How Long Has This Been Happening? | Jesus Questions

Devotional

Day 1: Termites in the Trunk – Confronting Hidden Weaknesses

A tree falls not from sudden storms but silent invaders. Like termites targeting compromised wood, destructive forces exploit unresolved areas in our lives. This story’s father realized his son’s lifelong torment required more than temporary fixes. Spiritual erosion often begins in unseen places – patterns of compromise, unaddressed wounds, or neglected prayer. Jesus’ question “How long has this been happening?” exposes our tolerance of slow decay. Freedom comes when we stop managing symptoms and let Christ confront root issues. [16:40]

“Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has this been happening?’ The father replied, ‘Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.’” (Mark 9:21-22, NLT)

Reflection: What recurring struggle in your family or personal life have you normalized as “just how things are”? How might Jesus be inviting you to confront its roots today?

Day 2: Pulling From Fire, Calling on Faith

Rescuing children from crisis builds muscle memory, but deliverance requires more than human effort. The father in Mark 9 admitted his dual reality: “I believe – help my unbelief!” Jesus honored this raw honesty, showing faith isn’t the absence of doubt but the choice to bring both to Him. Like a dad pulling his son from literal flames, we exhaust ourselves fighting visible fires while ignoring the arsonist. Lasting freedom comes when we stop reacting to emergencies and start addressing spiritual strongholds. [19:33]

“The father instantly cried out, ‘I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!’” (Mark 9:24, NLT)

Reflection: Where have you relied on your own crisis management skills instead of seeking Christ’s authority over the deeper battle?

Day 3: Dead to the World, Alive in Christ

A revived boy “appeared dead” to the crowd but was truly alive. Raising godly children in a broken world means embracing holy contradictions – what looks like restriction (no parties, social media limits) is actually liberation. The world mocks boundaries as lifelessness, but resurrection power thrives in surrendered soil. Fathers model this paradox by dying to cultural approval so their families can live in eternal purpose. [24:47]

“The boy appeared to be dead… But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.” (Mark 9:26-27, NLT)

Reflection: What “death to the world’s standards” have you hesitated to embrace in parenting? How might this protect your child’s spiritual vitality?

Day 4: Crowds Are Watching – Living Before an Audience

The arguing crowd in Mark 9 mirrors a world scrutinizing Christian families. Our choices – how we handle conflict, spend money, or prioritize time – preach louder than sermons. Termites thrive in private compromise, but public integrity starves them. When fathers lead repentance openly, disciple kids during errands, or pray boldly, they silence critics and invite the curious to Christ. [07:29]

“A large crowd surrounded them… When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe and ran to greet him.” (Mark 9:14-15, NLT)

Reflection: What daily habit could you adjust to more visibly reflect Christ to those observing your family?

Day 5: Prayer – The Termite Treatment for Generations

The disciples’ failure to free the boy revealed prayerless self-reliance. Termites return unless treated at the source. Similarly, surface-level fixes in parenting crumble without consistent spiritual warfare. Fathers who pray Scripture over children, repent of generational patterns, and fast for breakthroughs activate heaven’s demolition crew. Lasting freedom isn’t a one-time deliverance but a legacy of intercession. [27:11]

“Jesus replied, ‘This kind can be cast out only by prayer.’” (Mark 9:29, NLT)

Reflection: What specific stronghold in your family line needs persistent prayer rather than another temporary solution?

Sermon Summary

The termites in the fallen tree give the whole picture. The enemy slips in quiet, hidden, and secret, and he looks for a weak spot. The devil does not usually have to knock down a healthy tree all at once. The termites chew long enough, and what looked strong on the outside finally comes down.

Mark 9 puts that same question in front of fathers, families, and anyone with an open door in life: “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asks it of a father whose son has been tormented since childhood. The question is not meant to shame the father. The question makes him face how long the enemy has been sitting in the living room, how long the pain has gone unchallenged, and how long the family has kept pulling the child out of the fire without bringing the whole thing to Jesus.

The father does the one thing that can change the story: he brings his son to Jesus. The disciples could not fix it. The father could not fix it. But Jesus says, “Bring the boy to me.” The call to dads is plain: bring the children to Jesus in prayer, in the Word, in discipleship, in the car on the way to the hardware store, and around other young people who love God.

The evil spirit had robbed the boy of his voice, and the call to fathers is to teach children how to speak the Word of God out loud. God has designed men to carry spiritual authority, not as goofballs or passive spectators, but as image bearers who lead homes, children, and society. The spiritual leader must be led by the Spirit, because nobody can lead somebody somewhere he has not been himself.

The father’s honest cry, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief,” shows that faith and doubt can sit in the same heart. God does not want doubt to become a home, but a mustard seed of faith still gives God room to work. Jesus casts out the spirit and commands it never to return, proving that God can make a change that lasts.

The crowd thinks the boy is dead, but Jesus takes him by the hand and raises him up. The world may call godly kids dead because they do not live for its parties, appetites, and games. But dead to the world is alive in Christ. And “this kind” still comes out only by prayer.

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Key Takeaways

1. Termites enter through hidden weakness [01:25] The enemy often works quietly before anything looks broken on the outside. A family, a marriage, or a soul can appear strong while something has been chewing underneath for years. The question is not only what has fallen, but what weakness has been left untreated. Grace says the tree may still be salvageable before collapse becomes final. [01:25]
2. Bring the child to Jesus [08:57] The father in Mark 9 does not bring an argument, an excuse, or a parenting theory. The father brings his son to Jesus because no other help has been enough. Prayer, Scripture, honest conversations, and godly community are not religious extras for children. They are ways a father keeps placing his child in front of the only One who can heal. [08:57]
3. A father must speak the Word [11:54] The evil spirit robbed the boy of his voice, and that detail matters. Children learn what is speakable by hearing what comes out of a father’s mouth. When God’s Word is heard at home, it becomes less strange for a child to carry it later. Silence can disciple too, so a father’s voice should not be surrendered to the enemy. [11:54]
4. Faith can confess its doubt [20:34] The father’s cry is not polished, but it is real: “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief.” Jesus does not turn away from a man who brings both faith and questions. Doubt is not meant to be protected or celebrated, but it can be handed to God honestly. A mustard seed of faith still gives heaven room to move. [20:34]
5. Prayer confronts what strength cannot [27:11] The disciples had proximity to Jesus, but the bondage still remained until Jesus named the need for prayer. Some battles in a home cannot be solved by effort, personality, discipline, or good intentions. Prayer is where a father stops pretending he can pull the child out of every fire himself. Prayer falls on the mercy of God and asks Him to do what human hands cannot do.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:19] - Father’s Day and a Fallen Tree
[01:10] - Termites and Hidden Weakness
[02:24] - Concerns for Children Today
[04:29] - Jesus’ Question: How Long?
[05:40] - Mark 9 and the Father’s Son
[07:13] - The Crowd Is Watching
[08:57] - Bring Them to Jesus
[11:21] - Restoring a Child’s Voice
[13:15] - Fathers as Spiritual Leaders
[16:09] - How Long Has This Been Happening?
[20:34] - Faith and Unbelief Together
[23:20] - Jesus Commands Lasting Freedom
[24:26] - Dead to the World, Alive in Christ
[27:11] - This Kind Comes Out by Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Mark 9:14-29 (ESV)
[The story of Jesus healing a boy with an unclean spirit, including the father’s plea, “I believe; help my unbelief!”]

Observation Questions

In the sermon, the termite analogy illustrates how the enemy works. What specific characteristics of termites were compared to spiritual attacks? [01:25]
What did the father in Mark 9 do when the disciples couldn’t help his son, and how did Jesus respond? [08:57]
The sermon emphasizes that the evil spirit “robbed the boy of his voice.” What practical action does the sermon connect to restoring a child’s spiritual voice? [11:54]
How did the father in Mark 9 express both faith and doubt, and what was Jesus’ reaction? [20:34]

Interpretation Questions

Why might Jesus ask the father, “How long has this been happening?” (Mark 9:21)? What does this question reveal about addressing spiritual or relational weaknesses? [16:09]
The sermon states, “A father’s voice should not be surrendered to the enemy.” How does a father’s silence or speech shape a child’s understanding of what is “speakable” in life? [11:54]
The father’s prayer, “I do believe; help my unbelief,” shows faith and doubt coexisting. Why does Jesus honor this kind of honesty instead of condemning it? [20:34]
The disciples couldn’t cast out the spirit until Jesus emphasized prayer. What does this suggest about the relationship between human effort and divine intervention in spiritual battles? [27:11]

Application Questions

“How long has this been happening?” is a question Jesus asks to confront hidden weaknesses. What area of your life or family might need this question asked today? What practical step could you take to address it? [16:09]
Bringing children to Jesus includes prayer, Scripture, and intentional discipleship. What is one specific way you could “bring someone to Jesus” this week, even in a small moment (e.g., a car ride, mealtime, or casual conversation)? [08:57]
The sermon warns that silence can “disciple too.” What is one truth from God’s Word you need to speak aloud more often in your home or relationships? How could you start doing this? [11:54]
The father’s honest prayer, “Help my unbelief,” models bringing doubts to God. What doubt or fear have you hesitated to admit to God? How could you pray this prayer today? [20:34]
The crowd thought the boy was dead, but Jesus raised him up. How might the world misunderstand or criticize a life fully surrendered to Christ? What would it look like to embrace being “dead to the world” in your daily choices? [24:26]
The sermon stresses that “this kind comes out only by prayer.” What ongoing struggle in your life or family have you tried to fix on your own? How could you prioritize prayer over self-reliance this week? [27:11]

Sermon Clips

88s

“``How long has this been going on? How long have the termites been chewing away on the inside of you? How long has the enemy been tormenting you? How long has your family been jacked up? How long have your kids been acting funny? How long has your marriage been on the rocks? How long has that thing that you've been doing you know you shouldn't be doing been going on? How long is that something that you you know the enemy has been tearing apart your life been going on? And you know it's happening, you just haven't done anything about it yet. That's the question. That's the question that Jesus is asking all of us today. How long has this been happening? I pray that when you leave here today, you you keep asking yourself this question, not just one time during this series in the summer night right now, how long has this been happening? When you when you acknowledge that there's something wrong going on in your life, stop and ask yourself, how long has this been happening? When did this start? Because this anytime is any length of time is too long of a time.”

71s

“Because when you raise your kids according to the word of God, the world looks on and goes, they're dead. They don't know how to party. They don't know how to have fun. Look at us. We're living it up. We know how to have life. But the truth is, if you're gonna raise your kids in this world according to the word of God, they have to die. They have to die to the world. They're gonna look dead to the world. They should look dead to the world, but they're alive in Christ. So when you're taking your kid to church, and you're taking your kid to youth group, and you're spending time talking about the word of God and teaching them his ways, it may look like death to the rest of the world. And that's what the apostle Paul says, that it looks like death to the world, but it's life in Christ. It's life in Christ.”

52s

“Gonna share with you dads that what you tolerate now will become the problems of your children in the future. The termites that are chewing up right now, if you don't address them and by the way, when termites get into a tree, it's still salvageable. There's there's a point where it's still salvageable. And I want you to know, dads, that even though you may not have done everything right up to this point, even though you may have made some mistakes, by the grace of God, your family is still salvageable. It's never too late.”

71s

“You know, the evil spirit here had robbed his son of his voice. How many young people in our generation, the generations in every generation, there have been young people whose voices have been robbed by the devil, or an evil spirit has closed their mouth. Dads, here's the power that you have. When you bring your kids to Jesus, you teach them how to declare his word. You teach them how to speak his word. Teach them how to talk about his word. Talk about it out loud with them. You declare his word over them. Let them hear the word of God coming out of your mouth so that they're not ashamed of it coming out of their mouth later.”

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How Long Has This Been Happening? | Jesus Questions | Part 10