{"id":36721,"date":"2025-07-22T22:00:35","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T05:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?p=36721"},"modified":"2025-07-16T14:03:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T21:03:47","slug":"mark-2_1-12-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/mark-2_1-12-2\/","title":{"rendered":"A Difference Making Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mark 2:1-12 \u00a0 (CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

\n

Today\u2019s passage is Mark 2:1-12.\u00a0With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.\u00a0 Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?\u00a0 After you\u2019ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Mark 2:1\u00a0(NIV)<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 1:\u00a0 Wait. Wasn\u2019t Jesus born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth?\u00a0 Why do people say that Jesus has come home when he returned to Capernaum?\u00a0 It\u2019s because Capernaum is known as the place that Jesus treated as his hub or his base when his public ministry began.<\/p>\n

Mark 2:2-4 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 2-4:\u00a0 Here\u2019s one of my favourite leadership equations, coined by Pastor Craig Groeschel:\u00a0 Passion + Limited Resources + A Willingness to Fail = Innovation.<\/p>\n

The men who carried the paralytic had a passion to see their paralyzed friend be touched by Jesus.\u00a0 They also had limited resources to work with for by the time they got to the house where Jesus was preaching, they couldn\u2019t get close to Jesus.\u00a0 So they decide to take a risk and do something incredibly innovative, cutting an opening through the house owner\u2019s roof and lowering the paralyzed man so that he could see Jesus and Jesus could see him.<\/p>\n

Just as these men stopped at nothing to let their friend meet Jesus, may we live similar passion.\u00a0 As followers of Jesus, may we be so passionate about bringing people to Jesus that we will take innovative and strategic risks and not let limited resources stop us.\u00a0 Have faith that makes a difference.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mark 2:5 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 5:\u00a0\u00a0Clearly these men who brought the paralytic to Jesus had faith that Jesus could help their paralyzed friend.\u00a0\u00a0But when verse 5 says that Jesus saw \u201ctheir\u00a0<\/em>faith\u201d, I believe \u201ctheir\u00a0<\/em>faith\u201d includes the faith of this paralyzed man.\u00a0 This paralyzed man was not a passive spectator in this scene.\u00a0 Rather this paralyzed man had faith that Jesus could change his life.\u00a0 That\u2019s why Jesus said, \u201cSon, your sins are forgiven.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0The faith of my friends<\/strong>\u00a0can\u2019t save me, but when I personally trust in Jesus, that activates God\u2019s forgiveness and saving power in my life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Also, anyone could see that this paralyzed man needed physical healing.\u00a0 And yet that was not the first problem Jesus addressed.\u00a0 Jesus instead addressed the less obvious but more important problem: it was not the man\u2019s physical paralysis but the man\u2019s spiritual paralysis (caused by his own sin) that kept this man far from God.\u00a0 So Jesus speaks to the man\u2019s more important, deeper need.\u00a0\u00a0 Seeing this man\u2019s faith, Jesus says, \u201cSon, your sins are forgiven.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes we can typecast people, assuming that their biggest need is the obvious one we see based on appearances.\u00a0 Jesus sees past appearances to the heart.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>That\u2019s a great lesson for all of us.\u00a0\u00a0Sometimes the biggest problem that a person needs help with is not the most obvious one or the one that screams the loudest, but something much more quiet and unobvious.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>But Jesus can help with it all.<\/p>\n

Mark 2:6-7 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves,
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 6-7:\u00a0 By claiming to be able to forgive sins, Jesus was effectively claiming to be on even footing with God.\u00a0 The teachers of the law, Jesus\u2019 biggest critics, picked up on this and took offense, accusing him in their hearts of blasphemy.\u00a0 But Jesus would show that in claiming to be God\u2019s Son, he was not blaspheming but speaking the truth.<\/p>\n

Mark 2:8 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 8:\u00a0 We have already seen Jesus exercise a number of his tremendous spiritual gifts: healing, miracles, distinguishing between spirits, preaching and teaching.\u00a0 Here Jesus exercises another spiritual gift as he perceives his critics\u2019 private thoughts about him.\u00a0 Some might call that part of the gift of prophesy; others might call that receiving \u201ca word of knowledge\u201d.\u00a0 I just call that really cool, and powerful!<\/p>\n

Mark 2:9-12 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’?
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralytic,
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
\n<\/em>
\nOn verses 9-12:\u00a0\u00a0Jesus was not one to make big claims without backing them up.<\/strong>\u00a0 And that\u2019s what Jesus does here.\u00a0 So that people would know that they can trust Jesus when he says, \u201cYour sins are forgiven\u201d, Jesus does something else that only God can do: Jesus heals the paralyzed man in full view of them all.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t make claims you can\u2019t back up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Over and over Jesus would make incredible claims, but He would back them up with equally incredible miracles, including his own resurrection from the dead.<\/p>\n

Also, and even more importantly, you can trust what Jesus says.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0With Jesus there is forgiveness for our sins.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jesus, thank You that with You there isn\u2019t just temporary healing for our body.\u00a0 Even more, there is permanent forgiveness for our sins.\u00a0 Please help me to be creative, innovative and to stop at nothing to help my friends meet You personally.\u00a0 There is no one like You, Jesus.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

copyright \u00a9 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Mark 2:1-12.\u00a0With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.\u00a0 Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?\u00a0 After you\u2019ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Mark 2:1\u00a0(NIV)
\n1\u00a0\u00a0A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.
\n\u00a0
\nOn verse 1:\u00a0 Wait. Wasn\u2019t Jesus born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth?\u00a0 Why do people say that Jesus has come home when he returned to Capernaum?\u00a0 It\u2019s because Capernaum is known as the place that Jesus treated as his hub or his base when his public ministry began.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36724,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36721"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36721\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36725,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36721\/revisions\/36725"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}