Mitch Young, a member of Garden City’s Servant’s Council, focuses on our need for sabbath and rest. As we move into the Advent season, posturing ourselves to experience Jesus in a new way in this season, we need to think differently about the pace of our lives and the fullness of our schedules. As we anticipate our Savior’s arrival this Advent, may we also know His rest.

In Mark 12:28-34 Jesus is confronted by a teacher of the law who asks Jesus, of the 613 laws and commands Jewish people were expected to keep, which law is the most important. Pastor Shaq Hager walks us through Jesus’ response and teaches us that right belief doesn’t, in and of itself, lead to salvation. Right belief matched with right action is what Jesus requires of His people.

This, as we celebrated our one-year anniversary as a faith community, Pastor Dennis walked through Mark 11:11-17 (NIV). It's the story of Jesus entering the temple in Jerusalem and turning over tables. But, this story isn't really about Jesus confronting merchants for buying and selling in the temple. It's actually a story about the temple system and how it excluded people God wanted to include and how it exploited people God wanted to lift up. Together, we'll discover that Jesus becomes our inclusive and just temple, a Savior for all people.

Jesus and the disciples continue on the way to Jerusalem where Jesus encounters a blind man named Bartimaeus. Through this healing story Jesus continues to demonstrate to His followers the realities of spiritual blindness. This healing encounter is almost a plea from Jesus to His disciples for them to finally allow their eyes to be opened to what He's doing, to what His ministry is aimed toward, and how they will only be able to see once they recognize their blind. Pastor Shaq Hager walks us through Mark 10:46-52.

Pastor Dennis Allan teaches through the story known as "The Rich Young Ruler," as recorded in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus and His disciples are on their way to Jerusalem and Jesus is continuing to teach them the ways of the Kingdom. Jesus makes it clear - wealth makes it very difficult for a person to inherit eternal life as it pulls people away from dependence on Jesus and entices them to live for themselves instead of their neighbors. It's a clear and stark teaching that Christians in America need to contend and wrestle with. American Christians tend to believe wealth is a sign of God's blessing and an outcome of their own righteous living. Jesus, though, recognizes wealth creates obstacles that make it very hard for people to follow Jesus.

This week Pastor Dennis Allan continues our study of the Gospel of Mark. In Mark 8:27-38 Jesus and the disciples are walking from village to village around Caesarea Philippi, a region known for its paganism and godlnessness, when Jesus asks the disciples, "Who do you say I am?" It's perhaps the defining question Jesus will ask the disciples (and us). The disciples' answer (as well as our own) will shape, form, and direct the remainder of their lives. How do the disciples (and us) answer Jesus' question?

This week, Carrie Buckner walks us through Mark 8:22-26. Here, Mark records the story of Jesus healing a blind man. But this healing is different than other healing stories. This one takes time. It’s a slow healing, a healing that at first glance it appears Jesus needs two attempts at.. Even though it’s a slow healing, the person’s sight is restored. What is Jesus trying to teach us? How is this story supposed to speak to us today?

Julia Allan walks us through Mark 7:24-30 as we continue our study of the Gospel of Mark. Jesus, having retreated to an unlikely city - Tyre, is encountered by a Gentile woman who asks Him to heal her daughter. Jesus responds in a manner that to our modern ears and hearts sounds entirely unlike Jesus. In fact, it's a passage that Christians might want to skip over because it's difficult to explain Jesus' response. Julia helps uncover the ways that Jesus responds with kindness and gentleness to the woman and demonstrates that His Kingdom is one marked by abundance, not scarcity.

Pastor Dennis Allan walks us through Mark 7:1-23 where Jesus is confronted by a group of Pharisees seeking to undersratnd why He and His disciples don't ahdere to the "tradition of the elders" when it comes to washing their hands before eating. Jesus replies with a stinging rebuke, revealing the ways that the Pharisees have created a vast and extensive religious system comrpised of laws God never spoke or initiated. Jesus challenges the Pharisees (and us) on what our hearts most value and how, if our hearts aren't oriented toward Jesus, nothing else we do matters.

This week, we pick-up right where we left off the week before. Pastor Dennis leads us through Mark 6:6b-13, the story of Jesus sending twelve of His disciples on their first missionary journey. This is the first time we see Jesus sending out some of His disciples on their own to extend and expand His ministry by going to the places Jesus has already gone and teaching and healing people. Through this passage we discover four ways that we are to live out Jesus' Kingdom mission in the world: knowing that we're commissioned and empowered by Jesus, that we're to be dependent, that we're invited to practice non-violence and peacemaking, and that we are to refuse hating people even if they reject Jesus and His ways of living and loving others.