Monday's with Mark 8/9/10

We started a new series @ SNL entitled Dear Galtians.

Create meaningful conversation with your students this week?

1. Have you ever read through the book of Galatians before? How do you think knowing some of the history of this book will help you understand where Paul is coming from when we he writes to the church in Galatia? (For example, it’s better to see a movie from the beginning so that you can understand the whole movie rather than starting in the middle.)

2. What was the main problem between the new believers at the church in Galatia? (Read Galatians 1:6-7.) Why was the issue of what to do with the law such a big deal? Why do you think Paul got so fired up when writing about the role of the old Jewish law?

3. Have you ever been around someone who takes something very simple and makes it a lot more difficult than it needs to be? (giving someone directions, trying to express their emotions)

4. Read Galatians 2:16b. We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it—and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good” (Galatians 2:16 MSG). Why do you think it is so easy for us to think rule-keeping is a way for us to get approved by God? Why is it so hard to simply believe that Jesus as Messiah is enough?

5. What are some rules people following Christ live by?

6. Have you ever thought about how when we try to get closer to God by following the rules, we lessen the value of what Jesus did on the cross? How is the value of the cross lessened by trying to earn acceptance with God?

7. Jesus is enough. Period. What are some things that we do that make it “Jesus and” something else when it comes to getting acceptance from God? Why do you think the simplicity of this truth is hard to believe?

8. What does it look like to live in such a way so that what Jesus did on the cross is enough? What does it look like to trust His sacrifice and not try to do anything to earn our forgiveness or to get in good with God?

CLOSING CHALLENGE:
Hand your student a blank index card and a marker. Then have them write on the card: JESUS +. Challenge them to think about what they personally add to the equation.

Over the next three weeks, encourage your student to read through the book of Galatians. Start off this week with asking them to read Galatians 1-2.