Community Group Guide

> Why We Gather

At The Springs Church, we desire for community groups to be a place where we BEHOLD JESUS, BECOME LIKE JESUS, and BELONG IN COMMUNITY. This means that our primary goal for groups is to gather around the transforming presence of Christ. As we gather around the transforming presence of Jesus, we believe by faith that we will be incrementally transformed into His image and likeness. With that in mind, let's begin in prayer by asking the Holy Spirit to lead our time together, move on our hearts, and help us behold Jesus, become Like Jesus, and experince the gift of belonging in community. Let's pray.

> Announcements

LAST WEEK OF GROUPS will be May 12-17. We will be taking the summer off from Community Groups and launch again in the Fall. Be on the lookout for upcoming summer gatherings coming soon!

> Give Thanks

Take a few moments to briefly share about anything that you are thankful unto the Lord for? Perhaps you've witnessed God answer a prayer or experienced a moment that strengthened your faith. Feel free to share any recent occurrences that have encouraged you or instances where you've felt God's presence at work in your life.

> Scripture Reading

Have someone read Mark 7:24-30.

> Discussion Questions

Going to foreign lands

In Mark 7 and 8, multiple stories involve Jesus leading his disciples into foreign lands populated with many non-Jewish people (such as the region of Tyre and Sidon, the Decapolis, and Caesaria Philippi). For centuries, many Jewish people had lived in foreign cities. For instance, Paul was from the Roman city of Tarsus. However, the Jews living in Jerusalem and Galilee enjoyed being in a majority Jewish area where they could practice their religion and live in community together. Even though they were not that far away, many Jews would not have traveled to these other regions. The Jews called anyone who was not Jewish a gentile, which means “nations.” Many of their religious leaders warned against the corrupting influence of gentiles, and at times called them dogs in a derogatory manner. For instance, even decades later Peter worried what some Jewish Christians would think if he ate with gentile Christians. Paul rebuked him for pulling away, knowing that separating from Christian brothers like this was wrong. The Jewish aversion to gentiles shows why it is surprising that Jesus led his disciples on multiple trips into gentile regions. It also helps us know that the disciples were likely uncomfortable. Jesus clearly had a purpose in these trips, which we want to learn about as we read these two chapters in Mark.

Reflection Question: What are some reasons why Jesus led his disciples into gentile regions?

Reflection Question: Have you had experiences where God led you to interact in new cultures or environments that made you uncomfortable? How have you grown by learning to relate to people who have different cultures and backgrounds than your own?

A Parable in a Quick Interchange

It is easy for Jesus’ conversation with this woman to sound insensitive or mean to our modern ears. Jesus sounds resistant to helping her and calls her a dog. Pastor Alberto argued that Jesus was telling a parable that helped his hearers understand challenging truths indirectly. The parable involves a family meal. There are two clues in Jesus’ words that show that he is inviting the woman to the meal, though indirectly. One, he says, “let the children eat first,” suggesting that he is happy for her to eat second. Two, in the Greek Jesus uses the word for a household pet (“kynarion”) rather than a stray dog (“kyon”). When the Pharisees insulted gentiles, they used the stray dog term “kyon”, which is always used in the New Testament with negative connotations. [If the group wants to investigate this, read Matthew 7:6, Luke 16:21, Philippians 3:2, 2 Peter 2:22, and Revelation 22:15. Notice in Philippians 3:2, Paul is turning the Pharisee insult back on them to claim that they are the dogs who insist on Jewish religious practices.] Jesus instead uses the household pet term, indicating that he means to twist the Pharisee insult, not to repeat it. The woman picks up on his invitation and asks for him to still give her something to eat. She calls him “Lord,” acknowledging his power and authority. He accepts her faith and grants her request.

Reflection Question: What do you think the disciples learned from how Jesus responded to this woman?

Racial Barriers are Hard to Tear Down

Though Jesus took Peter on these trips into gentile areas, Peter still needed many more experiences to fully understand that the good news of Jesus was for all peoples. We will consider one such story. [Have someone read Acts 11:1-3 and 11-18.] Peter asks a very important question: “How could I possibly hinder God?” Unfortunately, many in Christian history have tried to hinder God’s love for all nations through their prejudice and racism. However, just as Peter could not hinder God’s work, no one else can stop God’s heart to bring people from all nations to himself. Though many walls of hostility have existed between different nations through the centuries, Jesus is breaking down the walls of hostility through his self-sacrificial love and forgiveness. [Have someone read Ephesians 2:13-14.] If Jesus can reconcile us to a holy God, he surely can also reconcile us to one another.

Reflection Question: How does the idea that Jesus can reconcile people to God and to one another give you hope for today?

> Confession and Prayer

Reflect and Pray: Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to empower you love like Christ and have great faith like the woman in Mark 7.