Entries by Jen Olson

Cross-Bearers behind the Cross-Bearer

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To begin this morning, I want to read for you a passage from Scripture.  It is Matthew 23:26:  They placed the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.  Do you remember this scene?  It is morning on Good Friday.  They are leading Jesus out to Calvary to crucify him.  Jesus began the death-march carrying his own cross.  But weakened as he was from beatings and blood loss, he is unable to carry it the whole way.  So the Roman soldiers grab an onlooker from the crowd. 

He Has Done Everything Well

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The Kingdom of God is advancing. It is advancing everywhere Jesus goes. And as the Kingdom of God advances with Jesus, the tyranny of Satan crumbles. As the Kingdom of God advances with Jesus, the symptoms of sin begin to dissipate. Neither demons nor disease nor death can stand against the forward march of the Christ and his Kingdom.

Into Battle, Fully and Heavily Armed

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We have all seen the images coming out of Afghanistan over the last weeks.  Certainly they are images that touch our hearts and move us Christians to pray for God’s help and healing in that chaotic part of the world.  But for the moment, I want you to “freeze” on one image you have seen.  I want you to freeze your mind’s eye on the image of the U.S soldier dressed for combat.  Can you picture it?

How Blessed!

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Before us this morning is one of those things we find in the Bible called a “beatitude.” A beatitude is a statement of what is blessed. Perhaps the most well-known beatitudes in the Bible are those Jesus speaks in the Sermon on the Mount. Blessed are the poor in spirit…Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted…Blessed are the meek (Matthew 5), and so on. But those are by no means the only beatitudes found in Scripture.

Bread for the Journey

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If you have ever gone on a day hike in the mountains, then you know how important it is to pack some trail mix in your backpack. If you’ve ever run a marathon, then you know how essential it is to take some energy gels or energy gummies along with you on the race. And if you’ve ever worked a full morning out in the fields, then you know how necessary a good dinner is before heading out again for an afternoon of work.

Made Over . . . in Christ

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Our culture is obsessed with the whole concept of the “makeover.” People love the home makeover shows. You know the ones. There’s Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna, and there’s Design on a Dime, and Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition, and Love It or List It, and on and on and on. For whatever reason people love to tune in to watch houses be transformed.

Rejoicing at a Distance

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For today’s worship, guest Pastor Nathan Schulte joined our services. He has served in the mission field in Latin America. Pr. Schulte preached at both services and also gave a presentation between services about his work in Latin America.

Your Good Shepherd Delivers Rest

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t was nothing like this. The twelve apostles of Jesus were not able to sit down, and take a load off, and enjoy the outdoor serenity around them. They weren’t able to bask in the sunlight, they weren’t able to enjoy the songs of the birds. They weren’t able to grab a hot dog and a bag of chips and dig into a picnic lunch. As Mark tells us in today’s text, those apostles couldn’t even find time to eat, there was so much commotion around them.

A Prophet Faces “Cancel Culture”

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See if you can relate to this:  imagine a culture in which the people are for the most part living the good life.  Politically things are stable; they are not a nation at war.  Economically things are really quite nice.  Many people are making a very comfortable living.  The standard of living is high.