Mark: The Story of Jesus

We began the book of Mark at our first Sunday Service at the Swedish American Hall. Here we finish Mark's story of Jesus at the Herbst Theater on Easter Sunday. Pastor Dave teaches on what the Resurrection of Jesus means and how it changes everything in Mark 15:40-16:8.

The controlling symbol for interpreting Jesus’s identity is the cross, and in Mark 15 we find out why.

Up to this point in Mark's Gospel, Jesus has been prophesying about his death and his betrayal, but in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus staggers, he quails before his death, he wavers just for a moment...why? Pastor Dave takes a look at Jesus' last hours before the cross in Mark 14:32-75.

The table of communion is not one of merit, but one of grace. This was shown to us at the first communion in Mark 14:1-31. Pastor Dave teaches on the last two meals before Jesus' death.

In teaching on the second coming of Jesus in chapter 13 of Mark, Pastor Dave breaks to speak a little more candid about the state of the church and the dominate hope of the New Testament church.

The greatest commandment is love God and love others. Pastor Dave teaches on love as affection towards God and action towards His will.

Trying to find out who we really are will happen once you see whose you are. Who or what owns us? Pastor Tarik speaks on giving to God what's his.

We are just as threatened as the Sanhedrin by Jesus's authority over our lives. How far are we willing to go to hold our lives together? Pastor Dave speaks on Jesus as the only cornerstone that can hold our lives together without breaking us.

Jesus comes into Jerusalem humble, riding on a borrowed colt only to enter the Temple and start trashing furniture. What are we to learn about Jesus' character and what God requires. Pastor Dave Lomas speaks on the approachable and righteous King, King Jesus.

Everyone in Mark's gospel, up to this point, sees Jesus, but they don't see Jesus. Everyone's blind in Mark's gospel, except for Bartimaeus. Pastor Dave speaks on loving Jesus without seeing Jesus.

We are so accepting of Jesus' miracles and what He did during His time on earth. But what rubs against our modern sensibilities is His exclusive claims. So, who is Jesus, really? Pastor Dave speaks on who Jesus is in Mark 8:27-35.

In this section of Mark, we find the Apostles completely missing what Jesus is trying to teach them. How do we see Jesus? Do we see Him as God? Are we getting it? Pastor Dave speaks on seeing Jesus clearly in Mark 8:22-26.

Jesus' disciples just witnessed, for the second time, Jesus multiplying bread for the multitudes. But when Jesus tries to impart wisdom wisdom on the twelve, they are too worried about the bread to understand what Jesus is trying to say. Pastor Dave speaks on what understanding the faith looks like in Mark 8:1-21.

The religious elite wanted to be so holy that they had holy ceremonies for everything–even washing their hands. But Jesus says that these men are far from God. So, if not the religious elite, then who is with God? Pastor Dave speaks on who Jesus sees as with God in Mark 7:24-37.

Every time we hear the words obedience or obey, something shifts in us. Something cringes. But do we have a skewed view of obedience? Pastor Dave speaks on the context of obedience in Deuteronomy 6.

We often get comfortable "doing" Christianity and come to a place where we think we have everything figured out–praying right, speaking right, reading right. But if our heart is not about doing with and for Jesus, we are simply deceived. Pastor Dave speaks on the deception of doing without a heart founded on Jesus in Mark 7:1-13.

There are small difficulties and there are bigger difficulties; the bottom line is that everyone has been through some sort of difficulty. Even following Jesus can be difficult for some of us. Pastor Dave speaks on having an epiphany of Jesus in times of difficulty in Mark 6:45-52.

The world tells us to do this and you will receive that. Or do this and you will reach God. But Jesus comes to us to do what is impossible for us to do. Pastor Dave speaks on depending on Jesus for our lives in Mark 6:30-44.

We are often fine when someone calls us a sinner in the general context. But when a brother or sister calls us out on a specific sin in our lives, we get defensive, aggressive and offended. Pastor Dave speaks on the truth of the Gospel and the consequence of sin in Mark 6:14-29.

There is a time for each one of us to begin proclaiming the Gospel, but when is that? Do we need to read the whole bible first? What else do you need to finish before you can proclaim the Gospel? Pastor Dave speaks on the authority of Jesus when He calls people into His mission in Mark 6:7-13.

We tend to have faith in Faith–that things will turnout for the better. But better for who? Pastor Dave speaks on the object of our faith and what Jesus can do with it in Mark 5:21-42.

Up to this point, Jesus has encountered and commanded evil and the forces of nature. He continues to do His thing with a demoniac in Mark 5:18-20 but does not let the freed man join him. Why does Jesus do this? Is there a bigger yes? Pastor Dave speaks on the reasons of why Jesus might say, "no," for the sake of the Gospel.

There is an evil that is invisible to the naked eye. If you believe in Jesus, do you believe in this too? Pastor Dave speaks on the realities of spiritual warfare and the authority of Christ in Mark 5:1-17.

We are often inspired or moved by a sermon or a devotional, but what happens when it comes time to move from the sermon to the storm? Pastor Dave speaks about how Jesus moved the Apostles from listening to a sermon into a storm in Mark 4:35-41.

Jesus declares that the Kingdom of God is at hand; it is here. But what is it, really? Pastor Dave speaks on what the Kingdom of God is like in Mark 4:21-34.

Jesus mostly taught in parables to His followers because parables would require the listener to work at the meaning. How do you respond to Jesus' word? Pastor Dave speaks on responding to Jesus in Mark 4:1-20.

The book of Mark reveals Jesus in all of His glory and majesty, but no one knows that except us, the readers. Pastor Dave speaks on the real Jesus in Mark 3:20-35.

Jesus created a new community with the twelve apostles. Pastor Dave speaks on what living as descendants of this community looks like in Mark 3:7-19.

In Mark 14-15, we see a change in Jesus's calm in the garden of Gethsemane. Pastor Dave speaks about the sorrow and grief of the death Jesus was about to die.

We see the frustration of the religious leaders in Mark 2:23-3:6 against Jesus's freedom to heal even on the Sabbath. Pastor Dave speaks on Jesus bringing real true life amidst religiosity.

Jesus renews people's physical bodies throughout the gospel of Mark. But in Mark 2:18-22 Jesus alludes to a different renewal. Pastor Dave speaks about the true renewal in Christ.

In Mark 2:13-17, Jesus's ministry on earth takes another turn that went completely opposite of what the pharisees thought the messiah was going to do. Pastor Dave speaks about Jesus's ministry of serving humanity.

Usually, when something is clean touches something unclean, what used to be clean is now unclean. Pastor Dave speaks on how Jesus makes the unclean clean in Mark 2:1-12.

In Mark 1:35-45, we get a glimpse of Jesus's spiritual life. Pastor Dave speaks on Jesus's dependency and intimacy with the Father in solitude.

Jesus came meek and humble, but He was not weak. Pastor Dave speaks on Jesus's authority in Mark 1:21-34 to overturn the principalities of evil.

Dave Lomas speaks on the implications of Jesus’ command to follow Him in Matthew 7:13-14 & Mark 8:34-38.

Jesus proclaims that the Kingdom is at hand amidst humanity. Pastor Dave speaks on the implications of God breaking into humanity to establish His Kingdom.

Jesus was immediately cast out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan after He was baptized by John. Pastor Dave speaks on Jesus's stance before Satan in the wilderness.

Mark uses the doubt and unbelief in the characters of his book to reveal to us the real Jesus. Pastor Dave speaks on the reality of the God man, Jesus.

Before the book of Mark was written, the stories of Jesus's time on earth were told orally be living eye-witnesses of Jesus's walk. Pastor Dave speaks on Mark's intentions of presenting God's story of redemption.