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.
Join our Bible reading plan
Join us in following the life of Jesus as we read through the Gospel of Mark together as a community. Click the button below to join the Bible reading plan in the YouVersion Bible App.
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?