Mark 4:30-32 

Life in the Kingdom, through the gospel is one of growth. As we follow and continue to surrender to Jesus we will be transformed by his work, on the cross, through his resurrection and ongoing work in and around us. 

Mark 1 -  We are told the Kingdom of God is near – repent and follow Jesus. 

John 1 - To all who receive Jesus and believe in him will be called children of God. 

This is becoming a disciple - someone who makes that decision now finds their Identity, Purpose and Belonging in Jesus and his life, death and resurrection. 

 Our spiritual health, growth / depth are @ risk when we live with... 

  • doubts - circumstances, cultural voices/narratives 
  • distractions - turning to other things, priorities 
  • defensiveness - self-justifying our choices or actions 
  • division - relational brokenness, avoiding vulnerability 

We discover in his Kingdom there is power in the gospel - the past and ongoing work of Jesus and the Spirit in the world around us and our lives. 

  • strongholds are broken... 
  • generational hate finds healing... 
  • bitterness jealousy envy etc. are set aside 
  • character is developed, peace, joy, contentment, generosity etc. ... 
  • Faith, Hope and Love become ever increasing descriptors in our lives. 

The decision to follow Jesus, we soon realize, is not a onetime experience or decision, but an ongoing process of surrendering to Jesus and the work both on the cross and the resurrection. 

As disciples we need to learn to present our daily lives, actions, struggles to the Lord and allow the gospel to continue to work on us.  

  • Inviting God to continually restore and renew us, confessing our failure to trust in what he has done and says about us.  
  • When we are distracted or overwhelmed through our struggles and with what we see around us. Being honest with ourselves about our misplaced priorities and beliefs - re-aligning to his purposes for our life 
  • Taking our attitudes and feelings – identifying the lies we are believing and living out that are the root cause. Acknowledging our selfish nature and. 

Mark 4:33,34 this is tough to do alone – we need each other. Which is also difficult because we get defensive and we tend to avoid relational experiences where vulnerability is present.