Friday -Mark 9:14-32

"Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." -James 1:22

We are working at changing our perspective this week. Just like in the art project I mentioned yesterday. By trying different methods of Scripture reading, we are giving ourselves the opportunity to see if we can pick up insights we would have missed. The challenge is to use at least three different reading methods.

Here are six ways you can read this passage:

1) Read Mark 9:14-32 out loud and slowly. What did you hear?
2) Read Mark 9:14-32 silently and slowly. What did you see?
3) Write out a portion of the passage. What did you feel?
4) Listen to Mark 9. What did you hear?
5) Read Mark 9:14-32 in NIV? What did you see?
6) Read Mark 9:14-32 in NLT? What did you see? 

Questions about your reading:

What main insight do you have about this passage after reading it different ways?
After reading different ways, which method did you prefer? Why?
What are some other ways you could read Scripture this week?

Mark 9:14-32The Message (MSG)

14-16 When they came back down the mountain to the other disciples, they saw a huge crowd around them, and the religion scholars cross-examining them. As soon as the people in the crowd saw Jesus, admiring excitement stirred them. They ran and greeted him. He asked, “What’s going on? What’s all the commotion?”

17-18 A man out of the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought my mute son, made speechless by a demon, to you. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and goes stiff as a board. I told your disciples, hoping they could deliver him, but they couldn’t.”

19-20 Jesus said, “What a generation! No sense of God! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here.” They brought him. When the demon saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a seizure, causing him to writhe on the ground and foam at the mouth.

21-22 He asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been going on?”

“Ever since he was a little boy. Many times it pitches him into fire or the river to do away with him. If you can do anything, do it. Have a heart and help us!”

23 Jesus said, “If? There are no ‘ifs’ among believers. Anything can happen.”

24 No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, “Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!”

25-27 Seeing that the crowd was forming fast, Jesus gave the vile spirit its marching orders: “Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you—Out of him, and stay out!” Screaming, and with much thrashing about, it left. The boy was pale as a corpse, so people started saying, “He’s dead.” But Jesus, taking his hand, raised him. The boy stood up.

28 After arriving back home, his disciples cornered Jesus and asked, “Why couldn’t we throw the demon out?”

29 He answered, “There is no way to get rid of this kind of demon except by prayer.”

30-32 Leaving there, they went through Galilee. He didn’t want anyone to know their whereabouts, for he wanted to teach his disciples. He told them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed to some people who want nothing to do with God. They will murder him. Three days after his murder, he will rise, alive.” They didn’t know what he was talking about, but were afraid to ask him about it.

Week 6: Different Ways to Hear -Mark 9:2-13

"Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." -James 1:22

My high school art teacher had an assignment. She created a tower of things. It had a ladder, boxes, toys, fabric, and small stuff like fruit, flowers, and paint cans. We each sat around the structure and had to draw what we saw. No two pictures were the same because no two artists had the same perspective.

I always thought it would have been interesting if after our first drawing we would have moved over one chair. By moving seats we would have noticed elements of the sculpture we hadn't seen before. The change in location would have given us a new perspective that helped us see more of what had always been in front of us.

What would happen if we changed our Bible reading perspective? We often read the Bible one or two ways. Either we silently read the passage by ourselves or in group settings someone reads to us. Both are good ways to "listen to the word" but they are not the only possibilities. You can read it out loud, you could listen to an audio version, you could read it slowly thinking about each word, you could write out a portion of the passage, or you could change translations. This week I challenge you to read the daily Scripture in at least three different ways.

Here are six ways you can read this passage:

1) Read Mark 9:2-13 out loud and slowly. What did you hear?
2) Read Mark 9:2-13 silently and slowly. What did you see?
3) Write out a portion of the passage. What did you feel?
4) Listen to Mark 9 (you can stop it after verse 13). What did you hear?
5) Read Mark 9:2-13 in NIV? What did you see?
6) Read Mark 9:2-13 in NLT? What did you see? 

Questions about your reading:

What main insight do you have about this passage after reading it different ways?
After reading different ways, which method did you prefer? Why?
What are some other ways you could read Scripture this week?

Mark 9:2-13The Message (MSG)

2-4 Six days later, three of them did see it. Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus.

5-6 Peter interrupted, “Rabbi, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking, stunned as they all were by what they were seeing.

7 Just then a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and from deep in the cloud, a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him.”

8 The next minute the disciples were looking around, rubbing their eyes, seeing nothing but Jesus, only Jesus.

9-10 Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. “Don’t tell a soul what you saw. After the Son of Man rises from the dead, you’re free to talk.” They puzzled over that, wondering what on earth “rising from the dead” meant.

11 Meanwhile they were asking, “Why do the religion scholars say that Elijah has to come first?”

12-13 Jesus replied, “Elijah does come first and get everything ready for the coming of the Son of Man. They treated this Elijah like dirt, much like they will treat the Son of Man, who will, according to Scripture, suffer terribly and be kicked around contemptibly.”

Wednesday Mark 8:31-9:1

After reading the days session...

1. Write out one or two key sentences (or verses). Write them word for word and as you write consider what the words mean.

2, What phrase or words stand out?

3. Why do you think they matter and how does it connect to life today?

Mark 8:31-9:1The Message (MSG)

30-32 Jesus warned them to keep it quiet, not to breathe a word of it to anyone. He then began explaining things to them: “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.” He said this simply and clearly so they couldn’t miss it.

32-33 But Peter grabbed him in protest. Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe, Jesus confronted Peter. “Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works.”

34-37 Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?

38 “If any of you are embarrassed over me and the way I’m leading you when you get around your fickle and unfocused friends, know that you’ll be an even greater embarrassment to the Son of Man when he arrives in all the splendor of God, his Father, with an army of the holy angels.”

9 Then he drove it home by saying, “This isn’t pie in the sky by and by. Some of you who are standing here are going to see it happen, see the kingdom of God arrive in full force.”

Tuesday -Mark 8:27-30

After reading the days session...

1. Write out one or two key sentences (or verses). Write them word for word and as you write consider what the words mean.

2, What phrase or words stand out?

3. Why do you think they matter and how does it connect to life today?

Mark 8:27-32The Message (MSG)

27 Jesus and his disciples headed out for the villages around Caesarea Philippi. As they walked, he asked, “Who do the people say I am?”

28 “Some say ‘John the Baptizer,’” they said. “Others say ‘Elijah.’ Still others say ‘one of the prophets.’”

29 He then asked, “And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?”

Peter gave the answer: “You are the Christ, the Messiah.”

30-32 Jesus warned them to keep it quiet, not to breathe a word of it to anyone. He then began explaining things to them: “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.” He said this simply and clearly so they couldn’t miss it.

Monday -Mark 8:22-26

After reading the days session...

1. Write out one or two key sentences (or verses). Write them word for word and as you write consider what the words mean.

2, What phrase or words stand out?

3. Why do you think they matter and how does it connect to life today?

Mark 8:22-26The Message (MSG)

22-23 They arrived at Bethsaida. Some people brought a sightless man and begged Jesus to give him a healing touch. Taking him by the hand, he led him out of the village. He put spit in the man’s eyes, laid hands on him, and asked, “Do you see anything?”

24-26 He looked up. “I see men. They look like walking trees.” So Jesus laid hands on his eyes again. The man looked hard and realized that he had recovered perfect sight, saw everything in bright, twenty-twenty focus. Jesus sent him straight home, telling him, “Don’t enter the village.”

Sunday -Mark 8:13-22

After reading the days session...

1. Write out one or two key sentences (or verses). Write them word for word and as you write consider what the words mean.

2, What phrase or words stand out?

3. Why do you think they matter and how does it connect to life today?

Mark 8:13-23The Message (MSG)

13-15 He then left them, got back in the boat, and headed for the other side. But the disciples forgot to pack a lunch. Except for a single loaf of bread, there wasn’t a crumb in the boat. Jesus warned, “Be very careful. Keep a sharp eye out for the contaminating yeast of Pharisees and the followers of Herod.”

16-19 Meanwhile, the disciples were finding fault with each other because they had forgotten to bring bread. Jesus overheard and said, “Why are you fussing because you forgot bread? Don’t you see the point of all this? Don’t you get it at all? Remember the five loaves I broke for the five thousand? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”

They said, “Twelve.”

20 “And the seven loaves for the four thousand—how many bags full of leftovers did you get?”

“Seven.”

21 He said, “Do you still not get it?”

22-23 They arrived at Bethsaida. Some people brought a sightless man and begged Jesus to give him a healing touch. Taking him by the hand, he led him out of the village. He put spit in the man’s eyes, laid hands on him, and asked, “Do you see anything?”

Saturday -Mark 8:1-13

After reading the days session...

1. Write out one or two key sentences (or verses). Write them word for word and as you write consider what the words mean.

2, What phrase or words stand out?

3. Why do you think they matter and how does it connect to life today?

Mark 8:1-12The Message (MSG)

8 1-3 At about this same time he again found himself with a hungry crowd on his hands. He called his disciples together and said, “This crowd is breaking my heart. They have stuck with me for three days, and now they have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they’ll faint along the way—some of them have come a long distance.”

4 His disciples responded, “What do you expect us to do about it? Buy food out here in the desert?”

5 He asked, “How much bread do you have?”

“Seven loaves,” they said.

6-10 So Jesus told the crowd to sit down on the ground. After giving thanks, he took the seven bread loaves, broke them into pieces, and gave them to his disciples so they could hand them out to the crowd. They also had a few fish. He pronounced a blessing over the fish and told his disciples to hand them out as well. The crowd ate its fill. Seven sacks of leftovers were collected. There were well over four thousand at the meal. Then he sent them home. He himself went straight to the boat with his disciples and set out for Dalmanoutha.

11-12 When they arrived, the Pharisees came out and started in on him, badgering him to prove himself, pushing him up against the wall. Provoked, he said, “Why does this generation clamor for miraculous guarantees? If I have anything to say about it, you’ll not get so much as a hint of a guarantee.”

Friday -Mark 7:31-37

After reading the days session...

1. Write out one or two key sentences (or verses). Write them word for word and as you write consider what the words mean.

2, What phrase or words stand out?

3. Why do you think they matter and how does it connect to life today?

Mark 7:31-37The Message (MSG)

31-35 Then he left the region of Tyre, went through Sidon back to Galilee Lake and over to the district of the Ten Towns. Some people brought a man who could neither hear nor speak and asked Jesus to lay a healing hand on him. He took the man off by himself, put his fingers in the man’s ears and some spit on the man’s tongue. Then Jesus looked up in prayer, groaned mightily, and commanded, “Ephphatha!—Open up!” And it happened. The man’s hearing was clear and his speech plain—just like that.

36-37 Jesus urged them to keep it quiet, but they talked it up all the more, beside themselves with excitement. “He’s done it all and done it well. He gives hearing to the deaf, speech to the speechless.”

Week 5: What's the Big Idea? -Mark 7:24-30

This week we are going keep asking questions. Our questions are going to look at what is the core message of the passage. Or another way to put it, what is the big idea? After reading the days session...

1. Write out one or two key sentences (or verses). Write them word for word and as you write consider what the words mean.

2, What phrase or words stand out?

3. Why do you think they matter and how does it connect to life today?

Mark 7:24-30The Message (MSG)

24-26 From there Jesus set out for the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house there where he didn’t think he would be found, but he couldn’t escape notice. He was barely inside when a woman who had a disturbed daughter heard where he was. She came and knelt at his feet, begging for help. The woman was Greek, Syro-Phoenician by birth. She asked him to cure her daughter.

27 He said, “Stand in line and take your turn. The children get fed first. If there’s any left over, the dogs get it.”

28 She said, “Of course, Master. But don’t dogs under the table get scraps dropped by the children?”

29-30 Jesus was impressed. “You’re right! On your way! Your daughter is no longer disturbed. The demonic affliction is gone.” She went home and found her daughter relaxed on the bed, the torment gone for good.

Wednesday -Mark 7:1-23

The Bible is relevant to our lives today. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that Scripture is useful for showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. This week's challenge to to ask five questions about the day's passage to help us discover what it means for our lives and how we can put that truth into action.

Not every question will fit with every passage. But by asking the questions you are allowing the Bible to strengthen your life and walk with God.

1. What have you learned from today's passage?
2. What behaviour is it asking you to avoid?
3. What promise is it asking you to claim?
4. What command is it asking you to obey?
5. What sin is it asking you to confess?

Mark 7:1-23The Message (MSG)

7 1-4 The Pharisees, along with some religion scholars who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around him. They noticed that some of his disciples weren’t being careful with ritual washings before meals. The Pharisees—Jews in general, in fact—would never eat a meal without going through the motions of a ritual hand-washing, with an especially vigorous scrubbing if they had just come from the market (to say nothing of the scourings they’d give jugs and pots and pans).

5 The Pharisees and religion scholars asked, “Why do your disciples flout the rules, showing up at meals without washing their hands?”

6-8 Jesus answered, “Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull’s-eye in fact:

These people make a big show of saying the right thing,
    but their heart isn’t in it.
They act like they are worshiping me,
    but they don’t mean it.
They just use me as a cover
    for teaching whatever suits their fancy,
Ditching God’s command
    and taking up the latest fads.”

9-13 He went on, “Well, good for you. You get rid of God’s command so you won’t be inconvenienced in following the religious fashions! Moses said, ‘Respect your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.’ But you weasel out of that by saying that it’s perfectly acceptable to say to father or mother, ‘Gift! What I owed you I’ve given as a gift to God,’ thus relieving yourselves of obligation to father or mother. You scratch out God’s Word and scrawl a whim in its place. You do a lot of things like this.”

14-15 Jesus called the crowd together again and said, “Listen now, all of you—take this to heart. It’s not what you swallow that pollutes your life; it’s what you vomit—that’s the real pollution.”

17 When he was back home after being with the crowd, his disciples said, “We don’t get it. Put it in plain language.”

18-19 Jesus said, “Are you being willfully stupid? Don’t you see that what you swallow can’t contaminate you? It doesn’t enter your heart but your stomach, works its way through the intestines, and is finally flushed.” (That took care of dietary quibbling; Jesus was saying that all foods are fit to eat.)

20-23 He went on: “It’s what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness—all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution.”

Tuesday -Mark 6:45-56

The Bible is relevant to our lives today. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that Scripture is useful for showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. This week's challenge to to ask five questions about the day's passage to help us discover what it means for our lives and how we can put that truth into action.

Not every question will fit with every passage. But by asking the questions you are allowing the Bible to strengthen your life and walk with God.

1. What have you learned from today's passage?
2. What behaviour is it asking you to avoid?
3. What promise is it asking you to claim?
4. What command is it asking you to obey?
5. What sin is it asking you to confess?

Mark 6:45-56The Message (MSG)

45-46 As soon as the meal was finished, Jesus insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead across to Bethsaida while he dismissed the congregation. After sending them off, he climbed a mountain to pray.

47-49 Late at night, the boat was far out at sea; Jesus was still by himself on land. He could see his men struggling with the oars, the wind having come up against them. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. He intended to go right by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and screamed, scared out of their wits.

50-52 Jesus was quick to comfort them: “Courage! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” As soon as he climbed into the boat, the wind died down. They were stunned, shaking their heads, wondering what was going on. They didn’t understand what he had done at the supper. None of this had yet penetrated their hearts.

53-56 They beached the boat at Gennesaret and tied up at the landing. As soon as they got out of the boat, word got around fast. People ran this way and that, bringing their sick on stretchers to where they heard he was. Wherever he went, village or town or country crossroads, they brought their sick to the marketplace and begged him to let them touch the edge of his coat—that’s all. And whoever touched him became well.

Monday -Mark 6:30-44

The Bible is relevant to our lives today. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that Scripture is useful for showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. This week's challenge to to ask five questions about the day's passage to help us discover what it means for our lives and how we can put that truth into action.

Not every question will fit with every passage. But by asking the questions you are allowing the Bible to strengthen your life and walk with God.

1. What have you learned from today's passage?
2. What behaviour is it asking you to avoid?
3. What promise is it asking you to claim?
4. What command is it asking you to obey?
5. What sin is it asking you to confess?

Mark 6:30-44The Message (MSG)

30-31 The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest.” For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat.

32-34 So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them. When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.

35-36 When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough—it was now quite late in the day—they interrupted: “We are a long way out in the country, and it’s very late. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper.”

37 Jesus said, “You do it. Fix supper for them.”

They replied, “Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?”

38 But he was quite serious. “How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory.”

That didn’t take long. “Five,” they said, “plus two fish.”

39-44 Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred—they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass! He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish. They all ate their fill. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. More than five thousand were at the supper.

Sunday -Mark 6:14-29

The Bible is relevant to our lives today. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that Scripture is useful for showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. This week's challenge to to ask five questions about the day's passage to help us discover what it means for our lives and how we can put that truth into action.

Not every question will fit with every passage. But by asking the questions you are allowing the Bible to strengthen your life and walk with God.

1. What have you learned from today's passage?
2. What behaviour is it asking you to avoid?
3. What promise is it asking you to claim?
4. What command is it asking you to obey?
5. What sin is it asking you to confess?

Mark 6:14-29The Message (MSG)

14 King Herod heard of all this, for by this time the name of Jesus was on everyone’s lips. He said, “This has to be John the Baptizer come back from the dead—that’s why he’s able to work miracles!”

15 Others said, “No, it’s Elijah.”

Others said, “He’s a prophet, just like one of the old-time prophets.”

16 But Herod wouldn’t budge: “It’s John, sure enough. I cut off his head, and now he’s back, alive.”

17-20 Herod was the one who had ordered the arrest of John, put him in chains, and sent him to prison at the nagging of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John had provoked Herod by naming his relationship with Herodias “adultery.” Herodias, smoldering with hate, wanted to kill him, but didn’t dare because Herod was in awe of John. Convinced that he was a holy man, he gave him special treatment. Whenever he listened to him he was miserable with guilt—and yet he couldn’t stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back.

21-22 But a portentous day arrived when Herod threw a birthday party, inviting all the brass and bluebloods in Galilee. Herodias’s daughter entered the banquet hall and danced for the guests. She dazzled Herod and the guests.

22-23 The king said to the girl, “Ask me anything. I’ll give you anything you want.” Carried away, he kept on, “I swear, I’ll split my kingdom with you if you say so!”

24 She went back to her mother and said, “What should I ask for?”

“Ask for the head of John the Baptizer.”

25 Excited, she ran back to the king and said, “I want the head of John the Baptizer served up on a platter. And I want it now!”

26-29 That sobered the king up fast. But unwilling to lose face with his guests, he caved in and let her have her wish. The king sent the executioner off to the prison with orders to bring back John’s head. He went, cut off John’s head, brought it back on a platter, and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and got the body and gave it a decent burial.

Saturday -Mark 6:7-13

The Bible is relevant to our lives today. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that Scripture is useful for showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. This week's challenge to to ask five questions about the day's passage to help us discover what it means for our lives and how we can put that truth into action.

Not every question will fit with every passage. But by asking the questions you are allowing the Bible to strengthen your life and walk with God.

1. What have you learned from today's passage?
2. What behaviour is it asking you to avoid?
3. What promise is it asking you to claim?
4. What command is it asking you to obey?
5. What sin is it asking you to confess?

Mark 6:7-13The Message (MSG)

7-8 Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority and power to deal with the evil opposition. He sent them off with these instructions:

8-9 “Don’t think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple.

10 “And no luxury inns. Get a modest place and be content there until you leave.

11 “If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”

12-13 Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different; right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits.