Thursday Nite Appetizer

Mark 13:24-32 Jesus said to his disciples: “In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. “And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four win...

Mark 12:38-44 As [Jesus] taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” He sat down opposite the treasury, and watch...

The Way of Humility What’s missing in James and John’s outlook? Why do they want Jesus to give them the two best seats in the Kingdom? They would not need to ask if they knew how much Jesus loved and valued them. Jesus uses this moment to teach them about his Kingdom. He uses an example they knew very well: the Romans who ruled their land. He says, “the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them.” J...

We’re not that different from the people of Jesus’s time. Whatever we may say or admit, we too seem to believe that money is a sign of blessing. You may, for example, feel that money gives you security or opportunity that you wouldn’t otherwise have. Money is closely linked to other “bonuses” like popularity, influence, or, power. Sadly, the church can easily become too dependent on money. Who wou...

To whom does the Kingdom of God belong? This week we are focusing on the second part of the Gospel, about children coming to Jesus. Some people believe that the Kingdom of God belongs to people who go to church. Others believe that it belongs to people who always do the right thing. Maybe it belongs to those who know the right things. What do you think? Jesus gives an unusual answer. In fact, he s...

John complains to Jesus about someone casting out demons in His name. The complaint is based on a reality which the disciples have witnessed, the power of Jesus. They have seen him heal, and cast out evil spirits with a word or a simple gesture. They are struggling to understand that in Him they see the power of God because He is God. Jesus announces that the strangers casting out demons in His na...

https://holyfamily.ca/backgrounder-september-14-2021/

What’s the shape of your cross? There’s no doubt that suffering comes to all of us sooner or later. Sometimes it’s just life: sickness, disaster, or death. Sometimes it’s our own choices that bring us suffering – we can call that sin. And it may be a bit of both: whose fault is the pain of a broken relationship, or a failure to achieve your goals? Isaiah presents a mysterious figure, known as the...

https://holyfamily.ca/category/backgrounder

https://holyfamily.ca/category/backgrounder

http://holyfamily.ca/categories/backgrounder

http://holyfamily.ca/categories/backgrounder

https://holyfamily.ca/category/backgrounder/

https://holyfamily.ca/category/backgrounder/

"Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two." Mark 6:7 When Jesus calls the Twelve, He is calling them to Himself in a new, deeper way. If you are a Christian, a follower of Jesus, you need to be attentive to His new calls on you. More than anything else, we are all called to enter more deeply into relationship with Him. This is both amazing and hard. Why? Nothing could be mor...

It’s really amazing that our faith can place any limits on Jesus. The Lord of the whole Universe has left us room, the freedom to accept Him, or to turn away from Him. Jesus can always do whatever he wants. So, it’s mysterious that the people of Jesus’s home town could actually reject Him even though they had heard of His wisdom and deeds of power. In fact they took offense at Him. It’s easy to un...

We should appreciate the boldness of the woman from Mark 5. She was willing to disregard all the social and religious barriers of her time for one thing: to come close to Jesus. For a woman to touch a man in public, especially a rabbi, was forbidden. If she was bleeding, she would make him unclean. These rules are no longer in force, as we have learned from Jesus about how to include everyone. How...

Did you ever feel that Jesus wasn’t listening when you asked for help? The storms of life don’t ask us for our timing – just like the disciples on the lake, the storms just show up. If you are a Christian, then those are the times when you turn to Jesus. You want to know that he is with you, and that he will settle things down for you. You want to know that you’re going to be okay. But life isn’t...

Did you ever find yourself needing shelter when there was a storm? Years ago, we were cozily at home, with a warm fire, in the middle of terrible blizzard, when there was a knock on the door. It was a couple of ladies trying to drive back to the city; their car had drifted into the ditch just across the road. They didn’t even have winter coats or boots, just light sweaters and shoes. Of course, we...

"Trusting God in Troubled Times" is a 5-part series. Join us Wednesdays June 16, 23, 30 and July 7th at 7pm at Holy Family Church.

Doubt continues to shadow the hearts of some of the disciples, even as Jesus is about to return to heaven (Matthew 28). Doubt, hesitation, or the spirit of slavery (Romans 8) are powerful influences in our hearts too. Jesus invites his disciples to see Him as Son of God, who has received all power in heaven and earth. Seeing who He truly is, they are invited into His mission. They are disciples: t...

We often meet the disciples of Jesus living out of fear, huddled together and hoping to be left alone by non-Christians. They understandably did not want to engage their Jewish or pagan neighbours. After all, the Romans and Jews had collaborated to kill Jesus. Cowardice is the name for this fearful reaction, and it is one of the deadliest spiritual diseases for Christians today. Human courage can...

Before Jesus returns to heaven, the disciples ask Him when the kingdom of Israel will be restored. They want to go back to “the good old days” when they ruled their own kingdom. They’re confused: wondering when Jesus will finally do what they expect. (Acts 1) We are often confused – living in tumultuous times, wondering when things will get better, hoping that God will fix everything, impatient be...

You’re probably not surprised that Jesus expects you to keep His commandments. But why do you obey Jesus? When you do what he tells you to, you are acting from obligation. This is really important, but why you obey also matters. After all, His commandment is to love – but how can he expect us to love as He loves? Obligation is a good thing. Duty is a good thing. But like so many good things in lif...

There are two ways life goes: sometimes you may feel like you are withering, set aside and ready to be burned. Jesus tells us that the Father, like a good vine grower, prunes us of whatever does not bear fruit. But he also offers us the tremendous promise that if we remain in him, he remains in us, and we will bear much fruit. (John 15) The theme of our series, Unify, is really highlighted this we...