Glencairn Church

Going Deeper is designed for use with your small group, a friend, or on your own. Its aim is to create time for you to spend with God and his word. Do as much or as little as you like.

1. Pray for the needs of your Life Group, for our church and our leaders, for personal and corporate renewal, and to allow God’s word to transform us. Share a recent entry from your Life Journal with the group.

2. Mark’s gospel begins with Jesus announcing the Kingdom of God has come near, and now in chapter 4, Jesus provides several parables in a row to help us understand this kingdom. What thoughts or questions did the message raise for you? Which ones, encouraged you or posed a challenge to you?

3. What do you think of when you hear the phrase, the “Kingdom of God”? How has your view and understanding of God’s kingdom evolved over the course of your spiritual journey? How would you describe the kingdom of God to someone who’s not a believer?

4. Read Mark 4:1-20. What is the first word Jesus speaks in this parable? Count how many times the word “listen”, “hear” or “ear” shows up. Jesus is preparing us to receive the parables about the Kingdom of God. Can you identify some of the rocks, weeds, or hard ground, that prevents you from hearing? What are the benefits of hearing?

5. Read Mark 4:21-25. What does the lamp represent? What does Jesus mean in v24-25? The Kingdom of God has some surprises – Read Matthew 19:28-30; 23:11-12. How have you seen or experienced the upside-down nature of the kingdom? Can you think of other verses that illustrate this dynamic? (Hint: think about the Sermon on the Mount, or the Suffering Servant in Isaiah).

6. Read Mark 4:26-29. This parable is unique to Mark. How is the growth of the kingdom described? How would you apply this principle to a church, like Glencairn? What encouragement do you receive from this description of the kingdom?

7. Read Mark 4:30-32; Dan 4:10,21; Eze 17:22-24; 31:1-9. Descriptions of a great tree often point to a great kingdom. The term axis mundi has been applied to these trees since they represent the connection between Heaven and Earth. What are other examples in Scripture that point to this connection? (Hint: think of things that reach up and have spiritual significance). Why is it important to see God’s Salvation as a Kingdom? In the message it was stated that “God’s salvation is not just about you, but about the world” and “God’s Salvation is not about you – it’s about God.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?

8. Take a moment of silence to consider how God is speaking to you. Is He asking you to make changes or to do something new? What concrete steps of response do you want to take? How can your group support you in these steps?