week of 9/20

Unit 25  Session 3

POWER OVER NATURE

Mark 4:35-41

 

Key Concept:

We can have faith in Jesus because He is God, sovereign over all things, including nature.

Jesus taught in parables to a large crowd of people by the Sea of Galilee. Using the natural amphitheater-like acoustics of the lake, He sat on a boat near the shore while the crowd listened. That evening, Jesus decided that He and His disciples should cross to the other side of the sea in the boat, taking time to rest after a long day with the crowds. A powerful storm broke through the calm night, however, testing the disciples' faith in Jesus. Who indeed was this Man Whom they had left everything to follow?

As you examine Mark 4:35-41:

 

✞   Take comfort that Jesus knows everything and is never surprised or anxious.

✞   Recognize that Jesus, being God, is sovereign over all things, including nature.

week of 9/13

Unit 25  Session 2

POWER OF THE KINGDOM

Mark 4:21-34

 

Key Concept:

The kingdom of God may start small but will be revealed and grow in power.

After Jesus taught and explained to His disciples the parable of the sower and the importance of letting the Gospel sink deep roots into our lives, Jesus delivered short parables about the kingdom of God. He again emphasized the importance of truly listening to His words and living out their powerful implications in the world. Jesus knew His kingdom would start off small in this world, but it would also grow and cover the whole earth.

As you examine Mark 4:21-34:

 

✞   Reflect on the truth that God's kingdom grows in this world in God's power and timing, 

    not ours.

✞   Contemplate that Jesus' ministry started small but would usher in a worldwide kingdom 

    for His glory and purposes.

week of 9/6

Unit 25  Session 1

POWER OF GOD'S WORD

Luke 8:4-15

 

Key Concept:

Jesus taught the importance of receiving the Word and producing fruit from doing so.

Jesus traveled from town to town preaching the good news of the kingdom with His disciples. Jesus' preaching ministry was both the context and the subject of His parable of the sower. As Jesus traveled, He indiscriminately spread the seeds of the Gospel far and wide. The Gospels record a diversity of responses to Jesus' teaching: rejection, doubt, fear, joy, sadness, anger, and belief. In the parable of the sower, Jesus classified people's responses into four general categories as He illustrated the power of the Word and the danger of rejecting it.

As you examine Luke 8:4-15:

 

✞   Discover why Jesus taught in parables: to expose who truly was seeking truth.

✞   Recognize that we are transformed and bear fruit when we hear and trust the Gospel.

week of 8/30

Unit 24  Session 5

HE TEACHES ON WORRY

Luke 12:22-34

 

Key Concept:

We need not worry because God takes care of us and provides for our needs.

After teaching His disciples about prayer, which included a request to God for daily bread, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their pride, hypocrisy, persecution, and greed. He then was drawn into a conversation on money by a man who had an issue with his brother over their family inheritance. In response, Jesus taught a parable that warned against storing up treasure for yourself here on earth and not being "rich toward God" (12:21). He then added to this conclusion for His disciples, cautioning them not to worry about their needs in life but to entrust them to God while seeking His kingdom.

As you examine Luke 12:22-34:

 

✞   Identify the reasons Jesus commanded us not to worry about our daily needs.

✞   Reflect on the fact that as kingdom people, we invest in eternal treasures.

week of 8/23

Unit 24  Session 4

HE TEACHES ON PRAYER

Luke 11:1-13

 

Key Concept:

Jesus teaches us how to pray because He wants to give us good gifts.

Having called twelve disciples to follow Him, Jesus trained these men in His ways. He performed miracles in their presence, taught crowds in their hearing, and explained His parables to them while leaving others pondering their meaning. Jesus even empowered His disciples and some others to cast out demons and to heal the sick as He sent them out to prepare His way. The disciples enjoyed their success in the field, but after returning to Jesus, they asked Him for one thing - to teach them how to pray.

As you examine Luke 11:1-13:

 

✞   Recognize that we should pray for God's kingdom, true needs, forgiveness, and       

    protection against temptation.

✞   Rejoice that when we ask God for good gifts of the kingdom according to His will, 

    He will gladly give them to us.

week of 8/16

Unit 24  Session 3

HE FORGIVES SIN

Luke 7:37-39, 41-50

 

Key Concept:

Jesus forgives sinners who come to Him in adoring faith.

Before Jesus entered the Pharisee's home for a meal, He had several interactions with people who showed faith, such as the centurion, and those who did not. He then raised a widow's son from death, and many recognized Jesus as a prophet, but they did not have the spiritual insight to see Him as God. After calling out the faithless generation (Luke 7:31), Jesus taught about forgiveness and love at a Pharisee's home.

As you examine Luke 7:37-39, 41-50:

 

✞   Point out that the woman abandoned all propriety to show Jesus love and reverence.

✞   Reflect upon the fact that when we are graciously forgiven, we love more.

week of 8/9

Unit 24  Session 2

HE RESURRECTS LIFE

Luke 7:11-17

 

Key Concept:

Jesus gives new life because He is compassionate and good.

Luke recorded his account of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Luke 6. After Jesus concluded His teaching, He entered Capernaum and encountered a Gentile centurion who came to Jesus to plead for the healing and life of his servant. This healing Jesus performed from a distance, praising the centurion's faith. He then traveled to a village called Nain, where He encountered a funeral procession. Jesus' compassion for the widowed mother of the deceased young man led Him to perform a miracle on her behalf.

As you examine Luke 7:11-17:

 

✞   Take comfort in the fact that Jesus has power even over death.

✞   Contemplate how Jesus' power to renew life, both spiritually and 
    physically, fits into the good news that we are to share with the world.