30 Days of Thanks - Day 29 - The Mark Challenge

This past Sunday night we issued our middle school students a challenge to read the entire Gospel According to Mark in one month (actually 26 daily readings with some flex-time built in so they can catch up if something happens). They were to have started yesterday and we will meet up with them sometime after the end to have a discussion group. Their small-group leaders (me and the girls' group leader), will also check up with them during small-group time on Sundays. Along with this we produced a packet for the daily readings with study questions. I wrote the initial questions back in October and we did some major editing (trimming material to keep what was most important and to organize it into a usable format) to finalize everything last week.

I was thankful that we had so many BOYS who were EXCITED about this challenge! My past experience is that getting boys (of any age) to be excited about reading and answering questions is kind of like getting myself excited about going grocery shopping with mom - it just does not happen. I was also thankful to have a wonderful head youth pastor who was thrilled about doing this and who helped bring it to its 'final' state. I am also thankful for this concept of communal reading, study, and sharing. I think the Mark Challenge will be a great experience for these kids, many of whom will be reading an entire book of the Bible on their own for the first time! I also think that the kids' answers to the questions will give us (the leaders) a better idea of where they are at so that we can better serve them! I am looking forward to what this challenge brings!

For those who would like to join us in reading or adapt and use the questions for their own study, I will post it below. There are some typos we came across after the final printing but nothing that detracts from the point. Enjoy!

The Mark Challenge

__DAY 1 (1:1-20)

1. How did the way John the Baptist live connect to his mission?
2. Why was it important that Jesus was baptized?
3. What does it mean to be a “fisher of men”?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 2 (1:21-45)

1. What was different about the way Jesus taught?
2. Why wouldn’t Jesus let the demons speak or tell people who he was?
3. Read 1:35-39 again. What is the significance of this passage? What did Jesus get from prayer?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 3 (2:1-22)

1. Whose faith is Jesus responding to in 2:1-12 and what is significant about this? What is important about what Jesus does here?
2. What does Jesus mean in 2:17?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 4 (2:23-3:19)

1. What is significant about 2:23-28 and 3:1-6?
2. Were Jesus and his followers breaking the rules?
3. Why/why not (think about 2:25 and 3:4)?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 5 (3:20-35)

1. Do you think we become a house divided in our own lives when we talk bad about, or have a bad attitude towards our friends, family, or even church leaders? How does this affect a group?
2. What does Jesus say about being a part of his family?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 6 (4:1-34)

1. Explain the parable of the sower (4:1-20) in your own words.
2. What does 4:24 mean?
3. What do the parables in this section mean to you?
4. Why use parables as a teaching tool?
5. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
6. Questions and Comment

__DAY 7 (4:35-5:20)

1. What was Jesus getting at in 4:40?
2. What’s interesting about how Jesus handled the situation with the demon possessed man? Why do you think he handled it this way?
3. Why do you think the people wanted Jesus to leave after seeing the man healed (think also about where Jesus was at this point and what those people farmed)?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 8 (5:21-43)

1. Why do you think Jesus wanted to know who had touched him and been healed in the crowd?
2. How would you have reacted to the crowd’s response in 5:40? Why did Jesus put them out of the room and then tell those who were still in their not to tell others what had happened?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 9 (6:1-29)

1. Why were the people offended by Jesus in his hometown? What was the big deal? Why did this affect the miracles performed there?
2. What do you think about Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve? What does that have to do with having faith?
3. John spoke the truth even knowing what might happen to him, what is the lesson in this for us?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 10 (6:30-56)

1. What does the feeding of the 5,000 tell you about God?
2. Why does Mark connect the feeding with Jesus walking on water in 6:52?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 11 (7:1-30)

1. How can our own traditions/activities/customs/lifestyles get in the way of truly following God even if they seem good?
2. What does Jesus mean when he says that it is what comes out of a person that makes them unclean? (hint: He is not talking about going to the restroom)
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 12 (7:31-8:21)

1. Why did Jesus not want the deaf-mute man and his friends to tell anyone about his healing?
2. What did Jesus mean about the “yeast of the Pharisees”? How does this connect to them asking for a sign?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 13 (8:22-38)

1. Why do you think the man in 8:22-26 was healed in stages instead of immediately?
2. What do you think was going on in the disciples’ minds during 8:27-33?
3. Why is Jesus’ response in 8:34-38 significant? What does he mean?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 14 (9:1-29)

1. What do you think the disciples were thinking when all of this was going on?
2. Why do you think they said, “it was good for us to be here” (v.5)?
3. What was keeping the deaf and mute spirit from being driven away?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 15 (9:30-50)

1. Why would the disciples argue about who would be greatest? How does this show a misunderstanding about who Jesus is and why he came? How does Jesus correct this misunderstanding?
2. What’s the big picture of 9:38-41?
3. Why does Jesus use such extreme imagery in 9:42-50? What does he want us to understand?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 16 (10:1-31)

1. What do you think 10:15 means?
2. In your own words, how would you explain 10:23-31? How do you feel about what Jesus says here?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 17 (10:32-52)

1. What were James and John actually requesting (besides seats)? What was Jesus suggesting in his response? How does this connect to 10:41-45?
2. Why would people try to turn someone away from calling out to Jesus? How did blind Bartimaeus demonstrate faith? How did he respond to what Jesus did for him?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Question and Comments

__DAY 18 (11:1-33)

1. How would you react if Jesus told you to do what he told his disciples in 11:2-3?
2. Was it wrong for Jesus to do what he did in the temple courts? What was going on there?
3. What’s important about what Jesus says in 11:25?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 19 (12:1-27)

1. What is the meaning of the parable in 12:1-12? Why did the leaders know it was directed toward them?
2. What is the importance of 12:13-17?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 20 (12:28-44)

1. What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? What about loving your neighbor as yourself? How can you put this into practice? Why are these more important than any sacrifices?
2. What did Jesus have to say about the teachers of the law and how does this contrast with what he says about the widow’s offering?
3. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
4. Questions and Comments

__DAY 21 (13:1-37)

1. What does Jesus mean about us being alert?
2. Knowing what we know about the end, how should we live today?
3. How should this chapter motivate us?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 22 (14:1-31)

1. Why was it important for the woman to do what she did in 14:1-9? Why were the others so mad at her?
2. Why do you think the disciples responded as they did in 14:19 to the news that Jesus would be betrayed?
3. How would you react to Jesus’ statement in 14:27? Could you see yourself thinking like Peter here?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 23 (14:32-72)

1. Have you ever come up against a tough situation that you didn’t want to face? Why is it important that Jesus said “not what I will, but what you will”?
2. Why did the high priest take what Jesus says in 14:62 as evidence against him?
3. Like Peter, have you ever betrayed or let down someone you cared about? How did it feel? What did you do about it afterward?
4. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?
5. Questions and Comments

__DAY 24 (15:1-20)

1. Why was Pilate amazed at Jesus’ silence?
2. Why do you think people were willing to release a murderer instead of Jesus?
3. How would you react to what the soldiers did in 15:16-20? How did Jesus handle it? Why was he able to do so?
4. How do these verses make you feel?
5. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?

6. Questions and Comments

__DAY 25 (15:21-47)

1. Why would Jesus not take the wine mixed with myrrh (a pain reliever)?
2. Jesus was crucified with two rebels, what does this tell you about what people in power thought about him?
3. Why did Jesus say, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (If you get a chance, read Psalm 22)
4. What do you think Jesus’ followers where thinking while this was happening?
5. How do these verses make you feel?
6. What is one thing in these verses that challenged you today?

7. Questions and Comments

__DAY 26 (CHAPTER 16)

1. How would you react to find your leader’s tomb emptied and be told what the women were told?
2. What is the Good News in the book of Mark?
3. How should we respond to what Jesus did?
4. How does it feel to know you read the entire the book of Mark?

5. Questions and Comments