34 articles from 31 issues, 1995 to 2026 · Page 2 of 3
Can lust be managed by degrees? Preaching on Matthew 5:27-30, Kevin Finch confesses his years as a “moral minimizer” and urges hearers to take Jesus’ drastic words at full strength: tear sin out, run from it as Joseph did, and trust God.
What do you do when the boat is filling with water and Jesus seems to be asleep? James Berkley reads the stilling of the storm and David before Goliath as a word to Presbyterians who fear their denomination is sinking.
Why does John call Jesus monogenes, the one of a kind? Terry McGonigal follows John’s case through the prologue, the seven signs, the dialogues and the “I am” sayings, and shows how it arrives at Thomas’s confession, “My Lord and my God.”
Does the New Testament say yes or no to women in the church’s ministry? Kenneth Bailey reads the Gospels and Paul against their Middle Eastern setting, finds women as disciples, teachers, prophets and deacons, and argues that the texts urging silence can be read in harmony with them.
Was Jesus as inclusive as his modern admirers say? James Edwards looks at how Jesus dealt with the Pharisees, Sadducees and Zealots, and argues that the gospel he preached excluded incompatible alternatives and cannot be reduced to American pluralism.
How can anyone worship while still carrying doubts? M. Craig Barnes preaches on the eleven disciples who worshiped Jesus on a Galilean mountain, and says faith is the choice to keep worshiping while the Spirit supplies what we cannot.
Why did the women say nothing to anyone when they found the tomb empty? Susan Cyre’s closing study of Mark follows the resurrection appearances and the commission, then turns to questions on the whole gospel and what it means to confess Christ as Lord.
Who is the true king when Pilate, the chief priests and the crowd decide the fate of Jesus? Susan Cyre’s study of Mark 15 follows the trial, the release of Barabbas, the mocking and the crucifixion, with questions for discussion and notes drawn from Calvin.
Who is in control while the plot against Jesus unfolds? Susan Cyre’s study of Mark 14 follows the anointing, the Passover meal, Gethsemane, the trial and Peter’s denial, with questions for discussion and notes drawn from Calvin.
What do Jesus’ words about the temple, false messiahs and the end of the age mean for those who follow him? Susan Cyre’s study of Mark 13 asks about persecution, watchfulness and who stays in control, with notes drawn from Calvin.
What does the parable of the tenants say about the authority God entrusts to religious leaders? Susan Cyre’s study of Mark 12 follows the vineyard, the traps set for Jesus and the widow’s gift, with questions for discussion and notes drawn from Calvin.
By what authority does Jesus act? Susan Cyre works through Mark 11, a chapter on that question, from the entry into Jerusalem and the withered fig tree to the cleansing of the temple and the challenge of the chief priests, scribes and elders.
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