Mark Archive
Carefully wrapped presents—family gatherings—festive ornaments—friends—colorful lights—fellowship—carols—and food! It’s almost Christmas. We love this time of year! Believers celebrate December 25th as the day when, perhaps more than at any other time, we think of Him. His name is on our lips—Jesus. But what does His name mean? —Yeshua is the Hebrew name for Jesus. Yeshua means “Salvation.”
Holiday celebrations are wonderful, meaningful, and memorable times for children. One of our daughters gets excited about playing Christmas music throughout the house well before Thanksgiving! Feel free to use the following Thanksgiving resources to help your families honor God and emphasize the traditions of our Christian faith. Fresh baked pumpkin pie. Corn on the cob. Sweet potatoes. Green beans. Golden brown turkey. What a …
If you’re like me, you want to love God passionately. After all, when a scribe pressed Jesus to identify the greatest commandment, He summed up the entire law in two all-encompassing statements—love God with your entire being, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31). Nothing in life is more important than these!
Once upon a time, Christian parents asked their children after church, “What did you learn about God?” Today, the question is often, “Did you have fun?” Not too long ago, wanting to fully equip children to serve Christ, churches offered extensive Bible training for all ages. Today, wanting to keep kids happy and to make recruiting easy, many churches offer high-energy, entertainment-based programs. Children rarely …
Each Christmas, many pastors try to view the incarnation from a fresh perspective. The shepherds, the angels, the innkeeper, Mary, and Joseph all had unique vantage points from which to consider this amazing event. This year I have been thinking about the Heavenly Father’s perspective. When His Son was delivered from Mary’s womb, was He as excited as a human Dad? Did He eagerly hand …
Discipleship is often labeled a “spiritual” activity. Nothing could be further from the truth! Jesus Christ showed His followers that discipleship encompasses every aspect of life. This article emphasizes the importance of balancing kids’ growth in three essential areas. First Century Parenting Just for fun, put yourself in the sandals of Joseph or Mary, Jesus’ earthly parents. While raising a child who never lied, never …
My Christian education training included a course taught by Dr. Howard Hendricks called “Principles of Discipleship.” Eight of us met at 6:30 in the mornings (not an optimum time for my nocturnal seminary lifestyle). Class sessions were around a conference table, eyeball-to-eyeball, not in a lecture hall. That experience opened my eyes to how Jesus made disciples in the first century—and how that process impacts …