Suffering

 Paul Dazet

The Ache That Makes Us Whole

What if suffering isn’t the problem, but the path to communion?

Suffering, rather than something to avoid at all costs, can become sacred ground, a way of knowing, of awakening to our shared humanity, and of participating in the compassionate heart of God. When we stop numbing pain and start inhabiting it with vulnerability, we open ourselves to communion, both with others and with the suffering Christ who meets us in the ache.

Suffering as a Way of Knowing

There is a kind of knowledge that cannot be accessed through intellect alone.

It is the knowing born from sorrow.

Some sufferings are unavoidable, and strangely essential. 

They open our eyes to the ache that runs through the human story.

When we’ve tasted evil ourselves,

We no longer speak of it in theory.

We know what it does.

And that knowing softens us, 

Makes us more human,

More compassionate,

More empathetic

Toward those carrying wounds of their own.

It’s no longer about ideas.

It’s about shared pain,

And the sacred work of bearing it together.

This is not masochism.

This is not glorifying trauma.

This is about truth.

If we cannot feel, we cannot love.

If we cannot weep, we cannot see.

If we cannot ache, we cannot heal.

If there’s nothing in your life worth weeping over,

Nothing worth crying out about, 

You might not be paying attention.

To live awake in this world is: 

To grieve what’s broken,

To lament what’s been lost,

To feel the weight of love

In a world that so often forgets how to love back.

Tears aren’t weakness.

They’re signs you’re still human.

Still tender.

Still alive.

Let your tears be your teacher.

They know the way home.

The Culture That Numbs

Our world avoids pain at all costs.

We medicate. 

We distract. 

We perform. 

We pretend.

Even in the church, we sometimes turn faith into a bypass of the ache:

Just have more faith.

Just pray it anyway.

Just smile and move on.

Just have more faith.

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

This is what makes us the Body: 

Shared pain.

Shared presence

Shared hope  

From Isolation to Incarnation

We cannot become the Body of Christ if we are disconnected from our own pain, or from each other’s.

When we suffer in love, 

When we allow pain to open us rather than harden us, 

We are no longer alone.

We become part of something deeper, wider, more eternal.

We’re not standing outside of God, trying to understand.

We are inside the mystery.

Inside the ache.

Inside the Body.

This is where communion happens, 

Not in certainty, but in shared vulnerability.

This is where we come to know God not as an idea to be explained,

But as a Presence we are held within.

To follow Jesus is not to escape suffering.

It is to move toward it in love.

To weep with those who weep.

To feel with those who hurt.

To carry one another not with answers, but with presence.

That’s how the ache makes us whole.

A prayer for the ache:

God of the Cross,

I confess I’ve tried to avoid the pain, mine, and others’.

It’s easier to stay numb.

It’s safer to keep a distance.

But I don’t want to live small.

Teach me to feel again.

Let sorrow open me, not close me.

Let suffering connect me, not isolate me.

Let the ache be a doorway into Love.

Amen.

Mark 5-4

 How have you processed the fact that there are so many denominations and traditions within the global church?  Why do some of these denominations or independent groups not cooperate with each other?  Is used to have stronger opinions about who is right and who is missing the point. But today’s study points at the attitude of Jesus. We need to be patient and kind toward one another, thankful that we are in sees cooperating with each other. We can and should enjoy the fellowship of other traditions and backgrounds from around the globe as we will one day fall on our knees before our King. 

“Imagine our amazement, our utter shock, when we finally understood that Jesus actually loves us and never leaves us! That our sin does not stand between Jesus and us. That Jesus, who is the centerpiece of this realm of grace, actually walks around our sin, stands with His arm around us, with our sin in front of us, and gives us His perspective on our sin. He never leaves. Well, this changes everything!”

“Humility is not codependency. But humility spawns an interdependency where those in the community routinely say, “I need others to get healthy. Without others I cannot get well, I cannot mature. ” - Excerpt, The Kingdom Life by Dallas Willard

“The ego-centric, constructed self lives out of a competitive spirit, fueled by us–them, tribal thinking. This competitive spirit is seen in John’s treatment of one “casting out demons in your name” (Mark 9:38). John attempted to stop the man even though he was doing kingdom work—casting out demons. The man “was not following us” (Mark 9:38). Because he was not “one of us,” he was viewed as a competitor.

Jesus’s response reflected a servant spirit. “Do not stop him” (Mark 9:39). In other words, don’t view him as a competitor.” He is one of us even though he “was not following us.” Discipleship is a journey in which one moves from no knowledge or awareness of God toward a life open to God and shaped by the ways of God. That journey has many stages. Jesus accepted this man where he was on that journey, knowing he was moving forward on it.” - Excerpt, Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark by Steve Langford

Hiding out

 Brandon Robinson - 

We hide in private schools.

Only eat at Chick-fil-A.

Only shop at Hobby Lobby.

Stay on the “safe side” of town.

There’s nothing wrong with any of those things

in and of themselves.

But when our entire life is built around staying safe, 

We miss the people who are trapped there. 

How can we rescue people if we don’t go 

where they are held captive? 

We don’t talk to the homeless.

Or the addict.

Or the girl with the abortion.

Or the guy with the record.

Or the teen questioning their identity.

Or the man who smells like yesterday’s bottle.

We stay off certain streets.

We mute the friend who deconstructs.

We ghost the ones who wander.

We say “light can’t mix with darkness”—

but forget Jesus is the Light that entered it.

We say we’re “set apart.”

But really, we’re just absent.

How do we live the Word

while avoiding the very world

we were sent to love?

Jesus didn’t avoid the mess—

He walked straight into it.

Touched the leper.

Sat with sinners.

Ate with outcasts.

Chose the cross.

Holiness isn’t hiding.

It’s presence.

It’s proximity.

It’s being different- yes,

but still being there.

You can’t be salt,

if you never leave the shaker.

Growing up

 Chuck DeGroat

I grew up in a world where being right eclipsed being faithful.

Where factions and fences stood taller than following Jesus,

Where desire was shameful,

impulse was suspect,

anxiety was sin,

and the answer was a single word—no.

I was formed in a system where correctness outweighed character,

where formulations of atonement mattered more than the fruit of love,

where doctrinal precision left discipleship gasping for air.

We debated whether our neighbor was elect

while forgetting to love them.

We honored beliefs

but ignored the world’s ache.

We spoke of God’s justice

but kept our hands clean of injustice.

We drew lines in the sand,

and called it holiness.

Certainty reigned; humility was lost.

And God?

God looked less like a loving parent

and more like an anxious warden.

I didn’t know how to love myself.

I didn’t know how to love the world.

I didn’t know how to love God.

So I began to grow up.

Not by grasping tighter,

but by letting go.

By following Jesus instead of fleeing heresy.

By trusting my heart’s deep currents

instead of condemning its depths.

By confessing the sins not just of self,

but of systems.

By crossing the lines love demands,

rather than guarding the lines fear draws.

I’m still learning—

how to love,

how to follow,

even how to believe.

I’m dying, day by day,

to what I was told would save me

but only ever shamed me.

And I am discovering—

Jesus’s yoke is easy.

His burden, light.

That rest is possible

after a life of reactivity.

To grow up,

you must unlearn everything first.

You must embrace what you once exiled,

both in the world and within your own soul.

You must look up,

and see the Father’s arms—open wide—

even as you’re still clutching your last defense of being right.

You must let love reach your body,

especially when your body has lived locked and armored.

You must see:

All is love.

All is love.

And all will finally be resolved

in love.

Chuck DeGroat, 2025

Mark 5-3

 Even though we do not have a caste system in Nirth America, we often view wealth by a layer of status and privilege. I catch myself comparing possessions and power as I read the news or see the worth of a hone or car. But Jesus had a completely different view. The vulnerable and weak are to be welcomed and cared for. How we take care of children says a lot about who we are. My interaction with those who are less fortunate highlights who I am internally. 

“The great “divine conspiracy” of God is to overcome the human kingdoms of this world—at both the individual and the corporate or governmental level—with love, justice, and knowledge of truth. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and forever” (Rev. 11:15). This is an eternal reality. The question we have pursued time and again is: How can we best participate in this reality as soon as possible?” - Excerpt, The Divine Conspiracy Continued by Dallas Willard & Gary Black, Jr.

“A servant spirit is evident in how we view and treat those who have the least standing in a hierarchal world. “Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me” (Mark 9:36–37). In a society in which one’s value was tied to what she could contribute, a child had the least amount of value, even less value than a slave. The child was a financial liability until they were old enough to be apprenticed out (for a boy) or engaged to be married (for a girl). Until then, they had little to offer. They only consumed the family’s resources. In their hierarchal society, they were insignificant and unimportant.” - Excerpt, Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark by Steve Langford

Mark 5-2

 There have been many moments in my life when I have strived to be noticed. I could imagine myself with a huge platform, with many listening to what I would say. But such vain illusions  have nothing to do with kingdom thinking. Just like the argumentative disciples, they wanted to be great. Celebrities for Jesus!  I wonder if we have those thoughts circulating today. But the kingdom is upside down living compared to all the elbowing and back scratching that happens in our world. 

“We want immediacy. Metrics. Miracles on demand.

Jesus says, seed.

And that offends us. Because it requires patience. Because it forces us to admit we are not in control. Because it reminds us that we are not the cause of the harvest, only witnesses to it.

You do not measure a tree by the hour. You do not evaluate roots by Instagram likes. The kingdom of God does not bloom on our schedule.

And yet, it grows.

There are conversions happening right now you will never know about. There are sermons bearing fruit you will never see. There are children who will remember what you said in Sunday school, not today, but in the moment they need it most, twenty years from now.” - Rich Bitterman

“Dear God,

I am so afraid to open my clenched fists!

Who will I be when I have nothing left to hold on to?

Who will I be when I stand before you with empty hands?

Please help me to gradually open my hands

and to discover that I am not what I own,

but what you want to give me.” - Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Only Necessary Thing: Living a Prayerful Life

Mark 5-1

 It must have been a shock to the disciples to hear Jesus discuss His suffering and death. They had dreamed of a different kingdom that surpassed Roman rule. What did His death mean for them personally?  For me, I used to think that strong believers had an easier life than those who didn’t believe or who had a meager faith. When difficult issues came up in my life, I thought there was something wrong with me. I just needed to try harder. But kingdom living often means difficulties, tests and trials. He will NEVER leave or abandon us. My role is to deepen my loyalty and allegiance to Him. 

Jesus’ relationship with God the Father is, of course, absolutely unique, but experientially we are invited into the same intimacy with Father God that he knew while here in the flesh. We are encouraged to crawl into the Father’s lap and receive his love and comfort and healing and strength. We can laugh, and we can weep, freely and openly. We can be hugged and find comfort in his arms. And we can worship deep within our spirit.” - Excerpt From ‘Prayer’ by Richard Foster

“Many have a subconscious, internal monologue that goes something like this: I want to live a fruitful, meaningful life, but I’m just not sure I can trust God. I can trust him as my answer to the big theological questions, but I’m not sure if I can trust him with my dreams, my hopes, my plans. I can trust him ultimately, but I doubt I can trust him immediately. So, I’m white-knuckling my life with everything I’ve got—micromanaging my surroundings, my perception, my next step.”- Excerpt, Praying Like Monks by Tyler Staton

Mark 4-21

I wonder how the disciples felt about themselves, not being able to help the boy. The crowd was watching and the dad was pleading while they could see the boy suffering. The disciples had been trained taught by Jesus. Were they embarrassed and discouraged?  They wanted an answer from Jesus of what went wrong. Jesus provided an answer - faith filled praying. For me, my praying has been weak and half hearted. I’m sure Jesus would say and is saying that you and I need to pray with a rebellious spirit against the ways of this world. 

“Do we really think we can experience integration of heart and mind and spirit with an erratic prayer life? Do we really believe we can, like Moses, “speak face to face” with God as someone would a friend by our unpredictable prayers? No, we develop intimacy by regular association. We develop ease as well. Why ease? Because we are forming fixed habits of righteousness. In time these “holy habits” will do their work of integration so that praying becomes the easy thing, the natural thing, the spontaneous thing—the hard thing will be to refrain from prayer.” - Excerpt From ‘Prayer’ by Richard Foster

“Pray to God more intimately than you think you’re allowed to because this is about love, and center your life according to a disciplined rhythm of prayer because fidelity is the soil that love grows in.” I hear Jesus saying, “Here’s my secret: pray with the heart of a lover and the discipline of a monk. That’s how you choose fidelity, and when you do, it quenches your desires in such a satisfying way that everything else becomes the boring part.” Jesus was saying to them and to us, “Pray like a bunch of wild, unruly monks.” - Excerpt, Praying Like Monks by Tyler Staton

Mark 4-20

 As I listen to missionaries describe dramatic conversions with changed families, I wonder if American church goers are asleep. For me I’ve gone to church and tried to do what is best for my family, but did I miss the point of kingdom living?  Like the author of today’s study highlighted, the crowd looked for the drama and rushed to see what Jesus would o. The disciples couldn’t, and maybe the crowd had skeptics and critics like today’s doom scrollers. But Jesus kept His cool and demonstrated the inversion of what we think is normal. 

“John 14:12

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

“How do we do even greater things? It starts with prayer! Prayer is the difference between the best we can do and the best God can do. And that’s an awfully big difference—a ninety-three billion light-year difference! Prayer is escape velocity. It’s how we get outside our spacetime limitations. Prayer is the way we write history before it happens. It’s like our prayers exit the dimension we call time, and we never know when or where or how God will answer.” - Excerpt, A Million Little Miracles by Mark Batterson

“The obstacle to experiencing God anywhere in life is shame. Shame (feeling unworthy, not good enough) needs to be confessed. You know why? Shame is a false identity. Everything from “I look at pornography,” “I eat too much,” “I drink too much,” “I don’t do this,” “I need to do that,” and so on makes me feel one of three things: fear, guilt, or shame. Fear, guilt, and shame are false identities. It won’t matter how many accountability groups you go to, podcasts you listen to, or books you read. If you live in fear, you are still going to try to control things in order to cope with your anxiety. Your identity is fear.” - Jamie Winship, Living Fearless

Sin of Control

 “I just recently read this book by, I think he's a German sociologist named Harmut Rosa. I think that's how you say his name, but the book is called The Uncontrollability of the World. Oh, he talks about how and I know the title alone is worth the money.

That he talks about how in the modern world, because of the way all sorts of things, the industrial revolution, technology, all sorts of things have rewired and shaped us. He says that we have come to see all of life, including other human beings, as things to conquer or to master or to subdue, so that we can control them. And he says so that we can make use of them.

It's really just utility. And we don't really think about this, but like honestly, we think about even other human beings this way. Like what use is this person to me?

And he actually, this is the point I'm trying to make. He says, because of that, we live life as a series of his words, points of aggression. He says all of life in the modern world is lived in an aggressive posture.

I have to know, but[…]”

From Become New with John Ortberg: 7. Technology is not neutral — it's forming us. | John Ortberg & Jay Kim, Jun 24, 2025

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/become-new-with-john-ortberg/id1554045522?i=1000714316430&r=2038

This material may be protected by copyright.

MO

How much of our lives could be summarized as a struggle between living in the world but not of the world?  The inverse operation of the kingdom is opposite of the world’s systems.  Forgiveness and generosity are in conflict with retribution and division.  Grace is the currency of the kingdom’s economy instead of earning your way to status and power.  Being known as His beloved is far different than the shame of not being a celebrity.  

Group think tends to dominate many systems of operation.  Governmental systems become entrenched into expanding influence instead of protecting the vulnerable.  Advertising promotes scarcity and fear driven decisions instead of making us aware of what could help us. Athletic prowess promotes supremacy and victory sf the expense of character development. Leadership becomes all about the leader’s self sufficiency rather than training future leaders.  

Just as in the days of Adam and Eve, we are tempted to think we can control our outcomes. The evil in us creates doubt in our Triune God’s love and provision.  Instead of trusting Him, we trust ourselves.  Instead of surrendering to His care, we grip an illusion that we can manipulate circumstances for our own benefit. Rather than waiting patiently, trusting the process of becoming someone new, we take short cuts to preserve an illusion of our own kingdoms.  

Living in our world requires wise discernment, filtering out the noise and distractions to righteousness and holy living.  Kingdom loving is not withdrawing from the world, but living in it, creating communities of restoration and healing. Being a  remnant of His presence and power is discovering a new identity of joy, peace, hope, and love, despite the fear and shame around us.  Our goal is to remain attached to our Father as his adopted children, not as wayward refugees  

“For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare  are not of the flesh, but are powerful  through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge  of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Mark 4-19

 How do chaotic situations affect your belief in God’s love?  Have you ever doubted that He really cares?  I wonder what the background thinking the dad in this story had. Was he struggling whether Jesus would really help his son?  Did he doubt the ability of Jesus to help?  I’ve been there plenty of times, wondering if I should pray boldly or just accept the situation as given. But the kingdom of God is not mere determinism, or believing that genetics, the environment or fate controls us. His kingdom is love moving in and through us. 

“The liturgy of the market is efficiency. The liturgy of the state is control. But the liturgy of Jesus Christ is interruption and disruption. Bread shared. Walls broken. Service offered. Integrity maintained. Relationships reconciled. Forgiveness offered. Enemies loved. Foreigners welcomed. Consumerism rejected. Humility embraced. Songs sung in minor key, waiting for justice, hope, love, and peace to rise like morning.” - Graham Joseph Hill

“Being a disciple involves discovering a new identity that is grounded in our relationship with God. This new identity is our true self, the self God created us to be.

Being a disciple calls us to pay attention to what Jesus taught, especially to those things that challenge what we think. It calls for a teachable spirit that is willing to learn a new way of thinking while releasing an old way.

Being a disciple is walking by faith, including the struggle of unbelief.” - Excerpt - Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark by Steve Langford

Mark 4-18

 How much of our day is filled with moments of believing mixed with not believing?  Just like the father of the demon plagued boy, he was in turmoil with his emotions and logic of fear vs belief. I wonder how my life would be different if I would have prayed more intensely earlier in my life.  But my meager half hearted prayers were taken and held seriously by our Triune God.  Jesus, the Creator, can reverse order molecules and defy the laws of nature, just like the documented story by Mark. May you and I live what we believe to be true. 

“A low view of God results in a narrow framing of His power, love, and grace. A high view of God, however, puts things in proper perspective. What things? Everything! How might a bigger view of God change your perspective on your biggest problems? Or your biggest dreams?” - Excerpt, A Million Liftle Miracles by Mark Batterson 

“Jesus reacted to the man’s statement “if you are able” by proclaiming “all things can be done for the one who believes” (Mark 9:23). Belief opens the door to faith.  Faith—acting on what we believe—opens the door to what is possible. In frantic desperation, the man proclaimed, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). His confession reflects the struggle that is a normal part of faith—believing mixed with not believing, faith undermined by fear.” -  Excerpt, Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark by Steve Langford

Mark 4-17

 Jesus had trained the disciples and sent them out experience His kingdom unfold as they interacted with people. But He became frustrated as He saw them arguing with the scribes. I wonder if Jesus is just as frustrated with our modern day argumentative attitude, failing to demonstrate compassion to those who most need His presence. Would He say “You just don’t get it!  You are a faithless generation!”?  Jesus immediately turned to the boys with compassion. May you and I be ever ready to be the salt and light in a world full of darkness. 

“Jesus said, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.”[20] That doesn’t sound safe, does it? News flash: The will of God isn’t an insurance plan; it’s a dangerous plan. Jesus didn’t die just to keep us safe; He died to make us dangerous. Discipleship, I daresay, is a form of rewilding.” - Excerpt, A Million Little Miracles by Mark Batterson

““Jesus’s reaction reflects frustration rooted in preoccupation. His mind was obviously on what he would experience in Jerusalem, but the needs and demands of the crowd continued to intrude on his time and thought. Jesus recognized that his time was limited. “You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you?” (Mark 9:19). “You faithless generation” appears to be a reference to the father and the crowd, but it can also be understood as a reference to his disciples who were unable to heal the boy. If the crowds had their way, all his time and energy would be given to meeting their demands. The temptation of Capernaum (Mark 1:35–39) surfaces yet again. Jesus’s command, “Bring him to me,” suggests his comments were about the father, who represented the crowd. They were “a faithless generation” in that they were preoccupied with physical and material needs. As a result, they missed the greater good of the kingdom.” - Excerpt, Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark by Steve Langford

Mark 4-16

 Have you ever been frustrated with not receiving an answer to your praying?  How do you know when to keep praying or accept the fact that things are not going to change?  The disciples were in dispute, perhaps arguing, according to Mark. We are t given all the details, but they needed Jesus. How many times have you and I been in a tight spot, desperately needing His presence?  I’ve had several times when I’ve drifted into my own self sufficiency, hitting the wall of my own independence. Maybe be reminded by the disciples to not rely on our own confidence. 

“Jesus’ relationship with God the Father is, of course, absolutely unique, but experientially we are invited into the same intimacy with Father God that he knew while here in the flesh. We are encouraged to crawl into the Father’s lap and receive his love and comfort and healing and strength. We can laugh, and we can weep, freely and openly. We can be hugged and find comfort in his arms. And we can worship deep within our spirit.” - Excerpt From ‘Prayer’ by Richard Foster

“Holy Lens prayer:

Forgive me Lord for twisting your words into a formula that depends on what I attempt to do, rather than what you have already done for me. This robs me of the joy I find in fully knowing, yielding and trusting your works over mine. As I read your instruction to “Be not wise in my own eyes, to fear the Lord and to turn away from evil”, I am reminded that I cannot find wisdom in myself, but only in you. Help me to wait on you, to trust and acknowledge your perfect, holy and righteous ways. Thank you Lord for these beautiful promises. I desire to love you with all of my heart, and trust that you to direct my paths. May I seek you in the morning and learn to walk in your ways. I thank you for your abundant wisdom, understanding and blessings to me.” - Excerpt, The Narrow Path by Rich Villodas

Mark 4-15

 Jesus encouraged questions. He answered thought provoking questions with His own questions that made the disciples think deeply. His parables illustrate application long after a reading of the story. A curious mind seeks out answers and applications for  life. I’ve spent too much time protecting myself from being overly questioning, fearing I might have to eliminate assumptions about faith that do not match Scripture. Relationships grow as we question together, learning to understand the complexities of life. I shrink away from someone shouting that he / she is right all the time on every issue. 

“ Jesus and Questions:

Jesus asked 307 questions.

He answered very few.

He rarely offered bullet points.

He never handed out a fill-in-the-blank worksheet.

And no one ever sat silently while he talked for 30 minutes and then dismissed the crowd with a song.

Jesus didn’t preach like we do.

He disrupted.

He invited.

He unsettled.

He engaged.

He created what Dan White Jr. calls “curiosity-creating events”, spiritual openings that required response, not just reception.” - Paul Dazet

“The Kingdom is where everything is turned upside down. Those who are marginal, those considered not respectable, are suddenly proclaimed as the people who are called to the Kingdom. The part of us that is weak, broken, or poor suddenly becomes the place where something new can begin. Jesus says, “Be in touch with your brokenness. Be in touch with your sinfulness. Turn to God because the Kingdom is close at hand. If you are ready to listen from your brokenness then something new can come forth in you.” - Henri Nouwen

Mark 4-14

 The disciples had a hard time grasping what the resurrection was all about. What issues do you and I wrestle with as we follow Christ?  Some questions may not have answers that we can fully understand right now, or perhaps ever. Our minds cannot grasp the full implication of the full answer. Being obedient, surrendering the unanswerable to His care and presence, is needed in our moments of chaos and confusion. 20/20 vision may not be in our lives, but He has promised to NEVER leave us or forsake us. 

“Heaven isn’t eternal life. Jesus is. We get to go where He is. Forever. But it gets better. 

On the way to heaven, we get to know Him. Literally. Supernaturally. Relationship–not information. 

You don’t get heaven with Jesus as a bonus. A new creature in Christ gets Jesus and abundant, eternal life now. Heaven is the bonus.”  Aubrey Robertson, Prosecuting Attorney

“The spiritual truth is that God is at work in each of us and in our communities and families. Often, the companionship of trusted friends allows us to see how God is at work. We can’t always see God’s activity by ourselves.

Once this reality is accepted, we are free to say: “Yes, God is speaking to me, God is speaking to us.” Then, if we recognize God’s claim on us, slowly our eyes are opened, and we begin to see what already has happened. We begin to see the greatness of God revealing itself in daily events, and our lives become a form of obedience. Obedience means, therefore, slowly allowing God’s Spirit to draw us to places some of which we might rather avoid.” - Excerpt, Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen

Mark 4-13

 At times I think I’ve had attention deficit disorder, failing to stay focused on one thing. Living in our culture doesn’t help at all, with its noise, multiple distractions and scarcity fear driven advertising schemes. How it it possible to pay attention to what Jesus is saying?  Living out kingdom thinking, seeking His righteousness is a life long process of transformation. Each time I think I have an issue resolved, the Spirit reminds me that I am no where near perfection. Peter wanted to celebrate the experience by building a monument, a museum of sorts. But paying attention to Jesus is fresh and new every morning. 

“News flash: God doesn’t exist within the four dimensions of spacetime He created. There is no past, present, or future for Him. Time stamps don’t limit the Eternal Now. There is no here, there, or anywhere. Why? Because God is here, there, and everywhere—the Eternal Here.” - Excerpt, A Million Liftle Miracles by Mark Batterson 

“The voice echoed what was said at Jesus’s baptism. Quoting from Psalm 2, the coronation psalm, it affirmed that Jesus was the Messiah. It was as though God was telling the three that they were right—Jesus was the Messiah. Then the voice added, “Listen to him!” “Listen to what he is saying. Pay attention to what he is teaching you. Quit resisting. Start listening.” The voice affirmed what Jesus had been teaching them and urged them to embrace it.When the three looked up, the experience was over. They were alone with Jesus.” - Excerpt, Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark by Steve Langford

Mark 4-12

 In what ways are you experiencing Jesus’s presence in your life?  What would it have been like to be one of the three disciples, seeing Moses and Elijah, witnessing the physical change in the appearance of Jesus?  The power of His presence in us changes our mindset, our whole view of life. How quickly I forget who He is in me when I focus on the anxiety and stress around me!  Mark captures the intensity of the moment in his words. May we never forget that He will NEVER leave us or abandon us. May we know His voice in our hearts. 

“I know the power of God and the silence of God, and sometimes I think I’d handle the silence better if power was never on the table at all. A God with a personality and a will is so unpredictable. Maybe it would be easier if we had a God who worked like an operating system designed to deliver predictable results based on the buttons I push. But that’s not the God revealed on the pages of Scripture. It’s not the God revealed in Jesus. It’s not the God I’ve walked with all these years.” - Excerpt, Praying Like Monks by Tyler Staton

“And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus” (Mark 9:4). The disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. Moses was the lawgiver, Elijah the first prophet in the Hebrew Scriptures. Together, they represented the law and the prophets, i.e., the Hebrew Scriptures. The image suggests they were helping Jesus understand the teachings of scripture about what he faced in Jerusalem. Both Moses and Elijah had unusual death experiences. So would Jesus.” - Excerpt, Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark by Steve Langford

Mark 4-11

 How have you responded to difficult news?  We are only a phone call away from receiving a message that could rock our world. Jesus doesn’t mince words with the disciples. Following Him can mean real hardship that requires endurance, allegiance, and courage. There may not be a parade of onlookers to cheer us on when we make decisions that honor Jesus. 

“The deeper our faith, the more doubt we must endure; the deeper our hope, the more prone we are to despair; the deeper our love, the more pain its loss will bring: these are a few of the paradoxes we must hold as human beings. If we refuse to hold them in the hopes of living without doubt, despair, and pain, we also find ourselves living without hope, faith, and love.” - Excerpt, Praying Like Monks by Tyler Staton

“I have found it very important in my own life to try to let go of my wishes and instead to live in hope. I am finding that when I choose to let go of my sometimes petty and superficial wishes and trust that my life is precious and meaningful in the eyes of God something really new, something beyond my own expectations begins to happen for me.”

Mark 4-10

What have you and I given up to follow Christ?  Have we sacrificed anything compared to the heroes and saints of the past?  We live in comfort compared to the many who are martyred for their faith.  But how can we calculate the cost of discipleship?  Maybe it’s through carrying the burdens of those in our lives, praying for them, listening to them, building discipleship related friendships.  God will not ask us “Why did you take so much time caring for those who were marginalized, victimized, or disadvantaged?”  His kingdom work is experiencing transformation in relationships, not protecting what we think we are entitled to have. 

“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy... It's not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us.” - David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

“We email, Facebook, tweet and text with people who are going to spend eternity in either heaven or hell. Our lives are too short to waste on mere temporal conversations when massive eternal realities hang in the balance. Just as you and I have no guarantee that we will live through the day, the people around us are not guaranteed tomorrow either. So let's be intentional about sewing the threads of the gospel into the fabric of our conversations every day, knowing that it will not always be easy, yet believing that eternity will always be worth it. “ - David Platt, Follow Me: A Call to Die. A Call to Live.

Mark 4-9

 How are you ‘unlearning’ some assumptions that you somehow acquired?  How is following Christ a rebellion against the world’s way of operating life?  For me, it being reminded that Jesus is king with absolute authority. He is king in our here and now moments, not just someday when He returns with full physical authority. Practicing His presence now is preparation for what is to come, and participating with Him in His kingdom work now. It is not crushing enemies or clicking the checklist of doing things for Him. It is being loyal to His presence even if we do not see results today. 

“To be formed in Christ is to be unformed by culture. This undoing is painful: it undoes our idols, our defenses, our loves, our ambitions, our pride, our myths. But in that undoing, the truth of God’s love is born.” - Graham Joseph Hill

“To take up one’s cross was to live as an insurrectionist, rejecting the merit-based, hierarchal ways of the world embodied in Rome. It was to consciously choose a different way of living. It was to embrace the ways of the kingdom that Jesus taught.

Our sense of identity is inevitably impacted by this commitment to reject the ways of the world and embrace the ways of the kingdom. That impact is seen in the phrase “deny themselves.” To deny ourselves is to die to the identity we construct based upon the merit-based, hierarchal ways of the world.” - Excerpt, Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark by Steve Langford

Mark 4-8

 How would you or I answer the question asked by Jesus?  “Who do you say I am?”  The disciples had assumed that life is defined by us vs. them thinking, politics and power, and those who have and those who don’t have. But Jesus is King thinking changes everything. His kingdom has  far different method of operating. Surrendering to His love is essential if we are to begin understanding. His presence surpasses any other authority or lifestyle. 

“Most Christians aren’t following Jesus.

They’re just fans in the cheap seats.

They know His name.

They post the verses.

They wear the cross.

But they don’t carry one.

Because being a FAN of Christ is easy.

Being a FOLLOWER?

That costs something.

Jesus didn’t say, “Admire Me.”

He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.”  (Luke 9:23)

Following Jesus was never meant to be safe.

His way is meant to be a surrender.

• Paul Dazet

“He taught them what lay ahead of Him in Jerusalem—suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection. What Jesus taught them was in keeping with the understanding he had at His baptism. The Messiah was the Suffering Servant.” - Excerpt, Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark by Steve Langford