Mark 3:5
“Stretch forth your hand.”

When Jesus entered the Synagogue, it seemed everyone in the room knew He would address the man with the withered hand. His disciples were watching carefully. This event would be seared into their memories, and written down in the timeless Word of God. The Pharisees watched Him closely, knowing His compassion would lead Him to the man, even though it was the Sabbath. I imagine the man with the withered hand also watched eagerly, hoping Jesus would do for him, what he had done for so many others. As Jesus approached him, this man must have been excitedly anticipating what Jesus was about to do. It is here, where the story gets most interesting to me. Instead of touching the man’s hand, speaking words of healing, or even asking him to do a religious task, Jesus simply says, “Stretch forth your hand.” What sounds like a simple request to you and me was actually an impossibility. Jesus asked this man to do the one thing that he was not able to do. Had He asked him to run to the priests, to offer a sacrifice of 1000 sheep, or even travel to the pool of Bethsaida; difficult as those things might have been, they were possible. But to stretch out his withered hand, he could not do. Something happened within this man the moment he chose to obey Jesus. The impossible, not only became possible, it happened. His hand was restored.

Often, we feel like this man. Jesus highlights something in our life, and calls us to change. We look at Him as if to say, “Jesus, I can’t. I’ve tried so many times and this is too hard for me.” Christian, allow me to encourage you. The moment you decide you will obey, is the moment He provides the supernatural ability to bring about change. Together, let’s stop looking at all the reasons we cannot overcome our weaknesses, and let’s focus on His ability to transform our lives and stretch forth our withered hands.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Mark 3

1. Jesus asks the man with the withered hand to do 2 things. What are they?
2. What do we learn about obeying Jesus from the fact that Jesus asked this man to do what he could not do?
3. Why do you think Jesus would forbid the unclean spirits from declaring who he is?
4. Look carefully at the calling of the 12, what were they called to do?
5. What lessons do we learn from Jesus’ statement that a house divided against itself cannot stand.
6. Take some time to pray for unity in CCVB
7. Jesus states that His real family is the ones who are obeying Him. The first step in obedience is the surrender of your life to Christ as king. Take a moment to offer yourself as a living sacrifice.

Old Testament:
Exodus 11- Stand Out
Exodus 12- Free Pass

Mark 2:3
“Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.”

There are so many fascinating aspects to this story: the crowd that gathered to listen to Jesus teach the Word, the healing of the paralytic, the fact that Jesus put a higher priority on the man’s spiritual condition, than upon his physical suffering, and the claim and proof that Jesus is God. All are worth noting and taking time for more careful observation. However, in the midst of all of that, it might be easy to look past one of the most important lessons in this text. Did you notice the actions of those who brought the paralytic? The effort these men went through in order to bring this man to Christ really struck me.

First, notice the value they put upon Jesus; they would seek to bring others to Him. They must have truly believed that the most important thing for this man was an encounter with Christ.

Second, notice the value they placed upon the man; they would risk missing out on getting a good seat, to carry him to Jesus. Keep in mind, in ancient times, a paralytic would have very little chance of doing anything but beg. In some cases, it was thought illness was attributed to sin, causing some to think that perhaps he deserved this condition. Certainly, there was no monetary or social benefit gained by associating with this man. Instead, the four men simply knew a man who was in need of Jesus, and they did whatever they could to get him there.

Third, notice they would not let any obstacle get in their way. When they arrived at the house, there seemed to be no way in; yet these men found a way. We are not told how, but they found a way to get up on the roof, they found a way to hoist the paralytic up with them, and they began to tear off the roofing, in order to get the man to Christ. This becomes even more striking when we realize it was not their house. They were taking a huge risk. To them, the cost was not greater than the prize of getting this man to Christ.

Finally, notice they did not complain when Jesus responded differently than they expected. Jesus was more interested in the man’s spiritual condition, than his physical suffering. This upset the religious leaders, but we hear no complaint from the four men. It is as though they understood that Jesus knew what was best for the paralytic, and they trusted the man into the care of Christ.

As a result of the actions of these four men, one individual had his life changed. He was healed, but more importantly, he was saved. I think we can learn a lot from the actions of these men. I think we need to put a greater value upon Christ, and upon each and every person, and be willing to risk more to bring people to hear about Jesus. Perhaps now would be a good time to pray for some of your friends who don’t know Christ.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Mark 2

1. What was Jesus doing in the crowded room in Capernaum?
2. How did the friends get the paralytic to Jesus?
3. What does that say to you about bringing friends to hear the Word of God?
4. Pray about whom to invite to church with you this weekend. Call them right now.
5. Who did Levi invite to his home to hear Jesus?
6. The new wine and old wineskins seems to speak about God’s desire to do new things in new ways. Pray for CCVB concerning how God may want use us in a new way.
7. Have you ever read what David did? Take a few minutes to read the story recorded in 1 Samuel 21.

Old Testament:
Exodus 9- Free To Serve
Exodus 10- A Snare To Us

Mark 1:28
“And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.”

In the synagogue in Capernaum, Jesus encountered a man with an unclean spirit. While there is no way of knowing what lifestyle he had lived which led to his condition, we can surmise from other accounts of dealing with demons, he was living in great darkness and difficulty. Whatever turmoil he faced, the solution was encountering Jesus. What the world could not do, Jesus did with seven simple words,”be quiet and come out of him.”

The Word of God has been overcoming darkness ever since. The Bible records many cases where people’s lives have been forever altered by the Words of God. We read of prostitutes, tax collectors, insurrectionists, religious zealots, as well as common everyday men and women, who encounter the Word of God, and are forever changed. The Word of God is still driving out darkness and changing lives.

A number of years ago, a plot of land, more than 20 acres, was given to the Calvary Chapel Bible Training Center in Ghana, West Africa. This pristine plot of ground, on a mountain overlooking the Volta river, was the perfect site to build a facility for the school, and later a church. We were amazed that it was gifted to us, and could not understand why it had not been developed earlier. Since that time, the facilities were erected, others have built homes, and established farms in the area. We recently heard, the reason it lay dormant all those years is, the people believed the area was filled with evil spirits. When the Training Center was built, and the Word of God taught, they saw that the evil of the area was driven away. The whole village has been impacted by the teaching of God’s Word, and Jesus is continuing to make Himself famous.

What we need, more than ever, is for the Word of God to be proclaimed so darkness can be overcome, and lives can be transformed.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Mark 1

1. How does Mark describe the Gospel in verse 1?
2. According to verse 5, what did those who came to John do in addition to being baptized?
3. Have you been baptized since you made a decision to follow Jesus?
4. Jesus faced temptation from the devil, to see how He combatted it see Matthew chapter 4.
5. Because the Kingdom of God is at hand, what should we do?
6. Notice how people responded to Jesus
7. The fishermen
8. Those in the Synagogue
9. Peter’s mother in law
10. The Leper
11. How are you responding to the invitation that Jesus has given to follow Him?

Old Testament: Exodus 7-8- One More Night

Matthew 27:5
“Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.”

While I do not want to tackle the subject of the eternal destiny of Judas, I do see in him an illustration of how the Christian often deals with personal failure or sin. After the initial pleasure received from sin, we are filled with remorse or guilt. That guilt can become overwhelming and lead to discouragement, depression, and even despair. Too often, we follow the example of Judas, attempting to remove our guilt.

First, like him, we attempt to undo our failure. Since this cannot be done, we spend time wishing we could go back, wishing we had that moment in time again so we could do things differently.

Second, we often attempt to deal with the remorse by going to others. Would Judas have been any better off spiritually if the chief priests had accepted the money? Of course not! While the kind and forgiving words of others are helpful, that is not how sin is removed from the life of the child of God.

Finally, like Judas, we often attempt to get the incident as far from us as possible. If I do not think about it, or I let time work its magic, I know I will feel better. This was Judas’ approach. He cast the money on the floor and departed. Perhaps he thought, if it were no longer in his possession he would not be haunted by it. While dwelling on your failure is not the way God would have you deal with sin, simply ignoring it is not His solution either. God has established a way for the child of God to deal with personal failure and sin.

John wrote,
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9

God’s method of dealing with sin and remorse is confession. The first step to confession is going to God. It is at the foot of the cross where we will find the release from the haunting guilt of personal sin. While the forgiveness is immediate and we do not have to do anything to receive it (Jesus did it all for us), there are times when we must camp out at the cross. There, alone with only the presence of God and the promises of Scripture, we let Him communicate His lovingkindness to us. We must remain until we can clearly see that He has borne our grief and carried our sorrow.

Perhaps this morning, you need some time alone with Jesus, focusing upon the forgiveness He has provided at the cross. A forgiveness that is unearned, complete, and frees us from the penalty, power, and guilt of sin

“When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because a sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.”

“Before The Throne Of God Above”, Shane and Shane

Pastor Jim

Questions for chapter 27

1. After Jesus was condemned by the religious leaders where did they take Him?
2. The Jews had lost the right to capital punishment, if they wanted Jesus put to death publically they needed Rome’s help.
3. What do you learn about sin from Judas’ act of returning the money?
4. In verse 11, how does Jesus respond to the accusation of being King of the Jews?
5. Why do you think the people chose Barabbas over Jesus?
6. Notice how Jesus was treated by:
   1. The soldiers
   2. The robbers
   3. The passers by
7. What do we learn from verse 46 about the suffering Jesus faced?
8. After watching the events of the cross, what conclusion did the Centurion come to in verse 54?
9. Why was a guard posted at the tomb?

Old Testament:
Exodus 3- He Heard My Cry
Exodus 4- What’s In Your Hand?

Matthew 26:5
“But they said, ‘Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.’”

Matthew 26 and 27 record the final events in the life of Jesus. The hostility toward Him has reached a climax, and His opponents are seeking to kill Him. Theirs is the most heinous of sins, the murder of the Son of God! But the text reveals that their sin was motivated by what commonly drives you and I to sin; the fear of man. The fear of man might simply be defined as being more concerned with what man thinks, than what God thinks. On the other hand, the fear of God is being more concerned with what God thinks, than what man thinks. Solomon wrote

“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe” Proverbs 29:25

The hunter sets the trap for the wild animal, disguises it as best he can, making it look like something it is not, but his real goal is to catch, kill and eat the animal. The fear of man is a lot like that. So subtly, we set aside what is well-pleasing to the Lord, in order to be pleasing to others. The opponents of Jesus did not want to lose favor with the people because of the position they had and the comforts that went along with it. It was their social status and the fear of losing it, which led them to commit this great sin. John tells us, this is one of the great dangers for all Christians. He said, “All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). The pride of life speaks of position, status, wanting to fit in, or fearing we might no longer be accepted in our peer group. We call that “peer pressure,” and warn our children of the destruction it brings. However, even adults fall prey to the pressure of the fear of man. Solomon not only warns of the fear of man, he also speaks of the antidote.

“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.”Proverbs 8:13

Wanting to live well-pleasing to the Lord will produce in us a hate for the things that are displeasing. Had the religious leader’s foremost concern been pleasing God, they would have never committed such a horrible act, as crucifying the Son of God. The same will always be true of us. Today, if we will allow the fear of God to influence all we do, we will find, at the end of the day, we have lived lives well-pleasing to Him.

Pastor Jim

Questions for chapter 26

1. Why were the religious leaders concerned about arresting Jesus during the feast?
2. How is the anointing of Jesus a good illustration of worship?
3. While eating the Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus breaks bread and passes a cup.
   1. What does the bread represent?
   2. What does the cup represent?
4. What promise does Peter make to Jesus regarding “stumbling”?
5. How does Jesus respond to Peter?
6. What lessons can we learn from the disciples sleeping while Jesus is praying?
7. Jesus had 12 legions of angels at his disposal, yet he did not seek their aid. What does that teach about the love of Jesus?
8. What promise does Jesus give in verse 64?
9. What steps led to Peter denying Jesus?

Old Testament:
Exodus 1- Help!
Exodus 2- Baby In The Basket

Matthew 25:13
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

Chapter 25 seems to be about being ready. Jesus warns about a final day of reckoning, when the sheep will be separated from goats. To ensure that we are ready for what is coming, Jesus gives two parables. The first explains the need to be born again, the second the need to be busy about the Lord’s business.

In the first, five of the ten virgins were not prepared when the groom arrived. They may have been dressed, even excited, but they did not have oil in their lamps. Oil is used throughout Scripture as an illustration of the Holy Spirit. It seems, the main message is that these woman were not born again. It is also worth noting, that while saved, the other five were certainly neglecting their responsibilities. They slept while their friends remained ill prepared.

In the second story, we are introduced to three men, each of whom had been given varying sums of money to invest. The first two made investments, and were handsomely rewarded by the king. The third failed because of fear. It should be the desire of every Christian to use what we have been given to make investments in eternity.

Every promise given in Scripture will come to pass. One day, Jesus will fulfill His promise and return for His church. The question should not be ‘Is He coming?’ but rather ‘Are you ready?’ If you have not received Christ as Savior, do so right now. If Christ is your Savior, seek to use all He has given you to make investments in eternity.

Pastor Jim

Questions for chapter 25

1. What did the virgins do that made them wise?
2. According to verse 13, what application should we draw out of the story?
3. What did the 3^rd man do with the talents he was given?
4. What did the first 2 do with theirs?
5. How are you using your resources to further the Kingdom of Heaven?
6. Who do the sheep represent?
7. Who do the goats represent?
8. How can we show the love of Jesus to strangers?

Old Testament:
Genesis 49- Blessed
Genesis 50- Meant For Good

Matthew 24:3
“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

The Psalmist, in a time of great despair, wrote, “Why are you cast down oh my soul, and why are you in turmoil? Hope in God…” (Psalm 42:5).  Hope serves as an anchor when the storms of life seem as though they are going to overwhelm us. As a child of God, we have the hope that His Word is eternal, and while circumstances may change, His promises remain trustworthy. We have the hope that in the midst of life’s hardships, He will never leave us, but will walk through the fires with us, even carrying us. Perhaps our greatest hope, is that Jesus has promised He will return for us. There is a time coming, perhaps in the very near future, when “as the lighting comes from the East and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” This great hope was foremost in the minds of the disciples, as the events of Matthew 24 unfolded, and the chapter is Jesus’ answer to the question, “when.”

Instead of giving a date, Jesus begins with a warning, “Take heed.” Essentially, He is exhorting His followers to be on the lookout for the events that foreshadow His return.

He begins with a description of the world:

Many false christs
Wars
Famine, pestilence, earthquakes in various places
Persecution – “then they will deliver you up . . .”

After answering the initial question about the signs, Jesus gives a series of warnings:

Be familiar with the Word of God, vs 15
Be a person of prayer, vs 20
Know Jesus well, so as not to be deceived, vs 23
Pay attention to the signs of the times, vs 32
Be ready – parable of the faithful servant (vs 45-51). Notice he is faithful when the master finds him “so doing.” We are ready when we are getting orders from the Master and doing them. When we lose sight of Him, that is when we begin to misbehave.

Perhaps you are cast down. Perhaps life is beating you down. Take time today to sit at the feet of the Master and get your orders from Him. He not only has a plan for your life, He also wants to use you for the furtherance of His Kingdom, in preparation for His return.

Pastor Jim

Questions for chapter 24

1. What does Jesus predict will happen to the Temple?
2. In 70 AD the Temple was destroyed after the Jewish people rebelled against Roman occupancy. The Temple was leveled fulfilling the words of Christ.
3. Notice that chapter 24-25 is an answer Jesus gives to the questions of verse 3, what are the questions?
4. In verses 4-8, how does Jesus describe the world leading up to His return?
5. What promise does Jesus give in verse 14?
6. Jesus warns concerning false Christs. What is a false Christ?
7. What lesson should we learn from the parable of the fig tree?
8. Why does Jesus bring up Noah?
9. How can you apply verse 44 to your life today?

Old Testament:
Genesis 47- Association
Genesis 48- Reflection

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Matthew 23:27
“How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…”

Paul prayed for the Ephesian Christians that they would comprehend the love of God which he described as beyond our ability to understand.

That you “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge…” Ephesians 3:19

His love is beyond comprehension, partly because there is no other love like it. We get a glimpse of His love by the way a mother cares for her infant son, or the way a groom looks at his bride, or the way a grandparent dotes over her grandchildren. But those are only glimpses, because His love passes knowledge. It will take us all eternity to delve into the great chasms of His love.

This love is expressed in the statement Jesus makes as He looks out over the city of Jerusalem. He says His desire is to gather them unto Himself, as a hen gathers her chicks. He wants to care for them, instruct them, and protect them from the natural consequences of living apart from Him. That alone is a wonderful expression of His love; but this statement does not stand alone. Chapter 23 describes some of the people He wants to gather to Himself. He wants the hypocrite, who loves the attention of being a godly man, while his example is actually keeping others from Christ. He wants the blind guide, who thinks he has heaven and earth all figured out, while rejecting and ignoring the Word of God. He wants the one who uses religion as a way to get things from others. He wants the one who will practice a few select religious observations, while neglecting to love God and others. He wants those who clean the outside of the cup, so others will think they are godly, but their lives are filled with hidden sin. And most importantly, HE WANTS YOU!

Don’t let your failures keep you from Him. He loves you and wants to gather you to Himself, and transform your life. Will you let Him? Take some time right now to offer yourself to Him, as if you were a living sacrifice.

Pastor Jim

Questions for chapter 23

1. What modern saying do you know that sounds a lot like verse 3?
2. Sum up the way the Pharisees are described in verses 3-7
3. In contrast, how are we to behave, verse 11?
4. According to verse 12, what should motivate us to humility?
5. Jesus described the behavior of the Pharisees in verse 24, what do you think He meant?
6. Hypocrisy is not behaving one way when you feel another; Hypocrisy is behaving ungodly while claiming to be a follower of God. The Pharisees were the group that Jesus was most upset with, because of their hypocrisy. Are there areas in your life that this addresses?
7. Why was Jesus so upset over Jerusalem?

Old Testament:
Genesis 45- Perspective
Genesis 46- Egypt

Matthew 22:20 ”
“And He said to them, ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’”

As the cross approaches, so does the opposition to Jesus. The religious leaders are desperately trying to turn the people against Jesus. In this case, they sent the young Pharisees, and the Herodians, a political sect that favored the Jews being ruled by Rome. When they arrived, they must have thought they had come up with the perfect question. No matter how Jesus answered, He would end up polarizing himself. “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?” If Jesus says “yes”, he will find himself at odds with the people. They will think of Him, and all He has done and said, as simply a political movement in support of Rome. If He says “no”, He will find himself the enemy of Rome and be a wanted man. I can almost feel the excitement of the religious leaders as the question is posed.  Jesus’ response is as insightful as it is brilliant.

“Whose image and inscription is this… Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s”

Jesus draws their attention to the coin. He wants them to notice whose image it bears and what has been written on it. Since it bears the image and text of Caesar, render it to him. Jesus does not stop there, He adds, “Render to God the things that are God’s.”

It strikes me, as I think of holding a coin, that today, like then, coins bear images and inscription. They both show and tell to whom they really belong, and so do we. The Bible tells us we have been created in the image of God, and when we receive Christ, we are born again in His image.

“. . . put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, . . .” (Colossians 3:10)

And as we walk with Him, He writes upon our hearts. We actually become living love letters from God; written for the world to read.

“You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.”            2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Let’s be sure, today, that we are rendering to God what belongs to Him. He created you, redeemed you, and desires you. Give unto God what is God’s.

Pastor Jim

Questions for chapter 22

1. Who do you think the characters of the Parable in verses 1-14 represent?
2. What seems to be the desire of the King?
3. Where were the people invited from?
4. Why was one of the guests removed from the feast?
5. What does Jesus tell us to do with the things that belong to God?
6. What things of yours belong to God?
7. What is significant about the statement “God is the God of the living?”
8. In a word, what is the greatest commandment?
9. To who is that love to be directed?
10. In what way are you showing love for God and others?

Old Testament:
Genesis 43- Don’t Wait
Genesis 44- That’s Heavy Man

Matthew 21:42
“The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”

Jesus told a story that the original audience understood to be speaking of how they were rejecting the Son of God. In response to the story, Jesus refers to builders who had rejected the “chief cornerstone.” In many ancient buildings, the foundation was supported by a cornerstone, without it, the foundation would not be able to support that which was built upon it. Jewish lore tells the story of the building of Solomon’s Temple, a project that took many years. The massive stones for the Temple were quarried some distance away from the Temple site and delivered to the builders. As they were laying the foundation, a very oddly shaped stone,that did not seem to fit, arrived. The contractor, thinking the quarry had made a mistake, had the stone thrown away. It was pushed down a hill into the city trash dump. Sometime later, the contractor sent to the quarry asking for the chief cornerstone. The quarry sent back a message saying it had already been delivered. When the contractor argued that he had never received the stone, someone reminded him of the oddly shaped stone, the one that did not seem to fit his plans, that he had thrown in the trash. Sure enough, that was the stone that would support the whole building. With great effort, they raised the stone out of the rubbish heap, and continued erecting what would become a building which would bring glory to God and salvation to man.

It is not difficult to understand what Jesus is getting at. In the parable, the Son was rejected because the vine dressers saw no value in having Him rule over them. They thought their lives would be better, more profitable, and more successful without the Son. But they were, in fact, rejecting the most important aspect of life; relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Have you made Jesus the chief cornerstone of your life? Is the rest of your life built upon the solid foundation of relationship with Jesus? Take some time right now to surrender all to Jesus and to reflect upon how you can let Him reign in every area of your life.

Pastor Jim

Questions for chapter 21

1. Riding into Jerusalem on a donkey was a public declaration by Jesus of being the Messiah. How did the people react?
2. Why was it wrong for the Temple to be filled with all that stuff? See verse 13.
3. What lesson do we learn about bearing fruit from the fig tree?
4. Why do you think the religious leaders were afraid to answer the questions posed by Jesus?
5. In the parable of the Vinedressers, who are the characters representing?
6. What does the phrase in verse 42 mean?05

Old Testament:
Genesis 41- Prepare For the Future
Genesis 42- For Me Or Against Me