Monday, May 12, 2014

We’ve been doing a biographical study of the life of John Mark, author of the Gospel of Mark. We collected information about his life and correlated it into an outline. Now let’s crystallize it into some applications we can make to our own lives. God doesn’t give up on us, nor should we give up on ourselves or others. It might take extra hard work, but in the long run it will be worth it. Even if we‘ve been a dropout like Mark there is hope for us. We can have a turnaround and triumph in living for Christ. Since the Gospel of Mark is often the first book translated when the Bible is translated into a new language, it has become one of the most widely read books in history. In other words, the ultimate impact of his life is likely more significant than almost anyone else in Church history. Paul gave up too soon on Mark. Barnabas, who mentored him, is not mentioned again in the book of Acts, but his investment into his life paid big dividends. Never underestimate the potential in any one’s life. If you have failed in the past don’t lose hope. God can still use you. Find a Barnabas to disciple you. Be faithful and you’ll be surprised at what God can do in and through you. In conclusion, you can use this “3C” study method to study other Biblical characters. Collect information about them, using a concordance to find each place they are mentioned. Then correlate the information into either a character analysis or an historical portrait. Once you’ve organized the information into an outline and reflected on it, crystallize what you learned into applications you can make to your own life. You can benefit greatly from the lessons learned.