Driven by hunger, Jesus’ disciples walk through the grain fields and plucked grain on the Sabbath. The Pharisees object to this since it broke the law against harvesting on the Sabbath. Yet Jesus desired to show mercy. Jesus responded by making a comparison to David and reminds them that the Sabbath was made for people. People are not to be harmed by their observance of it. As the Son of Man Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, He had the right to make this ruling. We get another instance on the Sabbath where the religious norms were challenged. Is it lawful to do good or harm, to save a life or to kill? The Pharisees demonstrated the hardness of their hearts and sought to trap Jesus. Yet it ended with Him healing the man and them plotting against Him with the Herodians on the very Sabbath they sought to protect.

After 400 years of divine silence, God broke through with explosive force when John the Baptist appeared. Jesus declared that even the least in God's kingdom is greater than John because greatness is measured by proximity to the King, not achievements. The kingdom advances with unstoppable momentum, but many miss it by clinging to expectations instead of accepting what God has already fulfilled. Rather than critiquing God's methods from the sidelines, we're called to participate in His kingdom movement.

After performing great miracles like healing the lame and a Leper, perhaps others would have moved to consolidate power with those who were in power (the Sadducees and Pharisees, etc). Yet Jesus did not do this. Instead, He immediately reached out to those who were broken and outsiders.

Even John the Baptist questioned God's plan from prison. If the prophet chosen before birth to prepare the way for Jesus struggled with doubt, what does that say about our own questions? Sometimes God's work doesn't come in the package we expected. Are you missing His activity because it doesn't look like your expectations?

The ministry of Jesus begins to take off, this time with a leper approaching Him. After performing an extreme miracle that would be considered like raising the dead, Jesus seems to rest for some time. Then as He teaches He is approached by four men with a man who needed healing. When this man was brought to Jesus by his friends Jesus responds to their faith and forgives his sins and then heals him.

You can't take off your Christianity like a hat when you leave church. When you walk into any room, Christ walks in with you. But here's the real question: Are you trying to manage where God is present in your life, or are you letting Him transform every area? Your treatment of people is the visible proof of your invisible devotion.

The next stage of Jesus’ ministry is filled with healings and exorcisms. He is seeking to bring the kingdom of God to the people in a very real way. He is not just preaching and teaching, He is meeting very real needs in people.

Sometimes the enemy isn't operating in your city - sometimes the enemy is operating in your circle. Jesus said He came to bring a sword, not peace. What does this mean for your family relationships when you choose to follow Him wholeheartedly? The gospel doesn't divide because it's broken - it divides because it exposes what's broken in us.

5 day study guide for the Gospel of Mark 1: 14-20.

Group Discussion Guide for Bible Studies utilizing the Gospel of Mark commentaries for Mark 1: 14-20

See the start of Jesus’ ministry and the calling of His disciples in Mark 1:14-20 with this in-depth Bible study and small group discussion guide.

If God notices every sparrow that falls and numbers every hair on your head, why do we struggle to trust Him with our daily challenges? What fear have you come into agreement with that keeps you from living out your calling?

Explore the baptism of Jesus in Mark 1:9–11 with this in-depth Bible study and small group discussion guide. Discover why Jesus was baptized, what it means that the heavens were torn open, and how the Holy Spirit’s descent reveals His kingship and mission. Includes questions, life application, and historical insights.

Jesus prepared his disciples for the harsh realities of kingdom mission, warning them they would face opposition like sheep among wolves. He instructed them to be shrewd as serpents yet harmless as doves, combining wisdom with innocence. When facing trials, God would provide the right words through His Spirit. Jesus warned that even families might turn against them, as the kingdom exposes divided loyalties.

Group Discussion Guide for Bible Studies utlizing the Gospel of Mark commentaries for Mark 1: 9-11

5 day study guide for the Gospel of Mark 1: 9-11.

Explore the baptism of Jesus in Mark 1:9–11 with this in-depth Bible study and small group discussion guide. Discover why Jesus was baptized, what it means that the heavens were torn open, and how the Holy Spirit’s descent reveals His kingship and mission. Includes questions, life application, and historical insights.

What you carry can easily become what you trust. Are you hoarding resources because you don't really trust God to provide? Jesus sent his disciples out with nothing but faith - no money, no backup plan, just radical dependence on the Father. Sometimes rejection is just God setting up redemption. What dust do you need to shake off today?

5 day study guide for the Gospel of Mark.

Many scholars agree that the Gospel of Mark was the first of the four Gospels to be written. Though not penned by an Apostle, it carries the strong influence and eyewitness authority of Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples.

Mark’s Gospel is short, fast-paced, and focused. It presents Jesus as the promised Messiah, a powerful prophet, and a wise teacher. Through vivid stories and straightforward language, Mark gives us an up-close view of Jesus’ life, His disciples, and His miraculous works.

By reading Mark, we are not just studying history—we are encountering the living Christ. This Gospel invites us to grow deeper in faith, to trust in the power of Jesus’ miracles, and to follow Him as both Savior and Lord.

Group Discussion Guide for Bible Studies utlizing the Gospel of Mark commentaries.

Many scholars agree that the Gospel of Mark was the first of the four Gospels to be written. Though not penned by an Apostle, it carries the strong influence and eyewitness authority of Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples.

Mark’s Gospel is short, fast-paced, and focused. It presents Jesus as the promised Messiah, a powerful prophet, and a wise teacher.