by Pastor Patrick Cho
Most people at Lighthouse probably know by now that in GraceLife we are currently studying the life of Christ in the book of Mark. So far it has been a good study and has generated some helpful discussions. What people might not know is that along with the study, we are currently memorizing various passages of Scripture that are consistent with the themes from each lesson. The passages are not necessarily from Mark, but are intended to help us remember what the lesson was about and challenge us in our application.
Our first memory passage was Mark 1:14-15 where Jesus goes about Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God. The reason why this passage is so significant is because it serves as a clear, succinct summary of what Jesus’ gospel presentation entailed. He preached a gospel of repentance and faith in light of the kingdom being at hand. This serves us as a helpful reminder that the gospel is more than coming to understand a series of facts. When a person truly understands the gospel and is saved, there is a necessary inward change, a turning from sin and to God.
Our second memory passage was Hebrews 4:15 where Jesus is referred to as our sympathetic high priest. This was the verse that corresponded to the lesson on Jesus’ baptism and temptation in the wilderness. In His baptism, Jesus stood in the place of sinners as one who represented us to the Father. One of the amazing truths about His incarnation and humanity is that He understands from experience our temptations, struggles, and hardships. We have a high priest in Christ who really can sympathize with us.
Our third memory passage was Romans 10:9. Paul writes that a person who confesses with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that God raised Him from the dead will be saved. This verse corresponded with the lesson about the preaching focus of Jesus’ ministry. Certainly Jesus performed amazing signs and miraculous deeds, but He came primarily to teach, and specifically to preach the gospel.
In like manner, all the memory passages correspond with the week’s lesson and help us internalize the point of each passage of study. Our hope is that by having these passages memorized, it will help us to constantly have God’s Word on our hearts and to remember the important themes and lessons from the book of Mark. A complete list of the weekly memory passages can be found at the GraceLife webpage.