Introduction: 
Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast, I’m Nick and it is amazing to be here with you today. We are on week 3 of our new season called An Apprenticeship to Jesus: Gospel of Mark Study.
Last week, we looked at Mark 2 and I learned a lot from Jesus: 
First of all, I learned that faith can move obstacles – The friends of the paralytic didn’t let a crowd stop them from bringing him to Jesus.
Secondly, I learned that Jesus has authority to forgive sins – This was shocking to the religious leaders but central to His mission and a relief to me because forgiveness lifts the burden of sin in my life and keeps my shoulders from drooping.
Thirdly, I learned that Jesus offers compassion over condemnation – Jesus welcomed sinners to His table. I am so grateful to be welcomed by Jesus and to welcome anyone to join us at his table.
Lastly, I learned that the Sabbath is for man’s benefit – It’s a gift, not a burden.
Make sure to subscribe to the podcast, so that you can automatically keep up. Also download the PDF on our website. Each week we will read a chapter of the Gospel of Mark and I will read the discussion questions off and give you time to pause and answer the questions. I would recommend finding someone to listen to the podcast with. 
Let’s jump in to the study. Would you pray with me.

Opening Prayer:
Holy Spirit, lead us into all truth we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Read Mark 3
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. 9 And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, 10 for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. 11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons. 16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”  
Mark 3:1-35, ESV

Discussion:

What did Jesus say in this chapter?

What did Jesus do in this chapter?

What did you learn from Jesus?

What surprised you about Jesus?

What confused you about Jesus?

What questions do you have?

How can I be like Jesus this week?

Closing Prayer:
 We have known and have believed the love You have for us. God, You are love, and those who abide in love abide in You, and You in them. In this way, love has been perfected among us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as You are, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and those who fear have not been perfected in love. 
Adapted from 1 John 4:16–18

Exercises for the week (pick 1 new practice this week)
Slowing - Life moves so fast and hurry is the speed at which we move through our days. Take time this week to slow down and take a long walk or do something outside by yourself. Just breath in the fresh air and observe what is all around you that we miss when we hurry. Turn off your phone alerts and thank God for the time that he has given you.

Scripture Memory - This week, take time to commit the following verse to memory. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”  
Ephesians 2:10, NLT

Service - This week, volunteer to serve. Find a place that you can use your gifts and abilities to serve someone else. Be creative and remember nothing that you do for someone else is insignificant. 

Assignment for next week : Read Mark 4