“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.
The Priestly Blessing found in Numbers 6 was to be given to the Israelites, but it was also a reminder that the Israelites were chosen to become a blessing to all nations. What does this mean for us as followers of Jesus?
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.
Do you ever wish for a sign that would tell you what to do? In the passage from Isaiah, King Ahaz refuses to ask, but God provides a sign anyway: the virgin giving birth to a son, Emmanuel (God with Us). Pastor Ryan explores what that sign means for us today.
A popular worship song says, “What gift of grace is Jesus, my redeemer. There is no more for Heaven now to give.” Pastor Ryan elaborates on Jesus as God’s gift to us, as described by Isaiah in Chapter 42. He might not be what we expect.
Is our heart present in our worship of God, or is it far away thinking about our own desires? And when we worship, are we actively seeking to know God and follow Him, or are we there to make ourselves look good? Isaiah asks – no, shouts! these accusations in Chapter 58, but he also tells us how to fix these problems and truly worship God.
God pours out his love for his people in this passage from Isaiah, and says just how far he is willing to go to maintain a close relationship with them.
The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, and it grow in us through the presence and working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives. It is not a collection of fruits, but rather part of one larger fruit, like the segments of an orange rather than a bunch of grapes. Pastor Ryan gives a deep dive into these segments in this series from the winter of 2025.
“Heavenly Father, I pray that this day I may live in your presence and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
Argyle Road Baptist Church 