Jesus plus anything ruins everything. In this sermon Pastor Byron shows how religion is the greatest enemy to the cause of Christ. Religion elevates man-made traditions over the commands that come from scripture and in turn end up hurting people instead of helping them. Religion teaches we are saved by our works; Jesus teaches we are saved by his.

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK: Mark 7:1-13

BEFORE YOU GET STARTED: Take 5 minutes to silently read over the section of scripture to gather insight, questions, or discussion with the group before answering the questions.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Were the Pharisees present to learn from Jesus or condemn him? Discuss your knowledge of the Pharisees thus far in Mark’s Gospel.
2. The natural bend of the human heart is towards rule making or rule breaking. Which way presents the greatest temptation for you?
3. Discuss the difference between “tradition” and “commandments”. Which one are we to keep?
4. Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites. What makes a person a hypocrite according to Jesus? Do you think we are too fast to label someone a hypocrite? Why or why not?
5. Why is religion so dangerous? How can we as a church obey the Scriptures while also avoiding religion?

CHALLENGE: This week your challenge is to have another one-on-one with a person in the group that you trust. Invite them to speak openly and freely in your life about any blind spots or areas of pride or sin that you may have. This is an opportunity for growth. Do not be antagonistic, defiant, or bitter. Instead be humble, receive the correction, and walk in accountability. Be ready to share what you learned next week over dinner.