July 2^nd was our Joint Service with our Nepalese brothers and sisters.
For this sermon, we continued on in our study of the Gospel of Mark by looking at Mark 11:1-11. This passage reminds us that Jesus is always in control and that He is a king worthy to be praised.

Where have I seen God's control in my life? How do I praise Jesus?

In this sermon we look at the last healing miracle in the Gospel of Mark in Mark 10:46-52. Jesus restoring the sight of a blind man named Bartimaeus gives us a chance to reflect on how we view Jesus. Do we see Jesus for who He really is? Do we understand what He came to do? Do we cry out to Him for mercy? Do we follow Him? Do we truly see?

Who do I think that Jesus is?
Do I follow Him?
What does that look like?

Mark 10:35-45 will show us how Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve by dying on the cross as a ransom for our sin. All people are called to respond to His work by trusting in Him. Those who know Him are also challenged to not lord authority over other people, but instead, dedicate our lives to serving others.

Why is it important that Jesus came not to be served, but to serve?
How should I respond to that truth?

Jesus will encourage us with the truth that following Him is more than worth it. We may have to lose a lot in order to follow Him, but in return we gain a church family to support us in the present and eternal life for the future.

Why is it worth it to follow Christ?
What benefits do I have right now because I am a Christian?

Pastor Tom preaches from Mark 10:32-34. We are going to look at Jesus' third time predicting his death. In this instance, He is quite detailed as to what is going to happen to Him. Why? Because He is encouraging His disciples to overcome their fear and to follow Him. In this sermon we are going to see how we can be paralyzed by our fears, but through the power of the Gospel, we can overcome them.

Mark 10:17-27 will confront us with the most important question in the world, "What must we do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus will explain how difficult it is to go to heaven, because we want to trust in everything other than Him. But what is impossible with man is possible with God, because He provides a way to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
What must I do to be saved? Why do I believe that?

Pastor Tom speaks about Jesus' love for children from Mark 10:13-16. In these verses, we learn why Jesus loves children, what we can learn from children, and why we, East Shore Baptist Church, should remain faithful in our children's ministry.

Why does Jesus love children?

What can children teach me about God?

Jesus gets personal in Mark 10:1-12. His convicting words in this passage not only teach us about His thoughts on divorce, but also show us God's design for marriage and sexual intimacy. God has created marriage and sex for His glory. We, who claim to be His people, should take what He says serious. We should live by His Word rather than our own preferences or desires.

What does the world say that marriage and sex is about?
What does God say?

What is the biggest/most serious/most important problem in your life? In Mark 9:38-50, Jesus will tell us what our real problem actually is: our own sin and its consequence of eternal separation from Jesus in hell. But it's not all bad news, because Jesus will also tell us what we should do about it!

Do I view my sin as my biggest problem? Why or why not?

What are my thoughts about hell? What does Jesus say about it?

Who is the GOAT (Greatest of All Time)? That's the question we are going to consider in this sermon from Mark 9:30-37.
We like to think of ourselves as better than others, but Jesus shows us a better way. He truly is the greatest and He calls us to be servants that put others first.

How do I think of myself as being better than other people?

How should I think about others instead?

In this sermon, we see Jesus surrounded by people who lack faith in Him in Mark 9:14-29. Pastor Tom shares with us how each person/s in our story is dealing with a situation that could easily be resolved if they had faith in Christ. We will talk about the power of our faith in Christ and be challenged to grow our faith in Christ.
What is the power of faith in Christ? How can I grow in my faith?

We finally answer the question "Who is Jesus?" by looking at Mark 8:27-30. Some people say that Jesus was a great prophet or religious leader. But the truth is that He is the Christ, the Messiah, our one and only Savior! It's easy to say that Jesus is our Savior, but do we really believe it and live like it is true? Do we share that good news with others?
In my thoughts, words, and actions, who do I say that Jesus is?

We turn to Mark 8:31-38. On this Resurrection Sunday, our passage appropriately tells us what Jesus came to do: suffer, die, and rise again for us! After that, Jesus turns to what He calls us to do in response: follow Him by taking up our cross and surrendering our lives to Him. Jesus is worth following because our eternity is at stake!

What did Jesus do that we are celebrating this weekend?

What should I do in response?

We finally answer the question "Who is Jesus?" by looking at Mark 8:27-30. Some people say that Jesus was a great prophet or religious leader. But the truth is that He is the Christ, the Messiah, our one and only Savior! It's easy to say that Jesus is our Savior, but do we really believe it and live like it is true? Do we share that good news with others?
In my thoughts, words, and actions, who do I say that Jesus is?

Pastor Tom continues our study through the Gospel of Mark in 8:22-26. In this text Jesus will take two attempts to heal a blind man, symbolizing the Old and New Testaments.
What were shadows in the Old Testament are now clearly seen in the New Testament. The key difference? Jesus has come to shed light for us to see!

In this sermon Mark 8:11-21 will tell us about two conversations Jesus had with those who were doubting Him.

Some needed to be challenged with the questions: "What more do you need to believe in Jesus?" On the other hand, His disciples needed to be challenged with the question: "What more do you need to trust Jesus?"

We'll look at both of these questions and consider our answers to them.

Do I believe in Jesus?

Do I trust Jesus? If not, what more do I need?

We look at examples of God's Surprising Grace through Mark 7:24-8:10 (focusing  on 8:10). He shows grace when, where, and to those whom we do not  expect. We should look for His surprising grace in our lives and in the  lives of those around us.
How has God's grace surprised and challenged me?

And we all are called to come to Jesus with humility and receive His grace. Do I believe that Jesus cares for me? How do I respond to that truth?

Pastor Tom shares from Mark 7:31-37. His goal and prayer for us is to be astonished at the works of God and for us to begin begging God to display His works.

Am I astonished at the work of God?

How can I make a habit of begging God to display His works?

And we all are called to come to Jesus with humility and receive His grace. Do I believe that Jesus cares for me? How do I respond to that truth?