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As we have read Mark, Jesus has repeatedly told His disciples that He is going to be killed. Why do you think He has to keep telling them the same thing over and over? Read verse 42. What does Jesus mean? Read verses 43 and 44. In what way is Jesus telling His people to be different from others? Read verse 45. How is what Jesus does an example to how we should treat each other? What stood out to you in tonight’s study?

What do you think Jesus meant when He said we had to become like children in order to enter His kingdom? Everyone is a sinner. And yet it seems the rich young ruler was being sincere when he said he had always obeyed God. Why did he think that? If people can’t be saved by their own goodness, how can they be saved? What do you think Jesus meant in vs 29-31? What stood out to you in tonight’s study?

In the parable of the sower, Jesus talked about some people who reject Him immediately. Why do you think some people do this? Jesus also talked about some people who believe in Him for a little while and then quit. Why do you think that happens? When you look at your life so far, what kind of soil have you been? God changed Peter, Paul and countless others from the bad soil to the good soil. Is there any reason He couldn’t do the same for you? What stood out to you in tonight’s study?

Why didn’t Jesus have His disciples participate in religious rituals like fasting? What determines whether or not God approves of us? (What Jesus has done for us. He only asks us to trust Him.) Name some relationships in your life where the other person’s approval of you depends on your behavior or performance. (Coach, teacher, band leader…) Name some relationships in your life where the other person’s approval of you does not depend on your behavior or performance. (Parent, grandparent, close friend…) Does God’s approval of us depend on our performance? (No!)Why or why not? (Jesus earned God’s approval for us!) What stood out to you in tonight’s study?

Do you think it was right for the paralyzed man’s friends to cut a whole in somebody else’s roof in order to get their friend to Jesus? Why or why not? Jesus forgave the sin of the paralyzed man before healing his legs. Why? Jesus publicly forgave the paralyzed man’s sin in order to prove a point. What was the point? (Only God can forgive sins. In forgiving sins, Jesus is claiming to be divine.) Jesus ate dinner with Levi the tax collector. What does this teach us about God? What stood out to you in tonight’s study?

Right after He first talks about the kingdom of God, Jesus says, “Repent and believe the good news.” What do you think He means? The first people that Jesus invited to follow Him were regular, uneducated fishermen. Why do you think Jesus chose them instead of other people? Why do you think Mark wrote so often about Jesus healing people? What does he want us to understand about Jesus? How do Jesus’ actions in this chapter show us what the kingdom of God is like? What stood out to you in tonight’s study?

Why did Joseph forgive his brothers? What would you have done in his situation? Why does God call us to forgive others? How is Jesus our example for what forgiveness should look like? Can you share a time when something happened to you that was very hard to forgive? How does forgiveness help us? How does it help those who have hurt us? What stood out to you in tonight’s study?