Jen shares from the Gospel of Mark that is often called the “action gospel” because Mark repeatedly uses the word immediately, giving his account a sense of urgency and momentum.
This theme of action connects powerfully with Jesus’ teaching in Mark 4:26–34, where He describes the Kingdom of God through the imagery of sowing. Sowing is fundamentally about expansion—the Kingdom grows as seed is scattered. The seed itself carries an inherent power to grow, even when the sower cannot see the end result.
Jesus reinforces this principle in Matthew 17, teaching that faith as small as a mustard seed carries extraordinary potential. The issue is not the size of our faith but whether we are willing to sow it. The challenge we face is aligning our faith with God’s desire for Kingdom expansion—an expansion that should be tangible, visible, and measurable in transformed lives, communities, and culture.
Isaiah 40:3–5 calls God’s people to “make way” by clearing anything that hinders His work—just as ancient roads were cleared for a king’s arrival. The “wilderness” reflects today’s noise and distractions, and the real preparation begins internally: removing unforgiveness, bitterness, pride, self‑reliance, compromise, and deception.
Valleys represent low places like depression or poor self‑esteem; mountains represent attitudes that elevate self.
As we align our inner world with God’s kingdom (Romans 12:2), our outward witness becomes clear to a watching world. This isn’t about doing more for God, but removing the obstacles that distort our walk.
Scriptures like Ephesians 4:23–32, Galatians 5:19–21, Colossians 3:5, and Romans 12:3 help shape this transformation. When the path is made straight—then God’s Kingdom is revealed through us.
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-22
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.