Reflective Bible Study Gospel Adventure

A World without Belief: Luke 18:1-8

Published November 13, 2026 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Luke 18:1-8 (NCV)

¹Then Jesus used this story to teach his followers that they should always pray and never lose hope. ²“In a certain town there was a judge who did not respect God or care about people. ³In that same town there was a widow who kept coming to this judge, saying, ‘Give me my rights against my enemy.’ ⁴For a while the judge refused to help her. But afterwards, he thought to himself, ‘Even though I don’t respect God or care about people, ⁵I will see that she gets her rights. Otherwise she will continue to bother me until I am worn out.’”

⁶The Lord said, “Listen to what the unfair judge said. ⁷God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them. ⁸I tell you, God will help his people quickly. But when the Son of Man comes again, will he find those on earth who believe in him?”

Read Luke 18:1-8 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

While the illustration Jesus shares in this passage is interesting, the passage closes with an almost cryptic, pessimistic view of the world at the time of the second coming.

Verse 8 ends with a question Jesus asks about the time of the end, “But when the Son of Man comes again, will he find those on earth who believe in him?” While this probably came as a surprise to the disciples and the early church that seemed to be growing exponentially, looking at this question today brings a completely different perspective with it.

Most of the first world culture could be viewed as “Post-Christian” which is another way of saying, it was Christian at one point, but it has since moved on. The view some people have is that Christianity was good for a time as the framework for culture, but it has outgrown its usefulness.

This is a broad generalization. There are some who wish that Christianity had never even gained a foothold in culture, and others who wish for Christianity to reclaim the key areas of culture that it once held.

According to the question Jesus shares, it could be seen as prophetic, representing the world today where culture is pushing anything past a surface, shallow belief in Jesus aside. Or it could be seen as a challenge to a group of disciples who were a tiny fraction in number compared with the world at their time, and as a continual challenge to Jesus’ followers throughout history to always remain on guard and actively pursuing a better relationship with Him while sharing their relationship with others.

Regardless of which angle we understand this question, we would be wise to keep our faith and belief in Jesus as a top priority in our lives, because everything in the popular culture is focused on stealing that focus away.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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A Tiring Challenge: Mark 13:32-37

Published November 12, 2026 in Audio Journal Entries

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As we near the end of our year moving through the gospels looking at Jesus’ parables, we come to the last parable that is found in Mark’s gospel. This parable echoes a similar parable we looked at very early on in our year of podcasting through Jesus’ parables, and it is probable that Jesus repeated it for the disciples during the week leading up to the cross as He teaches them about staying prepared and ready for His return.

However, as I read this parable and passage in preparation for this episode, several verses in the surrounding context for this parable stood out to me more than the short parable itself. Jesus’ illustration is really only one verse long, but the verses leading up into this illustration, and the emphasis Jesus places on a key idea after the illustration are both incredibly powerful.

Let’s read what Jesus shared with the disciples and discover what Jesus wanted to emphasize for His followers. Our parable and passage are found in Mark’s gospel, chapter 13, and for this episode, let’s read out of the Contemporary English Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 32, Jesus tells His disciples and those present:

³²No one knows the day or the time. The angels in heaven don’t know, and the Son himself doesn’t know. Only the Father knows. ³³So watch out and be ready! You don’t know when the time will come. ³⁴It is like what happens when a man goes away for a while and places his servants in charge of everything. He tells each of them what to do, and he orders the guard to keep alert. ³⁵So be alert! You don’t know when the master of the house will come back. It could be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or in the morning. ³⁶But if he comes suddenly, don’t let him find you asleep. ³⁷I tell everyone just what I have told you. Be alert!

In this passage, the parable-illustration is really not the main focus of Jesus’ teaching. This passage has two big ideas: The first is that we should watch, be ready, and stay alert; and the second is that we don’t know the date or time of Jesus’ return.

When we read Jesus’ words clearly and directly, we should not presume to discover what Jesus Himself does not know. Jesus clearly tells His disciples in verse 32: “No one knows the day or the time. The angels in heaven don’t know, and the Son himself doesn’t know. Only the Father knows.”

If no one knows except the Father, it does not make sense for us to try to set dates or to make predictions of this sort. While this doesn’t stop people from doing so, I’m certain there are no less than one hundred predictions in the last two hundred and fifty years that failed to simply get the year correct, much less the day or even the time.

All these failed predictions could turn a person into being cynical about Jesus’ promise to return, but the fault is not on Jesus’ delay, but on our desire for a certain date – specifically a date that Jesus Himself told us that He did not know. Jesus might still not know the date of His return. While Jesus could simply ask the Father for this information and then He would know, it’s more likely that Jesus trusts the Father completely with this information and that He is working diligently in heaven on our behalf until the Father announces that the time has come for His return.

If Jesus told us that He did not know the date of His return, it is crazy to think that we could discover this date before Jesus.

Does this mean that all date-setting is misplaced effort on our part and that we should avoid it at all costs?

In my own mind, the answer is almost. As I have looked at date-setting enthusiasts in recent years, I see behind it a noble drive to bring people to Jesus before it is too late. With a date set, even if Jesus doesn’t return at that date, the date functions as a deadline that helps motivate people to give their lives to God. In this regard, date-setting acts as a positive force, challenging people regarding where their lives are headed and motivating them to turn to Jesus.

However, after this artificial deadline motivator, most all date-setting is misplaced effort. If those who return to God do so only because it is what they believe to be their last minute conversion, and the date doesn’t turn out to be correct, are they going to stay following Jesus? If so, then this failed date was a tool that God used to draw people to Him.

In contrast, if the date setting effort takes the focus off of Jesus, and/or those who come to “Jesus” because of the date-setting leave Him after the date failed, then this date-setting effort was not from God. Also, if setting a date for Jesus’ return prompts other people to ridicule you and to question their faith, then this date-setting is not from God.

The unpopular remedy for date-setting is what we see Jesus describe for us in this passage. In this passage, Jesus uses phrases like, “Watch out and be ready!” “Keep alert.” “Don’t let him find you asleep.” And “Be alert!” In this passage, we see the challenge for all of God’s people to stay alert and ready for His return whenever it happens.

While this challenge is unpopular, tiring, and perhaps even unrealistic on one or more levels, we only need to look back at some of our recent podcast themes to conclude that when Jesus returns, we would want Him to catch us doing exactly what He has called, commissioned, and challenged us to do. Jesus has called us to watch, to be ready, to share the good news, to bring people to Him, but most importantly to stay connected to Him and to the Holy Spirit.

When we are alert, we see the signs of His soon return all around us. When we are alert, we are aware of things that we might miss if we were asleep. However, with the signs leading up to His return happening all around us, we should remember that these signs don’t point to the date of His return. Instead these signs are given so we can stay awake, alert, and focused on what He has challenged and commissioned us to do!

In heaven, we won’t have the opportunity of sharing Jesus with those present because everyone will know Him already. This means that while we are alive on earth today, this becomes one of our highest callings, because according to Jesus, only through knowing Jesus can we find eternal life!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, keep seeking God first in your life. Choose to stay alert and look for the signs signaling Jesus’ return around us. While it might seem like the signs Jesus gives are a little generic at times, know that this is because He wants us to be alert and ready for His return when it does happen. When Jesus returns, don’t let Him catch you sleeping or having abandoned the commission He has given to all His followers!

Also, as I always challenge you to do, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to grow personally closer to God each and every day. Choose to trust God and let Him lead in your life. Choose also to ask God for help staying alert and ask God to show you what He wants you to learn both from the Bible and from what is happening in the world today.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Year of Parables – Episode 46: In the last parable included in the gospel of Mark, discover a challenge Jesus gives to His followers regarding the time of His return, and what we can learn from this challenge that is relevant for our lives today!

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Showing Our Belief: Luke 12:35-59

Published November 11, 2026 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Luke 12:35-59 (NCV)

³⁵ “Be dressed, ready for service, and have your lamps shining. ³⁶ Be like servants who are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding party. When he comes and knocks, the servants immediately open the door for him. ³⁷ They will be blessed when their master comes home, because he sees that they were watching for him. I tell you the truth, the master will dress himself to serve and tell the servants to sit at the table, and he will serve them. ³⁸ Those servants will be blessed when he comes in and finds them still waiting, even if it is midnight or later.

³⁹ “Remember this: If the owner of the house knew what time a thief was coming, he would not allow the thief to enter his house. ⁴⁰ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at a time when you don’t expect him!”

⁴¹ Peter said, “Lord, did you tell this story to us or to all people?”

⁴² The Lord said, “Who is the wise and trusted servant that the master trusts to give the other servants their food at the right time? ⁴³ When the master comes and finds the servant doing his work, the servant will be blessed. ⁴⁴ I tell you the truth, the master will choose that servant to take care of everything he owns. ⁴⁵ But suppose the servant thinks to himself, ‘My master will not come back soon,’ and he begins to beat the other servants, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. ⁴⁶ The master will come when that servant is not ready and is not expecting him. Then the master will cut him in pieces and send him away to be with the others who don’t obey.

⁴⁷ “The servant who knows what his master wants but is not ready, or who does not do what the master wants, will be beaten with many blows! ⁴⁸ But the servant who does not know what his master wants and does things that should be punished will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded. And from the one trusted with much, much more will be expected.

⁴⁹ “I came to set fire to the world, and I wish it were already burning! ⁵⁰ I have a baptism to suffer through, and I feel very troubled until it is over. ⁵¹ Do you think I came to give peace to the earth? No, I tell you, I came to divide it. ⁵² From now on, a family with five people will be divided, three against two, and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

⁵⁴ Then Jesus said to the people, “When you see clouds coming up in the west, you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it happens. ⁵⁵ When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it happens. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know how to understand the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you understand what is happening now?

⁵⁷ “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ If your enemy is taking you to court, try hard to settle it on the way. If you don’t, your enemy might take you to the judge, and the judge might turn you over to the officer, and the officer might throw you into jail. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you will not get out of there until you have paid everything you owe.”

Read Luke 12:35-59 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

In this passage, we find a sobering warning that Jesus shares. In verses 47 and 48 we read, “The servant who knows what his master wants but is not ready, or who does not do what the master wants, will be beaten with many blows! But the servant who does not know what his master wants and does things that should be punished will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded. And from the one trusted with much, much more will be expected.”

This is sobering to me because it tells me that we are judged both by what we know and by what we don’t know. Truth is not subjective to our whims; it is reflective of God’s character. God’s character does not change as we change. Because of this, there is one standard (God’s standard) that we will all be judged by.

There is punishment for not obeying God. This passage makes it clear of that, but it also tells us that there is a distinction. It is bad to not do what is right in God’s eyes, but it is worse to know what is right and to choose to not do it.

Obeying God is what leads us into being wise and trusted servants. Obedience isn’t where our faith journey starts, but it should be where it leads to. This brings me to the big thought I had with this passage: Our belief in Jesus is made known to others when we are living a life that is obedient to Jesus – doing what He wants us to do.

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When Jesus Said No: Mark 5:1-20

Published November 10, 2026 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Mark 5:1-20 (NIV)

¹They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. ²When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. ³This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. ⁴For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

⁶When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” ⁸For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

⁹Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” ¹⁰And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

¹¹A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹²The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” ¹³He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

¹⁴Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ¹⁶Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. ¹⁷Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

¹⁸As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. ¹⁹Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” ²⁰So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Read Mark 5:1-20 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

Following one of Jesus’ most unique and spectacular healings, we see a surprising response given to the man who Jesus had just cast thousands of demons out of. Mark shares in verse 13 how there were about 2,000 pigs in the herd that the demons went into. If there was one demon per pig, we get a very clear impression that there were a whole lot of demons present in one individual.

Mark concludes this event by sharing a brief conversation Jesus had with the man who had been healed. Mark tells us, “As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, ‘Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’ So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.” (v. 18-20)

While I can understand Jesus’ perspective, and Jesus knowing that the man would be the most impactful witness for Jesus in that region, I can understand Jesus telling him to stay and share with the cities in that region. But from the man’s perspective, Jesus has just given him his life back, and the man wants to dedicate all he is to the One who freed him.

But Jesus said no. However, Jesus’ ‘no’ is not a complete sentence. In Jesus’ ‘no’, we find a different mission for this man. While this may have been relatively early in Jesus’ ministry, Jesus knew that the man had lived outside of society for years and it would be better for him to return. Jesus also knew that this man had a reputation that had spread to almost everyone living in that area.

Within the mission Jesus gave the man, He tells him to tell others how much “the Lord” had done for him, and how God had shown mercy on him. Jesus intended the man to point all the glory upward, and this miracle was to show how God was more powerful than the demons and other gods of the area.

In a way, the man does share this, but he specifically attributes all of this to Jesus. While Jesus said “the Lord”, the man said “Jesus”. Jesus was Lord in the man’s life. Jesus was his Savior. Even though Jesus didn’t let the man join His band of followers, this man likely made a much stronger impression on the success of Jesus’ ministry in that area then the disciples’ ever could have. And this man did it while Jesus was still alive.

All this leads me to a key idea that one dedicated follower of Jesus who is willing to share what God has done in their life is more impactful than a dozen followers who overanalyze the situation without any action. In this surface rejection, we see Jesus teaching all of His followers about the importance of action and sharing what God has done for us.

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