Redeemer Bible Church Santa Barbara

In today’s pivotal text, Jesus clarifies the unexpected nature of His Messiahship. Practical implications remain regarding how we think about King Jesus today.

Today’s text is a summary and turning-point in Mark’s narrative of Jesus’ ministry. In it, His followers (then and now) are challenged to commit, and keep changing and growing.

We’ve noted independent pride is often part of performative externalism. Today’s three miracles, likely all in primarily-Gentile contexts, highlight Jesus’ interaction with people who were truly dependent. If we’re honest, we can see ourselves in these encounters.

We have seen Jesus address hard hearts and ritualistic hearts. In today’s text He drills down to, literally, the heart of the matter. It’s time to get real and check our hearts.

The controversies Jesus encountered in His Kingdom Agenda included real issues we still face today. Is there danger in tradition and rituals? How should we think about that?

Jesus’ Kingdom agenda encountered plenty of hard-heartedness; some of it soul-damning. Yet even His disciples showed symptoms of this spiritual disorder. What about us?

Guest: Ben Ruhl - First Baptist Church of Ojai

What do we do when we come face to face with the undeniable reality of our own sin? What all-too-human tactics do we employ to avoid guilt and shame? In Genesis 3:8–13, as Adam and Eve stand trial before their holy Judge, we will see that their tactics for avoiding the consequences of sin look suspiciously like our own.

Our Lord is the all-powerful Shepherd of willful, sometimes hard-hearted sheep. Such is the lesson in our text, with its two astonishing miracles – how applicable to our daily lives, right?

Today’s grim story seems a bit out-of-place in Mark’s “Good News.” Yet he (and the Holy Spirit) had reasons to include it; purposes that still matter today.

Today’s two Kingdom-Come initiatives reveal challenges in living-out and sharing the Gospel. These remain relevant for Jesus-followers today.