Join us Sunday at 10am as we worship the Lord and continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. We gather in-person at 912 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN; online at https://live.refuge.mn; and on the radio at http://refuge.fm or 96.1 FM (in the St. Cloud area).

In Mark 13, there are things Jesus says that speak to what the apostles would go through. There are things Jesus says that speak to what tribulation saints will go through. And there are things Jesus says that speak to what we are going through right now.

To each, Jesus gives the same instruction—take heed. Pay attention! Read the Bible. Talk to God—ask Him how He wants you to function in your daily responsibilities, in your workplace, and in your relationships. Talk to Him about everything. 

If you have made Him the Lord of your life, you are a part of His kingdom. He loves you and wants to use you. He has radical things for you in the smallest bits of faithfulness that will ripple on into eternity that you might never know about until you are with Him for all eternity. 

Trust Him. Love Him. Serve Him. And actively wait for Jesus in the meantime, for He is returning soon!

Join us Sunday at 10am as we worship the Lord and continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. We gather in-person at 912 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN; online at https://live.refuge.mn; and on the radio at http://refuge.fm or 96.1 FM (in the St. Cloud area).

​God wants your heart.

He doesn’t desire automaton obedience, or a willingness to go to the penalty box when you mess up. You can do that without having a relationship with God. 

He wants YOU. 

He wants to walk in fellowship with You. He wants to walk in love with you where obedience and sacrifice aren’t even on the forefront of your mind. He desires a fellowship of love, because love fulfills the law. Loving God and loving your neighbor—on these two hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:40).

Jesus wants genuine worshippers with no agenda other than simply loving the Lord and loving neighbors out of the overflow of fellowship with Him.

Are you trying to earn His favor? Are you making vain attempts to garner His affection? Stop—there is nothing you can to do that could make Jesus love you any more than He does right now.  Come to Him. Walk with Him. Abide in Him.  Love Him with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then enjoy fellowship with Him now and for all eternity.

Join us Sunday at 10am as we worship the Lord and continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. We gather in-person at 912 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN; online at https://live.refuge.mn; and on the radio at http://refuge.fm or 96.1 FM (in the St. Cloud area).

God wants to enjoy the fruit of our fellowship with Him. It angers Him when people pretend to be His people, but have no fruit or heart for Him, His representatives, or His Son Jesus.

We see this truth in the context of Jesus’ words and actions in Mark 11:12-12:12. We witness a series of actions and hear words of Jesus that show and tell us that God is angered when fruitless sinners pretend to be His people and yet have no heart for Him. In their pretension, they even end up treating those who truly are His people and His own Son Jesus poorly.

If you find yourself pretending to follow Jesus, but without the fruit of His fellowship, don’t make the same mistake the religious leaders of Jesus’ day made. They heard His warning, but did not heed His call to come to Him. Their mistake was walking away from Jesus when they didn’t like what He had to say. But Jesus won’t turn anyone away who comes to Him. He wants fruitful fellowship with you. Come to Him today!

Scripture quoted out of context can become a pretext for whatever you’d like it to say. That’s why context is so important. Reading what is before and after can really help us understand scripture better.

Context was especially helpful in our study this past Sunday as we encountered several scenes that may have left us scratching our heads if considered one-by-one. But when read and studied together, we have a clearer understanding of what is going on and what God is saying.

Watch or listen to our study of Mark 11:12-12:12 as we consider the context of the words and actions of Jesus to bring clarity, meaning, application, and most importantly fellowship with our Father.

Join us Sunday at 10am as we worship the Lord and continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. We gather in-person at 912 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN; online at https://live.refuge.mn; and on the radio at http://refuge.fm or 96.1 FM (in the St. Cloud area).

This is the day that the Lord had made—we will rejoice and be glad in it!

God is just as concerned about today as He was the day His Son rode into Jerusalem on a lowly donkey as the Suffering Servant. We have no idea how many holy crossroads we pass through over the course of a day.

He has prepared good works for us to walk in from before the very foundations of the world. And these good works could be just as consequential as Jesus riding in on that young donkey. For God saw this day and He knew this day was coming.

He longs to show himself strong on your behalf—this day and every day that He graciously gives you! So let us walk through our day with eyes open and a soul excited for what God has prepared, planned, and prophesied for us, and our families, and our fellowship.

This is the day that the Lord had made—we will rejoice and be glad in it!

“This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

This is something we say and sing to ourselves and each other to remind us that God is still on His throne. He made this day, He saw this day, and He prepared for this day from before the foundations of the world. 

But where does this quote come from? It’s more than a verse from a song—it’s scripture! This declaration of providence is from Psalm 118 and describes the coming of the Messiah.

There was a day that was very special. It was a that God planned and prepare from before the foundations of the world. Watch or listen to our study of Mark 11:1-11 as we considered what made that specific day so special.
Join us Sunday at 10am (central) as we worship the Lord and continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. We gather in-person at 912 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN; online at https://live.refuge.mn; and on the radio at http://refuge.fm or 96.1 FM (in the St. Cloud area).

Each and every one of us will stand before the Lord and give an account for every single deed every single word and every single thought. 

For unbelievers, that Day should be something to fear—and should be motivation to turn to Jesus for salvation.

For believers, that Day shouldn’t be something to fear, but something to factor in every choice we make. It will be an accounting—not for punishment or sin, but for authentically motivated service for Jesus. 

This should influence our decisions every day. While life on earth is short, what we do in here and now affects the life to come.

Watch or listen to our study of Mark 10:24-31 as we considered the importance of living in the light of eternity.

It’s important to invite people to repent of their sin and receive Jesus as Lord. And it’s just as important to fully explain the gravity and seriousness of that decision. For if their decision for Jesus isn’t sincere and informed but shallow and uniformed, there’s a greater risk of falling away not long after. 

That’s why great grace and tough truths are so important in evangelism and discipleship. We see both in the life and ministry of Jesus. This past Sunday, we carefully considered the grace extended and truth explained by Jesus during his exchange with a rich young ruler. 

Watch or listen to our study of Mark 10:17-23 and hear this grace and truth so you can truly understand and appreciate the gravity and seriousness of making God your singular priority—so He will be number one on a list of one.

​Join us Sunday at 10am (central) as we worship the Lord and continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. We gather in-person at 912 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN or online at https://live.refuge.mn.

If we want to be servants of Jesus—in the church and especially in the home—we must be a servant, not a ruler. We need to serve knowing that there is nothing beneath us.

We must also limit our liberties in love so that others do not stumble and to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us. Following His example, we are to forgive the people we are serving again, and again, and again, and again—even as they sin against us again, and again, and again, and again.

In all of this, remember that little ones are listening and learning. The secret to being a servant leader is found in preserving the tender heart of a little child, leading them with such care and tenderness that nothing would be a stumbling block for them. In doing so, we preserve, protect, enhance, and bless them.
​
This is the model Jesus gives to us to follow. It wasn’t something He just said to do, it was something He did. On the very night He was betrayed, He did was no one else was willing to do—Jesus humbled Himself and washed His disciples feet.  It’s His example that we should all want to follow as His disciples—not just in the church, but especially in the home.

There is a vast difference between being a religious ruler and a servant-leader. If anyone had every right to be a religious ruler, it was Jesus. And yet, the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve; not to save His life, but to lay it down as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28).

Jesus’ example shows us what servant-leadership looks like. It’s His example that we should all want to follow as His disciples—not just in the church, but especially in the home.

Watch or listen to our study of Mark 9:36-10:16 as we learned about the revolution Jesus initiated from religious rulership to servant-leadership and the blessing that comes to us if we do as He did.

esus is so patient with us, isn’t He? He was patient with the disciples too—even as they were arguing and disputing instead of actually ministering and serving.

To make matters worse, they were arguing and disputing about who would be the greatest—or which one of them was the most important person, as the Children’s Bible renders it.

They were arguing about all of this right after Jesus—the Suffering Servant—told them plainly that He would be betrayed and killed and then rise again on the third day.

But instead of firing them all on the spot, Jesus sits down and calls them to Himself. He doesn’t rebuke them for their desire to be great, but He ministers to them and helps them. He simply teaches them (and us) where true greatness can be found—in service. True greatness is found in being a servant—in serving those who can’t serve back, the “least of these”.

But Jesus didn’t just define greatness—He made it accessible to everyone. Everyone has the capacity and invitation to become great in the Kingdom of God as the servant of all.

What does it mean to be greatly used of God? How does Jesus view and define greatness? How does someone become great in His kingdom?

These are questions we all want answered. And when we don’t know the answers, we tend to argue about it—just like the disciples. But we don’t need to quarrel and squabble—Jesus answers these questions for us.

He tells His followers that true greatness is found in being a servant and in serving. Being great means serving those who have no ability to bless you back and who can’t make you feel important.

Watch or listen to our study of Mark 9:30-37 as we learned one of the most important lessons we could ever learn.

Join us for an evening of worship with special musical guests Terry & Nancy Clark this Sunday, September 12th at 6pm. Terry & Nancy Clark are great friends of the fellowship with a heart for the Lord and leading others into a deeper intimacy with Jesus through their music. We hope you can join us this Sunday at 6pm.

There is a cosmic battle taking place in the heavenly realm. It is the battle for the hearts and minds of men, women, and children. It’s a battle for cities and nations. And ultimately, it’s a battle for the right to rule this planet.

But it is not a physical battle—and it cannot be fought or won physically. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

So what’s our part to play in this battle? How can we fight by faith for the kingdom of God? Watch or listen to our study from Sunday as guest speaker Peter Warren explains the weapons of our warfare, the tactics of the enemy, and the victory we have in Jesus.

We are passionate people, aren’t we? We can find something to fight about or argue over with each other in seconds. But what do we want to be found doing when Jesus comes—serving and ministering, or arguing and fighting?

The disciples had this experience as Jesus came down from the mountain after His transfiguration. In Mark 9:14, we read how Jesus noticed the scribes disputing with the disciples while there were people who needed help.

Wasting time arguing instead of serving is one of the most often made mistakes as servants of Jesus. It’s a trap—it saps our energy, grieves the Holy Spirit, and robs those around us who need our help. It’s something we are to avoid (see 2 Timothy 2:23, Titus 3:9, and Ephesians 4:29-32).\

So instead of wasting time arguing and fighting, invest time in prayer and fasting so you can serve those around you by bringing them to Jesus.

Join us Sunday at 10am (central) as we worship the Lord and continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. We gather in-person at 912 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN; online at https://live.refuge.mn; and on the radio at 96.1 FM (St. Cloud) or at https://refuge.fm.

Christianity is the only major religion to have as its central event the humiliation of its God. Which might seem odd in light of the transfiguration we studied last week. 

If there was one event that would make for an amazing central event, Christ's appearance in radiant glory to three of his disciples would certainly be a top contender.

But it was at the cross where Christ was exalted. In Philippians 2 we learn about what Christ was thinking as He came to serve, suffer, and save. Watch or listen to our study from Sunday as guest speaker Pastor Nate lead our time in Philippians 2:5-9.

​Join us Sunday at 10am (central) as we worship the Lord & study His word. We gather in-person at 912 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN; online at https://live.refuge.mn; and on the radio at 96.1 FM (St. Cloud) or at https://refuge.fm.

While mountaintop experiences with God are amazing, we eventually need to get down. It’s true that we are to regularly and habitually seek the Lord in solitude, we are not to remain there. We are not intended to spend our lives in solitude.

We are to be in the world, but not of the world—because that is where God has sent us. He needs us to be the salt and light in the world that is suffering in and because of darkness.

So like Peter, we realize it is good for us to be here—with Jesus, in retreat from the world, getting clarity about who He really is. But Jesus will eventually lead us back down the mountain, into the places and next to the people who need to hear the hope that only Jesus can give them.

Take the time to seek the Lord in solitude and enjoy those times of refreshment and clarity on the mountaintop with Him—so that you can come back down and serve those who are lost, broken, and hurting with what He has given you.

In Mark 9 James, John, and Peter have a mountaintop experience. In their time with Jesus, they receive amazing clarity concerning who He truly is. As Jesus is transfigured before them, they see the divinity of Jesus through His humanity. He is the Song of God, the promised Messiah!

We can also have mountaintop experiences in our regular times of solitude with Jesus. But these times are intended to be temporary—we receive clarity about Jesus so that we can come down the mountain and minister to people who are suffering in the dark.

Watch or listen to our study in Mark 9:1-29 as we considered the importance of solitude before service.
​
Join us Sunday at 10am (central) as we worship the Lord and continue our study in the Gospel of Mark. We gather in-person at 912 W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud, MN; online at https://live.refuge.mn; and on the radio at 96.1 FM (St. Cloud) or at https://refuge.fm

Receiving Jesus as your Savior is one thing. 

Receiving Him as your Lord is another.

Becoming a child of God saves us from the tragedy of spending eternity apart from Him. Being a disciple of Jesus saves us from the tragedy of a waste life while we are waiting for His return.

We are not to just be born again, and then wait around until He returns. We have work to do that He has called us to do. We are to occupy until He comes and be busy about our Father’s business.

His business is saving souls and making disciples. In order to co-operate in this work, we need to learn what it means to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him.

We must understand this. Jesus did not to come to save us from our circumstances. He came to save us from our sin. In order to do that, Jesus needed to suffer and sacrifice Himself. In order for us to be His disciples, we must understand that He is calling us to a similar life—a life of suffering, self-denial, and self-sacrificial service so that others can be saved too.

Are you reaching others for Him by living like Him? It’s a life of love, self-denial, self-sacrifice—a life that’s full, a life that’s truly life!