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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
A rich young man wanted to follow Jesus, but he loved his possessions too much. We must be careful that our riches don’t rob us of following Jesus. Mark 10:17-31 17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what …
In a time when people viewed children as distracting annoyances, Jesus intentionally prioritized them. Not only should we prioritize children, but we should start acting like them when it comes to the Kingdom of God. Mark 10:13-16 13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them.14 But when …
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 …
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 …