John Mark Hicks

Ruth Meets Boaz (Ruth 2:1-16) Now Naomi had a kinsman on her husband’s side, a prominent rich man, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone in whose sight I may find […]

We live in a chilling moment. Children are dying. War has no end in sight. Political discourse is laced with malice and vitriol. Yet, it seems to me, our time is no different than many other times in world history. There is nothing unique about the previous paragraph. This is one reason the Hebrew Bible […]

Returning to Bethlehem (Ruth 1:19-22) So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” She said to them,             “Call me no longer Naomi,                         call me Mara,                         for the Almighty […]

Widowed (Ruth 1:6-18) Naomi Begins to Return to Bethlehem (Ruth 1:6-7) Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had considered his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she had been […]

Naomi’s Tragedies (Ruth 1:1-5) NRSV: “In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife […]

This lesson is based on Ephesians 4:1-16, delivered at the Northwest Christian Convention in Turner, OR, on July 30, 2023.

This is lesson was delivered at the Northwest Christian Convention in Turner, Oregon, on June 28, 2023. The message is based on Ephesians 1:3-14.

Text: John 13:1-17 The sermon begins at about minute 43 at this link. Through washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus teaches us to receive grace even when we feel unworthy and full of shame, and he also teaches us to follow his example of giving grace by serving others.

Text: Matthew 9:9-17 Jesus uses Hosea 6:6 to critique the criticism of some who objected to his eating with “tax collectors and sinners.” The point? Jesus pursues mercy for the sake of healing, and this is at the heart of kingdom living. It is pouring new wine into wineskins.

Season 1, Episode 5. Available on Podcast here. Available on Vimeo here. Stan Wilson, Haley Villacorta, David Villacorta, and I have begun a series of podcasts/videos about “The Chosen” produced and directed by Dallas Jenkins. These conversations seek to explore one dimension of “The Chosen” per episode. This week we focus on Mary, the Wedding […]