Uncategorized – John Markum

Sermon Recap: Don’t Look Back, week 2

Posted on January 15, 2025January 15, 2025 by johnmarkum

This past Sunday, as we continued our Don’t Look Back series, we cross-examined two seemingly unrelated stories in Jesus’ ministry: the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-27) and the paralytic man by the pool of Bethesda (John 5:2-9).

From these stories, we learned that our past experiences have the power to shape our identity and restrict God’s work desires to do in our lives, whether those experiences are marked by success or suffering. Through examining the contrasting encounters of the paralytic man and the rich young ruler with Jesus, we discover that both achievement and adversity can become spiritual shackles that prevent us from moving forward. The problem with our past is that it often becomes a matter of identity. Many people define themselves by past trauma or achievements, accepting limiting labels that cage them. The solution lies in agreeing with our heavenly Father about who He says we are – loved, forgiven, and made new in Christ. Breaking free requires total surrender, dying to self, and trusting that God’s way is better than our own. God works in the present as the great “I AM”, not the “I WAS”. He can use anyone regardless of their past and is not limited by our mistakes or successes. The challenge is to identify what parts of our past we need to surrender, what labels we’re clinging to, and whether we’re ready to fully trust God with our future rather than remaining defined by our past.

In summary,

Both success and struggle can become shackles.
The problem with our past is a matter of identity.
Total surrender is required for victory over our past.

You can catch the entire service on our YouTube channel here.
And you can download our 5-Day Devotion based on the message here.

Blessings,
Pastor John

Sermon Recap: The Last Amen, week 3

Posted on December 16, 2024December 16, 2024 by johnmarkum

In the final week of our End Times series, The Last Amen, I led our church through graphs and timelines of what to expect with the approaching end of the age. In this message we sought to understand and answer three common questions:

How do all of the events of the End Times fit together?
When is Jesus coming back for His church?
What happens after the Tribulation?

We considered the timing of our rescue from the judgment to come, the general timeline of the Tribulation, the Millennial Kingdom, the final judgment of Satan and all those who have rejected the grace of God, and the New Heaven and New Earth that awaits. 1 Corinthians 2:9 reminds us, “Eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

As such, the BEST is yet to come! One day God will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and there will no longer be any pain, nor sickness, nor death (Revelation 21:4-5).

You can catch the entire service here, and this week’s 5-day Devotional based on the message. Below, are the two main graphs I made to summarize what the Bible teaches about the End Times. I also shared that I tend to believe in a Mid-Trib Rapture of the church, as this seems to make the most sense of Revelation 14:14-16, when contrasted to other teachings such as 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, and 2 Thessalonians 2:4.

Here is the graph I made, giving a broad overview of the 7-year Tribulation period, along with the key passages of Scripture that we can use to discern the layout of these events, and study each in more detail.

This is my graph showing a big picture of the events of the End Times, primarily focused on the culmination of Revelation.

Sermon Recap: The Last Amen, week 2

Posted on December 9, 2024December 9, 2024 by johnmarkum

As we continued our series, The Last Amen, we delved deeper into the topic of the End Times, by examining Biblical prophecies and signs. The Antichrist, a significant leader likely emerging as a rebirth of the Roman Empire, will rise and sign a seven-year covenant, only to break it at the halfway point, leading to chaos (Daniel 9:24-27). The False Prophet will perform miracles, deceiving many and introducing the ‘mark of the beast’ (Revelation 13:1-18). Key signs include the rise of the Antichrist, apostasy, and the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem (2 Thessalonians 2:1-10). I also emphasized the significance of the Temple Mount, with modern developments suggesting the prophecies’ fulfillment may be near. We encouraged believers to stay vigilant, deepen our faith, and share the Gospel; all while living in anticipation of Christ’s return.

We do not watch the signs of the End Times from a place of anxiety, but rather of anticipation.

Catch the whole service on our YouTube channel here. And be sure to check out next week as we continue the series with a focus on our future hope in Christ.

We also made a 5-day Devotional to go along with the message form this Sunday, which you can download here! The Devotional includes a few songs inspired by our message this week, and clicking them will take you to the song on YouTube where you can worship and follow along with the lyrics.