Have you ever had a strong religious argument with someone? Jesus had people who wanted to argue religion with him. In this week’s sermon, we will see what he said to those people, and how we can use his example to lead others to knowing Christ better.
Scripture: Mark 7:1-8; 20-23
The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean,” that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)
So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?”
He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”
He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’”
Renewing Reflections
We hope Renewing Reflections will strengthen you in the week ahead. These quotes are taken from the sermon “Progressive Revelation“ delivered on Christian Crusaders June 10, 2001.
Right now we listen carefully as He speaks to us in His Word. We ponder some of these mysteries. We discuss with fellow believers what is meant by some of these truths that go far beyond human understanding. We may even argue about them to the point that we establish different denominations. One day, when we get to heaven, we will find out who was right . . . Will that not be a glorious day?
Sermons on YouTube Now Available
Christian Crusaders sermons are now available as podcasts. Log onto the website and scroll to the bottom of the homepage, where you'll find a “Podcast Feed” icon. Podcasts can also be accessed by logging onto www.itunes.com and searching for “Christian Crusaders.” Podcast files can be downloaded directly to your iPod, where you can listen to them at your convenience and wherever you may be – while walking, sitting in your backyard, or running errands.
On the Light Side
A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.
The wife said, “You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don’t have to wait as long to get our coffee.”
The husband said, “You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee.”
Wife replies, “No, you should do it. And besides, it says in the Bible that the man should make the coffee.”
“Where does it say that?” demanded the husband.
“You know,” she replied, “He-brews!”
The sermon "How Do We Minister?" will air on Sunday, August 30, 2009. Visit www.ChristianCrusaders.org for radio stations and times, or to listen online anytime.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
More Than I Want to Know
Do you have a nice, cozy little faith that you’ve had for many years and have settled into comfortably? Our Lord wants to take us beyond that place and show us a lot more. Listen this week as Rev. Larsen talks about our need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Scripture: John 6:53-61
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?”
Renewing Reflections
We hope Renewing Reflections will strengthen you in the week ahead. These quotes are taken from the sermon “Where Am I in My Relationship With God?“ delivered on Christian Crusaders April 27, 2008.
Our Lord is giving us a picture of the Christian life. It is a love relationship starting first with God’s love for us. He gives his Son to be our Savior who forgives our sins and brings us into a relationship with God. God then shows us his will for our lives, and the Holy Spirit – who lives in us – empowers us to live this life. When we fail to keep these commandments, he forgives us and we start over. We have not arrived at perfection, but we are working at it. As the years go by, this relationship continues to grow, and we become more Christ-like.
Sermons on YouTube Now Available
Log onto http://www.youtube.com/, a free video sharing website where you can now view four full-length sermons on Christ’s death and resurrection by Rev. Larsen. Simply type “Rev. Larsen, Christian Crusaders” into the search box to find these sermon videos. You can also access YouTube videos on our homepage at http://www.christiancrusaders.org/. These videos are available to order on DVD by calling our office (1-888-My Faith).
On the Light Side
Q: What do you call a boomerang that doesn’t work?
A: A stick
Q: What do you call cheese that isn’t yours?
A: Nacho cheese
Q: What do you call four bullfighters in quicksand?
A: Quattro sinko
Q: What do you get from a pampered cow?
A: Spoiled milk
Q: What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?
A: A nervous wreck
Q: Why don’t blind people like to sky dive?
A: Because it scares the dog
Q: What kind of coffee was served on the Titanic?
A: Sanka
This program, "More Than I Want to Know," will air Sunday, August 23, 2009. Please visit ChristianCrusaders.org for radio stations and times, or to listen online.
Scripture: John 6:53-61
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?”
Renewing Reflections
We hope Renewing Reflections will strengthen you in the week ahead. These quotes are taken from the sermon “Where Am I in My Relationship With God?“ delivered on Christian Crusaders April 27, 2008.
Our Lord is giving us a picture of the Christian life. It is a love relationship starting first with God’s love for us. He gives his Son to be our Savior who forgives our sins and brings us into a relationship with God. God then shows us his will for our lives, and the Holy Spirit – who lives in us – empowers us to live this life. When we fail to keep these commandments, he forgives us and we start over. We have not arrived at perfection, but we are working at it. As the years go by, this relationship continues to grow, and we become more Christ-like.
Sermons on YouTube Now Available
Log onto http://www.youtube.com/, a free video sharing website where you can now view four full-length sermons on Christ’s death and resurrection by Rev. Larsen. Simply type “Rev. Larsen, Christian Crusaders” into the search box to find these sermon videos. You can also access YouTube videos on our homepage at http://www.christiancrusaders.org/. These videos are available to order on DVD by calling our office (1-888-My Faith).
On the Light Side
Q: What do you call a boomerang that doesn’t work?
A: A stick
Q: What do you call cheese that isn’t yours?
A: Nacho cheese
Q: What do you call four bullfighters in quicksand?
A: Quattro sinko
Q: What do you get from a pampered cow?
A: Spoiled milk
Q: What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?
A: A nervous wreck
Q: Why don’t blind people like to sky dive?
A: Because it scares the dog
Q: What kind of coffee was served on the Titanic?
A: Sanka
This program, "More Than I Want to Know," will air Sunday, August 23, 2009. Please visit ChristianCrusaders.org for radio stations and times, or to listen online.
Friday, August 14, 2009
The Old Rugged Cross
If someone said to you “I’m confused; what is the central message of the Christian Church?” how would you answer? Join us this week as Rev. Larsen discusses this core message, which is God’s cure for humanity’s deadly disease.
Scripture: John 3:14-18
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
Renewing Reflections
We hope Renewing Reflections will strengthen you in the week ahead. These quotes are taken from the sermon “Adjusting Your Focus“ delivered on Christian Crusaders August 31, 2008.
We are aware that temptations come, not only to our children, but also to us for whom the end of this life draws near. God has not promised to spare us from all pain and suffering. We see that as our loved ones lie in hospitals and hospices awaiting death. However, they do not wait alone, for God has promised us grace to endure until the end of our earthly journey, and then a home in heaven. All this can be ours, because Christ has died for our sins and given us a promise that, if we trust him, all is well. We are in our Father’s hands.
The Crusader Newsletter
The newest issue of Christian Crusaders’ quarterly newsletter, The Crusader, will be available soon. Call or email us to join our mailing list and receive this publication, where you can read a special feature article by Rev. Larsen, as well as thoughts on faith from other members of our staff. The theme of this issue is perfection.
On the Light Side
Family Tree of Vincent Van Gogh
His dizzy aunt: Verti Gogh
The brother who worked at a convenience store: Stop N Gogh
The grandfather from Yugoslavia: U Gogh
His magician uncle: Where-diddy Gogh
His Mexican cousin: A Mee Gogh
The nephew who drove a stage coach: Wells-far Gogh
The ballroom dancing aunt: Tang Gogh
The bird-lover uncle: Flamin Gogh
The fruit-loving cousin: Man Gogh
An aunt who taught positive thinking: Way-to Gogh
The little bouncy nephew: Poe Gogh
A sister who loved disco: Go Gogh
And his niece who travels the country in an RV: Winnie Bay Gogh
Scripture: John 3:14-18
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
Renewing Reflections
We hope Renewing Reflections will strengthen you in the week ahead. These quotes are taken from the sermon “Adjusting Your Focus“ delivered on Christian Crusaders August 31, 2008.
We are aware that temptations come, not only to our children, but also to us for whom the end of this life draws near. God has not promised to spare us from all pain and suffering. We see that as our loved ones lie in hospitals and hospices awaiting death. However, they do not wait alone, for God has promised us grace to endure until the end of our earthly journey, and then a home in heaven. All this can be ours, because Christ has died for our sins and given us a promise that, if we trust him, all is well. We are in our Father’s hands.
The Crusader Newsletter
The newest issue of Christian Crusaders’ quarterly newsletter, The Crusader, will be available soon. Call or email us to join our mailing list and receive this publication, where you can read a special feature article by Rev. Larsen, as well as thoughts on faith from other members of our staff. The theme of this issue is perfection.
On the Light Side
Family Tree of Vincent Van Gogh
His dizzy aunt: Verti Gogh
The brother who worked at a convenience store: Stop N Gogh
The grandfather from Yugoslavia: U Gogh
His magician uncle: Where-diddy Gogh
His Mexican cousin: A Mee Gogh
The nephew who drove a stage coach: Wells-far Gogh
The ballroom dancing aunt: Tang Gogh
The bird-lover uncle: Flamin Gogh
The fruit-loving cousin: Man Gogh
An aunt who taught positive thinking: Way-to Gogh
The little bouncy nephew: Poe Gogh
A sister who loved disco: Go Gogh
And his niece who travels the country in an RV: Winnie Bay Gogh
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