You're Not Far
Kingdom Great | Part 2
May 21, 2023 • Bill Borland
In Mark 10, Jesus addresses his disciples' desire for greatness and provides them with profound insights. He teaches that true greatness is not achieved through positions of power or authority, but rather through a servant-hearted attitude and a willingness to serve others. Jesus exemplifies this by emphasizing the importance of humility, as he states, "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." By shifting the disciples' understanding of greatness, Jesus challenges societal norms and encourages a radical transformation in their approach to leadership. He calls them to set aside self-centered ambitions and instead embrace a selfless love for others, thereby demonstrating the true nature of greatness in the Kingdom of God.
Kingdom Great | Part 1
May 14, 2023 • Ken Mitchell
Fear invites us to follow the path of self-preservation. However, if we follow that path long enough, we will neither preserve nor have anything to show for our lives. Jesus began to challenge the thinking and actions of his disciples in a far remote city outside of Israel. He gave them (and us) a "riddle about life" that when we gain an understanding of the contrarian words he spoke we surprisingly gain the key to the purpose of life itself!
Loophole Religion
May 7, 2023 • Jesse Champers
From an early age, we learn quickly to look for loopholes in the rules. We try to figure out what we can get away with and still be okay. We tend to take this same mindset into our relationship with God, but it doesn’t work. When we opt for loopholes and workarounds, we find ourselves in a category no one wants to be in: hypocrites. Jesus calls us to move beyond loophole religion.
Flipping the Script
April 30, 2023 • Bill Borland
Whether it’s school, sports, or religion, when we focus only on the rules, it can be difficult to remember the overall purpose of something. Jesus reminds us that when we focus so much on the letter of the law, we may forget why the law was written in the first place.
Write This Down
April 16, 2023 • Ken Mitchell
Many times we read the Bible for application, inspiration, or direction. However, there are times when the author wants to simply point the reader to a big idea—an idea that fits together with God's grand story. In the gospel of Mark, he documents Peter's experience with Jesus that led Peter to believe in one big idea: the kingdom of God is near, and everyone is invited to participate.