HAS ANYONE DEFEATED DEATH AND CAN THAT TRIUMPH BE APPLIED TO ME?

That is the one question Canadian scientist G.B. Hardy said is the only essential question that needs to be asked in the selection of true religion. In the latter half of Mark 5, Jesus definitively demonstrates that He has the power to defeat death. But whether or not that triumph can be applied to you and me has to do with whether or not Jesus cares enough about us personally to do what’s necessary to defeat death for us all. And that’s precisely what Mark answers through the story of the suffering woman who interrupts Him on His way to defeat death in a dying girl. It’s a gripping story of a tender Savior. Listen to last Sunday’s sermon to hear more.

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EVEN THE DEMONS HAVE TO ASK FOR PERMISSION

In Mark 5:1-20, Jesus faces down the supernatural forces that are fearfully arrayed against us. The demoniac is a walking-dead, bell-tolling, rooster-crowing, alarm-ringing, reminder of darkness and death (5:2-5). He personifies the problem of death and provides a visual representation of the unseen realm of demonic powers. He is the Gerasenes unsolvable predicament - none can control, subdue, or bind this threat of evil - but then Jesus comes to town. Jesus overcomes the power of death and brings peace to the man once caught in the throes of demonic possession. He overcomes the power of death in our own lives and brings peace to those living in fear of any and all unseen forces. Listen to Sunday’s sermon to hear more.

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THE QUESTION ASKED BY ONE WHO HAS SEEN THE TRUE IDENTITY OF JESUS

In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus’ disciples tremble in fear and awe as they witness Jesus exert His power of nature itself. Until this point, Jesus was still a stranger to His disciples. They thought they knew and understood Him, but a moment of revelation makes them suddenly realize that the God of the universe very well may be with them in the boat. Is Jesus still a stranger to you? Do you tend to tremble in awe and fear at circumstances and the natural world instead of the Lord over nature? Listen to last Sunday's sermon to dive deeper into this incredible passage from the Gospel of Mark.

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GOD’S WILL IN GOD’S TIME

We often pray and live with the expectation that God will - or should - answer us according to our preferred timeline. But in the middle of Mark 4, Jesus tells three parables - one about a lamp, one about a crop and one about a tiny mustard see. What’s Jesus’ point? God’s kingdom will come and it will grow. The seed will sprout and bear fruit - even if it takes time. Even if it begins very small; as small as a mustard seed even. The applications for real life are many. Listen to last Sunday’s sermon to hear more.

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ALWAYS BE SURPRISED BY GRACE

In Mark 4:1-20, the pace of the story slows down and we take our seats along the sea as Jesus teaches from his floating pulpit. And as he teaches, it’s all in parables. Jesus tells stories drawn from the everyday stuff of life that reveal the true nature of the kingdom he’s come to bring and the proper response to it. In the well-known parable of the sower, Jesus explains that though everyone hears him, not everyone truly “hears” him. The four soils represent four responses to the gospel message. Three of these are ultimately a rejection of that message. While one of them is the genuine reception of the gospel by grace through faith, that evidences itself through good fruit. Jesus explains this parable to us so that we would not be surprised or shaken by various types of rejection of the gospel, but would always be surprised by and celebrate grace where it’s found in and around us.

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HOW YOU RECEIVE JESUS DETERMINES WHAT YOU GET FROM JESUS

At the end of Mark 3, Jesus says some things that are, frankly, scary. He speaks of an unforgivable sin. He responds to an accusation of demon possession. He even claims that His blood relatives are not His truest family. Who are these scary words directed toward? Toward those who are outside. Outside of God’s kingdom. Outside of His family. And they’re outside because they’ve received Jesus the wrong way. But for those who find themselves on the inside - His blessings abound. Listen to last Sunday’s sermon to learn more.

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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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