Churchtoons, cartoons from Church

Showing posts with label gospel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gospel. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Meanwhile, life without Jesus got harder...

The wonder of Christ's transfiguration is quickly confronted by the hard reality of those disciples left behind (Mark 9). To make matters worse, the disciples who had witnessed transfiguration were forbidden to talk about it. Do you join those living the hard reality of life while doing the work of Christ or do you find yourselves trying to relive an exciting mountain top experience?

Monday, January 8, 2024

The message given to Jesus for you


 God audibly spoke to those who witnessed the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:11). The voice clearly stated that Jesus had a family relationship with the very creator of all existence. The good news of the gospel is that we get to join that family and share the in love God has for His children. How do you experience and share your family relationship with The God?

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Fight the BigGuy fight

 

It might seem like the advice given to Timothy, "Fight the good fight", is a call to violence (1 Tim 6). When we read the passage in context, we see how the author is referring to the fight we have with our own sinful nature. This is not a simple guilt-trip to get Timothy to behave a certain way. This passage seems to be an encouragement that we can resist the temptation to hurt others with our sin.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

I don't have to hear you!


 Matthew 15 tells of a woman who begs Jesus for a miracle, and Jesus ignores her. She persists and even accepts what appears to be an insult. Her faith is so great that she is not deterred and eventually Jesus not only provides the healing, but also praises her her faith and persistence. Maybe we've been like Jesus and ignored cries for help around us. Who do you refuse to hear? 

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Losing that special place

 

Sometimes Christians seem to believe that they have special favor with God and become angry when others share that feeling. When Jesus reminded the synagogue that God had demonstrated His love to those who might be considered unworthy, the crowd became so angry that they sought to kill him (Luke 4). Can you think of anyone you might feel is unlovable to God?

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Baptism Ends with Resurrection


 Christ's baptism signified His death, burial, and resurrection (Lk 3). Understanding the order, that the pain of death had to come before the joy of resurrection, might bring us comfort in our darker experiences. When you are experiencing pain and discouragement, can you find hope for healing in knowing that God still loves, cares, and plans to pull you back to joy?

Saturday, January 14, 2023

Finding and Losing Jesus


 Mary and Joseph lost track of Jesus during Passover, only to find Him teaching the masters of theology. (Luke 2) During this time, Mary seemed to understand that Jesus would serve an important role that would take him from her. As Christians, we might note that truly following Christ almost always costs us something, but we also gain so much more in return.

Sunday, December 25, 2022

Shepherds and Angels


 The story of Advent includes an encounter between one of the lowest social strata (shepherds) and a celestial host of angels. This unique meeting highlights the universal appeal of the gospel. Both shepherd and angel declare God's majesty and His good gift in the birth of Christ (Luke 2). May we all rejoice in God's gift and care for us.

Sunday, December 4, 2022

The echoes of Hagar in Mary's Praise


 While considering Mary's response to the incarnation (Luke 1), we might gain a greater understanding of her courage and faith by looking at the plight of Hagar (Gen 16). After being exploited by Abraham and Sarah, Hagar became pregnant which angered Sarah who then persecuted Hagar daily. Knowing this story, Mary's understanding of the persecution she would face highlights her faith in praising God for the event.
(NOTE: Special thanks to Dr Gafney for her work: "A Women's Lectionary" used as a source here.)

Monday, September 19, 2022

The first climate change prophet?

 

Like modern climate activists, Noah believed a great ecological disaster was coming because of humanity's actions Gen 6. While we might see pollution as the physical/direct cause, we might do well to consider that God brought the flood because of the violence (v13) or cruelty inflicted by and on the entire world. Are we unconcerned with violence to the world, like the Noah's contemporaries?

Friday, August 26, 2022

Jesus the divider


Jesus startled His audience when He declared that He had come to divide rather than unite (Luke 12). Although we tend to think of the division between believers in Jesus versus non-believers, we should consider how much division Christ's teachings seem to cause within the Church itself. What issues do you feel are more important than loving your fellow believers? Are they really teachings directly from Jesus?

Saturday, May 21, 2022

Paul bonds with Mars Hill worshippers


 When Paul visited the famous temples on Mars Hill (Acts 17), he used the similarities he had with other philosophers and religiously minded worshippers. Rather than pointing out the differences, Paul began with what they had in common, a desire to worship the previously 'unknown' God who was now being revealed through faith in Jesus Christ.

Monday, May 16, 2022

Exposed to the culture

As Christians, we reject the 'world' described as the lust of the flesh, lust of eyes and pride of life (1 Jn 2:16). Sometimes we also reject the criticism and views of others by calling it 'worldly.' Rather than separating from the culture of his day, Paul used it to gain insight and to preach Christ (Acts 17). Have you ever dismissed someone's viewpoint because you believed you were too good to hear it?





Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Breakers and builders

 

Christians have been known to disrupt or dismantle political power structures. One example is the healing Paul provided in Philippi (Acts 16), which resulted in the loss of economic gain provided by a young girl. Christians are also known for creating and rebuilding. While you are considering deconstruction, do you also consider what structures you can build to more fully realize the love of God to those around you?

Monday, May 2, 2022

My Damascus Road Experience

 

Many Christians look for a special sign from God to provide assurance of God's love and salvation. While some Christians, like the apostle Paul, did receive this kind of sign (Acts 9), most do not. We are often asked to simply trust in the work Christ has done (Eph 2) and expect a change of heart (James 2). Do you spend more time trying to be saved, than living as if you are saved? 

Monday, April 25, 2022

Embrace the open tomb

 

The cross has long been the symbol of Christianity, but the empty tomb might be more appropriate. The empty tomb reminds us that Christ shares His victory over death with us (I Cor 15). While we might not need to abandon the importance of the cross, where Christ took our punishment for sin, we should also embrace the message of life that over death represented by the empty tomb.

Monday, March 28, 2022

Peter's denial and status

 

After denying that he was a follower of Christ (Jn 18), Peter was no longer identified as a disciple for several days. The length of time between Peter's denial and his restoration remind us of the way we might need to sit in uncomfortable places dealing with the consequences of our actions. Are you able to sit in the uncomfortable place of confession of your sins?

Friday, January 14, 2022

Wedding Feast Miracle


 When Jesus asked the wedding servers to fill the guests cups from the pots used for ceremonial cleaning, it must have seemed like some kind of joke. However, the water had miraculously been transformed from a ceremonial and utilitarian use to an element of celebration and wonder (John 2). As Christians we try to listen for God's miraculous and celebratory changes in us.

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Are you ashamed?


 Jesus's first sign was to turn water into wine (John 2). This miracle pointed not only to the abundance that Christ would bring to the world, but also reminded us of His consideration for a family facing the shame of poor planning. When feeling the overwhelming weight of shame, we can take comfort that God still loves us and that Jesus died to take our shame and sin.

Friday, January 7, 2022

The Wise men and the politics of power

 

While the wise men came peacefully to worship the Lord, their presence sparked a tragedy. They alerted King Herod to the birth of the absolute king (Matt 2). Although the magi did not assist him, like many political leaders, Herod killed and injured many innocents in his quest to retain power. Have you ever hurt others in order to maintain control over something? 

Welcome


Each of the cartoons on this site is an expression of a sermon I heard in church. As a cartoonist, my method of understanding complex theological topics is to boil them down to simple images.

These images will never do justice to the sermons from which they are derived, but hopefully, they convey at least one aspect of those sermons to you, the reader.

I hope that you gain some benefit from the cartoons and will reuse them in ways that honor Christ.