mark: upside down kingdom

What if everything you thought you knew about power, success, and greatness was turned upside down? In the Upside Down Kingdom, Jesus redefines reality—welcoming the outcast, healing the broken, and calling ordinary people to an extraordinary way of life. Through the fast-paced, action-packed Gospel of Mark, we’ll explore the life and mission of the One who didn’t just teach the kingdom—He embodied it. Come discover a King who rules not from a throne, but from a cross… and calls us to follow Him there.

The Crown Comes Down [Part 1]

Pastor Chris Voigt

June 1, 2025

As a church family, we begin a new adventure through the Gospel of Mark this Sunday. This summer series which we've entitled Upside Down Kingdom, will take us on an exploration of Jesus' ministry through Mark's gospel. Mark uses the word "immediately" more than 40 times in this shortest of the four gospels. His writing is fast-paced and action-packed. So strap in and hold on!

The Crown of Grace [Part 2]

Pastor Chris Voigt

June 8, 2025

As we come to our study in Mark's gospel this week, we find Jesus engaging with the broken in His world. And the good news for them, and for us, is that He is more than capable of bringing healing and restoring wholeness to the sick, broken, and wounded places of our lives. Nothing is beyond His ability to unscramble.

New Wine, New Way [Part 3]

Pastor Michelle Snook

June 15, 2025

As we pick up our study in Mark's gospel this week, we find Jesus continuing to ruffle the feathers of the religious leaders. Jesus' way of doing things breaks all the rules of their religious game. And they are not happy about it. The old ways are just fine, thank you very much. There's no need to change things... or is there?

Redefining Family [Part 4]

Pastor Chris Voigt

June 22, 2025

We are about a quarter of the way through our summer study, Upside Down Kingdom: The Gospel According to Mark. This week, we find Jesus picking teammates to be part of His inner circle. Except, He doesn't exactly pick the cream of the crop. Instead, it seems more like He's scraping the bottom of the barrel! Jesus chooses the rejected, the outcast, the traitor, and the skeptic. He surrounds Himself with those who have been passed over or left out - the ones who didn't quite measure up. And He invites them to belong. In doing so, He establishes a new kind of family - one where the misfits and marginalized can find a home. And so can you.

The Dirt on Discipleship [Part 5]

Pastor Chris Voigt

June 29, 2025

Whispers are subtle, gentle, subdued. But they can also be powerful... if you lean in and really listen!

As we come to our study in the gospel of Mark this week, we find Jesus interacting with His followers in a new way - a quiet, gentle and unexpected way. A way that was designed to make you lean in and pay attention. But not everyone was ready or willing to listen.

Graveyards, Daughters & Demons [Part 6]

Pastor Chris Voigt

July 6, 2025

“Expect the unexpected.” You've heard that said before, haven't you? And yet, we all seem to carry around a boatload of expectations... Expectations that people and things will do and go the way we expect them to do and go! And when they don't? Well, it can create a lot of chaos. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

As we come to our study in the gospel of Mark this week, we find Jesus continuing to break rules and shatter expectations in ways that rock people's worlds - in all the best ways.

When Faith Feels Familiar [Part 7]

Pastor Michelle Snook

July 13, 2025

"There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home." Dorothy Gale

That classic line from the movie, The Wizard of Oz, has become iconic - representing the familiarity and comfort of home. As Dorothy wakes up in her own bed at the end of the movie, still murmuring those words, it reinforces the meaning of coming back to a place of safety, where you are known, loved and welcomed. Dorothy has had her grand adventure, but there's nothing better than coming home and sleeping in your own bed again.

This week, in our sermon series, Upside Down Kingdom: The Gospel According to Mark, we find Jesus returning home after some extended traveling. But his experience of coming home is nothing like Dorothy's. Sure, Nazareth is familiar, but not safe; and Jesus is certainly not welcomed. His family and friends aren't exactly impressed by the boy from the 'hood, now that he's all grown up. And His teaching definitely rubs them the wrong way. Just who does He think He is?

Ritual, Rules & Missing the Point [Part 8]

Pastor Jon Sprouse

July 20, 2025

We are about mid-way through summer and also at the halfway point in our summer sermon series, Upside Down Kingdom: The Gospel According to Mark. This week we're in Mark chapter 7, where we find Jesus going head-to-head with the Pharisees. And once again, they are more than a bit peeved at Jesus and His disciples. Apparently, Jesus & company are exhibiting blatant disregard for the Jewish laws regarding... are you ready for this?... washing their hands.

Actually, it wasn't even a law; it was a tradition. And while there was deeper purpose infused into the tradition, the Pharisees had totally missed it. And hard as it is to admit, sometimes we are prone to missing it too. We too get focused on the wrong thing, and miss the forest for the trees.

When the Map Doesn't Match the Mission [Part 9]

Pastor Chris Voigt

July 27, 2025

Have you ever experienced déjà vu? The French phrase, meaning "already seen" is described as a phenomenon of feeling like one has lived through the present situation in the past... like you've been here before... except you haven't.

That's kinda the sense we get as we come to Mark chapter 8 in our series Upside Down Kingdom: The Gospel According to Mark. Once again, we find stories of famished followers, disgruntled disciples, contentious clerics and another blind man in search of restored vision. Haven't we been down this road before? Though the stories are familiar, they are also unique. Jesus is underscoring for His disciples - and for all of us - the counter-cultural characteristics of His Upside-Down Kingdom. There is power in the repetition; we would do well to pay attention.

From the Mountain to the Mess [Part 10]

Pastor Chris Voigt

August 3, 2025

In Isaiah 55:8 we read, "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." It's understandable that Jesus' disciples would struggle with the Father's plan, for the inbreaking of the Upside Down Kingdom into our world. Through Isaiah, God had told them His ways don't make sense. But shouldn't God's plan be better than imagined, not harder? Happier, richer, more beautiful? The struggle to make sense of it all - was real. And not just for the disciples in Jesus' day. It's still hard for us.

Bumps Along the Way [Part 11]

Pastor Michelle Snook

August 10, 2025

The journey of being a Christ-follower is a lot like traveling the 'scenic route.' We think we know the way to get where we want to go, but God has a different path for us to travel. Following Him means surrendering our plans, our right to call the shots and going where He leads - even if the road is unfamiliar or intimidating.

When Appearances Fall Short [Part 12]

Pastor Chris Voigt

August 17, 2025

As we come to week 12 of our series, Upside Down Kingdom: The Gospel According to Mark, we begin to see a different side of Jesus as He confronts situations where people, traditions, and even religious leaders aren’t living up to what they claim to be—and Jesus doesn’t shy away from addressing it.

What Gives You the Right? [Part 13]

Pastor Jon Sprouse

August 24, 2025

We're in week 13 of our series, Upside Down Kingdom: The Gospel According to Mark and Jesus is at the Temple in Jerusalem. He's fielding question after question from groups of disgruntled leaders. They're feeling threatened by His teaching and the authority with which He speaks. They are determined to set Him up and take Him down. "Who does He think He is? What right does He have to speak like this?"

The Last Watch [Part 14]

Pastor Chris Voigt

August 31, 2025

In the Old Testament, a watchman's job was to stand guard in a tower or on a city wall to detect any impending threat, like an approaching army or storm, and then alert the city inhabitants to take shelter or prepare to defend their city. The Old Testament prophets served as spiritual watchmen, warning people of sin and calling them to repentance. Whether providing physical or spiritual exhortation, a watchman was to be vigilant, alert, paying close attention to what was going on in the world around them.

As we near the end of Mark's gospel and our series, Upside Down Kingdom, we find Jesus warning and encouraging His disciples about what would happen in the future. Though they still didn't grasp the meaning of all He told them, He urged them to keep watch and remain faithful, even in the midst of confusion and persecution.