Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

The Eternal, Incarnate Word {First 5}

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We’re starting our Advent study in the First 5 app and would love for you to join us! I have the privilege of kicking off the study with a teaching on John 1:1-14. Here’s a preview . . .

Today’s Reading: John 1:1-14

John 1:1 (ESV) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

My children love to hear stories about life before they were born. They can’t imagine a world before email and cell phones and streaming video. My kids refer to it as “life in the 1900s” – a time when they didn’t exist. Their lives had a start date in the first decade of the 21st century, and they missed everything that came before.

As we begin our study of the advent of Jesus Christ, we see in John 1 that the Word, the Son of God, didn’t start in the Gospels. He didn’t miss the Old Testament and show up just in time for the New. “He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:2). Jesus Christ is the eternal Word who became the incarnate Word. The everlasting Son of God took on human flesh so that we may become children of God.

Head over to First 5 to read the rest of the teaching, or download the app to join our Advent study!

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Our Greatest Need {First 5}

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I’m sharing an audio teaching this weekend at First 5 about how Jesus met our greatest need. I’d love for you to join us as we dig into the events at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, from the triumphal entry through the ascension. Head over to First 5 to listen or read an audio transcript, or download the app to join us in our study of 40 days through the Bible!

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The Enormity of the Empty Tomb {First 5}

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I’m sharing over at First 5 today about Christ’s resurrection as we make our way through a study of 40 days through the Bible. Here’s a preview . . .

Today’s Reading: Luke 24

Luke 24:6a (ESV) “He is not here, but has risen.”

I’ll never forget the look of joy on his adorable 3-year-old face when he heard the news. One morning during breakfast, my son Christopher started asking questions about Jesus. He knew that Jesus died on the cross for his sins, but apparently there were gaps in his knowledge. When I mentioned that Jesus rose from the dead, his eyes grew wide and he exclaimed, “Jesus is alive?!?!” He clapped his hands exuberantly and shouted, “Yaaaaaay!”

For most adults, the good news of the resurrection doesn’t surprise us anymore. When we read about the women on their way to Jesus’ tomb with their spices, we know what they’ll find. So I think we miss the enormity of the plot twist in this passage.

What if Luke 24 was a description of the women caring for the dead body of Jesus? What if Cleopas’ narrative of Jesus as a crucified prophet was the end of the story? (Luke 24:19-20)

If Jesus is still in the grave, our faith is worthless. The bodily resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our Christian faith because our salvation depends on the tomb being empty. (1 Corinthians 15:14) These seven words change everything: “He is not here, but has risen” (Luke 24:6a). Jesus is alive!

I hope you’ll head over to First 5 and check out the rest of today’s teaching or download the app and join us as we continue our study!

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The King is Coming {First 5}

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I’m sharing about Christ’s triumphal entry in the First 5 app today. Here’s a preview . . .

Today’s Reading: John 12

John 12:13 (ESV) “So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel! ‘”

“Click, click, click . ..” My anticipation built as the roller coaster inched its way skyward at a terrifying angle. As we climbed the hill, I looked forward to the thrill on the other side. Would the drop give us momentum for loops or corkscrews? Or would we fly over another hill and drop again?

We crested the top of the peak, and I could finally see what was ahead. After a short drop, the track leveled, and sadly, the drop didn’t live up to the hype of the climb. Like many things in life, this roller coaster didn’t turn out at all how I expected.

Following Jesus during His final week in Jerusalem might have felt much like a disappointing roller coaster ride. As Jesus and His disciples made their way over the Mount of Olives and descended the hill to the gates of Jerusalem, a crowd gathered in enthusiastic expectation. They waved palm branches and cried “Hosanna!” to their King. For a thousand years, God’s people had waited for another king like David. Now they wondered if their waiting was finally coming to an end.

John tells us that this crowd assembled because they heard about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. (John 12:18) They expected that Jesus could do something powerful for them. But they had no idea how powerful His deliverance truly was. They didn’t understand that their deliverance would come through His death.

I hope you’ll head over to First 5 to read the rest of the teaching, or download the app and join us in our study of 40 days through the Bible!

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