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Good morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:
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Mark 9

Jesus is transfigured on the mountain, as Peter, James, and John look on. They see Elijah and Moses appear, and they hear the Father say: “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” This is a great moment of honor for the Son. Afterward, however, many seem to lack full trust in Him. The disciples lack the faith to cast a demon from a boy, and Jesus must step in and do it. Jesus later tries to teach the disciples more about His coming death, but they are enamored with a discussion of who among them is greatest. Jesus emphasizes the greatest to be the one who serves. He then teaches about not causing others to stumble, and instead making sacrifices to serve them. Hell is reserved for those who refuse.

The comforting part about the imperfect faith of the disciples is that we can relate. He had shown them so much. And He was counting on them to shine so brightly. Yet, they sometimes were not prayerful enough and lacked the power to do great things. They often got sidetracked about places of honor and personal greatness. We know too well those same shortcomings and emotions. And yet, Jesus came to save us. He came to patiently teach us and help us grow in understanding. He warns us of the possibility of hell if we are prideful and hurt others, but even that warning is an act of grace to help us yearn and strive for greater faith.

Holy, heavenly Father. We know You sit in a place of eternal glory. Thank You for sending Jesus to this earth to lead us home to You. Thank You for testifying of His glory in wonderful ways. We lack the faith You deserve. Lord, we believe; but we ask you to help our unbelief. Help us to make time to pray, and to commit to a closer walk with Christ. May that extend beyond just loving Him and cause us to be more loving and committed to the people You put in our lives, careful to not make them stumble.

Thought Questions:

- The Father said, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” How do those words affect you? What are some things Jesus said that you must hear?

- Jesus was upset when the man said, “If you can do anything, take pity on us.” How does faith require more than just asking “if” Jesus can help?

- To cause tender souls to stumble is highly offensive to the Lord. How far are you willing to go to keep someone from being discouraged?

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Thank you. Thank you for listening. I appreciate your patience with me. Thank you for your love and kindness. It wasn't easy to decide to revisit the document from last February. I trust you understand that I do not intend to shift focus onto someone else or mount a defense. That's all in the past. But it has been a year. Time has been a valuable asset, and I want to use a specific event to illustrate how God is at work. Please receive this with that intent—an example of God’s grace in my life. And thank you once again for your friendship.

If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:
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Feel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.com

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Good morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:
Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)
Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)
Youtube Video Introducing the Content
Feel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.com

Mark 8

Jesus has a compassionate heart. This leads him to feed thousands because He sees that they are hungry. This is a sign of His power and love. However, the Pharisees come asking for more signs. For them, nothing Jesus does will be enough to believe. It is this hard-heartedness He warns the disciples to avoid. Jesus then heals a blind man. This physical sight given by faith is set in contrast to the Pharisees who think they see and yet remain spiritually blind. Jesus then asks His disciples who they believe Him to be. They say, “You are the Christ.” This faith would be crucial, as their faith would be tested by His arrest and death, as well as the extreme sacrifices they would be called to make in His name.

Jesus demonstrates His glory and His right to be called the Christ. We must choose whether to believe in Him or not. But this cannot be done halfway. His call to disciples is extreme. It starts with demanding we understand that His Lordship would require His death. Peter struggled with this. More than that, He demands allegiance from us for His glory. We must deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him. We must lose our life in devotion to Him to see the salvation of our lives in eternity. Many will want to give everything to be saved in the judgment and will have nothing to give. We must serve Him now, confessing His name courageously in this world.

Great Father, we thank You for your lovingkindness and the compassion that Your Son has for us. We know that His ability to help us is only limited by the borders of our faith. Help us to expand our trust and surrender our entire lives to Him. We sometimes fall into pride, blindness to truth, and even doubts about Your will. But great God, we believe Your Son is the Christ sent to die for our salvation. Forgive our failings and restore us to commitment and strength and to never be ashamed of our Lord.

Thought Questions:

- Do you believe Jesus sees you and feels for you in times of struggle? How do you trust in that, even when results do not come right away?

- The Pharisees had things in their hearts that blinded them to Christ’s glory. What has He done in your life to keep your heart from hardening?

- What does it mean to lose your life for His sake? And what would it profit you to keep your life and gain the world but not have Jesus?