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From Mark 9:38-50, the story of the disciples’ confrontation with others who were casting out demons in Jesus’ name, and Jesus’ warning for those who would lead others to sin.
A brief portion of Brian’s message is missing from the beginning of the podcast due to technical difficulties. The Management apologizes for the error.

This week in the book of Mark (9:30-37), the disciples hear Jesus plainly foretell his own death, and they respond to this shocking news by … arguing about which of them is the greatest. They were, in a word, disoriented. What can we learn from periods of disorientation in our lives?

Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!"
– Mark 9:24
Today, from Mark 9:14-29, a valley follows the mountaintop experience of the Transfiguration. Can we bring our doubts to Jesus? … And what happens when following Jesus feels like it’s making things worse?

A very powerful wind went before the Lord, digging into the mountain and causing landslides,but the Lord was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper…
– 1 Kings 19:11-12
This week, Ryan concludes our 3-part miniseries on Solitude with the rest of the story of Elijah’s flight from Ahab and his time in solitude with God.

Elijah was afraid, so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there, while he went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He went and sat down under a shrub and asked the Lord to take his life.
– 1 Kings 19:3-4
Ryan continues our series on the spiritual discipline of solitude with a framework based on Elijah’s time in the wilderness after a threat on his life.

Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer.
– Mark 1:35
Following our series on fasting, this week we embark upon a new series on the spiritual discipline of solitude. Ryan defines solitude and silence and their role in the Christian life.