In this message, Pastor Mark explores what it means to truly follow Jesus through three teachings from the Gospel of Mark: Jesus’s words on divorce, His encounter with the rich young ruler, and His blessing of the children. Using the tragic story of Sir John Franklin’s lost Arctic expedition, he illustrates the danger of depending on our own expertise rather than the one who knows the way forward.
The central message is clear: following Jesus requires complete dependence on Him. Whether it’s navigating the complexities of marriage, surrendering our wealth and control, or approaching God with childlike trust, Jesus calls us to depend on Him rather than ourselves. This dependent faith will cost us something—our pride, our control, our self-sufficiency—but the reward far exceeds anything we could achieve on our own.
To watch the sermon previously preached more in-depth on the topic of divorce, click here.
Reflection Questions:
- What stuck out in today’s message? What did you find challenging and encouraging? Did you learn anything new?
- Think about a generous person in your life (past or present). What characteristics do they have?
- Read Mark 10:1–31. Looking at the passage (and including insights from Pastor Mark’s sermon), what cultural debate of the time are the Pharisees hoping to trip Jesus up talking about?
- Which commandments does Jesus mention to the rich young ruler? What do you notice about the commandments mentioned and not mentioned?
- Considering the entire passage, what message is Jesus sharing with his disciples about trusting God, as illustrated through examples of divorce and wealth?
- What do you think is the significance of Jesus referencing creation when discussing marriage?
- What does having a “child-like” faith practically look like?
- Life is filled with an array of responsibilities and expectations, big and small. How do we balance these responsibilities with the simplicity of a child-like faith?
- Why do you think Jesus told the young man that he needed to sell everything and give to the poor?
- Pastor Mark mentioned that dependent faith requires something of us—to be willing to be sacrificially generous. What’s one word to define your generosity right now? What does it look like this week to take a step towards sacrificial generosity?
