March 26, 2024: Tuesday Morning Bible Study on the Gospel of Mark 8:37
Blessings and Peace to you this morning. TEP has thrown quite a wrench into our schedules at church this week, and for everyone who lives in this part of Sam Hughes. Please keep an eye on your emails and messages through the rest of this week. We may be sending out a notice about a changed schedule if our power is off for an extended period of time. I am going to keep today's Bible Study pretty brief, this week there is just a great deal of things that need to be taken care of as we proceed through Holy Week and on to Easter morning. Please remember that Easter Festival worship is at 10AM. It is preceded by Easter carry-in breakfast at 8:30AM. Please bring your food items in early. The warming cabinet will be on for keeping food hot. We have decorating in the sanctuary and parish hall beginning at 10AM on Saturday morning. Please join us to help out.
This morning, we are in chapter 8 of the Gospel of Mark verse 37. This Proverbial style verse from Mark 8 has that ring of wisdom in it. What the world thinks creates life, is not as it appears when we are listening to the humility and sacrifice which Christ is prepared to offer so that abundant life may endure, that is life with God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that it may fill our hope, and drive our living once we have come to faith in Jesus Christ as the only True Savior of all of us. Remember that what we are talking about is how does the life we live fit into God's measure of our lives? It is how God sees our full participation with Him in our living, serving, and sacrificing. Will there be too much of me and not enough of the Great Commandment in my living? When we try to understand what this kind of living is, we must turn to the only one who has ever met God with humility, commitment, and holding to the life that God wanted Him to live.
1. The world's mark of success, and most certainly this is true in today's world of social media, is popularity. All too often people sacrifice principle for popularity! What we will learn in our faith journey is the answer to how important this life we have lived is. This can be answered by asking what we will face at the end of this life. Who will be most important? Has my life made me popular with people? vs Have my principles pleased God? The One before whom we will stand at our physical life's end will not be other people, but only God. We can only come on the knees of our hearts to endure God's Judgement. The certainty of our faith in Christ is what will indeed help us through the judgement.
2. People, all too often, with their desire for the "things" of this life, which in other's eyes are signs of our success, are nothing but cheap accompaniments to what is really important. Everything that we have deemed as the significant sign of our success is transient (temporary). What lasts beyond all that is temporary lasts into eternity. Morality and ethics are too often set aside for a bigger pay check, when a vocation of helping others that pays far less, is bound to be carried far beyond one's life, especially by those who have received the benefit of their compassion, grace, and real involvement. It is what has been chosen over greater wealth and has brought great joy in heaven also becomes so important in our relationship with God.
3. All too often people are willing to sacrifice eternity for the moment. What works best for all of us who believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is to think about the choices and decisions in life, and what will bring the greatest joy to God! We all need to start every day by positing this question to ourselves in our morning prayers, and in our responses to God's guidance through the Savior, and then to intentionally move through the new day centered in Christ, and His pathway of Love.
I will be back with you in two weeks. I am taking time off to be with Melody during the early part of her surgery recuperation. There will be no Ezra study on Thursday this week.
In Christ's Love, Pastor Kim
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