July 12, 2026

The Gospel's Victory Over Darkness

Message Notes

Today's message, from Mark 5:1-20, reminds us that Jesus enters the darkest places, overpowers every force of evil, and sends those He saves to tell others what He has done. 

The Pause Questions

1. Who is the "one person" God may be calling you to pursue, pray for, or refuse to give up on—and what keeps you from believing Jesus can transform their life?

Follow-Up: What assumptions do we sometimes make about people who seem far from God?

2. The man in Mark 5 was living among the tombs—surrounded by death. Where do you see evidence of spiritual brokenness bondage, or hopelessness in the people around you, and how does Jesus want you to see them differently?

Follow-Up: Do we tend to see behavior first or spiritual need first?

3. What "impossible situation" in your life or in someone else's life have you quietly stopped believing God can change? How does this story challenge that perspective?

Follow-Up: Why is it easier to believe Jesus can save us than to believe He can transform others?

4. The transformed man wanted to stay with Jesus, but Jesus sent him back to his own people. Who has God already placed in your everyday mission field, and what opportunities might you be overlooking?

Follow-Up: Why do we often think ministry happens somewhere else instead of where we already live, work, study, or play?

5. Jesus told the man, "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you." If someone asked you today, "What has Jesus done for you?" what would you say?

Follow-Up: How comfortable are you sharing your story of God's mercy, and what makes it difficult?

Go Deeper.... an optional challenge question:

The people of the region asked Jesus to leave after witnessing His power. What are some ways people today resist Jesus
even when they see evidence of His work, and how can we respond with both truth and compassion?

Take Action- Prepare Your Personal Testimony

Here’s a few questions for you to ponder and write ideas down under each category and then you’ll come back and weave the ideas together…remember you have God’s Spirit inside you to help you with this…it’s HIS story being spoken through the filter of your life.

1.  What was your life like before you became a Christian?  (Just write down actions, attitudes, mindsets, perspectives that you had on life, relationships, religion, etc….Simply put, what was life like for you before Christ was given the right to sit on the throne of your life?)

2.  What or who was most influential in your decision to become a Christian? (What did they do, or say, or give you, or
challenge you with that helped you examine yourself or the claims of Christ more thoroughly?)

3.  When did you surrender your life to the Lordship of Jesus?  (Where were you, what did you do?…Be specific….I love people to think this out because many people talk about their past in detail and what God is doing in their lives today in detail but they leave out that moment when they surrendered to Jesus…people are out there saying “I want what you’ve got…how do I get it…and when you tell your story you’re modeling for them how to actually receive Christ.)

4.  Finally….How is your life different because you are a Christian?  (No one is perfect…but we are being perfected…you can be honest with your challenges and mistakes but explain some of the ways God is working in your life, thought life, mindsets, perspective, relationships….it does not have to be all of these…just help people see how a life surrender to Jesus is truly different.)

The Grow Circle

Allow this resource to help you process the pause questions:

Message Recording

You can listen to the message that corresponds to these notes and questions once the recording is ready!