May 17, 2026 - The Son is Rising Living in light of His Kingdom So that all PEOPLES praise Him

May 17, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Stones That Cannot Stand

The disciples marveled at Jerusalem’s temple – its polished stones, gold trim, and sprawling courtyards. Jesus shattered their awe: “Not one stone will be left on another.” The structure they thought eternal would become rubble within decades. Even today, only foundation stones remain at the Western Wall. Jesus redirects admiration from human achievements to eternal realities. [27:30]

Temporary things demand our worship: careers, homes, social status. But Jesus calls these “thrown down” things. He prioritizes His eternal kingdom over earthly monuments. The temple’s destruction in AD 70 proved His words true – no human endeavor outlasts God’s purposes.

What “stones” captivate you? Do conversations fixate on promotions, renovations, or worldly success? Name one earthly security you’ve treated as permanent. Today, hold it loosely.

“Do you see all these great buildings? Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
(Mark 13:2, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal what temporary things steal your awe of eternal realities.
Challenge: Write down three “impressive” things you prioritize. Cross out one to symbolically release it.

Day 2: Flogged and Faithful

Jesus warned disciples they’d face trials in synagogues, courts, and families. Roman whips would tear their backs. Relatives would betray them. Yet these moments became divine appointments: “It is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” Persecution became a platform for witness. [39:41]

Opposition still surfaces where we least expect – workplaces, friend groups, even churches. Jesus transforms these from threats to opportunities. Like Paul before Nero, our integrity under pressure testifies louder than comfort-driven faith.

When did you last shrink from speaking truth to avoid conflict? This week, someone will challenge your values. How will you prepare to respond not with fear, but Spirit-led courage?

“Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.”
(Mark 13:11, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one relationship where you’ve avoided spiritual conversations. Ask for boldness.
Challenge: Text someone who intimidates you spiritually: “Can we discuss faith openly next time we meet?”

Day 3: Birth Pains and Coming Glory

Jesus compared end-times turmoil to labor pains – escalating intensity pointing to new life. Earthquakes, wars, and famines aren’t final destinations but signs of the kingdom’s imminent arrival. Just as Sheila focused on her newborn, not delivery-room chaos, we fixate on Christ’s return. [52:24]

Obsessing over disasters breeds paralysis. Jesus acknowledges suffering but emphasizes His ultimate victory: “The Son of Man coming in clouds with great power.” Every crisis whispers – never shouts – that redemption nears.

What headlines or personal struggles consume your thoughts? List three current fears. Now rewrite them as prayers ending with “…yet Your kingdom comes.”

“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect.”
(Mark 13:26-27, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus that no crisis – global or personal – derails His return.
Challenge: Read Revelation 21:1-4 aloud when anxiety strikes today.

Day 4: The Doorkeeper’s Vigil

A homeowner left servants specific tasks – gardening, accounting, guarding doors. The doorkeeper’s job? Constant watchfulness. Jesus says, “What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!” Like young Blake distracted by ocean views, we neglect assignments when Christ’s return feels delayed. [58:13]

Your “post” might be mentoring grandchildren, leading small groups, or showing up faithfully at a draining job. Abandoning it for distractions – entertainment, materialism, bitterness – risks being caught unprepared.

What assignment have you neglected this month? Is there a ministry, relationship, or responsibility you’ve deprioritized for temporary comforts?

“It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.”
(Mark 13:34, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to reignite passion for your primary kingdom assignment.
Challenge: Block 15 minutes today to reassess one neglected responsibility. Take one concrete step.

Day 5: Summer’s Certain Nearness

Jesus pointed to fig trees: tender twigs signal summer’s approach. Likewise, global unrest confirms His return is “near, right at the door.” Farmers don’t debate spring’s arrival after seeing buds – they prepare harvest equipment. Our watchfulness isn’t passive waiting but active readiness. [53:33]

The early church lived with suitcase faith – unentangled by possessions, quick to serve. They expected Christ’s return in their lifetime. Two millennia later, His delay tests our vigilance. Yet the fig tree principle remains: each fulfilled prophecy makes His coming surer.

What three practical changes would you make if Jesus returned this week? Why postpone them?

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.”
(Mark 13:28, NIV)

Prayer: Beg the Holy Spirit to make Christ’s return an hourly reality, not theological theory.
Challenge: Do one postponed “eternal priority” task today – reconcile, give, or share Christ.

Sermon Summary

We read Mark 13 and hold two truths together: the kingdom of God is already present, and the kingdom is not yet fully here. We live between the inauguration of God’s reign in Christ and the coming fulfillment when the King returns. The text warns that signs, suffering, and cosmic disturbance will mark the road ahead, yet those things do not overturn God’s purpose. The gospel calls us to steady faith that resists false impressions of success, endures intimidation, refuses fearful obsession, and stays awake to our assignment.

The passage exposes four common traps. First, grandeur and worldly achievements can deceive us into trusting things that will not last. Second, threats from authorities, institutions, or family can tempt us into silence instead of faithful witness. Third, fixating on calamity can trap our hearts in fear and make us miss the worshipful hope that should shape our lives. Fourth, the delay of the return can lure us into distraction and the abandonment of our work. The reading shows practical responses for each trap: cultivate an appetite for God’s truth so we recognize counterfeits, treat opposition as windows for witness, lift our gaze from labor pains to the coming King so worship anchors us, and keep watch so we do not abandon the tasks we have been given.

We embrace four guiding words that begin with W. We pursue wisdom by soaking in Scripture and the Spirit so deception loses its power. We choose witness by turning opposition into a moment for gospel integrity and testimony. We practice worship by centering our lives on the person and promise of Christ so fear does not dominate our imagination. We remain watchful so the unknown hour finds us at our post, not distracted. These are not spiritual tricks but steady practices shaped by the promise that Jesus will come again to gather his elect and set all things right. We commit to live in hope, truth, and faithful service while the world endures birth pains, confident that God remains at work and that Christ’s words stand forever.

Key Takeaways

1. Recognize and resist deception We must train our hearts on the true Christ and Scripture so we spot counterfeit claims that promise immediate certainty or worldly triumph. True discernment grows from repeated encounter with the genuine, not from cataloging every deception. When we know the real, the fake stands out and we act with clarity. [31:26]
2. Leverage intimidation as witness Opposition offers a stewardship moment: a chance to show gospel character and to speak because public pressure often opens doors that comfort keeps closed. Witness thrives when integrity and humility meet conflict, turning trials into clear demonstration of the kingdom. We should prepare our lives so that pressure reveals, not hides, the gospel. [36:48]
3. Turn obsession into worship Obsession with signs and suffering narrows our vision and hardens our hearts toward joy. We reorient attention from the labor pains to the new birth they promise, cultivating worship that honors the coming King rather than fear that amplifies the pain. Worship reshapes how we interpret every crisis. [45:12]
4. Stay watchful, avoid distraction The unknown hour demands steady vigilance and faithful attention to our assigned tasks. Watchfulness means remaining on post with consistent obedience, not sporadic bursts of zeal when alarms sound. A life kept at its task becomes ready at any moment. [54:05]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[14:09] - Gospel reading Mark 13
[14:40] - The disciples ask about signs
[19:11] - Kingdom already and not yet
[21:10] - Foundations of Christ's return
[22:57] - Four temptations introduced
[25:21] - Deception and the temple warning
[33:08] - Wisdom as the defense
[36:48] - Intimidation and faithful witness
[45:12] - Obsession versus worship
[54:05] - Watchfulness and remaining at post
[59:14] - Invitation and corporate prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Mark 13:1-37 (NIV)
Matthew 24:14 (NIV)

Observation Questions

What four traps does the passage warn against, and how does Jesus address each one?
In Mark 13:10, Jesus says, "the gospel must first be preached to all nations." How does this connect to the idea of "birth pains" mentioned in verse 8? [32:15]
What practical responses does Jesus give to combat deception, intimidation, obsession, and distraction?
How does the sermon describe the relationship between "already" and "not yet" in God’s kingdom? [19:11]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus use the metaphor of "birth pains" to describe the events preceding His return? How does this imagery shape our understanding of suffering and hope? [32:15]
Jesus warns against being deceived by "impressive" things like the temple (Mark 13:1-2). What modern equivalents might tempt us to trust in worldly grandeur instead of God’s eternal promises?
The sermon says opposition can become a "stewardship moment" for witness. How does this reframe our perspective on persecution or criticism? [40:02]
What does it mean to "keep watch" (Mark 13:35) in a practical sense, especially when Jesus’ return feels delayed?

Application Questions

Deception often starts with small compromises. What habits could you cultivate to deepen your discernment of God’s truth versus counterfeits? [34:07]
Intimidation can silence our witness. Recall a recent moment of pressure or conflict—how could you prepare to respond with gospel integrity next time? [39:41]
Obsession with crises can narrow our focus. What daily practice could help you reorient fear into worship (e.g., prayer, gratitude, Scripture)? [52:24]
Distraction makes us abandon our "assigned task" (Mark 13:34). What is one specific responsibility God has given you right now that requires renewed faithfulness?
The sermon urges "steady vigilance" over sporadic zeal. How does your current rhythm of life reflect readiness for Christ’s return? [54:05]
Jesus says His words "will never pass away" (Mark 13:31). What promise or command from Scripture do you need to anchor to this week amid uncertainty?

Sermon Clips

31s

#DontBeDeceived

“And that they are taken back by this, and they're saying, look how magnificent it is. It stood it stood for two thousand years. At least this part of it, this part is massive, and yet it's just a small fraction. And Jesus says, don't be deceived. Don't busy be deceived by what but looks impressive in the eyes of the world. Listen. Just be honest with yourself right now. As you are looking at life, what impresses you?”

43s

#LiveWisely

“The kingdom is already here to a degree, but it's not yet fully. Jesus is coming again. And there's all sorts of temptations how we will not live faithfully, being deceived, being intimidated, being obsessed about the fearful stuff, being distracted. But Jesus tells us, okay. The stakes are high. So I want you to live wisely. I want you to live as witnesses. I want you to live with a worshipful focus, and I want you to live in a wakeful way.”

45s

#JesusIsComingAgain

“So one of the foundational biblical truths that Christians hold on to is that Jesus came from heaven, took on human limitations, took on human flesh. He lived a life as a human, was tempted as we are, yet was without sin. He died because of that. He died for our sins, because he didn't have to pay for his own sins. And yet he was not held by death. He was risen from the dead. This was a mark by God saying, this is the king. This is the messiah. This is the Christ that he ascended back into heaven. He's at the right hand of the father now. But just as as important as all of those things is this truth that Jesus is coming again.”

50s

#ShareTheGospel

“He wants everyone to hear the gospel, to see it in real life, not to just hear about it theoretically to know, hey. Those people in America, they're Christians. And we people here in Saudi Arabia, we're Muslim. No. They're wanting people. Jesus is wanting people to really hear and see the gospel. So what does it look like for you to share the gospel with the next generation? Your kids, if you're a teacher, the kids that you pour into, or to share the gospel with your neighbors, or to share the gospel with the nations that god has brought right here into our backyard that maybe haven't heard the gospel when they came from their country, but now they're here.”

35s

#StayWatchful

“You never know. So I'm calling you to be watchful, to recognize that it could happen at any moment. So don't let go of your assignment. What is your assignment? What is it that he left you here to do? Why didn't when you got saved, why didn't he just take you straight up to heaven? Right? Because he gave you an assignment. And he wants you to be watchful and be on task when he comes.”

34s

#ThyKingdomCome

“Our father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, implying that it's not fully here. We're praying for it to be here. And we hear passages like the one read today that there's something more coming. We read the book of revelation where the the king will reign in all of his glory. And so this morning, I wanna jump to the not yet fully part to say if the kingdom is not yet fully, when will it fully come? And it will come when the king comes again.”

36s

#IntegrityAsWitness

“When when we're put in a position where someone wants us to defend ourselves. I I could tell you of times when I was did my undergrad degree, and and I was a philosophy major at the University of Maryland. And and I had professors mock me, mock me in class. But guess what? It gave me an opportunity to share Jesus. There's times in my family where where some bad things are are are going on and people are not getting along, etcetera. Guess what? When if I act with integrity, if I act with compassion, it stands out. It's like a candle in the darkness.”

30s

#RootedInTruth

“So here's what I'm saying to you. Is the way we're going to overcome deception is not by figuring out exactly every way in which Satan or others are trying to deceive us, but we become so, consumed by the truth of God, his word, his spirit. And we we are in it. We're in his word. And and we recognize when something doesn't smell right, when something doesn't look right, when something isn't quite right. I I sometimes just had that impression.”

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