The church of Christ on McDermott Road

The first thing that was “not good” in Eden was humanity’s loneliness. But God graciously made “a helper fit for him.” After God divided humanity into two parts, male and female, he reunited them and made them “one flesh.” What does this account teach us about relationships? about gender? about marriage? about family? (Scripture: Genesis 2:18-25)

In Eden, God graciously provided humanity (his image-bearer) with many tress. These trees were “pleasant to the sight and good for food.” Two of those trees were of particular importance: the “tree of life” and “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” The second tree was the only tree from which humanity was not to eat. […]

Mission Sunday (Scripture: Acts 11:19-24)

Like many of us, the Pharisees were concerned about titles and status. They wanted to receive the honor they felt they were due. But status and title are traps laid for us by the evil one. Jesus uses the Pharisees’ desire for honor as an introduction to seven “woes” that he pronounces upon them. Jesus was warning that […]

Zebedee’s wife, the mother of James and John, wanted what nearly every mother wants, the success of her children. She wanted her children to have good seats at an important table. So, she boldly asked Jesus for her sons to have the seats of honor in his kingdom. But the seats of honor in Jesus’ kingdom look radically […]

Jesus’ disciples (not unlike us) were very concerned with the question, “Who is the greatest?” In nearly every area of life, we try to determine and assign greatness. Consequently, it makes sense to ask, “What actually makes a person great? Is is skill, ability, wisdom, spirituality, or self-discipline?” Jesus’ answer to these questions—and the person he exalts as […]

Sadly, a lot of the religious world is under the impression that if a person merely confesses Christ, or prays a sinner’s prayer, they are saved. It is easy to come to that conclusion when verses like Romans 10:10 are read in isolation, but the context paints quite a different picture. When Paul speaks of confessing Christ, he […]

The phrase, “Everything happens for a reason” is not actually found in the Bible. It is somewhat similar to what Paul’s words, “For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Even though Paul’s point in Romans 8 is quite different than “everything happens for a reason,” […]

When Christians cannot reach an agreement on a particular issue, someone will often say, “We each have to work out our own salvation,” as if to say we all have to figure issues out for ourselves. Not only is this a misunderstanding of Philippians 2:12, it actually contradicts Paul’s overall message. None of us are […]

There is no doubt Christians should assemble with one another to learn, edify, and worship. However, we are probably too quick to accuse our brothers and sisters of “forsaking the assembly” for missing a Bible study or worship service. There is much we can learn from Hebrews about what actually constitutes forsaking the assembly and how to encourage […]

One of the biggest mistakes we make when we read Scripture is reading it through an individualistic lens. We want to believe God has our individual lives all planned out, complete with health and prosperity. However, Jeremiah 29:11 was about God’s plans for future generations of Jews (the immediate generation to whom Jeremiah was writing would die in exile). […]

The unbelieving world defines the person reclining at table as greater than the one serving him. However, Jesus turns everything upside down and reverses everyone’s status. Jesus associates himself not with the person who is sitting in a seat of honor, but the one serving the needs of others. Do we ever find ourselves, like the disciples, arguing […]

Jesus and the disciples share a Passover meal with one another. This meal was an annual reminder of God’s covenant love for them and their covenant responsibilities. However, Jesus used this occasion to redefine the meal and center it on a new covenant God was making with his people. When you share the bread and cup with the […]

In Last week’s text, we saw Jesus eating with tax collectors and being scolded by Pharisees. But this week we find Jesus reclining at table with Pharisees and experts in the Law. Jesus used this dinner party as an occasion to challenge and rebuke their misplaced priorities. What can we learn from Jesus’ teaching in this text? How […]

We can scarcely comprehend how despised tax collectors were in first century Israel. So, when religious leaders saw Jesus “reclining at table” with a “large company of tax collectors,” they were upset and questioned him. Where do we find ourselves in this story? What can we learn from Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees? What would it look like […]

(Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8)