When Jesus and his disciples made it to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, following the fierce storm that had erupted upon them, one should expect a brief reprieve for them. Surely they were exhausted and frightened. Indeed, Mark 4:41 says as much. Perhaps now that they have landed on the eastern shoreline READ MORE
Son of God
Legitimizing the Lord
Tucked tightly between the passage about Jesus’ healing the man with the withered hand and the calling of the twelve apostles is a seemingly modest account of a great crowd coming to Jesus for physical healing. Read carefully what Mark has penned about this particular moment in Jesus’ remarkable life: Jesus withdrew with his disciples READ MORE
Continuing “Jesus, God’s Beloved Son”
Here at Bethel Church we are in the midst of an in-depth study through the Gospel of Mark entitled Church on the Edge: The Book of Mark. Because of the in-depth nature and length of our time in Mark, it has been broken into a handful of smaller segments or sub-series. The first segment or READ MORE
Reflections Regarding Temptation
As soon as the Voice from Heaven offered its amazing affirmation that Jesus was the “beloved Son” and that in him the Father was “well pleased” (see Mark 1:11), we might expect that trumpets should blare and crowds to be jubilant. And being that we who associate with Christ Jesus likewise share in these precious affirmations (being loved READ MORE
A Cry in the Wilderness
The wilderness is a place of desolation, deprivation and despair. Here the harsh voices within our souls scream bloody murder, taunting us, pointing out our foolishness, our shame, our sins, questioning who we really are and why we are so lonely. The vulnerability of the wilderness plays on our deepest fears and leaves us wallowing READ MORE