The Book of Mark

We created this bookmark to help you stay on track with the sermon series and the companion book, The Book of Mark. You will note the text is divided into scenes. Some weeks we will cover one scenes, and other weeks we may do several. Each of these scenes has five sections:

Scripture – Each scene begins with a block of Scripture, translated to avoid words which today have primarily a religious connotation, in an attempt to make the text fresh.
Content / Context – The next section is intended to present an overview of the scene, and give some information that might be helpful while reading it. This section is divided into three subsections:
- “How does this scene fit into the overall story?”
- “What are important themes, phrases, or plot points in this scene?”
- “What other information should I know before reading?”
The third and fourth parts of each scene are questions: “Questions for Thought” and “Questions for Community,” designed to help individuals and groups interact with the text in a deeper way.
Finally, each scene concludes with a section called “Meditation,” which contains a creative element, and hopefully opens up the text to each of us in different ways.

Our encouragement is to read the scenes and sections ahead of that week’s sermon, so you can bring your own insights and learnings from God to the table on Sunday. You might want to create space to spend a little time in each section each day, for example. We also encourage you to go through this book with others, perhaps at the family dinner table, with your small group, or a Sunday morning class.

Additionally, bring this book with you on Sundays. We will be referring to the book in our sermons, and this would be a great time to take notes, capture insights, or even doodle!

As the authors’ of this guide write,

Whether we are hearing it for the first time or the four hundredth, Mark treats us all the same. He asks each of us whether we really hear what Jesus is saying, or whether we are like the characters in the story who, even though they have ears, refuse to listen.”

Even though it contains a great deal of information that we hope will help the text come alive for you, the goal of this study guide is not to give you answers. Instead, we hope it provides a space for you to enter into the story and wrestle with the central question Jesus asks: “Who do you say that I am?”[1]

Date	Text	Scenes
9/1	Mark 1-8
9/8	1:1-13	1&2
9/15	1:14-20	2&4
9/22	1:21-45	5
9/29	2:1-3:6	6
10/6		Break
10/13	3:20-35	8
10/20	4:1-34	9&10
10/27	4:35-5:43	11-13
11/3	6:1-29	14
11/10	6:30-56	15&16
11/17	7:1-30	17&18
11/24	7:31-9:1	19&20

As you wrestle with who Mark says Jesus is, and what implications that may have for your life, we would love to hear your stories, questions, and insights. We will look for ways to create conversations around these as we go forward. Email us at GospelofMark@pulpitrock.com