By Chris Chambers
Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek 

Focal Passage: Mark 13:24-37

Have you ever noticed a child who has been promised something for their birthday or Christmas? How about when that child has been promised a trip somewhere? The anticipation is almost too much for the child and sometimes it is too much for the parent. “How many more days until (fill in the blank)?” “Are we there yet?” Have you ever seen a child who was disappointed because the promise wasn’t fulfilled? Maybe the cost was too much, the product sold out, or the weather for a trip didn’t cooperate. The promise that was made had to be broken.  [Read more…]

By Chris Chambers
Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek

Focal Passage: Mark 11:15-19; 12:41-44

In Mark 11, Jesus enters Jerusalem on the back of a donkey with a large crowd cheering for Him and welcoming Him. What were their motives? Were they welcoming the true Messiah or, were they welcoming a miracle worker? Were they welcoming a political deliverer from their current status as citizens of Rome?

Jesus then cleanses the temple. He throws out the ones buying and selling and turns over the tables of the money changers. We see a different side of Jesus. We usually see a compassionate and merciful rabbi, but this episode shows us an angry and animated man. However, there was no sin in what He did. His motives were pure. There was sin and corruption in His Father’s house that needed to be dealt with. So, He dealt with it. [Read more…]

By Chris Chambers
Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek

Focal Passage: Mark 10:35-45

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Jesus came as a servant. He did not come the first time to be exalted or worshiped. He came to serve. Hebrews 2:9 says we “see Jesus — made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace he might taste death for everyone.” Philippians 2:7 says He “emptied Himself by assuming the form of a servant.” What does someone who serves look like? They look like Jesus. [Read more…]

By Chris Chambers
Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek

Focal Passage: Mark 15:27-39

When I see the word “saves” I think of the ninth inning of a baseball game. If the game is close by one or two runs, the team in the lead will typically bring in their closer to try and get the “save.” The closer is in the game to save, or preserve the lead.

Jesus does so much more than that. We are not in the lead when He saves us. We are not even close to being in the lead. Ephesians 2:1 says, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” [Read more…]

By Chris Chambers
Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek 

Focal Passage: Mark 9:14-27

In Mark 9:14-18, we see the obedience of a demon commanded by Jesus to come out of a man’s son who had sought Jesus but, initially found only his disciples. The disciples could do nothing with the demon. Jesus, however, commanded the demon to come out and it did. 

This is always the result when Jesus confronts demons. He commands and they obey — no questions asked. He even commands them at times to remain silent about who he is, and they do. They never resist Jesus or hesitate to obey his commands.  [Read more…]

By Chris Chambers
Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek

Focal Passage: Mark 7:25-37

In the episode recorded in Mark 7:24-30, Jesus encounters a Gentile woman who asks Jesus to cast out a demon from her daughter. Jesus seems to hesitate. His initial response to her seems to indicate the Jews were to take precedence over, and may even be better than, other peoples.

She asks for the “crumbs” from the Jews. Her faith in Jesus and His power, that just a crumb, would be sufficient, shows more faith than many of the Jews had. Jesus replies that her daughter is freed from the demon’s possession. While it may seem Gentiles, that is most of us, are second class citizens to God, we have actually been included in God’s plan from the beginning. [Read more…]

By Chris Chambers
Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek

Focal Passage: Mark 6:7-13; 30-32

“Sends” is a verb. It implies action. This is something Jesus did with the 12 disciples in order for them to grow. This was a way to disciple the disciples. When Jesus sent His disciples to the villages in Israel, He sent them with a mission. They were to take His message with them and He sent them with His authority that included power over unclean spirits and also gave them the power to heal. [Read more…]

By Chris Chambers
Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek

Focal Passage: Mark 5:21-24, 35-43 

The Random House College Dictionary defines “restore” as: “to bring back into existence, use, or the like; to bring back to a former, original, or normal condition.”

As Brush Creek Baptist begins the process of remodeling our sanctuary, we are hoping to restore our pews that date back to 1902. Some are cracked and many creak and groan on Sundays.  We are finding restoration to be a difficult, and maybe impossible, process. Restoring something to the original condition is not easy. It takes skill and hard work. In Mark 5, three people met the master carpenter and creator who could restore more than they asked. [Read more…]

By Chris Chambers
Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek

Focal Passage: Mark 3:23-35

Jesus says in Mark 3:24-25, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” What divides us today? 

Politics, social agendas and religion are all issues that cause a massive divide in our homes, our nation and our world.  [Read more…]

By Scott Brown
Pastor, Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek

Focal Passage: Mark 2:1-12

“Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). For a brief moment, was that a disappointment to the man on the mat? He was a paralytic who had been carried to the house and let down through a hole in the roof where Jesus was because he was looking for healing. He wanted to walk. And the first thing that Jesus mentions, is his sin. Did he even consider he needed forgiveness? The scribes certainly didn’t consider their need for forgiveness. They couldn’t even understand how this new rabbi, from Nazareth, of all places, could even hint at forgiveness of sin. Then, Jesus tells the paralytic, “get up, take your mat, and go home” (v. 11). And the man did just that. He was completely healed. He was also completely forgiven. [Read more…]