Mark 8:22-26,31-32

"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...."

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 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...."

"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...."

"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] 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,..."

"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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.