A Second Time

Week 3: Follow Me

Mark 1:14-20

Fellowship – Snacks or a Meal. (10 minutes with snacks; longer, obviously, if there is a meal)

Gathering Time (5-10 minutes). In pairs or groups of three, have each participant respond to the question, “How would you have responded to Jesus’ request to ‘Follow Me’?” (Fear; trepidation; asked others for help; joyfully joined; been paralyzed that you were asked; or something else.)

Group Dialogue (Approximately 30 minutes)

Read Mark 1:14-20.

• Work as a group to define “disciple.”
• What does it mean to follow Jesus? How are disciples called to be followers?
• What role does surrender play in the life of a disciple? What role does self-denial play in discipleship?
• Do you make a distinction between being a Christian and being a disciple? [Unfortunately, many see themselves as Christians, but are hesitant to see themselves as disciples.] Why might a person be reluctant to claim the label disciple, but not Christian? [To many, being a disciple seems loftier, more holy, more like Jesus than they are willing to give themselves credit for.]
• What holds you back from being more of a follower of Jesus? (Time, schedule, stage of life, fear of losing control, etc.)
• Look back to the study from the last two weeks. How does baptism become the launching point of our discipleship journey? How is the Lord’s Supper the nourishing meal of the discipleship journey? What might this say about the need to partake in the Lord’s Supper consistently? [We can take Communion weekly (or even daily). While baptism is a non-repeatable act, we can and are encouraged to participate in “Remembering Your Baptism” services.]

Prayer (10 minutes). Share prayer requests and respond appropriately.

Sending Forth (2 minutes). Ask for a volunteer to lead the group in prayer, or read the following prayer in unison: