Why did God cause darkness to fall on creation for three hours during Christ?s crucifixion? You may not have thought about it much but it is tremendously significant and can help you understand more about the sacrifice of Jesus on your behalf.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important even in human history. Coming down from that global perspective, what does the resurrection mean to me? That\'s the question we\'ll talk about as we conclude our study in Mark\'s gospel.

What exactly happened on the cross of Jesus Christ? What did it mean then and what does it mean to me now? Is is just a mascot, a symbol, or something much much more?

Weakness is not something valued by our culture or this age. But the death of Jesus shows us the strength we can all find in the weakest of moments.

The death of Jesus Christ is at the same time the deepest darkest day in human history and the beginning of the most promising era in human history. Though the physical agony great, the spiritual agony was even greater for our Lord.

Many times when we look at the portion of Mark 14 involving the arrest and trial of Jesus we focus on Judas - the betrayer. But Mark shows us that many more than Judas betrayed Jesus that night, and it shows us how short we fall and how great our Savior really is.

How do you handle impending doom? You know, those times when something bad is happening and it\'s about to get much worse? Jesus faced the ultimate in impending doom in the Garden of Gethsemane. How He handled it is a model for us in times of difficulty.

It is at the darkest part of the night that a light shines the brightest. As we come to Mark 13 we see hope at the end of a terrible time in earth\'s history, when the lights will dim for the coming King. Then we see the path to that event beginning as the Lord is served with the ultimate act of worship and the ultimate act of betrayal.

There is a lot of excitement generated in the Christian community around the return of Jesus. Jesus\' men were excited too, but what Jesus tells them is not a timeline or series of events, but how they should act while waiting. It\'s good advise for us too who await Jesus\' return eagerly.

Mark wrote nothing by accident in his gospel. Just prior to the arrest of Jesus, he presents a stark contrast between those who think they have it all and those who have nothing. Which group is which? The answer may surprise you.

What is the most important thing in the universe? The answer might surprise you but goes right to the heart of both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus reveals it to us in Mark 12 as we go in depth into loving God.

Jesus had to answer some very complicated questions designed to trap Him. But being the master chess player, Jesus turned the traps into times of teaching and revealing much about His true identity.

In this portion of Mark we get a clearer picture of what it means to rely on God for things, and what it means to rely on the government. Here the religious leaders try to trip Jesus up, but they fall right into His trap.

What image comes to mind when you think about a hero riding in to save the day? Jesus, our ultimate action hero, rides into Jerusalem to save the day for humanity, but not in the way you would imagine, not this time anyway.

Mark makes an important point about who we think we are in contrast to what we need to be in God\'s kingdom. Just when you think you have it all, you may not have anything and when you have nothing, you have just what you need.

Our idea about success involves three things - all of which were possessed by a man who approaches Jesus. What is he looking for and why? The answers should affect your outlook on this life and the one to come.

As humans we naturally try to do what is in our own best self interest. This doesn\'t always coincide with the character of God. Such is the case with divorce. Jesus shocks His men and the Pharisees with a refreshing look at relationships. As we look at the topic, what seems to matter is the condition of our heart.

What influences you and what kind of influence are you on others? In the final portion of Mark Chapter 9, Jesus describes a common substance: salt. It is either salty or flavorless. When it comes to you affect on your environment are you salt or unsalty?

Face it, we humans like to be in charge of ourselves and as many others as we can. Though we aren\'t all power mongers, this default human behavior causes major problems when we see how God\'s universe really operates. The lesson comes home in this portion of Mark 9.

Probably one of the most common questions people have when evaluating Christianity is: \"Why should I follow Jesus Christ?\" He made a lot of claims, and might even have come back from the dead, but so what? In Mark 8 and 9 we see the two reasons why you should feel comfortable placing your life in His hands.