#27 Mark

Announcement 3.38.22Resurrection Sunday  - Mark your calendars as we celebrate victory in Jesus this coming Easter Sunday on Sunday, April 17th at Rainier Valley Church. Please invite family and friends to celebrate with us at 10am at Rainier Valley Church. We will be doing baptisms and a kids Easter egg hunt after the service.Good Friday  - Join us on Friday, April 15th as we remember and meditate on Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday for our sins. Rainier Valley Church will be hosting a Good Friday worship service from 6:30pm-7:30pm.Baptisms  - It's time to celebrate baptisms! We believe that baptism is for those who have chosen to put their faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ—a public declaration of an inward decision to follow Christ. We believe that baptizing by immersion in water is a faithful representation of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
If you’re interested in being baptized, please talk with @Steve Pratt or @Ken Sabalza.Kids Easter Egg Hunt - This Easter Sunday we will be doing a Kids Easter egg hunt after the service and we need your help.
Here are some ways you can contribute or serve to bless the children of our community.
Ways You Can Help:
*Community Groups fill and provide plastic eggs
*Donate to @Shelly Lischke or @Crystal Van Tine
*Drop off  Sundays - April 3rd or April 10th (Palm Sunday)
Directly After Easter Service:
*Hands for Hiding
*Pick Up an Egg Hunt Handout for creative ways to fill eggsGospel of Mark: Discipleship, Servanthood, and Following After Jesus
Week #27 "Jesus and the Last Supper"
Mark 14:12-25
Sunday, March 27thOpening Questions
What was the best and worst part of your last week and how can we be praying for you?
Describe your best best meal and your worst meal? If you could only eat one food what would it be?
What’s your favorite restaurant in Seattle? Favorite fast food restaurant?
What food did you hate as a kid but love now?

1. The Ultimate Host (14:12-16) - How does the way Jesus sent the disciples to find the upper room give evidence that Jesus was in charge of the whole situation? How does Jesus' control of events surrounding His passion encourage you when you face difficulties?
2. The Ultimate Feast (14:17-21) - What might the disciples have thought when Jesus said that one of them would betray Him? Do you think you would have suspected in your own heart if you had been there?  In what way has every person betrayed Jesus and put Him on the cross?
3. The Ultimate Promise (14:22-25) - How is this meal both the last Passover and the first Lord's Supper? How do you prepare yourself to partake in communion? How does communion function like a weekly covenant renewal? How would you like people to remember you after you die and how does this compare with Jesus' command?

#20 Mark 10:32-52 "Jesus The Ultimate Servant"

Gospel of Mark: Discipleship, Servanthood, and Following After Jesus
Mark 10:32-52 “Jesus The Ultimate Servant”
Sunday, February 6thOpening Questions
What was the best and worst part of your last week and how can we be praying for you?
This week we're going to talk about the topic of serving. Why is serving an important aspect of the Christian life?
As you think about your life, what are some of the biggest ways you've personally been served by others?Discussion Questions on Mark 10:32-52
Big Idea: Serving isn’t just something WE DO but it's an aspect of Who WE ARE 

• Prediction - You Must Consider The Cost of Being a Servant (Mark 10:32-34)

Jesus boldly, heroically, and courageously moved towards Jerusalem and towards his own death. The Disciples were both terrified and amazed at Jesus' resolve to go towards his enemies and towards the conflict. How might fear hinder our walk with Jesus? What would are Christian life look like if fear wasn't a constant enemy? What would you do if you weren't afraid?
The Christian life is both privilege and responsibility, blessing and suffering, joy and sorrow. What aspect of the Christian life do you find yourself fearful of or avoiding because of the potential pain? What does it look like for you to be courageous like Jesus in the face of difficulty?  How can we encourage one another to do hard, yet worthy things for Jesus?

• Ambition - You Must Consider The Challenge of Being A Servant (Mark 10:35-40)

James and John respond to Jesus' prophecy about his own death by asking for positions of power in Jesus' Kingdom. This is the third time that Jesus has predicted his death and the third time that the disciples didn't get it and approached Jesus with selective hearing and preconceived ideas.
How can we be careful to pick-up on what God is doing in our lives instead of simply bringing him our own agenda?
How can we model Jesus' patience with those who are consistently difficult in our lives?
Jesus warns the disciples that they will drink of the cup of His suffering and persecutions. How have you had to drink of this cup in your own life?
How can we prepare one another to drink of the cup and have right expectations about the blessings and the difficulties of the Christian life?
Jesus taught his disciples a third time that true greatness is in serving others. How does Jesus contrast the Gentiles with his Followers? What the difference in the way we are to lead others?
How have you seen servant leadership demonstrated in your life? What opportunities do you have to embody and practice servant leadership in your life?

• Submission - You Must Consider The Opportunity for Being A Servant (10:45-52)

Blind Bartimaeus was overlooked and cast aside by the crowds but Jesus heard and responded to him. What sort of opportunities do you have to serve those who are in need around you?
Bartimaeus' cry was that Jesus would have mercy on him. Mercy recognizes that we need God to treat us better than we deserve. What ways do you need God's mercy and in what ways do you need to extend God's mercy to others (Forgiveness, Resentment, Bitterness, Generosity, etc)  Bartimaeus keeps calling for Jesus despite the crowds telling him to shut up. How can we cultivate a holy stubbornness to keep seeking after God in our own lives and what factors distract or embarrass us out of this holy pursuit?
How can we be praying for one another and serving one another this coming week?

#15 Mark 9:1-29 "Seeing Jesus in 2022"

Gospel of Mark: Discipleship, Servanthood, and Following After Jesus
Mark 9:1-29 “Seeing Jesus in 2022”
Sunday, January 2ndDiscussion Questions
What is one thing you are thankful to God for as we look back on 2021? 
What are some things you are looking forward to in 2022? Seeing, Savoring, and Worshiping Jesus (9:1-6)
Jesus gets alone with his disciples. How will you regularly get alone with Jesus this coming year? Is your spiritual life mostly private, public or a healthy balance of both? How does your schedule need to be open to time with God?  
God meets with his people on the mountain top from Moses and Israel to Jesus and the Disciples. Where do you meet with God? Do you have a special place set aside for communion with God? (e.g. a special room, a local park, nearby trail, traveling in your car, etc)  Trusting, Obeying, and Following Jesus (9:7-8)
God the Father calls us to listen to Jesus. If there is one theme, keystone habit, word of the year or new year’s resolution that would be most beneficial to us, it would be to listen to Jesus. How are we growing in listening and obeying Jesus? Humbly Receiving Correction and Coaching by Jesus (9:9-13)
Jesus corrects the disciples' understanding of the scriptures as they come down the mountain.  How can 2022 be different from last year? The way to be sure that this year will be different than last year is to be open to correction and coaching. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. How are you cultivating humility and allowing yourself to be correctable this year?  Learning from Past Failures with Jesus (9:14-19) 
Jesus rebukes the disciples for trying to cast out a demon in their own self-sufficiency by calling them a faithless generation, a term used for pagans. There is a tendency in us to become self-reliant, especially in things we’ve done for years. Are there areas in your life you function as though you’re self-sufficient and don’t need God? (e.g. Marriage? Parenting? Ministry? Evangelism?) God often gives us struggles so that we recognize we aren’t sufficient within ourselves. How has God used problems, difficulties, and hardships in your life as a gift to drag you out of yourself to rely on Him? Broken and Burdened Like Jesus (9:20-27)
Jesus is burdened for the suffering of the young boy who was brought to him because he was tormented and tortured by a demon. Over the last two years, we’ve developed some bad habits, become spiritually lazy, self-focused, and comfort-driven. What habits have developed in your life that are unhelpful, selfish, and or lazy? How can we cultivate a broken and burdened heart like Jesus for our family, friends, community, city, and world?  Praying with Passion and Dependence to Jesus (9:28-29) 
Jesus explains the importance of prayer. It’s been said that prayer is faith TURNED to God. Use the following prompts to seek after the Lord in prayer. 

• Seeing, Savoring, and Worshiping Jesus (9:1-6)

Lord, open my eyes to see Jesus for who he truly is, help me to savor and treasure Him for he is worthy!

• Trusting, Obeying, and Following Jesus (9:7-8)

Lord, help me to follow you closely in 2022. Help me to obey you with a joyful heart. 

• Humbly Receiving Correction and Coaching by Jesus (9:9-13)

Lord, help me to receive your correction and to put to death my pride.

• Learning from Past Failures with Jesus (9:14-19) 

Lord, forgive me for my sins and help me to learn from my past mistakes. Use my past failures for your glory!

• Broken and Burdened Like Jesus (9:20-27)

Lord, give me your heart for this broken world. Forgive my laziness and spiritual indifference. Help me to feel what you feel.

• Praying with Passion and Dependence to Jesus (9:28-29) Lord, forgiven my self-sufficiency and reignite my prayer life. Give me a renewed passion and help me to humbly come before you in prayer.