The first sin in the world is the worst sin in the world and it shows its ugly face in Mark 14:27 to 31. The Lord is walking to the Garden of Gethsemane, and He informs His men that they are about to fall, fail, and freak out. They all are about to abandon Christ as He faces His greatest trial. Peter asserts he’s even willing to die for Christ, reminding all of us to beware of thinking we can't mess up.

We return to Mark 14 and the very first Communion service. Here we’ll hear the Lord’s heart on the importance of remembering, see some Reformation controversy between Luther and Zwingli, be pushed to develop a lower view of ourselves and a higher view of God, be challenged to deal with unjust treatment, and hear the Gospel call us to be "one of the many."

In this passage there are four essential characteristics to corporate worship which we need to understand and practice today in the church. God is a holy God and therefore we must be careful to worship Him appropriately. If we apply these four principles when we meet together for corporate worship, then we will be more genuine and more authentic in our public expressions of worship.

We’re taking a short break from Mark to get our hearts ready for this New Year. What attitudes should characterize your speech and actions as you live for Christ in 2015? We’ll be looking at how Paul answers this in Colossians 3:12 to 17. You’ll find encouragement, help and challenge to live out your identity in Christ.

As Christ continues to be led to the cross, this week Mark 14:12 to 21 exposes how to deal with a traitor. Some of us have dealt with a Judas in ministry, as a parent with a child, with a fellow employee or another student, an employer, a friend, or a disciple. In our passage this week, our Lord displayed incredible love toward Judas, this lowest of all betrayers--but He also demonstrated amazing shrewdness. Learn to dependently follow Christ’s example when someone close turns against you, and understand how to be loving and shrewd.

God is leading Christ to be crucified at 3 pm Friday, just when all the Passover lambs are being slaughtered, since Christ will be the final sufficient Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. In this message we look at 14:1-11 as the religious leaders and Judas begin their betrayal plans. In the middle of this passage is a lavish act of devotion, as Mary douses Christ with $80,000 worth of perfume in preparation for His death.

The shepherds and the magi could not be more different from each other, and yet both groups "got" Christmas--they understood the significance of the birth of the baby in Bethlehem. Join us as we study their response to Christ's birth and gain a deeper appreciation for ourselves as well.

This message is a shorter, pointed study of the coming of Christ, focusing on the Gospel, reminding everyone that Christmas is not just the birth of a baby--right? God became a man to rescue a helpless human race by doing the work needed to make us right with God. If we depend on Him alone to rescue us, then Jesus Christ will transform us by living inside us and through us.

In Mark 13 Jesus says, from now on all my followers are on watch--look for my coming. He is coming soon, and our Master wants us to be ready. He tells us in verses 33 to 37 what being ready means, so be prepared to follow His orders. He loves us and knows what is best, and part of that involves looking for Christ to come every single day. This message wraps up our study of the end times.

This passage includes two difficult statements--verse 30, "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place." And verse 32, "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." You will love the answers that come out of the context, and from the incarnation--both are treasured truths and apply to us today, and speak to being prepared (to LIVE and to DIE), and ready for the return of Christ.