“Organized religion is full of hypocrites!” Is the spiritual-but-not-religious crowd more right than we admit? Is our religion a mask? A role? Do we honor God with our lips while our hearts are elsewhere? Do we show the expulsive power of a new affection? Join us as we examine Mark 7:1-23 and consider what Jesus says about what does and does not make us unclean and clean. 

We want to prepare, do our part, get our ducks in a row, clean up our act, get our house in order first. Dust ourselves off and clean ourselves up to prime the pump of God’s grace. But what God actually demands is quite unexpected. Join us as we examine Mark 6:53-56 and consider what it means to reach out to Jesus with the empty hand of faith.

Boats break. Floaties leak. Unlike Water Striders we are not buoyant. Our devices offer no guarantees to keep us afloat. In scripture ‘sinking’ often pictures an insufficient faith in our works or experience. Only the faith Jesus gives can hold us fast. Join us as we examine Mark 6:45-52 and consider how Jesus guards and grows the faith of his struggling disciples as he comes to them by walking on the water.

If you don’t come apart, you’ll come apart. But how do we find rest when “many are coming and going and we have no leisure to even eat” or rest or recharge? What does it mean to come apart with Jesus?  What is the rest Jesus offers in unrestful seasons? Join us as we examine Mark 6:30-44 and consider the invitation of Jesus to find a rest that heals bruised reeds and fans smoldering wicks.

Wild mushrooms are tasty, but are they toxic? Mistaken identification is at best sickening, at worst fatal. But more deadly than Jack-O’-Lanterns in your soup is mistakenly identifying Jesus.   This mistake has consequences that last forever.  Join us as we examine Mark 6:14-29 to consider the tragic consequences of unbelief regarding who Jesus is and why he has come. 

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Discipleship involves disciplines. But the essence of discipleship is not in honing disciplines, but fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. What is your focus? Join us as we examine Mark 6:7-13, and Mark 6:30 to consider what Jesus does, gives, commands, and expects when he calls us to follow him. 

What do you fear? What waves loom? What demons terrorize? What pain exhausts all resources? What grief grips your heart? Hoping it will be OK won’t move mountains. Only faith in He who stills storms, commands demons, heals pain & raises the dead is enough. Join us as we examine Mark 5:21-43 and consider a faith that can save.

Jesus is stronger than all your demons. He can free every captive. He can break the grip of what breaks you. But freedom is costly. It cost Jesus and it will cost you. The people of ancient Decapolis preferred pigs and demons to Jesus. What about you?  Join us as we examine Mark 5:1-20 and consider Jesus’ power over every demon and our response to Him.

Mark’s account of Jesus calming of the storm is compelling. With eyewitness details & echoes of Jonah, we see Jesus’ humanity & divinity, calm & becalming, rebuked & rebuking.  And in his disciple’s question a fear more potent than the fear of death. Listen as we examine Mark 4:35-41 and consider its warnings to us about what it means to follow Jesus.