From Scripture

John 6:1-15; loaves and fishes.
Jesus' fame spread largely due to the healings and other signs he performed.  People came from all over hoping to share in the material benefits he offered.  With the famous miracle during which he multiplied a few loaves and fishes to feed thousands, Jesus met peoples' material need and introduced the eternal bread --- himself.
After witnessing the miracle, the crowd wanted to make Jesus king.  They thought that this sign was proof that he was the "Prophet, the one who is to come into the world," in the final days" (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18).  After all, the great prophet Moses fed people too.  But Jesus wasn't fooled by their enthusiasm and left quickly.  He knew that their zeal was not true faith in him.
The material for this miracle was provided by a boyan insignificant child.  By choosing him, though, Jesus showed that nobody is insignificant when it comes to proclaiming the Gospel.  So, what bread or fish can you offer to God?  If you have true faith in the real Bread, your offering just might become a miracle, too.
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23  Clean hearts vs. clean hands
The religious leaders sent investigators to check up on Jesus and didn't like what they saw.  Not only were Jesus and his followers ignoring some traditional rituals, Jesus scolded the leaders for being hypocrites when they did observe them.  They were outwardly obedient so they could look holy instead of taking steps to actually be holy.
For example, devout Jews performed a cleansing ritual before each meal.  The Pharisees liked to believe this ceremony kept them from being considered unclean.  They were critical because Jesus' followers didn't perform this ceremony.  Jesus told them that they were wrong to think being clean on the outside made them acceptable to God.  God cares more about the state of our hearts than our hands.
Hypocrisy is when we pretend to be something we aren't and have no intention of becoming.  Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites because they went through the motions of worshipping God so they could appear holy in the eyes of the Jews.  We become hypocrites when we follow religious practices carefully but allow our hearts to remain distant from God.
Mark 9:38--48, Be ruthless with sin
The disciples were jealous of an unfamiliar man who healed in Jesus' name.  It seemed that they were more concerned about losing the spotlight than in healing.  Yet, we do the same thing when we refuse to participate in good works because the people are unfamiliar, those in charge don't do things the way we'd like, or we fear our efforts won't get recognized.  Competitiveness and ego have no place in the Christian community.
Jesus was very clear; we must be ruthless in removing sin from our lives.  Giving up a relationship, job, or habit that keeps us from God may seem just as painful as cutting off a hand, but the consequences of our choices last forever.  Being lukewarm toward Jesus is not possible.  "For whoever is not against us is for us."  Not all of Jesus' followers resemble each other or belong to the same groups.  But all who are on Jesus' side have the same goal to build up the kingdom of God.  Our differences should never interfere with the work of the kingdom.
Mark 10:46-52, a blind man leads
Bartimaeus was a blind beggar who saw Jesus clearly.  When he heard that Jesus was near he cried out, "Son of David," a title reserved for the Messiah.  Although people tried to quiet him, Bartimaeus persisted until Jesus noticed him and called him over.  Immediately, Bartimaeus threw off his cloak and ran to Jesus' side.  Even the little he had was discarded to get to Jesus.  Bartimaeus stood before Jesus humbly, but he was confident that Jesus had the power to do whatever he asked.  The only person in Mark's gospel to call Jesus, "Master," Bartimaeus asked Jesus for his sight.  When his prayers was answered, Bartimaeus followed Jesus as his disciple.  It is this profound trust that Jesus wants to elicit from the crowd --- and from us.  The difficulties of being Christian in a secular world can blind us to the joys of following Jesus.  Try to approach Jesus with excitement and humble confidence.  When we trust him as Bartimaeus did, we become true disciples who can tackle the difficult task of leading others down the road to God.
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36, the Advent of hope
The virtues of patience and perseverance aren't strengths for most of us.  Often the concerns of daily life overshadow our pursuit of holiness.  We can get lured into sin by the comforts and pleasures the world has to offer.  We can forget our ultimate goal is Heaven.  Knowing this, Jesus warned his followers about the end times, hoping to shake them (and us) out of "drowsy" complacency.
Imagine the terrifying scene Jesus described -- the shaking of the earth, sea, and sky and people dying of fright.  In the midst of that terror, though, people living in God's friendship will have no reason to fear.  The key is, he said, to stay on guard against sin and wordly pleasure.
Advent is a time of waiting for the coming of Christ.  God has promised us that if we are faithful to him, we will be rewarded.  This is a time when we must pray for patience and perseverance to keep us ready for the arrival of our Savior.  Then we can hold our heads high and stand confident expecting our promised reward.