In this scene, we see Jesus making two requests: one of his disciples and another of His Father. Each ask is vulnerable and raw. Both of them are denied. As we marvel at Jesus' capability to trust God and move forward, we will be challenged and encouraged to follow the pattern that he lays out for us. We too can be honest with God. We too can submit to His will.

In Mark 12, Jesus tells a story about a farmer that so reflects an otherworldly kind of love'the kind of love that can heal the ache in our hearts.

In Mark 9, the disciples get a glimpse at the full glory of Jesus. This is truly a mountain top experience. Have you had a mountain top experience with God? Do you long for such an experience? What can we learn about Jesus'and about our discipleship to him'on the mountain top?

During the season of Lent, we will be reflecting on passages from the book of Mark that highlight the dual themes of Jesus as suffering servant and conquering king. For the first week, we look at three different predictions Jesus makes about his death and resurrection. As we encounter the intensifying predictions, we will be challenged by Jesus' resolve to journey toward death. But we will also see how the disciples seemed to completely miss the foreshadowing of his resurrection. How are we called to follow Jesus toward death? How do we miss the promise of the resurrection?

As we seek walk with God, we must learn some information about God and what he expects of us. However, that information is not likely to result in action unless it is accompanied by motivation. In Exodus 23:20-33, God gives the people of Israel some motivation to follow him, and that motivation is needed for us today as well.

We were born with spiritual thirst. Spend a few minutes alone without doing anything, and you'll probably feel it. What do we do with it?

The Ten Commandments are some of the most well-known words in all of Scripture, and yet they are so easy misunderstood. As we look at these words, we will discover that they are not threats, unreasonable demands, or outdated requirements. Rather, they are a roadmap to life as it is meant to be lived.

We are about to arrive at the most important chapter in the book of Exodus: the giving of the Ten Commandments. But before we get there, God must make sure his people are ready to listen well to his instructions. As we watch him prepare the people, we will learn how important it is to prepare ourselves to hear from God and what it takes to do so.

Do you ever do things, especially too many things, because of what people expect? Do you ever do things, especially too many things, because you think you're most qualified and no one else can do them as well as you? If so, you have much in common with Moses. His father-in-law has some advice for him'and us.

A few of us, for whatever reason, care little what other people think. Most of us, however, are not immune to expectations. Some of us, in fact, are tyrannized by them. What can we do to be free? We need a vision of God. Exodus 17, as it leads us into the gospels, gives us one.