The Way of Jesus
After our Streams in the Wilderness series, we’ve awakened a hunger for the river of God—His Spirit’s presence and power at work in the world today. In The Way of Jesus we are taking a close look at the kind of life that can carry that river, and this is found supremely the life of Jesus Christ.
We are anchoring this series in Gospel of Mark because it gives us a clear, unfiltered picture of Jesus. Not just what He did but how He lived. In Mark we see urgency without hurry, authority without striving and real power found in a deep connection with the Father. Jesus becomes our benchmark for the kind of life that carries the Kingdom River of God.
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VIDEOS AND LIFE GROUP RESOURCES:
Week 1: 'with him', then 'for him'
This weekend we started our series, ‘The Way of Jesus’. Here is what we can cover in Life Group.
17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him…
Mark 1:17-18
The Life that Carries the River
The past few Sundays have been momentous for us as a church. We celebrated our first One Sunday to honour and celebrate the 26 years of Marcus and Adele leading the Cornerstone Church eldership team. We then celebrated the handover of leadership to Craig and Taryn at our second One Sunday. This was not a passing on of the baton but rather a passing on of a flaming torch, carrying the prophecies and promises that God has made over Cornerstone church. Take some time in your group to celebrate this moment and emphasise the need to keep praying and moving forward in unity. God has a greater inheritance for us as His church.
This past Sunday we began our new series, ‘The Way of Jesus’. Through this series we will spend time reading portions out of the Gospel of Mark. We completed preaching on the River of God, but now the question we need to ask is what is the life that carries this river? For us to become such people who carry the river of God in us and through us, we need to be a people are with Jesus before we are for Jesus. The passages to focus on are Mark 1:1-20 and 3:13-15.
Mark begins this Gospel identifying that Jesus has come and that He is the King. We then see Jesus inviting people to follow Him, and those who became His disciples, responded immediately. The response from us to Jesus needs to be immediate obedience. But note the order of response: follow Jesus first before we mare made, commissioned, sent out by Him. We are to be a people are with Him before being a people who do things for Him.
A life that carries the river has alignment before activity. Through repentance, we choose God, to follow Him, to belong to Him. We then find our identity before our assignment. We are to have relationship with God before mission. We are often building lives that are busy and full, unconsciously idolising ‘being productive’, but that often leads us to living lives that are disconnected, shallow, and reactive, constantly responding to whatever loudly demands our attention. And then we wonder why we don’t carry the presence of God. We can even be ‘busy for Jesus’ and empty of the Holy Spirit.
So how should we respond? 1. Stop doing stuff for Jesus without first being with Jesus. Activity is not intimacy. 2. Reorder your life around presence, not performance. Take intentional time to pause and take practical steps to create space and build margin into your life in ways that are sustainable. 3. Respond immediately, not later when it’s convenient. Delayed obedience is still disobedience.
Before we are sent by Jesus, we are invited to be with Him. The King has arrived, and He’s calling us – not to start by doing something for Him… but to be with Him. The river doesn’t flow through people who are busy for Jesus if they are not first with Jesus.
1. Have you found yourself getting caught up being busy for the King that you have forgotten intimacy with the King? How can we get the order right: intimacy with Jesus first?
2. Our identity in Jesus is key. Do you see yourself as a child of God or only a servant to the King?
3. Below is a reading plan that you can work through as we read through the Gospel of Mark. Take time in the coming life group gatherings to chat through the scriptures read. This is a 55-day plan which will coincide with the series.
Week 2: THE HIDDEN LIFE
This weekend we continued our series, ‘The Way of Jesus’. Here is what we can cover in Life Group.
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
Mark 1:35
The Life that Carries the River: The Hidden Life
This week we continued looking at the Way of Jesus, reading through the Gospel of Mark. The key passages for this week came from Mark 1:21-39 and 2:1-12. We are wanting to learn how we are to live in order for us to be people who live with the River of God flowing in us and then flowing through us. Jesus is our perfect example. How did Jesus live which allowed the river of life to flow through Him and then how can we do the same?
It is evident from the onset of Jesus’ ministry that He displayed great power and authority. In Mark, the passages reveal that Jesus has authority in His teaching, He has authority over spiritual enemies, He has authority to heal people, and He even has authority to forgive sins. The people immediately saw this authority through what they heard Him say and then what He did. Jesus shows how we are to preach, teach and demonstrate the Kingdom of God.
But a key question is what is the source of Jesus’ authority? Yes, He is God, but we learn something important from Jesus. Jesus would prioritise intimacy, relationship, time with the Father above the growing need to minister. The crowds grew in number and in demand to see Jesus, and Jesus did minister over the many who came to Him. But in Mark 1:35, in the midst of busyness, it says, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Here is our priority. We so often respond to growing demands by making ourselves busier, creating more events, filling our calendar at the expense of more time with God. Jesus doesn’t allow that. He prioritises time with the Father and it is from that time, from that place, from that relationship that He continues to show power and authority.
This needs to be our approach and desire. Public authority must flow from private intimacy, we must be rooted in God before having rushed lives and we must handle public demand by being anchored in private devotion. Some practical responses would be to make time each day to spend in prayer with God. Find some of your best time in the day to speak to God, listen to Him, to read the Bible. Try start a Bible reading plan, try to journal in these times with God, and have times when you sing worship songs. God desires us to prioritise time with Him, in the midst of the busy season and the growing demand. Jesus had this time with the Father. So should we. From this place we can impact the world with God’s power and authority.
1. How do you respond when life gets busy and when demands grow? What gets priority and what gets put aside?
2. What are your quiet times with God like? What do you find easy or difficult?
3. What are some of the changes you can make to make quality time with God a priority?
Week 3: Called, not comfortable
This weekend we continued our series, ‘The Way of Jesus’. Here is what we can cover in Life Group.
14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.
Mark 2:14-15
The Life that Carries the River: Called, Not Comfortable
Our series thus far revealed in Week 1: Before Jesus sends you, He calls you to be with Him. Week 2: Jesus made room – His authority flowed from His intimacy with the Father. This week we ask: What happens when you actually follow Him? Following Jesus is not only about being with Him or making room for Him. Being called by Jesus will disrupt your life. Jesus calls ordinary people and disrupts everything comfortable about their lives. Our reading was from Mark 2:13-3:6.
We read in these chapters how Jesus called Matthew (Levi). Levi was called to follow Jesus into a life of lasting significance for the Kingdom of God. This former tax collector was called out of a life set on accumulating personal wealth and comfort at the expense of others. When Jesus called him, he abandoned the source of his wealth, traded his secure and comfortable position for a life of hardship, travelling ministry, including writing his own version of the life of Jesus, the Gospel of Matthew, and ultimately even martyrdom. In the same way, Jesus calls us, but not into comfort, but rather out of comfort.
Following Jesus will change your environment, your relationships, and your reputation. Jesus is not concerned with staying comfortable – He is concerned with reaching people. The religious leaders felt uncomfortable with Jesus’ ministry. Religion creates distance from ‘the wrong sort of people’ but Jesus moves towards people. If your whole life does not change when you start following Jesus, you might not actually be following Him!
Religious people love structure, control, rules, and predictability. But Jesus breaks expectations, redefines rhythms, and confronts empty religion. It is possible to be close to Jesus and see what He’s doing and still resist Him and keep our hearts hard. Following Jesus is not meant to be comfortable, predictable, or safe for our reputation. Following Jesus will challenge our personal preferences and our reputation.
Are we willing to ask this question? “Where is Jesus calling me that makes me uncomfortable?” Here are some ways that we should respond. Respond immediately. Allow Jesus to redefine your circles. Allow Jesus to disrupt your preferences. If we want to be those who carry the river we can’t build comfortable lives, we have to build surrendered ones.
1. Does the call to be willing to leave comfort for Jesus make you feel uncomfortable? Why?
2. Knowing the promises of Jesus, the faithfulness He shows, and His unconditional love, don’t you think that following after Him, despite the change that brings, would be worth it all?
3. How has Jesus already changed your life thus far? Are there changes you know He is calling you to make now? How should you respond?
Week 4: Interruptible, not Distracted
This weekend we continued our series, ‘The Way of Jesus’. Here is what we can cover in Life Group.
35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”
Mark 5:35-36
The Way of Jesus: Interruptible, not distracted
Our series thus far has covered:
Week 1: Spend time actually being with Jesus before you start doing things for Him.
Week 2: Make room – your private life sustains your public life.
Week 3: Following Jesus will disrupt your comfort.
This week we ask: What happens when life gets busy and full of urgent demands? This is where most people lose something, not belief or calling, but being caught up in distraction. Our reading comes from Mark 5:21-43.
Jesus is responding to a desperate plea from Jairus asking Jesus to come and heal his daughter. Jesus agrees and on the journey He is surrounded by a great crowd, all wanting Jesus’ time and attention. In the crowd is another desperate person, a woman who has struggled with an issue of blood for 12 years with no hope or resolution for healing. Jesus is responding to an urgent call for help, this is a high-pressure moment, and then there is this interruption. Jesus stops in the middle of the pressure and urgency of responding to the needs of a panicked father and a dying child, he slows down, and gives time to the woman interrupting him. He searched for her in the crowd (v32), and engages with her personally – restoring her dignity (due to her issue with blood she was considered unclean).
If every moment is already full, there’s no room for anything God wants to do right in front of us. Most of us don’t lack desire, we lack margin. We want to be present, want to hear God, to respond, to be led by the Spirit, but our lives are already full before God even starts to move. Interruptions are not always distractions. Sometimes the interruptions are the ‘God moments’. Are we too busy to notice?
Margin is the space we intentionally create in our lives to be with God and to be available for what He wants to do. Margin is not just having free time, it’s having available space in our minds and souls, to be led by the Spirit. Jesus was not worried that He’d missed out on being able to help Jairus’ daughter because He had stopped to spend some time with a woman who needed healing and restoration. Jesus knew what His Father would have Him do every step of the way! He knew where His authority was. It wasn’t in His busyness but in His being rooted in the Father.
Distraction keeps us busy – being lead by the Spirit makes us effective. We don’t have to rush to fulfil God’s purposes – we only have to stay in step with Him. Jesus was already on His way to do something important when He stopped for someone in need right in front of Him. In that moment, we see the kind of life that can carry the Kingdom. Cornerstone, if we want to carry the river, we can’t live distracted lives.
Some applications would be: Value people over productivity, slow down enough to see what God is doing, and create intentional margin in our lives so that we can be interruptible.
1. Do you find yourself feeling so busy that you could easily miss the interruptions in life, even the ones from God?
2. How can you create margins in your life so that you can be interruptible?
Week 5: Who is this man?
This weekend we continued our series, ‘The Way of Jesus’. Here is what we can cover in Life Group.
And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Mark 4:41
The Way of Jesus: Who is this Man?
We’ve been looking at what it means to build a life that can carry the river of God: A life that is present with Jesus, that has margin, that’s willing to be disrupted, and is present in the moment. Now we hit the real question: What happens when life doesn’t go the way we expect? This is where our formation and our ability to be led by the Spirit is tested. Our reading this week was from Mark 4:35-5:20 and Mark 6:1-6:6.
In these stories in Mark we see Jesus revealing His power over the natural forces of creation, over evil spirits, over chronic sickness, and even over death itself. And we also see how different people respond. Some struggle to believe and respond with fear, or with familiarity and offence, but some respond with faith. In Mark 4:35, just before Jesus got into the boat with His disciples, Jesus said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” It was the same voice that said, “Peace! Be still!” to the storm who also said, “Let us go across to the other side” before they even got into the boat. Fear asks, “What if?” What if they never make it to the other side? What if the storm is too great to handle? What if the boat gets destroyed and they all drown in the waves? When the storm hits, faith answers the question, “Who is this man?” – He is God Almighty!
In Mark 5:1-13 we read how Jesus heals a man who had been suffering under the influence of a great number of unclean spirits. You would expect that the people of the town would be amazed and grateful when they hear the news, but instead they react with fear.
In Mark 6:1–6, when Jesus ministered in His hometown, the people had unbelief. The people took offence at him because they thought they knew Him. They had become too familiar with Jesus and missed the power He had. The issue is often not your storm, your struggle, or whatever your situation is. The real issue is who you believe Jesus really is! We need to ask: Where are we letting fear or familiarity shape our response instead of faith?
Last week we saw how two people’s worlds were changed when they reached out to Jesus in faith and they saw who He is. So how should we respond? Shift your focus from your situation onto Jesus. Don’t let familiarity replace faith. Stay surrendered to Jesus. Choose trust before understanding. Faith knows who Jesus is, and when you know who He is, everything changes!
1. Have you faced situations in your life that have felt like storms? How did you respond and how did you view Jesus in those moments?
2. Have you had times where you forget who Jesus is (who He truly is) due to taking Him for granted?
3. What can you do to know Jesus more, a knowing that helps you place your faith in Him?
Week 6: When your soul gets dull
This weekend we continued our series, ‘The Way of Jesus’. Here is what we can cover in Life Group.
51 “They were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.”
Mark 6:51-52
The Way of Jesus: When your soul gets dull
This past Sunday we looked at two passages from Mark (Mark 6:45-52 and 8:14-21) and asked the question: Why do we drift away from Jesus, even after we’ve seen Jesus move? Drift, by definition, doesn’t happen suddenly. It happens slowly, quietly, and internally.
In Mark 6:51-52, describing the disciples, it says, “51 They were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.” The disciples saw what Jesus did but still they didn’t see. They saw Jesus’ miracles, heard His teaching, walked with Him, and experienced His miraculous provision, but they needed to see Jesus for who He is, and to keep on in faith, they would need to remember the many things Jesus did before. They were utterly astounded by the things they saw, but despite all this, their hearts were hardened. Being exposed to Jesus is not the same as allowing ourselves to be formed by Jesus.
The second passage occurs after Jesus’ second great miracle of provision, the feeding of the 4000. The disciples start worrying about not having brought any bread with them, even after they’d literally just seen Jesus miraculously provide enough bread to feed thousands, for a second time! They are with Jesus, hearing Him, and seeing His miracles but spiritually they’re just not perceiving or understanding. A dull heart is not always rebellious, it’s often just distracted. The disciples were more concerned with their immediate need for food than they were for what Jesus was trying to show them.
Today, we live in a time where we are constantly being bombarded for our attention: pressures of time, attachment to technology, the pressure to fill our lives with things and events. And when our lives are full of noise, our hearts can lose sensitivity. The result is that we can stop noticing God, and stop responding quickly to Him. We lose our spiritual sharpness and responsiveness and we begin to drift.
The disciples were still self-reliant, thinking that they were ultimately responsible for their own provision and preoccupied with their immediate need. They may have forgotten to bring bread with them, but what mattered far more was that they had forgotten who Jesus is and all that He had already done! Thankfulness looks back at the faithfulness of God in the past and acknowledges that He is the one who is ultimately in control. He is the one who saves us. He is the one who guides, and He is the one who provides.
Some applications to take on: Slow down and pay attention, noticing what God is doing. Remove unnecessary noise, for not everything deserves your attention. Practice remembering, recalling God’s faithfulness. Bring your requests to God, by placing your faith in His faithfulness. Place your dependance on His dependability.
1. Do you feel that your life has become so busy and demanding that you can miss seeing what God is doing and even asking of you to do? What changes can you make?
2. How can you keep on remembering who Jesus is, what He has done, so that you can keep depending on Him in your present situations?
3. Take time to share some testimonies or recall times that Jesus did incredible things your life. Off of that take time to give Him thanks for who He is, for all He has done, and what He will still do.
Week 7: THE COST OF A FORMED LIFE
This weekend we continued our series, ‘The Way of Jesus’. Here is what we can cover in Life Group.
And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”
Mark 8:29
The Way of Jesus: The Cost of a Formed Life
From the start of this series in Mark we’ve been on a journey: First, be with Jesus → make room → leave comfort → stay present → trust Him → stay attentive. Now we arrive at the question that we have been building toward: What will it actually cost to follow Him? We need to come to the decision to surrender our lives to follow Him as our King and follow His Kingdom, surrendering our lives to Him. To do this, we need to have a clear vision and understanding of who Jesus is. In our next passage, Jesus helps His disciples grow from being blind to seeing Jesus more for who He truly is. The same must happen with us. Our reading was from Mark 8:22-9:29.
Jesus begins by healing a blind man. He first can only see in part but then can see clearly. The lesson Jesus is displaying is how the disciples (and others) are blind to who He truly is. But gradually they start to see who He truly is. But Jesus doesn’t want to be partially known. He wants to be clearly known.
He then asks the disciples who others say He is and then who do the disciples see Him to be. What do you see, is the key question. Peter, given revelation from the Father, proclaims that Jesus is the Messiah. Peter is commended, however he still only sees in part, despite his great revelation. We see this when Jesus reveals that the Messiah (Jesus, Himself) must suffer, be killed and then rise again. Peter declares that he would not allow this to happen. Peter is ultimately saying that he will not allow Jesus to die on the cross (not realising that this desire would prevent salvation). Jesus rebukes Peter. He still only sees in part.
Shortly after this, Jesus takes Peter, along with James and John high up a mountain and there Jesus is transfigured and His glory is revealed. The three disciples are terrified and in awe and wonder. They see more of who Jesus is. But they still don’t understand that He must suffer, die, and resurrect. They are on a journey of discovering Jesus. And so are we. We are called by Jesus to lay down our lives to Him, to deny ourselves and live for Jesus. It is in this place that we find our life. Jesus is revealing who He is so that we can trust Him with all of who we are. We can surrender to Him and follow Him, with all of our lives.
Cornerstone, if we want to carry the river we have to take up Jesus’ invitation to lay down our lives! Jesus didn’t just come to be admired, He came to be followed. Following Him means denying ourselves, taking up your cross, and surrendering control.
1. Jesus asks, “who do YOU say that I am?” What would your answer be?
2. How can you grow to know Jesus more clearly and intimately?
3. What are some of the things in your life that you need to surrender to Jesus?