Marching to Zion I

Extracted Verses and Quotes from the Sermon

Biblical Verses

Mark 1:14-15

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news.’”

John 1:5

“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Mark 6:7-8, 30

“Jesus sent out the twelve two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts. … The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.”

Mark 8:21

“‘Do you not yet understand?’ he asked.”

Mark 8:22-26

“They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, ‘Do you see anything?’ He looked up and said, ‘I see people; they look like trees walking around.’ Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, ‘Don’t even go into the village.'”

Mark 8:27-30

“Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah.’ Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.”

Mark 15:39

“Then the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died and said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!'”

Hebrews 9:28

“So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Ephesians 6:13-14

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

Memorable Quotes

“The pursuit of truth is more important than the pursuit of a salary.”

“When we are true to God and we stick as true to duties, God becomes our provider, not just our employer.”

“To follow Jesus involves a change in almost every relationship that’s important to you in life.”

“The light of the world is still shining on planet Earth today in 2023 in North Idaho and the darkness did not overwhelm it.”

“To be a follower of Jesus means you may have to pay the ultimate price. You don’t read the opinion polls before you open your mouth; you base your life on the teachings of the Word of God.”

“Jesus doesn’t fire disciples; wherever they started from, he works with them and gives them repeated teachings so they can understand him more clearly.”

“Having an exalted but incorrect understanding of who Jesus is doesn’t get you any closer to eternal life.”

“Following Jesus means I’m willing to grow, put aside my preconceived ideas, and be willing to admit that maybe I wasn’t quite right—and now God is giving me a deeper revelation of Himself.”

“Jesus wants to touch your eyes repeatedly so that you see Him ever more clearly.”

“Following Jesus in 2023 does not require you to have a perfect or complete understanding of who He is. It requires faith and a willingness to go where Jesus leads you.”

“The gospel means healing in all those relational dimensions that are important to us—reconciling me to God, to myself, to my brothers and sisters, and with my community.”

“Order your lives so that God has an opportunity to touch you and to grow you. The number one priority in life is the repeated touch of Jesus.”

“When you read the Scripture, read it so that God can transform your inner heart, wash away the dross and pride and sin, and create something beautiful in your life.”

“Covenant with God that whatever the Holy Spirit reveals to you, you will follow through with it.”

“There comes a time in our lives when we have to say, ‘Thus far and no further.’ When Jesus asks, ‘Who do you say that I am?’ there comes a moment where you can no longer hide behind the opinions of others.”

Other Quotations

Martin Luther

“Here I stand; I can do no other. So help me God.”