custom categories: senior pastor: bob whitaker

Bob brings a message about God's love this second week of advent.

Pastor Bob speaks on the folly of pride and the wisdom of humility.

Jesus brings the Sermon on the Mount to conclusion in this "here's the takeaway" passage. The parable of the wise and foolish builders might seem foreboding, like a prediction of calamity for those who don’t build properly, but it is also a description of what it means to follow Jesus’ teachings. He tells his audience the pathway to the good life and reminds them that if they live according to his teachings they will be like the wise builder, inheriting the solid, substantial, good life of God’s kingdom.

Jesus steps into the normal order of things in the synagogue and does something out of the ordinary, even shocking, that deepens their understanding of God. Jesus' audience consisted of people committed to the word of God, and so are we, but sometimes our human interpretation of how things are or ought to be leads us to set this view up as a tradition that we simply accept as reality. Are you willing to let Jesus challenge your interpretations?

Luke 9:51-62 "The Gospel Has No 'Easy Button' " When Jesus called his disciples to “come and follow,” he did not suggest that their life would become easy. He actually suggested that discipleship came at a great cost but that the investment paid eternal dividends. There are many famous authors who have addressed the cost of discipleship and many more who have lived the reality without writing about the experience. One thing is certain, following Christ does not mean that our life becomes easy but the life of a disciple includes remarkable rewards. This week we will consider with Pastor Bob the challenges and blessings of following Jesus.

Matthew 7:7-12. Jesus describes God as a most loving father. In fact, it appears he believes that God will give us whatever we want. “Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find…” On the surface, these seem like open-ended promises...but are they? Suppose you asked for what was not in your best interest. Would a good parent give it to you anyway? Is it possible that a good parent would deny a request to their children? Giving a child anything that he/she asks for is not exactly good parenting, is it? Surely we ought to evaluate the promises of Jesus in light of these experiences, shouldn’t we? How are we to understand this teaching of Jesus?

“Judge not or you will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1) These words of Jesus are quoted often and they are frequently invoked when someone is feeling protective of another, insulted or personally threatened. As usual, we tend to use the words as if we know their exact meaning, but do we? Is Jesus suggesting that words of judgment should never be used? Does he mean that we should not be discerning about what is good or bad, moral or immoral? Is Jesus suggesting that we ought not make judgments in court, enforce laws or punish criminals? Some claim that this is exactly what Jesus is teaching. This Sunday we will renew our study of the life and teaching of Jesus – rediscovering his teachings.

A look at the epiphanies of the wise men, the woman at the well, the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and Paul's conversion.

A look at "peace": practical, personal, and complete peace. Is peace possible? Where does this peace come from?

Bob wraps up the semester and our series 'Rediscovering Jesus' by helping us reflect on the biblical truth that Jesus is our King (not our President).

A message on Jesus as the shepherd of his people on this 2nd Sunday of Advent.

When 10 men who were afflicted with leprosy called out to Jesus, he was gracious enough to heal all of them. However, only one came back to Jesus in order to give thanks – the man was a Samaritan. In most areas of life, a sense of entitlement is unbecoming, but as it relates to faith it is deadly. Is it even possible for ingratitude or a sense of entitlement to coexist with salvation? It is certainly something worth thinking about. Today we remember the importance of thanksgiving for all God’s good gifts, especially the gift of salvation.

A look at Jesus' teaching on treasure through four questions: Where is your heart? Who owns your soul? How is your faith? What are your priorities?

The topic of forgiveness is a difficult one. An improper understanding of forgiveness can be damaging. Sometimes the notion of forgiveness can be used as a tool for abusive relationships. When Jesus spoke about forgiveness he was not suggesting that the abused should go back to the abuser and suffer in silence. However, Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness was radical and revolutionary. So what did he mean when he told his disciples to forgive? Why should I forgive? What does it mean to forgive? What are the consequences of forgiveness?

What is the main message of the very familiar parable of the Good Samaritan? It may be different than you think!

In Mark 9:33-41, Jesus interrupted a dispute between the disciples. They were so embarrassed by their own dispute that they did not want to respond to Jesus when he asked why they were arguing. No wonder they didn’t want to answer--they were disputing about which one of them was the greatest. Is this a dispute between children or adult Christ-followers? Well, actually it is both, something that if we are honest we have seen or been involved in many times. As usual, Jesus “turns the tables” on them by redefining greatness. If you want to be great you need to get to the back of the line – humility is a prerequisite for greatness and leadership in the Kingdom of God. How does your resume look?

After feeding the 5,000, Jesus again turns to solitude and instructs his disciples to do the same. He sends them on ahead in a boat, and they are sailing across the lake when a storm forms and threatens the boat. The picture that the writer gives us is this: that all this time Jesus is walking in the hills around the lake, praying. When the disciples run into trouble in the boat, he appears out of the storm, walking on the water. In this message, Pastor Bob helps us to consider how Jesus is always present in our lives.

In Mark 6:30-44, Jesus feeds the crowd of 5,000. The root of this story is that Jesus is the Bread of Life, but perhaps it also concerns our calling to partner in ministry with Jesus. Noting the difficulty of the situation, the disciples turn to Jesus for the answer. His response? "You feed them." They, of course, cannot. Only after they acknowledge their inadequacies does Jesus step in. Let us look at this story, noting aspects of service, solitude, and sacrament.

Peter, a simple fisherman, probably had no idea what he was getting into when Jesus got into his boat to speak to a crowd. After he had finished Jesus decided to perform an unexpected miracle, nearly turning the boat over by bringing in a miraculous catch of fish at an unexpected time of the day. Then he called Peter to leave everything behind (nets, boats, fish, and livelihood) and follow him. Peter didn’t see that coming and it changed his life forever. Jesus is a selfless, loving redeemer, a good shepherd, a friend of sinners, and a radically dangerous individual. If you invite him into your boat he will turn it upside down – are you ready for that?

Have you ever asked yourself, “Are other people struggling with the same things that I am facing? Does anyone (including God) understand the difficulties that I encounter on a daily basis? Since he is God and I am a sinful human being, how could he truly understand?" These are questions that are answered in the real-life circumstances of Jesus.