This Sunday's Worship Materials can be found in the "Featured Sermon" below. We meet in person at Harper Park Middle School, and the service is also livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

Heart Prep for Sunday, September 1st

Wow!  So much starts in September.  Just in our church, this month we’ll be starting new Sunday School classes, new Community Groups, new Bible Studies, new Joy Groups, new Men’s and Women’s Ministry events, etc., etc., etc.  I mean, there’s like 500 bulletin inserts this week (good luck with those).  On top of that we’re having ministry testimonies each week, and this Sunday we’re not only celebrating communion (always a highlight!), but we’re having a Labor Day Picnic Sunday afternoon at Fox Ridge Park.  Whew, I’m tired already.

Well, this week we’re also starting a new series in the Gospel of Mark.  Why Mark?  And why now?  Well, it’s been my practice to preach through one of the gospels every five years and having already preached through Matthew, Luke, and John (twice), Mark is the only one left.  So Mark it is!

Okay, what’s so special about Mark?  Well, Mark’s Gospel is not just the life story of Jesus.  It is about the good news of … “The King & His Cross” … which just so happens to be the title of this sermon series.  Mark divides his Gospel into two acts: His identity as King over all things and His purpose in dying on the cross.

  • WHO JESUS IS – THE KING; Mark 1-8 is about who Jesus is. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
  • WHY JESUS CAME – THE CROSS; Mark 9-16 is about why Jesus came. Jesus came to suffer and die for sins.

Tim Keller writes, “Try to remember this plan. It will help you to understand Mark.  I trust that you will find the figure of Jesus worthy of your attention: unpredictable yet reliable, gentle yet powerful, authoritative yet humble, human yet divine.  I urge you to seriously consider the significance of His life in your own.”

Jesus is always worthy of our attention.  I pray this series draws each of us closer to Him.  See you Sunday, Dr. Dave