Out of the Waters and Into the Wild
Jesus’ ministry on earth began with a powerful revelation at His baptism, followed by a period of temptation in the wilderness lasting several days. This week, Ptr. Jared Co examines how this period in Jesus’ ministry was significant in establishing Him as God’s perfect servant.
Read Today’s Scripture Passage
Mark 1:9-15
Life Group Discussion Guide
1. Start with a prayer
2. Engage one another (15-30 mins)
– Share a bittersweet experience in your journey as a believer. What did you learn about yourself and God in that experience?
3. Engage the mind (15-20 mins)
– Read Mark 1:9-11 and contrast it with Genesis 1:1-2. What parallelisms can you identify between the new and old creation accounts?
– What does Jesus’ preaching in Galilee teach us about the urgency and purpose of His ministry?
4. Engage the heart (15-20 mins)
– Have you fully abandoned your old life to receive the new life of Jesus, or are there areas you are still holding onto? What helps you in letting go of your old ways and attitudes?
– How do you respond when your journey with God leads you into the “”wilderness”” of hardships and temptations? Does your response align with how Christ responded?
5. Engage the hands (15-20 mins)
– What steps can you take to intentionally leave behind aspects of your old life that are incompatible with the new life Jesus offers?
– How can you endure faithfully in the small corner of your wilderness, doing the hard yet great things that God calls you to?
6. Engage with God in prayer (20-30 mins)
– Praise God for the cosmic significance of Jesus’ baptism, where He initiates a new creation and offers His perfect life in exchange for our sinful one. Thank Him for triumphing in the wilderness, enduring the hardest trials, and giving us His victory so that we may walk in His new life. Rejoice that Jesus’ substitutionary work makes it possible for us to face life’s challenges with hope and assurance.
– Repent for the times you have clung to your old life instead of fully embracing the new life Jesus offers. Confess the moments when you have avoided the hard things in your spiritual journey, seeking only the sweetness of following God while rejecting the bitterness. Ask for forgiveness for failing to trust in Jesus’ triumph and for neglecting to rejoice in His victory over sin and death.
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