I still remember when I first did family devotions. Every Thursday night at dinner. I would love to tell you that when we first started they were gentle, sweet, and quiet little angels who sat there, smiled, ate their peas, and then afterward, broke out in a stunning rendition of the classic hymn, “The Solid Rock”. Instead, when I announced what we were doing, it took our family a whole twenty minutes to get calmed down....
Updated: February 2, 2021 Here just the very small list of resources on Mark that I have found most helpful. It Goes Without Say The Bible Many times, many teachers, preachers, and small group leaders (myself included) will “cut straight to the chase” and engage the commentary instead of engaging the Word of God. Remember, the commentaries are not without error—they are the observations of the author. Slow down, pray, read, chew and meditate....
“I sometimes wonder, my dear friends, if one of the questions—if one of the first questions—God would ask me at the day of judgment, as He assesses my life, is not going to be, ‘How well did you preach?’ but ‘What kind of father were you?’ ‘How faithful were you to the charges I gave you?’. That’s your first ministry, isn’t it? Not to be using your gifts here and there, in the church, here and there....
The Text Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Lets go through this grand introduction, idea by idea. The beginning Who wrote Mark? Who is Mark Mark is said to be the writer for Peter What does Mark write about? Mark testifies about Christ Jesus Each of the Gospels tells a different perspective about Jesus: Matthew - Jesus is King (Lion of Judah) Mark - Jesus is Servant (The Ox) Luke - Jesus is Man (The Human) John - Jesus is God (The Eagle) In Mark, we are going to talk about all that Jesus did (like a Servant, like a hard working ox) for us, in us, and through us for the glory of God....
The Text Mark 1:2-6 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins....
The Text Mark 1:7-8 (CSB) He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” The Devotion There are things we do in the church that are so important and so sacred. They are the utmost importance and these are things we should not do lightly....
The Text Mark 1:9-11 (CSB) He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove....
The Text Mark 1:12-13 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. The Devotion Romans 8:12-17 (CSB) So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die....
The Text Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” The Devotion When you read the other gospels, such as Matthew, you will get more of John the Baptist preaching, “Repent for the kingdom of God is near.” Yet, when John was done with paving the way for Christ, and then Christ started ministering–only with the fullness of the Holy Spirit....
The Text Mark 1:16-20 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets....
The Text Mark 1:21-28 (CSB) They went into Capernaum, and right away he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach. They were astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like the scribes. Just then a man with an unclean spirit was in their synagogue. He cried out, “What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?...
The Text Mark 1:29-34 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons....
The Text Mark 1:35-39 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out....
The Text Mark 1:40-45 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them....
The Text Mark 2:1-12 (CSB) When he entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word to them. They came to him bringing a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying....
The Text Mark 2:13-17 (CSB) Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him. 15 While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him....
The Text Mark 2:18-22 (CSB) Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. People came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day....
The Text Mark 2:23-28 (CSB) On the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to make their way, picking some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry — 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the Presence —which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests —and also gave some to his companions?...
The Text Mark 3:1-6 (CSB) Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a shriveled hand. 2 In order to accuse him, they were watching him closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.” 4 Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?...
The Introduction When you read the Gospel of Mark, if nothing else, if you are even halfway paying attention, is that Christ is one of action. We have read where Jesus heals, prays, accepts sinners, forgive sinners, heals hearts, and preaches the gospel. But Christ was no ordinary man who did a bunch of great and even supernatural things. Christ is the Son of God who was God. And while he was here ministering on earth, he was filled with the Holy Spirit....
The Text Mark 3:20–27 (CSB) 20 Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.” 22 The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons....
Introduction Jesus did all things with the fullness of the Spirit. Teaching Preaching Healing Calling Ministering In stark contrast to the previous passage (Mark 3:20-27) where Christ, being the single authority on the Satan, demons and the spiritual realm continues this his teaching authority on all things spiritual. Why would he be the only authority on the spiritual? Because He alone is God. Here’s what I want you and I to grapple with: Jehovah God, the Lord God Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Hell, the very life of all mankind was in their presence…...
The Text Mark 3:31–35 (CSB) 31 His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.” 33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!...