“Have Mercy on Me!” Blind Bartimaeus called out to Jesus from the side of the road. Jesus answered, and Bartimaeus leapt up and followed. Pastor Barry Bruce encourages us to imitate Bartimaeus from wherever we are on our road of life.
“From this Day Forward, Follow Jesus,” by Pastor Barry Bruce
God gives each of us exactly the same blessing of forgiveness and new life in Jesus. How does He judge us according to our deeds after that? According to how we treat one another, primarily within “the family” of others who have received the same blessing.
After the resurrection, Jesus’ body was no longer in the tomb. But three things were left there: grave cloths, the sins of the world, and death! Pastor Ryan talks about the significance of these things left behind.
In winter 2026, Pastor Ryan explored the claims of the Apostles’ Creed. His focus was the basic statements of faith that all Christians should be able to agree on.
The creeds articulate basic tenets of faith, but they do not explain them. This leaves space for Christians to ponder and consider more deeply the mysteries of God. None of us (person, church, or denomination) fully comprehends these mysteries, but if we hold to the statements of faith in the creed, we can open space for dialogue with other Christians who also believe them. These conversations can then lead to the healing of divisions and of the church itself.
Here is the creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
After the Magi came with gifts for the infant Jesus, acknowledging him as the King of the Jews, angels warned the Magi not to go back to Herod, and also warned Joseph to take Mary and the baby and flee to Egypt. Later, the angel told Joseph to leave Egypt and return home. What was the significance of this event in the life and ministry of Jesus, and what is its significance for us?
The birth of Jesus was surrounded by seemingly chaotic events. There, as in our lives, it can look like God has forgotten us. Pastor Ryan reassures us that God was already there.
Argyle Road Baptist Church 