Olivet Baptist Church

In this passage, there is a contrast between Jesus - who lowers Himself, serving to the point of death - and James and John - who are seeking exaltation. Jesus, in lowering Himself, is a merciful God who gives His life as a ransom for many.  Pastor Kevin Craft

The eternal good life is something that everyone wants. It's what the rich young man asks Jesus about. But instead of telling him to do some good work to gain eternal life, Jesus tells him to surrender all and follow Him, to have a childlike faith.  Pastor Kevin Craft

Should I get a divorce? Is it better to be single and not marry? What does it mean to be created male and female? What is marriage? Jesus teaches about all of these questions as He answers the Pharisees question about divorce. Pastor Kevin Craft

What do we do when other people hurt us and sin against us? Jesus gives us clear instructions and responsibilities in this passage. Pastor Kevin Craft

"I am the greatest." That's what Muhammed Ali said, and that's what lots of people strive for. Greatness is what we want. But Jesus changes the way we think about greatness. Instead of focusing on greatness, focus on being little, focus on being humble. And that comes out in this passage, especially in the face of temptations and stumbling blocks.  Pastor Kevin Craft

God does not leave us a children in our faith. He puts us in trials and temptations that will increase our faith. Usually we want those trials to go away and to return to an easy life, but that is exactly what we need to grow. That is what we see Jesus doing in this passage - growing the faith of the disciples.  Pastor Kevin Craft

When Jesus is transfigured, He displays the glory of God, fulfilling the prophecies and proving He is the Messiah. Pastor Kevin Craft

Why would Jesus not want people to know that He was the Messiah? It came down to the fact that people didn't have a full understanding of what He was doing and who He was. And in this passage, Jesus starts to clearly show the full picture of who He is and what He came to do. He is the Messiah who came to die. And He calls His disciples to do the same. Pastor Kevin Craft

Sometimes it's just best to be direct. In this passage, Jesus directly asks the disciples what the people are saying and what they think about who He is. Peter then makes the declaration that Jesus is the Messiah. After Peter's declaration, Jesus makes a declaration about Peter and how He is going to use him in the future. Pastor Kevin Craft

When someone unexpected shows up for dinner, sometimes you wonder if you've cooked enough food for everyone. But when you go out to eat, you don't usually have to worry about running out of food - it's their job to make sure there's always enough. In this passage, Jesus shows that He always has enough mercy for us.  Pastor Kevin Craft

While the Pharisees were concerned with rituals to keep themselves looking good to others, Jesus admonished them to focus on the heart. Sin comes from within. This is the first truth to realize in the path of being clean in the eyes of God.  Pastor Kevin Craft

We don't like limits. When we're given restrictions, we like to push boundaries because we like to think we are more capable than others give us credit for. But there are many situations in life that are too big for us. And God intentionally puts us in those situations so that we will not rely on ourselves, but look to Him. Pastor Kevin Craft

In celebrity culture, there are fans and there are critics. This passage says that Jesus was becoming famous in the area and it details two different responses to His notoriety and teaching.  Pastor Kevin Craft

There are lots of different traditions for Christmas, but there's only one true reason for Christmas. In Jesus' time there were lots of ideas about who He was, but there was only one true Jesus.  Reagan Berry

Everyone gets excited over a modern-day treasure hunt. Whether it's a sense of accomplishment, or the security and joy that treasure brings, treasure excites us. In this passage, Jesus tells a set of parables about treasure, getting to the heart of what we value most, and making us think, "Would I really want God more than something else?" Pastor Kevin Craft

Counterfeiting has a long history. Those who practice it are able to produce items that are nearly identical to the original. But it's still not the real thing. In these parables, Jesus teaches about those who are really in the kingdom and those who only appear to be. He also teaches about how the kingdom grows. Pastor Kevin Craft

It's not uncommon for people to disagree about the of talent an athlete has. Some may say they're the greatest, others may say they're average. When Jesus performed His miracle, there were two completely different evaluations about Him. And so Jesus not only clarifies who He is, but also turns the mirror to us and tells us how to rightly evaluate ourselves.  Pastor Kevin Craft

What does God want us to experience everyday? Joy, communion with Him through prayer, and thankfulness. Pastor Kevin Craft

Jesus said, "Come to me all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." In this chapter, God is giving us examples of how we have rest and mercy in Jesus. This mercy has been pointed to through symbols in the Old Testament, prophesied about, and now Jesus is here - the fullness of mercy. Pastor Kevin Craft

Getting ahead in the world is exhausting. Trying to get one more recognition, one more paycheck, one more person's approval is a burden that never ends. And pursuing this recognition is what actually makes us miss the Lordship of Jesus and the rest that is found in Him. Pastor Kevin Craft

Have you ever paid for someone to do a job and then not gotten what you expected? John the Baptist asks Jesus for clarification about who He is, because He is different than he was expecting. Jesus clarifies not only who He is, but explains who John the Baptist is and who the crowds are. Pastor Kevin Craft

Fulfilling the Great Commission means not only spreading the message of Jesus across space, but also across time - through generations to come. How does that happen? Psalm 78 gives us insight into the plan of Asaph to pass on the faith. Pastor Kevin Craft

Deacons are not called to just complete tasks. They are called to have a certain character. This matters because as servants, we are modeling our life as a reflection of the Great Servant, Jesus. Pastor Kevin Craft

When Paul knew he wouldn't see the church in Ephesus anymore, he wanted them to hold onto two truths: God, through His word, would mature them and keep them. Pastor Kevin Craft

Mark Twain said it wasn't the parts of the Bible that he didn't understand that bothered him, but the parts of the Bible that he did understand. Usually, the way of life and the way of death are clearly set before us. God calls us to choose the way of life and trust that He is telling the truth and leading us in the best way. Pastor Kevin Craft