Jesus leaves the Feast of Dedication and travels to the other side of the Jordan River, where John had baptized him three years earlier (John 10:40). Jesus will use this as a base for the next few months, awaiting His final entrance into Jerusalem and His pending death on the cross. What will he do in these last several months to ensure that the movement will continue after He returns to His Fathe...  Read More

Jesus returned to Galilee, continued to train His apostles, and prepared the next group of disciples whom He would soon send out on their first mission trip. But there is another feast, the Feast of Dedication or Lights. This is not an Old Testament feast, but a new one added several years before Jesus arrived. This was in honor of the miracle when God supernaturally provided light in the lamps wh...  Read More

After meeting with Moses and Elijah, they went back down the mountain and"when they came back to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him" (Mark 9:14-15).Jesus comes off the mountain and is immediately confronted with the needs of the people. He ...  Read More

Six days after this incredible leadership team evaluation, Jesus reveals that He has begun such a powerful movement that the gates of Hell will not be able to slow its advance. Jesus, as the leader of this movement, is Himself the Lion of Judah and will lead the charge through the centuries. As they walk, He reveals to them that the movement’s next steps would not be without great personal sufferi...  Read More

After walking on water, Jesus continues to train His leadership team for the mission. He teaches them about love, humility, faith, and their understanding of authority. He will cast out various demons, heal a little girl, confront the religious leaders once again and feed 4,000 people, a similar miracle because “they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened” (Mark 6:52). It ...  Read More

After a full day of ministry and picking up the twelve baskets of leftovers, Jesus sees that the disciples are exhausted. So He sends them off in a boat onto the Sea of Galilee to get them away from the crowd and allow them to rest. At the same time, Jesus dismisses everyone else (Mark 6:45). After bidding the crowd farewell, Jesus makes His way back up a nearby mountain to spend some time debrief...  Read More

The news of John’s death and how he died stung like a sharp knife, piercing Jesus’ soul. Grieving, Jesus retreats to the comfort of the Father and the silence of the Sea of Galilee. He tells his disciples to be with Him, and He escapes to a secluded place. People were coming from everywhere after hearing the news about John’s death (Mark 6:31). Some feel that this crowd was angry and ready for a r...  Read More

Meanwhile, as the disciples wander the countryside having the adventure of a lifetime, something exciting is happening in Israel. It was the birthday of King Herod, and he was throwing a party for himself that would last for days, if not weeks. At this party, something would happen that would launch the movement to a new level at a deep personal cost to Jesus. So read this sad story very carefully...  Read More

After months of intensive leadership training, it is finally time for the twelve apprentices to be sent out on their own mission trip. Remember, Jesus called these twelve guys for two reasons: first, so that they might be with Him and grow closer to him, and second, so that he might send them out (Mark 3:14). It is no surprise to them that Jesus is sending them out. It is an exciting time, yet the...  Read More

Have you ever been so tired that you slept right through a storm? That is where we find Jesus today. As the movement continues to expand, Jesus finds it harder and harder to find a place to rest or even get a bite to eat. In Mark 3:20, Peter notes, "Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat." Luke records, probably from Mary's mem...  Read More

It appears that a curious Pharisee is living in Capernaum who has been following the ministry of Jesus. He is intrigued enough to risk his reputation and invite Jesus for a meal with some of his friends. Naturally, Jesus accepts the invitation, and what transpires is nothing less than life-transforming- let’s see!Read Luke 7:36-50What does this passage tell us about Simon the Pharisee (a religious...  Read More

I hope you are wrestling with leading like Jesus. I want to be a leader who loves, is humble, has great faith in God, and knows who his authority is. I struggle with all four leadership aspects, so I need Jesus to live in me and through me to be the leader He calls me to be. We're only doing 50 days; therefore, we will leave out events like the one found in Luke 7:11-17 when Jesus shows the power ...  Read More

After choosing the first leaders for the movement and laying out the Father’s plan for reaching the world, Jesus came down from the mountain and returned to His home and ministry center in Capernaum. His leaders are now with Him almost 24/7. And who does the Father have waiting in the wings but a Roman centurion. Oh, the humor! How will Jesus model His new leadership principle of living graciously...  Read More

After letting his disciples know what they should expect as they leave this mountaintop experience with him, he begins explaining the Father's plan for reaching the world. I imagine the atmosphere was electrifying, with everyone shouting, "Let's take the world!". Jesus quiets them and begins sharing the game plan to bring freedom from Rome and the curse of sin. They all listen with great anticipat...  Read More

When we left Jesus yesterday, he had just announced the appointment of twelve leaders. I don't think everyone was happy with the final decision. What about the women disciples? Yes, many women were not just Christ followers but also disciples. In Luke 8:1-3 we have a list of several of these women. As Jesus looked into the faces of those not chosen and chosen, I am sure he saw many different expre...  Read More

As Jesus moves into this new phase, He knows HE must listen carefully to His Father for the movement to expand according to the Father’s master plan. So Jesus called an isolated (maybe even secretive) meeting with His disciples from every area He has been in over the past two years. Probably some 120 disciples move quietly to the mountains of Naphtali just northwest of Capernaum. As they arrive fr...  Read More

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This 6th “fishing trip” is impressive and a bit astonishing. This guy is living in Capernaum– He is well-off, well-dressed has it all. He is, in fact, the son of the powerful Alphas and commissioned, trusted, and protected by Rome to collect taxes from the people of Israel. He may have been following Jesus from afar and weighing carefully the call to leave everything and follow. But there is so mu...  Read More

After this last "fishing trip," the movement is snowballing. Did you catch how the movement of multiplication is beginning to pick up momentum? Mark notes that during this time in the ministry, the leper "went out and began to talk freely, spreading the good news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from every...  Read More

As Jesus moves throughout the Galilee of the Gentiles, sharing who He is, He comes across a man covered from head to toe with a fatal disease. What will happen, and how will this lead to a teaching experience and a “fishing for men” trip? Let’s go!Read Luke 5:12-16, Matthew 8:2-4: Mark 1:40-45Where is Jesus “Fishing”?Who is He fishing for?What is Jesus modeling about “Fishing for men” in a city?Ho...  Read More

Okay- So far, we've seen Jesus "fishing for men" at a synagogue and Peter's house. Jesus and his disciples planned the first, and the other was spontaneous. What kind of "fishing trip" will be next? When we left Jesus yesterday, under the direction of the Father, Jesus went to Peter's house with His disciples (or at least some of them) for the surrounding villages to train His young Ministry Team....  Read More

We are in the process of looking at the first six “fishing trips” Jesus goes on with his young ministry team. We are doing this for two reasons, do you remember what they are? Jesus' goal was to 1. train the ministry team and 2. reach the masses. Although Fridays trip was well executed, today’s “fishing trip” may surprise you. When we left Friday, Jesus had healed a demon-possessed man of an evil ...  Read More

Jesus is now ready to begin what will be another year and a half of fishing expeditions with His disciples. We will be looking at the first six expeditions. These are the first six outreach events that Jesus does in order to train His young ministry team to reach the masses with the good news that He is the Messiah. There is a progression to these fishing trips, a good pattern for us to follow, an...  Read More

Jesus leaves Jerusalem and makes His way back up north to His new home in Capernaum. He most likely heads over to the shores of the Sea of Galilee to meet up with some of His early followers, who had returned home as well to their parents, wives and families. He arrives early in the morning, just as the sun breaks over the horizon. These fishermen have just come off of a long night of fishing and ...  Read More