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Questions in this GPS marked with Ø are particularly recommended for group discussion. Group leaders may add other discussion questions, or substitute other questions for the marked ones, at their discretion.
-------Questions in this GPS marked with Ø are particularly recommended for group discussion. Group leaders may add other discussion questions, or substitute other questions for the marked ones, at their discretion.
"Peter’s limited missionary imagination"
Tuesday, 29 August 2017
Mark 1:32 That evening after sundown, they brought to Yeshua all who were ill or held in the power of demons, 33 and the whole town came crowding around the door. 34 He healed many who were ill with various diseases and expelled many demons, but he did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was.
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Yeshua got up, left, went away to a lonely spot and stayed there praying. 36 But Shim‘on and those with him went after him; 37 and when they found him, they said, “Everybody is looking for you.” 38 He answered, “Let’s go somewhere else — to the other villages around here. I have to proclaim the message there too — in fact this is why I came out.” 39 So he traveled all through the Galil, preaching in their synagogues and expelling demons.
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Yeshua got up, left, went away to a lonely spot and stayed there praying. 36 But Shim‘on and those with him went after him; 37 and when they found him, they said, “Everybody is looking for you.” 38 He answered, “Let’s go somewhere else — to the other villages around here. I have to proclaim the message there too — in fact this is why I came out.” 39 So he traveled all through the Galil, preaching in their synagogues and expelling demons.
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Peter was excited when he saw the people of Capernaum responding to Jesus. He seemed disappointed that Jesus rose “very early in the morning” to be alone with God. “Everyone’s looking for you,” he and the others reported. Jesus’ vision reached far beyond one coastal town, however. Likely many of the “everyone” looking for Jesus were disappointed. He headed off to preach and heal in other villages.
• If Jesus (God’s son) needed to be alone with God, it must be vital for us, with our cell phones always going off! Consider how your talks with friends change when you are one-on-one. What benefits do you see in solitary worship compared to community worship? Do you pray when you are alone? If so, how do your prayers change in that setting?
• If Jesus (God’s son) needed to be alone with God, it must be vital for us, with our cell phones always going off! Consider how your talks with friends change when you are one-on-one. What benefits do you see in solitary worship compared to community worship? Do you pray when you are alone? If so, how do your prayers change in that setting?
• Peter seemed content then to see Jesus popularity spreading through Capernaum (some students estimate the town’s population at about 1500). Jesus already had a broader focus— “he traveled throughout Galilee.” He ultimately commissioned Peter and all his followers to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). How far do your hopes and visions for God’s Kingdom extend? In what ways can you play your part in making that vision a reality?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you came not only to save and restore your home town, but all of this hurting world. Expand my vision as I seek to take part in making your vision a reality. Amen.
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Brandon Gregory
Brandon Gregory is a volunteer for the worship and missions teams at Church of the Resurrection. He helps lead worship at Vibe, West and Downtown services, and is involved with the Malawi missions team at home.
As a manager, there’s a lesson on time management that I teach each of my employees. I make a little table with two axes: urgency and importance. These are not the same thing. Every task can be described as either urgent or not urgent, and important or unimportant. Together, this gives you four categories: urgent and important, urgent and unimportant, not urgent and important, and not urgent and unimportant.
It’s no surprise that what we spend the most time focusing on are tasks that are both urgent and important. What usually surprises people is where we focus our attention after that. Logically, we should be focusing on things that are important but not urgent; but if we’re not careful, what we usually end up focusing on is things that are urgent, but not important.
What we see in today’s passage (Mark 1:32-39) is Jesus making the time for something that is important but not urgent: prayer and quiet time with God. This took him away from something that was urgent: healing everybody in the village. But was it important? Well, no, not necessarily. Let me explain.
Jesus’ mission was to get as many people to believe he was the son of God as possible. That was the only way the news of his sacrifice as a savior would be able to take root. His plan was not necessarily to heal every person everywhere he went. He knew he had a limited time to accomplish his important mission, and that required walking away from some very urgent requests.
Jesus was able to discern between importance and urgency by remembering the broader scope of his mission. Now, his specific mission is probably going to be different than yours, because everyone has different gifts and skills and therefore a different purpose--it may be your mission is to bring healing to everyone in your community. But always remember to make time for the important things that don’t beg for our attention, like spending quiet time in prayer and meditation, improving our lives, and investing in our relationships. Without prioritizing what’s important, we can find ourselves overrun by the urgent things in our lives that may keep us away from the important mission God has given us.
Brandon GregoryBrandon Gregory is a volunteer for the worship and missions teams at Church of the Resurrection. He helps lead worship at Vibe, West and Downtown services, and is involved with the Malawi missions team at home.
As a manager, there’s a lesson on time management that I teach each of my employees. I make a little table with two axes: urgency and importance. These are not the same thing. Every task can be described as either urgent or not urgent, and important or unimportant. Together, this gives you four categories: urgent and important, urgent and unimportant, not urgent and important, and not urgent and unimportant.
It’s no surprise that what we spend the most time focusing on are tasks that are both urgent and important. What usually surprises people is where we focus our attention after that. Logically, we should be focusing on things that are important but not urgent; but if we’re not careful, what we usually end up focusing on is things that are urgent, but not important.
What we see in today’s passage (Mark 1:32-39) is Jesus making the time for something that is important but not urgent: prayer and quiet time with God. This took him away from something that was urgent: healing everybody in the village. But was it important? Well, no, not necessarily. Let me explain.
Jesus’ mission was to get as many people to believe he was the son of God as possible. That was the only way the news of his sacrifice as a savior would be able to take root. His plan was not necessarily to heal every person everywhere he went. He knew he had a limited time to accomplish his important mission, and that required walking away from some very urgent requests.
Jesus was able to discern between importance and urgency by remembering the broader scope of his mission. Now, his specific mission is probably going to be different than yours, because everyone has different gifts and skills and therefore a different purpose--it may be your mission is to bring healing to everyone in your community. But always remember to make time for the important things that don’t beg for our attention, like spending quiet time in prayer and meditation, improving our lives, and investing in our relationships. Without prioritizing what’s important, we can find ourselves overrun by the urgent things in our lives that may keep us away from the important mission God has given us.
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"Peter: 'Please explain'”
Wednesday, 30 August 2017
Matthew 15:10-16
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“Jesus, the Pharisees, and the legal experts all sought to answer the same question: What does it mean to be faithful to God? They also answered in terms of living pure lives. But they understood in different ways what this entails…. [Jesus taught that] what contaminates people in terms of their relationship with God isn’t what they eat but their moral character.” * It doesn’t always involve what we eat, but people today still often define purity in terms of external acts, not inner character.
• Jesus often introduced teaching with phrases like the “Listen and understand” he used in this reading. What people, publications or practices have helped you most in gaining greater understanding of Jesus’ teaching and how to apply it in your faith life? In what ways would you like to increase your understanding? (If you haven’t taken them, two resources Resurrection offers to increase your understanding of the Bible are “Meet Your Bible” (go to cor.org/leawood/grownight for more information) and Disciple 1 Bible Study (go to cor.org/leawood/disciple).
Ø Peter’s request was typical of many times Jesus spent with his disciples: “Explain.” And Jesus’ reply was also relatively frequent: “Don’t you understand yet?” Do you believe the disciples’ struggles to understand reflected that they were an unusually stupid group? Or did it reflect the depth and counter-cultural impact of Jesus’ teaching? Do we as followers of Jesus always need to be ready to stretch to fully grasp the implications of his teachings?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being patient with me when I say, “Explain.” Thank you for graciously giving me room to keep learning and understanding more all through my life. Amen.
* Eugene Eung-Chun Park and Joel B. Green, study note on Matthew 15:10-11 in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 34 NT.
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"Jesus’ power brought a psalm to life"
Thursday, 31 August 2017
Psalm 107:23-31, Mark 4:35-41
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Psalm 107 held four poetic pictures of God’s saving power. Verses 23-31, the picture of God quieting a storm on the sea, had particular power for the Hebrew people, for whom the sea’s tumult was a symbol of fearful chaos only God could tame (cf. Psalm 74:13-17, Psalm 89:9-12). Jesus’ followers who’d fished Galilee for a living had a healthy respect for the strong storms that could blow up on that landlocked lake. To see Jesus act out that divine power before their eyes was indeed awe-inspiring.
• Only God, the Hebrews believed, could restrain the sea’s stormy chaos (cf. Jeremiah 5:22). Our world still faces many “storms” (e.g. recent terrorist attacks in Charlottesville and Barcelona). Have you seen God in any way bring peace during such storms and their aftermath? If so, list ways you’ve seen or still see God at work for good in these tragic situations. Ø Think of one big personal life “storm” you’ve had to live through. How did you make your way in that stormy season of life? Did you have a sense Jesus was “in the boat” with you? Scott Krippayne sang, “Sometimes He calms the storm, And other times He calms His child.” * In which of those ways has Jesus most supported you in life’s storms? How has that impacted your relationship with God, and shaped the person you are today?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I’d always prefer that you calm the storms that blow into my life. But thank you, not only for making things outside me better, for but for supporting and calming me no matter what I’m facing. Amen.
* Lyric from “Sometimes He Calms the Storm.” Songwriters: Benton Kevin Stokes, Tony W. Wood © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol Christian Music Group.
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"After one wonder, disciples terrified by another"
Friday, 1 September 2017
Matthew 14:21-26
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Herod had just executed John the Baptizer, and Jesus sought solitude as he dealt with his grief over John’s death (cf. Matthew 14:13). The crowds followed him, though, and he ended up miraculously feeding over 5,000 people. He again went to be alone, while the disciples sailed to the other side of the lake. Due to another storm, he went to rescue the disciples—but seeing a figure walking toward them on the water completely unnerved them.
• “On a popular level, many Gentiles and probably a number of Jews believed in ghosts, although such a belief technically contradicted mainstream Jewish views of the afterlife (heaven or hell and future resurrection).” * What fears, if any, do you deal with based on popular culture, even though they may not fit into your more careful understanding of Jesus’ teachings?
• The story began with a sense of urgency: “Right then, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat” (verse 22). John’s gospel said that after he fed 5,000 people, Jesus had to avoid a move to forcibly declare him a military leader and king (see John 6:15). Have you ever had to take urgent action to stay in tune with God’s purposes for your life? Are you facing any pressures like that today?
Prayer: O God, keep me open to your presence in my world and my life. If you show yourself in an unexpected way, help me to welcome you with joy rather than with fear. Amen.
* HarperCollins Christian Publishing. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, eBook: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture (Kindle Locations 220067-220068). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
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"Peter’s great faith, and his wavering trust"
Saturday, 2 September 2016
Matthew 14:27-33
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“Literally, Jesus says, “I am”; although this can mean, “It is I,” the activity in the context supports an allusion to Jesus’ deity (cf. Ex 3: 14).” Then Peter spoke up. He showed that mix of faith and doubt most of us wrestle with at times: “Lord, if it’s you, order me to come to you on the water.” Next thing he knew, he was striding across the water! It worked until he lost his focus on Jesus. The strong wind distracted him and his fear took over. “As he began to sink, he shouted, ‘Lord, rescue me!’” And Jesus did.
Ø Scholar Myron Augsberger wrote, “We might ask, ‘Peter, how did you do it? Had you practiced, had you studied yoga, had you studied surface tension?’ And Peter might have answered, ‘It was when I thought of surface tension that I began to sink!’ Faith rivets its attention solely on the Master who says ‘Come’…. The primary meaning is that Jesus as Lord of creation can be present in the lives of people in this material world.” ** In what perhaps stormy parts of your life do you need Christ’s comforting, calming presence today? What gives you confidence that he can and will be with you?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, at times I’m riding high, walking toward you in faith! At times my fears distract me and take my eyes off you. Remind me that your love and salvation are always in reach, even when I feel as though I’m sinking. Amen.
* HarperCollins Christian Publishing. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, eBook: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture (Kindle Locations 220070-220071). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
** Myron Augsburger, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 24: Matthew. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982, comment on Matthew 14:28-31.
Family Activity: Ask each person to share one or two of his or her personal struggles, fears or worries. Ask everyone else to simply listen—not to try and take the worries or fears away. Read Isaiah 41:10. Choose to spend some quiet time together with your family inviting God to help you overcome your fear and bring each of you peace. Maybe you want to take a brief walk. You might each want to spend some time reading. Maybe you prefer listening to music. Encourage everyone to ask God to calm their hearts and to fill them with peace during their quiet time. Also ask each person to find a word or an item during the quiet time that will help him or her carry that peace every day. Share your experiences as a family and pray God’s peace for one another. Ask God to help you persevere through your challenges.
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Family and friends of Wendy Mataya on her death, 8/19
• Ben Stephenson, Jr, and family on the death of his father Ben Stephenson, Sr., 8/17
• Howard Janzen and family on the death of his wife Cherine Janzen, 8/17
• Gwen Gepford and family on the death of her father Robert Hughes, 8/16
• Janie Stepp and family on the death of her father Sherman Calvin Cassady, 8/4
• Dave Aldrich and family on the death of his father Vernon James “Bus” Aldrich, 7/26
• Arika Ledom and Ashley Elston and families on the death of their grandfather Vernon James “Bus” Aldrich, 7/26
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You might also like
God trusted Peter (and us) to speak of his wonderful acts
“You are…a people who are God’s own possession”
“He appointed twelve and called them apostles”
“When Simon Peter saw the catch, he fell at Jesus’ knees”
“They left their nets”
Or download this week's printable GPS.-------
©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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You might also like
God trusted Peter (and us) to speak of his wonderful acts
“You are…a people who are God’s own possession”
“He appointed twelve and called them apostles”
“When Simon Peter saw the catch, he fell at Jesus’ knees”
“They left their nets”
Or download this week's printable GPS.-------
©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
-------
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