If you’ve been around for a while then this won’t surprise you. But we’ve come upon that time of year again when I soak up as much sunshine as possible with my kids at the pool and I take some time off from Deeper Devos. But don’t worry I’ll be back once school gets under way again in August—whatever that might look like. In the meantime, I have a special treat for you! My pastor, Pastor Mike, has graciously offered to be a guest here at Deeper Devos and I said YES in capital letters with fifteen exclamation points because that’s just pretty cool. So today and the next two weeks you get hear from my pastor on the topic of missions. Pastor Mike is a serious student of the Word and I love sitting under his teaching and I think you will too.

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After Jesus tells the disciples about his impending death and resurrection for the second time, the disciples begin arguing about who among them is the greatest. Yep, that’s right. Jesus is about to embark for Jerusalem to pay for the sins of the world and they’re stuck on who should be nominated for Disciple of the Year. I’d say it’s obvious Jesus and the disciples weren’t quite on the same page. So Jesus takes the opportunity to teach them what true greatness looks like to God.
We’re in Mark 9:30-41 today, so if you’re ready because I know I’m ready let’s dig a little deeper.

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Let’s be honest, faith is not always something we have a large supply of. Sometimes due to difficult circumstances, or situations we just can’t see our way out of, our faith struggles. And we wonder, will God see me through? But friend, have you ever thought about praying for God to give you more faith? The father of a demon possessed boy asked for just that and you know what? I think God gave him a resounding yes. We’re in Mark 9:14-29 today.

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Listen, I have no doubt all of us have seen some amazing things in our lifetimes. But I’m not sure any of us have ever seen anything as incredible as Peter, James, and John witnessed the day Jesus was transfigured right in front of them. And as if that wasn’t awesome enough, then Moses and Elijah appear. But what does all that mean for us? It’s truly amazing to think about. We’re in Mark 9:1-13 today and I know I say this a lot but I loved thinking through this story.

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Mark 8 holds one of the most celebrated moments in discipleship history, when Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ. And yet it also holds one of the worst moments in discipleship history, when Peter rebukes Jesus for saying he will soon suffer and die. Though Peter’s confession was right it’s clear the disciples still didn’t understand everything going on. But did they need to? Friends, I found a lot of comfort in Mark 8:22-33.

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After the feeding of the four thousand we get three quick verses stating that the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign. In other words, we don’t believe you are who you claim to be, so prove it us Jesus. But if Christ gave them another sign would it matter? It’s tempting to think if Jesus would just write his name in the sky then the whole world would believe. But would they? Is it really another sign that we need? According to Mark 8:11-21, I don’t think so.

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We’re back in Mark this week – Mark 8:1-10 to be exact. Jesus and the disciples are still in the gentile region of the Decapolis because God’s compassion isn’t just for the Jews but the gentiles also. And while it’s a plot that might sound familiar to you, it sure didn’t sound familiar to the disciples. We're talking about the feeding of the four thousand today and it's a great reminder to me that we already have all we need when we have Jesus.

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Last week I wrote a post at Revive Our Hearts on the first chapter of James titled: It’s Not Enough Just to Hear the Word. Prompting me to read several times through the entire book of James. Um, talk about convicting. But when I came to the last section I paused and then I dug in because honestly, I just didn’t get it.

What did James mean when he said “the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick.” Um, hello, but aren’t we all currently hiding in our homes due to a rapidly spreading illness? So, this week we’re taking a break from our study of Mark to talk about some very confusing verses in James.

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him…And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” James 5:13-15

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https://www.reviveourhearts.com/true-woman/blog/its-not-enough-just-to-hear-the-word-james-11927/

At the end of Mark 7, verses 31-37, we get a quick snippet of Jesus healing a deaf man in the gentile region of Decapolis. And as I pictured Jesus taking the deaf man aside, putting his fingers into his ears, and touching his tongue, one thing kept coming to mind: The vast and beautiful kindness of God. And it’s the reminder I needed amidst these interesting days.

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It’s Easter week so we’re skipping ahead a little to Mark 8:34-38 to that famous verse: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” It’s a verse we know well, but how well do we know what it means? I spent some time here this week and found it really insightful.

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