Weird, Out of Touch, Merciless, and Absolutely Essential
The church is dead. Long live the church?
Read this article at this link Weird, Out-of-Touch, Merciless … and Absolutely Essential - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
"Weird, Out of Touch, Merciless, and Absolutely Essential"
On first glance, these words may seem like harsh criticisms of the Church. However, a deeper examination reveals that these traits are not only accurate, but are also virtues that make the Church essential to our lives.
![[Sunday] Projection - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1684454086617-K5FFBWTSMHE2SCYW7AKP/R%26F6a.jpg)
[Sunday] Projection - Rise & Fall
It seems as if much of the First Book of Samuel is taken up with Saul trying to kill David and David escaping; and when David catches Saul in the most vulnerable position, his men urge him to kill Saul. It would be nothing more than self-defense. Wouldn’t Saul kill David if Saul caught him with his pants down? Isn’t Saul turning over every stone in the wilderness looking for David so he can kill him?
It seems as if much of the first book of Samuel is taken up with Saul trying to kill David and David escaping; and when David catches Saul in the most vulnerable position, his men urge him to kill Saul. It would be nothing more than self-defense. Wouldn’t Saul kill David if Saul caught him with his pants down? Isn’t Saul turning over every stone in the wilderness looking for David so he can kill him? Saul and David are both projecting: one a murderous rage and the other, the kingdom of God.
Questions This Week
Read 1 Samuel Chapters 20-26.
Think of someone who has done wrong to you. How does revenge towards this person negatively affect you?
Read 1 Samuel 24:1-22. Describe what happens when Saul goes into the cave where David is. Why did David only cut the corner of Saul’s robe?
How does Jesus do a similar thing as David for you?
How does forgiveness free us from the need for revenge? What benefit does forgiving others have in your life?
Bible Study for Sundays Chapters 20-26
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Sunday] All Things - Keep It Simple](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1731687836393-04YTHZK3FOM503Y57MM3/Simple4a.jpg)
How to Win a Rap Battle (With the Devil)
When the Devil Throws Your Sins in Your Face
When the Devil Throws Your Sins in Your Face
Read the whole article at How to Win a Rap Battle (With the Devil) - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
There’s a famous scene at the end of 8 Mile, the early 2000s hip-hop drama based on the backstory of Eminem. In a crowded basement, two rival rappers, Papa Doc and Rabbit (played by Eminem), face off in a freestyle contest, both of them trying to tear down the other’s ego in a battle of wits. The key is to reveal the other’s weaknesses. Any material that could be used to discred
![[Sunday] David & Goliath - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1683820778726-WFX3YS6PSAAD9G3Y5GZP/R%26F5a.jpg)
[Sunday] David & Goliath - Rise & Fall
Goliath stands taunting them to send someone to fight, but none of God’s people, nor their weapons, are strong enough. Salvation is riding on this one battle. Samuel stands in front of Jesse’s sons, looking for a new king, but as he stares at all these strong sons, the smallest is missing, left in the field to shepherd. To this the Lord says, I do not look at outward appearance; I look at the heart, for that smallest son is God’s kingdom answer of salvation.
Goliath stands taunting them to send someone to fight, but none of God’s people, nor their weapons, are strong enough. Salvation is riding on this one battle. Samuel stands in front of Jesse’s sons, looking for a new king, but as he stares at all these strong sons, the smallest is missing, left in the field to shepherd. To this the Lord says, I do not look at outward appearance; I look at the heart, for that smallest son is God’s kingdom answer of salvation.
Questions This Week
For this week read 1 Samuel Chapters 16 -20.
Before reading this week, share what you know about the story of David and Goliath? What would you say the point of the story was?
Read 1 Samuel 16:1-13. When choosing the next king, what does God look at? How is it tempting to look at things other than the heart?
Read 1 Samuel 17. Compare and contrast David and Goliath. Compare and contrast Saul and David.
How is Jesus a true and better David as the Good Shepherd? What has Jesus done for you as your Good Shepherd?
Bible Study for Sundays Chapters 16-20
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Sunday] Royal Introduction - Kingdom Way](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1732292654207-IOAL90WWETSNSYJWNI92/KW+1a.jpg)
We Need Less Goliath and More Bathsheba
I became like God’s child David, whom the Lord pardoned of his adultery and murder. I became like Noah, Abraham, Judah, Aaron, Gideon, and so many more wayward children.
I became like God’s child David, whom the Lord pardoned of his adultery and murder. I became like Noah, Abraham, Judah, Aaron, Gideon, and so many more wayward children.
Read the whole article at https://www.1517.org/articles/we-need-less-goliath-and-more-bathsheba-1
hen I was a kid, I roamed the alleys and nearby fields with a pocket full of pebbles and a slingshot in hand. My grandfather had carved me the slingshot from the fork of a mesquite tree. I’d even burned my name into the wood using the sun and a magnifying glass.
As you might expect, my favorite Sunday School story was David and Goliath. In my make-believe world, I was that boy from Bethlehem, and sparrows the Philistine giants. It felt good to be the hero who takes down the foe. I was but a boy. I was new to the world. I loved Bible stories about saints who co………………………………….
![[Sunday] Fickle King - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1683248946896-A2ANLKFVMK3GZUFR2ZH1/R%26F4a.jpg)
[Sunday] Fickle King - Rise & Fall
Saul is king, but his temperament and leadership move him around like a plastic bag on a windy day. He is at the whims of people’s emotions rather than trusting in the God who took them out of Egypt. This king is just fickle, even if he is of a kingdom that is not.
Saul is king, but his temperament and leadership move him around like a plastic bag on a windy day. He is at the whims of people’s emotions rather than trusting in the God who took them out of Egypt. This king is just fickle, even if he is of a kingdom that is not.
Questions This Week
For this week, read 1 Samuel chapters 12-15.
Describe a time you’ve seen someone use God’s name for selfish gain. When have you been tempted in the same way?
Read 1 Samuel 15:1-23. What excuse does Saul come up with for not following the command of the Lord? How are we tempted to make similar excuses? What is the result?
Read 1 Samuel 12: 19-25. What promise does God have for you? How does Jesus fulfill this promise?
Bible Study for Sundays Chapters 12-15
What Had happened at Grace this week.
The Beautiful Irony Of The Cross
When God Was Numbered With the Transgressors
When God Was Numbered With the Transgressors
Read the whole article at The Beautiful Irony of the Cross - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
In any of the crucifixion narratives in the Gospels, the character that intrigues me most is Pontius Pilate. In many ways, he’s often cast as the villain of the story. He’s the Claude Frollo in this classic tale, with the quiet, unassuming Jesus, of course, standing as our consummate hero. But when you examine Pilate’s activity within the accounts of Jesus’s execution, he’s far more of a complicated figure than we like to remember. Especially according………………………
![[Sunday] We Want a King - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1682700535005-5MM2PLA1M9G3CWUIFGZR/R%26F3a.jpg)
[Sunday] We Want a King - Rise & Fall
The cry, “We want a king” comes when all seems lost. When enemies are at the gates, when leaders seem corrupt and inept, they cried for a king like all the other nations. But even though they reject God with this cry, He still sees them and never leaves their side.
The cry, “We want a king” comes when all seems lost. When enemies are at the gates, when leaders seem corrupt and inept, they cried for a king like all the other nations. But even though they reject God with this cry, He still sees them and never leaves their side.
Questions This Week
Recommended Reading 1 Sameul Chapters 8 thru 11
Describe a time you felt “unseen.” What did you do to try and be seen?
Read 1 Samuel 8. Why does God give his people a king?
Read 1 Samuel 9-10. What do you find most surprising about the story of Saul chosen to be king?
Jesus comes and “sees” people. How does being “seen” and noticed by God who cares about you bring you peace?
Bible Study for Sundays Chapters7-12
What Had happened at Grace this week.
Crab Racing! April 23'
The Racing Crabs are Coming! May 28th 23’
The racing Craps are coming to Grace May 28th 2023
The Urgent Hope of Unreasonable Mercy (Video)
The grace of God does not wait to be invited by those it comes to save.
The grace of God does not wait to be invited by those it comes to save.
David Zahl talk from the January Mbird Orlando Conference:
![[Sunday] Pattern of Eli - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1681912627792-V7VCDGRLRH33HCDDYSGN/R%26F2a.jpg)
[Sunday] Pattern of Eli - Rise & Fall
Eli is the head priest for the nation of Israel, but his reflection in the world, his sons, show an awful pattern. This is a pattern that extends beyond his family to fundamental issues with all of humanity, which caused the downfall of so many in the Bible and even still today. When pride and using God to your own advantage cause you to lose everything, we probably won't find salvation in anything we do.
Eli is the head priest for the nation of Israel, but his reflection in the world, his sons, show an awful pattern. This is a pattern that extends beyond his family to fundamental issues with all of humanity, which caused the downfall of so many in the Bible and even still today. When pride and using God to your own advantage cause you to lose everything, we probably won't find salvation in anything we do.
Questions This Week
Recommended Reading 1 Samuel 2:11-Chapter 7
Where have you used God’s name to advance your own agenda?
Read 1 Samuel 4:1-11. What do the son’s of Eli hope to accomplish by using the ark of God? What happens? What do you learn from this?
Read 1 Samuel 5:1-12. What happens in the temple of Dagon? What does this teach us about the Israelite’s God?
Read 1 Samuel 7:5-14. What happens when the Israelites return to God? What lesson do you learn?
Bible Study for Sundays Chapters3-6
What Had happened at Grace this week.
The Light has Come To Stay
The resurrection rips through all of my intellectual questions.
Read whole article at The Light Has Come to Stay - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
This reflection originally appeared in Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, Vol. 2.
“But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:17-18)
There is a local legend of a preacher in Jackson, Mississippi. He stood up to offer a word on Easter Sunday, simply leaned into the mic and said, “It’s all true,” then sat down. I have heard people tell this story two ways. Some people talk about that minister like he was a lazy so-and-so with little regard for the pageantry of Easter. Such a day demands a well thought-out sermon befitting the hats, lilies, and plastic eggs! And then there are the people…………..
![[Sunday] Hannah's Pattern - Rise & Fall](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1681478390671-978SXY58VLMTNRU7ERUD/R%26F1a.jpg)
[Sunday] Hannah's Pattern - Rise & Fall
Hannah is a mess. She is made fun of constantly, and to top it off, she cannot have children. She is even disrespected by the priest while trying to pray. But suddenly we see a pattern emerge that sings of the God who remembers the humble.
Hannah is a mess. She is made fun of constantly, and to top it off, she cannot have children. She is even disrespected by the priest while trying to pray. But suddenly we see a pattern emerge that sings of the God who remembers the humble.
Questions This Week
When is a time when you’ve experienced great anxiety, vexation, or trouble because someone was making fun of a weakness of yours?
Read 1 Samuel 2:1-10. What does Hannah experience in the midst of her weakness and lowliness?
What other stories in the Bible does Hannah’s story remind you of? How do you see the pattern of God’s kingdom working in these stories?
Jesus was lowly on the cross. How does this change how you relate to others?
Bible Study for Sundays Chapters
What Had happened at Grace this week.
Introducing Him who completes all of creation with everything humanity has to offer.