Know & Believe

INTRODUCTION

Know & Believe

"Believer Beware"

BELIEF @ THE BLUR:  DELIVERED FROM DESPERATE CIRCUMSTANCES

Out of Options

Don't Believe the Hype

• Factual “Belief"  
                 
• Fantastic “Belief”

BELIEF BEYOND THE BLUR:  DECIPHERING TRUE KNOWLEDGE & BELIEF

The Demons in the Details

• Go with and for Jesus. vs. Go away, Jesus!
   
• Go to Jesus. vs. Get out of here, Jesus!

The Tree in the Distance

COMMUNITY MEDITATIONS

Growing in Knowledge

• Compare 4:35-41 with 5:1-43.  Make some connections between Jesus’ mastery over the chaos waters (4:35-41) and his domination over demons, disease and death (5:1-43).  
• Read 5:11-17.  The pigs embody a) demonic influence and opposition and b) loss of immediate prosperity and peace. What is Mark telling us about the herdsmen?  What is God telling us about our propensity to value something more than Jesus and following him? 

Feeling Life Deeply

• As you read Mark 5, with whom do you identify the most? 
• Knowledge and belief must go beyond factual (intellectual) and fantastic (experiential) belief.  Which way do you lean? 

Living with Courage

• Christ meets people at the blur (immediate, obvious needs) but takes them beyond to the Gospel (true knowledge and belief).  As we stand three weeks out from Good Friday/Easter, identify others’ obvious needs, meet them there and progress thoughtfully towards Jesus’ death and resurrection.
• How is your MC approaching the isolated,  outcast and unclean?