Mineral Springs Church of Christ Podcast

What does it mean to have a friend? What does it mean to be a friend? Love must be involved. There can be no friendship without love. Real love is not a warm, fuzzy feeling. Jesus said, "No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Jesus has told these disciples to love as He has loved them. He does love them enough to give up His life for them a...

As he continues his sermon series on the gospel of John, minister Aaron Hill notes that Jesus makes several "I am" statements in this book. I am the bread of life, 6:36. I am the light of the world, 8:12 I am, 8:24, 28, 58 I am the door, 10:7 I am the good Shepherd, 10:11 I am the resurrection and the life, 11:25 I am the way, the truth, and the life 14:6 I am the true vine 15:1 His clai...

Some words in scripture are cloaked in much nuance. The word  peace  is one of those words. Peace is often sought, but it is not often easily achieved. The only way to the peace that we seek, the inner peace, assurance, calmness, and security that we crave, is through Jesus. Minister Aaron Hill reminds us that Jesus does not give peace as the world gives peace. Continuing his series on the gospel...

This Christmas Eve message from guest minister Robert Peek focuses on peace. He reminds us that there are three ways to look at peace. We may seek peace with God, the most essential peace, a peace Jesus' blood can give us. We may try to find peace within our hearts, and we may need to make peace with others in our lives. Whether we define peace as an absence of hostility and conflict or the p...

Minister Aaron Hill continues his series on the Gospel of John by looking at chapter 14 in which Jesus comforts His disciples. He is preparing them for what is to come as He nears His imminent death on the cross. The text reminds us that we don’t love Jesus if we don’t do what He says, and John 14:15, He tells His disciples this. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” He goes on the tell...

The world is good, but it is fallen. Jesus promises to take us to a better place. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Do we trust in Him? Is there fruit in our lives that demonstrates our trust in Him? We can't will fruit into our lives without trusting God. We can be on fire outwardly, but if there is no fruit, do we really trust Him? A result of trusting Jesus is that we will do the wor...

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6)

Continuing with his series on the gospel of John, minister Aaron Hill directs listeners' attention to Jesus' conversation with His disciples at what has become known as the Last Supper. Jesus tells Judas to go do what he must. He tells Peter that he will betray Him. He tells His disciples that they cannot follow where He is going. He tells them to love one another. Jesus is the only perf...

To be honest, most people would rather  be  served than to serve. Sometimes profit becomes more valued than people. Sometimes power is more attractive than service. We think service is below us, yet Jesus, though having more power than any of us, came down to serve us. As minister Aaron Hill continues his series on the Gospel of John, he references John 13 and the scene depicted there of Jesus was...

In this week's lesson, Minister Aaron Hill continues his series on the gospel of John by wrapping up chapter 12. At this point, Jesus has done many signs and wonders, and yet many of the Jews cannot believe in Him. It's not just that they  do not ; they  cannot . Why? How can this be? John records as Jesus quotes from Isaiah. Isaiah tells of a rebellious people. Their hearts have become...

Jesus tells his disciples in John 12:23 that “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” As minister Aaron Hill continues his series on the gospel of John, he reminds listeners that Jesus’ glorification doesn’t look like what his followers then or even now see as glorification. They nor we expect what Jesus says will be done to Him; that He will be glorified by submitting to a cruel de...

John the Baptist said of Jesus in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” He understood Jesus’ role. Jewish leaders of the day weren’t as accepting. As they watched people turning to Jesus, they feared a loss of their influence and power. They plotted to kill both Lazarus and Jesus to maintain their status, not realizing Jesus didn’t operate in the ways of the world. They sought power...

Heels over head. We've mostly heard the expression as "head over heels," but in the thirteen hundreds, "heels over head" just meant that a thing was upside down. In minister Aaron Hill's sermon today, "heels over head" takes on a different meaning. John 12:1-8 recounts the story of Mary anointing Jesus' feet will an expensive perfume and then drying the...

Most if not all of us have sat with doctors and talked to them about our pain levels. Whether our pain was at a three or a ten, we've probably experienced pain of one kind or another. Minister Aaron Hill reminds us that God, too, has experienced pain. Jesus went through torturous pain on the cross. Continuing his series on the gospel of John, Hill continues in chapter 11 following the resurre...

Jesus told His followers, "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” God allows us to go through pain, yet He is always with us in that pain. Minister Aaron Hill continues in John 11 as He finishes the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus arrives after Lazarus has been in the tomb four days. Mary and Martha are both sure that their br...

God is loving, but sometimes God allows us to go through pain. Continuing his series on the gospel of John, minister Aaron Hill discusses the account of Lazarus’ death from John 11. Some might question why Jesus allowed Lazarus to die. He didn’t have to be in Bethany to heal him, yet He chose not to go. Why is that? Others may ask why He didn’t go directly to Bethany when he learned Lazarus was si...

Minister Aaron Hill continues his series on the gospel of John as he proceeds through chapter 10. Sometime between chapter 7 and chapter 10, two months have passed. The Jews are now celebrating the Feast of Dedication, what we know today as Hanukkah. They are celebrating freedom, but they aren't really free. They are subjects of Rome. They are wondering if Jesus is really the Messiah. They kn...

Minister Aaron Hill begins his lesson today in John 10 and focuses on Jesus as the Good Shepherd. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus is outwardly focused on His "sheep," those who will be saved. He is calling them to save them not just for eternity but for abundant life. Jesus is the one true shepherd, and He gives up all for His sheep to the point of death. However, He does more than just die...

When halftime comes in a ballgame, and the team is not performing as expected, the coach has to address what has gone wrong and get the players back on the right track. In much the same way, the author of Hebrews pauses in chapter 6 to get the Christians he addresses back on track. Guest minister Robert Peek uses Hebrews 6:9-12 to show how the letter writer addresses the problems occurring in that...

In the story of the blind man whom Jesus heals in John 9, Minister Aaron Hill discusses how God can have a purpose in even the most difficult of situations in life. The blind man has no hope, yet God has a purpose for him. God can change circumstances, and that’s exactly what He does in the life of this man who was born blind. Change, however, can create opposition, and it does in the case of the...

As Minister Aaron Hill continues his series on the gospel of John, we learn how the Jews did not honor Jesus because they didn't believe He was Who He said He was. They dishonored the Father because they dishonored His Son Jesus. Jesus, however, didn't seek glory from them or from any human being. It is good that He has invited us into His kingdom, but we don't add anything to His g...

In John 8, the Pharisees are persistent in their questioning of Jesus, and Jesus is blunt in His responses to them. He wants them to believe, and He makes it clear that anyone who is in unbelief is under the thumb of the devil.  As minister Aaron Hill continues his series on the gospel of John, he explains that being under Satan's influence is not just a Jewish problem. It's a human prob...

One of the core doctrines of Christianity is belief in the divinity of Jesus. Minister Aaron Hill continues through his series on the gospel of John in the last part of chapter eight and notes that though belief in Jesus' divinity is required of Christians, understanding how Jesus is at once divine  and  human is not a requirement. We don't have to understand. Lack of Understanding shoul...

When we try to walk without light, we can find our path determined by what we blindly follow. We grab onto anything of substance when we cannot see. Minister Aaron Hill continues his series on the gospel of John in chapter 8, verse 12, in which Jesus declares that He is the light. John follows three themes throughout the book: light, bread, and water. Interestingly, and no doubt intentionally, the...

Guest minister Robert Peek expounds on the book of I John and what John had to say to the church to which he was writing. The Christians to which he wrote were being influenced by gnostic teachers, teachers who were changing the way they view Jesus. The gnostics were affecting the way the Christians there viewed Christ, the way they behaved, and the way they treated each other. It was a different...