Category: reMARKable

Tell-Tale Heart

Re:Verse passage – Mark 6:14-29 (day one) But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!” V. 16

Herod was a haunted man. Much like the nervous narrator in Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘Tell-Tale Heart’, Herod was haunted by the circumstances that led to his order to behead John the Baptist. That death weighed on him, and that albatross haunted him. When he heard of the work of the disciples his anxiety spiked. It is likely that John was never far from his mind, and hearing of Christ’s ministry was a trigger. Undealt-with sin will do this to you. The decision to kill John was based on a lack of character and other poor life choices that Herod had allowed himself to make. The further you allow sin to eat away at your being the more catastrophic the consequences can be. For all of us it starts with sin, but for the believer it ends with repentance. No matter how far down he rabbit hole you think you are, there is no distance to far for the forgiving mercy of Jesus. Don’t compound sin with sin the way Herod did. Repent and that tell-tale heart will never beat under your floorboard.

Monday Re:Vlog – 3/10/25

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

Join us as Senior Pastor Chris Johnson, Associate Pastor Aaron Hufty, and Associate Pastor Bryan Richardson walk us through Mark 6:14-29 in our Winter Re:Verse Series: “reMARKable – The Journey Continues.”

To watch the Re:Vlog video, Click Here!

From Scotland Pt 2

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

As Danny mentioned yesterday, we are here in Scotland with a team from the youth ministry of FBCSA. I feel like this passage had to have been chosen by God just for us this week.

And He summoned the twelve: God summoned twelve of us from FBCSA to come to Scotland. 7 teenagers, 3 parents, 2 youth workers.

and began to send them out in pairs: yesterday we went out in groups to canvas and evangelize over 800 homes in Collydean.

and gave them authority: Matthew 28 tells us that authority has been given back to us as wehave the power of the Holy Spirit with us as we evangelize.

Any place that does not receive you […] shake the dust off the soles of your feet: Scotland is dark. 3% of adults in Scotland are considered evangelical. 3 out of every 100 people are serious about their faith. We have already had to do a lot of shaking the dust off. There is a disdain and apathy for the Church.

They went out and preached that men should repent: despite the disdain, we have been called to go and preach. Today we will lead worship and preach at Collydean Granary Baptist Church. We pray that our endeavors in the community will continue to draw people to want to come and know more. Pray for us as we lead, preach, and love on this community. Pray that Collydean Granary Baptist Church will be a light in Scotland. 

From Scotland

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.

Staff

Re:Verse passage – Mark 6:7-13 (day five) “and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—”

I love to look at the way Jesus teaches. He wisely uses parables, actions, questions, decisions, and here, (in our Re:Verse passage) even instructions. It is worth noting the first and only thing He tells His disciples to bring on this assigned journey is a staff. Practically this would serve them as a walking stick. This was to be a physically demanding excursion. But, perhaps more importantly this staff would serve as a reminder of their role and perspective in this mission trip- a shepherd. They were being sent on mission to do evangelism and ministry as a shepherd would. In love, compassion, kindness, and humility. It might have been easy to be conceited and even arrogant doing this ministry. After all, they had been given authority by Jesus Himself. They could have had the wrong perspective and motivation. A good reminder to us, we should not beat people up in our participation in ministry and evangelism. Rather we should faithfully speak, serve, and encourage in love and humility- like a shepherd. It will be this kind of shepherd’s love and humility that often facilitates listening, learning, and trusting. “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”   “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”

Authority

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

The disciples were sent on this journey without any supplies for earthly flashiness or status. They were meant to go about this work with humility. The two things they were sent out with, though, are authority and community.

jesus gave them authority. They didn’t have any of their own, nor could they project earthly authority with possessions, but they were given authority in their ministry straight from Jesus, God the Son. Through the power of the Spirit, we’ve been given this kind of authority too. The prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective because Jesus graciously gives us authority for them to be so.

They were also sent out in community. Where two or three are gathered in the name of Jesus, he is present with them. A community that walks in the authority that Jesus gives them is more powerful than we can comprehend.

Now

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

“They went out and preached that men should repent. And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.”

The timeline can seem wrong in this passage. First comes Jesus, then comes the crucifixion, then comes the resurrection, then comes the Holy Spirit, and then comes the preaching in power. Right? That’s orderly and clean. Except that’s not what the Bible shows us here. The disciples begin seemingly ahead of everything else that was to come, so was this just a dress rehearsal? Repentance from what? To what? When Jesus taught in the synagogue from the book of Isaiah, he said to the people, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” And so it is. Wait not for future things when Jesus is right here, right now. Go with him this moment.

Pairs

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

And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs…v. 7a 

It is notable all the things the disciples are instructed not to take, but it struck me today what they did take. They were sent in pairs. This is significant in that Jesus knew the disciples would be aided by the encouragement and accountability of a partner in ministry. Ministry (the kind to which we are ALL called) can be a daunting and draining journey. Each of us will have periods in our call where we feel beat up. There were specific times in Jesus’ earthly journey where he sequestered himself to pray, but how much more did he surround himself with partners in ministry? When we are on mission together we are better. Who are you praying with? Who are you sharing your journey with? Who had Jesus sent to accompany you on your call to serve?

Re:Verse Blog – 3/3/25

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

Join us as Senior Pastor Chris Johnson, Associate Pastor Aaron Hufty, and Associate Pastor Bryan Richardson walk us through Mark 6:7-13 in our Winter Re:Verse Series: “reMARKable – The Journey Continues.”

Unbelief

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

And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. vs 5

Mark wanted to make it plainly clear that the unbelief of the Nazarenes was directly correlated to the lack of miracles being performed. When doubt and skepticism are present, then the full potential of the Holy Spirit will not be manifested. Many today feel that many of the gifts of the Spirit have ceased to exist in modern context. Why don’t we see miracles or mighty works of the Spirit like we do in the New Testament church? Is it possible, that it is because of the doubt and skepticism of the Church? It wasn’t the doubt of Jesus that was causing Him to not be able to perform miracles, but it was the skepticism of the people around Him that stifled the Spirit in the moment.

If we want to see the Spirit at work amongst us today, we must first cure our unbelief. Not just your own, but corporately and universally. How can you help those around you today believe in the Power of Jesus? It starts with the people in your classes and pews!