Author: Danny Panter

Mark 6:45-46 (NLT) “Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. After telling everyone goodbye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.”

They were in between ministry. Jesus had dismissed the people, sent the disciples ahead to Bethsaida, and then withdrew to pray. It was in this in-between space that the disciples ran into trouble—again. And for some reason, the last thing they expected was for Jesus to meet them in their struggle. Yet, he did. And in the most unexpected, miraculous way.

He showed up in the in-between.

Sometimes, we limit Jesus to the big moments—the church services, the mission trips, the obvious spiritual highs. But what about home, work, the long commutes, the ordinary days? What about the seasons of waiting, transition, or uncertainty?

Jesus doesn’t just move in the moments we expect. He is present in the in-between. And that’s often where we need him most.

And all ate and were filled… – Mark 6:42 (NRSV)

The disciples were exhausted. They had nothing left—not even time to eat. (Mark 6:31) Yet, at Jesus’ command, they found themselves serving another crowd. With no energy and barely any food—just five loaves and two fish—they had nothing to offer 5,000 hungry people.

But Jesus multiplied both. He took their weakness and their small offering, blessed it, and made it more than enough.

In the end, everyone was full—the disciples and the crowd alike.

This is Mark’s message: God takes our little—even our nothing—and multiplies it until all are satisfied.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 6:14-29 (day six)

This passage is a story of stark contrasts. In Herod’s world, power is built on corruption, immorality, and self-preservation. It is a world so twisted that murder becomes a possible birthday gift. A reckless promise leads to a reckless request, and the result is the tragic death of John the Baptist. In Herod’s kingdom, power is used to take life.

But Mark wants us to see a different kind of King. Jesus, the true King, ushers in a Kingdom where power is expressed through compassion, mercy, and sacrificial love. Instead of taking life, He gives His own.

Mark isn’t just telling history—he’s asking us a question: Which kingdom will we live for?

Re:Verse passage – Mark 6:7-13 (day six)

The Lord is King! Let the earth rejoice! Let the farthest coastlands be glad. – Psalm 97:1

This was the Psalm I read early this morning, coffee in hand, on our first full day in Scotland. The rest of the team was still sleeping, recovering from a long travel day—vans, planes, trains, trams, and a wee bit on foot. At 11 PM, we finally arrived at our hotel, exhausted but grateful.

Just as Jesus sent His disciples out two by two to proclaim the Kingdom, we have been sent to Glenrothes, Scotland, to a small neighborhood called Colleydean—another “coastland” under His reign.

The Lord is King over every place, from tiny villages to vast cities. As His people, we are called to live as Kingdom servants wherever we are, inviting others to receive the Kingdom through Christ.

Pray that we do this faithfully in the days ahead. Pray that this “coastland” will indeed be glad!  And know that we are praying the same for you.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 6:1-6 (day six)

³ Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Mark 6:3

In Mark 6:3 (and its parallel in Matthew 13:55-56), we get a rare glimpse into Jesus’ early life—his brothers are named, his sisters are mentioned, and his trade as a carpenter is noted. Few passages in Scripture give us such personal details about his upbringing.

The people of Nazareth knew Jesus well. They had watched him grow up, play in the streets, and learn his father’s trade. Many had likely hired him for carpentry work. They were familiar with his humanity—his daily routines, his ordinary life as the son of a tradesman.

Mark seems to highlight this intentionally, drawing our attention to Jesus’ full humanity in contrast to his divinity.

Yet, this very familiarity became a stumbling block. His neighbors couldn’t reconcile the Jesus they had always known with the reality of who he truly is—Emmanuel, God with us.

But that is precisely what Mark wants us to see. Will we recognize and embrace him daily for who he is, both his humanity and his divinity?

Re:Verse passage – Mark 5:21-34 (day six)

Mark presents a series of back-to-back miracles, each revealing a different aspect of Jesus’ power. His primary goal is clear: to introduce his readers to Jesus—the one who commands creation, casts out demons, heals the sick, and raises the dead. Who wouldn’t want to follow Him?

Beyond this, Mark has a secondary objective. Each miracle serves as a real-life illustration of the parable of the soils. In every scene, the crowd is contrasted with the one(s) who has faith, and in most cases, we see the fruit of that faith. Mark emphasizes that while the Kingdom of God is available to all, only a few are truly ready to receive it by faith—the kind of faith that produces lasting fruit.

Once again, Mark challenges us to reflect: Is the soil of our lives bearing the fruit of faith in Christ?

Re:Verse passage – Mark 5:21-23, 35-43(day six)

Have you ever experienced something that completely changed the way you see the world? Falling in love, holding your child for the first time, or traveling to a place that shifts your perspective?

That’s what happened to Peter, James, and John in that small room. Just them, the girl’s parents, and Jesus. Everyone knew she was gone. But then, with a touch and two simple words, she breathed again and stood up.

Ever since they met Jesus, their world had been changing, but this moment was different. This wasn’t just another miracle—this was power over death itself. Life could never go back to the way it was.

Later, Peter would say to Jesus, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life” (John 6:68). I imagine he remembered the words Jesus spoke in that room. Who else could he trust but the Lord of life?

Mark would have you ask the same question.

“But Jesus said, ‘No, go home to your family…’” – Mark 5:19

We don’t know how this man became possessed, but we see the devastating effects—separation from his family, isolation from his community, and a loss of his very humanity. That’s what evil does. It isolates, degrades, and destroys.

But Jesus came to restore.

With a word, He cast out the evil spirits, returning the man to his right mind, his family, and his community. Jesus didn’t just free him; He gave him back his life.

That’s what Jesus still does today. He restores what’s been broken, heals what’s been wounded, and calls us back into relationship—with God and one another.

Where do you need His restoration today?

Re:Verse passage – Mark 4:35-41 (day six)

“Can you shout to the clouds and make it rain? Can you make lightning appear and cause it to strike as you direct?” —Job 38:34-35

When Job questioned God’s wisdom in his suffering, God didn’t explain—He declared His power over creation. Why? Because knowing who God is changes everything.

The disciples had the same realization after Jesus calmed the storm. Terrified, they asked, “Who is this man? Even the wind and waves obey him!” (Mark 4:41).

Like Job, they stood before the Lord of Creation—the One who commands the storm, the One who holds all things together. And if He has authority over the wind and waves, He certainly has authority over our lives.

To trust Him is wisdom. To doubt Him is foolishness. Because if even the storm obeys Him—why wouldn’t we?

Re:Verse passage – Mark 4:26-32 (day six).

The disciples must have been discouraged. Things weren’t going as they had imagined—people weren’t responding like they’d hoped. Perhaps they thought Jesus’ parables were too obscure, too confusing, and surely there had to be a better way to gather a following than telling stories that sounded like riddles.

The world’s way of accomplishing big things is through force, strength, and control: fill the streets with angry crowds, build up the campaign fund, broaden the base. The world’s answer is always more. More power. More influence. More noise.

But Jesus offers a radically different perspective in Mark 4:26-32. He assures his disciples that it’s not about their strength or strategies—growth is God’s work. He invites them to trust in the small and seemingly insignificant. A farmer plants the seed, but the miracle of life and growth is entirely in God’s hands. The tiniest mustard seed grows into something mighty, providing shelter and blessing beyond what anyone could imagine.

This is the upside-down Kingdom of God. His plans don’t follow our rules or expectations. We certainly wouldn’t send the Savior to die in weakness and shame, but God’s wisdom works through what the world calls foolishness. He uses the small, the humble, and the few to bring about something extraordinary. In God’s hands, little is never wasted, and weakness becomes strength.