Grow Guide | Feb 18, 2024
Series Theme: One Easter, One Mission
Reading: Mark 9:30-37
Connecting Questions
What has been a silly argument in your life?
What is an example of a warm welcome you have received in life?
Prayer for Illumination
Lord God, You have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Context
One Easter One Mission, as a community of believers we will come together to celebrate community and generosity. We will use those attributes to carry on the work of Jesus Christ. Studying the gospel of Mark we see how Jesus taught his disciples (and us) to bear fruit and live active lives of faith. Come explore the many opportunities to grow in faith and carry on the work of Jesus Christ at Easter. So glad you are here!
From Pastor Paul Berge at EntertheBible.org:
This section consists of three cycles of stories about Jesus’ teaching concerning his impending death and resurrection and concerning what a life of discipleship entails. The material in this section continues the theme of the disciples’ inability or failure to understand the nature of Jesus’ messiahship.
Look at the Book
Open to Mark 1. Reread Mark 1:1; why was this verse so important?
Jump to Mark 9:30 Where was Jesus coming from and where was he going?
Jesus does not want people to know what he is up to? Why do you think? This has been called the “messianic secret.”
Mark 9:31 is a preview of coming attractions. What is Jesus saying here?
How do the disciples respond in verse 32?
Fear can stop questions. What is a question you would ask of Jesus? (Extra credit: Google the song “Big Enough” by Chris Rice. What is the message of that song?)
Where did they go next in verse 33? Look at a Bible map; where are they?
What is Jesus’s question in this scene? And what is the disciple’s response? Why?
What do think verse 35 means? Where have you experienced this jockeying for position in life?
Why does Jesus choose a child as the visual for his lesson here to the disciples?
What English word is repeated in verse 37? What does that repetition do?
As we work towards one site as Easter, it gives us an opportunity to turn our energy towards our neighbor. What is one hope you have for what “welcome” could look like at the new site? Visit easter.org/onesite to learn more.
The word welcome is in someone’s name. Whose?
Our theme words for this week are service, humility, welcome. Which spoke to you today? Why?
What would you like to talk about that we have not yet?
Taking it Home
Be thoughtful about a word of welcome to someone in worship this weekend.
Be thoughtful about a word of welcome to someone in a public place this week.
God of the promise, you call your people together into your one mission in Christ’s name. Make us brave, grant us peace, challenge our expectations, and empower us to truly follow your Spirit’s lead. You are our one God who calls us together as one people, and we thank you in Jesus’ name. Amen.