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Why did Jesus eat with tax collectors and sinners? In this sermon, Pastor Chris Renfro walks through Mark 2:13-17 and the calling of Levi, the tax collector who became the apostle Matthew. Tax collectors were seen as traitors and frauds, shut out of the synagogue. Still, Jesus saw Levi in the crowd and said, “Follow me.” This message looks at three ways Jesus is the friend of sinners. He seeks them. He sits with them. He saves them. It also asks what kind of church we want to be: a fortress that keeps people out, or a hospital that welcomes the hurting in.

In week six of The King’s Kingdom series through the Gospel of Mark, this message looks at the four friends who tore open a roof to lower their paralyzed friend to Jesus (Mark 2:1–12). It identifies three kinds of people in the story: those who need help, those who help with urgency, action, and faith, and those who get in the way, whether as passive spectators or doubting religious leaders. Above all, it shows that Jesus has authority to forgive sins and challenges listeners to do whatever it takes to bring the people in their lives to him.

Associate Pastor of Missions Tyler Daly explains how prayer cuts through busyness and distraction and points us back to our God-given purpose, with practical tips for a distraction-free prayer life and the PRAY method (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield). Hope Church Union Hill sermon from the Gospel of Mark series on prayer, purpose, discipleship, and sharing the gospel.

Jesus taught with an authority no one had ever heard before, and even unclean spirits obeyed Him. In Mark 1:21-28, we look at three marks of true authority in Christ and what His lordship should change in our lives this week.

In week three of our Gospel of Mark series, The King's Kingdom, Pastor Chris Renfro walks through Mark 1:16-20, where Jesus calls four ordinary fishermen to leave their nets and follow him. He unpacks three reasons this is the greatest invitation of all time: Jesus meets us where we are, he invites us where he is going, and he makes us into what he wants us to be. From the woman at the well to Zacchaeus to doubting Thomas, we see that Jesus isn't looking for the impressive or well-connected, only the willing, and that following him changes our hearts, minds, priorities, and eternal destination.

In week two of our Gospel of Mark series, The King's Kingdom, Pastor Chris Renfro walks through Mark 1:12-13, where the Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan for 40 days. He starts with a short theology of temptation, including why temptation itself is not sin and how God uses testing to grow us. Then he looks at the setting of this battle to show that Jesus won where we are most often weak: when we are uncomfortable, when we are physically worn down, and when we feel alone. Because Christ conquered what we couldn't, we can fight temptation by exposing it, confessing our sin, and turning to him.

Pastor Chris Renfro kicks off The King's Kingdom, our new series through the Gospel of Mark, with Mark 1:1-11 and the most important question anyone can answer: who is Jesus? He begins with the story of Mark himself, a young man who quit on a missionary journey but whose story God wasn't finished with. From there, he unpacks three descriptions of Jesus in the opening verses: he is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, and the suffering servant who identifies with us in his baptism. The message closes with an even more personal question for each of us to answer: who do you say that Jesus is?