Head: Know God's Word | Heart: Love God | Hands: Follow God's Way 

Read Mark 9:42-50

Head

These verses are all written in red, which means they are the actual words of Jesus. That makes them pretty important, don’t you think? I sure do! In this passage, Jesus was talking to His disciples. He was warning them about the dangers and penalties of sin.

Jesus makes sure He speaks in a way His disciples will understand. In fact, you could even say He is rather graphic. He leaves no room for misunderstanding. He is very straightforward and honest about the consequences of our sins. But He doesn’t stop there! Not only does He explain the consequences of our own sin, but also, what happens when we cause our fellow believers to sin.

It is important to note that Jesus is using a figure of speech in verses 43-47. His words are not necessarily meant to be taken literally. Have you ever said, “This bag of groceries weighs a ton!” or maybe you’ve heard someone say, “I have a million things to do today!” We say these types of things to let people know just how serious we are about something, right? That’s exactly what Jesus is doing here.

He is talking about the sacrifices we must be willing to make in our lives to follow Him. Sin must be something we avoid at all costs. It will never lead to anything or anywhere good.

Heart

As Christians, it is important to be aware of how our words and actions can impact others. We are responsible for being a positive influence on others, helping them grow in their faith, and avoiding anything that could cause them to sin. Likewise, we must be willing to do whatever it takes to avoid sin in our own lives. This takes discipline.

We usually think of discipline as a bad thing, but it's not in this case. It just means we must be intentional in following the Holy Spirit as He guides us. Pay attention and you’ll hear or feel a whisper or nudge telling you something to do or not to do or say or not to say. It takes courage and discipline to tune out the world and follow Him.

Hands

How can you be a positive influence on others this week? As a family, make a list of things you will do or ways you will be encouraging to those around you. At the end of the week, go back over your list and see what you (with the help of the Holy Spirit) accomplished!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am so thankful for You and Your Son, Jesus! Thank You for giving us Your Holy Spirit and the Bible to guide us in our daily lives. Help us to remember the consequences of our sins. Keep us from leading others astray in their walk with You. We love You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.