March 23, 2025 | "Christianity Explored: Jesus’ Identity: Who is This Man?” | Rev. Vicki Harrison
In week 2 of Christianity Explored, Rev. Vicki Harrison walks us through a foundational question of our faith: Who is Jesus? Drawing from Mark 4:35–41, we explore Jesus’ power over nature—and reflect on the deeper identity revealed through His miracles, teachings, and authority.
Mark doesn’t just tell us stories; he presents evidence. Jesus heals the sick, casts out demons, forgives sins, teaches with authority, calms storms, and raises the dead. These aren’t just acts of compassion—they are signs of His divine identity.
And when the disciples ask, “Who is this man?”—Mark invites us to answer that question for ourselves.
As you consider the message, take time to sit with these questions. You may want to journal your answers, talk about them with a trusted friend or group, or simply bring them to God in prayer:
1. What storms are you currently facing?
In what ways do you need to be reminded that Jesus is in the boat with you?
2. Have you ever asked, “Jesus, don’t you care?”
How did He respond—or how might He be responding now?
3. Which part of Jesus’ authority—over nature, illness, evil, death, or sin—do you find most comforting? Most challenging to believe?
4. Mark gives us a clear picture of who Jesus is. What do you believe about Him right now?
Be honest—are there areas of doubt, questions, or places where you long for more clarity?
5. What would it look like to give Jesus full authority over your life?
Are there any areas where you’re still holding on to control?
6. When you reflect on your life, how has Jesus already proven His presence, power, or love?
How might those memories strengthen your trust today?
7. What would it mean for you to rest in the boat—while the storm still rages—because Jesus is with you?
Can you pray for that kind of peace?
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More Sermons in this Series
Why did Jesus die on the cross? This sermon unpacks Mark 8 and four powerful reasons the cross matters—substitution, sacrifice, history, and eternity. Discover how Jesus' identity and mission transform our lives today.
Why did Jesus die on the cross? This sermon unpacks Mark 8 and four powerful reasons the cross matters—substitution, sacrifice, history, and eternity. Discover how Jesus' identity and mission transform our lives today.
In this sermon from Mark 10:17–27, Rev. Vicki Harrison explores the radical nature of God’s grace and what it really means to be accepted by God—not by earning it, but by receiving it. Watch the message and reflect on what it means to depend fully on Jesus.
This week at New Hope, Pastor Vicki continues our Christianity Explored series by asking a powerful and personal question: Why did Jesus come?
The answer goes straight to the heart—literally.
In a storm-tossed boat, the disciples cry out, “Who is this man?” As Jesus calms the wind and waves, we’re left asking the same question. Explore the identity and authority of Jesus as revealed in the first chapters of Mark—and discover why it changes everything.
What happens when God says "No" to our plans? In Acts 16, Paul learns a crucial lesson: working for God's Kingdom is not just about effort—it’s about following God's vision. Discover how embracing God's direction leads to multiplication, revival, and a faith that grows in ways we never imagined.
Other Sermons from Pastor Vicki
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Pastor Vicki Harrison opens Matthew 5:13-16 and shows us that being salt and light isn't something we do — it's who we already are as followers of Jesus.
Jesus opens the most famous sermon in history by calling the poorest people in the room blessed. Pastor Vicki Harrison launches New Hope Church's fall series in Matthew 5, and the Beatitudes turn every rule about who counts upside down.
Rev. Vicki Harrison opened Matthew 12 with a question that would have stunned the room in Jesus' day: "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" Jesus points to the people around him and redefines family for good. "The church is not like a family," Vicki said. "The church is a family." On Promotion Sunday and the day before school started back, she showed what that means at New Hope Church — a household of households, led by Jesus, where the mask comes off and we actually learn to love each other. Then the whole church gathered for a family photo and prayed over its teachers.
On Communion Sunday, Rev. Vicki Harrison opens Matthew 26 — the night before the cross, where Jesus takes the oldest meal of God's people and fills it with new meaning. "This is my body… this is my blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." The message walks through what actually happens when we come to the Lord's Table: we experience the grace of Jesus, we come together as one body, all people are welcome, and we return to it again and again. It is not a ritual to observe from a distance — it is grace we receive with open hands.
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James 3 opens with one of the most arresting images in the New Testament: a small rudder steering a great ship. A tiny spark setting an entire forest ablaze. The tongue. In this message from the Words Matter series, Rev. Vicki Harrison opens James 3 to explore why the words we speak are not a minor issue — they reveal the state of our hearts, they wound or they heal, and they cannot be tamed by willpower alone. Only the gospel reaches deep enough.
Amos 9 brings the Let the Lion Roar series to a close with a hard word and a hopeful one: judgment is real, but God is not finished. Next Sunday, Pastor Vicki Harrison opens the final chapter of Amos with a message about rebuilding, restoration, and the kind of renewal that reaches all the way into the future.
Amos 5 confronts a people who have drifted so far from God that their religious activity has become hollow noise. But the prophet doesn't leave them there — he holds out an Escape Plan. This Father's Day, Pastor Vicki Harrison unpacks what it means to seek the Lord and live.
Why did Jesus die on the cross? This sermon unpacks Mark 8 and four powerful reasons the cross matters—substitution, sacrifice, history, and eternity. Discover how Jesus' identity and mission transform our lives today.