Pastor's Bible Study

One of the best ways to learn is through repetition. Jesus used repetition to teach his disciples how their inadequacy can become his abundance. When they couldn't connect the dots and see that truth clearly, Jesus repeated the lesson. He feed 5,000. He fed 4,000. He increased their faith and drew them to a place where they could believe that when what they need is more than what they have, Jesus is the answer.

We can't work miracles but we can do the practical to meet the needs of others. Jesus met a need for a deaf and mute man. In doing so we see three practical things we can like him: be courteous to others, give liberty, do all things well.

The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. Jesus explains how it is the heart of man that corrupts a man not what he eats, drinks, or touches.
The only cure to our heart problem is Jesus.

The Syro-Phoenecian woman teaches us four principles that we can apply to our prayer lives that can help us prevail in prayer by faith.

Up until Mark 7, Jesus has been pretty much non-confrontational with those who oppose His ministry. But, in Mark 7 Jesus becomes much more assertive and confronts the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes.
The lesson we learn is that Jesus, through His Word, confronts hypocrisy in us. We need to look long in the mirror of God's Word and listen to what Jesus says freedom truly means.

When the disciples saw Jesus calm the stormy sea they were once again astonished and amazed and blown away. Even though they had seen Jesus calm a stormy sea previously, and seen Him heal people and cast out demons and feed over 5,000 with just two loaves and five fish, they were astonished as if they didn't have a clue as to who Jesus was. And that was exactly it. They couldn't connect the dots that Jesus was God robed in flesh. Mark tells us that their heart was hardened and they didn't understand the lesson of the loaves.

When we look at life from the human (horizontal) standpoint, we can see obstacles and problems as being impossible to overcome. When we see life from the divine (vertical) standpoint, we can see that even the toughest problems present God opportunities to minister to us and through us.

Mark sandwiches the back story of Herod having John the Baptist killed between the beginning and ending of the story of Jesus sending out his 12 disciples. From this drama we learn very applicable lessons about revenge, peer pressure, rationalizing our actions, and the way of sin.

Jesus sent His disciples (the 12) out two by two with a short list of dos and don'ts. With the authority given to them by Jesus, they greatly expanded Christ's ministry. We too have been authorized by Jesus to expand His ministry through the local church.

In Mark 4 and 5 Jesus shows His power over the forces of evil and the devil. He calms a storm (danger). He heals a demoniac (demons). He heals a woman with an issue of blood (disease). And he raises the daughter of Jairus from the dead (death). Jesus is King. His kingdom is advancing. He is available to help us today.

In this lesson we see the desperation of Jairus and the woman with the issue of blood. Desperation drives us to Jesus. It brings us to a place of humility where we can surrender our need to God and trust Him.