Update and Introduction to The First 24

Did you like Jack Bauer? You'll love The First 24

I’ve been to Capernaum well over 35 times—incredible place—all in ruins—but the scene for much of the Gospel of Mark.

Dear Friends,

I have been thinking quite a bit about The Anglican and what I have experienced over the last year.

I’ll step away for a few weeks, starting tomorrow—an extended break—from writing and ministry. I’m looking forward to it.

If you have been following The Anglican, you know the kind of writing I’ve done. It takes time, and my heart and spirit need to be (and stay) refreshed. It’s time to pull back and take a breath.

We are currently having an Anniversary Sale. 20% off for Annual Subscriptions. It expires on October 4, so hurry. Do it now!

Yesterday, eight people signed up to be Paid Subscribers!
Anglicans love bargains!

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I don’t want to leave you with nothing. In fact, I want to share one of the books I most enjoyed writing. It’s called The First 24. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be posting chapters for our Paid Subscribers—every Tuesday, Thursday, you guessed it, 6:12 AM.

If you'd like to pick up the book and read it in its entirety, please click here. Remember, I truly loved writing this. If you liked Jack Bauer in the thrilling TV series 24, you’ll love this.

Here is the latest review:

I read this book in 2 sittings and had a very difficult time putting it down. It’s as if the author transported me to Capernaum to walk with Jesus in the flesh. I was transported to the synagogue, Peter’s mother in law’s house, with Jesus to pray early in the morning, and in every other scene in these verses. This book was profound in its simplicity and I will definitely be sharing it with friends

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All of this comes at a time when I am celebrating the first anniversary of The Anglican. Yes, it is true. A year ago, I began writing, and I haven’t stopped.

And you’ve been faithful. We have developed a community of sorts with more and more people posting comments, sharing and restacking posts, or forwarding articles to friends and family.

So while I’m away, consider this my gift to you: a front-row seat to the whirlwind Gospel of Mark.

⸻⸻

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From The First 24 by David Roseberry

Introduction to the Whirlwind Gospel of Mark

Each of the gospel writers—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—gives us a distinct view of Jesus. They record many of the same events, but each emphasizes details that, in their eyes, carried the weight of the message. The finished product is four portraits of one Person, told differently, yet all proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

Mark’s Gospel is the shortest, but also the swiftest. It moves at a breathless pace. The Greek word immediately shows up 41 times in his account, 11 of them in chapter one alone. It is the Gospel of what’s happening right now.

And nowhere is this more striking than in the 23 verses I explore in the book. In a single day, Mark tells us that Jesus

entered Capernaum,
preached in the synagogue,
silenced a demon,
healed a fever,
restored the sick,
drove out more demons,
withdrew for prayer before sunrise,
set his face to move on, and, before he left town,
cleansed a leper.

All in one 24-hour period. Whew!

This is the synagogue at Capernaum—a replica. The covered building is a church built over Simon Peter’s home. The lakeside is beautiful...

Only Mark gives us this rapid-fire sequence. And only Mark lets us glimpse the most remarkable “first day on the job” the world has ever seen.

A Deep Dive into Capernaum

That’s the framework of The First 24. It’s a deep dive into Mark 1:21–45. Twenty-three verses that cover twenty-four hours. And if you read them closely, you find not just a crowded schedule but the clear outline of Jesus’ mission: to preach, to heal, to confront evil, and to keep moving toward the Cross.

Behind every vignette is a deeper reality. Jesus wasn’t just busy—he was purposeful. He was on a mission. His first day shows us what the rest of his ministry would look like: compassion without exhaustion, authority without hesitation, power without limit.

As we take this journey together—chapter by chapter, verse by verse—I hope you’ll feel as though you are there. Not just an observer, but a witness. I want you to see what Mark saw, to hear what the crowds heard, to believe what the disciples struggled to believe.

Over the next few weeks, we will walk with Jesus into Capernaum, sit in the synagogue, listen to his teaching, watch him confront darkness, and then follow him out into the wider world. And we will discover that these stories are not only about him then, but about us now.

⸻⸻

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The Anglican is the Substack newsletter for LeaderWorks, where I share insights, encouragement, and practical tools for clergy and lay Christians. I’m also an author of over a dozen books available on Amazon.

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