Discussion Questions

  1. When you think of Jesus’ ministry, what stories or teachings come to your mind?
  2. Do you tend to think of Jesus more as a teacher talking or as a man of action? Why?
  3. If Jesus landed in Fremont tomorrow to do ministry while looking like an ordinary person, what are some of the first things He would do or say? Why do you think He would do that?

Read Mark 10:45, then answer the following questions:

  1. What does this passage tell me about God and about people?
  2. If I believe today's teaching is from God and that He loved me so much He sent Jesus to die for me, what is the appropriate way to respond in my everyday life?
  3. Who can I talk to more about this or share this with?
  4. Is there someone you hope to invite to our potluck/community time next week? How can we be praying for that person?

Spend time sharing life updates and prayer requests as a group, and close your time in prayer together.

Sam kicked off our sermon series on the book of Mark called Mark(ed): The Message and Methods of Jesus. Mark is different from the other Gospels because it feels like an action movie: it focuses less on Jesus talking and more on Jesus taking decisive action. The book of Mark focuses on who Jesus is: He is the suffering servant who came to radically serve others, even to the point of dying on the cross in our place.

Quote of the Week

If we are just here to sing songs, there’s a problem. This is not just a Christian pep talk. This is the truth about Jesus here. If Jesus is who He claims to be, then whether you are sitting here or you’re watching online, His claims make a radical difference if you accept Him or reject Him if He is who He says He was… in the book of Mark Jesus is the suffering servant who takes your sin and brokenness and mine to give His life for us. - Pastor Sam

Scripture

  • Mark 10:45 (NLT): For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

  • Luke 1:1-4 (NLT): Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught. 

  • Acts 13:4-5 (NLT): So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant.

  • Acts 15:36-39 (NLT): After some time Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing.” Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus.

  • 2 Peter 1:16 (NLT): For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes.