[Jesus said], “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go to hell” (Mark 9:43).

This arresting hyperbole of Jesus reminds us that we should be willing to make any sacrifice to conform our lives to his will. He tells us that the consequences of a destroyed soul are disastrous.

Examine your own life. What is causing you to stumble in your walk with Christ? What might you need to “cut off” to free yourself to walk more nimbly in his steps?

–Mark Galli
This is part of Mark Galli’s guided journal, “Discovering the Untamable God,” a 12-week journey through the Gospel of Mark. Twice a week, you’ll receive a new journaling prompt encouraging you encounter the wild, untamable Jesus of the Gospel of Mark and let his radical sayings and actions transform your life. Use these prompts in your own journal or in group discussion. If you’re joining this journal mid-way through, you can start journaling at any time, and stay subscribed at the end, when the journal will restart and you can receive the prompts that you missed.