Control? (Mark 5:21 - 43)

Text: Mark 5:21-43

Links:
http://www.buzzsprout.com/15930/285634-mark-5-21-43

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CGsYm5hksY

Main Point: Christians are to live by faith.

Intro Questions:
- T or F     Faith is a one time event?

Everyone quickly answers this "false" but we make our salvation a one time event and by default that makes faith a one time event...if we just express faith this one time and pray this prayer one time you won't have anything to worry about anymore and you can go back to doing whatever you want...over and over I challenge that line of thinking but it creeps into the church.  Faith is not a one time event.  The expression of faith should lead to action, transformation, new birth...should lead to an ever growing and expanding faith.  And yet I wonder if we allow the cares of this world to slip in and instead of ever growing and expanding it slowly becomes an ever diminishing/shrinking thing...which ties us back to the Parable of the Sower...faith needs to be an ever expanding vibrant part of our lives...faith is something that ought to control our lives...renewing us and refreshing us...

- What do you fear? Or what drives you emotions?  While it should be faith, the challenge is that for most of us if we are honest it doesn't.

The stories in today's text are here to challenge us to evaluate our lives and make certain that our faith is in Jesus and him alone...we are to live by faith in Jesus and him alone.  So often we take our eyes off of Jesus and focus in on our circumstances forgetting that Jesus is standing right there.  Our emotions rise and fall on our circumstances when our emotions should rise and fall on Jesus and our acceptance by him, his grace and mercy in our lives....we take our eyes off of Jesus and focus in on this world as if it is the be all end all...like this is the best we are going to have it...no my friends this is the worst we are going to have it..."Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relived...."

Give a listen to the sermon and then ask yourself:  "Where in my life does my circumstances control me?"

Blessings,
PT