TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” Mark 9:21
Read: Mark 9:19-21
Listen: Mark 9
TODAY’S MESSAGE
Jesus descends from the mountaintop and walks right into a crisis. A large crowd gathers around a boy convulsing from demon possession. Most people might freeze with fear at such calamity or move to fix-it mode, attempting to cure the situation as quickly as possible. Not Jesus. Instead, Jesus moves with compassion and asks the fatigued father about his son, “How long has he been like this?” (Mark 9:21). This is more than a healing account. This is a compassionate Savior showing mercy to a bewildered family.
This story shows us something about the compassionate heart of Jesus. He is about fixing problems but also so much more. He cares about us. He moves towards us and seeks to care for us instead of merely remedying our problems. He is the mighty Savior and the tender-hearted Shepherd. He has the strength to heal and the compassion to care. These truths warm our hearts and move us deeper in love and affection for Jesus.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Spend some time thanking God for the heart of our Savior. He cares FOR US, not just our problems. Consider telling God, “Thank you.” Rehearse such gratitude with our praise team from this past weekend, singing the song, “Thank You, Lord.”
2023 SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Join us all of 2023 developing a different spiritual practice each month. SPIRITUAL PRACTICES are intentional regular activities to deepen our relationship with God and mold us to be more like Jesus.
July is SOLITUDE. Keep track of our spiritual practices at beyondtheweekend.org/spiritualpractices.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
