What is a Disciple? (Mark 1:14-20)

Following Jesus | The Gospel According to Mark: What is a Disciple?

January 15, 2023

Study Questions

Mark 1:14-20

1. Read Mark 1:14-20 aloud. Does your version say “…the time is fulfilled…” or “…the time is at hand…”? What did Jesus mean? Read v.6-8 earlier in this chapter. 

2. “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” (v.17, NASB20) What phrase in this verse indicates that discipleship is relational and takes preparation and time? What was hard for you about following Jesus when you first began to learn of Him? Which was harder for you: self-adjustments in your life as you followed Jesus, or investing in others in order to tell them about Him?

3. Read 1 Thessalonians 1 for application in the next few questions. Who are Paul, Silvanus and Timothy following? What actions do you see by Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy that support this? (which verses do you see these in?) How does v.5 verify that the gospel these men are bringing is the True Gospel? 

4. In v.6, who are the Thessalonian believers imitating? _________ and __________.

5. Read 1 Thessalonians 1:3. What do these things look like in everyday life? How are they circular / all needing to happen in order to maintain a healthy walk with Christ? What was the evidence of these things that encouraged Paul to praise God and continue in prayer for them? (v.8)

   a. …work (of faith) 

   b. …labor (of love)

   c. …steadfastness (of hope)

6. Look back to Mark 1:17-18. Does Jesus expect us to know everything the moment we step into a relationship with Him? How does “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” take on expanded meaning after studying 1 Thessalonians 1? 

7. Name one or two ways your life has gained depth and richness since you began to follow Jesus. Which area comes more easily for you: desiring Christ, denial of self and the world to choose Christ, or dependency on Jesus? 

8. Read one or two chapters of the Gospel of Mark daily (16 chapters total) to gain a beautiful picture across the next couple of weeks of what it means to “Follow Me.”