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Friday, February 5, 2016

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (2/7/16)

Scripture
Mark 8:27-38 (ESV)  
And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" [28] And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets." [29] And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." [30] And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. [31] And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. [32] And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. [33] But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." [34] And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [35] For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. [36] For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? [37] For what can a man give in return for his life? [38] For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Questions for Reflection
1. What did Jesus ask His disciples? (8:27)
2. What did people theorize about Jesus? (8:27-28)
3. How did the disciples respond to Jesus’ question? (8:28)
4. How had people connected Jesus with Elijah, John the Baptist, and other prophets? (8:28)
5. What was Peter’s declaration of faith? (8:29)
6. Who do you say Jesus is?
7. How do your beliefs go against the flow of the majority in our world?
8. Why is it important for a Christian not to hide his or her faith in Christ?