#13 Mark (Mark 8:1-26) "Seeing Jesus Clearly"

The Gospel of Mark: Servanthood, Discipleship, and Following Jesus #13 Mark 8:1-26 “Seeing Jesus Clearly” Sunday, November 28th Discussion/Study Questions Big Idea: Seeing and Responding to Jesus for who he truly is! (Mark 8:1-21) Jesus Shows us the Character of God (Mark 8:1-10) Will we respond like the Pharisees: Resist and Demand (Mark 8:11-13) Will we respond like the Disciples: Doubt and Forget (Mark 8:14-21) Will we respond like the Blind Man: Slowly See and Change (Mark 8:22-26) Ice-Breaker Questions - How was everyone's thanksgiving? What are you looking forward to this Christmas season? Which subjects did you enjoy in school? Which subjects required a lot of instruction and assistance before you "Got it?" Jesus Shows Us the Character of God (8:1-10) - How does Jesus feeding the four thousand show the compassion of God? How does the story of Jesus' miracle feeding show the provision of God? The Disciples of Jesus doubted that anyone could feed the crowd despite the fact that they had already seen Jesus feeding an even larger crowd. How can we doubt God for the very things he has already provided in our life? The people all eat the bread and fish and were satisfied. How does God satisfy our desires for relationship, forgiveness and hope for the future? Will we respond like the Pharisees: Resist and Demand (Mark 8:11-13) - The Pharisees has seen the miracles of Jesus but they resist following Him and continue to demand a sign. How people create an intellectual smokescreen to avoid Jesus in their life? How can we be tempted to make demands on God? Will we respond like the Disciples: Doubt and Forget (Mark 8:14-21) - The disciples are focused on making sure they have enough bread to get through the day while Jesus is trying to teach them deeper spiritual truths. Have you ever been too focused on your immediate physical needs that you didn't see what God was trying to teach you? The disciples doubt Jesus' ability to feed the crowds and they forgot about the ways he already feed others. How can we be tempted to doubt God's goodness and forget how he has provided for us? Will we respond like the Blind Man: Slowly See and Change (Mark 8:22-26) - Ironically, the only person to see Jesus clearly in these stories is the blind man. The blind man obeyed Jesus, didn't give up in the process of healing, and stayed with Jesus until he was transformed. How can we be tempted to give up in the middle of the work that God is doing in our lives? The blind man sees partially, how can we be tempted to be discouraged with the slowness of our spiritual growth? How can we support, encourage, and pray for one another this week? Take Time to Pray Over What You've Learned - Pray to remember that Jesus cares, provides and satisfies. Pray against pride that would resist what God is doing or make demands of God. Ask forgiveness of God for the doubts and spiritual forgetfulness that you experience. Praise the Lord for the ways that he has provided for you, opened your eyes to spiritual reality and showed you compassion.