The Problem Isn't The Seed

In His teachings, Jesus gave patterns of repetition that should not surprise us when we begin to notice them coming to pass in our lives. Pastor Mike Patz continues our series on the Book of Mark, Come Follow Me, taking a look at verses 4:1-9. The Parable of the Seeds shows us the need to pay close attention to what Jesus was saying. From the four different soils and four farmers, there were four different results. But the problem was not the seed! The difference was hearing and understanding. The sower is God, the soils are our hearts, the seed is the word. Listen! He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

We think we see things as they are, but the reality is we often see things as we are. Our families, wounds, and past experiences assign meaning to and greatly shape our lives. Pastor Mike Patz continues the Come Follow Me series, looking at Mark 3:20-35, the unforgivable sin, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. We wonder, “Have I done it? If so, what can I do about it?” The most dangerous thing about being wrong is being unwilling to be corrected and to change. Jesus has given us His authority over the devil, but we must have the mindset of humility to Jesus’ power working through us. We must have soft hearts and a humble mind, admitting, “I could be wrong.” Jesus wants to do more than just forgive us. He wants to bring us into His family. Come in, humble yourself and soften your hearts, and be part of the family.

You can manufacture strength and organization within a team, but ultimately, you need the empowerment of the leader. Have we settled for following Jesus with little expectation of His power? Do we really believe that Jesus can exercise His authority through ordinary people like us? Pastor Oscar Roche continues the Come Follow Me series, opening Mark 3:7-19. Jesus never intended His followers merely to admire His authority. He intended for them to carry it. He wants us to be followers with power! Let's fully participate in His discipleship plan! Touch Him, do life with Him, and go in the power He has given to us.

Humans have the tendency to miss the point. They can be committed to rules and regulations that end up causing more harm than the good intentions they began with. Religion is like that too. In Jesus' day, the priests had created many laws to avoid any chance of violating the holy day. Pastor Mike Patz looks at the Sabbath, unpacking Mark 2:23-28 and 3:1-6 as we continue with the Come Follow Me series. Sabbath was to cease, to pause, to stop doing what you normally would be doing and delight in the Lord. The very law of God was always good for humans. Religion has a way of missing the point. What's on the other side of the command? Humans flourish when they're living within the true commands of God. So Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

We all have a picture in mind of how life works, a scoreboard of how success looks.As the Come Follow Me series continues, Pastor Mike Patz opens up Mark chapter 2:18-22, challenging us: don't sleep through the wedding! Be awake, the Bridegroom is alive and He rejoices over us. Does His presence thrill your soul? Have you spent your whole life trying to convince God to love you, trying to be good enough? There is really good news today: you may have left your first love for Him, but the Bridegroom has not lost His first love for you. We can know His voice! Jesus has already scored all the points needed to know Him, on the cross. He is the all in all, the Lord of lords, and it's all about Him! Our lives must be rearranged around Him. You don't add Jesus to your life; you give your life to Jesus.

What is the Gospel? Euangelion = gospel, meaning a better life has come. The Gospel should take your breath away! Let's look deeply at the Good News at work in the midst of the bad news we experience in this life. Darkness is real, but light is breaking in! Keep looking because there's more than meets the eye.As we journey through the book of Mark, a discipleship manual, Jesus says, "Come follow me." Pastor Mike Patz opens Mark chapter 1:14-15, asking, "What is the Gospel?" Is the gospel you're believing in the good advice, or the Good News?Jesus is in Galilee, bringing the Good News to the nations. We have been called into this Kingdom! Religion says: do. Try harder. Be better. Clean yourself up. Keep the rules. Make yourself acceptable. Work your way to God. Strive. There are many gospels, but the true Gospel is our God reigns! There is healing to the brokenhearted, freedom to the captives, comfort to those who mourn. The Gospel is the Good News that in Jesus, God's Kingdom has come, and because of Jesus, we can get in. Repent and believe the Gospel!

What does the Trinity have to do with the way we actually live?In the final message of our Trinity series, Pastor Mike walks through Matthew 28:16–20 and Jesus’ command to make disciples by baptizing them into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.Baptism is more than saying the right words—it is an invitation into a new way of life. Jesus calls us to be immersed in the life of the Father, Son, and Spirit.When we are immersed in the Father, we discover love—that we are wanted, known, adopted, and deeply loved.When we are immersed in the Son, we encounter truth—learning to live like Jesus, follow His ways, and receive His life as our own.When we are immersed in the Spirit, we encounter power—His presence, His voice, His calling, and His power working through us.True formation comes by being immersed in the life of the Father, Son, and Spirit.Love. Truth. Power.This is why the Trinity matters.

Have you ever looked around at the world and felt like Daniel did: grieved, troubled in your spirit with the headlines?  Is the chaos of the world or the true Word of God on your mind? We don't debate timeliness and dates, but we focus on what we are sure of. The Unshakable Kingdom! Pastor Oscar Roche concludes our series on the Book of Daniel, opening chapter 7.The Kingdom of our God and King shall never be destroyed! Jesus is the Ancient of Days, and has purchased an everlasting Kingdom with His death on the cross. He is seated on the throne above, ruling everything on earth with righteousness and justice. Let us remain unshakable in our faith until the end!

Have you ever done your job so well that you were persecuted because of it? Trustworthy, firm, reliable, one that's faithful, this is the description of Daniel. He stayed faithful for over 70 years through exile, a shifting culture, political changes and rulers! Unshakable faith over decades! Pastor Oscar Roche continues our series on the Book of Daniel, looking at chapter 6.Daniel's first response when he hears that the law has been changed is to go to the window to pray, "as he had always done."We tend to wait for the crisis to come before we seek the Lord. But when life starts unraveling it's not the time to finally come to the Lord. Crisis doesn't create your devotion, it's found in what you're giving yourself to daily. The ordinary rhythms are where faithfulness is cultivated. It must be formed before it can be tested. Faithfulness is not formed in the lion's den. It's formed at the window.

There's an overarching sense of anxiety in our culture today. Constant fear vies to override the truth of the scripture in many of our lives. Has God lost control?Unshakable! The pressure of the world reveals the allegiance of the heart. Pastor Matt Ulrich continues our series on The Book of Daniel. In chapters 2-4, Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that terrifies him. The kingdoms of man rise and fall; they are not permanent. What looks ultimate on earth is temporary in heaven. Any kingdom without the King is destined to fall. The Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth, and His name is Jesus Christ. He is in control of everything, and so we don't have to be.