Mark 3
May 4, 2022
“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” (v13-15)
When Jesus called the Twelve, He had ministry in mind for them. He was going to send them out “to preach” (v14b) and to “drive out demons” (v15). But Jesus had another purpose in mind for calling them, one that came even before ministry: relationship with Himself. Specifically, Jesus called them - “that they might be with Him” (v14a). In other words, a relationship with Jesus came first for His disciples, ministry came second. Ministry FOR Jesus flowed out of time WITH Jesus.
Lord, I praise You for Your great love. Thank You that You do not see me as a mere worker bee, saved to simply do stuff for You. Your first priority is that I grow in my relationship with You, and that I spend time with You, so that I get to know You, and find my identity in belonging to You. Only then will my work, my ministry, my doing - have any lasting impact. Help me to prioritize time WITH you over ministry FOR You.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
