Luke 1:1-25 What evidence would you need to believe in Jesus? This is an important question to ask non-Christians. It is important for them to acknowledge what would move them from an unwilling belief, to faith in Christ. Luke begins his Gospel by describing first how his writing was compiled. Like a modern journalist he interviewed eyewitnesses to the accounts to understand what happened. He did ...  Read More

Mark 16:1-20 Many people claim we cannot trust the Bible—that it is false, historically inaccurate, and that it has changed over time. How would you respond to these types of statements? About halfway through Mark 16 it says, "The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9-20." On the surface this may cause you to doubt the truth of Scripture, but it should actually...  Read More

Mark 15:1-47 Consider what Jesus was willing to undergo for us on his last day on Earth. Despite being a king and deserving submission, obedience, and reverence, Jesus received none of this. He was dressed up in a Halloween-like king costume and was flogged, mocked, struck, spit on, and then crucified. Rather than the crowds bowing down, they jeered him. They, along with Pilate, missed who Jesus w...  Read More

Mark 14:53-72 Who is Jesus? We have seen this question come up throughout Jesus’ ministry and hopefully that question comes up in our conversations with people who are far from Christ. This question is essential, because the answer leads someone to an eternity with Christ or an eternity apart from him. As Jesus’ faux trial before the Sanhedrin occurred, they were looking for any evidence that migh...  Read More

Mark 14:22-52 There are many stories which are reiterated multiple times throughout the Bible. The story of the exodus is actually told more than any other. As Jesus experienced his last night on Earth, he did it while celebrating the exodus meal of the Passover. Jesus shockingly took a meal which had been repeated for well over a thousand years and transformed it. His first change was to make the...  Read More

Mark 14:1-21 What are the things which you value above everything else? If there was a fire in your house and you could only grab one thing, what would you take with you? The things we value will very much determine the way we live. As Jesus heads towards his death the disciples reveal something they value more than him. They value money over Jesus in being indignant toward the woman who poured th...  Read More

Mark 13:14-37 Christ is returning! We need to embrace this truth and live in light of it. Jesus instructs his disciples about his return to, "Be on guard! Be alert!...Watch!" The urgency of these commands comes from the reality Jesus is coming back. Nearly every generation has thought Jesus would return during their time, and though every previous generation has been wrong, one will be right. So, ...  Read More

Mark 12:38-13:13 Looks can be deceiving. Jesus’ teachings in Mark 12-13 point out this truth. Jesus first looks at the religious leaders. They look so impressive with their robes and their societal positions, but Jesus says they are headed to punishment. What looks impressive from the outside, ends up not being so. Second, Jesus points out people who are placing their offerings in the temple treas...  Read More

Mark 12:18-37 You have been reading about twenty verses a day and hopefully taking your time to meditate on those verses. One of the values of slowing down while you read is noticing the details of Scripture. As Jesus asked and responded to a series of questions in Mark 12, he revealed the importance of even the minutiae of Scripture. In his response to the question of the Sadducees, Jesus quotes ...  Read More

Mark 11:27-12:17 How much do you value truth? How much are you willing to change your life to conform to the demands of truth? The religious leaders reveal multiple times they are more concerned about keeping the status quo than they are about knowing and walking in the truth. They ask Jesus questions but do not really care about the answers and other times only do it to “catch him in his words” o...  Read More

Mark 11:1-26 C.S. Lewis wrote that Jesus is either a liar, lord, or lunatic. Often people want to think that Jesus was simply a good man and a great moral teacher, but the words of Jesus do not leave us with those options. We have to take seriously the claims Jesus made about himself. As Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, it was clear to the crowds that he was proclaiming himself kin...  Read More

Mark 10:32-52 So often we miss what God is doing. We are so busy and consumed by our own agendas that we miss the larger, more beautiful work that God is performing. In Mark 10:32-52, Jesus heads toward Jerusalem and announces that he is walking into his arrest, condemnation, abuse, and death. The disciples seem to completely miss the meaning of his words. They, like us, are so consumed by their t...  Read More