Keep a Soft Heart Toward God

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 4:10-20. With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Mark 4:10-12 (NIV)
10  When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.
11  He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables
12  so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'”
 
On verses 10-12:  Yesterday we learned one reason why Jesus taught in parables: to make truth about the kingdom of God easier for his disciples to understand and remember. 

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重新來過—在基督裡的新生命

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約翰福音3:3  人若不重生，就不能見神的國。

哥林多後書5:17  若有人在基督裡，他就是新造的人，舊事已過，都變成新的了。

在人生旅途中，跌倒與失敗無可避免。我們往往背負著過去的重擔，覺得無法翻轉，懷疑是否還有「重新來過」的可能。但使徒保羅告訴我們：「若有人在基督裡，他就是新造的人，舊事已過，都變成新的了。」（哥林多後書5:17）

這節經文是神向每一顆願意悔改的心所發出的應許，在基督裡，罪得赦免，我們一直有「重新來過」的機會。當人悔改歸向神，不論過去如何，神都能使生命煥然一新。

法利賽人尼哥底母夜裡來見耶穌，耶穌對他說：「人若不重生，就不能見神的國。」（約翰福音3:3）重生不是肉體上的重新開始，而是靈裡的轉變，從神而生，讓神掌權，是一個全新的屬靈身分。

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Aim to Be a Great Communicator

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 4:1-9. With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Mark 4:1 (NIV)
1  Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge.
 
On verse 1:  According to many scholars, Jesus’ voice would project more clearly by sitting in a boat out on a lake than standing on the shore.  This would make a difference especially when speaking to a large crowd, as Jesus often would. 

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勇氣是看得見的信心

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約書亞記1:9    你當剛強壯膽！不要懼怕，也不要驚惶；因為你無論往哪裡去，耶和華你的神必與你同在。

撒迦利亞書4:6  萬軍之耶和華說：不是倚靠勢力，不是倚靠才能，乃是倚靠我的靈方能成事。

在這充滿挑戰與變化的世代裡，勇氣是讓我們成長與更新的驅動力，勇氣不僅是沒有懼怕，而是在懼怕中仍然選擇相信與前行，勇氣是「付諸行動的信心」，是「看得見的信心」。

當摩西死後，神對約書亞說：「你當剛強壯膽！不要懼怕，也不要驚惶；因為你無論往哪裡去，耶和華你的神必與你同在。」（約書亞記1:9）這不是空泛的鼓勵，而是「神同在」的承諾，這承諾賦予約書亞勇氣，他帶領以色列人進迦南地。

大衛面對巨人歌利亞時，說：「你來攻擊我，是靠著刀槍和銅戟；我來攻擊你，是靠著萬軍之耶和華的名…。」（撒母耳記上17:45）勇氣是自信，相信自己的倚靠是神，不是倚靠勢力，不是倚靠才能，乃是倚靠神的靈方能成事（撒迦利亞書4:6）。

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願神賜福給你

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願你在這新的一天，領受從神而來豐盛的祝福：
「願耶和華賜福給你，保護你。願耶和華使祂的臉光照你，賜恩給你。願耶和華向你仰臉，賜你平安。」（民數記6:24-26）

親愛的，你是神所看重的，在這新的一天：
願你的心充滿平安，享有神的同在，不懼外在的紛擾；
願你的眼定睛仰望，看見神的作為，不為世界所絆跌；
願你的耳警醒聆聽，領受神的導引，不被迷惑所吸引；
願你的口常說恩言，傳講神的話語，帶出鼓勵與安慰；
願你的手殷勤善工，經歷與神同工，結滿恩典的果實；
願你的腳穩步前行，倚靠神的大能，行出正直與慈愛；
願你在人群中活出恩典的見證，成為祝福的管道；
願你在軟弱中得力量，在黑暗中見光明；
願你今日經歷神的同在，知道祂從不離開你。

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Misunderstood By Your Family?

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 3:31-35. With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Mark 3:31-35 (NIV)
31  Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.
32  A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
33  “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

On verses 31-35:  Jesus was known for making shocking statements, but what did Jesus mean exactly when he said that “whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” (v34-35)?  Jesus means that those who believe in Jesus and follow Him are Jesus’ true family.

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起初我堅信是對的

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箴言14:12    有一條路，人以為正，至終成為死亡之路。

箴言3:5-6    你要專心仰賴耶和華，不可倚靠自己的聰明；在你一切所行的事上都要認定祂，祂必指引你的路。

在人類歷史的洪流中，有些決策起初帶著堅定的信念與高尚的動機，卻最終引來損失與災難。

在宗教歷史中，十字軍東征是一個沉痛的例子。十一世紀，歐洲基督徒懷著「為神而戰」的熱情，遠征中東，企圖收復耶路撒冷。他們相信這是捍衛信仰、完成神聖使命的行動。東征過程中，無數無辜生命被屠殺，宗教仇恨加深，基督愛的見證因此蒙羞。正義的旗幟掩蓋了血腥的現實，留下歷史難以抹去的傷痕。

在科技領域裡，DDT的發明最初被用於殺死瘧蚊與害蟲，特別在二次大戰時期保護士兵、防止瘧疾與斑疹傷寒蔓延，被視為科技的勝利與人類福音，卻忽略了它對生態與人體的長期危害。當鳥類生殖崩潰、生態鏈斷裂，毒性累積在人體與土地中，人們才發現！這項「善意的發明」竟種下環境的惡果。

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You Belong to Someone Stronger

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 3:20-30. With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Mark 3:20-22 (NIV)
20  Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.
21  When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
22  And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

On verses 20-22:  In our day a lot of people long to be famous.  But here we learn something about fame from the most famous person of all, Jesus Christ: fame is a double-edged sword.  For example:

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我心緊緊跟隨祢

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詩篇63:1  神啊，祢是我的神，我要切切尋求祢；在乾旱疲乏無水之地，我的心渴想祢，我的肉體切慕祢。

當代著名的敬拜音樂創作者Don Moen，他在一天清晨的靈修讀到：「神啊，祢是我的神，我要切切尋求祢；在乾旱疲乏無水之地，我的心渴想祢，我的肉體切慕祢。」（詩篇63:1）

神的話觸動他的心，他藉此段經文創作了《My Soul Follows Hard After Thee（我心緊緊跟隨祢）》這首敬拜詩歌。Don Moen曾提到：「這首歌幫助我在旅途中、在壓力下，在一早醒來時，重新對焦於神，重新被祂的愛充滿。」

我心緊緊跟隨祢，清晨我必起身尋求祢；
因祢曾是我隨時的幫助，我要在祢翅膀的蔭下歡然歌唱。

主啊，我要愛祢、愛祢到永遠！(x2)
主啊，我要全心全意地來愛祢！
主啊，我要跟隨祢、跟隨祢到永遠！(x2)
主啊，我要全心全意地來跟隨祢！
主啊，我要敬拜祢、敬拜祢到永遠！(x2)
主啊，我要全心全意地來敬拜祢！

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Jesus Values Teamwork

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 3:7-19. With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!
 
Mark 3:7-19 (NIV)
7  Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.
8  When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.

On verses 7-19:  For those of you who want to make a difference in this world, remember this lesson from Jesus’ life:  It’s not enough to draw a crowd.  You need to raise a team of leaders.

Given his abilities and the crowds he was drawing, Jesus could have chosen to be a one man show.  But wisely, that wasn’t Jesus’ way.  Jesus knew the value of a team. 

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