Opening prayer
Opening Question What do you hope to gain from studying this book?
Small Group Covenant
Read the italicized passages of Scripture in Chapter 1.
Questions
- Mark starts off his gospel with, “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” What is the significance of those words?
- What difference does it make if the Gospel of Mark “…is almost certainly the eyewitness testimony of Peter” (p. xiii)?
- Do you think that the Bible is a book that understands you? If yes, how? (see pp. xv-xvi)
- How does Mark’s account of the Baptism of Jesus point back to the creation of the world?
- Author Tim Keller notes that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are all present both at creation, and Jesus’ Baptism (which is the beginning of God’s project of redeeming the world). Then he asks “But why is it important that creation and redemption are both products of a Trinity, one God in three persons?” (p. 5) How would you answer his question?
- “You’re glorifying something when you find it beautiful for what it is in itself. Its beauty compels you to adore it, to have your imagination captured by it…. And when it’s a person you find beautiful in that way, you want to serve them unconditionally.” (pp. 6-7) What is the difference between serving someone unconditionally and serving someone because you get some benefit from it or because it meets a need you have?
- Describe the relationship the Father, the Son and the Spirit have with each other. (see pp. 7-8)
- Who God is has huge implications for the meaning and purpose of human life. What difference does it make to the meaning and purpose of life to have a God of three persons dancing around each other in mutual self-giving love? (see pp. 9-10)
- If we enter the divine dance with the Trinity, we immediately enter a battleground. Describe that battleground.
- Adam and Eve did not obey God about the tree. Jesus did. What difference does that make to us in our battleground?
Closing Prayer
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James Paulgaard
James, I am hoping to lead a study on the King’s Cross starting mid January and would love to use your questions if that’s okay with you. Do you plan on posting study questions for the remaining chapters?
Hope that you have a blessed and peaceful Christmas season!
Dave
Hi Dave,
Please go ahead and use my questions for King’s Cross. We will be restarting our book club on Jan 26 and I will be posting questions on the rest of the chapters as we work our way through the rest of the book.
May God richly bless you in 2012!
James
James,
Thanks very much. Looking forward to the study. Your work on posting questions is very much appreciated.
Blessings,
Dave
Our women’s Bible study group has just started King’s Cross, a wonderful study–but with no “study questions” in the back. So, as the designated discussion leader, I am most thankful for your great discussion guidance. Everyone asked (at our first session) about you, so you may get some new readers. And we are hoping that you will post questions for the second half of the book! Thanks so much from our group in Albuquerque, NM.
Hi Jane,
You are welcome! I’m glad that the study questions are helpful to you and your group! Our book club is now going through the second half of King’s Cross, so the rest of the study questions will be coming soon.
I know that our book club is very appreciative of the writing of Tim Keller.
Peace,
James