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.

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.

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.

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