We all experience difficult storms throughout life. The question isn't if you will experience storms in your life but what storms you will experience because the truth is that we are either in a storm, coming out of a storm or headed into a storm. Storms are a part of life! Let's learn six principles about how we can enter, learn and grow in the midst of our storms.
God’s Plans Aren’t Our Plans (Mark 6:45)
You Can Be Obeying God and Still End Up in a Painful Storm (Mark 6:46-48)
God Reveals More of Himself to Us In the Midst of Our Storms (Mark 6:48b-50a)
God’s with Us In the Storms (Mark 6:50b)
God’s Using the Storm If we Have Hearts to Receive It. (Mark 6:51-52)
Storms May Change Our Plans but they Accomplish God’s Purposes (Mark 6:53-56)
The Gospel of Mark: Servanthood, Discipleship, and Following Jesus
#8 Mark 6:1-6 "Jesus' Painful Homecoming!"
Big Idea: Faith and Unbelief are the two most powerful realities in the world. Unbelief Blinds People to the Obvious (6:1-2), Unbelief Builds Up the Irrelevant (6:3-4) and Unbelief Blocks the Supernatural (6:5-6).
Introduction
Did any of your former classmates surprise you at your class reunion because of the incredible or unexpected things they had accomplished in their life? How did you feel about it? Were you happy, proud, jealous or skeptical?
Discussion Questions
Why might the people in Jesus' hometown have resented Him? Is the response of a person's hometown and family a reliable indicator of whether that the person is genuine and legitimate? List some of the things Jesus said and did that are astonishing. Do non-christian friends and family in your life acknowledge that He said and did those things? If so, how do they reconcile this with their unbelief? If not, what reasons do they give for rejecting Jesus' astonishing teachings, miracles, etc?
How is it possible for a persona to see what Jesus did and yet deny that He is the Savior, the Son of God? What kind of credentials do you expect spiritual leaders to have? Are the most important credentials where they went to school, how well-spoken they are, who recommends them, or something else? Why was Jesus' community in Nazareth offended by him? Why might the people in our life be offended by Jesus? Jesus doesn't do any mighty miracles because of the unbelief of the people. Does Unbelief limit God's power in our lives? Are there examples in the scriptures of God doing miracles despite people's unbelief?
Prayer Time
Take a moment to share what your next step of discipleship will be and how your family, friends or Community Group can be praying for you and supporting you.
Big idea: Jesus shows His kingdom through miracles of provision,
power and passion.
Jesus’ Provision
1. How have you seen God provide for you in the past?
2. How does understanding Jesus’ provision build your faith? Jesus’ Power
3. What are the current storms in your life?
4. How has Jesus used storms in your life to show this glory? Jesus’ Passion
5. How have you seen or experienced the compassion and healing
power of Jesus in your life?
6. What areas of your life (past, mind, family) need healing?
