1. When people bump into the cup of your life, what spills out? What things do others know about you from your interactions? Do these things reflect the joy and love that comes from Jesus?
2. What are the most common temptations or distractions that prevent us from displaying Jesus to those around us?
3. How can we manage these distractions so they don’t stop us from building relationships with and reaching out to non-Christians?

READ MARK 2:1-12, THEN ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW

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?

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

• “But how many of you know that when you’ve been touched by Jesus, you say: THIS IS AMAZING!!! … That's the point that's the point I think Mark is trying to make - It's that  people can't help talking about how God has made a difference in their life. So let me ask you brothers and sisters - Are you aware of how much God loves you and how he's forgiven you and given you a new life? Or are you so focused on yourself and your problems and your needs and your weaknesses that your eyes aren't on the one who can give you freedom and power to overcome those things? And that you can now live in such a way that you're healed by Jesus, you know you're loved by Jesus, so you can live with a new power and you can't help but talk about it!” - Pastor Sam

• “When someone  bumps into the cup of your  life what spills out? Is it bitterness over the political ideas that are going around, or is it our burdens that we're carrying? Or is it: Wow I have some amazing burdens that are so hard, but I've been so blessed because God's been so good to me. And then people are intrigued and they're drawn into Jesus by this.” - Pastor Sam

• Mark 2:1-12 (NLT): When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. 2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them,  3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4 They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 7 “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” 8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” 12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

• 2 Corinthians: 1:3-5 (NLT): All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
  
  

• Mark 1:40-44 (NLT): A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” 42 Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. 43 Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: 44 “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

• Mark 2:13-17 (NLT): 13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. 15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."