Listen to Him
Mark 9:2-13 | Leader & Student Information

Tyler Bowles • Associate Pastor
October 21, 2026

2 Minute Read
Week 5 Devotional
Scripture

Lesson Summary

After calling His followers to take up their cross, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain. His appearance was transformed, revealing His glory, and Moses and Elijah appeared with Him. The Father's voice identified Jesus as His beloved Son and commanded the disciples to listen to Him. The One who calls for costly discipleship is worthy of their trust.

The Father's command challenges us to consider the voices shaping our thinking. Listening to Jesus means giving attention to Scripture, seeking understanding, and obeying. We must receive His words about suffering and surrender as well as His words of comfort. Even after the mountain, the disciples had questions, and Jesus continued teaching them.

A powerful experience cannot replace the Holy Spirit's transforming work. We need new birth, not simply more information or stronger feelings. The lesson calls us to trust Jesus as Saviour and Lord, bring difficult questions honestly, and depend on the Spirit to change us from within as we hear and follow Christ.


Small Group Questions

Understanding & Application
  1. How does seeing Jesus' glory affect the way you think about His call to costly discipleship?
  2. Read Mark 9:7-8. What might it look like to admire Jesus without actually listening to Him?
  3. Which voices most shape your thinking about identity, success, or happiness? How do you compare their messages with Scripture?
  4. What usually distracts you when you try to read the Bible? What realistic change would help you give it focused attention?
  5. Are there words of Jesus you welcome and others you avoid? What makes the difficult parts harder to receive?
  6. How could someone confuse an emotional experience or knowing Christian facts with the Spirit's work of giving new life? Where should our confidence rest?
  7. What hard question have you been avoiding? What could help you explore it honestly while responding to what Jesus has already made clear?
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From this Author: Tyler Bowles
October 28, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Honour Your Father & Mother
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October 28, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
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Week 6 Devotional Scripture Mark 14:26-72 (ESV) Lesson Summary Peter insisted that he would never deny Jesus, even if everyone else fell away. Yet in Gethsemane he slept instead of watching and praying, and later he denied knowing Jesus three times. His strong intentions could not protect him from fear and temptation. We too need humble dependence on Christ rather than confidence that we could never fail. Before Peter’s failure, Jesus told him that He had prayed for his faith and spoke of his return. Peter would sin seriously, but his failure would not be the end of his faith. When Peter recognized his denial, he wept. After the resurrection, the message to the disciples specifically included Peter: Jesus had not forgotten him. Our hope rests in the crucified and risen Saviour and His sustaining grace. We neither earn salvation nor keep it through flawless obedience. Grace leads us to take sin seriously, confess honestly, and turn back to Jesus. Watching, praying, making wise choices, and seeking Christian support express dependence on Him and help us follow Him as Lord. Small Group Questions Understanding & Application Why can feeling certain that we will never fail make us less alert to temptation? Where do you recognize that danger in yourself? What warning signs tell you that you need to stop, pray, or seek help before a familiar temptation grows stronger? Read Luke 22:31–32. How does Jesus’ prayer change where Peter’s confidence should rest? What does that mean for your own confidence? What pressures make it tempting to hide that you follow Jesus? What might a truthful and respectful response look like? When you fail, are you more likely to make excuses, withdraw, or confess? What would help you turn towards Jesus honestly? Why might Peter have needed to hear that the resurrection message specifically included him? How does this challenge the idea that failure means we should stay away from Christ? How does salvation by grace encourage serious obedience? What practical step of prayer, wise action, or Christian support will you take this week?

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October 21, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Listen to Him
Week 5 Devotional Scripture Mark 9:2-13 (ESV) Lesson Summary After calling His followers to take up their cross, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain. His appearance was transformed, revealing His glory, and Moses and Elijah appeared with Him. The Father's voice identified Jesus as His beloved Son and commanded the disciples to listen to Him. The One who calls for costly discipleship is worthy of their trust. The Father's command challenges us to consider the voices shaping our thinking. Listening to Jesus means giving attention to Scripture, seeking understanding, and obeying. We must receive His words about suffering and surrender as well as His words of comfort. Even after the mountain, the disciples had questions, and Jesus continued teaching them. A powerful experience cannot replace the Holy Spirit's transforming work. We need new birth, not simply more information or stronger feelings. The lesson calls us to trust Jesus as Saviour and Lord, bring difficult questions honestly, and depend on the Spirit to change us from within as we hear and follow Christ. Small Group Questions Understanding & Application How does seeing Jesus' glory affect the way you think about His call to costly discipleship? Read Mark 9:7-8. What might it look like to admire Jesus without actually listening to Him? Which voices most shape your thinking about identity, success, or happiness? How do you compare their messages with Scripture? What usually distracts you when you try to read the Bible? What realistic change would help you give it focused attention? Are there words of Jesus you welcome and others you avoid? What makes the difficult parts harder to receive? How could someone confuse an emotional experience or knowing Christian facts with the Spirit's work of giving new life? Where should our confidence rest? What hard question have you been avoiding? What could help you explore it honestly while responding to what Jesus has already made clear?

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October 11, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
The Deceiver Is Deceived
Scripture Genesis 29:1-30 (ESV) Additional Texts Proverbs 26:27 (ESV) Ecclesiastes 7:15 (ESV) Galatians 6:7-10 (ESV) Romans 8:28 (ESV) Watch The Sermon If you haven’t yet, be sure to watch the sermon to join the discussion.Watch the service Message Summary Jacob arrives in Haran after fleeing from Esau. Although Jacob’s deception has caused great pain and forced him to leave home, God is still working in his life. At a well, Jacob meets Rachel, Laban’s daughter, and God’s providence becomes evident. Jacob obeys his parents’ instructions not to marry a Canaanite woman and begins working for Laban. Jacob agrees to serve Laban for seven years in order to marry Rachel. Because of his love for her, the seven years seem like only a few days. However, Laban deceives Jacob and gives him Leah instead. The deceiver has been deceived. Jacob then agrees to work another seven years to marry Rachel as well, creating a deeply troubled family situation. The story raises the question of whether people always reap exactly what they sow. Proverbs describes the general pattern that evil actions often bring destructive consequences, while Ecclesiastes reminds us that life is not always simple. Righteous people sometimes suffer, and wicked people sometimes prosper. We cannot always identify the exact reason for every hardship. Nevertheless, Galatians 6 reminds us that God is not mocked. We should not grow weary of doing good, even when the results are delayed or difficult to see. Ultimately, sin is the problem in Jacob’s family and in our own lives. Sin creates relational damage, injustice, favouritism, and suffering, but God has defeated sin through Jesus Christ. We can bring the mess created by sin to Him. Small Group Questions Opening Question Have you ever experienced a situation where doing the right thing seemed to bring difficulty while someone doing wrong appeared to benefit? Understanding the Passage Why had Jacob left home, and what was he hoping to find in Haran? What did Jacob agree to do in order to marry Rachel? How did Laban deceive Jacob? What consequences began to develop because of the decisions made by Jacob and Laban? How do Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Galatians together help us understand the idea of “reaping what we sow”? Growth and Application Where can you see God’s providence at work in Jacob’s life, even though Jacob was dealing with the consequences of his own sin? Have you ever assumed that your past failure placed you outside of God’s purposes? How does Jacob’s story challenge that assumption? How should God’s sovereignty encourage us when our own sin or mistakes have made life more difficult? Are there consequences from past decisions that you need to accept rather than continue trying to escape or deny? Where are you tempted to believe that immediate results are the best measure of whether you are doing what is right? How do you respond when someone who has acted dishonestly or selfishly seems to prosper? What is the danger of assuming that every hardship is a direct punishment for a specific sin? Are there any ways you are currently sowing to the flesh rather than sowing to the Spirit? Where are you tempted to grow weary of doing good because you do not see results? How can you continue doing what is right when the outcome seems unfair? What relationships in your life may be suffering because of favouritism, comparison, resentment, or unresolved sin? Is there someone you need to treat with greater honour, patience, or compassion? What mess created by sin do you need to bring honestly to Jesus? Gospel Connection Genesis 29 shows how sin creates a tangled web of deception, broken trust, manipulation, favouritism, and pain. Jacob’s sin affected not only him but also Esau, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, and eventually the next generation. Our own sin also creates a mess that we cannot repair through our own efforts. Yet God sent Jesus Christ to defeat sin, death, and the grave. At the cross, Jesus took the judgment we deserved so that those who trust in Him can receive forgiveness and restoration. How does the gospel give you hope when you see the damage caused by your own sin or the sin of others? Prayer Pray for: Humility to recognize the damage sin creates. Wisdom to learn from the consequences of past decisions. Patience when doing good does not seem to produce immediate results. Strength to continue sowing to the Spirit. Grace to treat others with honour rather than comparison or favouritism. Forgiveness and restoration through Jesus Christ. Faith to trust God’s providence even when life seems unfair or confusing.

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October 7, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
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Tyler Bowles

Associate Pastor

October 7, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
To Whom Shall We Go?
Week 3 Devotional Scripture John 6:60-71 (ESV) Lesson Summary After Jesus taught that He is the bread of life, many who had followed Him found His words difficult and turned away. His imagery of eating His flesh and drinking His blood points to receiving Him by faith and trusting His sacrifice for sinners. Jesus offers eternal life, not simply teaching we find comfortable or useful. When Jesus asked the Twelve whether they also wanted to leave, Peter answered that Jesus had the words of eternal life and confessed Him as the Holy One of God. Peter’s trust rested on who Jesus is, rather than on having every question answered. True discipleship rests on who Jesus is, not on whether His teaching feels acceptable. Judas remained among the Twelve, yet did not genuinely believe. Being close to Christian people or activities is not the same as personally trusting Christ. The passage calls us to examine the foundation of our faith, bring honest questions to Jesus, and continue following Him when His words challenge us, or others walk away. Small Group Questions Understanding & Application What is the difference between trusting Jesus and simply liking His teaching? How might that difference show up in everyday life? When you encounter a difficult teaching in the Bible, how do you usually respond? What could help you explore it honestly rather than avoiding it? Jesus called Himself the bread of life. What do you look to for lasting satisfaction or security? How is receiving Jesus by faith different from admiring Him? Read John 6:68–69. Peter stayed because of who Jesus is. What gives you reason to trust Jesus when you do not understand everything? When friends or people you respect question or leave Christianity, how does that affect you? What support would help you keep exploring your questions and following Jesus? Judas remained among the Twelve without genuine faith. How could someone be involved in church or youth without personally trusting Christ? What does this invite us to examine in ourselves? Where is Jesus’ teaching challenging you right now? What step of obedience could you take while continuing to work through your questions?

Tyler Bowles

Associate Pastor

September 30, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
No Other Gods
Week 2 Devotional Scripture Exodus 20:1-3 (ESV) Lesson Summary Before giving Israel the first commandment, God reminded them that He had rescued them from slavery in Egypt. Their obedience was a response to His rescue. The LORD alone was their God, and they were to worship Him without giving their allegiance to another god beside Him or instead of Him. God deserves our whole heart because He alone is the true God. Elijah’s confrontation with Baal showed the difference between the living God and a powerless idol. Psalm 115 reminds us that idols cannot hear, act, or save—and that what we worship shapes us. We may not bow before statues, but possessions, popularity, friendships, or success can still take God’s place. These can be good gifts, but they cannot give us the life and lasting satisfaction that God provides. Jeremiah compares turning from God to leaving a fountain of fresh water for a broken container that cannot hold water. God calls us to worship Him alone because He is our greatest treasure. Three Main Ideas God saves: Israel’s rescue depended entirely on God. God calls us to obey: Obedience follows salvation; it does not earn it. God sets His people apart: God’s people belong to Him and are called to show His goodness to others. Small Group Questions Understanding the Passage Why does God remind Israel of their rescue before giving this command? How does that help us understand why we should obey Him? Read Mark 12:28–30. Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. What would that look like in your everyday choices? How should loving God affect the way you treat others? Read Matthew 4:8–10. What was Jesus being asked to put before God? When might you be tempted to disobey God to gain something you want? What we trust and worship shapes us. How might making popularity, possessions, or winning most important change the way someone treats other people? Do you recognize any of that in yourself? Why is a broken water container a good picture of things we expect to satisfy us instead of God? What is one practical way you can turn toward God this week?

Tyler Bowles

Associate Pastor

September 30, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
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Week 2 Devotional Scripture Matthew 14:22-33 (ESV) Lesson Summary The disciples obeyed Jesus by crossing the lake, yet they still found themselves struggling against the wind and waves. When Jesus came walking on the sea, He revealed His authority over creation. Peter stepped out of the boat because Jesus commanded him to come. His confidence rested in Jesus, not in his own abilities. Faith is trust in action, based on who Jesus is. It means recognizing Jesus, listening to His Word, and acting in obedience. Faith is not reckless behaviour or a way to make God fulfil our wishes. It trusts His sovereignty even when circumstances remain difficult. When Peter became afraid and began to sink, he cried, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately rescued him and challenged his doubt. Following Jesus does not require flawless faith; it involves growing trust and returning to Him when we stumble. The account ends with the disciples worshipping Jesus and confessing that He is the Son of God. His identity calls us to trust, worship, and obey Him. Small Group Questions Understanding & Application The disciples encountered the storm while obeying Jesus. How does this challenge the idea that following Him should make life easy? Peter waited for Jesus to say, “Come.” What is the difference between acting in faith and taking a reckless risk? How can Scripture help us recognize the difference? What might your “boat” represent—comfort, control, reputation, or something else? What clear act of obedience could require you to leave that security? When Peter began sinking, he cried out to Jesus. When fear, doubt, or failure grows in your life, where do you usually turn? What does Jesus’ response encourage you to do? The disciples ended by worshipping Jesus as the Son of God. How should recognizing His identity change the way you approach one situation you are facing this week?

Tyler Bowles

Associate Pastor

September 23, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Floating, Fishing, & Following
Week 1 Devotional Scripture Luke 5:1-11 Lesson Summary Peter had encountered Jesus before, but Luke 5 records a moment when he begins to understand more clearly who Jesus is. After an unsuccessful night of fishing, Peter allows Jesus to teach from his boat. Jesus then commands him to return to deep water and lower his freshly cleaned nets. Although the command conflicts with Peter’s experience, he responds, “At your word I will let down the nets.” The resulting catch is so large that two boats begin to sink. The miracle reveals more than Jesus’ ability to provide fish—it reveals His authority. Peter falls before Jesus, recognizes his own sinfulness, and calls Him Lord. Jesus does not reject Peter but tells him not to fear and calls him into a new mission. Peter and his partners then leave everything behind to follow Jesus. Peter’s response moves through three stages: Floating—Listen: Peter hears Jesus speak the words of life. Fishing—Obey: Peter follows Jesus’ command even when it challenges his experience. Following—Surrender: Peter recognizes Jesus as Lord and values Him above everything he leaves behind. Jesus is not only the Saviour who forgives sinners. He is the Lord who calls us to trust, obey, and follow Him with our entire lives. Small Group Questions Understanding the Passage What detail from Peter’s encounter with Jesus stands out to you most, and why? Why do you think Peter obeyed Jesus after explaining that they had worked all night and caught nothing? What does his response teach us about obedience? Why did the miraculous catch make Peter aware of his sin rather than simply excited about the fish? What is the difference between wanting Jesus as Saviour and recognizing Him as Lord? Why should we not separate the two? What could “leaving everything and following Jesus” look like in the life of a student? Is there an area of your life that is difficult to place under His authority?

Tyler Bowles

Associate Pastor