Week 7

MARK 1:1-7

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,[a] the Son of God,[b] 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”[c]—
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”[d]

4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentancefor the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

SYNOPSIS

• Introduction to the Gospel of Mark
• recalls stories of John the Baptist baptizing those in the desert region
• John foreshadows Jesus' coming

TALKING POINTS

• Up to this point, God has been silent for over 400 years
• Is God silent in your life? What are the voices you are hearing?
• Can I see God instead of listen to Him?
• student shared story about having dinner with God: speaking to God over dinner as if engaging in a conversation with a friend
• What does it mean to prepare the way for Christ?
• afford others grace and patience
• making yourself easily approachable
• listen, be still
• Do I get in the way of others finding Jesus?
• Do you expect Jesus to show up?
• if you do, it's usually not the way you thought He would
• it's an exercise in trust
• Verse 4 is a huge change in John's actions; initially very exclusive and would not have taken his preaching out to the far reaches
• Why is verse 6 relevant?
• cultural significance
• clothing indicates the particular sect of Judaism that John was a part of
• depicts John being out in the wild and further illustrates the point made in verse 4
• What is your message to others as a believer?
• "Prepare" is an active verb; not just verbal

MUFFIN OF THE WEEK

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BANANA 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare muffin tin with liners and grease. In a large bowl, combine bananas, oil, egg, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder. Fold flour into banana mixture. Stir in white chocolate and half of semi-sweet chocolate. Using an ice cream scoop, fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Sprinkle remaining semi-sweet chocolate chips over the top of the muffins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.