Mark 8:34-35

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

Personal Challenge

It can be difficult living the life that Jesus calls us to live. A critical component of this kind of life is denying ourselves, putting God and others before ourselves. This is indeed what God expects of us. This may mean that I spend less time doing the things at my church that I find uplifting and edifying because they are coming between me and my spouse or family. They should come before me. It may mean doing things that I do not enjoy or that do not make me look good because they are inhibiting someone else from growing in Christ. If we want to be like Christ, which all Christians should desire, then we must be willing to set aside those things that we perceive as important in order to raise up the importance of others and our God. This is losing our life for God and others. Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Mark 8:11-12

Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”

Personal Challenge

Are we, the modern church, as bad as the Pharisees were in the day of Jesus? Do we expect God to show us signs and wonders before we will commit our lives and hearts to Him? Do we make Him jump through hoops in order to satisfy our own expectations before we put our trust in Him? Based on this passage, these expectations grieve and sadden Him. He wants our love and trust, not our disbelief. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, hare mercy!

Mark 2:27-28

And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Personal Challenge

This is still a challenge with religiosity today. God gives us something good like the Sabbath, a day of rest, and we turn it into something to be worshipped and a stumbling block for our brothers and sisters. Any tradition or rubric in our faith practice can be misused like this. This is why God wants us to always keep our eyes on Him and not on the things that He gives us, no matter how good they are. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Mark 2:5

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

Encouraging Words

Throughout the ministry of Jesus during His time here on earth, we see Him connecting sin to physical maladies. There is much to be said about how the sins in our lives do not only affect our spiritual state, but they also affect or physical, emotional, and mental states as well. More and more scientific evidence is being gathered that shows this as well. When Jesus forgives us of our sins, He also sets us on a path of healing, holistically. Glory be to God!

Mark 1:35

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

Personal Challenge

So, if Jesus was fully God and fully man, why did He take time out of His day to pray? He shows us here that He needed to be in fellowship with the rest of the Godhead. He demonstrates the need to stay connected to His Father and the Spirit: He also shows that being fully human, His humanness is complete by being in fellowship with the Father of all. His example shows us what we need to do in order to grow in our lives in the likeness of Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Matthew 28:19-20

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Personal Challenge

Being a true follower of Christ does not mean living a static Christian life. He wants us to be active in our relationship with Him. Sometimes this may mean writing a check so that someone else can go, but in reality, it means going and doing. We can be goers within our own churches and families. We may be called to go into our neighborhoods or even somewhere half way around the world. In all cases, we are to be goers and doers so that God’s kingdom can be taken to the ends of the earth. Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Matthew 26:41

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Personal Challenge

I know, that for myself, I usually go through life just living and taking care of things as they come up. This way will often set me up for failing when a temptation arises and then I end up sinning. Jesus reminds His disciples, and consequently us, that we must live our lives in constant awareness that the enemy will be throwing temptations at us all of the time, especially when we least expect it. We protect ourselves against this by constantly being on the watch for the attacks and praying for God to guide us through the maze of life. He knows that our spirits are willing to know Him, but that our flesh is weak. One way to be in constant prayer is to use the Jesus prayer. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner! Glory be to God!

Matthew 25:34-40

Matthew 24:35

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Encouraging Words

Jesus taught many things to His disciples while He was with them. He continued His teaching after He returned from the tomb. He also taught much through the Old Testament fathers as the pre-incarnate Christ. These are the words that will never pass away. These are the words that are eternal. They started in the beginning of time. May we hold on to them and embrace them as His truth. Glory be to God!