The Story & Way of Jesus: Authority, Demons, & Kingdom Living (09.20.21)
Processing and responding to the Sunday sermon
Opening Prayer
After the group welcomes one another, have one person open in prayer and then take 2-3 minutes of silence. As you sit in silence, ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart in love toward God and your group mates.
Spiritual Authority
On Sunday, Eugene Cho guest preached from Mark 1:21-34. He encouraged us to recognize the authority of Jesus and walk in the authority Christ has given His disciples.
Walking in this spiritual authority like Jesus did means that we respond to the spiritual needs of those around us, such as engaging the ministries of evangelism, healing, and even demonic deliverance. This ministry to spiritual needs must be coupled with care for physical needs—such as food, housing, and other dimension of social justice.
This week’s guide will provide space to dig in further, prayerfully process, and then discuss the sermon.
Reflection and Discussion
Read aloud Mark 1:21-34, and then prayerfully and silently reflect on the passage and these questions.
- Eugene offered a set of questions for keeping our spiritual authority aligned with Jesus, and he encouraged regularly returning to them for honest self-assessment, which we will reflect on today:
- Identity: Who do you belong to?
- Lordship: Who do you serve?
- Mission: What are you about?
- Where do you find yourself more reluctant or more willing to serve: serving people’s spiritual needs through praying with them, sharing about Jesus, and so on or their physical needs through spending time, money, and energy on those who need help.
After silently reflecting, take these thoughts into a time of group discussion.
- What do you believe appropriately exercising spiritual authority looks like for you as a follower of Jesus?
- How do you believe God might be calling you into more as you balance serving the spiritual and physical needs of people?
Closing Intercession
Pray for your group, our church, our city, and our world.