Author Archives: Mark Cole

About Mark Cole

Jesus follower, Husband, Grandfather, Worship Leader, Writer, Pastor, Teacher, Founding Arranger for Praisecharts.com, pickleball player, blogger & outdoor enthusiast.. (biking, hiking, skiing). Twitter: @MarkMCole Facebook: mmcole

7 Keys to a Clean Heart

Jesus taught that sin originates from within us: “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, … Continue reading →

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The Side-Effects Of Faith

When we talk about faith, we often define it. We explain it. We defend it. But we don’t always talk about what faith produces. Faith has side-effects. Not the negative kind you see listed at the end of a pharmaceutical … Continue reading →

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The Side-Effects of Holiness

Holiness is not a fashionable word. In many circles, it sounds rigid, joyless, or outdated. But biblically, holiness is not about stiffness or superiority. It is about belonging fully to God. It is about being set apart for Him. “Be … Continue reading →

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The Side-Effects of Patience

We live in a culture of microwaves, high-speed internet, and same-day delivery. We don’t wait well. We tap our fingers at red lights. We check our phones in grocery lines. We grow restless with people who don’t move at our … Continue reading →

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Brought Out to Belong: Why Holiness Still Matters

“For I, the Lord, am the One who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.”— Leviticus 11:45 This single verse carries the heartbeat of … Continue reading →

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Take Courage: He Is Here

In Gospel of Mark 6, the disciples are straining at the oars in the middle of the night. The wind is against them. They are exhausted. And then they see something that terrifies them even more than the storm — … Continue reading →

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Water Baptism: Buried, Cleansed, Raised

Water baptism is one of the clearest, boldest acts of obedience in the Christian life. It is simple. It is public. And it is powerful. From the banks of the Jordan River to church baptistries today, baptism has marked the … Continue reading →

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Jesus’ Blueprint for Discipleship

If you want to make disciples who last, you have to look carefully at how Jesus did it. Not how we imagine He did it.Not how we’ve modernized it.But how He actually discipled the Twelve in the Gospels. His model … Continue reading →

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Faith Versus Fear

(Mark 5:21–43) In Gospel of Mark chapter 5, a desperate father named Jairus falls at Jesus’ feet. His little girl is dying. He begs Jesus to come. On the way, everything seems to unravel. A woman interrupts them. Time passes. … Continue reading →

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What Is Faith?

In the Gospel of Mark chapter 5, we meet a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered physically, financially, and socially. According to the law in Leviticus, her condition would have made her ceremonially unclean. She … Continue reading →

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