Group Reading with friends-reading aloud together Mark with response and prayer. One main question-What does my life mean in light of the text? This week we read chapters one-four, and i think its hard to answer that question without first identifying what I notice within just this portion of the text.

There must have been something in His mannerism in His voice or perhaps it was mere curiosity or anything to get away from the every day fishing(their job) that led Simon and Andrew to drop their fishing nets and James and John as well. (Question-what would he have asked me that would stir my heart my curiosity and would make me drop my responsibilities or perhaps what i thought was important?)

Right away Jesus starts teaching and from the crowds perspective his teaching, his mannerism, his presence are so different from the other scholars and religious leaders-the spectators are surprised. And then he is healing the sick and sending demonic spirits packing-and the crowds are again surprised who is this man? What is this new teaching? The demonic spirits and those who are healed get who he is-and Jesus tells them to shut up, don't tell. And Jesus continues to teach to heal and then even to forgive sins. (Which I can't but think about all the religious laws that were established for purification and the forgiveness of sins-going to the temple preparing the choice meats having a priest go into the inner sanctuary or all the laws on unclean vs. clean? Would I have thought yes! we don't have to go through all those steps to be clean or forgiven or would I have thought him crazy and reckless and would I be to afraid to brake out of the mold I grew up with? Would I have said, "Who is this man that even the wind and the waves obey him?"Or would I have understood the power, the authority, the glory of the kingdom at hand, would I have received the revelation( the huge picture) that he was slowly imparting through each act and teaching.)

Where is my heart, would I have received the message? Or like the seed would it have fallen on deaf ears? He taught to them at the level of their maturity? What is my maturity level? Does the seed take root? Does it grow and blossom? Or does it dry up get replaced get pushed aside?