December 2nd-6th | Student Reading Plan
Instructions:
Read each chapter once. After, read it again this time also following along with the key points. Then, write out answers to the questions. Then, read and reflect over the application. Next, follow the instructions for the daily encouragement. Lastly, spend time in prayer use the prayer prompt but also spend some time just talking to God.
Tuesday: Mark 8
Key Points
- Jesus had compassion on the people who served and followed Him.
- Jesus, throughout the gospels, shows kindness and compassion towards people in need.
- The disciples questioned Jesus’ plan. They said, “Where can we get food in a desolate place like this?”
- Jesus proves His power. He can work in any circumstance to fulfill our needs. Even when everything around us seems too big, Jesus can still provide exactly what we need.
- The Pharisees were demanding a sign from heaven. As if Jesus hasn’t done enough miraculous things. There are people who, no matter what Jesus does or who He is, will simply refuse to follow Him.
- Jesus asks Peter, “What do you believe?” It is easy to recite what others believe about Jesus, but a relationship with Jesus requires individual belief in who He is.
- Jesus commands that we are to pick up are cross and follow Him daily. This means to deny ourselves. There is an image of suffering that accompanies denying ourselves.
What do you believe about Jesus?
How do we develop compassion for others?
What does it mean to serve the least of these?
Application:
Mark 8 gives us a powerful picture of who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him. The chapter opens with Jesus showing deep compassion for the crowds. They had followed Him, served Him, and listened to Him and He cared for them. He didn’t just teach them; He met their physical needs. Throughout the gospels, Jesus consistently shows us that compassion is not an emotion to feel but a lifestyle to live. If we claim to follow Jesus, we must also look for ways to meet the needs of those around us. Yet, the disciples immediately questioned His plan. Standing in a desolate place with thousands to feed, they could only see the impossibility of the moment. Jesus, however, demonstrates His power by providing abundantly. This reminds us that even when our circumstances feel overwhelming or hopeless, Jesus is not limited. He is able to provide exactly what we need, exactly when we need it and often in ways we could not imagine. And then Jesus gives one of the hardest commands: “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” Following Jesus is not casual. It requires sacrifice. It calls us to die to selfishness, to surrender our plans, and to embrace the daily discipline of obedience. There is suffering in self-denial, but there is freedom and joy in following Jesus fully.
Daily Encouragement:
How can you take up your cross today?
Prayer:
Jesus, help us deny ourselves daily. Give us the courage to pick up our cross and follow You, even when it costs us something. Shape our desires, reorder our priorities, and make us more like You. Fill us with compassion for the “least of these.” Show us who we can serve this week, and help us reflect Your heart in all we do.
Wednesday: Mark 9
Key Points:
- During the transfiguration, God appears again and claims Jesus as His son. This is the second time He has done this. It proves Christ’s deity. When people claim Jesus wasn’t God or that He wasn’t God’s son you can point to this passage.
- We see the power of evil at work. A man is being thrown around by an evil spirit.
- Evil in the world does have power, but we can be thankful that Jesus has power over everything.
- Jesus tells the father all is possible for He who believes. The father cries out I do believe, but he also asks Jesus to help his unbelief. When we doubt or when we struggle to trust we should cry out asking for help with our unbelief.
- The disciples were concerned with who was the greatest. Jesus reminds us that in God’s eyes we are the greatest when we care for the least of these.
- Matthew 25:36-40
- I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a] you did it to me.’
- Jesus discusses the severity of sin. He says if you cause little ones to stumble it would be better to be thrown in the ocean. Jesus commands us to get rid of whatever causes us to sin. It is better to get rid of something that causes us to stumble then to spend our entire lives stumbling in sin.
What in your life causes you to stumble? How can you remove it?
What does it mean to cut off sin in your life?
Application:
Near the end of the chapter, Jesus speaks directly to the seriousness of sin when He warns about causing “little ones” to stumble and commands us to cut off whatever leads us into sin. His point is clear: sin is not something to manage; it’s something to remove. It’s better to lose something temporary than to be trapped in something eternal. Jesus calls us to make hard choices because He knows how destructive sin can be and how it blinds us, weakens us, and ultimately keeps us from experiencing the fullness of His life. Mark 9 challenges us to examine our hearts honestly. What patterns, attitudes, or temptations are causing us to stumble? What are we holding onto that is pulling us away from Christ? Following Jesus means being willing to cut out anything that leads us down a path of spiritual compromise. Jesus doesn't call us to fight sin alone. He calls us to bring our weakness to Him, to confess our unbelief, and to trust Him to help us walk in holiness.
Daily Encouragement:
Write some times you experienced doubt. How did God provide? Or how can you know He will?
Prayer:
Jesus, help us take sin as seriously as You do. Give us the courage to remove anything that leads us away from You. Including our habits, attitudes, relationships, or desires. Teach us to run from sin, not excuse it. Purify our hearts so that what flows out of us reflects Your grace and Your character.
Thursday: Mark 10
Key Points:
- The Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus. They want Him to disagree Moses. Jesus reminds us that now that we have the Holy Spirit we are called to a higher living. There are no loopholes when following Jesus. It is about our heart. If we hate in our hearts were guilty of murder. Jesus reminds us that when we commit to marriage it is a lifelong and eternal covenant signed before God.
- Jesus wants the young to come before Him. Jesus doesn’t base who has value in His kingdom based on age but rather based on who wants to be in His presence.
- We see in verses 17-21 a rich young ruler, this man’s problem is that he loves his wealth more than Jesus. It is a reminder to put nothing before Jesus.
- Jesus states it is hard for wealthy people to enter heaven because they often love their wealth more than Jesus. We can all be guilty of placing things before Jesus.
- Jesus reminds us that when we suffer for the gospel that one day we will be rewarded. That is an awesome reminder for us and an encouragement to persevere.
- You become great in God’s kingdom by suffering for Jesus’s sake and putting others above yourself. By becoming the least of these, you can one day be rewarded in Jesus.
The rich young ruler’s relationship with Jesus was strained by his love of money. What thing in your life do you love or prioritize that hurts your relationship with Jesus?
How can you make sure you aren’t looking for loopholes in the rules like the pharisees did?
Application:
Mark 10 challenges us to examine our hearts. The Pharisees approached Jesus looking for loopholes. They were trying to justify themselves rather than submit to God. But Jesus reminds us that following Him isn’t about finding technicalities to excuse our behavior; it’s about surrendering our hearts to a higher way of living. With the Holy Spirit, we’re called to obedience that flows from love, not from what we can get away with. Marriage, for example, is not a contract of convenience. Jesus describes it as a lifelong covenant made before God. Jesus also shows us that the kingdom of God is not reserved for the “important” or the mature. He welcomes the young and elevates those with childlike faith. What matters most is not age, status, or accomplishment. It’s a heart that longs to be in His presence. Then, we meet the rich young ruler. His problem wasn’t wealth itself, but that he loved it more than Jesus. His hands were too full to receive what Jesus offered. This is a sobering reminder that anything whether it’s success, comfort, money, relationships, even good things can become an idol if it takes priority over Christ. Jesus tells His disciples that following Him comes with sacrifices, and sometimes suffering. But He also promises that every sacrifice made for His sake will be rewarded. In God’s kingdom, greatness isn’t found by pushing yourself forward but by lowering yourself through serving, giving, and loving without seeking recognition.
Daily Encouragement:
Write some ways to have a child-like faith?
Prayer:
Thank You for calling us to a life that is deeper than rule-keeping and loopholes. Shape our hearts so that our obedience comes from love, not from trying to justify ourselves. Help us to honor every commitment we make before You. Jesus, give us a childlike faith one that is simple, humble, and eager to be in Your presence. Protect us from the pride or distractions that keep us from coming to You freely. Lord, reveal anything in our lives that we love more than You. Whether it’s comfort, money, success, or something else, help us to loosen our grip and surrender it to You. We don’t want anything to stand in the way of following You fully.
Friday: Mark 11
Key Points:
- The triumphal entry shows the fickleness of humans. How we worship Jesus one second and then turn around and disobey or betray Him.
- The disciples listened to Jesus instructions and when Jesus told them to grab a colt they did so. It worked. When Jesus calls you do something awkward or uncomfortable, remember that He is with you. What He calls you to do might not make sense in the moment, but He will be with you and will help you.
- Jesus cleansed the temple. Jesus reminds us that the Church is a sanctified place. It shouldn’t be something filled with evil.
- Paul tells us our body is a temple.
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
- "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
- This means that our body should honor God. Like the temple, our body shouldn’t be filled with filth. This means we should eat in a way that honors God. Watch things that honor God. Everything that we consume should honor God.
- The pharisees challenged Jesus’s authority. The issue is that Jesus is doing miraculous things. He has to get that power from somewhere.
What has God called you to do in your life big or small?
How does it change the way you view yourself, knowing that your body is a temple?
Application:
Jesus enters the temple and drives out those who were using a place of worship for selfish gain. He reminds us that His house is meant to be holy. Paul expands this truth by teaching that our bodies are now temples of the Holy Spirit. If we belong to Jesus, our lives and our habits, our choices, our entertainment, our desires should all reflect His holiness. Just as Jesus cleared the temple in Jerusalem, we must allow Him to cleanse our hearts and lives of anything that dishonors Him. What we consume, how we treat our bodies, and the way we use our time should all bring glory to God.
Daily Encouragement:
Write down a few things you need to cleanse from your life.
Prayer:
Jesus, cleanse our hearts the way You cleansed the temple. Remove anything in our lives that dishonors You. Since our bodies are Your temple, teach us to honor You with what we watch, what we consume, how we speak, and how we live. Make every part of our lives reflect Your holiness.
Saturday: Mark 12
Key Points:
- The parable of the vineyard shows the cruelty that God’s messengers have endured. He sent prophets who were killed. Jesus is the final messenger and He will be murdered. They knew the parable was about them so, they wanted to arrest Jesus. When were confronted with our own sin, we want to burry it or hide it. That’s what the pharisees wanted to do they were guilty, and instead of owning up to past mistakes they wanted to get rid of Jesus.
- In verses 13-17, Jesus reminds us that we are to obey the leaders that He has placed in our lives.
- Jesus tells us the most important commandment. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, strength, soul, and mind.” The second is Love your Neighbor as yourself.
- The widow fulfills this command. She loves the Lord with everything that she has. That is why she gives all that she has to Him. She is an example of loving the Lord with all that you are.
Why do we hide our sin? How can we overcome it, without just burying it and pretending it doesn’t exist?
Why is it important to obey the leaders God has placed in your life?
How can we love someone like we love ourselves?
Application:
Jesus teaches that believers are to honor and obey the leaders God has placed in our lives. Whether it’s government leaders, pastors, teachers, or parents, God calls us to humility and respect. Obedience to earthly authority is ultimately an expression of obedience to Him. Unless that authority commands something that directly breaks God’s Word. Jesus then moves to the heart of the Christian life by giving the two greatest commandments:
Love God with everything you are and love your neighbor as yourself.
These two commands summarize everything God wants from us. Loving God means giving Him our devotion, our obedience, and our whole heart. Loving our neighbor means treating others with the same care, patience, and dignity we want for ourselves. Jesus highlights a powerful example of this love through the widow who gave two small coins. She didn’t give out of abundance, but she gave out of trust. She loved God so deeply that she offered Him everything she had. Her life proves that love is shown not by the amount we give, but by the heart behind it.
Daily Encouragement:
What’s one selfless act of love you can do for someone in your life today?
Prayer:
Jesus, teach us to honor and obey the leaders You’ve placed over us. Give us respectful hearts, willing spirits, and the wisdom to follow well. Let our obedience to authority reflect our deeper obedience to You. Most of all, help us love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Let every part of our life be an offering to You. And help us love others as we love ourselves show us how to serve, listen, encourage, and give just as You have done for us. Make our hearts like the widow who was trusting, devoted, and willing to give You everything.
t paragraph with bold text.