Awe When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him. Mark 9:15 NLT Throughout the Christian life we run a silent but very dangerous risk: getting used to the sacred things of God and losing the ability to marvel at His presence. When we first meet Christ, everything…
Different Levels of Relational Bonds Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, Mark 9:2 NLT In life and in our walk with God, it is fundamental to understand that not all the relationships we form…
Do You Contaminate When Under Pressure? It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart. Mark 7:15 NLT When we go through difficult or highly stressful situations, it is easy to react in ways that do not always reflect our faith. Jesus teaches us in…
Overcome Fear with Faith But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” Mark 5:36 NLT In the passage of Mark 5, we see the story of Jairus, a synagogue leader who receives the worst news a father can hear: his daughter has died. Right in that moment of extreme…
The Seed That Produces Fruit Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Mark 4:8 NLT In chapter 4 of Mark, Jesus shares the parable of the sower, explaining how the same seed…
Triumphing Momentarily or Permanently I have seen fools prosper, but suddenly their homes were cursed. Job 5:3 NLT It is very common in our daily walk to observe how some people who act with deceit or malice seem to prosper quickly. Seeing cheating people in business or fools succeed can cause us annoyance and even…
Friends Who Draw You Closer to God They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins…
The Foundation for Being a Rich Person There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. Job 1:1 NLT The book of Job presents us with a man who owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand…
The duty we all have That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. Ecclesiastes 12:13 NLT The final chapters of the book of Ecclesiastes (9 through 12) summarize the search for meaning in life. After reflecting on work, injustice, youth, and old…
Enjoying the Present God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past. Ecclesiastes 5:20 NLT In chapters 4 through 8 of the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon presents us with a series of reflections on life, relationships, and how to manage our emotions. Sometimes, people lose their…