As Jesus is finishing His reasoning with the religious leaders, he observes a poor widow whose act of faith catches His attention.

Jesus tells the chief priests and the scribes the most straightforward parable in response to their evil intentions. In this parable the listeners, and now readers, receive great insight into the Father’s great love.

The fig tree in Mark 11 has a lot in common with the temple. It looked promising but was misrepresenting its true purpose. Jesus displays a great frustration because what was intended to be a house of prayer dedicated to God, had become a place of corruption and extortion.

Jesus is now going to publicly announce that He is the Messiah. On the surface, He gets a rightful welcome, but this sets the stage for the exposing of many hearts that are not in the right place. Which leads to the question, how can we truly be servants in God’s Kingdom?

Jesus continues to flip things upside down as He moves closer to the cross. His disciples and followers are learning a completely different way to relate to God and others.

As Jesus concludes His teaching, some Pharisees came to test him on the subject of divorce. They had worked out a man-centered response to divorce that caused people to be more faithful to their desires, than the God who created marriage.

Sometimes in life, there are moments when extreme actions are necessary. In Mark 9:42-50, Jesus teaches that when it comes to living a life of purity, drastic measures are not just an option—they are a necessity. He warns his listeners that ongoing sin has no place in the life of his followers or in the community of believers. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to live a life that honors God and protects the church community?  

This sermon explores the theme of true greatness as taught by Jesus in Mark 9. It contrasts worldly desires for recognition and pride with the biblical call to humility and service. By examining the disciples' argument and Jesus’ response, the sermon encourages us to realign our motivations and pursue greatness through serving others and focusing on Christ.

Jesus just showed His glory to three of His disciples then came down from the mountain to find the rest of His disciples struggling. They’ve failed to cast out the demon from a boy and the father is now turning to Jesus for help. This account is a reminder of what happens when we take our eyes off Jesus, and the father of this boy provides a good picture of what our posture toward Jesus should be.

NW Roanoke is our local context for ministry. We are very familiar with the needs and opportunities in our backyard. However, our gospel witness doesn't end locally, we're also called to care for the world. From time to time, we are invited into the important gospel ministry happening around the globe. We pray, serve and GO GLOCAL!