Mark 9

Unlike the father of the boy with the tormenting spirit, we don’t confess our unbelief and then ask for help in believing more is possible. Phil Ware continues his series of posts from the discipleship section of Mark chapters 8-10, this time focusing on the boy the disciples of Jesus could not heal.

You can try to make Jesus into the Messiah you want him to be, but he's too big for your job description! Max Lucado reminds us that Jesus defies description and won't fit into any boxes that limit him and make him manageable.

In a world full of noisy distractions and competing messages, how do we know which voice we should obey and which sign we should follow? Phil Ware continues his short series on becoming a cruciformed people -- disciples transformed by the cross of Jesus -- by talking about the focus on the story of Jesus' transfiguration.

"[Jesus continued,] "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It's better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable...."

"When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of....."

Dear God in heaven, we’d sure like to have a little bit of power to alter our irrelevance, lighten the burdens of others, and heal the wounds of the broken and despairing. Phil Ware writes out of the context of recent disasters and the loss of a mother and child to remind us that being a servant, offering ourselves in sacrificial love, is never a waste!

Peter thought it was good to be in that moment in time, but he had no idea the greatness of Jesus that he was missing! Phil Ware reminds us not to miss the truth about Jesus by getting too caught up in the heavenly fireworks of the Transfiguration.

"Leaving that region, [Jesus and the disciples] traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn't want anyone to know he was there, for he wanted to spend more..."

"When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. "Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,"..."

"So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and..."

"Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus' appearance was transformed,...."

"[After the Transfiguration, the disciples asked Jesus,] "Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah..."

""What is all this arguing about?" Jesus asked. One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, "Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He....."

"John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us." But Jesus..."

"John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn't in our group." "Don't..."

"Then [the three apostles asked Jesus], "Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?" Jesus..."

"When [Jesus, Peter, James, and John] returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were..."

"Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the..."

"Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, "Why couldn't we cast out that evil spirit?" Jesus replied, "This....."

"Leaving that region, [Jesus and his disciples] traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn't want anyone to know he was there, for he wanted to spend more..."

"[A man in the crowd said to Jesus,] "... I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn't do it." Jesus said to them, "You..."

"[At the Transfiguration,] Peter exclaimed, "Rabbi, it's wonderful for us to be here! Let's make three shelters as memorials — one for you, one for..."

"After [Jesus and his disciples] arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, "What were you discussing out on the road?"..."

"[After the Transfiguration, as Jesus and the three apostles] went back down the mountain, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the..."

"Then [Jesus] put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf...."

Inspirational illustration of Mark 9:30-31 -- Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three day

"[Jesus said,] "If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.""

"[Jesus continued his teaching,] "Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities....."

""What do you mean, 'If I can'?" Jesus asked. "Anything is possible if a person believes.""

"When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of....."

"[Jesus] sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, "Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone..."

"The father instantly cried out, "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!""

"Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, "Why couldn't we cast out that evil spirit?""

"Jesus went on to say, "I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!""

"[During the Transfiguration,] a cloud overshadowed [Jesus, Moses, Elijah, and the three apostles], and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my dearly..."

""If you can?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes.""

""'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for one who believes.""

"Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.""

"[Jesus promised us,] "I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.""

"Then a cloud appeared and enveloped [Jesus and his disciples, Peter, James, and John], and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to...."

"[Jesus continued,] "But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea...."

"[Jesus said,] "Anyone who is not against us is for us.""

"John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn't in our group.""

"[After the Transfiguration, when Peter, James, and John suddenly] looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them."

"[After saying that his disciples must remove any source of temptation, Jesus continued,] "For everyone will be tested with fire.""

"Despairingly the poor disappointed father turned away from the disciples to their Master. His son was in the worst possible condition, and all means....."

"How great the difference between Moses and Jesus! When the prophet of Horeb had been forty days upon the mountain, he underwent a kind of..."

"Many professed Christians are always doubting and fearing, and they forlornly think that this is the necessary state of believers. This is a mistake,...."

"A certain man had a demoniac son, who was afflicted with a dumb spirit. The father, having seen the futility of the endeavours of the disciples to..."

Inspirational illustration of Mark 9:23 -- ““ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”” (Mark 9:23 NIV11)

Inspirational illustration of Mark 9:41 -- I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.

Inspirational illustration of Mark 9:23 -- "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Inspirational illustration of Mark 9:7 -- Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

Inspirational illustration of Mark 9:35 -- If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.

Inspirational illustration of Mark 9:41 -- truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly be rewarded.

It's Friday, so how do you really feel about things? Steve Higginbotham shares the insight that Friday is not the end, but the promise of a new beginning.

Let's turn this phrase on its ear! Rubel Shelly talks about the term act of God and turns the phrase around to be a call to action for God's people.

Can you see beyond the storm clouds in your life Tom Norvell talks about taking off in the pea soup of bad rainy weather and lifting up through the clouds and finding the sun and tying this all to our need to look beyond the clouds.

Who do you believe is Rubel Shelly writes about the serious subject of unity and division and the way we view and deal with those who are not one of us.

Can we grow the gift of faith? Tammy Marcelain writes about believing, trust, and God using our struggles, weaknesses, and trials to make us people of faith.

Is there truth that can be trusted? Jesus is the only absolute -- truth is found only in him.

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.

How are we doing with our connection with those who are not one of us and are interested in us? Greg Anderson shares the third in a series of articles from Interim Ministry Partners on greeting guests and welcoming others into our midst.

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.

I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief! James Nored and Phil Ware look at C.S. Lewis and his struggle to find faith and our own challenges in believing.

Would you let go? Can you let go of what appears to help hold you but you know is ultimately going to do you in?

When will it all stop? The comparison game hurts us no matter what side of the game we play on.

When are little things not little things — most of the time! Tom Norvell reminds us that little things are not really little things and that they often are the difference between life and missing out on life.

"Dear Disciple, The promise of today's verses focuses on your answer to one question: Do you believe? Do you believe that I AM the Father's Son and....."

So where is your faith growing? Russ Lawson reminds us that our faith needs to keep growing and going in the direction of faith, believe but help my unbelief.

Let's pray for our leaders! Bob Sjogren reminds us the importance of fasting and praying for the president.

Jesus’ disciples were clueless. Even worse, they were unwilling to accept that the role of exaltation for Jesus and his followers involved the cross of Golgotha! Phil Ware continues his series on the Cruciformed disciple, focusing this week on the power of the small.

How hot is it where you are? God calls us to decide for him or against -- he wants us to be hot, on fire for him.

Believing in God's faithfulness can be hard in difficult seasons and during those times, we need to look to Jesus for help and say, 'Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.' Demetrius Collins & Phil Ware lead through worship in song, the Lord's Supper, a powerful message from God's word about committing to believe even when our challenges are difficult and life is hard, along with a closing blessing for worship from home with