Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies. Since I started cooking, some dishes have turned out beautifully, while others… not so much. In those moments of failure, it would be quite an encouragement to know that celebrity chefs like Wolfgang Puck or Cat Cora had burnt a soufflé or two in their lifetimes (although I have never heard them admit to such failure).

Listening to Chris introduce the gospel of Mark on Sunday, he asked “What will the gospel MAKE of me?”  Like world-renowned chefs, the writers of the New Testament often seem nearly infallible to me at first glance. After all, God used them to be a part of His Holy Scripture!  But when I take a closer look at any of them, I see that God uses people in the midst of their sin and failures.  As Chris said, “the gospel of Mark will remind you that the grace of Jesus Christ is bigger than your failures.”

When I fail, especially in relationships, my temptation is to hide the depths of my failure from others. Contrast that with New Testament writers like Mark and Peter, who humbly MADE SURE that their failures were recorded completely and accurately. Why would they do that? It can only be that the amazing grace of Jesus Christ not only covers those failures, but God brings Himself glory through them.

As I learned more about Mark—and thought about my own life—it became quite clear that God doesn’t choose anyone because of his or her merits. God called me (and every true Christian) to himself as a broken, dead sinner with nothing to offer, moving me from the “domain of darkness” to the “kingdom of His Beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13-14). Two of my prayers through this study of Mark are that I will see my failures pale even more in comparison with His incredible grace, and that His work in my life would be visible to everyone around me, giving glory to my precious Savior.