The church of Christ on McDermott Road

The Biblical story of Paul and Barnabas – Maintaining friendships, as opposed to being comfortable and easy, actually can be quite hard work. What kinds of work does it take?

David’s sin with Bathsheba broke his family. After the events of chapter 12, everything seems to fall apart for David. His children sin greatly against one another. But in the midst of it all, David is given an opportunity to bring an exiled son back home. In doing so, David demonstrates the grace and mercy of God (and […]

David’s most infamous sin was stealing another man’s wife and having that man killed to cover up the affair. When confronted with his sin, David recognized and confessed the wrong in what he had done. For us, the question is not whether or not we have sinned; but rather, what do we do when we are confronted with […]

For seven and a half years, David ruled as king, but only over the tribe of Judah. The other tribes of Israel, were loyal to Saul’s son Ishbosheth. David’s men and Ishbosheth’s men made war with each other. Sadly, David’s men made many mistakes along the way, but eventually, the entire nation of Israel was united under David’s […]

Finally, we will conclude our “Motivated” series by considering one of the most powerful words of the Gospel, “grace.” The Greek word for “grace” is “charis,” the word from which we get, “charity.” Grace is not just about forgiveness, but about being lavished with spiritual blessings in Jesus. The riches of God’s grace should be one of the […]

Philippians 2 is another great passage to add fuel to our spiritual tank. The mind of Jesus—specifically, his selfless love—should compel us forward in everything we do. We should allow his incarnation, crucifixion, and glorification to motivate us to see others as “more significant” than ourselves and serve their needs as we serve our own. If we […]

The 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians is all about the hope of resurrection. Paul shares how if it weren’t for Jesus’ resurrection—and the coming resurrection of all of God’s people—all would be hopeless and following Jesus would be pointless. But because the resurrection is true, it should motivate us to be bold in our service to the King. […]

Romans 12:1 is a hinge on which the entire letter to the Romans pivots. Paul shifts from sharing the deep theological truths of the Gospel and begins to share how those truths should motivate and compel God’s people. He helps us to see how gratitude for God’s mercy should be one of the primary fuels of our life. […]

There are few “new beginnings” or “fresh starts” as memorable as Saul of Tarsus’ conversion to a follower of Jesus. Saul had been a zealous Pharisee, who believed his terroristic acts against Christians were helping defend the Jewish faith and way of life. When Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus and he was soon baptized, […]

Nehemiah, cupbearer to the king of Persia, was shocked to find out that the returned exiles still had not rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem. The unwalled city was left open to attacks and manipulations from outsiders. Nehemiah helped the finish this monumental task and hoped that rebuilding the wall would usher in the highly anticipated peace, prosperity, and […]

Ezra was a scribe and a priest, who helped the Jewish people resettle in Jerusalem after the return from Babylonian exile. He taught the people the Torah and hoped that their return to Jerusalem would be a fresh start for God’s people, ushering in a time of peace, prosperity, and faithfulness to God. Unfortunately, the returned exiles continued […]

You might say Noah got a fresh start. He and his family were free from the torment of the evil world they left behind. However, nearly as soon as they got off the ark, Noah’s family corrupted the new world with sin of their own. They brought the sin with them into the new world and once again, […]

As we wrap up our journey through John (and as we wrap up another year), let’s remember that the Son of Man gives us food that endures to eternal life. Because the Son of Man now reigns in heaven on our behalf and he has given us everything we need for life, we should seek that which comes […]

When we think about Jesus being born in Bethlehem and that news being announced to wise men and shepherds, why do we think that is Good News? Why does Jesus’ birth mean “peace and good tidings on earth”? Why do angels rejoice at this news? It’s Good News because humanity has a King who is partnered together with […]

Jesus compares the exaltation of the Son of Man to the bronze serpent from the book of Numbers. Jesus believed that when he was lifted up on the cross, he would draw humanity to himself and they would be healed and would receive the gift of eternal life. What does it mean to be a people who believe […]