• Lesson 8 in the Connect360 unit “The reMARKable Journey Continues: The Gospel of Urgency” focuses on Mark 6:1-6.

Have you ever thought you knew someone and later find out that you only knew about someone? There is that old saying: You think you know someone. It means you think you know a person, but there was more than you knew. Sometimes, our familiarity with a person or situation can blind us.

The people were amazed by Jesus, but there was a problem. The problem of perceived familiarity. The people thought they knew Jesus. After all, this was Jesus’ hometown.

These are the people that watched Jesus grow up. They knew Jesus as the carpenter’s son. They knew Mary, his mother. They watched Jesus grow up with his brothers James, Jospeh, Judas and Simon. They knew Jesus’ sisters, who were apparently sitting in the synagogue. Since they knew all these things, then surely, they knew Jesus, and they could not get past what they thought they knew.

The result of their inability to get past what they thought they knew: they were offended by him. This is often the case when we cannot process new information that does not agree with the old information. This inability can cause our minds to harden and rejection to occur. Rejection is exactly what happened.

The people of Nazareth were offended, and ultimately they rejected Jesus. Why? Because they grew up with Jesus. They were from where Jesus was from. They knew his family. They knew what they knew, which ultimately blinded them to the truth.

Upon first reading that Jesus could do no miracles, it can seem confusing. Is it saying Jesus physically or spiritually was unable to do any miracles, because of their lack of faith? Is it similar to how Tinkerbell says she cannot do magic without Peter Pan believing? Absolutely not. We must be careful not to let our minds confuse fairy tales with the truth of the gospel.

Jesus did do miracles in Nazareth, just not to the extent he performed miracles in other places. Jesus did “lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them,” which is a miracle. So, what are we learning? Jesus did not do many miracles there “because of their lack of faith” (Matthew 13:58). The word of God teaches us without faith, there will be no reward (Hebrews 11:6). This means that without faith, there will be no blessings, no miracles.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 7 in the Connect360 unit “The reMARKable Journey Continues: The Gospel of Urgency” focuses on Mark 5:21-34.

The desperate woman faced her impending death, with no other options for treatment and no money to pay for more medical care. But everything changed for her when she “heard about Jesus” (Mark 5:27). Literally, she heard “the things about Jesus”—the reports concerning his miracles. Just from hearing what Jesus had done for others, she believed he could do the same for her.

However, she had a problem: Jesus was a holy man of God, and she would transmit her uncleanness to him if He touched her. So, she initiated her surreptitious approach from behind to touch his cloak (Mark 5:28). Likely, her idea was inspired by the ancient superstition that someone’s power transferred to their clothes (cf. Acts 19:11–12). The crowds certainly circulated this idea about Jesus’ clothes in their reports of his healings (Mark 3:10; 6:56).

The wording of verse 28 could mean that the woman thought, “If I just touch his clothes,” or “If I touch just his clothes.” Was her scheme about getting through the crowd merely to touch him, or was it about touching only the small part she could reach? Either way, the woman reckoned that she would be healed (Mark 5:28b).

Like Jairus’ faith in Jesus’ healing, the woman believed Jesus would both physically restore and spiritually deliver her. Considering the extent of her religious exclusion, salvation was equally as appealing as healing for the desperate woman.

Immediately after touching his cloak, her bleeding stopped. In one moment, 12 years of agony ceased. Her body felt sound, so she knew she had been freed from her suffering (Mark 5:29). While that freedom took place in one moment, it would have continuing effects on her state of being in the future.

The word for suffering used here (mastix) signified great torment. In other contexts, it referred to a scourge or plague sent from God. While this sense was not necessarily intended in this case, the word choice does remind us that this woman’s suffering caused separation from God. The figurative effect of her disease was like a scourge. Becoming free from this suffering then involved repairing the breach that contamination had wrought and making her clean once more.

The story of the desperate woman flies in the face of what some call armchair Christianity. It was not enough for her simply to hear about what Jesus had done. She sought him out to experience his healing for herself. She knew her life was not sustainable the way it was. So, she desperately reached for the new life only Jesus could supply.

For us today, casual contact with Jesus will never satisfy the earnest desires of our hearts, and it will never relieve the heavy weight of suffering. Only when we are desperate enough to grasp for deliverance will we see God’s power truly at work in our lives.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 6 in the Connect360 unit “The reMARKable Journey Continues: The Gospel of Urgency” focuses on Mark 5:21-23, 35-43.

While on the way to Jairus’ home, Jairus received word his daughter had died. These people urged Jairus not to bother Jesus any longer (Mark 5:35), presumably because they assumed Jesus could not do anything now that she was dead. Having overheard what was not addressed to him, Jesus told Jairus two things: “Don’t be afraid; just believe” (Mark 5:36).

We can empathize with Jairus—a father who has just heard about the death of his daughter. He no doubt feared the many “what-ifs” of his new situation—most immediately, how could he go home to face a household in mourning. In the face of grief, we have many unknowns to fear without someone we love.

Jesus’ first exhortation to Jairus is in the negative: “Don’t be afraid.” Jesus often repeats this phrase throughout his teaching and interaction with the disciples (Matthew 10:31; 14:27; 17:7; Luke 5:10; 12:7), not to mention all the times God urged his people not to fear in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 31:6; Isaiah 41:10; Haggai 2:5). This imperative command carries the sense of “Stop being afraid.” He commanded Jairus not to focus on the fear, but instead, to focus on his faith.

Jesus then gave Jairus a positive exhortation: “Just believe.” He offered Jairus an alternative to his fear—hold onto your faith. Although Jesus accepted the reality of this girl’s death, he did not accept its finality. He urged Jairus to keep believing, to maintain his certainty Jesus could still save his daughter.

This admonition evokes Jesus’ conversation with Martha after the death of her brother Lazarus. Martha accused Jesus that if he had been there, Lazarus would not have died. Jesus proclaimed Lazarus would live again because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Then Jesus challenged Martha to believe him capable of this power over life and death (John 11:23–27). Similarly, Jesus asked the same faith of Jairus, and Jairus rose to the challenge. He does not try to talk Jesus out of coming to his house as the messengers had suggested.

The miracle Jesus performed in the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter should have a profound impact on our relationship to God today. Do we respond to suffering, disappointment and even death with the faith that Jairus displayed? Certainly, Jairus’ faith opened the door for Jesus to display his glory. Likewise, anytime we respond to hardship with faith, humbly pleading with God for his healing, we are opening the door for God to intervene for his glory in our suffering. Even if we do not see that healing in this life, we honor God with our faith in his power.

Jesus’ counsel to Jairus in the face of death also reminds us to replace fear with faith. Death is not the end of all hope and so is not an outcome to dread or despair. Knowing Jesus’ power over life and death, we can face even our own death with confidence and courage. If we live, we live for him; if we die, we gain an eternity with him. Because of Jesus, we always have hope whenever there is death.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 5 in the Connect360 unit “The reMARKable Journey Continues: The Gospel of Urgency” focuses on Mark 5:1-20.

In response to the suffering of the man before him, Jesus conversed with the demon and met the demoniac where he was. In the ancient world, the prevailing cultural belief was that knowing a spirit’s name gave one power over it.

While the demon might have been trying to use Jesus’ name against him, Jesus turned the tables on him and asked the demon his name (Mark 5:9). The demon replied, “I am Legion, for we are many.” A legion was a military regiment in the Roman army that included about 6,000 men. While the number of demons probably was not 6,000 exactly, this name certainly illustrated the magnitude of the force these impure spirits amassed against Jesus. Mark seemed to treat this explanation as factual rather than a boast by the demon, because he continued the narrative with plural references to demons.

Again, the demons begged not to be sent out of the area (Mark 5:10), which would presumably restrain their power among these people. The parallel passage in Luke has them begging not to be sent into the abyss where they would await eternal judgment (Luke 8:31). Either way, the demons were bargaining to gain a compromise from Jesus, which culminated in their request to enter the herd of pigs (Mark 5:12). In an ultimate act of authority, Jesus allowed this concession.

As Lord over the forces of evil, which is more awesome: to cast out thousands of demons or to send them to possess a herd of 2,000 pigs? Mark added to the drama of the scene with his visual of thousands of pigs stampeding down a steep hill and drowning in the lake (Mark 5:13). Some scholars have questioned why Jesus would allow this destruction of property and the livelihood of these pig herders. However, Jesus considered this man’s soul to be worth the material loss.

In response to this miracle, the pig-herders displayed the first instance in this narrative of the power of testimony. The biblical pattern of testimony normally has an agent (someone who gives testimony), a subject (what their testimony is), a recipient (someone who receives an effect from the testimony), and a result (how the testimony affects the recipient).

In this first case, the pig-herders are the agents, the subject of their testimony covers “what had happened” with the demoniac and the pigs, and their testimony affected everyone in the town and countryside. When the recipients came to see the evidence of this testimony for themselves, the result is that they were afraid (Mark 5:15). They were so afraid, in fact, that they pleaded with Jesus to leave.

A man whom they knew to be walking around naked and generally acting crazy instead was sitting with Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. Jesus’ great power over the demons was singularly terrifying to this superstitious people.

The demoniac presented a picture of true conversion. He was completely changed—the exact opposite of what he had been— totally transformed by his encounter with Jesus’ power.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 4 in the Connect360 unit “The reMARKable Journey Continues: The Gospel of Urgency” focuses on Mark 4:35-41.

The major point in this miracle is that Jesus, by speaking two simple commands, transformed ferociously violent winds and waves into a state of instant calm and stillness. The dramatic and instant change revealed the miracle. If the storm just coincidentally subsided, the wind would diminish slowly. The waves would not have become glassy smooth water in an instant.

Jesus spoke a command to the storm: “Hush!” (Silence!) and to the waves “Be still!” (Be muzzled!).

The change was instantaneous. It is kind of like the man in the TV advertisement for pain medicine, when he took it and said: “The pain is gone.” His wife said, “I am glad it helped.” He responded: “No you don’t understand. The pain is gone.” After Jesus commanded cessation and calm, the wind and sea became totally still, calm and quiet. “It became perfectly calm” (4:39).

Once Jesus dealt with the storm, he made a teaching point by asking the disciples two self-evaluation questions in Mark 4:40: “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They had faith to believe Jesus could solve the problem, or they would not have awakened him.

They believed he was capable of doing more than they imagined, but they—like most of us—had a tough time trusting God that he would protect them. Their faith was informational but was not relational. They believed Jesus would know how to solve the dilemma. But they never dreamed that with two words the winds and the waves would instantly become peaceful and calm.

The disciples who feared a storm, became more fearful of standing in the presence of God, who alone can calm waves and storms (see Psalm 107:23–30). They grasped Jesus was not a mere rabbi or mere prophet. He was God, who has instant power over the forces and powers of nature. This revelation shook them to their core, and they were in awe of Jesus, realizing he was God himself (4:41). They looked at each other, saying: “Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• The Connect360 Christmas lesson focuses on Luke 2:1-20.

The shepherds, these rough and tumble characters, were caught off guard by God’s radiance as reflected in these divine beings. That ordinary night on the prairie was interrupted by God’s uninvited and unexpected grace.

Frequently, God shows up as an interruption to our own busy lives. These sudden interruptions bring good news that change and transform ordinary, mundane moments into divine experiences. These experiences can terrify even the most unspiritual, hardened people.

“Don’t be afraid!” An appropriate phrase of good news when facing terrifying moments. All throughout Scripture, do not fear is a wonderful reminder God is in control even when facing unexpected interruptions. Angels realized their presence would scare humans. But the good news of peace that has come through the birth of the Messiah quickly turns fear into celebration.

In this beautiful picture depicted in verses 13–14, the Gospel writer offered a striking parallel for us. He contrasted glory and peace, highest heaven and earth, God and humans. This “heavenly host,” better translated “a heavenly army,” appeared to the shepherds in the fields at night, praising God.

The Christmas story in Luke 2 began with Caesar counting the people as a way of keeping the peace, but here we find God’s army praising the true king who brings real peace to the earth in a way no other can. These heavenly warriors raise their voices, not their fists, to sing about a mediator who has brought all these contrasting things together. The Messiah overcame the separation, providing a way, that all people can now draw close to God. Finding peace, finding acceptance, finding a home came in the most unlikely place, through the most unlikely person.

The angels proclaimed to the shepherds that the one had come who would provide community, a home even for the outcast. A sign announced to these hardened, unspiritual souls they were not a statistic to be counted but persons of immense value, created for far more than they had ever imagined. Those far from home, those without a home, those who can’t go home, can find a home in the presence of the Christ-child.

The shepherds obediently hurried off to witness this sign situated in a lowly manger, in a lowly town. There they found the greatest gift this world has ever experienced. The Messiah’s coming had been promised throughout biblical history. The words of prophets like Isaiah, Ezekiel and Jeremiah of one to come and fill an empty throne finally had come true. But this fulfillment seemed impossible, even forgotten, until the carol of this celestial army rang over the fields that night, leading ordinary shepherds to drop everything and share the good news.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 3 in the Connect360 unit “The reMARKable Journey Continues: The Gospel of Urgency” focuses on Mark 4:26-32.

The kingdom of God starts small but becomes huge. We live in a culture that celebrates “bigness.” We assume popularity and large crowds equates with quality and greatness of product. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t.

In God’s kingdom, you need to grow where God has planted you, serving faithfully. The living God working through you and your church is what matters in kingdom terms.

In this parable, Jesus focused on giving a picture of the kingdom of God. The mustard seed is really small. William Lane noted the kingdom is not likened to a mustard seed, but rather likened to what happens to the mustard seed, to what comes out of it. The kingdom of God was beginning small, but one day (as in the 20th and 21st centuries) it would encompass the world.

So, this parable is an encouraging message. It is not how small you are now that matters; it’s the incredibly huge things God can make from your small beginnings. Jesus is contrasting small, seemingly unimpressive beginnings with surprising huge, unforeseen outcomes.

Don’t get discouraged over your current situation. You have no idea what a big impact your life, or your church’s life, might make on hundreds, or thousands, of people in eternity. With Jesus, small beginnings do not limit huge outcomes. Faithfulness in the seemingly insignificant small things, might be growing a forest of spiritual redwoods in eternity.

Jesus’ kingdom began as one person, as Jesus alone. Then Jesus called the 12 disciples and invested his life and teachings into them. After his crucifixion, there were only 120 believers (Acts 1:15), perhaps comparable to your church’s size. On the day of Pentecost 3,000 more were baptized and added to the church, people from many nations and languages (Acts 2:41, 47). And the Lord was daily adding more to their number. Soon, Christianity conquered the Roman Empire, not through violence, but through God’s many people serving God in small scenarios, embodying God’s love and redemption.

In 2020, the estimated number of Christians in the world was 2.38 billion (see Pew Research). That doesn’t include the countless millions of Christians over the last 2,000 years. The kingdom’s growth from 120 to billions of people in the kingdom of God today, all started from Jesus. From Jesus, one seemingly insignificant seed that was despised and crushed by the world—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead, and who is now the King of kings and Lord of lords. This Jesus is now worshiped in nearly every country of the world.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 2 in the Connect360 unit “The reMARKable Journey Continues: The Gospel of Urgency” focuses on Mark 4:21-25, 33-34.

In this parable, which inspired the children’s song “This Little Light of Mine,” Jesus answered the question: “Why do you teach in parables?” Jesus used a traditional rabbi’s skill in asking the question in a way to elicit a negative response. So, Jesus basically asked: “You don’t light a lamp in a dark room so you can hide the light from shining, do you?” The answer is, “Of course not!” By forcefully leading the listeners to dismiss the alternate possibility, Jesus then led them to the purpose of lighting a lamp.

Think of a time when the power went off, and you entered an unfamiliar, totally dark room. Your first task was to locate a source of light, be it matches, a candle or even your cell phone’s flashlight. You need light to function in the darkness.

So, do you find the source of light, then block it so you can’t see? No. Why not? Because you need light. When you’re in the dark, you don’t purposely extinguish the light to sit in darkness again.

There is some question as to why the Greek wording of the Mark 4:21 text says, “The lamp comes into the room.” Inanimate lamps do not walk around. Lamps don’t come in; they are brought in. Lamp here has a definite article, which usually means “the definitive lamp, the best or qualitatively superior lamp.”

This leads some interpreters to say that the lamp is Jesus in this verse. Of course, this is true, for Jesus said of himself in John 8:12: “I am the light of the world; the one who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” But it is also true in John 8:12 and other passages that state we as his disciples are to be God’s light shining in the darkness (Matthew 5:14), a city on a hill that gives light to the world.

However, in the immediate context, Jesus is explaining why he uses parables to communicate spiritual truth. So “light a lamp” in this verse probably refers to his parables as being a lamp to reveal the truth of God and his ways. God is alive in the other words in the Bible, too. The previous parable spoke of the life being in the seeds sown. Parables therefore are living truth that interacts with serious listeners, enlightening our minds, lighting the path, revealing Jesus and giving us perspective on living for God.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 1 in the Connect360 unit “The reMARKable Journey Continues: The Gospel of Urgency” focuses on Mark 4:1-20.

The seed in this parable is pretty amazing—and miraculous. The sower took the seed, walked through the fields of life, passing out seed wherever he or she went. In the explanation of this parable that Jesus gave to his disciples (see 4:13–20), the seed was the word of God. It is the truth Jesus taught us—the truth Jesus showed us.

The seed has life in itself. Jesus did not say we have to make seeds germinate. He said we need to get the seeds out to those who need God’s divine life to break forth in their lives.

God’s word accomplishes what God sends it to accomplish (Isaiah 55:11). Hebrews says it is alive and powerful (Hebrews 4:12).

Our task is to sow seeds, plant God’s word into the lives of others (James 1:22). Put God’s word into practice, do what God teaches us to do, and share what we know whenever we get the chance.

We are called to be seed planters. It is God who can make that word and seed come alive, bringing forth life and vitality to the person who now has possession of the seed.

The seed has innate life and power within it. No matter what soil the seed landed upon in this parable, and in Jesus’ explanation of the parable, the seed had potential life within it. The seed that fell on the busy path got swept aside, eaten by birds, or stolen by Satan. But in the other three soil scenarios, the seed sprouted. God’s word has life in it and produces life through it.

The only limitation of the seed is not being distributed by Jesus’ followers. Salt in a saltshaker makes no impact on food. The salt must get out of the saltshaker and come in contact with what it must salt. When that happens, pizazz happens, increasing zestful flavor.

In the same way, we must get the seed out of the bag, passing it on to others, making an impact in their lives. The seeds may not sprout immediately, but that is not our responsibility. Our responsibility is to plant the seeds in other people’s lives.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 13 in the Connect360 unit “The Immeasurable Love of Christ” focuses on Ephesians 6:17-20.

Paul wanted the Ephesian church to remain strong in prayer. He desired for them always to be in communication with God, because God is our source. Consistency builds strength. In any occupation or profession, the more we do something, the better at it we become, whether through experiential tenure, process of elimination or muscle memory. When we pray continually, we grow in our relationship with God. Like with any other relationship, the more you communicate, the more you understand.

This is important, because we are at war with the enemies of God who we cannot see. We have to be on guard against them, so we are not overtaken. God has the best strategy in the universe, and in order to know and understand how to execute that strategy, we have to be intentional and protective of our time talking to God.

A discipline and rhythm of prayer could help those of us who struggle to find times to pray or even find words to pray. Life can certainly get in the way, and before you know it, a day or two or three has passed, and you have not spoken to God. A husband wouldn’t want to hear from his wife every now and then. A parent wouldn’t want to hear from a child only when something is going wrong. A child wouldn’t want to hear from a parent only when things are going well. God desires to hear from us always.

If we are intentional about our communication with God, we develop a plan to talk to God. Waking up, meals, travel and going to sleep are great opportunities to talk to God. But even things like noticing how the birds sing and how the flowers dance are opportunities to let God know how special he is in your life. We are encouraged to talk to God always, regardless of the circumstance (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 12 in the Connect360 unit “The Immeasurable Love of Christ” focuses on Ephesians 6:10-17.

The sword of the Spirit may be one of the most distinctive parts of the Christian armor because while everything else seems to be protective in defense, swords can go on the offense as well. The word of God is a tool that not only helps us to know God better, but it helps us ward off the spiritual forces that try to attack us.

Jesus beautifully displays this when he is tempted by Satan in the wilderness to the point where he tells Satan he doesn’t survive simply from natural food, but the word of God (Matthew 4:4).

Paul illustrated for us the reality that a life following Christ is not a game. It is not one we can take lightly or passively. There is a very real adversary who is trying his best to unravel everything God hopes for our lives and cause us to live in despair. Though we cannot always see that working physically, we must be aware there is always a plot and scheme trying to work against us, ready to overtake us if we are not careful and on guard.

If we run to battle with playground clothes, there is a higher chance of us becoming injured or even worse, a casualty. Those garments designed to give us freedom as we play and enjoy are not designed for us to have protection from things being hurled at us from the enemy to harm us. As we have often heard, “You cannot bring a knife to a gun fight.” In the same way, you cannot wear playground and sport court clothes to the battleground.

There is good news. Jesus has already defeated this adversary through his sacrificial work on the cross, but we must take the initiative of receiving Jesus as our Savior and picking up the armor he has laid out for us to take. He is the captain of the army; we are his soldiers. He has the war plan, and we must execute it. But we cannot fight unless we are wearing the right armor.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 11 in the Connect360 unit “The Immeasurable Love of Christ” focuses on Ephesians 5:17-18.

Paul showed us there are two ways we can live, wisely or foolishly. God’s will is for us to live a life of wisdom by being filled with the Spirit, but this world offers so many opportunities to go in the opposite direction.

The intentionality of our walk helps us choose which path we will take. We cannot overlook all the influences, and the fact that it seems as if there are so many more people in our culture who are proud of living foolishly than living wisely for Christ. Social media and podcast culture emphasize the humanistic and individualistic overtone of our society, which glorifies what makes the self happy and not what pleases God.

Even some Christians seek a god that serves them and makes their life better through what they can acquire in this life rather than God who is calling for their radical transformation into his image through the act of his radical love.

While it is easy to point the finger at those who get caught in the tide of culture, it may be more helpful for us as Christians to engage lovingly our brothers and sisters in Christ who are struggling to discern God’s will for their lives. As we all work to lovingly engage the world to learn of God’s will, we must remember there is a broad gate that leads to destruction but a narrow gate that leads to life (Matthew 7:13–14).

Passivity does not lead to an effective and impactful Christian life. We must be intentional about the way we live and pay close attention to where we go, what we say, what we do, and who we are around in order for us to avoid the traps of drunken or foolish living.

Yes, the days are evil. Culture makes it seem more enticing to consider our own desires above God’s, but Scripture shows us that a life in God’s will is one full of songs, worship, thanksgiving and submission to one another. So let us pray for God’s will and let us sing to and serve God and one another as we posture our lives in thanksgiving to God for all his blessings.

The immeasurable love of Christ gives us access to wisdom and love. We do not have to walk in darkness and foolishness, following after the things of the world that only seek to bring us fleeting pleasures, which set us up for eternal death. Christ’s love disciplines our hearts and minds to want what God wants and walk the road less traveled, experiencing the joy of eternal life with the Father.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.