Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Today's shout-out goes to Daniel Offutt from Kingman, AZ. Thank you for standing with us throughout Project 23. You’re helping people encounter truth—and wrestle with it honestly. This one’s for you.

Our text today is Mark 11:27-30:

And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” — Mark 11:27-30

The religious leaders confront Jesus again—this time with a loaded question. Here it is:

“By what authority are you doing these things?”

They aren’t curious. They’re calculating. This isn’t about truth—it’s about control. Jesus had turned their tables. He had called out and shut down extortion in the temple. He had exposed their spiritual hollowness. Now they’re demanding credentials. But Jesus doesn’t answer directly. Instead, he asks his own question about another man who came before him, John the Baptist:

“Was his baptism authority from heaven or from man?”

It’s brilliant. Because their response to John reveals everything about their posture toward truth. If they say John’s ministry was authorized from heaven, they know Jesus will say, “Then why didn’t you believe him?” If they say it was authority from man, they’ll lose their influence over the crowd. So they dodge the question altogether.

Sometimes people ask spiritual questions, but not to get answers. They ask to stall. To spin their version of the truth. To stay in control because they resist surrender. And we do this, too, when we question God's timing. His Word. His commands. But deep down, it’s not always a question of gaining understanding—it’s about resisting total surrender.

The truth is: Jesus has authority. Over all belief. Over all morality. Over all future. Over all life and death, whether you like his authority or not. So the real question isn’t: “Who gave Jesus all this authority?” It’s: Will you submit to the authority he already has?

Jesus, we submit to you again today. Amen.

#JesusIsLord, #AuthorityOfChrist, #Mark11

ASK THIS:

1. Why were the religious leaders really questioning Jesus?
2. What does Jesus’ counter-question reveal about their hearts?
3. Where are you resisting God’s authority in your life right now?
4. What would it look like to submit to Jesus fully today?

DO THIS:

Ask God to expose any area of your life where you’re questioning, not out of hunger, but out of hesitation to obey.

PRAY THIS:

Jesus, you don’t need my permission to have authority. You already have it. So help me stop resisting and start surrendering. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Forever Reign."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Today's shout-out goes to Calvin Tilman from Valley View, TX. Thank you for standing with us throughout Project 23. You’re helping grow faith that’s deep, rooted, and bold. This one’s for you.

Our text today is Mark 11:25:

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” — Mark 11:25

Jesus just finished teaching about bold, mountain-moving prayer. But now he adds a critical detail: forgiveness. Jesus says, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive.”

Why? Because unforgiveness short-circuits prayer. You can pray with passion. You can pray with persistence. But if your heart is harboring bitterness, something is blocked. Unforgiveness is a spiritual deadbolt. It locks up your heart, hardens your spirit, and hinders the flow of grace, not just toward others, but also from God to you.

Jesus isn’t suggesting forgiveness. He’s commanding it. He’s saying: Don’t come into God’s presence asking for power while holding onto poison.

Prayer isn’t just about talking to God—it’s also about being shaped by God. And when we pray, one of the clearest signs that God is shaping us is our willingness to forgive. This doesn’t mean trust is instantly restored. It doesn’t mean consequences disappear. But it does mean releasing others from the debt they owe you, just as God released you.

So here’s the challenge: Don’t just pray for mountains to move—pray for your heart to soften. Because some of the most immovable mountains in your life might be made of unforgiveness that lies in your heart.

#ForgiveAndPray, #GraceFirst, #Mark11

ASK THIS:

1. Why does Jesus tie forgiveness to prayer?
2. What happens spiritually when we refuse to forgive?
3. Is there someone you’re still holding a grudge against?
4. What would it look like to forgive them as God forgave you?

DO THIS:

Who is the person you need to forgive today, before I ask God for anything else?

PRAY THIS:

Father, help me forgive others the way you’ve forgiven me. I don’t want to carry bitterness—I want to walk in the freedom of grace. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

“Forgiveness” by Matthew West.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Today's shout-out goes to Dave Schuknecht from Waverly, IA. Thank you for standing with us throughout Project 23. You’re helping grow faith that’s deep, rooted, and bold. This one’s for you.

Our text today is Mark 11:20-24:

As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. — Mark 11:20-24

The fig tree is dead. Withered from the roots up.

The very tree Jesus had cursed the day before is now nothing but dry branches and lifeless bark.

Peter is stunned. But Jesus isn’t.

And Jesus doesn’t say, “Look what I did.” He simply turns to his disciples and teaches them about faith in God. The kind of faith that moves what human strength never could. He speaks of mountains. Obstacles. Impossibilities. And he says, if you believe and do not doubt, it will be done for you.

This isn’t name-it-claim-it theology. It’s an authentic, mountain-moving prayer, rooted not in wishful thinking but in confident trust in God's character and power. Jesus invites us to a faith that doesn’t just believe God exists, but believes God is able. Not a faith that measures the size of the problem by our ability, but one that sees every problem in light of God’s power.

Some things in your life feel too big to move:

That relationship.
That addiction.
That bitterness.
That long-unanswered prayer.

But Jesus says the issue isn’t the size of your obstacle—it’s the object of your faith. The point isn’t to fixate on the mountain. It’s to seek the One who made the mountain. And to trust him, whether the mountain moves or not.

Because faith isn’t confidence in your prayer or in getting what you want.
It’s trust in God’s power, presence, and purpose—no matter what.

#MountainMovingFaith, #PrayBold, #Mark11

ASK THIS:

1. Why did Jesus use the fig tree to teach about faith?
2. What “mountain” are you facing right now?
3. Is your faith focused on results—or on the God who hears?
4. What changes when you trust God's power more than your own?

DO THIS:

Pray boldly today for something that feels too big. Name the mountain—and ask God to move it, then trust Him either way.

PRAY THIS:

Father, I trust your power even when I can’t see progress. Grow my faith—not just to pray boldly, but to believe you fully. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

“Do It Again.”