Servants & Stewards - Mark 11

Lead Pastor Josh Carstensen continues our series on Mark.Some moments in Scripture are meant to stop us in our tracks, and this is one of them. Jesus does something that almost feels impossible to reconcile with the Savior we think we know. But beneath the surprise is a deeper invitation that goes past appearances and into the condition of our hearts.When frustration rises, when faith feels stretched, when old wounds still linger, Jesus doesn't settle for fixing the surface. He goes straight to the root. And somehow, in the middle of overturned tables, a withered tree, and impossible promises, we discover a God who is restoring hearts instead of simply managing behavior.It's a reminder that real worship bears fruit, real faith holds on when everything feels shaken, and real freedom begins the moment forgiveness takes root.Thank you for listening to this message from Northwest Hills Community Church in Corvallis, Oregon, on July 26, 2026, at 10:30am. You can find us online at ⁠nwhills.com⁠.Key Moments(00:00) Welcome(01:15) Message: Jesus, the Fig Tree, and the Path from Frustration to Forgiveness(04:30) Reading Mark 11:12-14: Jesus Curses the Fig Tree(06:58) Context: Palm Sunday and Chaos in the Temple(10:27) Reading Mark 11:15-25: Jesus Cleanses the Temple(12:17) The Mark Sandwich: Why the Fig Tree Story Is Really About the Temple(17:34) Three Responses to Frustration: Root Cause, Patience, and Restoration(24:44) Faith and the Danger of "Name It and Claim It" Theology(29:46) Forgiveness: Receiving It Before We Can Give It