Mark 4:33-34
Riddles of Grace We encourage you to get together with a friend or two and do this study. We can understand more of God and better arrange our lives around God’s Word when we pursue Him together. How can we understand the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom can be difficult to grasp because it can seem different from our day-to-day way of life. Yet at the same time, we know the Kingdom is intertwined with our everyday existence. That’s why we need a teaching that is rooted in the issues of our day-to-day lives but that cuts through our currently held perspective. What we need is a story. Father Anthony de Mello said, “The shortest distance between a human being and the truth is a story.” This is something Jesus knew well. So He often told a unique kind of story, a parable, to illustrate what Mark refers to as “the mystery of the kingdom of God” (Mark 4:11, NASB). These stories used concrete images rather than abstract ideas to make their points. Jesus knew His message was disruptive, so He tucked the truth of the Kingdom into stories.
WATCH THE VIDEO
NorthlandChurch.net/ParablesOfJesus Afterward have someone read the discussion questions in the “Hear God’s Story” section and start the conversation.
Welcome
Hear God’s Story READ MARK 4:33-34 Read the passage together, and discuss the following questions, paying particular attention to the context and author’s intent. • How is Mark 4:33 similar to Mark 4:23? What is the idea that is being repeated here?
• Reading through the parables in this chapter of Mark, what are some of the themes that emerge? Why do you think these themes would be hard for everyone to understand?
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The Parables of Jesus
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Riddles of Grace
• These parables of Jesus are rooted in the common issues of life at the time. So how can we, who are outside that culture and way of life, understand and apply them in our context?
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Align Your Story With God’s Story Now talk about how you will apply the wisdom you’ve obtained from the teaching and Bible study. Then think about practical steps you can take in the coming week to live out what you’ve learned. • How have stories, analogies or even riddles helped you see or understand something more clearly?
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• When has a truth of Jesus been hard for you to hear? Why was it so difficult?
• Is there something you feel as if you’re having a hard time hearing from God? What can you do to open yourself to hearing what God is saying to you?
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MAY 27-29, 2017
DIGGING DEEPER
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