Discipleship Questions:

1. Consider a time when you had a wrong view of someone. How did this effect your ability to love or relate to them?

2. How might people in your life answer the question “who do you say I am?” How does our culture's view of Jesus differ from what Jesus has revealed about himself through the Bible?

3. In what areas of your life do you need to exercise self-denial as a way to love and embrace Jesus?

4. What does it look like to have a biblical community that encourages you to turn from your old self and turn to Jesus? Who in your life can encourage you this way?

Discipleship Questions:
1. The Gospel of Mark confronts us with the reality of Jesus as King. In what ways does King Jesus challenge you or challenge the way that you approach life by default?

2. When the Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign, they are not coming to Jesus for help in their faith but rather are confronting Jesus with the challenge that he prove himself to them. This kind of approach to God assumes a position towards God in which we are the judge and God is on trial. In what ways are you prone to such a a disposition?

3. Idolatry, placing our ultimate hope in anything other than God, has a way of making us deaf and blind to the beauty of the Gospel. What are you prone to make into an idol? How do we keep on guard against idols?

Questions.

1. There are a number of odd and potentially offensive elements to these two stories. What elements stand out to you most? Why? How do they challenge your view of Jesus?

2. Mark clearly portrays Jesus as the Messiah who embraces the “other”. While we may not call people “dogs” we all have people that we consider as “then”. Who do you tend to label this way? Why? How can the gospel change the way you view outsiders?

3. How do the stories of physical healing in Mark’s gospel impact your understanding the gospel? The Kingdom? Of God?

4. How does this story challenge you to trust and obey Jesus? What areas of your life need to change in light of what Mark teaches us about Jesus?

Discipleship Questions

1. What stands out to you about the rituals of washing hands and observing traditions?

2. In what ways do you struggle with justifying yourself before God or others through rule following and obeying?

3. What is challenging for you to believe when Jesus says that the heart is what defiles us? How does the Gospel speak good news into this?

4. In what ways can you share the good news of the Gospel to others this week?

1. Take a moment to list some of the miracles recorded in Mark thus far. What sort of picture do the miracles paint of Jesus?

2. What does this text teach us about the prayer life of Jesus? How does this challenge/encourage/convict you?

3. Why do you think Jesus chose to reveal himself in the midst of a storm?

4. In what ways have you experience the peaceful presence of Jesus in your life?

Discipleship Questions:

1. How do you respond when your plans are interrupted by the needs of others? What does your response reveal about your priorities and commitments?

2. The disciples assessed their situation in light of their own resources. In what situations are you most prone to trust in your own ability and neglect the power and provision of God?

3. In compassion, Jesus taught the crowd many things. How does Jesus’ response challenge your notion of compassion? In what sense can teaching be an act of compassion?

4. Why do you think Jesus provided enough food to fill 12 extra baskets? What was he trying to teach his disciples? What are the implications for you?

1. Read Psalm 20:7. Take a moment to consider what “horses and chariots” would have meant to people in that day. Take some time to identify what things you are tempted to trust in other than God.

2. Read through Mark 6:14-29. Make a list of the ways you see Herod’s idolatry affecting his life as well as the people around him.

3. Take some time to consider how your own idolatry has affected you and those around you.

4. Thomas Chalmers argued that the only way to deal with our idols is to replace them with the glory of God. What would this practically look like in your own life?

1. How would you describe the relationship between Herod and John the baptist? Have you ever experience a similar relationship with another person? What was that like?

2. What does John’s conduct teach you about what grace and discipleship look like in real life?

3. What do you find most challenging about John’s conduct? Why?

4. Herod responds to John in some very unexpected ways. What might his varied responses teach you about mission and discipleship?