What is not Forgivable?

In Mark 3:28-29, Jesus says that all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.

What's blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? How is that different than other sorts of sin or blasphemy?

Here are four resources that dig deep into the answers to these questions:

• An answers to the question, "What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?"
• John Piper preached a sermon on the topic
• Three schools of thought on interpretation
• Notes from a sermon by Dave Redick of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Oregon

If you read just one, read the John Piper sermon.

So now that you've had a chance to dig deeper, what effect do these answers have on your life?

Meeting at Noelridge Park May 24, 2009

Reminder: Marriage Matters will meet at Noelridge Park on May 24. Bring your dinner and a Frisbee, football, or ...flute? Instead of a lesson, we'll be hanging out and enjoying each others' company.

Whether you're in Cedar Rapids or traveling, have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Too Big or Too Small?

In the passage we looked at tonight, Mark 2:18-3:19, some of the Pharisees challenge Jesus three times about his interpretation of the law. Jesus responds with a parable:

No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.

If the patch of cloth or the new wine represents Jesus, and the garment or the wineskins represent the a human relationship with God (as individuals or as a church), then Jesus was telling the Pharisees that he did not intend to fit into the mold of their teaching.

I found it interesting Jesus used two almost contradictory images to illustrate his point. Just as the patch of cloth will shrink and become too small for its purpose, Jesus is too small to satisfy some religious expectations. But just as the wine will expand and burst the wineskins, Jesus is far too big to fit into other religious expectations.

For us today, that should still hold true. Jesus is not willing to be molded into what we want him to be. Our preconceptions, our expectations, and our religious rituals don't control him. He will either be too small to help us, or too big for us to approach. But if we come to Jesus, leaving our agenda behind, and experience him, he has promised to satisfy us.

As for you, how can you keep your focus on doing good and holding firm to the gospel, while being flexible in your approach to Jesus?

Paralyzed by Laughter

Wow, that was fun!

We took a look at the story of the paralytic in Mark 2:1-12, each of four groups from a different perspective: the paralytic, the paralytic's friends, the teachers of the law, and the crowd. And not a single group managed to avoid being hilarious. From the bumped-head-amnesiac bystander, the town gossip ("I was practically there!"), the chainsaw-wielding friends, to the PTA (Pharisee Teacher's Association) meeting, hardware shopping at Temple Depot, and the Factor interview of the paralytic-turned-dance-instructor...very funny stuff.

Stories and the different points of view that different people have about the same events are important when it comes to developing relationships with people, and inviting them into the humor-filled (and love-filled) Kingdom of God.

Your "homework", if you choose to do it, is to read Mark 2:13-17 for a reminder of the Matthew Party concept that we discussed during the Just Walk Across the Room series. And then think of ways to apply that concept.

After all, in addition to taking a step toward the salvation of souls, you'll also be inviting people to share in the kind of fun and laughter we shared tonight.

Questions from Mark 1:33

[Apologies for not getting this posted promptly after last week's class. -ms]

What was the crowd in Mark 1:33 looking for when they came to see Jesus? A healer, a miracle worker, an entertainer, a Messiah, or something else?

What are you looking for when you approach Jesus?