Bethel Ontario Early Video Worship - 2nd Sunday of Lent

Mar 01, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Challenging Reality of the Journey with Christ

The path of following Jesus is not one of ease and immediate triumph. It is a road that leads through difficulty and demands a reorientation of our expectations. This journey requires us to release our own agendas and comforts to fully embrace the way of Christ. It calls for a deep commitment that goes beyond initial enthusiasm. True discipleship is a lifelong process of learning to walk in his steps, even when the way is narrow. [12:29]

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. (Mark 8:31 NRSV)

Reflection: As you consider your own walk of faith, what specific expectation of an "easy" or comfortable Christian life have you had to release in order to follow Jesus more fully?

Day 2: Setting Our Minds on Divine Things

Human nature often leads us to prioritize our own comfort and understanding. We can be tempted to rebuke the ways of God when they do not align with our personal desires or plans. The call is to shift our perspective from a human-centered view to one that seeks God's purposes. This requires humility and a willingness to be corrected. It is an invitation to trust in God's wisdom above our own. [41:17]

But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” (Mark 8:33 NRSV)

Reflection: Where in your life might you be resisting God's direction because it conflicts with your own human understanding or desires?

Day 3: The Call to Deny Ourselves and Take Up Our Cross

Following Jesus is an active choice that involves self-denial and sacrifice. It is not a passive affiliation but a daily decision to pick up the cross. This means aligning our will with God's will, even when it is costly. The cross represents the ultimate surrender of our lives to the purposes of God. It is the path to true life and freedom found in Christ. [12:47]

He called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34 NRSV)

Reflection: What is one practical way you can "deny yourself" this week as an act of faithful obedience to Christ?

Day 4: Finding Our Life by Losing It

The economy of God's kingdom often reverses the world's values. The pursuit of self-preservation and personal gain ultimately leads to loss. Conversely, surrendering our lives for the sake of Christ and the gospel is the way to discover true, abundant life. This paradox is at the heart of the Christian faith. It is an invitation to trust in God's promise of provision and purpose. [32:08]

For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. (Mark 8:35 NRSV)

Reflection: In what area of your life is God inviting you to release control and trust Him with the outcome?

Day 5: The Assurance of God's Everlasting Covenant

Even on the difficult journey, we do not walk alone. God has established an everlasting covenant of faithfulness with His people. This covenant is a promise of God's presence, provision, and ultimate purpose. It is a foundation of hope that sustains us through every twist and turn. We can move forward in confidence, knowing that God is with us and for us. [35:07]

I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. (Genesis 17:7 NRSV)

Reflection: How does remembering God's faithful covenant with you provide strength for the challenges you are currently facing?

Sermon Summary

The liturgy opens with a call to worship and a unison prayer that frames Lent as a journey toward Jerusalem, full of twists, hills, and valleys. Congregational singing and a hymn underscore the need for divine leadership as the community moves deeper into the season. Announcements address plans for a possible return to the sanctuary for Palm Sunday or Easter and invite participants to prepare personal palms or branches; they also introduce the One Great Hour of Sharing special offering and its focus on disaster recovery and global food security. A children’s video about Jesus calling Peter sets the stage for the day’s Gospel reading and reflection.

Scripture readings move from Genesis and the Psalms—where God’s covenant with Abraham and promises of provision appear—to Mark 8:31–38, where Jesus predicts suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection. The contrast between covenantal provision and the stark call of the cross becomes central: covenant assures that God hears and provides for human hungers, while the Gospel summons followers to deny self, pick up the cross, and follow. The narrative highlights the common expectation that the Messiah would arrive as a political victor. That expectation clashes with Jesus’ declaration of a suffering path, prompting Peter’s shocked rebuke and Jesus’ sharp reply that human thinking can oppose divine purpose.

Reflection traces how disciples often prefer a comfortable, triumphant faith and how Jesus reframes the messianic hope into self-giving service. The teaching insists that true following will likely involve loss, risk, and the willingness to be perceived as shameful by the world; yet such loss opens the way to life kept for the sake of the gospel. Practical life in the congregation appears alongside spiritual teaching: instructions for giving (credit card, Zelle, mail), a brief One Great Hour of Sharing video highlighting farmers in Nicaragua adapting to climate threats, and an offering dedication prayer that links generosity to tangible relief.

Communal confession, silent prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, a final hymn, and a responsive benediction send the community back into the world with an exhortation to trust God’s guidance, sustain hope, and embody Christ’s love amid long and costly discipleship.

Key Takeaways

1. Discipleship demands costly, continual surrender The call to deny oneself and take up the cross overturns expectations of easy reward. Authentic following requires repeated choices to prefer gospel fidelity over personal comfort, to embrace loss as the means to gain true life. This surrender functions not as resignation but as a risky trust that reshapes identity and priorities around Christ’s way. [31:32]
2. Covenant secures daily hungers God’s covenant with Abraham and the Psalms picture divine care for basic needs and deeper longings. Covenant promises create a horizon where physical provision and spiritual hunger both receive attention, calling followers to remember that God’s faithfulness forms the basis for courageous generosity. Trust in covenant frees action from scarcity-driven fear and opens practical compassion toward the vulnerable. [34:44]
3. Messiah subverts worldly expectations Messianic hope assessed by political triumph misunderstands God’s kingdom. The arrival of the Messiah as suffering servant reframes power as service and victory as self-giving love, unsettling agendas that seek domination or quick fixes. Embracing this subversion matures faith beyond nationalist or utilitarian forms of hope. [35:53]
4. True following outlasts shame Jesus warns that being ashamed of him yields exclusion at the final reckoning; following may invite social scorn. Endurance in discipleship moves past reputation management into fidelity that counts the cost without bargaining away conviction. Choosing the cross over acclaim realigns life toward the gospel’s long, costly reward. [32:08]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:28] - Call to Worship & Prayer
[16:20] - Announcements & Return Plans
[18:54] - One Great Hour of Sharing Intro
[22:56] - Children's Time: Peter's Call
[29:24] - Scripture Readings
[31:32] - Gospel: Mark 8:31–38
[32:35] - Theme: Covenants and Crosses
[34:44] - Covenant Promises and Hunger
[35:53] - Messiah Expectations Examined
[40:47] - Peter's Rebuke Explained
[42:54] - Discipleship: Deny Self & Cross
[46:45] - Offering & OGHS Video
[49:00] - Confession, Lord's Prayer, Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Mark 8:31–38 (ESV)
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” 34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Observation questions

What specific things did Jesus say would happen to the Son of Man?
How did Peter react to Jesus’ words, and how did Jesus respond?
What three actions did Jesus say are required to follow him?
According to Jesus, what is the result for those who are ashamed of him and his words? [32:08]

Interpretation questions

Why do you think Peter reacted so strongly to Jesus’ prediction of suffering and death? What might he have expected instead? [35:53]
Jesus says that setting your mind on human things instead of divine things makes you an adversary (“Satan”). What are some examples of “human things” that can hinder following Jesus today?
What does it mean to “lose your life” for the sake of Jesus and the gospel? How is that different from simply suffering or giving things up? [31:32]
Jesus connects being ashamed of him with the Son of Man being ashamed of that person. Why is shame such a significant barrier to discipleship?

Application questions

Where have you recently been tempted to rebuke Jesus—to resist his way because it felt too costly or didn’t match your expectations? [42:01]
What does “deny yourself” look like in your current season of life? What comforts or desires are hardest to lay down?
Jesus calls his followers to take up a cross—not avoid one. Where is following him feeling most like a cross right now?
When have you felt ashamed of Jesus or his words? What situations make that temptation strongest? [32:08]
How does trusting God’s covenant faithfulness free you to live more generously and take more risks in following Jesus? [34:44]
In what practical ways can you support others in your community who are carrying a cross or facing shame for their faith?
What’s one step you can take this week to move from “human thinking” to “divine thinking” in a specific area of your life? [41:17]

Sermon Clips

33s

#ChurchSignIrony

“You know, sometimes churches put ads on, well, now social media, and often signs on their lawn or front signs in an attempt to attract passersby. The friendliest church in town or lonely, anxious, come to our church. We'll fix that. Imagine how many people this church would attract if we put a sign out front saying, are you looking for more pain, anxiety, suffer suffering, and stress in your life?”

30s

#HelpMeFollowJesus

“Jesus, as we journey with you toward the cross, your way becomes narrower and more difficult for us to follow. Most of us, when we began this journey with you, did not know that it would be so demanding. We fear that we are falling behind. We wonder if we can make it. It's one thing for you, son of God, to go to the cross. It's altogether another thing for people like us to go with you. If we are going to make it to the end of the journey, you will need to help us.”

36s

#DivineGapAndIncarnation

“Judaism has one basic theological conviction. There is a God, and you're not it. That's what a good Jewish friend said to me recently. From what I've seen, maybe Judaism does do a better job than Christianity in keeping the appropriate gap between who we are and who God is. That can be tough for us because we Christians believe in the incarnation. We believe that in Christ, God has come close to us.”

36s

#HungerForBodyAndSpirit

“There is a hunger in our world right now. It is a hunger for security, for food and clothing, for shelter. It is a hunger even for assurance that we as beings will continue to be, to exist, to have meaning and purpose. And there is a hunger for the spirit, for God. God made and honored a covenant with Abraham and Sarah that they would be fruitful, that nations and kings would come from them, that they would be blessed and provided for.”

34s

#CostOfDiscipleship

“Peter's humanity in the light of such kingdom realities reveals how fickle people can become when it comes to discipleship. Most of the time this is true. Just most of the time, like Peter, we want to follow as long as the terms are acceptable and not too costly. But Jesus models powerfully what true following means as he denies self, takes up Christ, and follows God's lead.”

36s

#JesusPredictsSuffering

“Jesus turns to his disciples and begins to teach them. And the lesson he teaches them is not one they wanted to receive. Jesus begins to tell them plainly, openly, it says, that he will be rejected. He will suffer. He will die. Now it's true. He did mention resurrection, but none of them comprehended what that meant. The main thing that shocks them is for Jesus to say that he will be rejected, suffer, and die.”

35s

#GetBehindMe

“Jesus' response to Peter so clearly relates that Peter needs to get behind him. Such is the only place a true disciple can ever be if one is to follow. Jesus then uses this opportunity to define once again the true nature of what following him means. In light of Jesus' prediction, the message is all too real. Ultimately, discipleship means giving up everything.”

38s

#WalkingTowardTheCross

“The disciples are in the middle of their journey with Jesus. And right in the middle of the journey, Jesus teaches them, surprising them by teaching them that they are walking away that nobody wants to go. They are walking not toward glory and power, but toward rejection, suffering, death. Now the reality of why Jesus has come is just too much to bear, and Peter attempts to keep him from such a future.”

35s

#ThinkGodsThoughts

“Peter, the lead disciple, rebukes Jesus. Peter reju rebukes Jesus? Wow. Okay. He rebukes him for saying something this outrageous. To him, it is utterly unthinkable that God's anointed one, the Messiah on whom will be pinned all the hopes of Israel should suffer this ignominious fate. Jesus turns and rebukes Peter using the term Satan and telling him he is a victim of purely human thinking. He says, you are not thinking God's thoughts, but human thoughts.”

30s

#ScriptureRevealsTheGap

“In other words, church is where we come to close the gap between us and God. But sometimes, and maybe this Sunday is one of those times, when we listen to scripture, we're impressed by how little we truly understand God. It's as if in the scripture reading, the preaching, and the encounter with Christ, the gap between us and God is opened. We discover that our understanding is limited,”

32s

#GodBeyondUnderstanding

“and we don't totally have an understanding of the awesomeness of God or the reach of the realm of God. We might think to ourselves, wow. I guess I didn't know God as well as I first thought. It's not that God isn't right next to us, beside us, within us, and about us. It's that there's more to God than we can understand. In our story today, Jesus' disciples have been walking with Jesus for a while now.”

31s

#FrontRowToTheMiracles

“They have had a front row seat from which to observe his exorcisms and his healing wonders. They've heard him teach, and they've heard him preach. They've marveled as he drew larger and larger crowds. Perhaps they thought to themselves, this Jesus movement is really catching on at last. People are being drawn to him. And isn't this the corroboration that Jesus is indeed our long awaited messiah? And right here right here at this point in Mark's gospel,”

33s

#KingdomNotPolitics

“Christ did not come in and politically overthrow the Romans. Instead, Christ came to establish God's realm in a totally different way. Perhaps all this thought about making sure we understand that kind of a difference goes against why we even came to church this morning. Church is often where we come to be close to God, a place where we come to a more sure and certain faith where we deepen our understanding of God.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Bethel Ontario This sermon · AI assistant

What does it mean to take up your cross?

What distinction exists between earthly and divine thinking?

How do covenant and cross relate in discipleship?