Why are we spending over a year in the Gospel of Mark?

Beginning September 11, 2022, we will start a year-and-a-half-long endeavor to preach through the Gospel of Mark. I want to take a moment to answer a few “Why?” questions that might come to mind.

01. Why preach through the whole Gospel of Mark?

There are many reasons to preach through a book of the Bible in its entirety, and two specific reasons I think the whole Gospel of Mark will be beneficial:

A) The Genre:

The Gospels are a unique genre of scripture. They are historical, biographical, and narrative. Mark wrote very intentionally to explain and praise the person and work of Jesus. In scripture, this writing style is as unique as it was in the first century.

B) The Story:

There is value in preaching through sections and specific passages of the Bible because it assists the listener or reader in diving deeply into the wonder of scripture. Further, taking time to look through a longer book gives us the opportunity to wrestle with the broader story of scripture.

02. Why preach through the whole Gospel of Mark?

What is so special about the book of Mark? Mark was the first gospel written and offers a powerful invitation to the reader to respond to and follow the real Jesus. Mark wove together eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life so people could encounter the real Jesus. Mark is the shortest of the four gospels, but His attention to detail creates an energetic, captivating, and intentional book.

03. Why preach through the whole Gospel of Mark?

Why does the Summit need Mark?

A) Excitement about Following Jesus.

We are entering a season during which we want to focus on one aspect of our mission: ‘becoming the gospel.’ There are many ways to encourage and motivate each other towards Kingdom work, but the best way is for our hearts to be inspired and motivated by Jesus. For us to ‘become the gospel,’ we need to center our lives around Jesus the way that Mark encouraged his readers to be motivated by Jesus.

B) Excitement about The Kingdom of Jesus.

Jesus’ first words in Mark are, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (1:15).

As a church, we are excited about entering a season in which we think deeply and strategize what it would look like for us to participate in the coming Kingdom of God.

So, come and join us! And be prepared to meet the Real Jesus!