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Join us Sunday at 10am as we worship the Lord and continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. We gather in-person at 912 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN; online at https://live.refuge.mn; and on the radio at http://refuge.fm or 96.1 FM (in the St. Cloud area).
 God wants your heart.
He doesn’t desire automaton obedience, or a willingness to go to the penalty box when you mess up. You can do that without having a relationship with God. He wants YOU. He wants to walk in fellowship with You. He wants to walk in love with you where obedience and sacrifice aren’t even on the forefront of your mind. He desires a fellowship of love, because love fulfills the law. Loving God and loving your neighbor—on these two hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:40). Jesus wants genuine worshippers with no agenda other than simply loving the Lord and loving neighbors out of the overflow of fellowship with Him. Are you trying to earn His favor? Are you making vain attempts to garner His affection? Stop—there is nothing you can to do that could make Jesus love you any more than He does right now. Come to Him. Walk with Him. Abide in Him. Love Him with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then enjoy fellowship with Him now and for all eternity.
Join us Sunday at 10am as we worship the Lord and continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. We gather in-person at 912 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN; online at https://live.refuge.mn; and on the radio at http://refuge.fm or 96.1 FM (in the St. Cloud area).
 God wants to enjoy the fruit of our fellowship with Him. It angers Him when people pretend to be His people, but have no fruit or heart for Him, His representatives, or His Son Jesus.
We see this truth in the context of Jesus’ words and actions in Mark 11:12-12:12. We witness a series of actions and hear words of Jesus that show and tell us that God is angered when fruitless sinners pretend to be His people and yet have no heart for Him. In their pretension, they even end up treating those who truly are His people and His own Son Jesus poorly. If you find yourself pretending to follow Jesus, but without the fruit of His fellowship, don’t make the same mistake the religious leaders of Jesus’ day made. They heard His warning, but did not heed His call to come to Him. Their mistake was walking away from Jesus when they didn’t like what He had to say. But Jesus won’t turn anyone away who comes to Him. He wants fruitful fellowship with you. Come to Him today!
Scripture quoted out of context can become a pretext for whatever you’d like it to say. That’s why context is so important. Reading what is before and after can really help us understand scripture better.
Context was especially helpful in our study this past Sunday as we encountered several scenes that may have left us scratching our heads if considered one-by-one. But when read and studied together, we have a clearer understanding of what is going on and what God is saying. Watch or listen to our study of Mark 11:12-12:12 as we consider the context of the words and actions of Jesus to bring clarity, meaning, application, and most importantly fellowship with our Father. Join us Sunday at 10am as we worship the Lord and continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. We gather in-person at 912 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN; online at https://live.refuge.mn; and on the radio at http://refuge.fm or 96.1 FM (in the St. Cloud area).  This is the day that the Lord had made—we will rejoice and be glad in it!
God is just as concerned about today as He was the day His Son rode into Jerusalem on a lowly donkey as the Suffering Servant. We have no idea how many holy crossroads we pass through over the course of a day. He has prepared good works for us to walk in from before the very foundations of the world. And these good works could be just as consequential as Jesus riding in on that young donkey. For God saw this day and He knew this day was coming. He longs to show himself strong on your behalf—this day and every day that He graciously gives you! So let us walk through our day with eyes open and a soul excited for what God has prepared, planned, and prophesied for us, and our families, and our fellowship. This is the day that the Lord had made—we will rejoice and be glad in it!  “This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
This is something we say and sing to ourselves and each other to remind us that God is still on His throne. He made this day, He saw this day, and He prepared for this day from before the foundations of the world. But where does this quote come from? It’s more than a verse from a song—it’s scripture! This declaration of providence is from Psalm 118 and describes the coming of the Messiah. There was a day that was very special. It was a that God planned and prepare from before the foundations of the world. Watch or listen to our study of Mark 11:1-11 as we considered what made that specific day so special. Join us Sunday at 10am (central) as we worship the Lord and continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. We gather in-person at 912 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN; online at https://live.refuge.mn; and on the radio at http://refuge.fm or 96.1 FM (in the St. Cloud area).
Each and every one of us will stand before the Lord and give an account for every single deed every single word and every single thought.
For unbelievers, that Day should be something to fear—and should be motivation to turn to Jesus for salvation. For believers, that Day shouldn’t be something to fear, but something to factor in every choice we make. It will be an accounting—not for punishment or sin, but for authentically motivated service for Jesus. This should influence our decisions every day. While life on earth is short, what we do in here and now affects the life to come. Watch or listen to our study of Mark 10:24-31 as we considered the importance of living in the light of eternity.
It’s important to invite people to repent of their sin and receive Jesus as Lord. And it’s just as important to fully explain the gravity and seriousness of that decision. For if their decision for Jesus isn’t sincere and informed but shallow and uniformed, there’s a greater risk of falling away not long after.
That’s why great grace and tough truths are so important in evangelism and discipleship. We see both in the life and ministry of Jesus. This past Sunday, we carefully considered the grace extended and truth explained by Jesus during his exchange with a rich young ruler. Watch or listen to our study of Mark 10:17-23 and hear this grace and truth so you can truly understand and appreciate the gravity and seriousness of making God your singular priority—so He will be number one on a list of one. Join us Sunday at 10am (central) as we worship the Lord and continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. We gather in-person at 912 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN or online at https://live.refuge.mn. |
From Pastor Dom...When I first gave my life to Jesus, there were friends in my life who helped me to grow in my understanding of God, through His word, and for those friends Archives
January 2026
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