John Markum

Markum’s Bible Studies

I’m super excited to share my first self-published bible study though the book of Philippians, Developing Joy. I originally wrote this Bible study for our church small groups, and decided more people could benefit from this resource. Along those lines, I thought, Why stop there? So I started looking over recent sermon series I’ve taught […]

Book Review: Four Portraits, One Jesus

Few books have impacted my appreciation for the Scriptures like Four Portraits, One Jesus. In this book, Dr. Strauss deeply embraces the rich uniqueness of each Gospel account, while underscoring the complex intertwining of the accounts. Special attention is given to textual criticism in the early chapters, making way into the historical context leading up […]

Was Jesus a Samaritan?

Recently at my church, I preached a message on the Good Samaritan (Luke 10), and pointed out that the “Samaritan” in the parable was a type (symbolic imagery) of Christ. More than that, as having at least two Gentiles in His lineage, in a broad, technical sense, He would have been “Samaritan” in a manner […]

The phrase no pain, no gain has been a mantra for athletes and fitness junkies for years. And what they understand about physical pain needs to be broadened to a much more general use in all of our lives. Pain hurts. That's the whole problem. No one enjoys it, and if someone does, we rightfully

The Premium of Pain