Mark 8

So how is your hearing these days? We have a hard time understanding because we don't hear or listen to understand what Jesus is saying to us!

They took a coffin, which they packed with their belongings, along with a one-way ticket. Bruce Logue reminds us that people still do pick up their cross and follow Jesus and the Lord uses them to make an eternal difference!

"When [Jesus and the disciples] arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him...."

"But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned..."

How can we know if our lives make a difference and truly matter? Phil Ware helps us to better understand both Mark's message about where true life is found and also his outline and organization of his gospel around the hinges to the story provided by the stories of two blind men that Jesus heals.

"About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, "I feel sorry for..."

"[Continuing his rebuke of the disciples for arguing about forgetting to bring enough food, Jesus said,] "When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of..."

"Then Jesus began to tell [the disciples] that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and...."

"Jesus asked [his disciples], "How much bread do you have?" "Seven loaves," they replied. So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground......"

As we journey with Jesus down his way of the cross, something grabs our hearts. That drawing power reaches through the centuries. Phil Ware continues his series from the Gospel of Mark called Cruciformed, formed into the likeness of Jesus who went to the cross.

"Then [Jesus] asked [the disciples], "But who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Messiah." But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone..."

"When [the Pharisees demanded a sign from Jesus], he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I..."

"Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, "Who do people say..."

"Then Jesus began to tell [the disciples] that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and...."

"[After the disciples distributed the seven loaves of bread and the few fish to people in the crowd, they] ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the....."

"[Jesus continued teaching the crowd,] "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your..."

"But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned..."

Right answers can never substitute for right living. Phil reminds us that having right answers means very little if we don't treat people like Jesus did.

What in the world does Ray Romano have to do with soulwork? Ray Romano said he is off to do soul work remembering a note he received from his brother about something that Jesus said about losing ones soul.

Their flesh yearned for a mighty conqueror who would slay their enemies. Jesus made it clear to Peter that he was not that kind of hero! James Nored and Phil Ware remind us of that inner part of us that still bears the stamp of God's divine nature, the part that is touched by stories of self-sacrifice.

Their flesh yearned for a mighty conqueror who would slay their enemies. Jesus made it clear that he would not be that kind of hero! James Nored and Phil Ware remind us of that inner part of us that still bears the stamp of God's divine nature, the part that is touched by stories of self-sacrifice.

"[Jesus continued teaching the crowd,] "If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed....."

"Immediately after [feeding the multitude, Jesus] got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha."

"[Jesus said to the crowd,] "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the..."

"Then Jesus began to tell [the disciples] that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and...."

""But what about you?" [Jesus] asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ.""

"[Jesus] then began to teach [his disciples] that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law,..."

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his very soul?"

"When [Jesus and the disciples] arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him."

"When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived [in the region of Dalmanutha], they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded..."

"[After Jesus said the large crowd needed something to eat, his] disciples replied, "How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in....."

"If we have been partakers with Jesus in his shame, we shall be sharers with him in the lustre which shall surround him when he appears again in glory...."

"Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, [Jesus] said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your..."

"Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, "Who do people say..."

"Then [Jesus] asked [the disciples], "But who do you say I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Messiah.""

Inspirational illustration of Mark 8:36 -- What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his very soul?

Inspirational illustration of Mark 8:31 -- He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

Inspirational illustration of Mark 8:29 -- 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Peter answered, 'You are the Christ.'

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, James Nored and Phil Ware share the significance of Jesus' Triumphal Entry as they begin a special Holy Week series.

As Jesus journeyed into Jerusalem that last time, he had reached the point where he was going to gamble everything on the cross. Phil Ware continues his series of insights on living the CRUCIFORMED life Jesus calls all disciples to live on his way to the cross.

"Dear Disciple, Following Me is hard. I want your heart. I want your focus. I want your future. I want to be your consuming passion. Yes, I know..."

Can't have faith without being faithful Hiroo Onoda followed orders for more than 30 years, remaining at his post long after the war had ended. Christians need to learn to be faithful to God with that same intensity.

"Dear Disciple, I AM deeply moved when people show their undivided loyalty to Me and are willing to invest everything they have in My cause. Remember...."

For us to be 'cruciformed' means that we offer our hearts to be reshaped to be like Jesus' heart. It means we offer ourselves to be used by God to bless and serve others. Phil Ware begins a series on the central section of the Gospel of Mark that focuses on being "cruciformed" as the first step of being a disciple of Jesus.

He knew that people were fickle. They could cry out, “Hosanna!” one day, then cry out, “Crucify him!” a week later. Phil Ware continues his series on CRUCIFORMED focusing on the events of Jesus' last week from his Triumphal Entry to his resurrection.

There's a lot the disciples missed about Jesus, I wonder what I am not getting? Phil Ware thinks about the disciples not getting Jesus' repeated statements about going to Jerusalem, being rejected, being crucified, and being raised from the dead.

As much as we don't want to admit it, we often miss the way of the upside down Messiah as badly as his first disciples. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us in word and video how upside down Jesus' values are to the way we often do things in our world and in our churches.

Jesus' trials focused on his true identity. James Nored and Phil Ware share in word and video the meaning of Jesus' trials before Pilate, Herod, and the Jewish Ruling Council.

When sports fail to bring us together as one, then what will we do? Rubel Shelly reminds us of MLK, Martin Luther King, Jr., and how he taught us we were all equal in God's eyes and that Jesus was the answer to uniting us into one people under God.

Jesus' trials focused on his true identity, although those who tried him didn't really want to know the truth. James Nored and Phil Ware share in word and video the meaning of Jesus' trials before Pilate, Herod, and the Jewish Ruling Council and how they helped define the way of Jesus through the cross to the empty tomb.

Jesus' trials focused on his true identity. James Nored and Phil Ware share in word and video the meaning of Jesus' trials before Pilate, Herod, and the Jewish Ruling Council.

Will you draw near? Will we draw near to the cross and have our lives changed?

We must always remember that God's love for broken people and our call to his mission must matter most. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us of the deadly consequences of a religion that forgets the love of God for broken people and the mission Jesus has for us to the lost world and helped define the way of Jesus through the cross to the empty tomb.

Jesus had many opportunities to walk away from the shame and pain of the cross, but he chose the Father's will and our need over his comfort. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us of the dark night that began the long, painful, and lonely journey of Jesus through his Passion to bring us to God and helped define the way of Jesus through the cross to the empty tomb.