God’s heart for children can be captured by three words

Jesus reveals Himself as the compassionate Shepherd who not only provides for the crowd but invites His disciples—and us—to find true rest and freedom by seeing Him for who He truly is (The Promised Shepherd). When our strength runs out, He shows that it was never about our strength to begin with, but His sufficiency to sustain, satisfy, and lead.

Jesus shows that he has abundant rest and blessings for those who seek him. And that by putting us through trials, he shows us his glory as God with us.

Jesus wants his disciples to see both his heart for the lost and his heart for them as they serve the lost.

Being a Christian isn’t easy. Opposition comes our way. Not to mention the command to make disciples that tugs away at our guilt or lack of effectiveness. But at the end of the day, Jesus is worth it!!!

Do you put Jesus in a box? Jesus’ hometown put Jesus in a box, they don’t believe and honor him. Will you put Jesus in a box? Or will you believe in him, honor him, and speak about him?

What does it look like to proclaim Christ in a world that dismisses faith as outdated or naive? We explore Jesus’ return to His hometown, where amazement quickly turns to offence, and rejection takes root in familiarity and pride. Even Jesus was met with scepticism, but His response offers us wisdom and encouragement as we minister in an unbelieving world.

Many people perceive that if there is a God that he must be indifferent or impotent to help us in the midst of our need. In this account in Mark 5, however, we get a picture of a God who deeply cares for us in the midst of our grief and loss. Jesus shows his authority over death and disease while at the same time demonstrating a tenderness for those struggling with the brokenness of the world.

Jesus conquers what conquers us

Jesus shows us what genuine faith is, when he meets two people who have to believe him despite their circumstances.

Jesus continues to demonstrate his immense power. But this power isn’t used for his own personal good. Instead it’s an invitation to run to him who cares. 

Jesus proves his power over creation and the spiritual realm. Of all the powers we fear, he is by far the most powerful. Yet even with his great power, he is the Lord of mercy, healing even the most broken outcast. 

In his parables Jesus calls upon the listeners to weigh up their response to him. Will we respond to Jesus in genuine faith, or trust in ourselves. In this section of Mark, we get another glimpse into the power and authority of Jesus as he demonstrates his power over creation. The disciples’ faith is tested, and found weak. In this miracle, Jesus reminds us why we can trust him. Because is powerful, wise, and kind.

In the early ministry of Jesus many people responded to his miracles, teaching, and demonstrations of power. Not all people, however, were embracing Jesus’s message of repentance, in fact many were now turning on Jesus. In Mark 4, Jesus teaches by way of parable, how different hearts respond to his truth.

Parables divide people into insiders and outsiders and It’s only those who come to Jesus, by hearing his word, who ultimately discover the secrets of God’s kingdom

With crowds flocking to Jesus, he challenges them with how they’re listening. How they hear his words will determine whether they receive from Him what He’s come to offer. 

To be in the family of God is to belong to Jesus, to believe in Jesus and to bow to the will of God.

In the face of opposition, Jesus shows us again who he is and how he works. He is the Son of God, and he’s calling people into His family. The question is, am I a part of it?

In life there are many different associations, groups, clubs that we might identify with. Entrance into such societies is often based on status, who you know, or skill in ability. But how does one enter God’s community, his family? In this account in Mark 3, Jesus gives insight into who it is that is welcomed into God’s family, and how their entrance is achieved.

One of the most confronting yet compelling character traits of Jesus is his grace toward broken people. In Mark 2:13–17, Jesus extends grace to the most unlikely of people and in doing so reveals his surprising mission to the world. Jesus comes seeking imperfect, broken, and those traditionally viewed as outsider to be part of his family.