Daily Grace
Faith vs Tradition
“And he continued, ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!’ ” (Mark 7:9). Traditions arose in Judaism because someone felt the need to apply the principles of law to every particular situation. These specific...
God Sees Us
“Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he [Jesus] was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them” (Mark 6:47-48a). Jesus had just sent His disciples to the other side of the lake while He went...
Supernatural Math
“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied” (Mark 6:41-42). This...
We Can Do What Jesus Did
“They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them” (Mark 6:12-13). Jesus drove out demons and healed the sick repeatedly during His ministry. The Gospels are filled with those...
To God Be the Glory!
“ ‘Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in...
Don’t Be Afraid; Just Believe
“While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said. ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’ Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe’ ” (Mark 5:35-36). Jairus...
He is Greater Than We Can Imagine
“A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the...
Don’t Be Fooled by Small Beginnings
“Again he said, ‘What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big...
Worry Chokes
“Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Mark 4:18-19). Here is an issue each of us faces—“the worries of...