Hi, friends. I am Annie F. Downs. Let's read the Gospels. The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament in the Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

These are the stories of Jesus Christ's life on earth, the friendships, the parables, the sacrifices, the meals, and the miracles.

Each month, we read all four books. So by the end of August, you'll have heard Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

And today, we get to start the book of Mark. And here's how it works. I'm going to read three chapters to you. You can listen or read along in your own Bible.

And then I'll pray. And that's it. So today is August 11th, day 11. And I'll be reading Mark chapters 1 through 3 this month. I'm reading from the message.

Mark 1, the good news of Jesus Christ, the message begins here following to the letter, the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.

Watch closely. I'm sending my preacher ahead of you. He'll make the road smooth for you. Thunder in the desert. Prepare for God's arrival. Make the road smooth and straight.

John, the baptizer appeared in the wild preaching a baptism of life change that leads to forgiveness of sins. People thronged to him from Judea and Jerusalem.

And as they confess their sins were baptized by him in the Jordan River into a changed life. John wore a camel hair habit tied at the waist with the leather belt. He ate locusts in wild field honey.

As he preached, he said, the real action comes next, the star in this drama to whom I'm a mere stage hand will change your life.

I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism, a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit will change you from the inside out.

At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God's spirit looking like a dove come down on him.

Along with the spirit of voice, you are my son chosen and marked by my love pride of my life.

At once, this same spirit pushed Jesus out into the wild for 40 wilderness days and nights he was tested by Satan.

Wild animals were his companions and angels took care of him. After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee preaching the message of God.

Times up, God's kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the message. Passing along the beach of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew net fishing fishing was their regular work. Jesus said to them, come with me.

I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass. They didn't ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed.

A dozen yards or so down the beach, he saw the brothers James and John, Zebedee's sons. They were in the boat mending their fishnets. Right off, he made the same offer. Immediately, they left their father Zebedee, the boat, and the hired hands and followed.

Then they entered cappernum. When the Sabbath arrived, Jesus lost no time in getting to the meeting place. He spent the day there teaching. They were surprised at his teaching, so forthright, so confident, not quibbling and quoting like the religion scholars.

Suddenly, while still in the meeting place, he was interrupted by a man who was deeply disturbed and yelling out, what business do you have here with us? Jesus, Nazarene, I know what you're up to. You're the Holy One of God and you've come to destroy us. Jesus shut him up. Quiet. Get out of him.

The afflicting spirit threw the man into spasms, protesting loudly and got out. Everyone there was spellbound buzzing with curiosity. What's going on here? A new teaching that does what it says, he shuts up defiling demonic spirits and tells them to get lost.

News of this traveled fast and was soon all over Galilee. Directly on leaving the meeting place, they came to Simon and Andrew's house, accompanied by James and John. Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed, burning up with fever.

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