ADHD Gospel, Day 41 Be salty. Read Mark 9:38-50. In the times of Jesus, salt had incredible value and was useful for great many things. Salt preserved things. Salt made things more flavorful. Salt purified things. Salt was even used as a source of money or payment. So when Jesus was telling his people to be salty, this was high and lofty recommendation. Jesus wanted his people to purify each other, and to make sure they were bringing out the best in each other. As we go through the world today, we have an opportunity to impact people. What is that impact going to look like? As we are thinking…

ADHD Gospel, Day 40 Seeking last. Read Mark 9:30-39. I am a competitive person who has enjoyed playing sports and other activities all my life. While many rules are very different from one sport to another, one principle is typically universal. The goal is to be the best. Everyone wants to be the top, the best, the greatest. We are all seeking that and working toward that. Our practices are built around that goal. We coach and play toward that goal. Jesus’s disciples were doing to same thing, thinking about who was going to be the best. Jesus had a different rule for them. Jesus introduced this idea that the…

ADHD Gospel, Day 39 We need God. Read Mark 9:25-29. We are a very independent culture, and we like to do things ourselves. It can be really difficult for us to lean on others for support. And yet, that is exactly what Jesus is reminding us in today’s verses. Jesus heals the boy. He casts out the demon and it leaves and the boy is recovering. Later the disciples come to Jesus and ask him why they couldn’t do what Jesus did. As we saw earlier, Jesus is the one with the authority and the disciples were using Jesus’ authority to do the great work in the first place. However,…

ADHD Gospel, Day 38 I do believe. Read Mark 9:22-24. This may be one of the truest statements in all of scripture. The father desperately wants to believe that his son can be saved, but he has been so overwhelmed by the reality of this situation that he has been experiencing. Jesus has challenged him to believe and he exclaims, “I do believe. Help my unbelief.” We can be both believing and unbelieving at the same time, but we have to recognize that we make a choice as to which side is going to win out. Are we going to allow the truth of who Jesus is to dictate our…

ADHD Gospel, Day 37 Recognize authority. Read Mark 9:19-21. Do we recognize authority when we see it? Often we understand that there are certain authorities in life. And yet, when we have the opportunity to be around or to see those authorities, are we truly understanding how Christ is over everything? When Jesus came close to this boy, the evil spirit knew and understood exactly who Jesus was and exactly what was going on here. The spirit recognized and acknowledged the authority that God has. Are we looking and understanding truly who God is and who God should be in our life? He has the authority in every area. How…

ADHD Gospel, Day 35 Listen to Him. Read Mark 9:7-13. When we’re going through so many things and have so many thoughts and ideas running through our heads, sometimes we just need a moment to recenter ourselves. We need somebody to look at us and say, “Stop. Stop running around. Stop chasing the things. Stop trying to be all the stuff and just listen to the Father.” Peter had been overwhelmed and terrified by what had happened in the earlier verses. As a result, he started babbling and saying things that really made no sense. God’s taking a time out. God reminds him to pause, to stop, to listen. How…

ADHD Gospel, Day 34 When to speak and when not to. Read Mark 9:1-6. Have you ever been so scared that you didn’t know what to say, and so you just started babbling? That’s actually not that unusual for people, especially when you get to the place where it’s silent and you feel that you need to fill the space with something. That’s where Peter found himself. Jesus had done something truly amazing and the disciples were having a glimpse of the incredible glory of God. But Peter was so overwhelmed that he just couldn’t stay quiet. I love that the Bible shares the detail behind his words because it…

ADHD Gospel, Day 33 Make a good trade. Read Mark 8:34-38. Have you ever traded an item? Many times when making a trade, there’s always a question as to whether or not each side of the trade is getting a good deal. We make trades every day, even if it is an exchange of money for goods or services. Today, Jesus is talking about making trade of a much different kind. As part of this trade, we trade our entire lives and ourselves and what we gain in return is Jesus. In reviewing the merits of this trade, we find that, while it seems extreme on our side to trade…