Rocky Creek

As Jesus attempted to prepare His disciples for His death, their priorities were severely misaligned with His. As He came to serve, we should seek to give our lives away as well..

A rich young man wanted to follow Jesus, but he loved his possession too much.  We must be careful that our riches don’t rob us of following Jesus.

In a time when children were viewed as distracting annoyances, Jesus intentionally prioritized them.  Not only should we prioritize children, but we should start acting like them when it comes to the Kingdom of God.

Jesus was questioned regarding the nature of marriage and the opportunity for divorce. When an eternal God puts something together, it should last forever.

At Christmas time, people are searching for peace in all the wrong places. Christ has come not to bring us peace but to be our peace.

Jesus never reduced any sins to be allowed as acceptable in the life of His followers.  Playing with sin has severe repercussions for our lives and great consequences for those closest to us.

As Jesus proceeded towards the cross, the disciples argued about who was the greatest and about who should be included.  Until we address our pride, we will always see everyone else as the problem.

When a man brought his son to Jesus for deliverance, he uttered three words that should never be used to address the Christ.  When we approach Jesus in our need, He deserves complete faith in His ability.

Jesus taught His disciples regarding the incompatible nature of following Him halfway.  As He still calls us today, He is expecting us to abandon all this world has to offer for the greater treasure of knowing Him.

While opinions of Jesus were rampant and varied, He desired to know whom His disciples believed Him to be.  Peter’s initial response and subsequent reaction reveal our own desire to edit God when He doesn’t meet our expectations.

For a second time, Jesus leads a faithless group of disciples to help feed a great crowd of hungry people.  Failing to remember Jesus’ power in the past can cause us to question His ability in the present for our physical and spiritual needs.

Jesus broke the status quo as He ministered to those who were on the fringes of society.  Through His example, Jesus reminds us that no one is beyond deliverance.

The legalists of Jesus’ day appeared godly on the outside but were actually ungodly on the inside.  Jesus taught the importance of addressing one’s heart which is the root cause for all of our actions.

The religious leaders valued their preferential traditions over God’s doctrinal truth.  As followers of Jesus, we must ensure that we hold the Word of God as superior to the traditions of man.

Separated by chaotic elements, Jesus actually walked on water to reach the fearful in the boat and the needy on the shore.  There is nothing so powerful that can hinder Jesus from meeting us in our greatest needs.

As Jesus mourned the loss of His cousin, He sought solitude but was unable to obtain it due to His prioritizing of others’ needs ahead of His own.  When Jesus fed the five thousand, He demonstrated the powerful principle that compassion can never clock out.

When John the Baptist spoke out against King Herod’s personal life, it cost him his life. Speaking the truth rarely guarantees receiving the culture’s acceptance or approval.

Jesus was rejected in His hometown and prepared His disciples for similar rejection.  Through His example and instruction, we learn how we should respond when our message is unwelcome.

As Jesus journeyed to help a life and death situation, He was interrupted by a smaller problem and yet was able to address both of them.  Regardless of the size of our circumstances, Jesus is willing and able to come to our aid.

When Jesus delivered a man from demonic possession, the people had less acceptance of the deliverer than they had for the demoniac.  When Jesus threatens our comfort and affluence, we can seek to rid ourselves from His influence as well.

Jesus slept through the storms that terrified the disciples.  No situation is so great that Jesus can’t handle it.

Jesus taught parables to His disciples regarding how the Kingdom of God would grow.  As His disciples, we should continue to do our part and watch God cause the growth.

Jesus told a parable of a sower which taught how different people will respond to the gospel message.  As we share the gospel with others, we must be mindful of the reasons why some people never get it.

As Jesus’ influence increased, His family attempted to hinder His ministry.  Jesus taught that sometimes doing the will of God will incur the opposition of your physical family and secure the support of your spiritual family.

Jesus taught that there is a specific sin that is unforgivable by God.  What is that sin and how do we avoid it?