So far, we talked about how God veils himself because he does not want to overwhelm us and make us believe, but he is creating space for us to seek God and respond on our own. Along those same lines, we also talked about how Jesus spoke in parables because he wanted to reveal the […]
Mark 4: Why does Jesus speak in parables? (Part 2 of 3)
Jesus speaks in parables because he is veiling himself and giving us a chance to respond without coercion, but rather in voluntary love and surrender. But there is another reason why Jesus speaks in parables. Here is an excerpt from Mark 4 — 9Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” […]
Mark 4: Why does Jesus speak in parables? (Part 1 of 3)
In the past couple of weeks, I hope you have noticed a trend that religious people totally missed Jesus. Those who were diligent in studying the scriptures missed Jesus because religion had become a major sin, a roadblock in recognizing Jesus for who he was. Now in this chapter, we see how even Jesus’ own […]
Francis Chan asks for prayer from Cornerstone family as he prepares to leave Simi Valley
Dear Friends, For those who have not heard, this past Sunday I announced to Cornerstone Church that I will be transitioning out of my ministry in Simi Valley. It was a rough Sunday as there were many different emotions floating around the room. In short, Lisa and I believe God is calling us to take […]
After 16 years in prison, a whole new world (or is it?)
Here is an article from CNN that I read a little more than a month ago. It’s about about a man who in 1993 was wrongly placed in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. He was 31 years old. Now, 16 years later, he is 47 years old and free. The article focuses on […]
Mark 3 : “The Queen Bee and the Swarm vs. the Asteroid” (Part 3 of 3)
All this talk about teachers of the law and the Pharisees and you might be thinking, what does this have to do with me? I have been reflecting on this passage and I realize there is a lot more religion in my life than I care to admit. Earlier, I shared how religious people are […]