As a follow-up to Sunday, May 13th's message ("On Your Mark": The Lord of The Sabbath) on Mark 2:23-27 the following are some questions to ponder and some suggestions to consider:

Questions to Ponder

• Read Mark 2:23-27
• What was the issue the Pharisee's had with Jesus?
• How did Jesus respond?
• How can we become like the Pharisee's begin to see the means (reliigious practices and rules) as the ends?
• Read 1 Samuel 21:1-6
• How does the story of David eating the consecrated bread relate?
• How do we have the tendancy to get Safety Zones confused with Danger Zones?

Suggestions to Consider

• Regarding reclaiming the gift of the Sabbath: Read Abraham Heschel's book: The Sabbath!
• Think about your relationship through the lens of Safety Zones and Danger Zones.  How do you have a tendancy to get these confused and judge others based on your Saftey Zones?
•  Is it ever okay to judge?  Can/should we judge based on Danger Zones (Sin)?  Can/should we judge based on Saftey Zones?
• Where do you need to place some Saftey Zones in your life?
• Read Romans 14.  What does it mean to care for the weaker brother who might need a further Saftey Zone than you?

The Gospel of Mark is the story of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

As a follow-up to Sunday, May 6th's message ("On Your Mark": The True Healing Power of Jesus) on Mark 2:1-12 the following are some questions to ponder and some suggestions to consider:

Questions to Ponder

• Read Mark 2:1-12
• Do you know Christ in a personal way?  Have you had your sins forgiven?  Do you know abundant and eternal life in Christ?  This is the biggest miracle in the story?  Has your story had this moment yet?  If not, read here then here.
• How do we confuse the greatest miracle (forgiveness of sin and the gift of eternal life) with those of lesser importance (miracles of healing)?  Why do we do this?
• Read James 5.  What does James 5 teach about healing?  Why do you ignore this potential in our lives and what would it mean for you to practice this?

Suggestions to Consider

• If you are a follower of Jesus, increasingly celebrate your salvation and the salvation of others as the greatest miracle of all.  Don't diminish the truth and awe that Jesus has forgiven your sin and has given you abundant and eternal life.

The Gospel of Mark is the story of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

As a follow-up to Sunday, April 22nd's message ("On Your Mark": Fishers of People) on Mark 1:14-20, the following are some questions to ponder and some suggestions to consider:

Questions to Ponder

• Read Mark 1:14-20
• What would it have cost the four fisherman to leave their net's and follow Jesus?
• Why do you think Jesus chose four regular fisherman to be 4 of His 12 disciples?
• What does it mean to be a fisher of people?  How have we individualized this phrase and concept?  What does it mean to partner with God and with others in God's mission?

Suggestions to Consider

• What does it mean for you to be a fisher of people in your life?
• Read Leonard Sweet's book Nudge - a fresh look at evangelism with reflection on the fact that evangelism is joining the Holy Spirit who is already there.
• How might God be calling you, an ordinary person, at ordinary times to do extraordinary things for His purpose and His glory.
• What are some things that would distract us from that calling?  How can we avoid being distracted?

The Gospel of Mark is the story of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

As a follow-up to Sunday, April 15th's message ("On Your Mark": Preparation) on Mark 1:1-14, the following are some questions to ponder and some suggestions to consider:

Questions to Ponder

• Read Mark 1:1-14
• Consider the preparation involved in God's redemptive plan?  What does this extensive preparation teach about God, his plan and the role of preparation in our lives?
• How did God use John the Baptist in preparation?
• How did God use Jesus' temptation/testing in the desert as preparation?
• Why does preparation play a major role in the first chapter of Mark?
• How do we view preparation?
• How does God desire us to view preparation?

Suggestions to Consider

• Think about your life right now, what might God be doing, in terms of preparation, in your life?
• How mght your circumstance, struggle, temptation, etc be used by God for your preparation?
• What would your life look like if you viewed your joys, successes, struggles, temptation, etc. as preparation?

The Gospel of Mark is the story of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

As a follow-up to Easter Sunday, April 8th's message on John 3:16.  The following are some links that will be helpful in exploring Christianity, especially if you exploring a relationship with God or are new in your relationship with God:

1. Beginning a Relationship with God.
2. Growing in your Relationship with God.

As a follow-up to Sunday, March 18th's message (Swallowed: Running Against God) on Jonah 4, the following are some questions to ponder and some suggestions to consider:

Questions to Ponder

• Read Jonah 4.
• Why was Jonah so angry?
• Why/how is God's Grace unfair?
• What is the meaning of the visual metaphor God uses of a vine, worm, wind?  What is God trying to teach Jonah?  What might God be teaching you?
• How might we be angry at God's Grace sometimes?
• How can we celebrate God's grace in our lives and in the lives of others?  How do we get angry at God's grace in the lives of others?

Suggestions to Consider

• Read Matthew 20.  What does this teach us about God's grace?
• Take 5 to 10 minutes and reflect on how God's grace has profoundly affected your life?
• Take 5 to 10 minutes and reflect on how God's grace is being displayed in the lives of others you love?  How about your enemies?
• Thank God for his grace and mercy in your life, your loved ones lives and in the lives of your enemies?  Watch for it and celebrate it this week as it is displayed all around you?

The story of Jonah is the story of God and the story of us!  How do you relate to Jonah: the reluctant prophet?

As a follow-up to Sunday, March 11th's message (Swallowed: Running with God) on Jonah 3, the following are some questions to ponder and some suggestions to consider:

Questions to Ponder

• Read Jonah 3
• How does Jonah obey God?  Does Jonah's obedience seem reluctant at all?  How?  Why?
• What is the response from the people of Ninevah?  Is this what Jonah expected?
• What does repentance mean?
• Notice that Jonah is called to Go?  How many times in Scripture are people called to Go?  This is a frequent occurance; why do you think this is?
• What would it mean for you to Go to those in your sphere of influence who you don't think would response and share the Good News of Jesus with them?  What would it cost you (comfort, time, energy, success, etc.)?  Are you willing to pay that price and follow Jesus in this way?

Suggestions to Consider

• Ask someone this week (perferably someone you don't think would allow you to talk about Jesus) about their life, carefully listen for how God might be working, share with them your experience and what it means to have a hope in Christ Jesus.  Share the Good News.  See what God might you.
• Read and refect on Psalm 103.

As a follow-up to Sunday, March 4th's message (Swallowed: Running to God) on Jonah 2, the following are some questions to ponder and some suggestions to consider:

Questions to Ponder

• Read Jonah 2
• What does Jonah's prayer teach us about thankfullness?
• Do a word search on Thanksgiving in the Bible, what does this teach us about what and how to pray in thanksgiving.
• What does it mean to thank God for our salvation while we are still in the "belly of the fish"?
• Why don't you think Jonah mentions his reluctance to go to Ninevah in his prayer?

Suggestions to Consider

• Consider thinking through your life and praying a prayer of thanksgiving, even in the midst of your difficult circumstances.
• As mentioned in the sermon, consider if, or if not, you are living in authentic faith - living in obedience, even in the big WHYs of life.

As a follow-up to Sunday, February 26th's message (Swallowed: Running From God) on Jonah 1, the following are some questions to ponder and some suggestions to consider:

Questions to Ponder

• Read Jonah 1
• Read Nahum 3 - What does this tell us about Nineveh?
• Why is Jonah reluctant to go to Nineveh?
• When in life have you been afraid to do something God has called you to do?
• Is there someone or some group with whom you struggle with idea of God's grace extending to?  How does this manifest itself in your life?  How might you been running from God's call to share his Good News with them?
• Read Matthew 18:21-35  How does this apply to your life?  How might you be holding back forgiveness, love and/or sharing God's boundless and scandelous grace with others.

Suggestions to Consider

• Pray and ask God to show you ways you have been called to GO and have refused.
• How have you avoided GOING and what has it cost you?
• Who do you need to share God's grace with and what excuses have you been using to avoid God's call on your life?
• This is also a story of relentless hope!  There is always hope, no matter how far you may have travelled running from God.

As a follow-up to Sunday, February 19th's message (Live The Word - Application) on Matthew 7:24-29, the following are some questions to ponder and some suggestions to consider:

Questions to Ponder

• How important is a good foundation?
• Read: "The Sermon on the Mount" in its entirety: Matthew 5-7.  What is Jesus telling us to build our lives upon?  What is the metaphor that Jesus uses?  Why does Jesus use this particular metaphor?
• How do we follow Jesus, the King of Kings, in our everything?  How do we have a tendancy to do so in a selective nature - ("buffet obedience" or "buffet faith")?
• How complicated and complex is life?  Your relationships?
• What does it mean to have a simple faith in the complexity of our world?
• What does it mean to live with Simplexity (@lensweet)?

Suggestions to Consider

• Read through The Sermon on The Mount and begin to think about how complex your world is and yet how, parradoxicaly, your faith is called to grow increasingly simple and child-like.
• Reflect: What does it mean to live in the world with Simplexity?
• What are your complex situations?  List them.  Now, think through how you can follow God with simple faith in your complex high-definition lives.

Additional information and resources on this series are available online @ www.40DaysInTheWord.com