Reminder: Next week is our monthly life group gathering over a meal. Please spend time thinking about who you could invite, and pray that God gives you a good opportunity to invite them in the coming days.

Discussion Questions

  1. Jesus faced a lot of pressure from others during His ministry. What are the different pressures you face in your regular life? 
Sam Quote: “What kind of pressures do we have, that if we brought them to Jesus, He may say “I have no clue why you are doing that?”

2. Read the quote above. If you sat down with Jesus and told Him all about the pressures in your life, what do you think He would say about them?

READ MARK 3:31-35, THEN ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW

  1. Why would Jesus say this about Mary and the rest of His family? What is His motivation behind saying this?
  2. What does this passage tell me about God and about people?
  3. 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?
  4. 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.

This week, Sam continued our series through Mark looking at some of the pressure Jesus faced in His life. In his ministry, Jesus faced physical, spiritual, and social pressure from the crowds and individuals who sought after Him. Crowds chased after Jesus, some of whom only were looking for Jesus because they hoped His miracles would solve their problems. Sometimes we can treat God the same way, as we come to God in prayer to solve the crises or to deal with the pressures of our own lives. Lastly, Jesus declares that we are part of a new family, as He says that anyone who does His will are his brothers and sisters. This leaves us to ask ourselves this question: Do you spend regular time with Jesus and do you strive to do His will, which marks you as part of His family?

Quote of the Week

"Jesus' popularity is growing but why is His popularity growing? Because of the news about His miracles. The sad thing to me as I think about Jesus, is that the crowds are coming for what Jesus might do for them. And sometimes I wonder if we just come to God because of what he might do for us. People aren't necessarily concerned about his teaching, even though they're wowed by his teaching - he speaks with someone with great authority! But really at the end of the day they're pulling the vending machine saying what can you do for me today Jesus? And oftentimes in prayer, we can come to God and say God what can you do for me today? Instead of sitting at His feet, and opening the Word and listening to what God wants to teach us and show us.This was convicting to me as I studied this, I thought how often do we come to God only for what he might do for us, and we are missing the fact, like them they were there for bread to be fed they were there for miracles to be healed, but they were missing the true source of life in who Jesus actually.” - Pastor Sam

Scripture

  • Mark 3:31-35 (NLT) - Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. 32 There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.” 33 Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 34 Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. 35 Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
  • Mark 3:7-19 (NLT) - Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him. 9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 11 And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was. 13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. 14 Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, 15 giving them authority to cast out demons. 16 These are the twelve he chose: Simon (whom he named Peter),17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”),18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot), 19 Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
  • John 6:29 (NLT) -  Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”