Seeking the Best: Embracing God's Presence and Purpose
Summary
Today, we gathered as a family of faith, celebrating the unique love and generosity that defines our community. There is a stirring happening, not just in our church but across the world, as people from all walks of life are being drawn to Christ. We welcomed new members, prayed over them, and recognized the transitions within our worship team, all as reminders that God is continually at work, weaving new stories into our shared life. Our identity as a church is rooted in loving God and loving others unconditionally—a love that is not of our own making, but a reflection of God’s Spirit working through us.
Turning to the life of Jesus, we reflected on a moment early in His ministry from Mark 1:29-39. Jesus healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, restoring her not just physically but also to her place in community and service. Her immediate response was to serve, embodying the very heart of discipleship. This act, though simple, was profound: it was the first time in Mark’s Gospel that a disciple is named, and it is a woman, often overlooked in her culture, who is recognized for her service. Jesus’ miracles drew crowds, but He did not allow the good of healing to distract from His greater purpose. He withdrew to pray, seeking the Father’s will, and then moved on to preach the good news elsewhere, even when the crowds clamored for more miracles.
This challenges us to consider the difference between what is good and what is best. Jesus did not come merely to heal bodies or solve temporary problems; He came to rescue souls and offer Himself—God in the flesh—as the ultimate gift. The miracles were signs, samples meant to stir our appetite for something deeper: relationship with Him. We are reminded that even the best earthly blessings are temporary, but what Jesus offers is eternal. He calls us not just to seek what He can do, but to know who He is. In our own lives, we are invited to move beyond seeking comfort or quick fixes, and instead to desire the best thing—His presence, His word, and His will. May we be bold enough to ask not just for good things, but for the best: more of Him.
Key Takeaways
- True Christian love is not a product of human effort, but the result of God’s Spirit working through us. When we love unconditionally, especially those who are difficult to love or those in need, we reflect the very nature of God. This kind of love is a sign that God is present and active in our community, shaping us into His likeness. [12:31]
- Service is at the heart of discipleship, and often it is the overlooked or marginalized who show us what it means to follow Jesus. Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, restored by Jesus, immediately began to serve, demonstrating that our response to God’s grace should be a life of humble service. In God’s kingdom, no act of service is insignificant, and those the world overlooks are often the first to be called disciples. [21:33]
- The miracles of Jesus, while powerful and compassionate, were never the main point—they were signs pointing to something greater. If we focus only on what Jesus can do for us, we risk missing who He is. The deepest need of every human heart is not for temporary relief, but for eternal relationship with God Himself. [26:09]
- Good things can sometimes become the enemy of the best things. Even acts of healing and compassion, as wonderful as they are, can distract us from the greater purpose God has for us. Jesus models for us the discipline of seeking the Father’s will above all else, even when it means leaving behind opportunities for good in order to pursue what is best. [24:49]
- Jesus offers Himself as the ultimate gift—more than healing, more than blessing, more than any earthly comfort. He calls each of us, regardless of our background or need, to seek Him above all else. The journey of faith is not built on answered prayers alone, but on knowing Him deeply, trusting Him even when miracles do not come, and finding our greatest fulfillment in His presence. [28:14]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[09:28] - Celebrating Service and Community
[10:47] - A Stirring in the Church and the World
[11:40] - The Identity of Living Word Church
[12:31] - Radical Love and Generosity
[13:06] - Welcoming New Members
[14:15] - Prayer and Blessing for New Members
[18:50] - Worship Team Transitions
[20:32] - Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-law
[21:33] - Restoration and the First Disciple
[23:03] - The Crowds Seek Jesus
[23:54] - Jesus Withdraws to Pray
[24:49] - Choosing the Best Over the Good
[26:09] - The Purpose of Miracles
[28:14] - Jesus Offers Himself
[34:44] - Closing Blessing and Announcements
Study Guide
Small Group Bible Study Guide
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### Bible Reading
- Mark 1:29-39
As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them... (read through verse 39)
- Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
- John 17:3
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
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### Observation Questions
1. What did Jesus do for Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, and what was her immediate response? (Mark 1:29-31)
2. After healing many people, what did Jesus do early the next morning, and how did the disciples react when they found Him? (Mark 1:35-37)
3. According to the sermon, who is the first disciple named in Mark’s Gospel, and why is this significant? [[21:33]]
4. What reason does Jesus give for moving on to other villages instead of staying to heal more people in Capernaum? (Mark 1:38)
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Simon Peter’s mother-in-law responded to her healing by serving Jesus and the others? What does this say about the connection between receiving grace and serving others? [[21:33]]
2. The sermon says that Jesus’ miracles were “samples” meant to stir our appetite for something deeper. What does this mean, and how does it change the way we view miracles or answered prayers? [[27:41]]
3. Jesus left behind crowds who wanted more miracles to go elsewhere and preach. What does this reveal about His priorities and mission? [[24:49]]
4. The sermon mentions that “good things can sometimes become the enemy of the best things.” How might this play out in our own lives or in the life of a church? [[24:49]]
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### Application Questions
1. The sermon describes the church as a place of radical love and generosity, even to those who are hard to love. Who in your life right now is difficult to love, and what is one practical way you can show them God’s love this week? [[12:31]]
2. Simon Peter’s mother-in-law immediately began to serve after being healed. Is there an area in your life where God has restored or blessed you? How can you use that experience to serve others in your community? [[21:33]]
3. Jesus made time to withdraw and pray, even when there were urgent needs around Him. What is one step you can take this week to prioritize time alone with God, even if it means saying “no” to something good? [[23:54]]
4. The sermon challenges us to seek not just what Jesus can do for us, but to seek Jesus Himself. Are there ways you have been focusing more on God’s gifts than on God Himself? What would it look like to shift your focus? [[26:09]]
5. Can you think of a “good” thing in your life that might be distracting you from the “best” thing—God’s presence, word, or will? What would it look like to choose the best this week? [[24:49]]
6. The miracles of Jesus were temporary, but His offer of Himself is eternal. How does this truth affect the way you pray for your needs or the needs of others? [[28:14]]
7. The sermon says Jesus will “walk past a crowd” to reach one heart ready for the truth. Is there someone in your life who might be ready to hear about Jesus? How can you reach out to them this week? [[28:14]]
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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Ask God to help you love others with His love, to serve out of gratitude, and to desire more of Him above all else. Pray for boldness to choose what is best, not just what is good, and for opportunities to share Jesus with those who are seeking.
Devotional
Day 1: Serving Others as a Reflection of Christ
True service flows from God’s love within us, enabling us to care for others in ways that go beyond our natural capacity. When we welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, and love unconditionally, we are participating in the very nature of God. This kind of generous, open-hearted service is not something we muster on our own; it is the Spirit of God working through us, shaping us into a unique community that values people over possessions and relationships over worldly concerns. As we serve, we become living testimonies of God’s love, drawing others into the family of faith. [12:31]
Mark 10:45 (ESV)
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Reflection: Who is someone you can serve today in a way that goes beyond your comfort zone, reflecting God’s love rather than your own strength?
Day 2: Restored to Purpose and Community
Jesus’ healing is not just about physical restoration; it is about restoring people to their God-given identity and place in community. When Simon Peter’s mother-in-law was healed, she was immediately able to serve again, regaining her purpose and connection with others. Illness or hardship can make us question who we are, but Jesus’ touch brings us back to life, fellowship, and meaningful service. In Christ, we are never defined by our limitations, but by the new life and purpose He gives us. [21:33]
Mark 1:29-31 (ESV)
“And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.”
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need Jesus to restore your sense of purpose or belonging today?
Day 3: Seeking God’s Presence Above All
Even in the midst of great need and opportunity, Jesus prioritized time alone with the Father, showing us that intimacy with God is the foundation of all fruitful ministry. The crowds clamored for more miracles, but Jesus withdrew to pray, reminding us that the best things—God’s presence, His word, and His will—are found at His feet, not in the busyness of doing good. Sometimes, even good things can distract us from what is best: communion with God. [23:54]
Mark 1:35-39 (ESV)
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’ And he said to them, ‘Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.’ And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.”
Reflection: What is one way you can intentionally set aside time today to be alone with God, even if it means stepping away from something good?
Day 4: Miracles Point to the Deeper Need
The miracles of Jesus were never meant to be the main event; they were signs pointing to the greater reality of who He is and the salvation He offers. While healing and provision are good, Jesus came to offer something far greater—Himself, and the gift of eternal life. If we focus only on what Jesus can do for us, we risk missing who He truly is. He desires not just to meet our immediate needs, but to draw us into a relationship that satisfies our deepest hunger and lasts forever. [28:14]
John 17:3 (ESV)
“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
Reflection: Are you seeking Jesus primarily for what He can do for you, or for who He is? How can you shift your focus toward knowing Him more deeply?
Day 5: Jesus Came for All—The Lost and the Found
Jesus’ mission was not limited to the sick, the poor, or the outwardly needy; He came to seek and save the lost, which includes every one of us. No matter our background, status, or story, we all need the salvation and relationship that only Jesus can provide. He offers Himself freely and fully, calling us by name and inviting us into eternal life. The best thing He gives is not just a blessing or a miracle, but Himself—God with us, now and forever. [30:44]
Luke 19:10 (ESV)
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Reflection: Who in your life might feel overlooked or unworthy of God’s love? How can you share the truth of Jesus’ inclusive, seeking love with them today?
Quotes
There is a stirring going on throughout the churches in, not just Corpus Christi, but around the world. There are people who I thought were weird that are accepting Jesus as their savior. There is something going on. And God is behind it. [00:00:00]
You are a community that does two very important things. You love God and you love others. And you do that, I don't know how, but you do it unconditionally. [00:00:00]
You give generously. You love whoever walks through the doors. And that is not human nature. That's God nature. That's the Spirit of God working through you. [00:12:32]
You are a generous, loving church. You are a unique community in the communities of faith that are in this city. Because you don't care about the things of this world. You care about one another. And you're here as a testament to that. [00:13:07]
It started with a healing. Very simply. It wasn't newsworthy headlines on the newspaper event. It was just the woman who had a fever. And then Jesus goes in, and he touches her hand, and he helps her up, and the fever left her. [00:20:39]
What Jesus did when he touched her and helped her up and the fever left, he restored her back into her life. It's their identity. So she, for a short time, was probably asking, who am I when I can't do what God has called me to do? And Jesus brought her back into that. [00:22:24]
The pain of the people pulled on the heartstrings of God. And Jesus responded. But what happens the next morning? Jesus wasn't at Peter's house. The disciples are looking for him. He wasn't out on the street. He was nowhere to be found. And when they finally did catch up with him, they found out that he had slipped away to a solitary place, a quiet place to pray. [00:23:41]
We need to be spending time with his father as well. By ourselves in quiet. [00:24:25]
If the people came for only what he could do, they would miss who he was. Isn't that the same for us today sometimes? And that, friends, that would be a tragedy. He didn't come just to heal bodies. He came to rescue souls. [00:26:52]
The miracles, well, you know, they were samples. Sharon and I, when we first got married, we loved to go to Sam's Club on Saturdays. You know why? Sample day. But those were not meant to fill us up. They were just meant to whet our appetite for the real thing. [00:00:00]
The healings weren't the point. They pointed to the point. [00:28:12]
He knew what the people needed most and it wasn't relief from pain or debt or demon possession it was something deeper something eternal and isn't that true of you and I today sometimes we want the quick fix we know what we need and then Jesus shows up and God gives us something different and then we go down a few months or weeks or maybe even years and we realize what he gave us not what we wanted but so much better than what we could ever have imagined getting for ourselves. [00:28:54]
He cares about those things deeply he does but he wants more for you and I his children than just comfort he wants connection he wants communion he wants your heart what you care about the most he wants that to be him because ultimately the cancer may go into remission but there's another sickness that will arrive. [00:29:58]
Even Lazarus the man that Jesus rose from the grave brought back to life one day Lazarus is going to have to die again those miracles are good they're amazing but they're temporary Jesus Jesus came to give us something that lasts forever eternal and we can barely wrap our brains around that because sometimes we're so nearsighted that we only see what's in front of us. [00:30:43]
That tells us that verse from Luke that Jesus didn't come just for the poor just for the sick just for the downtrodden the oppressed he came for the lost and that is a much bigger group of people the lost that encompasses the millionaire CEO and the homeless teenager out on the street it covers the suburban soccer mom and the prisoner in death row in solitary confinement why because we all need him so he came for all of us. [00:31:34]
What does he want to give us not just the healing not just a miracle he wants to give us himself plain and simple not the house the health the promotion or the peaceful life just him God in the flesh he's offering himself fully freely and eternally. [00:32:18]
If you're a follower of Jesus you need to know that he will never settle for good enough for you as his child not in your life not if you call upon the name of this Jewish rabbi who hung spreading on the town garbage heap he expects and will give more than just enough to you he'll always lead you towards what is best even if it means saying no to what you want or what you think you need. [00:32:51]
He walked past the crowds clamoring for his attention for his healings for miracles for signs he walked past that crowd why because he knew that there were people in the next little city one person maybe whose heart was reaching out for salvation whose heart was reaching out for eternity he will walk past a crowd of people if that's what it takes to get to the one heart ready for the truth. [00:33:27]
Lord in heaven you are good and everything that you give is good but today can we be so bold as to ask for more than good can we be so bold as to ask for what is best can we be so bold to ask for you. [00:34:14]
For the one who's who's curious about what all this means but maybe unsure the one who hasn't made a decision hasn't completely said yes to you Lord for the one who's watching from a distance we would pray that you would show them that you are not just a healer not just a helper in hard times but you are a savior who calls them by name you know them and you want to do everything to be in relationship with them help them believe not just in what you can do but in who you are. [00:34:44]
Remind them that there is a journey that this journey isn't built on answered prayers alone but on knowing you deeply on walking with you daily and trusting you even when the miracles don't come by diving into your word and knowing your word hiding it in their heart that they might not sin against you. [00:35:38]
Guard us Lord from growing comfortable and content with only the good things good things certainly that you give to us stir our hearts Lord again and again for the best thing your presence for the best thing your word for the best thing your will and then when the crowd pulls us one way when comfort calls when success distracts Lord we would pray that you lead us back to your feet where the best always begins. [00:36:12]
Certainly Lord give us more healing certainly Lord give us more blessing but give us more than healing give us more than blessing Lord give us you. [00:36:55]
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