Jesus Christ

The Empty Tomb

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A scene from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This church in Jerusalem is special to Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestants alike, as it is the likely spot where Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose again. At the bottom of the photo, you can see an encased piece of rock, believed to be the spot where the cross was placed. Photo courtesy Todd Bolen.

The resurrection is at the core of the Christian faith. Without it, we have no hope (1 Corinthians 15:17). In this study of Mark 16, we learn…

  • Why the disciples were surprised when they heard Jesus was alive
  • How a Jewish “day” differs from a Western “day”
  • How we know that Jesus’ body was not simply stolen and hidden
  • What do we do with these strange final verses in Mark 16??
  • A change that happens when the Holy Spirit arrives

This lesson was part of our Sunday morning Bible Study Community series on the Gospel of Mark. Here’s the audio recording:

And here’s a copy of the handout:

mk-16-1-14-the-empty-tombDownload


Thanks for listening. For a complete list of sermons and Bible studies, please visit my teaching page.

Journal

TMC Chapel

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Remember these TMC student planners from the 90s? I’ve been going through some old files and scanning old sermon notes into my sermon file system. Flipping back through these pages, I’m thankful to God and indebted to The Master’s College (now Master’s University) for their unwavering commitment to scripture.

So much spiritual transformation happened on those Monday/Wednesday/Friday chapel gatherings. Even then, I knew it was something special to be hearing speakers like John MacArthur, Jerry Bridges, Donald Whitney, DA Carson, Wayne Mack, Scott Ardavanis, plus many local pastors. Listen to some of the sermon titles:

*The Righteous Response to a Sinful World: Repentance (Hosea 14)
*The Discipline of Discernment (2 Tim 2:15-16)
*The Person of Christ: the Test of a True Christian (Col 2:10)

That was some good meat of the word!

Journal

Mmm…Coffee

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I was standing in the Costco checkout line the other day, minding my own business and scrolling on my phone, when suddenly, I began to smell coffee. In that moment, I wanted coffee.

You probably know you can buy whole coffee beans at Costco and grind them there if you don’t have a grinder at home. I looked around, and the grinder machine was probably 50 feet away. A dad and his daughter were standing there grinding coffee beans, and the rest of us got to enjoy the side effects. The aroma permeated the whole area.

In a similar way, our presence and activities should send a pleasing aroma into the community. Do people see and “smell” a difference in us, and are they drawn to Christ?

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14).

Hiking

Jacinto Loop in Oakmont Park

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Today I headed over to beautiful Oakmont Park at the border of Redlands and Yucaipa. Just a couple miles off the freeway, allow yourself to be transported into a quiet canyon with scenic lookouts. Jacinto Loop is about a three mile hike. While a lot of the country is hunkered down in sub zero temperatures, here in Southern California we are enjoying highs in the upper 60s and low 70s. A great day to head outside and explore! Here are some highlights…

The Little Live Oak Canyon Trail is a gradual climb with the San Bernardino mountains in the distance.
Early in the hike, just east of the parking lot, is a small bridge with some benches and picnic tables.
Danger: Unstable Edge. The wash didn’t seem too dangerous but then again you wouldn’t want a child wandering off and falling 15 feet.
Large oak trees dot the landscape and provide afternoon shade.
Came across several vines of buffalo melon or coyote gourd. I used to see a lot of them up in the Yucca Valley area too.
One of the most isolated sections of the trail is on the south end of Jacinto Loop, in a canyon area winding between the hills. I enjoyed listening to the birds and the crickets.
At the top of the hill you can see the San Bernardino mountains to the north and Mt San Jacinto off in the east, towering at 10,800 feet. I hope you’ll check this hike out for yourself!
Journal

Looking Back, Looking Forward

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Yesterday, I came across a recent article by Donald Whitney called “31 Questions to Ask for a More Christ-Centered 2024.” Is it too late to make a New Year’s Resolution?

I love lists like this, and though it’s unlikely I’ll get all the way through a list of this size, these questions offer food for thought and great conversation starters. A few of the questions include:

  • What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?
  • What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
  • For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
  • What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year?
  • What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

We live in a day and age that lacks reflection. Part of it is simply how busy, distracted, and media-dependent we’ve become. People are self-conscious, but I don’t know that we’re good at getting below the surface. Questions like this help us slow down and ponder the deeper things of life.

Something I’m doing personally to improve my prayer life is writing more in my prayer journal and updating the list of people active in all my ministries (Ministerial Staff, Bible Study Community, Welcome Team, BSC Directors) so I can more consistently remember to pray for specific people.

To see Dr. Whitney’s full set of questions, click here. What is one area you’d like to grow in 2024?

Thoughts on Life and Leadership