Deadly Prediction - Mark 9

Many of us pray for revival - hoping for fresh waves of God that enable many to turn to Jesus. They will be great days ... but we shouldn't forget that revival coming does not mean that there is no cost: it will require people to lay down their lives, be prepared to be disrupted, all to join in with what God is doing.

Extravagant Heart, Costly Action - Mark 14

In Mark 14 Jesus is at a meal, but it is interrupted by a woman coming in and performing an extravagant act. She pours a whole bottle of expensive perfume over Jesus - causing surprise to all present.

[OUT] Where is God calling you to lose life in order to gain it?

 Challenge: Put yourself on the line for His cause

Feeding the Many - Mark 8

In both this and the Mark 6 feeding miracle it is like the ultimate Foodbank! People need food ... and it gets provided. The actual Ely Foodbank has been like it (albeit food provided by donations!) - the donations have kept coming to the tune of 584 tonnes over the 10 year lifetime, with just 2% being purchased. Even with the recent 60% increase in demand only certain items have run dry for short periods. This is God's economy of abundance!

Sabbath People - Mark 2 & 3

In some countries if you think and act in certain ways, you can land in serious trouble. Various regimes clamp down on people for daring to question or think different. The police who crack down become known as the 'thought police', because you get arrested for what you think. In the time of Jesus the Pharisees seemed to be the same - calling out people who thought or acted in certain ways as ungodly trouble-makers. When Jesus and his disciples were going from A to B, and took some corn as they passed through cornfields for an on-the-go snack, but it happened to be the Sabbath, it was the Pharisees who took issue with them.

IN - Are we letting 'the Jesus Way' transform our ways?

 Challenge: Take seriously the sabbath and kingdom principles of Jesus

Jesus: Forgiver and Healer - Mark 2

In the story of the paralysed man, the friends climb onto the roof to lower the man in order to reach Jesus through the crowds. It is worth us considering how much faith do we think each of the different types of people had: the teachers of the law, the crowd, the friends, and the paralysed man himself.

Jesus is on the Scene - Mark 1

Mark's gospel gets straight to it. It skips the Christmas story and runs throughout at a quick pace. Because of this and it being the shortest gospel, it is my preferred gospel to recommend to people who want to start reading the Bible.

[UP] Who do you really believe Jesus to be?

 Challenge: Turn belief into action

I have the right to do anything, but ... - 1 Corinthians 10

Today we are looking at just 1 Corinthians 10:23 - 24, but noticing the duplication with 1 Corinthians 6:12. Paul repeats this line "I have the right to do anything", but in both chapters Paul spells out that it isn't quite that straightforward!