Ready to go: Biblestudies

Group, Jul/Aug 2003 by Livermore, Dave, Argue, Steve

the basics: discipleship

TOPICS: Follow Me, It'll Cost You, Choose Which Way You'll Go, Weathering the Storms

follow me

1. Trends calling-(You'll need a sheet of poster board for each student, markers, scissors, tape or glue, and magazines popular with your teenagers.)

Ask: What's the hottest trend among your friends right now? How do trends get to be trends anyway?

Form teams of three. Drop a pile of magazines in the middle of your meeting area, then say something like: With your teammates, see if you can find pictures that represent popular trends, then cut them out and glue them to your poster board. You've got 10 minutes. Go.

After 10 minutes, ask each group to tell about the pictures they chose. Then ask: Based on what teams came up with, what are the top three trends among teenagers right now?

On a sheet of poster board taped to a wall, write the three trends your kids identify. Then ask: What are the top reasons people follow trends?

After kids brainstorm a little, ask them to decide on the top three reasons, then write those on the poster board.

2. Strangers or friends?-(You'll need Bibles, a marker, tape, and a flip chart or newsprint.)

Say something like: People seem compelled to follow someone or something for the reasons you brainstormed. These "trends" are like strangers who are trying to be our friends. They're calling to us, "Follow me!" Jesus makes the same request in the Bible.

Ask a young person to read aloud Matthew 4:18-20.

Then ask: So what's the difference between a stranger and Jesus? Let's say a stranger asks you to follow him or her. What questions would you have before you say yes? What cautions would you have? What would your parents want you to ask? What would you be feeling?

Write kids' responses on a flip chart or newsprint taped to a wall.

Say something like: As Jesus interacted with people, he often asked them to "follow me."

Ask: If you lived during the time Jesus walked the earth, but didn't know a lot about him, what reactions and questions would you have if he asked you to follow him? Would you be cautious toward his invitation? Why or why not?

3. He's no stranger-(You'll need markers.)

Say something like: If we knew Jesus better, his request to "follow me" might hit us differently.

Have teams turn their sheets of poster board over to the blank side and sit with it in the middle. Give each person a marker.

Say something like: Close your eyes and think about Jesus. How do you perceive him? (Pause.) How has he influenced your life? (Pause.) What feelings have you had toward him in your life? (Pause.) What do you wonder about him? (Pause.) Now open your eyes. Take your marker and draw a picture on a portion of your poster board that describes your feelings about Jesus. It doesn't need to be a portrait-just something that describes your experience with him.

After a few minutes, say something like: Now stop and share with your teammates the meaning of what you drew.

Say something like: Jesus didn't call Peter to follow a trend or a list of rules. He asked Peter to follow him-and that involves a relationship, a friendship.

Ask: How have your friendships started? What has helped them grow? What has to happen for a good friendship to stay that way? What's the same or different about developing a friendship with Jesus? What's easy about it? What's hard about it?

Have kids form a circle and put their poster board pictures in the middle. Then spend time in prayer, thanking God for reaching out to us. . . first.

it'll cost you

1. Giving it up for you-(You'll need a Bible, pens, and one sheet of paper for each person.)

Say something like: To follow something or someone new, you typically have to give up something in your life-because it's worth the cost. Following Jesus is no different. A daily surrender to Jesus often means letting go of things that are important to us.

Give kids each a piece of paper and a pen, then ask them to list the things that are most important to them (friends, family, money, sports, studies, and so on). Then ask: Which of the things you listed is most important to you? How would you react if you had to give that up?

Ask a student to read aloud Matthew 4:18-20. Then ask: This little snapshot makes it seem as though Peter had no misgivings at all about giving up something important to follow Jesus-if you were Peter, what would you be feeling?

Say something like: Let's explore this a little deeper.

Read aloud Luke 5:1-4. Then ask: If you were Peter, how would you respond to Jesus? Explain.

Say something like: Let's see what Peter actually did.

Read aloud Luke 5:5-7. Then ask: Now, if you were Peter, what would you be feeling? What would you say to Jesus about this miraculous catch of fish?

Say something like: If Jesus is a stranger to you, you probably have good reason to be reluctant to let go of something to follow him. But Jesus is no stranger to Peter-they've been friends for some time now. Even so, it's still hard to let go of what we're good at, even for someone we really respect. Let's see how Peter responded to Jesus.