SERMON RECAP
This week, we began the King Jesus series by looking at Mark 1:1–15 and asking a foundational question: Who is Jesus, really? Mark opens his Gospel by showing that Jesus is not just a teacher, prophet, or moral example. He is the Christ, the Son of God, the long-awaited King, and the fulfillment of God’s plan from the beginning. In Jesus, all the hopes of the Old Testament come together. He is the One who came not only to save us from sin, but to reveal what God is truly like.
The sermon invited us to examine our mental image of God. Many of us drift into seeing God through fear, disappointment, or self-centered expectations. But Jesus shows us a different kind of King—one who is trustworthy, self-giving, and full of love. He calls us to repent, believe the gospel, and step out of a life centered on self into a life centered on him. As we place Jesus at the center, we begin to find the healing, freedom, and wholeness we were made for.
SCRIPTURE
Mark 1:1–15, Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1, Exodus 23:20, Psalm 2, Isaiah 64:1, Genesis 1, John 8:31–32, John 17, John 16, Philippians 2:5–11
HOW TO USE THIS DISCUSSION GUIDE
As you lead the discussion, we follow a discipleship framework that helps move us from learning to transformation:
Head → Heart → Hands → Share → Check-In
Leader Reminder: There are multiple questions in each section. Leaders should prepare ahead of time and use discernment to choose the questions that best serve their group. The goal of this discussion is not just conversation but transformation. Encourage participation, honesty, and practical obedience.
ICE BREAKER
- What is one thing you used to think was huge or important, but now see very differently?
- Have you ever had a first impression of someone that turned out to be completely wrong?
- When you hear the word “king,” what kind of picture comes to mind?
HEAD
What does the scripture show?
- In Mark 1:1–15, what details reveal who Jesus is? How does his baptism help us better understand the nature and character of God?
- In the wilderness, what did the temptations challenge Jesus to do? How did he respond?
- What are the first words Jesus speaks in Mark’s Gospel? What is he proclaiming and what does it mean to “repent and believe” in response to the good news?
HEART
What do we believe?
- The sermon challenged us to consider our mental image of God. What false or incomplete views of God’s character do you find yourself believing?
- Where do you feel the tension between living for yourself and surrendering to Jesus as King? What fears or expectations make that surrender difficult?
- How does seeing who Jesus truly is change the way you respond to him? What do you think will happen if you respond in trust and fully center your life around him?
HANDS
Practice Together in Community
- What is one area of your life right now where Jesus is inviting you to reorient your life around him?
- What is one relationship where God is inviting you to shift from “me-centered” to “Jesus-centered”? What specific step will you take this week to live that out?
- What do you need from the group right now—prayer, encouragement, wisdom, or accountability?
SHARE: MISSION
Living Out the Message This Week
Intercede
- Who is one person you will pray for every day this week? Say their name out loud in the group.
- What is one specific request you will bring to God on their behalf?
Share (Mission & Obedience — Individual)
- Who will you share this takeaway with this week?
- Ask God for one opportunity this week to pray for someone in real time.
Action Steps
- Complete this sentence: “This week, I will live out this sermon by __________.”
- Continue to use the King Jesus Devotional to read carefully, understand faithfully, and respond personally to this week’s chapter in the Gospel of Mark.
NEXT WEEK CHECK-IN
- Encourage the group to return next week ready to share how they practiced the HANDS step and how they lived out the SHARE: MISSION step.
- Ask, what is one takeaway from your study of this past week’s chapter in Mark?
PRAYER
- Pray that God would reveal distorted views of who he is and help us see him more clearly.
- Pray for grace to repent of self-centered living and to trust Jesus as the true King.
- Pray that our church would become a people who joyfully orbit around Jesus and reflect his love to the world.