Grace Church

The Gravity of Discipleship  Big Idea: Discipleship Requires Diligence  Jesus cares about our influence (42) Jesus cares about our integrity (43-48) Jesus cares about our investment (49-50)  Next Steps: What is holding you back from looking more like Jesus? 

Big Idea: Jesus demonstrates that downward mobility is the path to true greatness.  3 Insights into Jesus’ Radical Redefinition of Greatness.  Jesus doesn’t rebuke a desire for greatness (:33-34)  Jesus reimagines greatness as humble servanthood (:35-37).   Humility = the noble choice to forgo your own status and use your influence for the good of other before yourself.  3. True greatness rejects comparisons to others (:38-41)  Embedded Influencer: I understand how God has purposefully gifted and positioned me to multiply His work in the world.   4 reimagined bottom lines at work  1. Who can I demonstrate God’s love to today?   2. How can my community be better served by what I do?  3. How can I model excellence and hard work to those around me?  4. How can my God-given gifts be maximized in my current position?   Discipleship Question: from Discipleship Failure Theme  “What is holding me back from looking more like Jesus?”  Find more series resources at www.whoisgrace.com/mark 

Big Idea: Jesus invites faith, even in our failure.  Jesus and his closest disciples were confronted by a troubling situation immediately after a mountaintop experience. (Mark 9:14)  --Can you identify a mountaintop experience in your life? And can you describe any challenges that might have come afterwards?  The disciples failed to cast out the demon by relying on their own power instead of depending on God’s. (Mark 9:15-21; 29 [reference Mark 6:7b; 13])  -Prayer is how we best stay dependent on God and live into the Dream Disciple role of a Savvy Follower. Where I discern God’s voice and follow His lead at the right time in the right way.  --What does prayer look like for you? How do you best connect with God?  --Ask yourself the Discipleship Failure question: What’s holding me back from looking more like Jesus?  The father responded to Jesus with a desperate faith, and Jesus healed his son. (Mark 9:22-28)  “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)  T

Big Question: How does this picture of Jesus compel me to live differently? What the Transfiguration Says About Jesus: He isn’t just a man; He is God (9:2-3) He isn’t just another prophet; He is the Son (9:5-7) He isn’t part of the story; He is the point of the story (9:8-13) What This Means For Us:   Honor Him Listen to Him Reflect His glory Discipleship Question: How does this picture of Jesus compel me to live differently? 

Big Idea: A dream disciple will always begin with Jesus  When we live unguarded, near-truths quickly become the breeding ground for Satan to carry out some of his most divisive work  The first Kingdom Cost of Discipleship means  Letting go Preparing for a difficult road Following Jesus Next Steps What’s holding you back from looking more like Jesus? 

Big Idea: Following Jesus requires Kingdom Vision. Kingdom Vision = Jesus is the Messiah, the fulfillment of God’s Story to rescue, redeem, and reconcile the world. And Jesus sends His followers, the Church, into the world, wherever they live, learn, work, or play, to tell this Good News in word and deed until the day God’s Kingdom comes at the end of time. How to Develop Kingdom Vision: By Faith (Mark 8:29; 1 Peter 1:21) Through the Revelation of God (2 Peter 1:3-4) In Community (1 Peter 2:5) Gradually (2 Peter 1:2, 5-13)  Discipleship Questions:  What’s holding me back from looking more like Jesus?  Which of these steps do I need to embrace in a new way? 

Discipleship Failure = Failure to SEE The POTENTIAL of God’s Kingdom promise (Revelation 5:9) The WONDER of God’s Kingdom promise (Luke 2:10) The FULFILLMENT of God’s Kingdom promise (John 6:35) The DANGER of Unbelief (Mark 4:11-12) Big Idea: Following Jesus requires Kingdom Vision. Discipleship Questions:  What’s holding me back from looking more like Jesus?  What am I failing to see: potential, wonder, obvious, danger?   Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24 

Big Idea: Jesus is available to restore those who think they’re disqualified.  4 Ways Jesus Gives Hope to the Disqualified 1. Sometimes Jesus needs to get your attention to draw out your faith (7:24-27)  2. Jesus recognizes humility as an indicator of true faith (7:28-30).  Her response was incredible: She understood the parable.  She didn’t take offense.  She expressed true faith.   3. Jesus will restore you in deeply personal ways (7:31-35)  4. Jesus gives you a story to tell of his goodness (:36-37) :   The proper response when you experience God’s work in your life:   Tell the story of what he’s done.  Personal reflection.  Worship.   Discipleship Question Ordinary Heroes: “What is my next small step of obedience today?”   Find more series resources at www.whoisgrace.com/mark 

Big Idea- Monitor the condition of your own heart more than you monitor the behavior of others.   Three-part Journey Toward Avoiding Hypocrisy  Embrace your need to be spiritually clean (:1-5)  Behavior modification won’t bring Christ-exalting change to your life (:6-13)   4 ways behavior modification undermines true spiritual maturity.  Behavior modification confuses man-made rules with God’s laws.  Behavior modification is always connected to a condemning spirit.  Behavior modification doesn’t deal with the source of uncleanness (7:14-16) Behavior modification will leave you exhausted and frustrated.   3. A clean heart is the antidote to hypocrisy and the key to an authentic spiritual life (:14-23)  The primary role of your heart.  Your true struggle with sin is not external but internal.  At the cross, Jesus purchased for you a purified heart.  Discipleship Question: What’s holding me back from looking more like Jesus?   Find more resources at www.whoisgrace.com/mark 

Big Idea: Jesus is easy to miss.  Jesus fed the 5000 after His disciples returned from being sent out. (6:30-44) Jesus responded to the crowds with compassion, (6:34) unlike the disciples who showed irritation. (6:35-37) He cared for the crowd (6:38-44; Numbers 27:15-17) as the Great Shepherd (Psalm 23:1) by feeding them in the echo of the Prophet Elisha. (2 Kings 4:42-44)  Ask yourself: How are you being called right now to meet someone’s needs while also sharing the Gospel with them?  Jesus walked on the water and revealed Himself to His disciples. (6:45-56)Jesus withdrew to prioritize the most important thing, spending time with His Father. (6:45-46) When the disciples struggled, (6:47-50a) Jesus went down and revealed Himself to them (6:50b) by “passing by” just as God had done in the Old Testament. (Ex 33:21-22; 1 Kings 19:11a) The disciples still didn’t recognize Jesus as the Son of God. (6:51-52)  Take time this week to look back on moments in your life where you’ve seen God’s provision, God’s comfort,

Big Idea: is Pain is often for your growth or God’s glory.   Causes of our Suffering and Pain We live in a fallen world.  Self-inflicted.  Caught in the backwash.   5 Biblical Insights on Suffering All Christians will suffer. God doesn’t cause all suffering, but he allows it. Suffering isn’t the only way to grow spiritually, but it is an important way.  We long to know the purpose in our pain, but sometimes it’s not for us to know.  Suffering will eventually bring about greater joy.   Next Step  Reflect on this Discipleship Question for Ordinary Heroes:  What is my next small step of obedience today?   Find more series resources at www.whoisgrace.com/mark 

Big Idea: In Christ you become most fully yourself. Me must make the shift from a societal sexual ethic to a sanctified sexual ethic.  Two Ways our Identity in Christ Shapes our Sexuality 1. We place God’s Authority over the Sovereignty of Self. (4:1-2)  Your identity is established by who God says you are and your self-worth comes from being found in Christ as an adopted son or daughter.   2. We see sexuality as an opportunity for spiritual formation and to avoid cultural deformation (4:3-6) Sexuality according to God finds its perfect fulfillment only in a covenant marriage relationship between one man and one woman or in celibate singleness.    Christian sexuality is based on four pillars.  Sex is pointing to a greater reality Sex points us to a wholistic integration of personhood  Sex is tied to our transformation  Our sexual ethic is a witness to the world.  Next step:  Reflect: if my primary identity is as adopted, redeemed and sealed in Christ, how will I pursue sexual wholeness?  Get more resources fo

Big idea: In Christ you become most fully yourself. God’s Dream for One New Humanity. Galatians 2:11-14 The Problem with our GospelIt’s IncompleteIt’s highly individualized. In light of our Identity in Christ, how should we approach issues of race? Next Steps The habit of Incarnational listening.  Leave your world.  Enter into someone else’s world.  Allow yourself to be formed by others. 2. The habit of learning: 3. The habit of lament. 4. The habit of racial self-examination. Ask yourself If I am adopted. I am redeemed. I am sealed in Christ, how should I interact with someone different than me?

Big idea: In Christ you become most fully yourself. Where does our Identity in Christ leave us politically?  We are Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven first. - Philippians 3:20; Mark 12:13-17, We are Members of a Global Multi-Ethnic Church. - Revelation 7:9-10We are Ambassadors of Christ to the World - Matthew 5:16; 2 Corinthians 5:20Creative options for political engagement. Daniel Option. Prophetic Option. Scuba Option Monastic Option. Local Option. Next Steps What would it look like for me to love my neighbor locally? Ask yourself, If I am adopted. I am redeemed. I am sealed in Christ, how should I interact with someone who is different politically?  Find additional series resources at www.whoisgrace.com/read 

Big Idea: In Christ you become most fully yourself. The Traditional View: Your identity is assigned to you by your role in the community and your sense of worth comes from how well you discharge your duties. The Modern View: Your identity is revealed through self-discovery and your self-worth comes from fully embracing your true self. The Christian view: Your identity is established by who God says you are and your self-worth comes from being found in Christ as an adopted son or daughter. 3 Markers of your True Identity in Christ. You are adopted. (1:5) – Abandonment Culture – “He took me in." You are redeemed. (1:7) – Slave Culture. – “He bought me back.”You are sealed. (1:13). – Proprietary Culture. – “I am His.”Next Step - Remind yourself each morning this week who you are in Christ. - I am adopted. I am redeemed. I am sealed. - He took me in, He bought me back, I am His. Find all resources at www.whoisgrace.com/read  

What is one word that describes your life right now? The Resurrection and the Possibility of New Life. New life starts with a willingness to step out of hiding (19:38-42) New life begins with small steps of faith (20:1-17) New life recognizes no narrative is too broken for God to redeem (20:18-22) Next stepVisit www.whoisgrace.com/next, choose ‘salvation,’ and tell us that you’ve taken a step of faith today!

The Tears of Jesus and His Palm Sunday Intentions  He rode in as Messiah.  Zechariah 9:9   He rode in as a revolutionary (:41-42)  Luke 13:34   Lessons in Responding to the King Don’t get so focused on temporary relief that you miss eternal salvation (:36-40)  Jesus is after loyalty and not just lip service (:36-40)  Beware of the future consequences for rejecting Jesus (:43-44).  Next Steps: Do the Holy Week reading plan www.whoisgrace.com/read  Invite some folks to join you for Easter services! 

Big Idea: You have been called and sent.Three critical resources for living on mission: Calling Partnerships Spiritual Authority How to Live Out Your Kingdom callingLearn to depend on God alone (:8-9) Find people who are receptive to the gospel (:10-11). Don’t just say stuff, do stuff (:12-13) Categories of calling Natural Affinity Groups. Local Community Needs. People Groups in Need.  A CauseNext step: Ordinary Heroes discipleship question - what is my next small step of obedience today? Find more series resources at www.whoisgrace.com/mark  

Big Idea: walking with Jesus will always include disparaging critics. Some Lessons in Dealing with Critics Following Jesus will always be offensive to some (6:1, 3)Don’t be paralyzed in insecurity by critics (:2-3a)Just because someone is familiar with Jesus doesn’t mean they follow Jesus. (:3b-4)Jesus won’t work where he’s not wanted (:5-6)How to Guard Against Unbelief1. Guard against Finality. 2. Guard against Familiarity. 3. Guard against Fear of what Others Think. Next Step Meditate on this discipleship question as you think about facing disparaging critics in your life: “What’s holding me back from looking more like Jesus?”Find more series resources at www.whoisgrace.com/mark 

Big Idea: Jesus wants to lead us from fear to faith.Context:Theme: Son of God/ Son of ManLiterary Markan “sandwich”A Study in Perspectives:Character Profile: JairusStatus: Community LeaderCircumstances: 12-year-old daughter is close to deathPerspective: fear of death, desperate, urgentCharacter Profile: DisciplesStatus: followers of Rabbi JesusCircumstances: witnesses to His ministryPerspective: fear of failure, crowd control Character Profile: Bleeding WomanStatus: uncleanCircumstances: bleeding for 12 yearsPerspective: isolated, desperate, afraid to live and to dieCharacter Profile: JesusStatus: Son of God/ Son of ManCircumstances: bringing the Kingdom of God, fulfilling every promisePerspective: God’s Story, beginning to endNext Step: Discipleship Questions How does this picture of Jesus compel me to live differently? How is Jesus changing my perspective? How is He moving me from fear to faith?