Isaiah 9:6 reveals not only who the Messiah would be, but what He would be like. In a world where people repeatedly placed their trust in failing kings and false sources of security, Isaiah points forward to a different kind of King — one who possesses all wisdom and power, yet uses both with the heart of an Everlasting Father.

Jesus does not rule by fear or force, but by love, presence, and faithfulness. He invites us into relationship, cares for us deeply, and promises never to leave us. As we begin a new year, the message challenges us to examine who or what we are trusting to carry us forward — and invites us to place our lives, our burdens, and our future into the hands of a Father who stays.

Opening / Icebreaker Options

Choose one to ease into the conversation:

1. When you think about starting a new year, what emotions tend to surface first — excitement, pressure, hope, anxiety, something else?

2. What’s one thing you’re carrying into this year that you wish you could leave behind?
   

Core Discussion

1. The message talked about the “other kings” we often trust — things like control, money, success, relationships, or approval.
   Which of those feels most tempting for you right now, and why?

2. Isaiah describes Jesus as Everlasting Father.
   What comes to mind when you hear that phrase — comfort, confusion, resistance, curiosity?

3. Jesus uses wisdom and power not to control, but to love and bring peace.
   Why do you think that distinction matters so much when it comes to trusting Him?

4. The sermon said Jesus is not just greater than other kings, but different from them.
   How have you experienced that difference — or where do you want to experience it more?

Personal Reflection

5. Where do you feel most tempted to rely on yourself instead of trusting God this year?

6. What would it look like, practically, to trust Jesus as a Father with that area of your life?

Closing / Application

7. As a group, what is one way you can remind each other this year that you are not walking alone — that God is present and faithful?

8. Is there a burden you’d like prayer for as you step into this new year?

1. Icebreaker / Warm-Up (Choose One)

(Keep this light, relational, and disarming)

• When you hear the phrase “hit the ground running,” what comes to mind from your own life? A season that started fast?
• Are you more of a slow-and-steady person or a jump-right-in person when starting something new?
• What’s something you thought you understood well… until you got a clearer picture later?

2. Big Picture Reflection

• The Gospel of Mark moves fast and asks one central question: “Who is this Jesus?”
  How would you have answered that question before today’s message?
• Why do you think it matters that Mark starts his Gospel with the answer already revealed — Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God?

3. Scripture Engagement

Read Mark 1:1 together.

“The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.”

• What stands out to you about Mark calling this “good news” instead of history or biography?
• Why do you think Mark wants readers to see this story as something to respond to, not just learn about?

4. Encounter & Response

• In the sermon, Peter and the Roman centurion both encounter Jesus and then declare who He is.
  Why do you think encounters with Jesus naturally lead to response?
• What’s the difference between knowing about Jesus and responding to Jesus?
• Where do you see the tension between information and transformation in your own faith journey?

5. John the Baptist & Our Role

Read Mark 1:6–8.

• John the Baptist’s entire life pointed away from himself and toward Jesus.
  What do you find challenging — or freeing — about that kind of life?
• What might it look like for your life to quietly say,
  “I’m not the point — Jesus is”?

6. Personal Application

• The sermon asked a follow-up question:
  “After discovering who Jesus is, what does that mean for my life?”
  How would you answer that right now — honestly?
• Is there an area of your life where Jesus feels more like information than Lord?
• What would a real response to Jesus look like for you this week — not dramatic, just faithful?

7. Closing Prayer Prompt

• Take a moment of silence and ask:
  “Jesus, who are You inviting me to see You as right now?”
• Pray together that God would give your group clearer vision of Jesus — and the courage to respond.

1. The Stakes of the Story

Mark isn’t a slow, reflective Gospel—it moves quickly and with urgency. What do you think that pace communicates about the message Mark is trying to get across? How does that shape the way you hear the story of Jesus?

2. Why This Gospel Matters
Knowing that Mark was written to people facing persecution and possible death, how does that change the way you hear this book? What feels more serious or more urgent because of that context?

3. Curiosity vs. Commitment
Mark wasn’t written for people who were merely interested in Jesus, but for people who had to decide. Where would you honestly place yourself right now—curious, cautious, committed, weary, skeptical, or hungry?

4. Right Words, Wrong Definition
Peter confessed Jesus as Messiah, but resisted a suffering Savior. In what ways do we sometimes want Jesus without the cross—grace without surrender, comfort without obedience, blessing without cost?

5. The Cost of Following
Jesus had authority and power, yet chose the way of the cross. What might “dying to self” look like in your everyday life right now?

6. Is He Worth It?
The early church had to ask, “Is Jesus worth dying for?” While our context is different, what kinds of sacrifices does following Jesus still require today?

7. Whose Story Is My Life Telling?
If someone wrote a “gospel” of your life this past week, what would it reveal about what matters most to you?

8. Telling His Story
What is one simple, tangible way your life could point more clearly to Jesus this week?