Senior Pastor, Southland Church
Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | The Performance Trap
We live in a culture that rewards according to performance. This is not wrong in-and-of itself. The performance trap is set when our identity is found in our ability to perform to a high level of excellence. This is what Jesus encountered when he met a rich young man in Mark 10:17.
Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | This Way Up!
The Kingdom of God has an upside-down authority structure. What does this mean?
Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | A Kingdom Paradigm in 2021
Often, the answer to the question ‘why don’t we see more healings and deliverances today?’ is connected to the fact that we don’t have a spiritual paradigm in the 21st century and therefore we don’t utilize spiritual treatments.
Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Who (and What) is Christ?
The disciples certainly knew Jesus as a Rabbi who had authority from God. As they followed Him the evidence became overwhelming that He was more than a Rabbi.
Healing the sick, casting out demons, miracles of nature (walking on water) and miracles of multiplication, are all signs the kingdom of God has come. Jesus performed these miracles, thus establish His credentials as King over all of His creation.
Not only must we resolve the question ‘who is Jesus?’, we must also understand ‘what is Jesus?’.
Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Miracles Are Not An Optional Extra
Do we go for the deluxe model, or will we make do with the base model that has no frills? What we may have thought was the ‘base-model’ of Christianity was, in fact, a cheap copy-watch, a counterfeit. If our view of Scripture removes the miraculous or relegates it to ‘fiction’ or ‘fable’, we may not know the God of Scripture.
Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Authorized & Sent
The strategy employed by Jesus to reach the world with the Gospel seems to be –
I minister
I minister while you observe
You minister
You minister while someone else observes …, etc.
This method of discipleship doesn’t require clever programs, tent crusades or revival conferences. It is organic, simple, and unaffected by top-down organizational issues.
Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Tokens Of The Kingdom
Mark 4:35 – Mark 5:43 details a three-point plan blueprint for an effective kingdom offensive – eviction of demons, healing of the sick and raising the dead.
Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Frontline Spiritual Warfare
The post-enlightenment, western mind, has learned to filter out the spiritual realm from our awareness because we no longer have a supernatural worldview. We become conditioned to seeing things in a particular way. We actually do see a whole lot more demonic activity than our minds are willing to accept!
Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | The Cost Of Discipleship
Being a true follower of Jesus sets us apart from the World. Not only are we set apart, but we are also alienated. Jesus knew this fact experientially.
Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | An ‘earthy’ Gospel
One of the signatures of Mark’s Gospel is its rawness or earthiness. The are some very earthy aspects of this Gospel account that can easily be missed if we don’t take time to understand what is written.
Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Kingdom & Authority
Authority comes as an active order. In war, when an order is given, it must be followed until it is superseded by another order, or the original order is withdrawn. To use kingdom authority effectively we must hear from the king!
Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Calling & Discipleship
As disciples of Jesus, we must always remember that ministry might have some unusual parameters for measuring success. Calling is disruptive and divisive, this is the way of the cross.
Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Prepare The Way
Isaiah says ‘prepare ye the way of Yahweh’… This is not just any God, not even an angel. Isaiah foretold the coming of Yahweh. Yahweh is the same God who created the heavens and earth, who rescued the Israelites from Egypt and led them through the waters of The Red Sea. This is the same Yahweh who spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and humiliated the prophets of Baal and Asherah on mount Carmel, – ‘prepare ye the way of Yahweh’
Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Introduction
In many respects Mark was a failed follower of Jesus. He was the subject of a major disagreement, and separation, between Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15 because he deserted the Apostles and abandoned the ministry. All followers of Christ are failures who have been given access to the kingdom of God by grace.
Rob & Deb Norman: Discovering The Prophetic | God of Mysteries
God progressively gives revelation to His people regarding the kingdom of God but the mysteries of the kingdom can’t be fathomed unless He chooses to reveal them to us.
Rob & Deb Norman: Discovering The Prophetic | The Time Has Come!
We are living in the fulfillment of Old Testament hope and expectation! When Jesus said “The time has come” this was a declaration of the fulfillment of the triumph of The Kingdom of God’s over all the kingdoms of this world. We are now living in the time of the fulfillment and manifestation of the kingdom of God.
Rob & Deb Norman: Discovering The Prophetic | The Prophetic Toolkit
Truly prophetic churches say and do the things they hear from the Holy Spirit. Not only do we value spoken prophetic ministry, but we also value enacted prophetic ministry, which is invariably accompanied by powerful manifestations of God’s kingdom.
Rob & Deb Norman: Discovering The Prophetic | The Prophetic Process
As a ‘working definition’, prophecy is the ability to hear God’s voice, interpret its meaning and deliver it to others. Rob and Deb share practical experience of this process.
Rob & Deb Norman: Discovering The Prophetic | The Formation of Prophecy
Rob and Deb examine some of the processes that take place in processing prophetic revelation and delivering it to the right person or people using the right medium (spoken word, written word, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, prophecy or the special case of tongues + interpretation)
Rob & Deb Norman: Discovering The Prophetic | Prophetic Revelation
Throughout Scripture God has spoken to individuals, both believers and unbelievers using transcendent means. In Acts 2 the game changed when The Holy Spirit was poured out and those ‘in Christ’ received special abilities to hear from God and convey His heart, mind and will in words to others.
Rob Norman: 1 Corinthians| Church – Family Business
Some believe The Tithe was instituted in the OT, Mosaic Law and therefore because The Law has been abolished or fulfilled at the cross, so too has The Tithe been abolished or fulfilled.
Although this view sounds enticing, it is also problematic because the practice of tithing actually predated The Law of Moses by some 400 years.
Rob Norman: 1 Corinthians| Spiritual gifts In Church
Tongues is one of the most misunderstood and maligned of the spiritual gifts. Some conservative evangelical churches even teach that tongues were only required before the inspired NT writings became part of the Canon of Scripture. Of course, this idea is not Scriptural itself and even if this were true, this logic would also need to be applied to all the gifts, presumably including administration!
Rob Norman: 1 Corinthians| The Greater Gift
When we come together, the greater gift is the gift that edifies (builds) the church. When we are alone the greater gift is the gift that edifies us individually. Most builders are very practical people. Spiritual gifts, although mysterious and ‘other-worldly’, always have a practical end in sight.
Rob Norman: 1 Corinthians| The Most Excellent Way
1 Corinthians 13 is an eloquent description of agápē. This chapter is possibly Paul’s single, greatest literally work and is certainly one of the most important passages in all of His letters. The Apostle Paul upholds a brand of love that should motivate God’s people to eagerly desire the Greater Gifts, which in turn allows us to serve each other sacrificially. This is ‘The Most Excellent Way’ for the use of spiritual gifts.
Rob Norman: 1 Corinthians| Unity & Spiritual Gifts
The gifts of the Spirit come from The Spirit of God, they are supernatural by nature, this means they transcend our natural talents and gifts, and their purpose is to strengthen the Church.