Mark: Made In...?

From all ages there has been man made religion and it's opposite God revealed religion. Which do you subscribe to? How can you know the difference? What would Jesus say about the religious options open to us today? His words in Mark should make it clear.

Mark 7:1-23

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• Why does Jesus warn so strongly against man-made religion?
• What is man-made religion?
• How does it differ from God revealed religion?
• What are some of the major ways we make up our own religion today?
• What would Jesus' response be to it?
• What did Jesus think were the real issues in this text?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Life of Daniel: Antichrist

Antichrist... The word evokes powerful responses... some think of scary and bizarre movies, some cringe in superstition, and some laugh. None of these were Daniel's, Jesus', Paul's, or John's response. Yet, they all soberly taught on the subject. John even tells us that antichrists will be present in each generation. Who are the antichrists of today? How are we taught to prepare to meet these forces in the Word of God? Will they culminate in one final Antichrist? How should we respond?

Daniel 11

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Mark: Keep Rowing and Trusting

What makes you scream like a little girl? Seeing a ghost? Facing a terrifying storm? Or something more routine like finding a mouse? Mark tells us the disciples screamed when they saw Jesus walking on the water. Where was their trust and why were their hearts hardened?

Mark 6:30-56,1:35
Matthew 6:6
John 20:29

We do not obey God properly and substantially unless we simply follow whatever He commands even though it conflicts with our ideas. God always has the best reason for His purpose, but He often hides it from us for a time so that we may learn not to be wise in ourselves but to depend entirely on His will. John Calvin

Now by going up the mountain He was seeking the possibility of praying free from all interruption. We know how easily warmth in prayer can be quenched or at least cooled by the least distractions. He wished to warn us by His example to be careful to use all the helps that will disengage our minds from the snares of the world, so that we may be carried up to heaven. The most important thing is solitude. Those who set themselves to pray with God as their only witness will be more watchful, will pour forth their hear into His bosom, will examine themselves more carefully, and, knowing that they have to do with God, will rise above themselves. John Calvin

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• Why did Jesus spend so much time in prayer?
• Why did He often get alone to pray?
• Why are the disciples described as having hard hearts?
• How should they have responded?
• In what ways do we respond to circumstances in life with hard hearts?
• How can we do it differently?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

The Holiness of God: Part 5

When one grasps the fact that God is holy in all that means it leads to a question: Why would such a God move to save us? And the answer to that question leads to wonder, love, and praise!

2 Samuel 7
Habakkuk 1:13
2 Corinthians 5:21
Hebrews 10:19-23

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• What does it mean that God is holy?
• How does God look upon all sin, including our own?
• Why is it astounding that God moved to save us?
• How did David respond to God's goodness toward him, and what should we learn from that?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Peeking Into God's Photo Album

If God kept a photo album of humanity's important memorable moments, what pictures would He be able to show you?

Romans 3:19-26,7:21-24,6:22
Psalm 51:5
Ephesians 2:13
Revelation 16:19
Hosea 1:2,3:1-3
Colossians 1:22

Scott Graubard
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Life of Daniel: A Look Behind the Curtain

When you watch or read the news, you are only getting a small part of every story. The reason for this is that there are things happening in the invisible/spiritual realm that the reporter cannot see. Daniel is given a look behind this curtain in Chapter 10... a chance to see the spiritual forces at war while the nations war and oppress on earth. It is a fascinating look which helps equip us to understand our world. These are the topics we will be looking at and then we will discuss how one is helped to survive and triumph in this battle.

Daniel 10

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

The Holiness of God: Part 4

God is Holy. Then He says... "Be holy for I am Holy". What does that mean for us? What is holiness?

1 Peter 1:13-19
Leviticus 11:44-45,19:2-3
2 Corinthians 7:1
Hebrews 12:14-17
Colossians 3:1-13
Romans 13:8
Micah 6:8
Titus 2:14

A Quick Comparison of Religion and the Gospel Tim Keller

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• Why does God want us to be holy?
• What does it mean to be holy?
• How do we become holy?
• Why is this NOT earning our salvation?
• Do we find holiness desireable?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

The Holiness of God: Part 3

God is holy... separate and above us. He is to be treated as special... with deep reverence, worshipful respect, even fear. How does that work our in our lives personally and as a church? These practical applications of the holiness of God will be our focus.

Exodus 30:22-38,20:7
Romans 11:22,11:33
Leviticus 10:1-7
2 Samuel 6:1-15
1 Chronicles 15:11-15
Acts 5:1-14
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Isaiah 57:15
Micah 6:8

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• What does the Bible mean when it refers to God as both severe and good?
• How did God reveal to us that He should be treated as special?
• Why is this not God being egotistical but is right and good?
• What are ways in which people today disrespect God?
• How do we disrespect God?
• What is our hope of being welcomed by this God whom we have no right to approach on our own?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Life of Daniel: Graphic Visions

Daniel has visions as God reveals to him future events. They are graphic and leave Daniel shook up. What do they refer to, and how do they speak to us today, as well? These are some of the questions we will be exploring in this Bible Study session.

Daniel 8

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

The Holiness of God: Part 2

God's holiness includes the idea of His moral purity. The moral excellence of God has huge implications for all people, and shines an amazing amount of light on the wonder of the cross and of salvation.

Luke 5:1-11
Matthew 8:20-22,8:27-29
Job 34:10
Habakkuk 1:13
Malachi 3:2
Hebrews 10:19-23
Isaiah 6:1-8
Revelation 6:15-17

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• What does it mean that God's holiness can be called His Moral Excellence?
• What was Isaiah's first impression when he saw God?
• Why does God get angry at little sins?
• Why does the holiness of God make sense of the cross?
• How does it make the cross and the benefits of the cross so glorious?
• How can we boldly approach a throne that Isaiah feared?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

The Holiness of God: Part 1

The Holiness of God is such an important doctrine and reality to understand. It will help us all appreciate God's specialness and majesty as well as how wonderful it is that He has provided a way for mere creatures to come to Him and be adopted by Him.

Exodus 19:10-24,15:11,3:2-6,20:18-21,33:17-23
Psalm 50,104:1
1 Samuel 2:2
Hosea 11:9
Revelation 15:4
Judges 13:22

From this it already appears that it is not correct to think of holiness primarily as a moral or religious quality, as is generally done. Its fundamental idea is that of a position or relationship existing between God and some person or thing.

It is this holiness of God which Otto, in his important work on Das Heilige,... includes such ideas as "absolute unapproachability" and "absolute overpoweringness" or "aweful majesty". It awakens in a man a sense of absolute nothingness, a "creature-consciousness" or "creature-feeling" leading to absolute self-abasement.

...the response to it: "Mere awe, mere need of shelter from the 'tremendum', has here been elevated to the feeling that man in his 'profaneness' is not worthy to stand in the presence of the Holy One, and that his entire personal unworthiness might defile even holiness itself." Louis Berkhof Systematic Theology

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• Why is it so important to understand God's Holiness?
• What significance is the fact that the basic idea of holiness is to separate?
• Why is God's holiness also understood as God's specialness and His aboveness?
• How did God teach these things to Moses and the people of Israel at the burning bush, at Mt. Sinai and when Moses saw God pass by?
• What are the implications of all of this for us?
• What will it be like to see God for the believer?
• For the unbeliever?
• For you?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Mark: Mission Impossible

To the exhausted disciples feeding the large, hungry crowd surely seemed like mission impossible, but Mark says to the exhausted Jesus it was still mission compassion, providing a glimpse into the Kingdom of God.

John 6:1-15
Mark 6:30-42
Philippians 4:19
1 Corinthians 3:9,3:6
Isaiah 25:6-9

Finally, let us mark the feelings of our Lord Jesus Christ towards the people who came together to Him. We read that He "was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep without a shepherd." They were destitute of teachers. They had no guides but the blind Scribes and Pharisees. They had no spiritual food but man-made traditions. Thousands of immortal souls stood before our Lord, ignorant, helpless, and on the highroad to ruin. It touched the gracious heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was "moved with compassion toward them. He began to teach them many things."

Let us never forget that our Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever. He never changes. High in heaven, at God's right hand, He still looks with compassion on the children of men. He still pities the ignorant, and them that are out of the way. His is still willing to "teach them many things." Special as His love is towards His own sheep who hear His voice, He still has a mighty general love toward all mankind-a love of real pity, a love of compassion. We must not overlook this. It is a poor theology which teaches that Christ cares for none except believers. There is warrant in Scripture for telling the chief of sinners, that Jesus pities them, and cares for their souls, that Jesus is willing to save them, and invites them to believe and be saved.

Let us ask ourselves, as we leave the passage, whether we know anything of the mind of Christ? Are we, like Him, tenderly concerned about the souls of the unconverted? Do we, like Him, feel deep compassion for all who are yet as sheep without a shepherd? Do we care about the impenitent and ungodly near our own doors? Do we use very means to spread the Gospel in the world? These are serious questions, and demand a serious reply. The man who cares nothing for the souls of other people is not like Jesus Christ. It may well be doubted whether he is converted himself, and knows the value of his own soul. J.C. Ryle

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Do You Also Want to Go Away?

Do some life experiences make you wonder if you want to continue your relationship with God? Significant loss often makes us want to turn away in our walk with Christ. How can we faithfully continue on the path? In those low times Jesus asks Do you also want to go away or will you continue on?

John 6:30-69,6:1-21
Deuteronomy 8:2
Job 1:8-11
Romans 11:33-36
Proverbs 3:5-6
2 Corinthians 4:8

Scott Graubard
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Mark: The Heavy Ones

People today demand that their preacher be funny, cool, and very uplifting. Not too heavy... or negative... and certainly not to warn or condemn. Would Jesus have fit in that mold? How about John the Baptist or the Apostles? Why were they so heavy all the time? Here are some heavy words from Mark.

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• Why would Jesus, the apostles, and John the Baptist seem too heavy to people today?
• Why would they be under pressure to lighten up?
• Why would they refuse to... what are the truths behind their attitude?
• How are we dealing with those truths in our lives?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Mark: On Being Misunderstood... Yet Pressing Forward

Mark describes Jesus' return to his hometown. Jesus had a complicated relationship with His earthly family... and He said we would too. How did Jesus relate to them and how should we?

Mark 6:1-6,3:20,3:31-33,1:21-22,5:42
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
Isaiah 53:2
John 7:1-5
1 Peter 4:3-5
Matthew 10:16-17,10:21-22,10:32-39

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• Why is a prophet without honor only in his or her family?
• What makes the relationship with one's family complicated for the Christian?
• How did Jesus warn us of this?
• How did Jesus experience this in His own life?
• How are we suppose to treat our families?
• When must we go on without them, or stop and have them go on without us?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Who Is This Jesus?

Jesus has been assigned a lot of names in the Bible to describe his nature. Let's see if we can use some of them to find out who He is.

John 1:14-51
1 John 1:9

Scott Graubard
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Mark: The Relentless Pursuit

Mark tells us of a woman who pursued Jesus with a determination that she could be healed with one touch of His cloak. There is much for us to learn from her and about Jesus who embodies in Himself even now all we need for salvation and life.

Leviticus 15:19-33
Mark 5:24-34,4:31
Romans 11:33

Faith brings an empty hand, receives everything, and can give nothing in return. No grace is so important to the Christian's own soul. By faith we begin. By faith we live. By faith we stand. We walk by faith and not by sight. By faith we overcome. By faith we have peace. By faith we enter into rest. No grace should be the subject of so much self-inquiry. We should often ask ourselves, Do I really believe? Is my faith true, genuine, and the gift of God? J.C. Ryle

There is a lesson here which all true Christians would do well to remember. We are not to be ashamed to confess Christ before men, and to let others know what He has done for our souls. If we have found peace through His blood, and been renewed by His Spirit, we must not shrink from avowing it, on every proper occasion. It is not necessary to blow a trumpet in the streets, and force our experience on everybody's notice. All that is required is a willingness to acknowledge Christ as our Master, without flinching from the ridicule or persecution which by so doing we may bring on ourselves. More than this is not required; but less than this ought not to content us. If we are ashamed of Jesus before men, He will one day be ashamed of us before His Father and the angels. J.C. Ryle

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• What excuses could this woman have given to not get up and go to Jesus?
• When the Bible says that living faith acts/does things... how was this shone in her life?
• What does this passage teach us about Jesus... specifically, what does it mean that He embodies in Himself all we need for salvation and everlasting life?
• Why is faith easy in one sense, and how is that illustrated in this event?
• How is faith hard... and how is it illustrated?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Why Do You Worry?

Everybody has some worries. It's in our nature. The Bible tells us not to worry! How can we get there?

Psalm 37
Matthew 6:25-34,8:23-27,10:29
Philippians 4:6
Genesis 50:19-20
Romans 8:28
1 John 3:1

Scott Graubard
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Mark: Stop Fearing, Only Believe

"Stop fearing, only believe"... those are Jesus' words to a man who just lost his only daughter. How do we do this... how does our faith in Jesus alter our emotional state? These are the questions explored in this sermon from the book of Mark.

Mark 5:21-43
John 11:21
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Psalm 68:5-6
Isaiah 46:4

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• Why was Jairus conflicted about going to see Jesus?
• What motivated him to go?
• How does this kind of thing happen still today for people?
• What does this passage teach about Jesus?
• Why did He want this miracle to be kept secret?
• How can we stop fearing and only believe?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Mark: Demons, Pigs, and an Amazing Savior

After studying this text in Mark we should never be intimidated by the world or the principalities and powers again... they are the ones who are intimidated by this amazing Savior. Here is real hope for us all!

Mark 5:1-20,1:11,1:24,1:34,3:11-12,4:41
James 2:19
Luke 8:31

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• How would this man have appeared if you saw him?
• What did the demons do to his personality?
• What was the demons response when they saw Jesus?
• Why did they respond this way?
• Why did Jesus not just run from this man?
• What does this account tell us about Jesus?
• How can what we learn about Jesus from this story help us as we believe in Him today?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA