Jesus 120

13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,[a] and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Group Questions

1. What did Jesus teach you during the sermon this week?

2. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?

3. What is significant about the timing of this temple cleansing?

4. Does this story match your picture of Jesus?

5. Why doesn’t Jesus "entrust" himself to the crowd? What does this teach you about Jesus? What does it teach you about people?

6. How can you live out what Jesus is teaching here?

7. Why do we want you to teach what you are learning to someone else? Who will you teach this story to?

Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about Jesus?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

31 And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.


Group Questions

1. What did Jesus teach you this week?

2. What is Jesus doing in your life right now?

3. What kind of authority does Jesus have in the spiritual realm?

4. What kind of authority does he have with you?

5. How are you planning to follow Jesus this week?

6. What could we be praying for?


Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about Jesus?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

Group Questions

1. How did the sermon challenge you this week?

2. Why are the Pharisees so picky?

3. What is their motivation?

4. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?

5. What story is Jesus referring to?

6. What does this mean: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice?”
7. How are you planning to follow Jesus this week?

8. What could we be praying for?
Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, 9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

Group Questions

1. How did the sermon challenge you this week?


2. What is Jesus doing in your life right now?


3. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?


4. What is the “unforgivable sin” that Jesus alludes to here?


5. How bold are you with the name of Jesus? Does everyone know about your relationship with Jesus or do they only know you are a Christian?


6. What are some tangible ways we can acknowledge Jesus before men?


Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

Do Not Be Anxious
22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[a] 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,[b] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his[c] kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Group Questions

1. How did the sermon challenge you this week?

2. What causes you the most worry?

3. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?

4. What challenges you?

5. What is God promising here?

6. Is it wrong to pursue comfort and wealth?

7. How should we manage our money in light of this?

8. Where is your treasure?

9. What could we be praying for?

Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

The Parable of the Weeds

24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds[a] among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants[b] of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

Group Questions

1. How did the sermon challenge you this week?

2. Why are there weeds in the kingdom?

3. What are some "weeds" in the kingdom?

4. What does Jesus want us to do with “weeds” in the kingdom?

5. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?

6. What challenges you?

7. How could you apply this teaching in your life?

8. What could we be praying for?

Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

Group Questions

1. How did the sermon challenge you this week?

2. What is Jesus doing in your life right now?

3. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?

4. What challenges you?

5. According to this example what places limits on Jesus?

6. How do you battle familiarity with Jesus sapping away your faith?

7. What helps you keep an intimate relationship with Jesus?

Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

Mark 6:21-29

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's[a] head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Group Questions

1. How did the sermon challenge you this week?

2. What can we learn about people in this story?

3. What did you learn about Jesus?

4. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?

5. What challenges you?

6. How are you planning to follow Jesus this week?

7. Who will you teach this story to? How did it go teaching the story from last week?

8. What could we be praying for?

Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret
34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

Traditions and Commandments
15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,”[a] 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word[b] of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8 “‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
What Defiles a Person
10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

Group Questions

1. How did the sermon challenge you this week?

2. What traditions in your life have become more important than they need to be?

3. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?

4. What is it that defiles a person? What is Jesus getting at here?

5. How do you change what comes out of your mouth?

6. Who will you teach this story to? How did it go teaching the story from last week?

Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man
31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And Jesus[a] charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Group Questions

1. How did the sermon challenge you this week?

2. Why does Jesus touch this man’s ears and tongue?

3. Why do you think Jesus heals some things, and at other times he does not?

4. Why does Jesus keep telling them not to tell anyone what he is doing?

5. What is the impact of Jesus asking them to keep it secret?

6. What is Jesus teaching you in this passage?

7. What challenges you?

Family Questions

Elementary (what?)

• What happened?
• What did you learn about God?

Middle School (why?)

• Why is Jesus teaching this?
• Why does this matter?

High School (how?)

• How does this apply to me?
• How would this look in my life?