Posts with the category “the-beautiful-upset-s2”

INTRODUCTION: The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN:  Can you remember one of the best meals you’ve ever had? What was it, where was it, and what made it so good?SCRIPTURE READINGRead...  Read More

GRADUAL VISIONMark 8:22–25 (NLT) "When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, 'Can you see anything now?' The man looked around. 'Yes,' he said, 'I see people, but I can’t see them...  Read More

THE YEAST OF THE SYSTEMMark 8:14–17 (NLT) "But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, 'Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.' At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he sai...  Read More

THE FORGOTTEN REPEATMark 8:1–4 (NLT) "About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, 'I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way, because some of them have come a long distance.' His disciples...  Read More

THE GHOST ON THE WATERMark 6:47–50a (NLT) "Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, but when they saw him walking on the water, ...  Read More

THE MATH OF EXHAUSTIONMark 6:30–31, 37, 41 (NLT) "The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, 'Let’s go off by yourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.' He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat... But Jesus said, 'You give them something to eat...  Read More

INTRODUCTION: The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN:  Share with the group a time in your life when you were incredibly startled, whether by a friend, an animal or insect, or some oth...  Read More

DON'T BE AFRAID; JUST BELIEVEMark 5:38–42 (NLT) “When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. 39 He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” 40 The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where...  Read More

DESPERATE TOUCH IN A PRESSING CROWDMark 5:25–29  (NLT) “A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his r...  Read More

SITTING, CLOTHED, AND IN HIS RIGHT MINDMark 5:14–20 (NLT)  “The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. 15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 16 Th...  Read More

EVIL ON ITS KNEESMark 5:6–13 (NLT)  “6 When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. 7 With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.” 9 Then Jesus demanded, “What ...  Read More

BOUND IN THE TOMBSMark 5:1–5 (NLT) “So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil[b] spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. 4 Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the c...  Read More

INTRODUCTION: The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN:  What’s a story or book you remember from growing up that you loved? What was it about that story that drew you in?SCRIPTURE READI...  Read More

LIGHT THAT CAN'T BE HIDDENMark 4:21–25 (NLT) "Then Jesus asked them, 'Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine. For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!' Then he added,...  Read More

THE QUIET, UNSTOPPABLE KINGDOMMark 4:26–34 (NLT) "Jesus also said, 'The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he doesn’t understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf appears, then the heads of wheat form, and finally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is...  Read More

DIAGNOSING THE DIRTMark 4:13–20 (NLT) "Then Jesus said to them, 'If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear th...  Read More

INSIDERS AND OUTSIDERSMark 4:10–12 (NLT) "Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and the others who were with him, they asked him what the parables meant. He replied, 'You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: "When they see what I do, they will learn nothing. Whe...  Read More

INTRODUCTION: The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN:  Where in your religious and spiritual journey, have you seen people or organizations ‘miss the point’ of the gospel and that whic...  Read More

COMPASSION OVER COMPLIANCEMark 3:1–6 (NLT) "Jesus went into the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man, they planned to accuse him of blasphemy. Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, 'Come and stand in front of everyone.' Then he turned to his critics and asked, 'Is it legal to do good...  Read More

THE LORD OF THE RESTMark 2:23–28 (NLT) "One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. But the Pharisees said to Jesus, 'Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?' Jesus replied, 'Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what King David did when he and his companion were hungry? He went into the ho...  Read More

DINNER WITH THE WRONG PEOPLEMark 2:13–17 (NLT) "Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. 'Follow me and be my disciple,' Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him. Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many ta...  Read More

THE AUTHORITY TO REWRITE EVERYTHINGMark 2:6–12 (NLT) "But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 'What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!' Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, 'Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man "Your sins are forgiven," or "Stand up, pi...  Read More

THROUGH THE ROOFMark 2:1–5 (NLT) "A few days later Jesus returned to Capernaum, and the news of his arrival spread quickly through the town. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t get to Jesus because of the crowd,...  Read More

INTRODUCTION: The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN:  If you knew you only had one year left to live, what are some of the things you’d want to do in the time you had left?SCRIPTURE R...  Read More

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THE WILDERNESS IS NOT A MISTAKEMark 1:12–13 (NLT) "The Spirit at once compelled Jesus to go out into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was among wild beasts, and angels took care of him."We have this subtle, toxic idea that if we’re doing things right, life should be smooth. If we hit a season of brutal isolation, mental pressure, or relentless difficulty, our first ...  Read More

STANDING IN THE WRONG LINEMark 1:9–11 (NLT) "One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, 'You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.'"Imagine if you walked into a rehab clinic, sat down in a ...  Read More

THE ANTI-INFLUENCE IN THE DESERTMark 1:4–8 (NLT) "This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had turned to God to receive forgiveness of their sins. All of Judea including all the people of Jerusalem went out to see and hear John... His clothes were woven from coarse camel’s hair, and he wore a leather belt around his...  Read More

WHERE THE STORY REALLY BEGINSMark 1:1–3 (NLT) "This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began just as the prophet Isaiah had written: 'Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, "Prepare the way for the Lord's coming! Clear the road for him!"'If you’ve ever sat through a 45-minute movie intro where ...  Read More

We began our first season of The Beautiful Upset in the middle of Mark’s Gospel. Which is an odd place to begin a story. Usually, you meet the characters before joining them halfway down the road.But we did it on purpose. In Mark 8, Jesus begins to speak plainly about his suffering, rejection and death. His disciples have come to believe he is the Messiah. Now they must discover how little that wo...  Read More