1. Fulfilling Your Potential
Scriptural Reference: Mark 11:23; Hearing, Believing, Conceiving, and
Releasing
SHALOM CHRISTIAN EDUCATION MINISTRY
April 12, 2012
Authored by: Shalom Christian Education Ministry, 2012

2. Table of Contents
Overview – Instructions: ............................................................................................................................... 2
Scriptural Reference – Mark 11:22-25 .......................................................................................................... 2
Biblical Background of the Gospel of Mark: ................................................................................................. 2
Lesson #1: Hearing - (The Word) .................................................................................................................. 4
Lesson Scriptural Reference:..................................................................................................................... 4
Scriptural Cross References, (NIV) ............................................................................................................ 4
Message: ....................................................................................................................................................... 5
Hands-on Exercise: ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Questions to answer: .................................................................................................................................... 5
Commitment: ................................................................................................................................................ 6
Today:........................................................................................................................................................ 6
Over the next 30 days: .............................................................................................................................. 6
Lesson #2: Believe - (The Heart) ................................................................................................................... 7
Lesson Scriptural Reference:..................................................................................................................... 7
Scriptural Cross References, (NIV) ............................................................................................................ 7
Message: ....................................................................................................................................................... 8
Hands-on Exercise: ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Questions to answer: .................................................................................................................................... 8
Commitment: ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Today:........................................................................................................................................................ 9
Over the next 30 days: .............................................................................................................................. 9
Lesson #3: Conceiving - (Seeing it as already done) ................................................................................... 10
Lesson #4: Releasing - (Speaking and Acting on It) ..................................................................................... 13
Lesson Scriptural Reference:................................................................................................................... 13
Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7; Job 13:15; Psalm 37:4.................................................................................... 13
Message: ................................................................................................................................................. 13
Hands on Exercise ................................................................................................................................... 14
Discussion................................................................................................................................................ 15
Shalom Christian Education – Teen Bible Study (Spring/Summer 2012) Page 1

3. Overview – Instructions:
1. Engage participants in discussion on the Book of Mark, the author, period of writing and key
topics in Mark
2. Rotate reading of the scriptures among student(s)
Scriptural Reference – Mark 11:22-25
11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God
11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed,
and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things
which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye
receive them, and ye shall have them.
11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also
which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Biblical Background of the Gospel of Mark:
John Mark is the author of this Gospel. It is believed that he was the attendant and writer for the
Apostle Peter. This is the same John Mark who traveled as a helper with Paul and Barnabas on their
first missionary journey (Acts 13). John Mark is not one of the 12 disciples.
The Gospel of Mark was written to prove that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. In a dramatic and action-
packed sequence of events, Mark paints a striking image of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Mark
illustrates who Jesus is as a person. The ministry of Jesus is revealed with vivid detail and the
messages of his teaching are presented more through what he did than what he said. The Gospel of
Mark reveals Jesus the Servant.
The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four canonical gospels, most biblical scholars regard Mark as
the oldest of the four and a primary source for much of the material contained in Luke and Matthew.
Mark is not, however, a "primitive" gospel despite its age and length. It also isn’t simply a collection of
earlier stories and traditions, even though the narrative style reflects popular storytelling techniques.
The Gospel According to Mark is a theologically complex document that interweaves a number of
important themes in a manner that communicates its theology in both overt and subtle ways. The
word “gospel” comes from Greek and means the “good news” of some important event (like a birth or
a victory). It appears often in Paul’s letters in reference to the significance of the person, life, and
ministry of Jesus.
Shalom Christian Education – Teen Bible Study (Spring/Summer 2012) Page 2

4. Some key concepts about Mark:
 Mark is not meant to be a historical record of past events; instead, it is a series of events
 It is also likely that Mark was intended to be read aloud rather than carefully studied in written
form like a philosophy text
 Material only found in Mark: 3:19-21 - Jesus' family tries to restrain him, 4:26-29 - Parable of
the seed growing on its own, 7:31-37 - Jesus heals a deaf man at Decapolis
8:22-26 - Jesus heals a blind man at Bethsaida, 14:51-52 - Naked young man flees after
Jesus' arrest, 16:14-18 - Commissioning of the eleven
Shalom Christian Education – Teen Bible Study (Spring/Summer 2012) Page 3

5. Lesson #1: Hearing - (The Word)
Lesson Scriptural Reference:
Romans 10:17, Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through
the word of Christ. (NIV)
Scriptural Cross References, (NIV): (Read, review, and study)
Job 42:5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.
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Galatians 3:2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the
law, or by believing what you heard?
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Galatians 3:5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or
because you believe what you heard?
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Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with
all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
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1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God,
which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God,
which is at work in you who believe.
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Hebrews 4:2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they
heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.
Shalom Christian Education – Teen Bible Study (Spring/Summer 2012) Page 4

6. Message:
The Bible shows us that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. You can
achieve the potential that God has for you life through the Word.
Hands-on Exercise:
Take an empty cola bottle or plastic container and fill it half full of water. Then, take some vegetable oil
and fill it the rest of the way. Then try to shake it with all your might, so it will become all mixed up.
What happens? The moment you stop shaking, it begins to separate from one another, doesn’t it? What
is the moral? The moral is that, by their very nature, oil and water do not mix. The same is true with
Godliness and worldliness. But if that is true, it is true because there is too much world in each of us.
You might say that we live here and we need to be in the world.
Questions to answer:
 We might need to be in the world, but does the world have to be in us?
____________________________________________________________________
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 Do you have a situational example of when you knew the Word, and the Word is within you and
you were exposed to a “situation” in the World?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
In EPHESIANS 2:19, we are told that we are citizens and members of God’s household. We are no longer
citizens of this world, and as the song says, “This World is Not My Home, I’m Just a Passing Through.”
And since we belong to God; since we are citizens of heaven working as ambassadors here on earth; we
need to focus more on God and less on the world, but to do so, we need to make sure that we really
believe in God, and not just think we do.
As God’s ambassador, what can you do, as a youth, to fulfill your potential?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Shalom Christian Education – Teen Bible Study (Spring/Summer 2012) Page 5

7. Commitment:
What does the Bible teach us about commitment? One feature of commitment is making a stand.
Joshua chose to serve the Lord, to make a commitment. Scripture admonishes us to not be wishy-washy,
to choose. Joshua 24:15 tells us "...if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for
yourselves this day..." The Bible reminds us that we need to commit to the spiritual path we have
chosen and not be swayed by those who try to deter us from that path.
To fulfill the potential that God has for you, make a commitment to do or change your behaviors in
three areas:
1) Hearing the Word
2) Living according to the Word
3) Getting more Word into you
My name is __________________________________________, today’s date is _____________
I commit to:
Today:
Tomorrow is not promised to us. Accept or renew your commitment to Christ as your personal Savior.
With this acceptance, what do you commit to do or change to Hear the Word, Live according to the
Word, and get more Word in you:
1) _________________________________________________________________
2) _________________________________________________________________
3) _________________________________________________________________
Over the next 30 days:
Habits are formed in usually 20-22 days… As human beings, we are creatures of habit… What will you do
every day for the next 30 days to Hear the Word, Live according to the Word, and get more Word into
you?
1) _________________________________________________________________
2) _________________________________________________________________
3) _________________________________________________________________
Shalom Christian Education – Teen Bible Study (Spring/Summer 2012) Page 6

8. Lesson #2: Believe - (The Heart)
Lesson Scriptural Reference:
John 20: 31, But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that
by believing you may have life in his name (NIV)
Scriptural Cross References, (NIV): (Read, review, and study)
Matthew 4:3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become
bread."
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Luke 1:35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
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John 3:15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
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John 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life
and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
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John 19:35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells
the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.
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1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know
that you have eternal life.
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9. Message:
That ye might believe ... - This is a clue to the design which John had in view in writing this gospel. The
whole scope or end of the book is to accomplish two objects:
1. To prove that Jesus was the Messiah; and,
2. That they who looked at the proof might be convinced and have eternal life.
Hands-on Exercise:
Take an empty cola bottle or plastic container and fill it half full of water. Then, take some vegetable oil
and fill it the rest of the way. Then try to shake it with all your might, so it will become all mixed up.
What happens? The moment you stop shaking, it begins to separate from one another, doesn’t it? What
is the moral? The moral is that, by their very nature, oil and water do not mix. The same is true with
Godliness and worldliness. But if that is true, it is true because there is too much world in each of us.
You might say that we live here and we need to be in the world.
Questions to answer:
 We might need to be in the world, but does the world have to be in us?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
 Do you have a situational example of when you knew the Word, and the Word is within you and
you were exposed to a “situation” in the World?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
In EPHESIANS 2:19, we are told that we are citizens and members of God’s household. We are no longer
citizens of this world, and as the song says, “This World is Not My Home, I’m Just a Passing Through.”
And since we belong to God; since we are citizens of heaven working as ambassadors here on earth; we
need to focus more on God and less on the world, but to do so, we need to make sure that we really
believe in God, and not just think we do.
As God’s ambassador, what can you do, as a youth, to fulfill your potential?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Shalom Christian Education – Teen Bible Study (Spring/Summer 2012) Page 8

10. Commitment:
What does the Bible teach us about commitment? One feature of commitment is making a stand.
Joshua chose to serve the Lord, to make a commitment. Scripture admonishes us to not be wishy-washy,
to choose. Joshua 24:15 tells us "...if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for
yourselves this day..." The Bible reminds us that we need to commit to the spiritual path we have
chosen and not be swayed by those who try to deter us from that path.
To fulfill the potential that God has for you, make a commitment to do or change your behaviors in
three areas:
4) Hearing the Word
5) Living according to the Word
6) Getting more Word into you
My name is __________________________________________, today’s date is _____________
I commit to:
Today:
Tomorrow is not promised to us. Accept or renew your commitment to Christ as your personal Savior.
With this acceptance, what do you commit to do or change to Hear the Word, Live according to the
Word, and get more Word in you:
4) _________________________________________________________________
5) _________________________________________________________________
6) _________________________________________________________________
Over the next 30 days:
Habits are formed in usually 20-22 days… As human beings, we are creatures of habit… What will you do
every day for the next 30 days to Hear the Word, Live according to the Word, and get more Word into
you?
4) _________________________________________________________________
5) _________________________________________________________________
6) _________________________________________________________________
Shalom Christian Education – Teen Bible Study (Spring/Summer 2012) Page 9

11. Lesson #3: Conceiving - (Seeing it as
already done)
Instructions:
1) Review Scriptures individually and in a group setting
2) Discuss how they impact your life
3) Select one or two of the scriptures, reflect how you know God knows you and he has a plan for
your life…
4) Select one or two of the scriptures, discuss how these scriptures reveal to you how God has
conceived the plan for your life and how you see it as already done!
GOD KNOWS YOU AND HE HAS A
PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE
(Exodus 33:17 NKJV) So the LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you
have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name."
(2 Chronicles 16:9 NKJV) "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the
whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In
this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars."
(Psalms 34:14-15 NKJV) Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. {15}
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
(Psalms 100:3 NKJV) Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and
not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
(Psalms 139:14-18 NKJV) I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. {15} My frame was not
hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts
of the earth. {16} Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book
they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
{17} How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
{18} If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake,
I am still with You.
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12. (Psalms 145:8-10 NKJV) The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger
and great in mercy. {9} The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all
His works. {10} All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, And Your saints shall bless
You.
(Proverbs 5:21 NKJV) For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He
ponders all his paths.
(Proverbs 15:3 NKJV) The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the
evil and the good.
(Isaiah 43:1-3 NKJV) But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He
who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your
name; You are Mine. {2} When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And
through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you
shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. {3} For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in
your place.
Reflections:
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14. Lesson #4: Releasing - (Speaking and
Acting on It)
Lesson Scriptural Reference:
Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7; Job 13:15; Psalm 37:4
Message:
The bible teaches us to “cast all your cares upon me”….
Realistically, how many of us actually do this “without” trying to fix the situation ourselves? I
would estimate a very low percentage. Learning to “let go” and “let God” is not as easy as it
sounds, however, the bible reassures us to …”Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain
you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Ps 55:22 and “Cast all your anxiety on him because he
cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
For example let’s consider Job’s trials. Job said: “Though he slay
me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before
him.” Job 13:15 KJV
The taunting, “Worry Syndrome”
I pose the question, if you’re in constant turmoil and worrying, why
do you pray? Is it just something you do because it’s tradition? Or,
do you truly seek God for peace and understanding? Forming a “real” relationship with God
provides a sense of security, revelation knowledge and mostly, “a peace that surpasseth all
understanding.”
The bible says to delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Ps
37:4) What we should understand mostly from this passage is the fact that there is a process of
learning just how to “delight yourself in God.”
Shalom Christian Education – Teen Bible Study (Spring/Summer 2012) Page 13

15. Hands on Exercise
Are you willing to go through the process? If so, here are a few suggestions to get you started on
your blessed journey – Write down your thoughts for each of the steps:
First, pray and sincerely ask the Holy Spirit to order your footsteps as you prepare to read God’s
words and describe your plans to “release”:
1. Clear your mind of all self-thoughts of how you “think” it should be. (As Paul stated to
the Corinthians in 1 Corin 14:36; “Do you think that the knowledge of God’s word
begins and ends with you Corinthians? Well, you are mistaken!”) -
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2. Be prepared to push your way through negative temptations of things like, “I don’t
understand what I’m reading” or “this doesn’t make any sense” or “I don’t have time to
read” or “every time I try to read the bible, I get sleepy” (well, perhaps you do but,
understand that the enemy doesn’t want you to read it, speak boldly and declare the good
works of the Lord that you have already conquered the enemy and you’re on your way to
a victorious life in Jesus Christ!) and continue to read. (Ref: “Watch and pray so that you
will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Matt 26:41)
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3. Make it a point to read at least 3 scriptures per day. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to place
these readings in your spirit so that when it’s time for you to use them, He will bring
them back to remembrance.
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4. Don’t “try” so hard. God knows your heart. A sincere heart towards Him will produce
results.
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5. STOP stressing. When you find yourself going to a place of stress, having tantrums or
rebellious actions – STOP and ask yourself, “what do I look like to God right now?” Did
you know that God knows what are needs are long before we do? Let go and let Him do
what He promises all throughout His message. But, if you feel you must continue through
a tantrum, afterwards, repent (ask for forgiveness), shake the dust and renew your mind
to the will of God. Note: “Discouragement, depression, and self-pity are the result of
problems and adversity for some. For others, problems are a challenge and help bring
about faith, trust and victory.”
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6. Be willing to go through your storm! Pick up your cross and humbly carry it to its
destination! God is able to use us for His glory when we’re willing to pursue the purpose
He intended for us long ago.
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7. Place yourself in environments and with people that are positive and encouraging.
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8. Instead of the “me, oh my” syndrome, with a sincere heart, pray for others.
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9. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to your own understanding.”
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16. 10. What behavior in your life will you change, so that you can speak and act on “releasing?”
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Discussion
Did you know that doubt and faith couldn’t exist in the same
body?
For example, have you ever found yourself in a conversation
saying, “I know I should be stronger than this, oh yes I have
faith BUT, I’m human too, and sometimes it just gets too
hard.”? The mind can sometimes be our worst weapon against self; however, the fact that we can
dismiss negativity by adding positives allows us to be over comers! It is unwise (and impossible)
to seek the Lord through “worldly” eyes.
God is a spirit and the bible informs that we must seek Him in spirit and in truth. There are more
scriptures that support this biblical principal… identify them in the space provided below:
1. ____________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________________________
6. ____________________________________________________________________
7. ____________________________________________________________________
8. ____________________________________________________________________
9. ____________________________________________________________________
10. ____________________________________________________________________
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