A girl on a country road, a setting sun, and a gleaming BMW about to carry her off to a better world, this scene from disco polo music videos is surprisingly close to how we often imagine God at work. The sermon leads us from the mount of transfiguration, where Peter wanted to hold on to the moment of wonder, down into the valley of human helplessness, where a father begs for his son to be rescued (Mark 9). It turns out that God bends heaven towards us not only in moments of exaltation, but also in the grey everyday life we always have to return to. Listen and learn how to meet God both on the mountain and in the valley.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- On the mountain Peter suggests, "Let us put up three shelters." What do his words reveal about the desire to hold on to a moment of awe, and why does God answer from the cloud, "Listen to him"?
- After coming down the mountain, the disciples are helpless before the boy's suffering, and the father cries out, "I believe; help my unbelief!" What does this scene in Mark 9:14-29 teach about faith in the valley of everyday life?
- The speaker points out that Peter, James and John, disciples full of fire and longing to be close to Jesus, went up the mountain. What most often dampens that fire and curiosity about God in you today?
- The sermon says heaven touches earth in ordinary moments: at church, in prayer, while reading the Bible. In which ordinary moments do you experience God's closeness, and which ones do you tend to overlook?
- The Greek man's story began with a cry for rescue in a drug den and led to serving others in darkness. How can your own encounters with God become strength for someone who is in a valley right now?
- What specific valley awaits you this week at work, in your family or in your relationships, and how can you intentionally look for Jesus' presence and help there?
