Mark 7:20-23 - Evil is from the Heart

Guard our hearts ... pray that God replace our rebel hearts with hearts that are obedient and fed with his Word. It is not the outward appearance of looking Holy ..... remember we  can bluff men ... but God looks into our hearts and knows us ... we cannot hide from Him!! 

Mark 6 - Jesus Walks on Water

Mark 6:47-52
Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.

Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 

Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.

They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

Parable of the Sower - Mark 4:1-20

Darryl focused on the follow:

This is a Foundational parable of Christianity

Spiritual reality ....

- No problem with the hearing .... Everyone hears the same teachings ... 

- The question is what soil was it planted in??

3 truths

i) No Growth

ii) Fruitless Growth

iii) Fruitful Growth

4 heart conditions

i) The Resistant Heart (vv 4, 15)

ii) The Shallow Heart (vv 5, 16-17)

iii) The Crowded Heart (vv 6, 18-19)

iv) The Receptive Heart (vv 8, 20)

Pray that I become good soil .... That I have a receptive heart and that knowing the Word will transform me more and more .....

Read the following from gotquestions.org

-------------

The Parable of the Sower (also known as the Parable of the Four Soils) is found in Matthew 13:3-9; Mark 4:2-9; and Luke 8:4-8. After presenting this parable to the multitude, Jesus interprets it for His disciples in Matthew 13:18-23; Mark 4:13-20; and Luke 8:11-15. 

The Parable of the Sower concerns a sower who scatters seed, which falls on four different types of ground. The hard ground “by the way side” prevents the seed from sprouting at all, and the seed becomes nothing more than bird food. The stony ground provides enough soil for the seeds to germinate and begin to grow, but because there is “no deepness of earth,” the plants do not take root and are soon withered in the sun. The thorny ground allows the seed to grow, but the competing thorns choke the life out of the beneficial plants. The good ground receives the seed and produces much fruit.

Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Sower highlights four different responses to the gospel. The seed is “the word of the kingdom.” The hard ground represents someone who is hardened by sin; he hears but does not understand the Word, and Satan plucks the message away, keeping the heart dull and preventing the Word from making an impression. The stony ground pictures a man who professes delight with the Word; however, his heart is not changed, and when trouble arises, his so-called faith quickly disappears. The thorny ground depicts one who seems to receive the Word, but whose heart is full of riches, pleasures, and lusts; the things of this world take his time and attention away from the Word, and he ends up having no time for it. The good ground portrays the one who hears, understands, and receives the Word—and then allows the Word to accomplish its result in his life. The man represented by the “good ground” is the only one of the four who is truly saved, because salvation’s proof is fruit (Matthew 3:7-8; 7:15-20).

To summarize the point of the Parable of the Sower: “A man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.” A secondary lesson would be “Salvation is more than a superficial, albeit joyful, hearing of the gospel. Someone who is truly saved will go on to prove it.” May our faith and our lives exemplify the "good soil" in the Parable of the Sower.

Mark 2:1-12 - Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic

Jesus forgives and heals a paralytic, demonstrating His authority from heaven and on earth.

Jesus has complete power to forgive us of our sins.

Mark 2:5, “And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’”

Mark 1:14-15 Jesus Announces the Good News

Mark 1:14-15 NIV

[14] After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. [15] “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Mark 1:9-11 Jesus' baptism

Mark 1:10-11 NIV

[10] Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. [11] And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Why did Jesus go thru baptism?

Did it to identify with people who are seeking after God

How dramatic the scene of Jesus's baptism

Trinity present at this event. ..... And God spoke out!!

God last spoke during time of Malachi for more than 400 years ago!!

Mark 1:7-8

Mark 1:4 NIV

[4] And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Mark 1:7-8 NIV

[7] And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. [8] I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”