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There are moments in life when God gives us just enough of a glimpse of His glory to keep us going. In Mark 9:1–13, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. What happens next is unlike anything they had experienced before. Jesus is “transfigured” before them — His clothes become dazzling white,…
August 24, 2025MetamorphosisPastor Ricky Smith Sermon Notes Mark 9:1-13And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and…
Caesarea Philippi was not a random stop on Jesus’ journey. This Roman city was filled with shrines and temples to false gods. It was a place where identity and allegiance were up for grabs. In this setting, Jesus asked the most important question anyone will ever face: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter…
August 17, 2025Turning PointPastor Ricky Smith Sermon Notes Mark 8:27-38And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And…
August 10, 2025Slow LearnerPastor Ricky Smith Sermon Notes Mark 8:1-26In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat….
Recently, one of our mission teams sat in a long care line at the U.S.–Mexico border, passports in hand. It was hot, loud, and full of anticipation. For some, it was their first time leaving the country. For others, it was just another stamp. Sadly, you don’t even get a stamp anymore crossing from Mexico…
August 3, 2025Kingdom ExpansionPastor Ricky Smith Sermon Notes Mark 7:24-37And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of…
In every tackle box, there are dozens of lures—shiny, colorful fakes designed to tempt a fish into biting. They look real, but they’re empty. In Mark 7, Jesus confronts a similar reality among the Pharisees and scribes: a religious system packed with the lures of legalism—traditions that look holy but are hollow. The religious leaders…
July 27, 2025Lure of LegalismPastor Ricky Smith Sermon Notes Mark 7:1-23Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they…
At some point, every one of us finds ourselves caught in a storm—sometimes literal, often spiritual or emotional. In Mark 6:45–56, the disciples are battling a fierce headwind on the Sea of Galilee. It’s dark, they’re exhausted, and they feel alone. But they’re not alone. Jesus sees them. And He comes walking on the water….