South Lansing Christian Church South Lansing Christian Church

Sometimes, we making the idea of serving too complicated. The Parable of the Good Samaritan gives us a picture of serving in simplicity. When it comes to finding ways to serve, we can start by asking, “what would I want done for me if I were in that situation?”

Ambition drives almost everyone. Much of what we do is an effort to be seen, recognized, and elevated. Jesus tells his disciples that it should not be like that among them. Instead, they should choose the path of quietly serving others. The same goes for us today. When we serve, we should do so with others in mind, instead of our own reputation.

THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT THAT EVER HAPPENED. The story is not over. Mark’s gospel ends in an unsettling way, with a seeming cliff-hanger. Why? Because the story continues on. Be encouraged: God’s story is not finished. Be challenged: There’s work to do.

Mark 14 records the last moments of Jesus’ time with the disciples. As they celebrate the Passover, Jesus is drawing God’s original covenant with Israel forward to establish something new—something that the disciples and his followers will be able to return to understand their place in the Kingdom.

In Mark 13, Jesus gives a much-debated teaching that touches on both the destruction of the temple and his second coming. While we get lost in the details of what he said, Jesus’ main point here is to encourage his disciples to be alert. Today, we too must be alert to guard against false teaching and to actively live out our faith.

Jesus continues to spar with the religious and legal authorities of Jerusalem in Mark 12. He ultimately silences their questions with a restatement of the basics of faith: love God and love people. For us today, while we often chase the novel or exciting in faith, what we need most is to live out those basics.