The disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees enter into a third confrontation with Jesus, why do they fast but not his disciples? To them, fasting had become nothing more than a ritualistic habit that was more about performance than intimacy with God. Jesus redirects their question with three parables that illustrate one overarching idea: You cannot follow Jesus and expect your life to remain the same.

Are we considered sinners or righteous? This has been a historic conflict in the life of a Christian. But until we understand that we are as sinful as Scripture tells us, we will become self-righteous and remain far from the grace of Jesus. Following Jesus requires us to humble ourselves before him because he came to call sinners, not the righteous.

When we hear that Jesus is God and able to forgive sins, what is our reaction? In Mark 2:1-12, a paralytic man has his sins forgiven but the scribes question Jesus' actions in their hearts. They had forgotten that God is compassionate, gracious, sovereign, and all-powerful. But Jesus shows us that the God who forgives sins is worthy of praise and worship.

In two back-to-back stories, Mark shows us a stunning reality. We were made for communion with the Triune God, but sin, like the condition of the leprous man, separates us from this fellowship. Jesus is the only one who can heal this fracture; all it takes is a sinner's humble cry to move the Savior's heart to heal and restore us.

In this short, but powerful passage from Mark's gospel account, Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law and does a mighty work in their entire town because of his authority over healing and the demons. Mark 1:29-34 shows us that Jesus came to transform our homes and communities when we rely on him for all our needs.

As we encounter stories of Jesus exorcising demons, we must frame them within the context of that power being the fruit of his authority. Jesus' authority means that he is the only one who wields the right and power to all of what he pleases. This means we can follow Jesus because he has authority over everyone and everything. While authority may scare us, Jesus is a king who wields this authority for our good.

Everyone is looking for meaning and purpose in their lives. We want to know why we're here and what life is all about. Thankfully, we have been given a purpose by our Creator himself. As we see in Mark 1:14-20, our greatest purpose is surrendering everything to follow Jesus.

Everyone is looking for meaning and purpose in their lives. We all ask questions like, "What am I here for?" "What is the purpose for my life?" "Does my life have any meaning?" Mark 1:9-13 addresses these questions by reminding us that the essence of the meaning of life is found in the Triune God.

No one likes waiting. But for four hundred years God's people had to wait for him to speak. From Malachi, the last Old Testament prophet, to the announcement from John the Baptist, Israel was waiting for God to fulfill his promises. Mark's gospel account opens with the good news that God has fulfilled every one of his promises in Jesus Christ and he calls on us to respond. Will we receive the King or reject him?

The false stories of this world will never satisfy us. They will never be enough. That's why God tells a better story, one where the hero is both like and unlike us. It's a story where the Author enters the story himself and makes a way for rebels to become like him. It's a story that ends with the Author making all things new. This is God's Story of Redemption.