Seven Mile Road Philly

For centuries, Jewish families gathered to celebrate the Passover. On a special night of the year, they shared a meal remembering how the Lord had delivered them from bondage and captivity in Egypt. God freed them from slavery. God’s judgment...

“Don’t go there. Don’t touch this. Don’t do that.” The Pharisees were first century kings of following the rules and calling others to do the same. Actually, they didn’t just follow the rules; they invented them. Their whole lives...

He's rich. He's young. He's a ruler. He’s perfect. You could hardly imagine a better recruit to join Jesus’ ministry team. To top it all off, he’s even religious. He has spent his whole life obeying God’s commandments. The disciples drool...

If you want to learn to shoot a jump shot, you ask Michael Jordan. If you want to learn to cook, you ask Gordon Ramsey or Rachael Ray. If you want to learn to build something, you call Bob Villa. If you want to learn to pray, you ask Jesus. ...

A self-righteous expert on the law approaches Jesus to give him a pop quiz on God’s law. Jesus responds by turning the tables so that the one with the questions becomes the one being questioned. As they discuss God’s law, the lawyer rattles off...

Jesus has a mission. He has to save the world from their sin and extend God’s salvation to humanity. Check. He has to entrust this mission to some men that they might continue his work. Check. He will call these men to be his disciples, to learn...

She always made her way down to the well after all the other women had left. She couldn’t bear to see their stares or hear their whispers. She knew what they were thinking. So she went when no one would be there. Except on this day. On this...

After being baptized and before entering public ministry, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted. There he goes toe to toe with the tempter. Three times the enemy of God tries to get Jesus to falter and fail. But where his...

The opinions surrounding the identity of Jesus were as varied in his day as they are in ours. The crowds in Israel were buzzing about Jesus the carpenter turned itinerant preacher. Is he Elijah? Jeremiah? John the Baptist back from the dead? Amidst...

The Apostle Paul walks into the city of Philippi where planting a church was about as easy as planting a tree in concrete. The soil was hard. And yet, God sends His servants into the city to save sinners. The Gospel of Jesus is unleashed and in the...

Jesus' community called the church exists not for itself but to participate in the mission of Jesus. From the beginning God has pursued humanity to bring them into relationship with Himself. He has done this supremely through Jesus. But now, that...

Message from Ron Hamilton on June 14, 2009

In talking about Jesus and His gospel, Paul is necessarily led into talking about Jesus and His community. Through the Cross, Jesus has reconciled us to God and reconciled us to each other. He has birthed a new community of men and women who are...

In Ephesians 2, in about 10 verses or so, the Apostle Paul gives one of the most lucid presentations of the gospel in all the Scriptures. It begins with the bad news that we are sinners but ends with the glorious good news that Jesus is a Savior....

On the seven mile road, Jesus meets two men who are both highly skeptical and highly religious. The Risen Jesus engages the doubts of the skeptical and the religion of the religious and shows both to be lacking. The two men begin their journey sad....