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.

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• 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)