​

"The King & His Kingdom": Though God’s people long expected the coming of a Messiah-King, the arrival of Jesus completely upended their expectations. He was not the kind of king they anticipated, and the Gospel of His Kingdom turned their vision of the Kingdom on its head. In this series, we will consider the holistic nature of the Gospel, and the Gospel of the Kingdom continues to challenge our assumptions today.

 

9/7/25 – Mark 1:1–8 – The King is Coming: John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus, announcing the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah. His message of repentance and baptism signals the nearness of a new kind of King and Kingdom.

9/14/25 – Mark 1:9–15 – The King is Here: Jesus is baptized, affirmed by the Father, empowered by the Spirit, and tested in the wilderness. His public ministry begins with the proclamation: the Kingdom of God is at hand—repent and believe the good news.

9/21/25 – Mark 1:16–34 – The King’s Calling: Jesus calls His first disciples, inviting them to follow Him and become “fishers of people.” To follow Jesus is to leave all else behind and to embrace the extraordinary mission to which he calls us all.

9/28/25 – Mark 1:21–34 – The King and His Power: Jesus demonstrates His authority through powerful teaching and miraculous healings, revealing the inbreaking of God’s Kingdom over sickness and demonic forces. (Consider Kuyper’s thoughts on Jesus’ healing power being rooted in his perfect humanity and not divine power).

10/5/25 – Mark 1:35–45 – The Holistic King: Jesus prioritizes both solitude in prayer and active compassion. His care for the interior (spiritual communion with the Father) and exterior (healing a leper) shows a holistic vision of life and mission.

10/12/25 – Mark 2:1–12 – The Forgiving King: Jesus heals a paralyzed man, but first forgives his sins—sparking controversy. His authority to forgive shows that His Kingdom is not just about physical restoration––often emphasized by progressive thought––but also spiritual reconciliation––often emphasized by conservative thought.

10/19/25 – Break

10/26/25 – Mark 2:13–22 – The Feasting King: Jesus dines with sinners, challenging religious norms. His presence at the table reveals a Kingdom marked by joy, grace, and the radical inclusion of the unlikely.

11/2/25 – Mark 2:23–3:6 – The King of the Sabbath: Jesus confronts legalistic views of the Sabbath, asserting that He is Lord over it. His healing on the Sabbath reveals that mercy and restoration are central to His rule, and also speaks to His divine power, as Sabbath rest continues from the seventh day of creation. 

11/9/25 – Mark 3:7–35 – The Kingdom’s Family: Jesus redefines family not by blood, but by obedience to God’s will. While there are those who assume themselves part of the family of God, some will be on the outside, having committed the unpardonable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit (A complete rejection of who Jesus truly is). However, the true family of the Kingdom are those who align their lives with Jesus and His mission. 

11/16/25 - Mark 4:1–34  – The Kingdom’s Mysterious Soil: Through the parable of the sower, Jesus shows how different hearts receive the Word and uses parables to reveal that the Kingdom grows subtly, often in unseen or surprising ways. Though small at first, it will have a vast and transformative impact.

11/23/25 – Mark 4:35–40 – The Kingdom’s Peace: Jesus calms a storm, demonstrating His power over chaos. His question, “Why are you afraid?” calls His followers to trust in the peace and authority of the King, even in life’s storms.