Keys to the Kingdom (Week 7)
In our series Keys to the Kingdom: The Secret Language of the Parables, we’re exploring Jesus’s teachings—hidden in story form—found in the gospel according to Mark.
Icebreaker: What's a place, building, or landmark that has left you in awe? Why do you think impressive structures have such a powerful effect on us?
Read Mark 13:1-13.
1. Jesus tells His disciples not to put their confidence in the temple, even though it represented God's presence for generations. What does this reveal about how God was reshaping His relationship with His people through Jesus?
2. Mark 13 is less about predicting the end of the world and more about preparing the disciples for the birth of the Church. How does viewing this passage through that lens change your understanding of God's work in history? What does it reveal about His purposes?
3. Jesus tells His disciples that suffering, opposition, and apparent failure will actually accompany the spread of the gospel. Why do you think God so often advances His kingdom through weakness and perseverance rather than power and influence? Where else do you see this pattern in Scripture?
4. The destruction of the temple marked a shift from God's presence being centered in a place to God's presence dwelling in Christ and His people through the Holy Spirit. How should that truth shape the Church's mission today? In what ways can we unintentionally act as though God's work depends on buildings, programs, or institutions?
Read Mark 13:28-31.
5. Jesus reminds His followers that while kingdoms, institutions, and even temples will pass away, His words endure forever. Where are you most tempted to place your confidence in something temporary?
6. What would it look like to place your hope more fully in the work Christ is accomplishing through His kingdom? How important is it to depend on God rather than on wordly institutions and power?
7. Jesus repeatedly contrasts the values of the kingdom of God with the values of the world. What patterns do you notice? What seems to matter most to God, and how does that differ from what people typically value?
(*Video available after Sunday services)
