The Vineyard- March 4, 2012

The Vineyard

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5

Mark 14:26-52

- Has there ever been a time when you were very confident in yourself, only to have that confidence shaken?  Have you ever found yourself doing something you swore you’d never do?  How can you relate to Peter in this way?

- On the eve of Jesus’ most difficult day, we find Him in prayer.  What does it tell you, that the Son of God Himself prayed when things got bad?  How do you rely on prayer in the darkest of times?

- The authorities came to arrest Jesus armed with weapons.  Jesus, rather than resisting them with violence, willingly surrenders Himself to them.  What do you draw from Jesus’ refusal to resort to violence?

Psalm 119:33-40

- Understanding is necessary if we are to keep the way of the Lord.  How do we gain understanding?  Why are we more likely to hold to God’s purpose for us if we understand His will for our life?

- The psalm implies that selfish gain is the opposite of the Lord’s testimonies.  How can our study of God’s word prevent us from leading selfish lives?

- The psalmist prays for the Lord to “turn my eyes from looking at worthless things.”  How do the objects we focus our attention on affect our attitude and how we live our life?  What objects should we focus on?