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Much Afraid

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Mark 16:1-8 July 26, 2026 • Mount Pleasant UMC I would imagine that, after a short time of running, fleeing really, they stopped to catch their breath. In the warm, moist air of a Middle Eastern springtime, they probably stood across from each other, saying things without saying a word. What did they just witness? What happened back there? And, most importantly—where was his body? They were headed back to the place where all the disciples had spent the night, where the men were still sleeping, but before they got there, they had probably better get their story straight. What were they going to tell the men? This they knew for sure: they had gotten up early Sunday morning to finish the burial of their friend and teacher, Jesus, who had been brutally murdered on Friday. He had been put in a borrowed tomb before sundown Friday night so that they could honor both him and the Sabbath, the day of rest. Saturday had been a long day, and as soon as they could barely see outside, they had h...
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Much Afraid (Study Guide)

“Much Afraid” Sermon Study Guide for July 26, 2026 Downloadable Version Scripture: Mark 16:1-8 Running from the tomb… 1. Resurrection “terrified” Jesus is the ____________ Son of God why aren’t we afraid? 1 Corinthians 15:19, 26 2. What Resurrection Changes a. The way we ______________________ 2 Timothy 2:12 Revelation 14:13 Philippians 4:8 b. Our _________________________ “There are no _____________________” c. Our _________________________ 1 Corinthians 15:20 Romans 6:5 Questions to Discuss or Ponder: Why, do you think, did the disciples completely miss Jesus’ promise to rise from the dead? Why was the empty tomb not enough proof of resurrection? How do we experience the risen Jesus today? Why do we take the reality of Jesus’ resurrection so lightly? In what way should we be more afraid? In what way does Mark 16:8 make sense as the ending to the Gospel account? Why do you think Mark ended it this way? What would our faith be if the resurrection...
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Worthy of Worship (Study Guide)

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“Worthy of Worship” Sermon Study Guide for July 19, 2026 Downloadable Version Scripture: John 9:25b In the middle of the night… 1. A Man Born Blind Who sinned…? Proverbs 3:5-6 mud on his face the comedic controversy… “this I know” 2. Worthy of Worship Ephesians 5:8-9 - people of light Acts 1:8 - witnesses Jesus is the powerful Son of God accept your pardon… Questions to Discuss or Ponder: How do you respond in a power outage? Why do we depend so heavily on light? Why do we so quickly assume that a problem is a direct result of our sin or someone else’s? What other explanations might there be? What must it have been like for the blind man in the story to suddenly receive his sight? How would you respond in such a situation? Why, do you think, the religious leaders had such a hard time accepting that the blind man had been healed? What instances or circumstances move you to worship? How is being a witness an expression of worship? When has Jesus’ power been most evident...
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Perfectly Ordinary (Study Guide)

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“Perfectly Ordinary” Sermon Study Guide for July 12, 2026 Downloadable Version Scripture: Mark 1:1-11 1. Messiah “prepare the way” prophecies fulfilled… 2. The Perfect Plan the baptism… the voice… John 8:29 - obedience what it takes to atone for our sin… James 1:17 - perfect gift Romans 3:23 - we need a savior John 3:16 “You are the Son of God…” Questions to Discuss or Ponder: Why are the prophecies about the Messiah so important to pay attention to? How did Jesus fulfill them? Why was Jesus baptized? Why is that baptism still important to us today? Why was the voice from heaven’s statement important? What does it mean for us today? In what way(s) do we see Jesus’ perfect obedience to the Father in the Gospel accounts? When you hear the word “perfect,” what comes to mind? How does Jesus surpass our ideas of perfection? What makes a gift “perfect”? How is Jesus a perfect gift to humanity? From what does Jesus save us? From what...
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