18/3 - Journey to the Cross - Mark 9:30-50

Some thoughts from our Zoom time this morning…

1. Status versus service
After Jesus predicts his death, the disciples begin arguing about who is the greatest. It shows how easily they drift toward status and self-importance. In what ways might we also slip into seeking recognition, and how can we intentionally choose humility and service instead?

2. A radical upside-down kingdom
Jesus teaches that to be first, you must be last and servant of all. This turns normal expectations completely upside down. What would it look like in everyday life to truly live out this kind of humility?

3. Identity as “little ones”
When Jesus speaks about “little ones,” it reminds us that we are God’s children—valued, loved, and also responsible for one another. How does seeing ourselves and others in this way shape how we treat people, especially the vulnerable?

4. Recognising God at work in others
In verses 38–41, the disciples are concerned about someone else casting out demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus challenges their exclusivity. How can we recognise where Jesus is at work in others without becoming critical or judgmental, while still being discerning?

5. Taking sin seriously
Jesus uses strong language about removing anything that causes us to stumble. His teaching emphasises the seriousness of sin and the need for holiness. What might it look like for us to take sin seriously in a healthy and life-giving way?

6. Living a “salty” life
Jesus speaks about having “salt” in ourselves, echoing teaching also found in Gospel of Matthew and Epistle to the Colossians. Salt adds flavour, preserves, and purifies. What might it mean for others to “taste” the gospel through the way we live?

7. A life that draws others to Jesus
Salt can also create thirst. In the same way, our lives can draw others toward Jesus, prompting them to seek something more—like “living water.” In what ways might our lives encourage others to become curious about faith?

8. Practices that shape and refine us
If salt preserves and purifies, there is also a sense of ongoing refinement in the Christian life. What daily habits or disciplines help shape our faith and remove what does not reflect Jesus?

9. Staying “salty” together
Jesus calls his followers to “have salt among yourselves,” suggesting a shared, community responsibility. Both individually and as a church, how can we help one another remain strong, distinctive, and faithful?