Faith Benzonia

WHAT DOES JESUS WANT ME TO KNOW ABOUT HOW TO RESPOND TO CRISIS? MARK 13:3-13 1. I NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE TEMPTATION TO DECEPTION. VS 3-6 2. I SHOULD NOT BE TROUBLED IN MY SPIRIT. VS 7-8 3. I CAN PRESENT TRUTH, EVEN WHEN OPPOSED. VS 9-13

4 THOUGHTS REGARDING JESUS’ PROPHECY OF TEMPLE DESTRUCTION MARK 13:1-2 1. JESUS DOES NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DESTRUCTIVE JUDGMENT. 2. JESUS IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO BRING ABOUT THE UNPRECEDENTED. 3. ABSENCE OF THE TEMPLE REMINDS US OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 4. CONFIDENCE IN PAST PROMISES FULFILLED GIVES US CONFIDENCE IN FUTURE PROMISES YET UNFULFILLED.

I NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHO I CHOOSE AS A SPIRITUAL EXAMPLE MARK 12:35-44 1. I DO NOT WANT A SPIRITUAL EXAMPLE WHO IS BLINDED BY THEIR OWN AUTHORITY. VS 35-37 2. I DO NOT WANT A SPIRITUAL EXAMPLE WHO IS MARKED BY SELFISHNESS. VS 38-40 3. I WANT A SPIRITUAL EXAMPLE WHO IS MARKED BY GENEROSITY. VS 41-44

HOW CAN I EXPERIENCE A VIBRANT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD? MARK 12:28-34 1. I NEED TO BE WILLING TO ASK HIM HARD QUESTIONS. VS 28 2. I UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES GOD PROVIDES UNEXPECTED ANSWERS. VS 29-31 3. I MUST BE WILLING TO ACCEPT GOD’S UNUSUAL ANSWERS. VS 32-34

THE HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION SHOULD AFFECT HOW I LIVE MARK 12:18-27 1. RELIGIOUS PEOPLE SOMETIMES CREATE FANCIFUL STORIES ABOUT RESURRECTION LIFE. VS 18-23 2. GOD’S ABILITY TO BRING NEW LIFE DEMONSTRATES HIS POWER. VS 24-25 3. GOD IS ABLE TO KEEP HIS PROMISES IN SPITE OF DEATH. VS 26-27

POLITICS CAN BE DIVISIVE MARK 12:13-17 1. RELIGIOUS PEOPLE SOMETIMES USE POLITICS HYPOCRITICALLY. VS 13-15 2. MY RESPONSE TO GOD AND GOVERNMENT IS SET BY JESUS. VS 16-17

JESUS CONFRONTS SPIRITUAL PEOPLE CONCERNING SELFISHNESS  MARK 12:1-12  1. GOD SET UP HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE FOR SPIRITUAL SUCCESS. VS 1-2  2. SOMETIMES GOD’S PEOPLE REJECT GOD’S WAYS. VS 3-8  3. GOD IS STILL ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH HIS WORK IN SPITE OF REJECTION. VS 9-11  4. SOMETIMES PEOPLE CHOOSE ANGER INSTEAD OF REPENTANCE. VS 12

JESUS IS THE ONE SENT FROM GOD MARK 11:27-33 1. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR JESUS TO ANGER MAN. VS 27-28 2. JESUS IS THE ONE TO ACT WITH AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF GOD. VS 29-30 3. MY REFUSAL TO ACCEPT TRUTH LIMITS MY ACCESS TO FURTHER TRUTH. VS 31-33

3 LESSONS JESUS TEACHES US ABOUT PRAYER MARK 11:12-26 1. IT IS EASY TO MISUNDERSTAND OR MISUSE PRAYER. VS 12-21 2. PRAYER IS NOT TO GET MY WILL DONE IN HEAVEN, BUT TO GET GOD’S WILL DONE ON EARTH. VS 22-24 3. REFUSAL OF HORIZONTAL FORGIVENESS BLOCKS VERTICAL FORGIVENESS. VS 25-26

2 PROPER RESPONSES I CAN HAVE TO KING JESUS MARK 11:1-11 1. I OBEY, EVEN WHEN IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. VS 1-6 2. I CHOOSE TO PRAISE, EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS DEBATABLE. VS 7-11

JESUS IS ABLE TO REMOVE OUR DISTRESS MARK 10:46-52 1. I MUST BE AWARE OF MY NEED FOR MERCY. VS 46-47 2. IN PURSUING MERCY, I DISREGARD OBSTACLES. VS 48-50 3. JESUS IS ABLE TO GRANT MERCY. VS 51-52

AS A FOLLOWER OF JESUS I NEED TO BE CHARACTERIZED BY SERVICE TO OTHERS MARK 10:35-45 1. MY NATURAL DESIRE IS FOR POWER AND POSITION. VS 36-37 2. FOLLOWING JESUS WILL COST ME. VS 38-40 3. JESUS USES HIMSELF AS AN EXAMPLE FOR HOW I SHOULD LIVE. VS 41-45

WE FOLLOW THE ONE WHO KNOWS OUR FUTURE MARK 10:32-34 1. THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE FUTURE CAN EASILY LEAD US TO FEAR. VS 32 2. JESUS USES PROPHETIC WORD TO ADDRESS THE FEARS OF HIS FOLLOWERS. VS 32-34 3. IT IS EASY FOR FOLLOWERS OF JESUS TO OVERLOOK THE REALITY OF SUFFERING. VS 35-37

HOW SHOULD I RESPOND TO THE UNEXPECTED? MATTHEW 1:18-25 1. I WILL CHOOSE TO BE HORIZONTALLY RIGHTEOUS. VS 18-19 2. I CAN RECOGNIZE THAT GOD HAS A BIGGER PLAN THAN I DO. VS 20-23 3. I CAN CHOOSE TO OBEY MY CREATIVE GOD RATHER THAN HOLD ON TO MY COMFORTABLE PAST. VS 24-25

HOW DOES FOLLOWING JESUS AFFECT MY TREATMENT OF WOMEN? MARK 10:1-12 1. CULTURE DOES NOT HAVE A HIGH VIEW OF WOMEN. VS 1-5 2. JESUS PROVIDES A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THE TREATMENT OF WOMEN. VS 6-12

WHAT DOES SERVICE LOOK LIKE? MARK 9:38-50 1. SERVICE DOES NOT CLAIM EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO THE NAME OF JESUS. VS 38-41 2. SERVICE CHOOSES TO SACRIFICE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE LEAST OF SOCIETY. VS 42-48 3. THE TRIALS OF LIFE SHOULD NOT REDUCE MY EFFECTIVENESS IN SERVICE. VS 49-50

JOHN 13:1-30

JESUS HAS A DIFFERENT SUCCESS PLAN THAN THE WORLD MARK 9:30-37 1. IN OBEDIENCE, MY EXAMPLE CHOSE TO SUFFER. VS 30-32 2. I MUST CHOOSE TO BE A SERVANT. VS 33-37

HOW CAN I EFFECTIVELY SERVE PEOPLE IN THEIR SUFFERING? MARK 9:14-29 1. I SHARE IN THEIR PAIN BY LISTENING TO THEIR STORY. VS 14-22 2. I CAN USE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH ABOUT JESUS. VS 23-27 3. I DISPLAY FAITH BY MEANS OF PRAYER. VS 28-29

3 REASONS WHY I CHOOSE TO OBEY JESUS MARK 9:1-13 1. I CHOOSE TO OBEY JESUS BECAUSE HE IS THE ULTIMATE JUDGE. VS 1-4 2. I CHOOSE TO OBEY JESUS BECAUSE MY WAYS ARE NOT HIS WAYS. VS 5-8 3. I CHOOSE TO OBEY JESUS BECAUSE HE DID WHAT HE CALLS ME TO DO. VS 9-13

Matthew 26:26-30

A PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE AND GUIDANCE PSALM 25 1-3 PRAYER FOR RELIEF FROM DISTRESS AND SLANDER 4-7 PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE AND PARDON 8-15 PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE AND PARDON 16-22 PRAYER FOR RELIEF FROM DISTRESS AND SLANDER - ASHAMED (VS 2,3,3,20) - TO PALE - WAY (VS 4,8,9,12) - JUDGMENT/JUSTICE (VS 9) - FIXING BROKENNESS 0 - DON’T KNOW WHERE SLEEPING TONIGHT 1 - THOSE WITH SOME SHELTER - DEPENDING ON TEM...

3 DANGERS TO CONSIDER WHEN DECIDING TO FOLLOW JESUS MARK 8:34-38 DANGER #1 BORROWING AN EASIER DEFINITION OF “FOLLOWER”. VS 34 DANGER #2 CONFUSION ABOUT THE VALUE OF THINGS. VS 35-37 DANGER #3 MISSING OUT ON WHO THE REAL JUDGE IN LIFE IS. VS 38

1:1-13  -  PROLOGUE 1:14-3:6  -  INITIAL PHASE OF GALILEAN MINISTRY 3:7-6:13  -  LATER PHASE 6:14-8:30  -  WITHDRAWAL BEYOND GALILEE 8:31-10:52  -  JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM PROPHECY BY JESUS (8:31; 9:30-31; 10:32-34) DISCIPLES DULLNESS (8:32-33; 9:32; 10:35-37) CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP (8:34-38; 9:33-37; 10:38-45) 8:27 - ON THE ROAD 9:30 - THROUGH GALILEE...

3 WAYS PEOPLE RESPOND INCORRECTLY TO JESUS MARK 8:27-30 1. PEOPLE IGNORE JESUS FOR OTHER GODS. VS 27 2. PEOPLE SOMETIMES VIEW JESUS AS JUST ANOTHER RELIGIOUS FIGURE. VS 28 3. PEOPLE RESPOND INCORRECTLY TO JESUS BY CONNECTING HIM WITH POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES. VS 29-30