TO BE WITH HIM, LEARN FROM HIM, AND BECOME LIKE HIM

This past Sunday, Pastor Kyle preached from a passage that challenged us with the question, “Do you want the benefits of Jesus without Jesus himself?” Mk 3:7-19 presented us with two groups who were drawn toward Jesus. The crowds who were following Jesus for themselves. And the disciples, from which Jesus appointed 12 Apostles, who were called to Jesus and called for Jesus. They show us that we follow Jesus not as a means to an end, but as the very goal of discipleship. Are you after something other than Jesus himself? Listen to the sermon to learn more about what it means to follow him.

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DON’T MISS WHO’S STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU

This past Sunday, Pastor Kyle preached from Mark 2:18-3:6, which relate three consecutive conflict scenes in Jesus’ ministry. What appear on the surface to be routine religious arguments about fasting and Sabbath are actually incredibly dramatic events. In fact, to miss the drama would be to miss what Jesus’ opponents were missing - namely, the identity of the One in question in these texts. Jesus further reveals His astounding identity to us in ways that we, even in our own routine lives, very well may be missing. He wants to make eye contact with you; so that you would understand and believe. Listen to last Sunday’s sermon to learn more.

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ONLY THOSE WHO KNOW THEY’RE NOT

A tax collector in the ancient Near East was a term synonymous with “a really bad man”. Known for corruption and extortion, tax collectors were some of the most despised individuals around. Yet Jesus called one - while the tax collector was in the middle of his work, no less! - to be His disciple in Mark 2. It begs the question: what kind of people does Jesus call? Who's qualified to enter His kingdom? Who will Jesus commune and fellowship with? The answer may surprise you. It also may open your eyes to the possibility of His grace for your Santa Ana neighbors. It may also compel you to introduce them to Jesus as soon as you possible can. Listen to last Sunday’s sermon to learn more.

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HE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO WHAT HE CAME TO DO

Jesus is at the center of a huge crowd in a small house, teaching. A gripping story ensues that involves four men literally “unroofing the roof” in order to lower their paralyzed friend right in front of Jesus. They’re desperate. They must get their friend to the one who can fix his brokenness. But Jesus looks at them, then looks down at the paralytic and says what nobody expects Him to say. He declares the man’s sins forgiven. The religious elite in the room correctly push back in their hearts, claiming that only God can forgive sin. Through His next miraculous action, Jesus effectively says, “you're right”. He proves to everyone in the house and to us that He has the authority to forgive sins; He has the authority to do what He came to do. You won’t hear any better news this week. Listen to last Sunday’s sermon to hear more.

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FOUR SCENES THAT DEMONSTRATE THE KIND OF KINGDOM JESUS HAS BROUGHT NEAR

In Mark 1, Jesus declares that the “Kingdom of God is at hand”. Besides the fact that this kingdom is ruled by the Sovereign Creator of all things, why should we or anybody else care that this kingdom is near? Because it’s a kingdom characterized by grace. In other words, the kingdom Jesus brings is the kingdom ruled by One who has come to deal with everything that’s broken in the kingdom you’ve been living in. Even though you and I don’t deserve it. Listen to last week’s sermon from Mark 1:21-45 to learn more.

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THE STORY OF THE GOSPEL

In Mark 1:14-20, Jesus speaks His first recorded words in Mark’s Gospel. These words reveal what Jesus is all about, what He has come to “proclaim”, what His “theme song” is, for all intents and purposes. In short, Jesus had come to tell the best story; God’s story, which is the story of the Gospel, complete with the inbreaking of God’s kingdom. But, it gets even better. As Jesus calls His first disciples, Mark tells us that Jesus came to call men and women into that better story. Jesus has called you, invited you, welcomed you into that story. How will you respond? Listen to Sunday’s sermon to learn more.

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THE BAPTISM AND TEMPTATION OF JESUS PROVE HE’S THE FIRST AND ONLY ONE TO PLEASE GOD

We’re learning through the Gospel of Mark that the first question you should ask of each story in Mark is “who is Jesus?” This is true in the accounts of the baptism and the temptation of Jesus. What we discover about Him in these stories is that through His coming suffering, foreshadowed by His baptism and His active obedience demonstrated by His successful resistance of temptation…Jesus has won God’s pleasure. He’s succeeded where Adam failed. Where Israel failed. Where we failed. And the pleasure He won allows us to dare to ask such an audacious question as, “if He could win God’s pleasure for Himself, then perhaps He could win God’s pleasure for us?” Listen to last week’s sermon from Mark 1:9-13 to find out more.

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THE GOSPEL OF MARK’S FIRST QUESTION SHOULD BE OUR FIRST QUESTION

This Sunday Pastor Kyle kicked off our new sermon series in the book of Mark. It’s a New Testament book that, unsurprisingly, introduces us to the story of Jesus. But at the outset, nobody except for John the Baptist really knows who Jesus is. Everybody has an assumption. But Jesus’ true identity and the work He came to do is only progressively revealed through the books 16 chapters, until finally, His progress ends at a cross; a cross that, to everyone’s surprise, reveals Jesus’ identity most truly and gloriously.

First and most importantly, Mark asks, “who is Jesus?” His Gospel teaches us that “who is Jesus” should also be our first question in every situation - a lesson we’ll learn well through our many months progressing through this sermon series.

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IS YOUR LOVE FOR CHRIST FADING?

Do you remember what it was like when the Lord first saved you? When you first came to know Jesus and your life was wonderfully turned upside down? When you just couldn’t help but study his word, seek him in prayer, or share his gospel with others? This question is posed to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7, and to us as well. On Sunday, Pastoral Intern, Jason Roenicke introduced us to the church in Ephesus that was by all accounts a good and faithful church. Yet something was missing: their passion for Christ was fading. They were steadfastly serving, patiently enduring, and vigorously defending the truth, but they were like a lampstand in danger of running out of fuel. They’d grown complacent in a good church and “abandoned the love [they] had at first” (2:4). How can we return to our “first love” for Christ? By reminding ourselves that he’s never abandoned his “first love” for us. Our love for him is revived when we rest in his unchanging love for us.

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GOD HAS SENT HIS CHURCH TO DECLARE THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS OF HIS SAVING WORK

On Sunday, Pastor Jeff concluded our “Beauty of the Church” sermon series as he preached from John 20:19-23. He helped us behold the beauty of the church as God’s rescue plan for the world. The local church is the center of God’s saving activity in the world. He sent her to welcome the world into the beauty of Christ through the word of the gospel. He’s given her his Spirit to work in and through her gospel witness. And he’s granted her the confidence that those she welcomes through the gospel on earth have truly been welcomed by God in heaven. Listen to this message to be encouraged and equipped in our mission.

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