Mark 12:24You know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. I think some people assume that if you have one you automatically have the other. However, I find it interesting that Jesus maintains a distinction between the two. He suggests you can know Scripture and not the power of God. And, conversely, you can know the power, without really knowing the Scriptures. And it seems that Jesus is say...  Read More

Mark 11:17Is it not written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations?” God loves the nations! He loves different cultures, countries, and languages. He enjoys various colors, clothes, and smells. He honors all manner of music, dancing, and customs. He esteems an assortment of foods, traditions, and stories. He loves it all. And He particularly relishes when it all comes togethe...  Read More

Mark 10:43-44Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. The mark of greatness is a servant’s heart. Servants are not esteemed, if anything, they are overlooked and taken for granted. They are not thanked. They are not appreciated. And, if they are servants, they don’t require special treatment. They do what they do, because the...  Read More

Mark 9:38Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us? Sometimes churches can get so tribal. We develop strong group loyalty, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But as we see in verse 38, and following, Jesus transcends any one group. He is bigger than our sects and creeds. He is larger than our revivals and movements. He is n...  Read More

Mark 8:35For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life from my sake and the gospel’s will save it. This is a phenomenal principle. Please get this—You can win the battle and lose the war. Or you lose the argument and win the friend. Do you see how that works? Whatever you do in the small, the opposite can happen in the large. Whatever you win today, you can lose tomorrow...  Read More

Mark 7:6This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Sometimes we care so much about the outside, and not very much for the inside. But then there are others who care about the inside, while the outside doesn’t look so great. Which would you rather have? If we had to pick, I pray we would go with the latter one every time. Losing respect is sometimes the path to inner pea...  Read More

Mark 6:38How many loaves do you have? The answer was five loaves, and two fish. Not much. But if you pass it through the hands of Jesus… he can multiply it. All it takes is a little imagination. They took the little they had & PASSED IT THROUGH THE HANDS OF JESUS! “Oh, the need is so great, and my resources are so small.”  If I give… it won’t make much difference. If I give… what will I have left ...  Read More

Mark 5:30Who touched my garments? This is one of my favorite things Jesus ever said: Who touched my garments? His disciples are like: What are you talking about? Everybody is clamoring over you. Pulling and tugging. Ripping and tearing. And you’re asking who touched me? Yes, somebody touched me. The difference? The crowd was there out of novelty. The woman was there out of need. Her touch was diff...  Read More

Mark 4:38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. The waves were beating against the boat, the water was filling the vessel, and his disciples were freaking out. This was it. They were going to die. Yet, there was Jesus, sound asleep on a pillow. I want that kind of peace. I want that kind of confidence. I want that kind of faith. When everything is breaking apart, I’m asleep because I know...  Read More

Mark 3:7Jesus withdrew. Technology has allowed us an incredible level of connectivity. Whether it be email, texting, social media, messenger, FaceTime, you name it, we’ve got it. If you want to stay connected it’s easy. However, if you want to disconnect it’s hard. But, every once and awhile, I think it’s healthy. When the demands of life got hot and heavy, Jesus withdrew. And if Jesus withdrew, w...  Read More

Mark 2:27The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a gift. A day to stop and catch your breath. A day to refresh and repose. A day to regain your rhythm. A day to take a deep breath and relax. It’s a gift from God to mankind. However, what kind of gift is it when it’s obligatory? Under such expectations, it ceases to be a gift entirely and becomes a burden. A demand. A ...  Read More

Mark 1:3Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Isn’t this what the entire Bible is about? Yes, that’s exactly what it’s about.From Genesis 3 to Mark 1 there are a symphony of sights & sounds. Genealogies & Geographies.Tabernacles & Temples.Laws & Decrees.Poets & Prophets.Songs & OraclesStories & Sermons.Conflicts & Wars.Empires & Exiles.Plots & Intrigues.… all employed to prepare th...  Read More