by Matthew Borgstrom | Oct 15, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Dependence, Prayer
In Acts 1:14, Luke records that this gathering of believers was devoted to prayer. In light of the consistency of the practice of and instruction for prayer in the NT, why might it be lacking in our lives? There are only a few reasons: 1) Self-reliance; 2)...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Oct 8, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Dependence, Equipping the Saints, Spiritual Alertness
At the beginning of the book of Acts, the promise of the Spirit is highlighted again with regards to the disciples. I thought it would be helpful to think about how those texts in John 14-16, regarding the Spirit, apply to all believers. The specific wording leads...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Oct 2, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Biblical Fruit, Child-like Dependence, Dependence, Expository Preaching, Humility, Involvement, Obedience, Pleasing Christ, Resurrection, Servant Mindset, Spiritual Readiness, True Greatness
By the end of John 20, all of the disciples have believed in the Risen Christ and were thus fully assured that he had resurrected from the dead. But were they ready to carry on Jesus’ mission? In other words, could Acts 1 have followed John 20 instead of John...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Sep 25, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Discipleship, Faith, Fear, Following Christ, Obedience, Resurrection, Trust, Unbelief
While John’s response in John 20 is better than seeing the empty tomb and disbelieving in Christ’s resurrection and even probably better than Mary’s assumption of foul play with Jesus’ body, yet it is not a true faith because if John’s faith is only able to operate...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Sep 11, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Expository Preaching, Faith, Fear, Obedience, Trust, Unbelief
What is the purpose of the abrupt ending of Mark 16? That is discovered by considering what the desired response would have been to the angel’s commands. The correct response would have been faith in the words taught by Christ regarding his death and resurrection and...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 27, 2017 | Substitution of Christ, Suffering, Uncategorized
In the end, after this vapor has vanished from this earth, we will share in Christ’s glory as we are transformed into sinless beings with eternal bodies, fit to worship him forever. Can you faithfully endure, knowing what is to come? Is the reward of eternal glory...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 20, 2017 | Atonement, Atonement of Christ, Substitution of Christ, Suffering
What is gained by having this prisoner exchange highlighted, seeing that Barabbas appears in all 3 Synoptic gospels? Jesus can fulfill all of what was predicted regarding his death and atonement for sins without this detail; without having a murderer released instead...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 6, 2017 | Atonement, Atonement of Christ, Following Christ, Pleasing Christ
With this unjust persecution coupled with the untenable death sentence, how could he not say anything back to the Sanhedrin in Mark 14:63-65? How could he not defend himself, knowing the level of injustice he was experiencing? Surely, it was because he knew he must...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jul 25, 2017 | Following Christ, Pleasing Christ, Suffering, Uncategorized
Now it’s definitely a godly trait to submit to mistreatment when it catches you off guard and/or overpowers you. We are called to respond with a faithful testimony in the midst of hostility as found in 1 Pet. and James. Typically, these types of things surprise and...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jul 16, 2017 | Following Christ, Prayer, Uncategorized
In light of the necessity of prayer, why don’t we pray for ourselves or others as we ought? The answers won’t be surprising—we lack faith or we lack dependence or both. We don’t believe prayer works because we can’t see immediate results or we don’t believe God hears...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jul 10, 2017 | Following Christ, Prayer, Uncategorized
It’s this real fight of faith and summit of submission that we see in Jesus in Mark 14:32ff, which not only secures our salvation, but provides the ultimate prototype for all Christian obedience. The final critical component put forth is that the Christian life is all...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jun 30, 2017 | Obedience, Pleasing Christ, Unbelief
We can probably relate a little bit with Christ here in Mark 14 as the disciples dispute what he is telling them. Perhaps we have spoken with someone and shared our concerns about the trajectory of their life, but they haven’t taken us seriously, even if they weren’t...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jun 11, 2017 | Obedience, Pleasing Christ
Mark 14:1-11 — Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him; 2 for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 30, 2017 | Spiritual Alertness, Spiritual Readiness
Mark 13:24-37 — 24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26 Then they will see the Son of...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 21, 2017 | Millennial Kingdom
Mark 13:5-13 — 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6 Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 14, 2017 | Biblical Hope, Faith, Following Christ
Mark 13:5-12 — 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6 Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 7, 2017 | Eschatology
Mark 13:1-4 — 13 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 30, 2017 | Great White Throne of Judgement, New Heavens and New Earth, Premillennialism
Revelation 20:7-10 — 7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 30, 2017 | Resurrection
Romans 6:1-14 — What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 9, 2017 | Eschatology
1 John 2:28 – 3:3 — 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 7, 2017 | Eschatology
So, whether you believe that the church is raptured out of here before or during the tribulation, the events of the end times will begin suddenly. How do you know if you’re ready? We will talk extensively about being on guard, taking heed and keeping alert as we work...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 4, 2017 | Church Attendance, Connected, Involvement
Hebrews 10:19-25 — 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 26, 2017 | End Times, Eschatology, Premillennialism
2 Peter 3:8-13 — 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 19, 2017 | Servant Mindset
Mark 12:38-44 — 38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 12, 2017 | False Worship, Following Christ
Mark 12:18-37 — 18 And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 6, 2017 | Questioning Christ
Mark 12:18-37 — 18 And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 1, 2017 | Hypocrisy
Mark 12:13-17 — 13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Feb 26, 2017 | Discipleship, Following Christ
Mark 11:27 – 12:12 — 27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, 28 and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Feb 26, 2017 | Prayer
Mark 11:22-25 — 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Feb 6, 2017 | Fruit Bearing
Mark 11:12-25 — “12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the...
