This week we’ll be studying Colossians 2:16-23 under the theme “The Freedom of Jesus.” A major component to the Colossian heresy, and much false religion today (including in Christian churches) is the unnecessary burdening of manmade laws. The Apostle Paul refused to allow the Colossians’ sincere faith to be squeezed out by the self-righteousness of false teachers who presumed to be close to God. The Church in Colossae was a product of Paul’s 3-year ministry in Ephesus. The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to combat a specific type of heresy—a combination of Eastern and Greek philosophy and Jewish legalism with elements of Gnosticism. The danger was not in denying Christianity altogether but in altering genuine Christianity with mysticism, legalism, Eastern religions, asceticism, and man-made philosophy—making it quite relevant to our contemporary pluralistic culture.

This week we’ll be studying Colossians 2:6-15 under the theme “The Fullness of Jesus.” Here we receive one of Scripture’s clearest statements that Jesus is fully God and that his work on earth was to remove our sins by nailing them to his cross. We are working together to remove any deceptive philosophy, human tradition, or spirituality that would deter us from these truths.   The Church in Colossae was a product of Paul’s 3-year ministry in Ephesus. The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to combat a specific type of heresy—a combination of Eastern and Greek philosophy and Jewish legalism with elements of Gnosticism. The danger was not in denying Christianity altogether but in altering genuine Christianity with mysticism, legalism, Eastern religions, asceticism, and man-made philosophy—making it quite relevant to our contemporary pluralistic culture.

SERIES SUMMARY: The Church in Colossae was a product of Paul’s 3-year ministry in Ephesus. The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to combat a specific type of heresy—a combination of Eastern and Greek philosophy and Jewish legalism with elements of Gnosticism. The danger was not in denying Christianity altogether but in altering genuine Christianity with mysticism, legalism, Eastern religions, asceticism, and man-made philosophy—making it quite relevant to our contemporary pluralistic culture.

This Easter we're looking at Isaiah 25:6-9 where Isaiah prophesies about the eternal Feast on Mount Zion, when we will meet the Lord face to face. On that day, there will be no more hunger and no more tears; the only crying that will be heard are the cries of praise to Our God. The Resurrection means every sin and every problem of this world will be undone, and for that, we rejoice!

God has seen our most shameful moments, and instead of rejecting us, He loves us. He covers us and makes us beautiful; the only way for Him to do that was to make Himself ugly. He became sin to make us righteous. He was stripped naked to clothe us. He became an object of scorn to make us glorious. Based on John 19:17-30. "For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame." - Hebrews 12:2

We celebrate the Lord's Supper not just to honor Jesus, but to receive from Him. He wanted to have this meal with His disciples, and He wants to have it with us. This Holy Thursday, we feel His sorrow, feel His love, and feel His hope. Based on Luke 22:15-16.

This week we’ll be studying John 12:12-29 under the theme “The King.” Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday providing a unique picture of a humble, otherworldly King. This teaches us a great deal about the humble, otherworldly living of God’s people in the Kingdom. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” – i.e. signals that point us to something even more significant than the miracle itself. John teaches us that Jesus is the “Word Incarnate” who dwelt among us, loved us dearly, and gave our lives eternal meaning.

Based on Isaiah 53:8. God promised Adam and Eve that he would one day send one who would crush the serpent and free his people from sin and its penalty. Isaiah announced that this person is the Lord's Suffering Servant. The fourth and final "Servant Song" in the book of Isaiah expresses the unheard of declaration that the suffering of a single man would release all of us from the consequences of sin. In this season of Lent we will focus on our suffering Savior and the Fourth Servant Song of Isaiah. Written about 700 years before Christ, it depicts his life from the cradle to the grave, from his birth to his resurrection, portraying his suffering and his glory in a particularly vivid and graphic manner. Jesus fulfilled the Lord's will, accomplished our salvation, and was given the victor's reward, which he graciously shares with us.

This week we’ll be studying John 14:1-4 under the theme “Your Room in His House.” Jesus didn’t tell his disciples that they wouldn’t have troubles, but he did tell them to not let their hearts be troubled. He provided them with a resource that would let them face any opposition in life with courage. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” – i.e. signals that point us to something even more significant than the miracle itself. John teaches us that Jesus is the “Word Incarnate” who dwelt among us, loved us dearly, and gave our lives eternal meaning.

Based on Isaiah 53:7. God promised Adam and Eve that he would one day send one who would crush the serpent and free his people from sin and its penalty. Isaiah announced that this person is the Lord's Suffering Servant. The fourth and final "Servant Song" in the book of Isaiah expresses the unheard of declaration that the suffering of a single man would release all of us from the consequences of sin. In this season of Lent we will focus on our suffering Savior and the Fourth Servant Song of Isaiah. Written about 700 years before Christ, it depicts his life from the cradle to the grave, from his birth to his resurrection, portraying his suffering and his glory in a particularly vivid and graphic manner. Jesus fulfilled the Lord's will, accomplished our salvation, and was given the victor's reward, which he graciously shares with us. If you’d like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

This week we will be studying John 13:31-36 under the theme “Loving One Another.” Prior to dying for their sins on the cross, Jesus gets down and washes his disciples’ feet. While both, in a sense, are what God’s people do for one another, the latter provides the more accessible daily option and the apologetic of humbly showing love.   The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” – i.e. signals that point us to something even more significant than the miracle itself. John teaches us that Jesus is the “Word Incarnate” who dwelt among us, loved us dearly, and gave our lives eternal meaning. If you’d like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

Based on Isaiah 53:6. God promised Adam and Eve that he would one day send one who would crush the serpent and free his people from sin and its penalty. Isaiah announced that this person is the Lord's Suffering Servant. The fourth and final "Servant Song" in the book of Isaiah expresses the unheard of declaration that the suffering of a single man would release all of us from the consequences of sin. In this season of Lent we will focus on our suffering Savior and the Fourth Servant Song of Isaiah. Written about 700 years before Christ, it depicts his life from the cradle to the grave, from his birth to his resurrection, portraying his suffering and his glory in a particularly vivid and graphic manner. Jesus fulfilled the Lord's will, accomplished our salvation, and was given the victor's reward, which he graciously shares with us. If you’d like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

Mary's gift and example of sacrifice and unconditional commitment to Jesus calls us to do the same. When will you "break the jar" and freely live in the comfort of His promises? Based on John 12:1-11. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” – i.e. signals that point us to something even more significant than the miracle itself. John teaches us that Jesus is the “Word Incarnate” who dwelt among us, loved us dearly, and gave our lives eternal meaning. If you’d like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

Based on Isaiah 53:4-5. God promised Adam and Eve that he would one day send one who would crush the serpent and free his people from sin and its penalty. Isaiah announced that this person is the Lord's Suffering Servant. The fourth and final "Servant Song" in the book of Isaiah expresses the unheard of declaration that the suffering of a single man would release all of us from the consequences of sin. In this season of Lent we will focus on our suffering Savior and the Fourth Servant Song of Isaiah. Written about 700 years before Christ, it depicts his life from the cradle to the grave, from his birth to his resurrection, portraying his suffering and his glory in a particularly vivid and graphic manner. Jesus fulfilled the Lord's will, accomplished our salvation, and was given the victor's reward, which he graciously shares with us. If you’d like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

This week we will be studying John 11:36-44 under the theme “Lazarus.” While Jesus performed many miracles, resurrection was his most important and most impactful sign. We’ll see his humanity, his power, and his intention to undo the results of sin in this world. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” – i.e. signals that point us to something even more significant than the miracle itself. John teaches us that Jesus is the “Word Incarnate” who dwelt among us, loved us dearly, and gave our lives eternal meaning. If you’d like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

Based on Isaiah 52:14 and Isaiah 53:2-3. God promised Adam and Eve that he would one day send one who would crush the serpent and free his people from sin and its penalty. Isaiah announced that this person is the Lord's Suffering Servant. The fourth and final "Servant Song" in the book of Isaiah expresses the unheard of declaration that the suffering of a single man would release all of us from the consequences of sin. In this season of Lent we will focus on our suffering Savior and the Fourth Servant Song of Isaiah. Written about 700 years before Christ, it depicts his life from the cradle to the grave, from his birth to his resurrection, portraying his suffering and his glory in a particularly vivid and graphic manner. Jesus fulfilled the Lord's will, accomplished our salvation, and was given the victor's reward, which he graciously shares with us. If you’d like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

This week we’ll be studying John 10:1-29 under the theme “The Good Shepherd.” The image of Jesus as a Good Shepherd and we as his sheep is humbling, helpful, and hopeful. It provides perspective on what we’re capable of, what Christ is capable of, and how valued we are. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” – i.e. signals that point us to something even more significant than the miracle itself. John teaches us that Jesus is the “Word Incarnate” who dwelt among us, loved us dearly, and gave our lives eternal meaning. If you’d like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

God promised Adam and Eve that he would one day send one who would crush the serpent and free his people from sin and its penalty. Isaiah announced that this person is the Lord's Suffering Servant. The fourth and final "Servant Song" in the book of Isaiah expresses the unheard of declaration that the suffering of a single man would release all of us from the consequences of sin. In this season of Lent we will focus on our suffering Savior and the Fourth Servant Song of Isaiah. Written about 700 years before Christ, it depicts his life from the cradle to the grave, from his birth to his resurrection, portraying his suffering and his glory in a particularly vivid and graphic manner. Jesus fulfilled the Lord's will, accomplished our salvation, and was given the victor's reward, which he graciously shares with us. If you’d like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

This week we’ll be studying John 9:1-12 under the theme “Born Blind.” Jesus’ interaction with a man born blind teaches us something about inherent human spiritual blindness, the cause of suffering, the self-righteousness of religious people, and what it truly means to see life clearly. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” – i.e. signals that point us to something even more significant than the miracle itself. John teaches us that Jesus is the “Word Incarnate” who dwelt among us, loved us dearly, and gave our lives eternal meaning. If you’d like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

This week, we will be studying John 6:22-40 under the theme “The Bread of Life.” This famous teaching provides insight on the energy Christ gives us, how we consume the bread of life, and how to humbly receive this bread from heaven. The Gospel of John, written a couple decades after the other Gospel records, focuses less on the facts of Jesus’ ministry and more on the meaning of those facts. John frequently refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” – i.e. signals that point us to something even more significant than the miracle itself. John teaches us that Jesus is the “Word Incarnate” who dwelt among us, loved us dearly, and gave our lives eternal meaning. If you’d like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive