Paul's Gospel: Look back from week 8 (Romans 7:7-25)

The Gospel According to Paul: Romans 7:7-25

Study Questions:

Understanding Sin

1. Purpose of Law (vs. 7)

               *If it weren’t for the law, my sin nature would not have been _____________________ to me.

2. Perversion of Sin (vs. 8)

               *Sin sought an ____________________  through the law to distort and misrepresent it.

3. Penalty of Sin (vs. 9-12)

               *Because of sin, the very law which promised me life proved to be __________ to me.

4. Proclamation of Sin (vs. 13)

               *The law did not produce death in me; it was __________ which produced it.

5. Power of Sin (vs. 14-16)

               *The power of sin is evident in that my __________ is sold under it.

6. Place of Sin (vs. 17-20)

               *Sin is in my ____________ , or the seat of my passions and desires.

7. Pitfalls of Sin (vs. 21-24)

               *A major difficulty in being sold under sin is my _______________ with it, causing a war within my heart and mind between my new spiritual and old sin natures.

8. Passing Away of Sin (vs. 25)

               *Thanks be to Jesus Christ who _____________ me from the body of death, ruled and controlled by sin.

*Point to learn: Sin is a powerful, influential tool of the enemy which fuels his economy of death and fear.  With the defeat of sin through Jesus’ atonement, we have victory over the devil, sin, and ultimately death. 

Word Bank: Heart, Opportunity, Sin, Apparent, Death, Relationship, Flesh, Delivers

Paul's Gospel: Look back from week 7 (Romans 6:15-7:6)

The Gospel According to Paul: Romans 6:15-7:6

Study Questions:

I. The long lost memory of sin. (vs. 15-18)

               1. Should we continue in sin because we are no longer under the law? Yes or no?

               2. Why not?  (2 reasons):

                              A. Because You are slave to whichever master you __________ .

                              B. Because we who are in Christ have committed ourselves to obey the _______________ of God.

               3. Sin leads to ____________ while ______________ leads to righteousness.

*Point to learn: The power of sin in our lives: its dominion, its rule, its influence, should become for us like a long lost memory, because the further away we get from it, the smaller space it takes up in our minds and actions.

Word bank: Obedience, Righteousness, Obey, Death

Join us Sundays as we continue to unpack the rich theological framework of the Gospel according to Paul.

II. Freedom from the law does not mean we are lawless.  (vs. 19-23)

               1. For nonbelievers, freedom from the law leads to more ____________________ .

               2. For believers, freedom from the law leads to ___________________ .

               3. To sanctify something is to set it _________ for special use.

               4. While the wages of our sin is death, the gift of God is ______________ life through Jesus.

*Point to learn: When we were slaves to sin, we didn’t care for the things of God.  But now that we are slaves to God, He is busy separating us from sin and making us holy.

Word bank: Sanctification, Eternal, Lawlessness, Apart

III. Release from the law does not mean we are anonymous. (vs. 7:1-6)

               1. Just as the death of a husband frees the wife from the law which binds them, death to the law frees the believer from its ________________ .

               2. When a death happens in a marriage, the law which makes marriage to another wrong is no longer __________________ .  Similarly, when a person dies with Christ, the law is not binding on him anymore.

               3. God has saved us in order that we produce __________ .

*Point to learn: Now that we are in Christ, we no longer hide behind the law.  We are not bound to it any longer, so we live openly before God and the world.  We cannot claim Christ and not live for Him; we seek to produce fruit while being continually sanctified.

Word Bank: Requirements, Fruit, Binding 

Paul's Gospel: Look back from week 6 (Romans 6:1-14)

The Gospel According to Paul: Romans 6:1-14

Study Questions:

I. The death of sin. (vs. 1-4)

               1. If grace abounds all the more in sin, should we then continue in sin so that we see God’s grace all the more? Yes or No

               2. Why not?  (2 reasons):

                              A. Because a new birth implies a new ___________ .

                              B. Because baptism into Christ indicates death to __________ .

               3. Christians should be defined by _____________ of life.

*Point to learn: So many, while claiming an identity with Christ, are really identified by things of the world.  Not necessarily sinful things like work, leisure, and hobbies can become idols in our lives when we place them above Christ.

Word bank: Newness, No, Sin, Life

II. The declaration of life.  (vs. 5-11)

               1. ___________ with Chris is all encompassing.

                              A. If we are united with Christ in a death like His, we shall surely be united with Him in a ______________ like His.

               2. Unity with Christ is _______________ .

                              A. Freedom in Christ is accomplished by ____________ to self and to sin’s _____________.

               3. Unity with Christ is ________________ .

                              A. Death no longer has ___________ over Christ, and therefore, us.

*Point to learn: Paul personifies sin in this chapter, seeking to show us its powerful influence and mastery over us.  However, in the power of Christ we render sin and death pointless and its control over us powerless.

Word bank: Life, Unity, Power, Liberating, Death, Dominion

III. The definition of ‘dead to sin and alive to Christ.’ (vs. 11-14)

               1. Being dead to sin means I don’t allow sin to __________  in my body and mind.

                              A. When sin reigns, we obey its ____________ .

               2. Being dead to sin means I don’t present my body as an _______________ of sin.

                              A. When sin reigns, our bodies become a weapon in the _________ against God.

               3. Being dead to sin means I don’t allow the ________ to lead.

                              A. When the law leads us, we live and die to God according to our own ___________ to the whole law.

*Point to learn: Being dead to sin means I give no provision for it, I don’t indulge in it, and I surely don’t try to manage it.  I slay it, and seek God’s rule and reign in my body and mind through the Holy Spirit.

Word Bank: Instrument, Obedience, Reign, Passions, Law, War

Paul's Gospel: Look back from week 5 (Romans 5 part 2)

The Gospel According to Paul: Romans 5:12-21

Study Questions:

I. When sin ruled. (vs. 12-14)

               1. The _________ of sin’s rule.

                              A. Although God created everything and it was good, man rebelled against God’s direct command to not touch or eat the fruit and therefore sin entered into man’s heart and into the world. (Genesis 1:31; 2:16-17; 3:19)

              

               3. The severity of sin’s rule.

                              A. Jesus said that if we sin, we are ________ to sin. (John 8:34)

               4. The consequence of sin’s rule.

                              A. The Spiritual Transitive Property: (vs. 12)  “If sin brings death, and Adam died, then we will _____ because we are also sinners.”                              

                              B. Because of sin, we die, both physically as well as _____________ .

*Point to learn: Our sin did not stop when the law became knowledgeable to us, but it actually became more apparent.  Sin has reigned since the fall of man, however just as it has displayed its dominion, grace proved its demise.

Word bank: Die, Origin, Spiritually, Slaves

II. When grace conquered sin.  (vs. 15-17)

               1. 2 comparisons of the ‘trespass’ and the ‘free gift’:

                              A. Different natures.  The trespass is defined by death, while the free gift is defined by _______ . (vs. 15)

                                             i. Adam --> sin --> many _________ .

                                             ii. Jesus --> free gift --> many_________ .

                              B. Different results.  The trespass brings condemnation, while the free gift brings ____________ .  (vs. 16)

                                             i. One trespass --> judgment --> ____________ .

                                             ii. Many trespasses --> free gift --> judgment --> justification.

                              C. Adam, defined by the trespass, can only offer death.  Christ, defined by the free gift of righteousness, offers ________ .

*Point to learn: Through Christ, grace conquered sin.  It, along with its executioner death, is powerless to those who trust in Christ for righteousness.

Word bank: Life; Die; Live; Condemnation; Justification; Life

III. How Second Adam (Christ) is better than First Adam. (vs. 18-21)

               1. Adam and Christ are both heads of man, representing different __________ with God.

               2. Christ offers ___________ . (vs. 18)

                              A. Christ provides what Adam could not – justification and life.

               3. Christ offers ___________ . (vs. 19)

                              A. Christ protects us from the holy wrath of God, and from sin and death’s dominion. 

               4. Christ offers ___________ . (vs. 20-21)

                              A. Christ’s paradise includes eternal life with Him in heaven for eternity.

*Point to learn: From John Piper, “It’s the singularity of Christ and His grace and righteousness that Paul wants us to see and savor.”

Word Bank: Protection; Covenants; Paradise; Provision

Paul’s Gospel: Look back from week 4 (Romans 5 part 1)

The Gospel According to Paul: Romans 5:1-11

Study Questions:

I. In Christ, we have: (vs. 1-2)

               1. We have __________  with God. (vs. 1)

               2. To say that we now have peace with God would imply that we were once ____________ . (vs. 10)

               3. We have __________  to God’s grace. (vs. 2)

Join us on Sundays as we continue to walk through the Gospel according to Paul.

               4. In order to have peace with God, we must be justified by faith.  What does it mean to be justified before God?  To be declared _____________ .  

Answer Key: Enemies, Righteous, Peace, Access

II. In Christ, we rejoice in: (vs. 2-5)

               1. We rejoice in the hope of the ___________ of God. (vs. 2)

               2. We rejoice in our ____________ . (vs. 3)

               3. Why do we rejoice in our sufferings?  Because our sufferings produce ____________ , which produces ____________ , which produces _____________ . (vs. 3-4)

               4. The “hope” described in this passage is different than a basic optimism, such as what is used for sports teams and favorite characters in tv shows.  In this passage, “hope” is considered a confident ____________ that God will do what He promised.

Answer Key: Hope, Sufferings, Glory, Expectation, Character, Endurance

III. In Christ, we see: (vs. 6-11)

               1. We see the __________ of God’s love towards us. (vs. 6-8)

               2. Christ died for us while we were _______ and  ___________ . (vs. 6)

               3. We see the __________ of God’s salvation in us. (vs. 9-11)

               4. Three ways we are “saved”:

                              A. We are ___________ before Him. (vs. 9)

                              B. We are saved from His ___________ . (vs. 9)

                              C. We are _____________ back to Him. (vs. 10)

Answer Key: Reconciled, Power, Reconciled, Weak, Depth, Ungodly, Wrath

Paul's Gospel: Look back from week 3 (Romans 4 part 2)

The Gospel According to Paul: Romans 4:13-25

Study Questions:

I. Faith and Law are bookends of God’s righteousness. (vs. 13-19)

               1. In order to uphold God’s righteousness, the law must bring God’s  __________ . (vs. 15)

               2. The power of the law comes not in justifying sinners but in ______________  them.

               3. In order to uphold God’s righteousness, faith brings in God’s ___________ .

               4. Abraham became ‘heir of the world’ through righteousness brought about by _________ . (vs. 13)

*Point to learn: Both faith and the law are effective for upholding the righteousness of God.  However man is not able to justify himself through the law, since through the law comes only the knowledge of sin and therefor God’s wrath.  Man becomes righteous the same way Abraham did – not by doing anything but by faith. 

Word bank: Grace; Wrath; Faith; Condemning

II. Faith and Law are not compatible when receiving God’s righteousness.  (vs. 13-19)

               1. According to Paul’s argument in chapters 3-4, the law is not inherently a _______ thing. (3:31)

               2. Good works, then, is the ______ of our righteousness before God, not a means to it.

               3. The law is effective in that it serves its purpose of giving us a ______________ of our sin. (vs. 15)

               4. According to verses 16-17, our salvation depends on _________ . (vs. 16-17)

*Point to learn: Because God’s salvation rests on His grace, it can be guaranteed to all who have faith in His atoning sacrifice (Jesus).  The law can only accomplish that which it is good for – bringing about knowledge of sin, which leads to God’s wrath.  Faith, on the other hand, accomplishes that which it is good for – bringing about the righteousness of God by accrediting it to our accounts.

Word bank: Bad; Knowledge; Fruit; Faith.

III. Three dynamics of true faith. (vs. 20-25)

               1. God is our _____________ .  God’s promise is sure and immovable, even in the face of doubt, sin, and the ever changing world. (vs. 20)

               2. God is our _____________ .  When we are fully persuaded of His promise, God becomes our fuel for the fire instead of reacting to our circumstances and trials.  (vs. 21)

               3. God is our ______________ .  Jesus Christ, God’s Son, was crucified for our trespasses and resurrected to ensure our justification.  (vs. 22-25)

*Point to learn: God doesn’t have everything we need; He is everything we need.  To know God is to know life; to hope in God is to have true hope; to live in Christ is to have life itself.

Word Bank: Motivation; Foundation; Salvation

Paul's Gospel: Look back from week 2 (Romans 4 part 1)

The Gospel According to Paul: Romans 4:1-12

Study Questions:

I. The Folly of Works-based Salvation (vs. 1-8)

               1. Relying on my works is foolish because in it, I would have something to _______ about. (vs. 2)

               2.  Relying on my works is foolish because in it, I only get what I __________ . (vs. 4)

               3. According to Romans 6:23, what is my rightful wage for my sin?

*Point to learn: In a works-based salvation, there is no grace in play.  There are only rightful works to be done and rightful wages to be earned.

II. The Wisdom of Faith-based Salvation (vs. 1-8)

               1. Relying on faith in Jesus Christ is beautiful because it relies on God’s __________ . (vs. 3-4)

               2. Relying on faith in Jesus Christ is beautiful because it assures that my faith is accounted to me as ______________________ . (vs. 5)

               3. According to Romans 6:23, what is the gift of God through trusting Jesus Christ as Lord?

               4.  According to verse 5, true faith can be characterized in four ways:

                              A. It is apart from  ________ .

                              B. It is _________  in Him.

                              C. It is belief in Him who _________ the ungodly.

                              D. It is counted as ________________ .

               5. According to verse 7, salvation is described in three ways:

                              A. Lawless deeds are __________ .

                              B. Sins are ____________ .

                              C. Lord doesn’t count his __________ .

*Point to learn: In faith-based salvation, there is only grace in play.  There are the gracious acts of loving-kindness on the cross of Christ and God’s reviving a dead heart.

Study continues every Sunday.
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III. The Reach of God’s Salvation. (vs. 9-12)

               1. Abraham was counted righteous __________ circumcision. (vs. 10)

               2. If Abraham’s circumcision served no salvific purpose, why was it necessary?

                              A. It was a _______ of righteousness. (vs. 11a)

                               B. It was to make him __________ of all Gentiles who would believe. (vs. 11b)

                              C. It was to make him __________ of all Jews who would believe. (vs. 12)

               3. According to Romans 3:22, to whom does God’s salvation extend?

*Point to learn: Salvation is not about what we can do or what has been done on our part, but about who God is and what He has done through Christ.

Answers:

                             

I. The Folly of Works-based Salvation (vs. 1-8)

1. Boast

2.  Deserve

3. Death

II. The Wisdom of Faith-based Salvation (vs. 1-8)

1. Works

2. Righteousness

3. Eternal Life

4.  Works; Belief; Justifies; Righteousness

5. Forgiven; Covered; Sin

III. The Reach of God’s Salvation. (vs. 9-12)

1. Before

              

2. Seal; Father; Father

3. All who believe

Paul's Gospel: Look back from week 1 (Chapter 3 Study Questions)

The Gospel According to Paul: Romans 3:1-31

Study Questions:

I. God is faithful, even when we are not. (vs. 1-4)

               1. Did the Jews have an advantage simply by being an ethnic Jew? (vs. 1-2)

                              Yes - because they had received the __________  of God.

               2.  What was the problem? (vs. 3-4)

                              They were ___________ with that knowledge.

*Point to learn: God’s faithfulness to me doesn’t depend on my faithfulness to Him.

Study continues every Sunday at 11am.
Visit www.iamcommissioned.com for more details.

II. God is righteous, even though we are not. (vs. 5-18)

               1. If our sins serves to show the righteousness of God, is He unjust in judging the world of sin? (vs. 5-9)

                              No - if God was unjust, then He could not ________ the world.

               2. What are the four consequences of being “under sin”? (vs. 9-12)

                              A. No one is _________ .

                              B. No one ___________ .

                              C. No one _______ after God.

                              D. No one does ________ .

*Point to learn: God’s extending His righteousness to me through Jesus doesn’t depend on my ability to pay Him back.

III. God is just, even though we are not. (vs. 19-31)

1. What is the function of the law? (vs. 20)

               To bring about the ___________ of sin.

2. What are the three characteristics of God’s righteousness (salvation) which is given to man? (vs. 21-22)

               A. It comes _____ from the law.

               B. It comes through ______  in Jesus Christ.

               C. It is for _____   who ________.  

*Point to learn: Man is justified (declared righteous) outside the law (works); it is a work of God, not of man.  Therefore, God can judge sin and still forgive the one who has faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross. (vs. 28)

Answers:

I. God is faithful, even when we are not. (vs. 1-4)

1. Oracles

2.  Unfaithful

II. God is righteous, even though we are not. (vs. 5-18)

1. Judge

2. Righteous; Understands; Seeks; Good

III. God is just, even though we are not. (vs. 19-31)

1. Knowledge

2. Apart; Faith; All; Believe

The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Faith (week 4) - At Home Study Questions

Church Family -

Please use this study guide to further your knowledge of the Gospel of Mark.  Answers will be posted later in the week!  God bless you as you seek to grow in your walk with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.   

Week 4 Mark 2:1-17 At Home Study Questions

1) What does Jesus do when God gives Him an audience? (vs. 1-2)

He preaches the Gospel to them!

2) What was it about the paralytic that caused Jesus to proclaim forgiveness of the man's sins? (vs. 3-5)

Jesus saw the man's faith and forgave his sins.

3) Why are the scribes angry with Jesus after he heals the paralytic? (vs. 6-12)

They are angry because Jesus didn't just heal the man, but proclaimed that his sins were forgiven. 

4) Some have said that in the Gospels, Jesus never claimed to be God.  From the context of verses 6-12, how would you answer that charge?

This is why the scribes were angry with Jesus.  They knew that only God could forgive sins, so in essence Jesus was identifying Himself as God.

5) How did Jesus seek to reach Levi's friends with the Gospel? (vs. 13-17)

Jesus sought to reach the friends of Levi by attending the party which Levi threw.  The religious leaders judged and condemned Jesus for going, attesting to the fact that He was eating and drinking with sinners.  (Remember, eating with someone was a sign of intimate fellowship and communion in this culture.)

Word of Wisdom from CS Lewis: "Successful evangelism in these situations requires more than merely good intentions, but also social and intellectual talents given by God."

Encounter: We see in Mark 1-2 that Jesus does a lot of calling people.  Is God calling you to faith in Him?  If so, what is preventing you from following Him?

Equip: In order to be an effective evangelist, you must empower as well as guard yourself with the Holy Spirit.  You must also prepare yourself to take some hits because of your evangelistic efforts.  What type of people criticized Jesus the most?  Remember, criticism can be avoided: Say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.

Engage: In what way(s) has God given you an audience, whether by positive experiences or negative experiences?  Are you using that platform to engage the world with the Good News of Jesus?

The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Faith (week 2) At Home Study Questions

At Home Study Questions:

The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Faith

(Week 2) Mark 1:9-20

 

Church Family -

 

Please use this study guide to further your knowledge of the Gospel of Mark.  Answers will be posted later in the week!  God bless you as you seek to grow in your walk with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.   

 

 

Week 2 Study Questions (Mark 1:9-20):

1) Why was John the Baptizer hesitant to baptize Jesus? (vs. 9-11) (See also Matthew 3:13-17)

John was hesitant to baptize Jesus for two reasons.  First, he had already made the confession before God and men that Christ was greater than he.  He was not worthy to untie even his sandals, much less baptize him with water (See John 1, Matthew 3, Mark 1). 

Second, John knew that he needed to be baptized of Jesus, not the other way around.  It was John who sought to submit to Christ and receive His righteousness by faith.  Nevertheless, John consented and baptized Jesus so that righteousness could be fulfilled (See Matthew 3:13-15)

2) From the testimonies of both John and Jesus, we see their faithfulness even in the faces of TEMPTATION and PERSECUTION.  (vs. 12-14a)

Temptation - Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by the devil (See Matthew 4, Mark 1).

Persecution - John the Baptizer arrested and killed by King Herod (See Mark 1:14a, Mark 6:14-29). 

3) What was the Good News message that Jesus proclaimed? (vs. 14b-15)

"The time has come and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent and believe in the gospel."

(Follow up question - How would you define the gospel?)  For example, Paul's definition is recorded in 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones' definition is this, "God did something.  What He did, He did through His Son.  What He does through His Son, He offers to you."  How do you define the Good News of Jesus?

4) In what way(s) does Jesus connect with Simon and Andrew in order to present His message to them? (vs. 16-18)

Jesus seeks to connect with them relevantly and genuinely.  In short, the carpenter becomes a fisherman for a day.  His charge to them is to drop their fishing nets and become fishers of men. 

Paul - 1 Cor. 9:16-23

Encounter: Has your heart been regenerated by the Lord?  In other words, has there been a time when God has awakened your heart to the things of God, including salvation, repentance, submission to His authority and will, and mindset for the things above and not the world?

Equip: To what has God called you?  If you are a follower of Jesus, then naturally you will also be a minister of the Gospel.  How are you doing in the areas of obedience and faithfulness?  in what areas do you need to repent and turn to the Lord?

Engage: Are you speaking the Gospel with your words?  Do you know how to present the Gospel to someone?  How did Martin Lloyd-Jones explain the gospel?

Charles Spurgeon - “It is our duty and our privilege to exhaust our lives for Jesus. We are not to be living specimens of men in fine preservation, but living sacrifices, whose lot is to be consumed. We are to spend and to be spent, not to lay ourselves up in lavender and nurse our flesh.”

The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Faith (week 1) - At Home Study Questions

At Home Study Questions:

The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Faith

(Week 1) Mark 1:1-8

Church Family -

Please use this study guide to further your knowledge of the Gospel of Mark.  Answers will be posted later in the week!  God bless you as you seek to grow in your walk with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.   

Background Study Questions:

1) With which Apostle did Mark travel extensively and from whom did he hear the most about the life and teachings of Jesus? (Peter)

               “She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.” (1 Peter 5:13 ESV)

               “When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.” (Acts 12:12 ESV)

We also see (taken from Tim Henderson’s Early Christianity) some other unique characteristics about Mark’s Gospel which allude to the fact that Peter was his mentor:

               a) Peter is the first and last named disciple in Mark (1:16; 16:7).

               b) Peter is mentioned more than any other disciple in Mark.

               c) Peter appears in some of the most important scenes in Mark: the calling of the first disciples (1:16-20), the confession of Jesus as Messiah (8:27-30), the transfiguration (9:2-8), the prayer in Gethsemane (14:32-42), and in the concluding scene alluding to future appearances of Jesus (16:7).

               d) Of the four gospels, Mark has the highest percentage of references to boats, the Sea of Galilee, and fishing. Peter apparently was a fisherman who worked on the Sea of Galilee (1:16).

               e) There is the curious story of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law (1:29-31), which seems to include personal details related to Peter.

2) What are some of the unique characteristics of Mark’s Gospel that scholars use to surmise the Gentile, Roman audience of his writing?

               a) Jewish customs are explained (Mk 7:3-4)

               b) Aramaic expressions are translated into Greek (Mk 3:17; 5:41; 7:11)

               c) Roman reckoning of time is used (Mk 6:48; 13:35)

               d) Only Mark identifies Simon of Cyrene as the father of Rufus (Mk 15:21; Rom 16:13)

               e) Very few Old Testament quotations are used.

               f) The focus is on Jesus as the Perfect Servant (Mk. 10:45)

               g) Mark emphasizes the deeds of the Lord more than His words.

               h) He records nineteen miracles, but only four parables.

               i) More Latin words in Mark than in any other gospel, which suggests that it may have been written in a Roman environment.

3) Because of the continual use of “immediately” and beginning over half of its verses with the conjunction “and,” The Gospel of Mark is labeled as what type of book?

               Mark has been labeled a “busy book” or “fast-paced” book.  It can also be viewed as many, many run on sentences from an excited writer.

Week 1 Study Questions (Mark 1:1-8):

1) Mark qualifies Jesus as being the Savior by calling Him Jesus Christ, which means He was sent _BY_ God.  He then calls Him the Son of God, which means He was _OF_ God.   (vs. 1)

2) John the Baptizer was called the forerunner of the Gospel by Mark.  What was John’s two-fold message? (vs. 2-3)

               a) Prepare the way of the Lord.  Also taken from Is. 40, John’s message was to raise valleys, lower mountains, make crooked places straight, and rough places smooth in order to pave a highway for the Kingdom of God and glory of the Lord to be revealed.  All this would happen through the person of Jesus Christ, who would die for the remission of sins.

               b) Repent and be baptized because of the forgiveness of sins.

3) In explaining the appearance of John the Baptizer, Mark shows us that Gospel forerunners can come in all shapes and sizes.  What made John unique from other religious teachers? (vs. 4-8) (See also Numbers 6:1-21; Matthew 11:18-19; Luke 1:13-17)

               a) He was a Nazarite, which meant that he abstained from cutting his hair, going near dead bodies, and did not consume grapes and things which came from grapes, including wine and raisins.

            
               b) He came, as prophesied, in the spirit and power of Elijah the prophet.

Encounter: Have you encountered this Gospel personally, which is the person of Jesus Christ?  If not, then why not today?  


Equip: Do you know the Gospel message, and are you able to relate it to others in a clear way?  As a Gospel forerunner, are you making straight paths for the Lord or must the Gospel go over, under, or around obstacles and obstructions?  Do you need to lower some mountains, raise some valleys, make some crooked ways straight, make some rough patches smooth?  Does your "Good News" come across as good news or as judgmental and condemning?

Engage: Are you actively engaging your world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Are you looking for opportunities and open doors to share the "Good News" with others? 

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