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Read Mark 7:31-37
Have you ever felt isolated? Perhaps you have had an illness or have been unemployed. This story sees a man who was isolated from others because of his disabilities, meeting Jesus and becoming a mouth piece for the gospel.

It’s a beautifully ironic story, not without intrigue and challenge, but one that asks us how much we are aware of others and how we can share the good news of God with them.

Ian's challenge to us in this morning's service. How do we respond? #salford #elim pic.twitter.com/2vTN7XmN53

— Salford Elim Church (@SalfordElim) June 18, 2017

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Read Mark 7:24-30
This week we had another election, with an outcome that is far from clear. It’s hard for us not to take sides, to join in with people who see things in black and white: the goodies and the baddies. And it’s hard for us not to think that we are right (whatever our position).

This episode in Mark’s gospel is at first sight uncomfortable: it sounds as though Jesus doesn’t want to get involved in the woman’s painful situation. So what is going on here? In the sermon, we reflect on how the text does disturb us, not because Jesus is somehow at fault, but because it reflects our own prejudices.

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Read Mark 6:45-52
It’s been a difficult week in Manchester. Last Monday so many lives were changed for ever. How do you hold on to faith in the middle of events like that?

Mark knew that followers of Jesus will face situations like this. How can you find Jesus in the middle of days like this?

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Read Mark 6:14-29
Mission is not always easy because it can involve a threat to the existing authorities. John found this, and was beheaded!

Mission is about more than talking about personal salvation. Sometimes you need to take a stand because things are not right. That’s what John did.

So how do we do that? And when should we do it?

That’s what this sermon tries to begin to explore together.

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Read Mark 6:1-6
A curious passage in Mark’s gospel where Jesus goes to his home town and couldn’t do many miracles there.

It appears that familiarity had bred contempt.

That can be a danger for Christians today too.

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Read Mark 5:21-43
What does it take to become so desperate that you are willing to lose your reputation to find healing?

In this part of Mark’s gospel, he tells two stories of desperate people and how Jesus was able to do the seemingly impossible for them.

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Read Mark 5:1-20
A strange story about Jesus casting a ‘legion’ of demons in to a herd of pigs, ending with people pleading with Jesus to leave town.

Jesus disrupted the status quo but in doing so, brought freedom and change to someone who had been written off by everyone else.

Does Jesus still do this sort of thing today?

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Read Mark 4:21-34
Jesus was clear how the kingdom would take hold in the world.

It wouldn’t be with a bang that could not be avoided – it would start small, be the work of patient people who don’t give up hope, in places that people would never expect.

It’s still the way that the kingdom takes hold.

The call is to follow the Jesus way – in every part of our world.

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Read Mark 4:1-20
Jesus often spoke to his followers in parables; stories which held a deeper spiritual meaning. It was a way of engaging those who really did want to understand more about God’s kingdom whilst discouraging others who were just trying to trip Jesus up.

The parable of the sower is the first of many in Mark’s gospel account, and there is an obvious application for us today.

Which of the four terrains (hard path, rocky ground, thorny ground, or good soil) best reflects our hearts when it comes to hearing the word of God?

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Read Mark 2:18-3:6
Why did Jesus break the rules? Was he trying to be deliberately shocking, or was there something else going on?

By the time of Jesus, some religious leaders were so paranoid about breaking God’s law that they had introduced over 300 additional laws as an extra safeguard, just in case. These extra rules became a burden to ordinary Jews, and the teachers didn’t seem to help lift this burden. In fact, they were making it hard for folk to meet with God.

Jesus came to challenge the religious leaders, and get to the heart of the law that brings freedom for its followers.

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