Jesus

Why People Abandon Jesus

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Judas betrayed, the disciples fled, the people accused, and Peter denied. After all Jesus had done for this world, the world abandoned Him. Mark 14:43-72 43 And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.44 Now the betrayer had …

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A Passover Table in the Presence of His Enemies

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Jesus gathered His disciples to celebrate the Passover and to institute the Lord’s Supper. The head of the table not only recalled the Passover sacrifice, but He showed them that He was the true Passover sacrifice. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows (Psalm 23:5). Mark …

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It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

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Providing the people with signs of the times, Jesus prepared them for coming persecution. Jesus taught on the coming end times, not to increase our anxiety in the future, but to increase our activity in the present. Mark 13:1-23 13 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and …

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Giving Much Doesn’t Require Having Much

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The rich and distinguished people in Jesus’ day believed that their worldly affluence provided them with divine acceptance. When Jesus praised a poor widow’s offering, He revealed that the heart of giving is more important than the amount of giving. Mark 12:35-44 35 And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the …

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The Two Most Important Tasks in Life

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Out of the 613 commandments in the Old Testament, some religious leaders wanted to know which one that Jesus thought was the most important. Not only did Jesus provide His top two commandments, but He summarized them all and gave His followers a simple direction for all of life. Mark 12:28-34 28 And one of the scribes came up and heard …

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Is There Marriage in Heaven?

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People wanted to know what Jesus believed about the status of marriage in heaven. Jesus emphasized that what we receive in heaven will be greater than what we take with us to heaven. Mark 12:18-27 18 And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying,19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if …

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In God We Trust

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Trying to trap Jesus in His words, His enemies collaborated in an attempt to force Him to choose a side between God and government. Jesus’ response teaches us what our commitment to both should be. Mark 12:13-17 13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. 14 And they came …

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Jesus Came to Turn Over Tables

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As soon as Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, He intentionally targeted the religious community. Followers of Jesus must continually evaluate if we are fulfilling the call He has placed upon us. Mark 11:1-25 11 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 2 and said to …

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Surrendered for Service

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As Jesus attempted to prepare His disciples for His death, their priorities were severely misaligned with His. Jesus came to serve, and we should seek to give our lives away as well. Mark 10:32-52 “And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. …

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What God Has Joined Together

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Jesus was questioned regarding the nature of marriage and the opportunity for divorce. When an eternal God puts something together, it should last forever. Let Nothing Separate By determining what issues are worthy of divorce, many people attempt to discover a way out of their marriage. Due to the stubborn nature of people, God provided a civil manner through divorce …

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Looking for Peace in All the Wrong Places

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At Christmas time, people are searching for peace in all the wrong places. Christ has come not to bring us peace but to be our peace. Micah 5:1-5 Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops;    siege is laid against us;with a rod they strike the judge of Israel    on the cheek.2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,    who are too little to be among …

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If You Play with Fire, Someone’s Gonna Get Burned

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Jesus never categorized any sins as acceptable in the life of His followers. Playing with sin has severe repercussions for our lives and great consequences for those closest to us. Mark 9:42-50 42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck …

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When My Pride Is Disguised as Your Problem

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As Jesus proceeded towards the cross, the disciples argued about who was the greatest and about who should be included.  Until we address our pride, we will always see everyone else as the problem. Mark 9:30-41 30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying …

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Three Horrible Words to Say to Jesus

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When a man brought his son to Jesus for deliverance, he uttered three words that should never be used to address the Christ.  When we approach Jesus in our need, He deserves complete faith in His ability. Mark 9:14-29 14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately …

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Wherever He Leads, I’ll Go

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Jesus taught His disciples regarding the incompatible nature of following Him halfway. As He still calls us today, He is expecting us to abandon all this world has to offer for the greater treasure of knowing Him. Mark 8:34-9:1 34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him …

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Wiki God

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While opinions of Jesus were rampant and varied, He desired to know whom His disciples believed Him to be.  Peter’s initial response and subsequent reaction reveal our own desire to edit God when He doesn’t meet our expectations. Mark 8:27-33 27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his …

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Spiritual Amnesia

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For a second time, Jesus leads a faithless group of disciples to help feed a great crowd of hungry people. Failing to remember Jesus’ power in the past can cause us to question His ability in the present for our physical and spiritual needs. Mark 8:1-26 8 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing …

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Jesus Does All Things [Astonishingly] Well

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Jesus broke the status quo as He ministered to those who were on the fringes of society. Through His example, Jesus reminds us that no one is beyond deliverance. Mark 7:24-37 24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he …

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Don’t Treat the Symptoms of a Heart Problem

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The legalists of Jesus’ day appeared godly on the outside but were actually ungodly on the inside. Jesus taught the importance of addressing one’s heart which is the root cause for all of our actions. Mark 7:14-23 14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside …

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When Traditions Override Truth

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The religious leaders valued their preferential traditions over God’s doctrinal truth.  As followers of Jesus, we must ensure that we hold the Word of God as superior to the traditions of man. Mark 7:1-13 7 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples …

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I AM in a Storm

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Separated by chaotic elements, Jesus actually walked on water to reach the fearful in the boat and the needy on the shore. There is nothing so powerful that can hinder Jesus from meeting us in our most significant needs. Mark 6:45-56 45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed …

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Compassion Never Clocks Out

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As ministry needs increased, Jesus sought solitude but was unable to obtain it due to His prioritizing of others’ needs ahead of His own. When Jesus fed the five thousand, He demonstrated the powerful principle that compassion can never clock out. Mark 6:30-44 30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.31 And he said …

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Why Some People Don’t Get It

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Jesus told a parable of a sower which taught how different people will respond to the gospel message. As we share the gospel with others, we must be mindful of the reasons why some people don’t get it.

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When Your Family Hinders Your Discipleship

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As Jesus’ influence increased, His family attempted to hinder His ministry.  Jesus taught that sometimes doing the will of God will incur the opposition of your physical family and secure the support of your spiritual family.

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The Disciple’s Job Description

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As the crowds increased around Jesus, He intentionally drew closer to fewer people as He appointed twelve disciples to be His apostles. As Jesus called the original Twelve to specific tasks, He calls us to follow Him in the same way today.

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Jesus’ Prayer for His Church

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When Jesus spoke of His Church, He spoke of a people and not a building (Matt. 16:18).  We are not called to come to church but to be the Church. In John 17, we get insight into how Jesus prayed for the universal Church and how that applies to each expression of a local church.  Our hearts should be comforted …

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Jesus Doesn’t Fit Into Your Box

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The religious leaders of the day became increasingly frustrated because Jesus didn’t minister in the way they deemed appropriate. We must stop trying to fit Jesus into our religious boxes and realize that He came to do something new.

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Open Your Home for Ministry

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As Jesus gathered disciples, He befriended sinners in home settings.  Acknowledging the needs of those around us, we should open our homes and open our hearts to minister to those in close proximity to us.

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We Need Forgiveness More Than Healing

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When Jesus forgave a man who came looking for healing, He revealed our need and His authority.  As we attempt to bring people to Jesus, we must seek to address their greatest need – their need for forgiveness.

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Jesus Isn’t Afraid of Your Mess

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Moved with pity, Jesus touched and cleansed a leper who lived on the fringes of society. With the needs around us, we must be willing to place ourselves into messy situations in order to see redemption in others.

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Early Riser

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Jesus prioritized time with His Father early in the morning to prepare for the day’s assignments.  If we are to follow His example, we must carve out intentional time for spiritual growth.

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Ministry Can Happen Anywhere

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Jesus ministered at religious gatherings and at relational gatherings. If we understand the power of God, we will live in such a way that acknowledges that ministry cannot be hindered by a time, place, or situation.

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Jesus Uses Ordinary People

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Jesus called ordinary men to follow Him into an extraordinary work. As disciples of Jesus, we must also redefine our purpose to become fishers of men and join Him in His work to reach others.

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