Week 23 ~ Jesus' Ministry Begins

Week of March 3, 2013

Weekly sermon theme:   Life Changing Encounters with Jesus

Weekly reading:  pages 321 ~ 334

2 comments:


  1. Point to ponder…

    Religion is always about “What.” What am I supposed to do? What should I stop doing? What clothes should I wear? What words can’t I say anymore? What will people think of me? And the hit parade of “Whats” just keeps going!

    By Chapter 23 of The Story, the people of Israel had compiled a massive list of “Whats” in an attempt to please God and show that they were worthy of his love and acceptance. Some religious leaders of that day had become experts in telling everyone else what they were supposed to do.

    Into this climate, God breaks in with his Upper Story and surprises everyone. Salvation is not based on a list of what we do to make God happy and what we won’t do because it is against the rules. Of course, God cares about our behavior and wants his children to grow in holiness, but this is not his first concern. Before we begin thinking about being good people, we need to meet the One who can help us become good.

    The solution to the problem, way back in the first century, was not a “What” but a “Who.” It was all about Jesus. Now, two thousands years later, it is exactly the same. Before we begin thinking about the “What,” we need to meet the “Who.” He is still Jesus!

    Some people today still think salvation is about a list of do’s and don’ts. Think about some of the things you or others might put on the “What we have to do” list and the “What we can’t do” list when heading down this “What” road.

    The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, page 149.

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  2. Questions to consider…

    1. After forty days in the wilderness Jesus faced three temptations from the devil (Matthew 4:1 – 11; The Story, pgs. 322 – 323). What was each temptation and what did Jesus say to fend off each? How does Satan use similar types of temptation in our lives today?

    2. What role did John the Baptist play in Jesus’ life and ministry? What can we learn from John about what it means to be a Christian witness?

    3. Nicodemus and the woman at the well both had conversations with Jesus (pgs. 269 – 272). Why do they represent such a contrast?

    4. How do the biblical Satan and other evil spirits compare to popular depictions of demons in films, television, literature, or art?

    5. Jesus was constantly interacting with different types of people: curious Jews, antagonistic Pharisees, tax collectors, and society’s castoffs. What can you learn about how to respond to different types of people from observing Jesus?

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