“If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.” (Mark 9:43, NIV)
As we read Mark's Gospel, we are asked to consider three questions: Who is Jesus? Why did he come? What does it mean to follow him? In the passage we are looking at this week, Jesus presents us with the choice between life and death - not just now, but for eternity. Following Jesus can be hard at times: there will be many things that we want to do that God says we shouldn't be doing. We should, instead, be so focused on walking in Jesus path, that we will get rid of anything that would distracts us, or cause us to lose our step. It might seem painful, or uncomfortable, at the time, but our trials and our devotion to God will lead to our growth in holiness. I hope that you'll be able to join us at 8:30, at 10:30, or online (details below), as we look at this together.
“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, 'Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.'” (Mark 9:35, NIV)
Who is the most important? The world around us is full of people fighting to have money. power, and status - to be the most important. Jesus takes the concept of importance, and turns it on its head. The most important is the one who serves, not the one who fights to have prominence and power. As we continue to look at Mark's Gospel this Sunday, we'll see that Jesus is the one who came to serve us. We can also be encouraged that, in God's Kingdom, none of us are insignificant. I hope that you'll be able to join us online, at 8:30, or at 10:30 (details below), as we look at this together.
“‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’” (Mark 9:24, NIV)
Belief can be hard: sometimes we can be uncertain what it is we believe, or that we believe enough. As we continue to look at Mark’s Gospel this Sunday, we’ll see that, when it comes to trust and faith, it all comes down to Jesus. I hope that you’ll be able to join us online, at 8:30, or at 10:30 (details below), as we look at this together.
“For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.” (Mark 8:35) (NIV)
We are picking up our look at Mark's gospel again this week, and thinking about the promise of God's kingdom. As we look at the passage together, we'll see that we need to commit ourselves to following Jesus with everything we have, but that the promise of God's kingdom is more glorious that we can possibly imagine. I hope that you'll be able to join us online, at 8:30, or at 10:30 (details below), as we look at this together.
“With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:
‘He is good;
his love toward Israel endures forever.’” (Ezra 3:11) (NIV)
In the book of Ezra, one of the events we read about is the rebuilding of the temple, destroyed over 50 years earlier. As the foundations are laid, the people praise God. Not everyone shouted for joy, however: some wept tears, because of what they remembered. I hope that you’ll be able to join us online, at 8:30, or at 10:30 (details below), as we look at this event together.