THREE THINGS TO KNOW
DON’T MISS THIS
There’s still time to sign up for short-term topical groups starting April 14. These are a great opportunity for you or your group to grow your faith in specific areas. Join a group on money, parenting or sharing faith. Click here for details and sign up. Registration closes April 13 at 5 pm.
GROUP VALUES
This month we focus on Group Growth. Make a plan to invite someone to meet you at church for Easter. Ask your group to pray for whom you are inviting.
GROW AS A LEADER
Our next Leader Huddle is coming up soon. Mark your calendar for April 24 at your campus. You won’t want to miss this chance to learn with and from other leaders. Please register here.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Welcome to week seven of our spring sermon series, THE FINAL WEEK. Our conversation this week invites us to look at the cross of Jesus in a new light.
What is your favorite Easter tradition?
Take turns reading Mark 15:1-39. What are the primary scenes in this story? Who are all of the characters? What is something new in the story you maybe haven’t noticed before?
THE TRIAL
After the trial, Pilate wants to let Jesus go, but the crowd wants Barabbas released instead. Which would have been the most logical choice? What are some contrasts between Jesus and Barabbas?
Why do you think Pilate went along with the crowd?
Throughout his life, Jesus shows us that the path to life is a path of sacrificial service. Why do most people not consider that sacrificial service?
What things do we often chase instead to feel like we have meaning, purpose and fulfillment?
What are ways we can follow Jesus’s example of sacrificial service?
THE PROCESSION
Reread Mark 15:16-20. Pastor Aaron Buer talked about ways Mark contrasts Jesus’s entrance and that of a Roman conquering hero. What comparisons do you see in the text here?
Discuss some of the ways that Jesus is a different kind of king than any earthly ruler.
Knowing what kind of king Jesus is, in what ways do we often choose to withhold our loyalty and his rule over our own lives?
What are some fears we might have that cause us to put up barriers to following Jesus? How can we overcome these fears?
THE EXECUTION
Have someone reread Mark 15:38. The tearing of the temple veil reveals that the temple system is over, and we now have direct access to God. What does it mean to you that Jesus was the final sacrifice? How does it matter for us that Jesus provides this access to God?
The cross of Jesus is an invitation to real life and a relationship with our creator. Some of us might explore the idea of faith, go through the motions of our family’s faith or choose to live into a real life Jesus offers. Share where you are right now and the process that has gotten you there. Where would you like to be, and what are some steps you could take to move in that direction?
WRAP UP
Today we talked about three scenes leading directly to Jesus’s crucifixion. Which of the scenes in this story was a fresh perspective for you? What is one way this might change something in your life this week?