Questions are currently swirling around about massive topics, such as faith, Jesus, God, church, race, politics, etc. Rather than reacting to the cultural currents of our day with defense against, accommodation to, or purity from, we're called to operate in what James Hunter calls faithful presence. To do this, we must master the art of asking and answering questions like Jesus. In Mark 12:13-27 we see Jesus answering questions with reason and sound logic, with Scripture, and being both kind and firm in His responses. This message will help us navigate this complex world.

We preached from Mark 8 verses 27-33 and answered the question “Who is this Jesus?”. We looked at 4 dominant views of Jesus that have been around since Jesus started his ministry and are still prevalent today. 1) Jesus is important, but pretty much irrelevant to me. 2) Jesus is harmful, repressive, and maybe even oppressive. 3) Jesus is merely a means to a political end. 4) Jesus is the King of the upside-down Kingdom. How we view Jesus has a profound impact on our lives. When we view him wrongly, it not only harms us but also how others view Jesus. But, when we view Him rightly, we are transformed and it positively impacts the world around us. The ache in our souls won’t be satisfied by a Jesus of our own imagination, but it will only be satisfied by the real Jesus living inside of us.

God's design for humanity is one of deep satisfaction, rich relationships, potent purpose, and human flourishing, but something has gone terribly wrong. We see and feel this in a gnawing internal emptiness, political division, anxiety, overdose, racism, and social unrest. The secular answers of our day aren't sufficiently working to address these, but God offers us a sublime solution in Jesus.