South Fellowship Church

And Then What Happened? | Mark 8:27-9:8 | Week 8

It is well with my soul.  Sometimes when I'm singing this song, I want to take that truth and I want to push it, infuse it, into the inward parts of my soul.  Sometimes I also look around and I know those people that are singing it from the overflow of their heart.  You know those people.  The ones who are sitting in the midst of their storm.  Maybe they've been diagnosed with cancer and in the midst of treatment, they're able to have a beautiful smile on their face and say, "It is well with my soul."  I have some friends who lost a child---a stillborn birth.  They never got to meet their child.  And yet, on their blog and social media posts they said, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord."  
 
Right now, I'm following my sister's updates on my dad.  Currently he has something in his foot that needs to be removed.  Over the last couple of years, he's been having eye issues---there's an amoeba that got stuck in his eye.  Over this last week it started to act up and he's in extreme pain in both his eyes.  He's been getting medical help and is sometimes there at midnight.  On his way home, they went to get his car from valet parking and they lost his keys.  Midnight turns to two in the morning and the hospital decides to send them home via Uber.  My sister says that in the middle of the Uber ride home, my dad is telling the driver about Jesus!  In the midst of his pain, he's still able to say, "It is well with my soul."  What's the secret?  How do we get to the place where we are able to have that phrase overflow from our soul?...

And Then What Happened? | Mark 7 | Week 7

Ladies, I have something I need to tell those of you who are currently in a relationship or hope to be in a relationship with a handsome fella. It might be hard to hear, but I need you to hear it:  MEN ARE GROSS SOMETIMES!!  I can't tell you how many times I’ve been eating at a restaurant and need to go to the restroom.  So I go in and do my business, and then wash my hands.
And I can’t tell you how many times someone was in the urinal next to me, and while I washed my hands,  they finished their business, flushed, walked towards the sink, and walked right passed it, and grabbed the door handle and went back to their table.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been washing my hands when I hear a toilet flush, the stall door opens---and you know what happens in the stall---and I see a man walk out of the stall toward the sink, only to walk right passed it, and go to the door and HEAD BACK TO THE TABLE!!!  I can't tell you how many times I’ve wanted to follow him out of the restroom to his table and tell his lady, “HE DIDN’T WASH HIS HANDS!!” I mean, you deserve to know, right??  I was telling a friend about this the other day, and she said, “It's not just guys, plenty of women do that too...”

And Then What Happened? | Mark 6:1-11 | Week 6

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.  Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had been invited to the wedding also.  When the wine was gone, Jesus mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” "Dear woman, why do you involve me," Jesus replied, "my hour has not yet come."  Jesus mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you to do.”  Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.  Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water;" so they filled them to the brim.  Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”  They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned to wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who drew it out knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have all had to much to drink, but you have saved the best until now.”  This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee.  He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in Him. (John 2:1-11)
 
I love this account in John’s gospel for two reasons.  First for what it says about Mary and her strength.  Mary was a young woman when she had Jesus, but she isn’t young anymore. And like many of you in this room who have had children, Mary’s word to Jesus is, “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out of it.”  She knows the power he holds.  And when Jesus balks at his mother’s request for more wine, Mary forces the hand of God...

And Then What Happened? | Mark 5:1-43 | Week 5

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We are in the process of going through the gospel of Mark. This morning, we're going to cover a lot of territory in Mark 5.  Before we get into this text, I'm going to ask you to join your hearts together with me in prayer.  Father, we've gathered together today to rejoice in you and worship you and bless you.  Lord, I thank you for every person that is here today.  Thank you for your church.  Lord, I want to pray for your church globally today, whether it's in Japan or Jakarta, whether it's in Austria or Argentina.  We think of the church in the United States.  Whether it's in Oregon or Ohio.  We think of the church here in Denver and Englewood and Littleton.  Lord, we pray that you would bless your church, that you would use her to extend the good news of the gospel and expand your kingdom of grace and love.  Lord, we also thank you for your Word.  We thank you for what it teaches us about you and what you're doing.  So as we look into this text this morning, out of Mark's gospel, we pray that you might enlighten our minds, Lord, that by your grace you might touch our hearts, that we might see more of you.  We ask this now in the great and powerful name of Jesus.  Amen.
In August of 2000 a Russian submarine, called the Kursk, went down in the Barents Sea. Divers were sent down to assess the situation and determine if anyone had survived. As they were circling the sub they heard a pinging sound and began to put their heads as close as they could to the hull.  The pinging sound was Morse code coming from some men who had gone to the back of the sub where there was still some air.  The divers heard a phrase in code and then interpreted it.  That phrase was composed of four words:  IS THERE ANY HOPE?"

And Then What Happened? | Mark 4 | Week 4

We are in this series going through the Gospel of Mark.  Today we're taking chapter 4, which is the longest chapter so far (about 40 some verses).  I'm going to ask you to read the first eleven verses with me.  Again Jesus began to teach by the lake.  The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge.  He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:  "Listen!  A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.  Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times."  Then Jesus said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear."  When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.  He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you.  But to those on the outside everything is said in parables."   
We're going to take a look at parables today.  I was going to call this "The Perplexing Problem of Parables."  Instead we're calling it "How to Hear a Who."  Let's bow our heads.  Our dear Heavenly Father, what a great God you are!  Lord, I've loved singing these songs that focused in on you.  Jesus, because you're alive, we're alive today with hope, with future, with eternity in mind.  How great is that?!   Lord, open our eyes, open our ears.  Join us together, make your word come alive.  Would your Spirit teach us now.  I praise you, in the name of Jesus.  Amen...

And Then What Happened? | What's the Point? | Mark 3 | Week 3

If you don't know me, my name is Aaron Bjorklund.  I am the Creative Arts Pastor and that means I'm usually up here leading singing.  Today I have the privilege of bringing the Scriptures and I'm really excited about that.  Over the past three weeks, we've started a series through the gospel of Mark entitled "And Then What Happened?"  I love this title for the gospel of Mark, because it sort of encapsulates how the gospel of Mark feels when you read it.  The gospel of Mark is sort of the highest pace, highest energy kind of gospel we have of the account of Jesus's life.  Mark is so excited to share with us what it looks like for the kingdom of God to unfold in time and space, and he's just riled up.  So he curates all these stories of what it looks like for the kingdom to unfold, and then he says, "And this happened and immediately this thing happened and then this thing over here happened and this happened."  And the natural question for us is alright, Mark, we get it.  And then what happened?  
Pastor Larry shared with us in week one that we're going to be looking at gospel to find out what it looks like for the kingdom of God to unfold in time and space.  We're going to look at it through the lens of 'Who Jesus is / What Jesus does / What Jesus invites us into.'  That's what Mark is trying to teach us.  What Jesus does is really important to Mark.  He's all about showing us, not that Jesus just talks the talk but that Jesus walks the walk.  Ultimately, in this gospel, what does Jesus invite us into.  We'll pick up the story in Mark 3 today.  But before we begin, I'd like to pray.  Father God, I thank you so much for the gift of your Word.  I thank you that you are so concerned with leaving your church with directions on how we are to engage the situations of life.  That you gave us not only the revelations of your Scriptures, but, Jesus, that you came.  You came in flesh and blood to show us what it looks like to inaugurate a kingdom, to restore creation, to restore humanity.  Lord, would you open our eyes as we look at your Scriptures this morning, and would you teach us exactly what you want us to learn so that we can become a little bit more like you, Jesus, because that's what this world needs.  It doesn't need more words, it doesn't need so many of the other things that concern us, it needs us to look a little bit more like you.  That's my desire, Lord.  Would you make that happen?  Would you take your Word and press it into our hearts, we pray?   In your beautiful name.  Amen.

And Then What Happened? | What Jesus is All About | Mark 2:13-17 | Week 2

Good to see all of you today.  We're going to continue our series in the Gospel of Mark today.  Last week, Larry gave us a panoramic view of chapter one. Today, I'm going to give us a snapshot of a particular element in chapter two.  Before we look at this text, I'm going to ask you to join your hearts together with me in prayer.  Father, thanks so much for your provision, your care, your grace in our lives.  Lord, we want to thank you for the salvation that you provided for us in the Lord Jesus.  Thank you for the grace and the guidance you give us every day.  Lord, I thank you for your Church; when she's filled with your Spirit, she is the hope of the world.  I thank you so much for South Fellowship, the ministry that this church has in this community, in this city, and around the world.  Lord, I thank you for every person that's here today, and I thank you that I have the privilege to worship here and now to share from your Scripture.  So Lord, as we look into your word, we ask now that by your grace and your Spirit, you would show us who you are, what you're about, and what that means for us.  Father, we ask all of this in the great and glorious name of Jesus and for our sake.  Amen.
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is one of the most famous buildings in the world.  According to the best records, construction on the cathedral began sometime between 1160 and 1163 and was finished about 200 years later. Of greater significance, it served for over eight centuries as one of the finest examples of Gothic medieval architecture ever devised and built. But as you know, last April a section of the cathedral caught on fire, undermining its infrastructure and causing the majestic spire to crumble in a heap. When Notre Dame was built its beauty, majesty, and ministry made it the wonder of all of Europe. But now, after catastrophe, it needs to be saved, restored and made right. And that serves as a metaphor for the condition we find ourselves in today... 

Living Room Liturgy

And Then What Happened? | Mark 1 | Week 1

 Years ago, I rekindled a childhood love for storytelling, and got into screenwriting.  I wrote a number of different things, from short films, web series, sitcom pilots, and most recently, a feature film script.  In fact, my friend Michael and I wrote a sitcom pilot that made it into the top 10% of an international screenwriting competition.  Pretty wild, huh?  One lesson I learned was to start the scene as late as possible, and to get out of the scene as soon as possible.  A great example of this comes from one of the greatest underdog stories of all time: "Tommy Boy."  Tommy’s family is gathered for a huge wedding celebration, because Tommy’s father, Tom Callahan, got married that day to a beautiful younger woman.  While at the reception party, Tommy’s dad collapsed.  Tommy ran over to him, and we see the camera tighten on Tommy’s face.  The next shot widens to reveal Tommy and many others in a cemetery, burying his father.   A bad screenwriter does what’s called exposition---they add a bunch of filler material that’s really unnecessary.  For example, they might have kept the scene going with a 911 call, waiting for the ambulance, and more.   Good writers write just enough to reveal what’s important, what helps the reader understand the characters and move the story forward, and nothing more.  They take the reader or viewer through snapshots that tell a larger story, and leave us wondering what’s next.
We’re starting a brand new series today called "AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED?"  And that’s exactly what we are going to do for the next 14 weeks.  We’re going to journey together as a church community through the Gospel of Mark.  We could almost call this the ADD gospel, because it moves so quickly from one thing to the next.  I was talking with a friend this week, and he said, “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but are you a little bit ADD?”  I laughed and said, “Absolutely, it’s one of my superpowers!”  Mark moves very quickly also.  In fact, he consistently uses words like 'immediately' and phrases like 'a little while later' to move the story forward.  It’s a story that has all of the elements of an incredible story: Character development.  Conflict.  Power struggles.  And redemption...

Navigating an Unknown Road | Ecclesiastes 9:1-12

Let's bow together.  Father, thanks for everything you provide for us, day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year.  Lord, as you know, the way we count time we're entering into a new year and new decade, so we pray for your wisdom, your grace, your guidance.  Lord, I thank you for every person who's here today.  Lord, wherever we're at, I pray that you might minister to us in a special way.  Now, Lord, give us ears to hear your word, minds that are attentive, and hearts that are receptive to you and your Spirit.  We ask all of this in the great name of Jesus.  Amen.
Given that it’s a new year and a new decade, there are a number of people and pundits who are trying to predict what the future will bring. It doesn’t matter whether it involves politics, or the stock market, or the Broncos, lots of people are making predictions about what’s going to happen in 2020 and beyond. But it’s always a dangerous business to try and predict the future, because it almost never turns out the way people thought. To illustrate the point, over the past 50 years various individuals and groups have ventured forth with their visions of the future and I’d like to share just a few of them with you...