Mark 9:14-29 14 When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. 15 Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. 16 And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” 17 And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; 18 and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” 19 And He *answered them and *said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” 20 They brought [n]the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21 And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” 26 After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. 28 When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?” 29 And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”

Both the scribes and the father of the possessed son are looking for Jesus but instead find only the disciples.  The crowd transfers this expectation to the disciples, who are learning to represent Jesus but who obviously have not mastered this yet.  When they come across this evil “spirit” (9:17) that seeks to “destroy” the boy (vv. 20, 22), and he cries out (v. 26). Due to their lack of prayer, the disciples are not able to heal him.
 
What does this say about the role prayer has in a follower of Jesus’ life?
 
Are there times when we lack faith in the effectiveness of our prayer?
 
Scriptures to discuss:  Philippians 4:6; John 15:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17
 
Jesus makes reference to lack of belief as the core issue for this generation.  What characteristics lead Jesus to make such a bold statement?   Do we still have some of these characteristics in today’s generation? 
 
Scriptures to discuss:  Deuteronomy 32:5; Jeremiah 5:21-22
 
The father merely seeks help through Jesus’ miraculous powers: if you can do anything. Jesus corrects the father’s statement by calling him to put his trust in God. I believe; help my unbelief! The father immediately confesses that he has some faith but also acknowledges his spiritual weakness and appeals to Jesus to create in him a heart that believes more firmly.
 
Are their times we to struggle with unbelief in specific areas of our lives?
 
How can we as Christians today help our own unbelief?
​

Discussion Guide for Community Groups
Gospel of Mark Project – Transfiguration
Icebreakers:

1. If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?
2. Why do you think that, we, as humans, tend to be self-centered?
3. What does “Christian Transformation” mean to you personally?

Bible Text: Mark 9:1-13 NASB95
And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” [2] Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; [3] and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. [4] Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. [5] Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” [6] For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. [7] Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” [8] All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone. [9] As they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead. [10] They seized upon that statement, discussing with one another what rising from the dead meant. [11] They asked Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” [12] And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? [13] But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him.”
 
Digging Deeper:

•  The word “transfigured” comes from the Greek word from which we get the idea of metamorphosis.  Which simply means to go through a change. 
• During the “transfiguration” Jesus clothing and continence reflected the glory of God.

Read Verse 1: And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

1. .In what way did those who followed after Jesus is the kingdom of God come with power?
2. What is the relationship between the kingdom of God coming in power and the following events? 
   • The resurrection of Christ
   • The coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost
   • The establishment of the church

Read Verses 2,3: [2] Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; [3] and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. [4] Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.

1. How you describe or define the transfiguration of Christ?
2. What similarities do you see between the transfiguration of Christ, and Moses meeting with God on the mountain?
3. What significance to you attach to Jesus meeting with Elijah and Moses?

Read Verses 5,6: [5] Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” [6] For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified.

1. If you could have a “sit-down” conversation with anyone from the Old Testament—who would that be?
2. What do you think of Peter’s suggestion of building tabernacles?
3. Peter, James and John were terrified.  Why?

Read Verses 7-9: [7] Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” [8] All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone. [9] As they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead.

1. Why is listening to Jesus still a good idea?
2. Why do you think that the disciples were “stuck” on the idea that Jesus was going to set up His Kingdom on earth?

 0000Wrap-up Read Verses 10-13: [10] They seized upon that statement, discussing with one another what rising from the dead meant. [11] They asked Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” [12] And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? [13] But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him.”

1. How did John the Baptist fulfil the “Elijah” calling of preparing the way for Jesus?

Community Group Discussion Guide
The Cost of Discipleship 

Icebreakers:
1. What are some of the greatest temptations you are facing today in your life from this world? 
2. What do your daily devotional times with the Lord look like? Do they help you face the day and to resist temptations of this world? 

Scripture: 34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:34-38 NASB

Red Verses 34 & 35: 34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

1. Why doesn't Jesus teach a different message to His disciples since they were already following Jesus? Does this message apply to followers and non-followers of Jesus? (Reference Luke 9:23)
2. This initial message is for those who wish to follow Jesus because not everyone does. What are some of the ways that we can help people obtain a desire to follow Jesus? What was it in your life that gave you the desire to follow Him? 
3. What does it look like to deny ourselves? What does it look like to "take up our cross"?
4. The word for "life" in verse 35 is the same Greek word that we get the word soul from. What is the soul of man? Is it good? Is it bad? What does it consist of? 
​5. Jesus is describing followers of His that have crucified their fleshly desires and their desires for this world.  Single-minded followers of His. Do you struggle with staying single-minded on the things of God? Why or why not? 

Read Verses 36 & 37: 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 

1. Jesus switches His audience to those who might be thinking that it is worth it to just reject Christ and live for this world. What are some ways that we forfeit our life or intimacy with Christ for things of this world? 

2. In a world of materialism, how can we as followers of Christ combat the temptations of the devil and this world? 

Read Verse 38: 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

1. What does it look like in your life to be ashamed of Jesus and His words? Do you struggle with sharing your faith openly? 

2. What are some ways that we can stand unashamed for Christ today? 

Read: A.W. Tozer, The Radical Cross: Living the Passion of ChristThe man who is crucified is facing only one direction… He [cannot] look back. The crucified man on the cross is looking only one direction and that is the direction of God, and Christ and the Holy Ghost… The man on the cross… has no further plans of his own… Somebody else made his plans for him, and when they nailed him up there all his plans disappeared… When you go out to die on the cross you bid good-bye–you are not going back! “If we would preach more of this and stop trying to make the Christian life so easy it’s contemptible–we would have more converts that would last. Get a man converted who knows that if he joins Jesus Christ he’s finished, and that while he’s going to come up and live anew, as far as this world is concerned he is not going back–then you have a real Christian indeed.”

1. How can we receive encouragement from this AW Tozer quote to live dead to this world and alive to Christ?

2. Do you believe Tozer is accurate in his critique of people not proclaiming the message of the cross to their hearers? 

3. Read Romans 6:1-7 . Remind each other of what happened when we started following Christ and went through water baptism. We died and are now alive in Christ; let's live like it!