The Hill Church

The religious leaders traveled 90 miles to check in on what was happening with Jesus and his followers. They were ultimately looking for problems in His ministry. In this chapter, Jesus shows us there is a major problem with the religion man has constructed.

A hard heart can keep us from experiencing all the Lord may want for us. In this section of Mark 6, we see Jesus addressing the hard hearts of his disciples.

We turn from Herod’s wicked banquet to Jesus’ banquet. At Jesus’ banquet we find healing, teaching and compassion. 

As we have gone through the Gospel of Mark the Kingdom of God has been a significant theme. Moving into chapter 6 we will see three instances in which the Kingdom of God is rejected. Jesus is rejected in his hometown, Jesus prepares his disciples for rejection, and John the Baptist ultimately has his life taken for advocating for Biblical truth. As we examine these cases it also raises the questio...

A reflection on how the miracles of Jesus demonstrate the coming of the kingdom of God and his Lordship over all creation.

Jesus plans to cross the sea with his friends, however, a storm challenges both their safety and their relationship. 

Everyone loves some good inside information. We all appreciate a little behind the scenes intel that gives insight into what's really going on. Pulled away from the crowds, Jesus’ followers privately ask him to break down the meaning of his parables.

As stated in the first chapter of Mark, this is the story of the good news of Jesus Christ. In this section we get to see more about why it’s good news. Jesus is Lord of all, but in doing so He is not harsh with us but He is patient even though He knows our hearts and the sin in them. But He is also still Lord over those who aren’t following Him. This passage provides a moment for us to reflect on...

Jesus hits Levi a tax Collector with two words, the same words He has for us. "Follow Me".

God’s challenge is to go. Go ye therefore, go tell it, go live it, go be it. However there are times when we don’t feel like going and times we feel inadequate. Jonathan and his armor bearer encourage us to go no matter the odds or our circumstances. As the young armor bearer said, “Do all that you have in mind. Go ahead. I am with you heart and soul."

Mark’s fast paced gospel doesn’t take time to introduce much. We find Jesus already on the go teaching, healing and dismissing demons that have lived comfortably in the religious settings of His time. The second half of the first chapter of Mark teaches us that good teaching makes bad people nervous. 

As we venture into a study of the book of Mark we will see the gospel message unfold. Here in chapter 1 we see the beginning of that story, that the way is being prepared by John the Baptist who is the forerunner of Jesus. Then Jesus meets John to be baptized and then goes off to be tempted in the wilderness. After completing these tasks Jesus begins his ministry and calls his first disciples. As...

Everyone loves inside information. When a construction project is happening in town people ask, “what’s happening over there?”, or “what will that be?” Cleopas and his friend thought they knew the whole story, but Jesus takes a walk with them to the big picture.

Jude writes to a church that needs to take a stand for the truth. False teachers have entered the church and Jude is calling Jesus’ followers to stand on the Truth.

The scriptures give us a hope in Christ and details on the things to come concerning both believers and nonbelievers.

Salt and light are both simple objects yet extremely important for everyday life. Jesus calls us to be salt and light...simple, yet very important and very useful in the world. 

The world has done a good job of redefining the definition of many things. Even the word church has various meanings to people today. However, the Lord had a very specific purpose in mind when he called the church to be the church. 

This week we are exploring the doctrine of sin and salvation. Walk with us as we take an honest reflection on our sinful being and the glory we inherit through Jesus' sacrifice.

Paul is closing out this letter with a few final instructions to this church community. Despite the massive issues happening within the church, Paul also reminds this community he deeply loves them.  

You may have heard of Jesus. You might even identify with him. But how does he feel about you? Does knowing who he is delight you?

The first person of the trinity is known as God the Father. For some, their relationship with their own father has challenged their approach to relating to God the Father. Many find it more comfortable relating to the other two persons of the trinity. This week we will better explore our Father in heaven.

As we continue with looking at "what we believe" we are going to take a look at God. As an overview we will look at how we understand the trinity and why it matters for our everyday life. 

When buying a house you ask questions about the neighborhood, the school system, taxes, the roof, the heat and air conditioning system. Some people will even ask questions about the refrigerator or the stove. The foundation, however is far from the top of the list. If the foundation is the top question it is coming from a person who has experienced foundation issues in the past. Everything is buil...

The fun thing about reading adventure stories is the feeling of being in the danger or excitement without the possibility of getting hurt. You can travel under the ocean or be in space in a matter of moments. The Bible, however, is the only book that we read that actually reads us back. John 8 is a great passage to see the reflection of our hearts in real time before Jesus.