Mark’s Gospel takes us to the Mount of Transfiguration here in ch. 9, and it is one of the rare instances in the NT when God the Father speaks directly from heaven. And he tells everyone to listen to his Son, Jesus Christ. Why must we listen particularly to Jesus? Because he is the glorious Prophet who speaks on God’s behalf. And because he has shown us to be the glorious Prophet of God, we must begin to learn what it means to listen to him. 

Passages:
Leviticus 4:27–31
Psalm 49:5–12
Matthew 27:15–26
Romans 8:1–8
Here’s the thing about debt. Someone has to pay it. It doesn't just go away. In Scripture, our sins are the debts, we are the debtors, and God is the one whose justice must be satisfied. This situation raises several questions, and we find the only sufficient answer in a doctrine called penal substitutionary atonement.

“You are the Christ.”  This is the identity of Jesus means we must begin to behave differently. Knowing the Christ personally is the beginning of the truly spiritual life. The same question is posed to all people everywhere: Who do you say that he is? He is the Christ. And therefore, only he can lay out the life of true spirituality, the walk of godliness, and Christlikeness.

Scripture teaches us that we are born in sin because of Adam's fall and disobedience. But is it fair that we are punished because of Adam’s sin? Why does God punish sinners at all? Let’s look at three answers to that question: because we are sinners, because of his law, and because of his majesty.

Jesus miraculously feeds a great multitude for the second time in this Gospel. Why are both of these stories in Mark? They're there to press us toward a deeper understanding of who Christ is, to have our eyes opened to who he is, and to be satisfied in him. But finding satisfaction in Christ also mean rejecting some things that get in the way.

The world and all humanity were good before sin came into the world. And it is only by seeing how wonderful and cherished the created world is that we can rightly see how very low we have fallen, and how desperately we need the same Spirit to recover it.  

When Jesus heals a man who can’t hear or speak properly, he reveals to us our own need.  In this passage from Mark 7, we learn that true healing comes from Jesus alone, the promised Messiah, who unstops our deaf ears and releases our mute tongues.  And we must learn to listen and speak as he commands.

God demands perfect love for Him and our neighbors, but our response is actually an inclination toward hating them both, and Christ alone is the remedy. In this sermon, we look at the Law of God—what it is, what it reveals, and what it requires. 

The blessings of the Kingdom are like bread being given to children at a feast. And these blessings are so wonderful that even the crumbs that fall off the table are worth eating. In Mark 7:24–30, we learn that people from everywhere are being invited to this table to feast as the children of God, even those who are far off and defiled, and we ought to approach the table to eat.

The Heidelberg Catechism is a summary of the main teachings of Christianity, put in Question & Answer format. In this sermon, we cover Scripture's teaching about our misery in sin, God's grace in the gospel, and our thankful response, otherwise known as guilt, grace, and gratitude.