FBCC - Second Serving

The Cost of Following Jesus Mark 10:17–31 Introduction Imagine a man who had so much wealth that he couldn’t store it all. Instead of being content, he decided to build bigger barns to hold even more. But before he could enjoy his riches, he died, leaving everything behind. Jesus told that exact story—the parable of the rich fool ( Luke 12:16–21 )—to warn His listeners that life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. In Mark 10, we meet a different rich man. This man isn’t a fool—he’s sincere, respectful, and morally upright. But like the man in the parable, he still misses what matters most. He comes to Jesus with the right question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Yet when Jesus gives him the answer, he walks away sad. This passage shows us what stands in the way of many who long for eternal life but are unwilling to pay the cost of discipleship. Background & Context As Jesus was traveling, a man ran up and knelt before Him—showing both urgency and ...

1 John 3:4–10 Introduction Not everyone knows God the Creator as He has fully revealed Himself in the Person of Christ. Many people know about God. They may be familiar with His name, His Word, or even Christian language. But knowing about God is not the same as knowing Him. The Apostle John writes with a confidence that assumes this difference matters, because it shapes how a person lives and what they believe about sin, righteousness, and love. John’s concern is not to unsettle believers for the sake of fear, but to protect them from deception that robs them of joy and freedom. Throughout his letter, he speaks as a spiritual father, helping his readers understand what it means to belong to God and how that belonging becomes visible in real life. He is careful to remind them that while all people are made in the image of God, not everyone is a child of God. That distinction is not meant to diminish human dignity, but to clarify spiritual reality. This passage exists to help re...

Let the Children Come to Me Mark 10:13–16 Introduction Have you ever tried to put together a puzzle? You start by sorting the pieces, grouping similar ones together, and building the border. But sometimes, you find a piece that doesn’t fit anywhere yet, so you set it aside until you see where it belongs. In life, we often do the same thing with ideas. We tend to accept what makes sense to us and set aside what doesn’t fit our understanding. This happened in Jesus’ time too. Different groups of people responded to His teachings in different ways. Some opposed Him, some were drawn to Him but struggled to follow, and even His own disciples often misunderstood His purpose. In Mark 10, we see these three responses clearly. The Pharisees tried to challenge Jesus (Mark 10:1–12), a rich man wanted to follow Him but couldn’t let go of his wealth (Mark 10:17–22), and even Jesus’ own disciples misunderstood what He came to do (Mark 10:13–16). In the middle of these conflicts, Jesus used ...

1 John 3:1–3 We Are God’s Children Now Introduction The Christmas season often brings our attention to the gifts we hope to give or the gifts we look forward to receiving. Families gather around trees and tables, and children wake up with excitement on Christmas morning. All of this sits inside a far greater story about the greatest gift God has given to the world. God has given His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and His birth brought hope into a world that could not repair its own broken relationship with Him. Yet just as some people do not fully understand the gifts they open on Christmas morning, many also overlook the true meaning of the gift that God has given to His children. The life, death, and resurrection of Christ did not simply clean up the wrongs we have committed. His work secured something far more lasting. It secured our eternal place in the kingdom that is coming. It gave us a new identity and a new future as children of God. We Have Been Adopted [1] See what kind ...