well i thought everyone who was interested had an idea of what we are doing next but having explained our next moves three times to people in the last few days i figured it wouldn't hurt having another explanation up - for those of you who have heard this, you can skip this one... from June 2011 to Dec 2012 the beautiful Val [tbV] and i were working and living with the Simple Way in [...]
this passage is a semi well-known one where Jesus speaks about a prophet in their own town not being welcomed or recognised - i decided to take a look at the aspect of potential which i saw hidden in here... Join me as i look at Mark chapter 6 verse 1 to 5 [to continue to the next passage where Jesus sends the disciples out to try the stuff, click here]
the journey through the book of Mark continues and this next passage is a little longer but contains two powerful stories and i am just going to pull one or two points out of them. they illustrate one of the most powerful lessons tbV and i learnt from our time with the Simple Way - namely that of making space for the interruption. join me as i look at Mark chapter 5 vs 21 to [...]
Wow! This is a hectic psalm so grab your Bible or google the passage and read the whole thing. This is God claiming His position in the Universe ['The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets' verse 1] and as the Lord of peoples lives ['“Listen, my people, and I will speak; I will testify against you, Israel: I am God, your [...]
What i chose to focus on in this story that we have heard a lot of different preaching on, is the aspect of Jesus working out of the box in a sense and challenging the way things work and also a closer look at the response of people to God pitching up in a very clear way which both amazes and terrifies. Mark chapter 5 verse 1 to 20. The question we are left with [...]
With this one we finish chapter four and with that the first quarter of the Gospel of Mark. In this passage we take a look at Jesus who has fallen fast asleep while everyone else seems to be panic'ing about the furious storm that is raging around them. Take a watch as i speak about Mark 4 verse 35 to 41. to see the next video which deals with Jesus freeing the man possessed by [...]
i'd love to make this sound like the cool kind of parable Jesus would have used, but i don't think i can. but if it was a fairy-tale type story it would begin with something sounding like 'Once upon a time...' and very quickly end up at the place of 'Brett looked at the path and it was blocked by the giant obstacle. He didn't know what to do next.' and depending on your perspective [...]
so the next step in the brett fish & the beautiful Val next americaland journey has taken place... after three great official times [as well as many unofficial times comprising many drinks of coffee, milkshake and tea or variants thereof] of sitting down with people we love [and vice versa] and talking through some of what Relational Tithe/Common Change is about we put together an invitation email to gather a group of friends and family [...]
'So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the [...]
"the kingdom of heaven is like..." and so Jesus begins two more stories both mesmerising and confusing his audience, but definitely giving them something to think about... and these are some of the simple thoughts i had as i looked at these two brief parables found in the next section of Mark... Take a look with me at Mark chapter 4 verse 26-34. these parables of the kingdom help remind us to be filled with [...]