the way for Jesus. Hopefully, our past few months looking at Elijah and Elisha have also "prepared the way" for us to hear how jarring this event would be. This gu...

We begin a new series in the Gospel of Mark. It is often called the "Action Gospel" because the first half is a frenetic series of events, showing Jesus to be a miracle worker, inviting folks to ask the deeper question: Who is this? From the first verse of this Gospel, Mark's goal is to proclaim the good news of the coming of the Son of God - but even that phraseology has grown stale in our ears....

We will wrap up our series on Elijah and Elisha as we consider a story about the offensiveness of grace. First, there's the healing of Naaman: a Gentile man with affluence, success, & power. In many ways, he fits the South Bay. And precisely for that reason, it is hard for him to receive grace. Before he can receive it, his pride must be injured. But we also learn more about Gehazi, Elisha's serva...

Discussion Questions: Grace in Christian culture can come across as soft, sentimental, routine, and assumed. Have you thought much about this? Do you think Joe was overreacting to the song Amazing Grace, or did you agree with his concern? What is the difference between “free grace” and “cheap grace?” How can believers avoid devaluing the grace of God that comes to them freely? What does it look li...

We continue our series on Elijah & Elisha with an incredible image both of desperation and of provision. Most of the news we hear today is desperation with very little celebration of provision. And yet that is precisely where the Good News is most needed -- not just as a concept but in the practical places where we feel most overwhelmed. For some, crisis erupts when the collection agency calls. Fo...

Rudy Rubio has a powerful testimony and a fruitful ministry all over LA. He is a church planter in both Lynwood and Wilmington, and a chaplain for the Dodgers. We partnered with Rudy’s ministry during the lockdown and are continuing to do so through our missions team. You can read more about Rudy here .

Here on Easter, we continue in our Elijah & Elisha series with the raising of the Shunammite woman's son. Elisha promises her a gift from God - a son - yet her immediate response is "Don't lie to me!" He's clearly touched on an unrealized hope, and she's saying "Don't get my hopes up!" Nonetheless, God delivers on his promise... until a few years later the boy dies unexpectedly. She runs back to E...

We come to a “Tale of Two Cities” (2 Kings 2:19-25). Jericho is a cursed city, but God grants them healing. Bethel is a place of historic blessing, but Elisha calls down a curse on them... and two bears come out of the woods and kill 42 youths. We love a God who heals curses, but what about when God lets children die? How can this be the same God? And how could this be good news for us, or for tho...

We come to Elijah's famous departure. A chariot of fire comes out of the sky and takes Elijah "up" to heaven without dying. What does it even mean? And maybe more practical for us (and Elisha), who remain behind after such an event... what is next? Like so many of us who have lost a larger-than-life leader (especially a family member), what do we do after they're gone? How do we fill the vacuum le...

We come to an incredibly harsh moment of judgment. King Ahab has died and been replaced by his son Ahaziah... who repeats many of his father's mistakes. Among them, he has great disdain for YHWH and his prophets. When Elijah confronts his men, he puts out an arrest warrant (for Elijah's certain death). Instead, Elijah calls fire down on soldiers who have come to arrest him. Twice! But things chang...

This week in our series on Elijah & Elisha, we come to the call of Elisha. What does this unique, historical event have to teach us about our own call to serve the Lord in all we do? As quirky as this passage strikes the modern reader, the underlying pattern is equally relevant for us today. Why do we yearn for our work to have meaning? Why do we often build our reputation on it? What does it say...

We come to a surprising passage. After Elijah's big victory last week, he immediately fails. And the irony is that his failure is related to his success - because his success didn't have the results he expected. So Elijah sulks. He's almost whiny. He recluses into a cave. Can you relate? Yet the surprise isn't a sulking Elijah - but how God responds. There's a tornado, then an earthquake, and then...

We come to the famous showdown on Mt Carmel: Yahweh vs Baal. Elijah is tired of Jezebel killing the prophets of Yahweh, so he offers a proposition. Both groups will build altars, and whichever deity answers is the true God. I can't tell you how many times I've heard this sentiment: "Wouldn't it be easier if God would just write it in fire in the sky?" Here's the occasion when God actually does, bu...

We begin a new series on "Elijah and Elisha: Fire and Mercy." These important Old Testament figures we sometimes consider obscure, but they were definitive pieces used to prepare God's people for the coming of Christ. Throughout their ministry, we see paradoxical themes that ultimately only find their resolution in Jesus. This week is no exception. God sends Elijah to a destitute Gentile widow who...

We conclude our series on Priorities. We will consider the famous parable of the Good Samaritan. I hope that this passage will serve not only to highlight our final priority of “Renew What Is Dead” (Luke 10:25-29) – but that it might also serve as a culmination of all we’ve said in the last six weeks. Not only do I believe this passage puts all we have covered thus far into action, but there may b...