Know Grow Show

The Servant King - Mark 14.1-14

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, North Gower, Ontario
www.knowgrowshow.ca
Passage
Mark 14:1-14
The One Thing 
Do you recognize the King?
Know
Have you ever not recognized someone you should have known the identity of? Or have you ever mistaken someone for someone else? Tell us the story.
Grow
Read Mark 14:1-11: What is the value of celebrating feasts and festivals? What are the most important celebrations for Christians?
What was the costliest offering you have ever made to Jesus?
Mary didn’t care about social taboos or personal embarrassment when she worshiped Jesus. How can we follow her example today?
Mary’s critics said that the value of her gift exceeded the limit of what should be spent on Jesus. How are we today similar to those critics?
Did Jesus dismiss His followers from taking care of the poor? What is the biblical evidence for you answer?
In Luke 14:27-28 Jesus says a person should “calculate the cost” of becoming a disciple. Here we learn that true love never calculates the cost. How do these two lessons fit together?
Show
What is the balance between practical, responsible stewardship and radical, extravagant giving? How do we avoid using the former as an excuse to escape the latter?

The Servant King - Mark 13.14-37

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, North Gower, Ontario
www.knowgrowshow.ca
The PassageMark 13:14-37 The One ThingOur soul’s greatest threat isn’t suffering. It’s sleeping.Know
If you knew that your house was about to explode in 60 seconds, what 2 things (not children) would you grab on your way out?
Grow
Read 13:29 and then read 13:32. 29 seems to indicate that we can know when the end will come. Verse 32 seems to reject that we can know. Any thoughts about how we can reconcile these two verses?
Read 13:32. We believe that God is a Triune God – three persons, one God. But here we read that God the Father can know something which God the Son does not know. Trying figuring that one out! Any thoughts?
What does verse 35 tells us about how should be approaching our ambitions and our possessions, even our lives? What is one thing that we can do to narrow the gap between how we are living and the fact that God is the owner and He is returning?
Read 13:36. What might it mean for God to find you sleeping?
How can we know for sure that we are awake and not slumbering? (Read Romans 13:11-14 and Ephesians 5:14-20 for clues)
Do you think that Jesus will return in this generation? Why or why not?
The first "Shocking Thing That Leads To Suffering" (Abomination the Causes Desolation)  was a pig being sacrificed on the altar. The second was the Roman Standards in the temple. What do you think the third Shocking Thing That Leads To Suffering might be? Do you think we will know it when we see it?
Show
What is one thing that you can do to prepare yourself and your family for the return of the Master, Jesus?
Take 5 minutes to watch this video called Asleep In The Light (youtu.be/-byXywvdCuk). What is God saying to you through this song?

The Servant King - Mark 13.3-13

The One Thing
Resist fear. Resist complacency. Be prepared.
The Passage
Mark 13:3-13
Know
What’s your response to the well-used phrase “God won’t give you more than you can handle?” Agree? Disagree?
Grow
In 13:4 the disciples wanted to know when Jesus’ prophecy will come true. Would you rather know ahead of time if something bad is going to happen to you or not?
When considering the future, particularly the end times, are you at more risk of being fearful or complacent? Why do you think this is?
Read Acts 8:9-11. Simon the Sorcerer was a false messiah. What do false messiahs look like today? How can we identify them and avoid being deceived?
Perhaps we won’t be flogged in the synagogues (13:9), but what kinds of sacrifices might we have to make “on account of Jesus”? What parts of the world do you know where Christians are having to pay this kind of physical price?
When you hear statistics like 37 million Christians were undergoing significant persecution in 2018, what’s your response? What, if anything, do you think we should be doing about this?
Do you think sufferings that Christians have to go through is worth the end result? Other than rewards in heaven, what other benefits can you see from Christians suffering?
Which is a more accurate understanding of passages like James 1:2-4 and Romans 5:3-5:
God brings about suffering and persecution in order to bring about maturity in His children.
God redeems suffering and persecution in order to bring about maturity in His children.
Show
Take time to pray for one of the countries in the 2018 World Watch List (the link is provided in the growgroup questions email sent out by Dan)

The Servant King - Mark 12.38-13.2Hey

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, North Gower, Ontario
www.knowgrowshow.ca
The Passage
Mark 12:38-13:2
The One Thing
Trusting in God will outlives temples for God. Every time. Forever. 
Know
Other than rock, paper, scissors, what other games did you play as a child with your siblings or friends?
Grow
What do you want to have written on your headstone when you die? In other words, how do you define success for yourself?
As the widow made her offering that day, what expression do see on her face? Explain your answer.
The scribes looked like they had it all. So did the wealthy people. And we’d have probably pitied the widow. Why would we have been wrong?
12:43 Jesus called the disciples over to check out what he was seeing. What was it about the widow that got Him so excited?
John Wesley lived on 28 pounds a year, even though his earnings went from 30 pounds a year to 120 pounds a year. The rest he gave away. What do you think about this philosophy of living? How do you see it reflected in society? In your own life?
What is the contrast that Mark is trying to draw between his account of the widow (12:41-44) and the conversation between the disciples and Jesus about the temple stones (13:1-2)? Why is this important?
What are your thoughts about Pastor Larry Blaikie’s words: “God does not want our money he wants us. But if He does not have our wallet, he does not have us.”. Do you agree or disagree? Share your thoughts.
Read 2 Corinthians 9:7. What is Paul telling us in this verse?
Now read the verse before (verse 6) and the verse after (verse 8). How do these help us understand verse 7?
Show
Having heard what you’ve heard about the widow and John Wesley, how might God be calling you to reassess your standard of living versus your standard of giving?

The Servant King - Mark 12.28-37

 
Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, North Gower, Ontario
www.knowgrowshow.ca
The One Thing
We love best as power cords. 
The Scripture
Mark 12:28-37
growgroup Questions
Know
Have you ever been faced with an impossible decision or task? What was it and how did you handle it?
Grow
Which of the Ten Commandments do you consider the most important? Why?
Books and movies often tell us that love is the supreme virtue. How does their definition of love often fall short of the Bible’s emphasis?
Mark 12:29 - Why is it important that God is “One”? Why did this cause the Jews to resist Jesus’ claims to be divine?
In what way is the command to love God completely more difficult than the Ten Commandments?
What do “heart, soul, mind, and strength” represent individually and collectively?
How would you respond to the person who says, “Jesus is telling us we need to learn how to love ourselves first and then to love others”?
If we are part of God’s family, connected to His power station of love, why is so hard sometimes to love others?
Are there some people we are not called to love? What about extreme criminals who prey on the vulnerable? How would you love someone like that?
Mark 12:30 - How is obedience to these two great commands different from observance of religious ritual? How do you explain that God commanded Israel to observe sacrificial rituals?
Dan said that we love best as power cords, not power stations. What did he mean by this?
Read 1 John 4:16. What does it mean to (a) know and (b) rely on God’s love?
Show
As we go into Valentine’s Day month, think of one thing your growgroup can do to transmit God’s love to someone – from His heart to theirs.

The Servant King - Mark 12.18-27

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, North Gower, Ontario
www.knowgrowshow.ca
The Passage
Mark 12.18-27
The One Thing
When our Bible is incomplete, so is our view of God. 
 
Know
Share one of your favourite verses in the Bible. Why is it so special to you?
Grow
Share your response to Thomas Jefferson editing the Bible. What did he cut out? What motivated him to do this?
What parts of the Bible are you prone to ignore / avoid? Why do you think this is?
What do we miss out on when we limit our reading to certain parts of the Bible?
Dan said that our passage today indicates that there won’t be marriage or sexual relations in heaven. What are your feelings about this? What does this tell us about heaven?
The Sadducees only believed in the first 5 books of the Bible. And they didn’t believe in the after-life (resurrection). From a verse in this part of the Bible (Exodus 3:6) Jesus proved that the after-life was true.
Have you ever had a familiar passage surprise you like that and change how you view things?
I imagine that if the Sadducees believed in the resurrection after this it was with some reluctance! Is it OK to reluctantly believe something the Bibles teaches?
Show
Share one practical way that you plan to bravely ‘range out into the Bible’, particularly a part of Scripture that you either are unfamiliar with or have deliberately avoided. Pray that God speaks to you powerfully as you do so.

The Servant King - Mark 12.13-17

The one thing
Jesus came to turn image bearers into message sharers.
The passage
Mark 12:13-17
group questions
Know
Dan said in Wales to say “She’s / he’s the spit of you” means “She / he looks just like you”. What characteristics (physical or personality) have you inherited from either your parents or others who raised you?
Grow
Read James 1:19. Instead of responding to the hypocrisy of the Herodians and Pharisees (Dan called them the “Heresies”) with anger, Jesus paused, gave Himself some space and asked a question. How might this advice be helpful for you when dealing with conflict in your life?
Read Romans 13:1-2. Jesus says to “give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s”. As Christians, what does being a good citizen of Canada look like? How should we respond when our ethics (based on the Bible) are opposed to the government’s perspective? Can you think of an example where this tension exists today?
What does it mean to you that you are an image bearer of God?
If you were in Rome-occupied Israel, would you pay the Roman tax or not? What if no one ever found out? Explain your answer.
God’s unshare-able (incommunicable) characteristics include His omnipotent (all-powerfulness), His infinitude and His self-existence. Have you ever meditated on these realities of God? What impact has it had on you? Why should these characteristics lead to awe or worship?
Think is what characteristics God shares with us (a couple of examples: holiness, love, kindness). These are known as God’s communicable Why should these characteristics give us hope?
The Roman denarius had both the image of Caesar and his inscription of Caesar on it. In what way do we have the inscription of God on our lives? Think of verses that might communicate this truth. Consider 2 Corinthians 3:3-4 and Isaiah 43:1.
In what ways can we consider our lives as God’s currency? How is this analogy helpful (or not) in evaluating how we are spending our lives?
Dan quoted DL Moody “The world has yet to see what God can do with someone fully consecrated to him. By God’s help, I aim to be that someone”. Take a couple of minutes in silence and Imagine what your life would look like if you lived this out.
 
Show
Each morning, before your day begins, stand in front of a mirror and say to yourself “In whatever circumstance comes by way today, I am a letter from God” (2 Cor 3:3).

The Servant King - Mark 12.1-12

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, North Gower, Ontario
www.knowgrowshow.ca
The Passage
Mark 12:1-12
The One Thing
Our access to God’s amazing grace has an expiration date.  
 
growgroup questions 
Know 
Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? 
Grow 
Put yourself in Isaac Jogues’ position. Consider his mind and heart. Consider his thoughts. What drove him to return to a place and people group that he knew 100% were very dangerous? Could you do what he did?
Israel killed the prophets God sent. In what way are we guilty of killing the prophets? of crucifying Christ?
If your attempts to get people to fulfilltheir contractual obligations had been violently refused, what would you do? What was the logic of the father in the parable in sending his only son? What was the motivation for God to send His only Son? 
What did the tenant farmers think they would gain from killing the landlord’s son? What did the Jewish leaders hope to gain by killing Jesus? What did they in fact accomplish?
Whatdo secular people say when asked about judgment and hell? What do you think is necessary for them to accept the truth? Do you know any logical arguments that might be compelling? 
How did the Jewish leaders react when they lost their debate with Jesus? What persons or organizations do you know of that, when faced with the truth claims of Christianity, respond with hatred or violence?
The Sanhedrin postponed their persecution of Jesus because they feared the crowd (12:12). How does this expose faulty reasoning on their part? 
Show 
How might it be helpful to highlight people’s faulty reasoning during evangelism?
 

The Servant King - Mark 11.27-33

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, North Gower, Ontario
www.knowgrowshow.ca
 The Passage
Mark 11:27-33
The One Thing
Without honesty and humility, we have nothing with God.

The Servant King - Mark 11.12-25

Weekly Podcast from Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, North Gower, Ontario
www.knowgrowshow.ca
 The Passage
Mark 11:12-25
The One Thing
Worship means regularly saying to Jesus: Come in and clean house.
Some reflection questions to talk through with God
What things have you introduced into your life, His temple, that is preventing true worship from taking place?
 In what way are you treating this temple of your body (your life) as a convenience, as something that is to be used for your purposes and your pleasure rather than for the glorious purposes of God? How are you taking shortcuts?
How are you using your body, your life as leverage against others? In what way are you bringing others into bondage and slavery, or taking advantage of others through your body or your life, God’s temple?