The Dirty Dozen, Part 13: Conclusion -...

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 1133:: CCoonncclluussiioonn

First Baptist Student Ministry - Wednesday, December 7, 2016

(Emilee & Michael Jordan pic on screen, hold basketball) Most people consider Michael Jordan to be the greatest basketball play ers ev er! In his y ears in the NBA , he won 6 championships, receiv ed 8 scoring titles, and 5 MV P awards, played in 12 A ll-Star games, scored ov er 30,000 points, and much, much more. What did Michael think was the most important aspect of the game?

(Q uote on screen) “There are plenty of teams in ev ery sport that hav e great play ers and nev er w in titles. Most of the time, those play ers aren’t w illing to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. The funny thing is, in the end, their unw illingness to sacrifice only makes indiv idual goals more difficult to achiev e. O ne thing I believ e to the fullest is that if y ou think and achiev e as a team, the indiv idual accolades w ill take care of themselv es. Talent w ins games, but teamwork and intelligence w in championships.” (Michael Jordan)

(Dirty Dozen logo) Teamwork important in sports? The disciples were a team… each had different personalities, backgrounds, and gifts… but they needed to work together as a team for the Kingdom’s sake. We do too…

I. T he Dirty Dozen Defined (pic on screen)

• James The Lesser (behind the scenes, serv ant, faithful) • A ndrew (brought many people to Jesus, passionate) • John (dealt w ith immaturity , became “disciple Jesus lov ed”) • Bartholomew Nathanael (dealt w ith prejudice, honest, truth) • Judas Iscariot (hid who he really was, rejected Jesus) • Simon the Zealot (zealous, passionate, rev olutionary )

• Philip (logical, rational, intelligent) • Matthew Lev i (changed his lifesty le to follow , what’s v alue) • Judas Thaddaeus (serv ant, concerned for the world) • Simon Peter (leader, outspoken, continued despite failure) • James (faithful, dedicated, w illing to giv e his life • Thomas (common sense, dealt w ith doubt, courageous)

II. T he Dirty Dozen’s Demise

a. What Ever Happened T o T hese Guys? i. Demise = death, departure, expiration ii. How did the disciples die (someone asked me):

New Testament tells of the fate of only two of the apostles: Judas, who

betray ed Jesus and then went out and hanged himself, and James the son of Zebedee, who was executed by Herod about 44 A D (A cts 12:2).

• PETER and PA UL: marty red in Rome about 66 A D, during the persecution under Emperor Nero. Paul was beheaded. Peter was crucified, upside down at his request, since he did not feel he was worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.

• A NDREW went to the "land of the man-eaters," in what is now the Sov iet Union. Christians there claim him as the first to bring the gospel to their land. He also preached in A sia Minor, modern-day Turkey , and in Greece, where he is said to hav e been crucified.

• "Doubting" THO MA S was probably most activ e in the area east of Sy ria. Tradition has him preaching as far east as India, where the ancient C hristians rev ere him as their founder. They claim that he died there when pierced through w ith the spears of four soldiers.

• PHILIP possibly had a powerful ministry in C arthage in North A frica and then in A sia Minor, where he conv erted the w ife of a Roman proconsul. In retaliation the proconsul had Philip arrested and cruelly put to death.

• MA TTHEW ministered in Persia and Ethiopia. Some of the oldest reports say he was not marty red, while others say he was stabbed to death in Ethiopia.

• BA RTHOLOMEW had w idespread missionary trav els attributed to him by tradition: to India w ith Thomas, back to A rmenia, and also to Ethiopia and Southern A rabia. There are v arious accounts of how he met his death as a marty r for the gospel.

• JA MES (the Lesser) the son of A lpheus… The Jew ish historian Josephus reported that he was stoned and then clubbed to death.

• SIMON THE ZEALOT, so the story goes, ministered in Persia and was killed after refusing to sacrifice to the sun god.

• MA TTHIA S was the apostle chosen to replace Judas. Tradition sends him to Sy ria w ith A ndrew and to death by burning.

• JO HN is the only one of the company generally thought to hav e died a natural death from old age. He was the leader of the church in the Ephesus area & took care of Mary the mother of Jesus in his home.

• http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/whatever-happened-to-the-twelve-apostles-11629558.html

iii. These men may hav e died, but their mission has not expired… it is up to us now !!

b. Which Disciple A re You Most Like? i. List the three disciples that y ou think y ou are most

similar to (on y our handout). (P ic on screen again) ii. Students share top choice & why …

1. (Babe Ruth pic on screen) “The way a team play s as a whole determines its success. You may hav e the greatest bunch of indiv idual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” (Babe Ruth)

2. Lots of team quotes/thoughts tonight… that’s what the church is all about!

III. T he Dirty Dozen Dare (I dare y ou to be a disciple!) a. Different But T he Same

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 = “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts,

but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of serv ice, but we serv e the same Lord. God works in different way s,

but it is the same God who does the work in all of us!” (NLT)

i. Name a few different kinds of gifts C hristian hav e. Name a few different kinds of serv ices C hristian do. Name a few different kinds of work or jobs C hristians do. (Students share)

ii. Disciples serv e God but may be unseen… It’s not how we serv e that is important, it’s Who we serv e!

iii. How many people do y ou think it takes to keep this church running? (Students share)

1. Forget about people to clean the building, do the maintenance, baby sit, pay the bills…

2. Ev ery one has a place in God’s church b. Separate But T ogether

i. We are all separate indiv iduals (y ou arriv ed here separate from most ev ery one else tonight)

ii. But, although we are indiv iduals, we are O NE! iii. Like a recipe! What’s y our fav orite meal? (Students

share and list ingredients) 1. My fav orite = spaghetti (hold ingredients) 2. Many ingredients, one recipe! 3. Teamwork… whatever team/club y ou are on

Closing Video = “Together” (Soul Refinery , 1:22)

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FBSM Small Group Leader Guide

Date: Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Review: 1 Cor. 12:4-6 = “There are different k inds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different k inds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it

is the same God who does the work in all of us!” (NLT)

React: Which of the disciples do you think you are most like and why? Do you believe God could use your life to make a difference?

Relate: Share personal prayer requests with one another (as a whole

group or break off into small groups of 2 or 3). Close prayer and accountability time as a whole group.

Leader’s Notes:

__________________________________________________________

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TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 1133:: CCoonncclluussiioonn

First Baptist Student Ministry - Wednesday, December 7, 2016

I. T he Dirty Dozen __________________________ • James The Lesser (behind the scenes, serv ant, faithful) • A ndrew (brought many people to Jesus, passionate) • John (dealt w ith immaturity , became “disciple Jesus lov ed”) • Bartholomew Nathanael (dealt w ith prejudice, honest, truth) • Judas Iscariot (hid who he really was, rejected Jesus) • Simon the Zealot (zealous, passionate, rev olutionary ) • Philip (logical, rational, intelligent) • Matthew Lev i (changed his lifesty le to follow , what’s v alue) • Judas Thaddaeus (serv ant, concerned for the world) • Simon Peter (leader, outspoken, continued despite failure) • James (faithful, dedicated, w illing to giv e his life • Thomas (common sense, dealt w ith doubt, courageous)

II. T he Dirty Dozen’s ___________________ a. What Ever ______________________ T o These Guys?

• Matthew 27:5, A cts 12:2

b. Which Disciple A re You Most _____________ ?

• ______________________________

• ______________________________

• ______________________________

“The way a team play s as a whole determines its success.

You may hav e the greatest bunch of indiv idual stars in the

world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be

worth a dime.” (Babe Ruth)

III. T he Dirty Dozen _________________

a. _____________________ But The ______________

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 = “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts,

but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of serv ice, but we serv e the same Lord. God works in different way s,

but it is the same God who does the work in all of us!” (NLT)

• It’s not how we serv e that is important, it’s

Who we serv e!

• How many people to keep this church running?

b. ____________________ But ___________________

• What’s y our fav orite meal? The recipe?

• Like any team or club… it’s about teamwork!

Closing Video = “Together” (Soul Refinery , 1:22)

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 1122:: TThhoommaass

First Baptist Student Ministry - Wednesday, November 30, 2016

(P ics of questions on screen) Time for the C ommon Sense Test… 1) Some months hav e 31 day s. How many have 28? 2) A man who liv es in the US cannot be buried in C anada. Why not? 3) A man built his house so that all four sides faced south. If a big bear walked by the house, what color would it be? 4) Do people in England hav e a 4th of July ? 5) Two women play ed fiv e games of checkers. Each one won the same number of games and there were no ties. Explain how this is possible. [A nswers = 1) A ll 12 months hav e 28 day s, 2) He can’t be buried because he is still liv ing, 3) The house must be at the North Pole for all sides to face south, so the bear is a white polar bear, 4) Yes, people in England hav e a 4th of July , but do not celebrate it as a holiday , and 5) they were play ing other people, not each other.]

C ommon sense is defined as “good judgment not based on special know ledge”. Everyone has some degree of it, how much do y ou hav e? Thomas had a lot of common sense. Howev er, when C hrist died, Thomas faced a struggle w ith doubt. He needed to learn to hav e faith too. Let’s learn from him…

I. T homas’ Rap Sheet

• Thomas was also known as “Didymus”, which means tw in. So he probably had a tw in brother.

• There is no record of what Thomas did before he met C hrist. • O nly the Gospel of John tells stories of Thomas.

II. Common Sense Only Goes So Far

i. C ommon sense is mostly a good thing until it comes to the C hristian life. It must come second to faith…

ii. Thomas was a logical thinker. A s y ou’ll see from the things he said, he was a common sense kind of guy !

a. He Warned Jesus A bout Going T o Bethany John 11:16 = “Then Thomas (also known as Didy mus) said to the rest of the

disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die w ith him.’” (NA SB)

iv. In the prev ious chapter, Jesus was almost killed tw ice by an angry mob. Thomas knew that going back to that area could mean they would be killed, but was w illing to go any way

v. What would y ou hav e thought if C hrist had told y ou He was going back to a dangerous place? (Students share)

1. Thomas relied on common sense to tell him that C hrist’s decision was dangerous… should hav e relied on C hrist’s supernatural know ledge instead.

b. He A sked How T o Know T he Way T o Heaven John 14:5-6 = “’No, we don’t know , Lord,’ Thomas said. ‘We hav e no idea

where y ou are going, so how can we know the way ?’ Jesus told him, ‘I am the way , the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except

through me.’” (NLT)

iii. C hrist was talking about going to Heav en (figurativ ely ), which He did sometimes. Thomas couldn’t grasp it all. His honest question set up one of the most important v erses in the Bible.

iv. Jesus tells Him he does know the way to Heav en… what is it? (Students answer) Jesus is the way !

“A ccording to an ancient legend, a man became lost in his trav els and

wandered into a bed of quicksand. C onfucius saw the man’s predicament and said, “It is ev ident that men should stay out of places such as this.” Next, Buddha observ ed the situation and said, “Let that man’s plight be a lesson to the rest of the world.” Then Mohammed came by and said to the sinking man, “A las, it is the w ill of God.” F inally, Jesus appeared on the scene and said, “Take my hand, brother. I w ill sav e y ou.” = He is the way (rescue)! (Great Answers But No Help, Hot Illustrations 1 .0)

III. Doubts Can Be Overcome John 20:24-27 = “But Thomas, one of the twelv e, called Didy mus, was not w ith them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were say ing to him, ‘We hav e seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into

His side, I w ill not believ e.’ 26 A fter eight day s His disciples were again inside, and Thomas w ith them. Jesus came, the doors hav ing been shut, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be w ith y ou.’ 27 Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach here w ith y our finger, and see My hands; and reach here y our hand and put it

into My side; and do not be unbeliev ing, but believ ing.’” (NA SB)

a. We Either Believe Christ’s Promises Or We Don’t i. Thomas had doubts because of his common sense ii. Jesus promised He would come back to life, but

Thomas wanted to see if before he believ ed it iii. Jesus told him to stop doubting & believ e!

1. How many of y ou could C hrist be say ing that to tonight? (Students raise hand)

IV. We Can Learn T o Have Faith a. Faith Is Believing Without Seeing

i. John 20:27-29 = “Then he focused his attention on Thomas. ‘Take y our finger and examine my hands. Take y our hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbeliev ing. Believ e.’ 28 Thomas said, ‘My Master! My God!’ 29 Jesus said, ‘So, y ou believ e because y ou’v e seen w ith y our own ey es. Ev en better blessings are in store for those who believ e w ithout seeing.’” (NLT)

ii. Faith is trusting that God w ill do what He said, ev en if we can’t see Him work. Thomas relied on what he saw , not on faith

b. Faith Is A Lifestyle i. 2 C orinthians 5:7 = “walk by faith, not by sight…” ii. What is the opposite of faith? (Students share)

1. Not doubt… it is sight! iii. O nce again, faith and sight are contrasted. Here it

talks about how we liv e! 1. If y ou were a person who liv ed by sight,

how would y ou liv e? (Students share) 2. What about liv ed by faith? (Students share)

iv. O ften, we are hard on Thomas, but many of us would doubt if we were put in the same situation. C an y ou relate to him? Struggle w ith doubts? Lean on common sense more than the promises of God?

1. Faith is believ ing what God said, ev en if it is difficult! Ev en if it doesn’t make sense.

2. C hrist’s inv iting y ou to come awake tonight!

Closing Video = “C ome A wake!” (Igniter Media, V ol. 9, 3:50)



Date: Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Review: John 20:29 = “Then Jesus told him, ‘You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe

without seeing me.’!” (NLT)

React: Thomas is often referred to as “Doubting Thomas”. Have you ever doubted God or struggled in your faith? Share your struggles.



Leader’s Notes:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 1122:: TThhoommaass


I. T homas’ Rap Sheet • Thomas was also known as “Didymus”, which means tw in. So

he probably had a tw in brother. • There is no record of what Thomas did before he met C hrist. • O nly the Gospel of John tells stories of Thomas.

II. __________________ _____________ Only Goes So Far a. He _______________ _____________ A bout Going

T o Bethany

John 11:16 = “Then Thomas (also known as Didy mus) said to the rest of the

disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die w ith him.’” (NA SB)

b. He A sked _________ ______ _____ ____________

T he Way T o Heaven

John 14:5-6 = “’No, we don’t know , Lord,’ Thomas said. ‘We hav e no idea where y ou are going, so how can we know the way ?’ Jesus told him, ‘I am the way , the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except

through me.’” (NLT)

III. __________________ Can Be Overcome

• John 20:24-27

a. We Either Believe Christ’s Promises Or We _________

• Jesus told him to stop doubting and believ e!

IV. We Can Learn T o Have __________________

a. Faith Is Believing Without __________________

• John 20:27-29 = “Then he focused his attention on Thomas. ‘Take your finger and examine my hands. Take y our hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbeliev ing. Believe.’ 28 Thomas said, ‘My Master! My God!’ 29 Jesus said, ‘So, y ou believ e because y ou’v e seen with y our own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believ e w ithout seeing.’” (NLT)

b. Faith Is A _______________________

• 2 C orinthians 5:7

• What is the opposite of faith?

• Faith is believ ing what God said, ev en if it is difficult

or it doesn’t make sense!

Closing Video = “C ome A wake!” (Igniter Media, V ol. 9, 3:50)

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 1111:: JJaammeess


F igure out what these names hav e in common and call out the name that doesn’t seem to belong: Thomas Edison, John Logie Baird, A lexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford; Roger Bannister, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Babe Ruth; E lv is Presley , The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Georg Solti (3 pics on screen). Believ e it or not, all belong in each of these groups. The names y ou probably don’t recognize are all people who made a difference, but didn’t get the recognition they deserv ed.

The disciple James was much like that. You know stories of Peter, John, and Judas; but how about James? He was part of the “inner three”, a leader of the disciples, and was influential in the beginning of the church. Howev er, he is not mentioned often in Scripture, nev er quoted directly , and sometimes forgotten by us today . James is somewhat ov erlooked… but we’ll learn from his leadership sty le of serv ice and faithfulness more than words.

Prepped this study right after the 2016 presidential election results… many did not think Donald Trump would w in, but he did. No one would hav e thought James the disciple made much of a difference, but he did:

I. James’ Rap Sheet

• 2 disciples named James, the other was “the lesser”. • James was the brother of the disciple John (probably older). • James, John & dad (Zebedee) ran a fishing company that

seemed to be successful, since they had serv ants & boats (Mark 1:20, Luke 5:11).

• James was part of the “inner three” disciples closest to Jesus.

1 Corinthians 4 :20 = “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is liv ing by God’s power.” (NLT)

II. Leading T hrough Serving

a. Mending His Nets i. James was a committed worker, he was a dedicated

fisherman and disciple… just look: ii. Matthew 4:21 = “Going on from there He saw two

other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat w ith Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them.” (NA SB)

iii. What kind of jobs today do people NO T want to do? (Students share)

1. Fast food employ ee, garbage collector? 2. Garbage can on the stage / pic on screen

“In March of 1981, President Reagan was shot by John Hinckley , Jr., and was hospitalized for sev eral weeks. A lthough Reagan was the nation's chief executiv e, his hospitalization had little impact on the nation's activ ity . Gov ernment continued on. O n the other hand, suppose the garbage collectors in this country went on strike, as they did not long ago in Philadelphia. That city was not only in a literal mess, the pile of decay ing trash quickly became a health hazard. A three-week nationw ide strike would paraly ze the country . Who is more important--the President or a garbage collector? In the body of C hrist, seemingly insignificant ones are urgently needed. A s Paul reminds us, ‘The head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need y ou!' O n the contrary , those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable’ (1 C or. 12:21-22).” (Sermonillustrations.com, Dav id Parsons)

b. Washing His Nets i. Luke 5:2 = “He noticed two empty boats at the

water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.” (NLT)

ii. In both stories, James is seen working. This must hav e been something he did often!

c. Guarding His Words i. James is nev er directly quoted in Scripture. The only

times he was quoted were when he and his brother said something together. A s he matured, he began to carefully guard his words.

ii. Remember… 1 C orinthians 4:20 = “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” (NIV )

1. The idea behind this v erse is that what we say is not as important as what we do!

2. How are y our words? Really ? iii. Tough question: When is it sometimes hard to guard

y our words? (Students share)

III. Leading T hrough Faithfulness a. Faithful In Life

i. James was a part of the “inner three” (the group of disciples closest to Jesus).

ii. 12-11-3 = Tod Tanner (former prof. at BC F ): “Think about it, Jesus recruited 12, graduated 11, while focusing on 3. Now in the end, the 11 that remained did some amazing things for the Kingdom. But, at the start they were any thing but effectiv e.”

iii. So, why do y ou think a disciple so close to Jesus was only quoted tw ice in Scripture? (Students share)

1. Liv ed it more than spoke it? iv. How do we know? = James was there when others

were not… (list on screen) 1. Watched Jesus raised a girl from dead (Mk 5:37) 2. Saw Jesus transfigured into true self (Matt 17:1) 3. Prayer in the garden with Jesus (Matt 26:37) 4. Helped lead after Jesus ascended (Acts 1:13)

v. A nd, James was FA ITHFUL until his death! b. Faithful In Death

i. A cts 12:1-2 = “A bout that time King Herod A grippa began to persecute some believ ers in the church. 2 He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed w ith a sword.” (NLT)

ii. Surprisingly , James was the first disciple to be killed iii. What was it about James that made him the first

marty red (killed for his faith)? (Students share) 1. May be he was the biggest threat?! 2. The Jews were “pleased” to see him killed.

James must hav e been a strong leader! iv. A nother follower of Jesus who was marty red was

Stephen… his death in A cts takes up 68 v erses, while James’ death only takes 2 v erses. Why ?

1. His life meant much more than his death… v. If James wasn’t mentioned as being in the “inner

three” or the first disciple marty red, we may nev er hav e known how strong of a leader this disciple was. James didn’t lead through a lot of words, but rather through serv ing and through faithfulness.

1. Some of y ou = quiet, faithful leaders… being v ocal or popular is nev er more important than being used by God to hand-make other followers of C hrist (disciples):

Closing Video = “The Factory ” (Worship House Media, 3:04)




Review: Acts 12:1-2 = “About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. He had the apostle James

(John’s brother) k illed with a sword.” (NLT)

React: James was the first disciple to be killed. If being a follower of Jesus was automatically a death sentence in America, how obvious

would your faith in Christ be? Why?

Relate: Share personal prayer requests with one another (as a whole group or break off into small groups of 2 or 3). Close prayer and

accountability time as a whole group.

Leader’s Notes:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 1111:: JJaammeess


I. James’ Rap Sheet • 2 disciples named James, the other was “the lesser”. • James was the brother of the disciple John (probably older). • James, John & dad (Zebedee) ran a fishing company that

seemed to be successful, since they had serv ants & boats (Mark 1:20, Luke 5:11).

• James was part of the “inner three” disciples closest to Jesus.

1 Corinthians 4 :20 = “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is liv ing by God’s power.” (NLT)

II. Leading Through _______________________ a. ____________________ His Nets

• Matthew 4:21

b. _____________________ His Nets

• Luke 5:2

c. ________________________ His Words

• When is it sometimes hard to guard y our words?

III. Leading Through ________________________________

a. Faithful In ________________

• “Think about it, Jesus recruited 12, graduated 11,

while focusing on 3. Now in the end, the 11 that

remained did some amazing things for the Kingdom.

But, at the start they were any thing but effectiv e.”

(Dr. Tod Tanner)

• James was there when others were not…

b. Faithful In ___________________

• A cts 12:1-2

• If James wasn’t mentioned as being in the “inner

three” or the first disciple marty red, we may never

hav e known how strong of a leader this disciple was.

James didn’t lead through a lot of words, but rather

through serv ing and through faithfulness.

Closing Video = “The Factory ” (Worship House Media, 3:04)

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 1100:: SSiimmoonn PPeetteerr


(P ic on screen) Here are a few interesting quotes from some famous people: “The doctors x-ray ed my head and found nothing.” (Dizzy Dean, baseball play er who was hit in the head by a baseball) “Smoking kills. If y ou’re killed, y ou’v e lost a v ery important part of y our life.” (Brooke Shields, actress) “I'v e been up and down in life so many times, I feel like I ’m in a rev olv ing door.” (C her, actress and singer) Ev er put y our foot in y our mouth? I know I hav e, I need this mug (pic on screen). C an y ou think of someone who puts their foot in their mouth way more than y ou do? Don’t point! Peter put his foot in his mouth a lot… he was corrected by Jesus on sev eral occasions and ev en referred to as Satan by Jesus (Matthew 16:23). Peter had a long way to go to become the leader Jesus wanted him to be, ev en bey ond his failure in life. Let’s learn something from this awesome disciple!

I. Simon Peter ’s Rap Sheet

• Simon Peter and his bro, A ndrew , were fishermen and had a partnership w ith James and John

• He was born in Bethsaida, but liv ed w ith his family in C apernaum

• Peter was married: we hear of his mother-in-law in Matthew 8:14 and of his w ife in 1 C orinthians 9:5

• Peter was the leader of the disciples (The Dirty Dozen)

II. Willing T o Change a. Peter ’s Calling

i. Luke 5:1-11 tell us the story of Peter’s calling…

ii. F ishing all night, caught nothing, Jesus gets in and they can’t handle how much they catch…

Luke 5 :9-11 = “For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others w ith him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to S imon, ‘Don’t be afraid! F rom

now on y ou’ll be fishing for people!’ 11 A nd as soon as they landed, they left ev ery thing and followed Jesus.” (NLT)

iii. John 1:42 tells us that Peter was reluctant when

A ndrew (bro) first told him about Jesus… iv. Why do y ou think Jesus used this miracle (fishing) to

conv ince Peter of who He was? (Students share) 1. Peter was a fisherman, Jesus was speaking

his language v. What do y ou think Jesus meant by he would now be

“fishing for people”? (Students share) 1. “Ev eryone thinks of changing the world, but

no one thinks of changing himself.” (Leo Tolstoy )

b. Peter ’s Confession

Matthew 16:15-18 = “Then he asked them, ‘But who do y ou say I am?’ 16 S imon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the liv ing God.’ 17

Jesus replied, ‘You are blessed, S imon son of John, because my Father in heav en has rev ealed this to y ou. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to y ou that y ou are Peter (which means “rock”), and upon this rock I w ill build my church, and all the powers of hell w ill not conquer it.’” (NLT)

i. He finally av oided putting his foot in his mouth here and gav e a great answer!

ii. Statement that all C hristianity is built on! Jesus! c. Peter ’s Change

i. He made a lot of progress in his walk, but failed miserably too. Most famously deny ing C hrist before the C rucifixion.

ii. Went back to fishing after Jesus was gone, why ? 1. Giv ing up on his calling? 2. My brother and Summer’s brother’s stories

iii. John 21:15-19 shows us where Jesus questions Peter three times, “do y ou lov e me?”

1. Why do y ou think He repeats Himself to Peter three times? (Students share)

III. Learning T o Lead

a. Leaders A re People Of Great Potential i. Jesus knew Peter’s potential… just check his name:

ii. Simon means “listener” 1. Wasn’t always a good listener, was usually

the first on to speak up, didn’t think first iii. Peter means “rock”

1. Solid foundation for the church of faith! b. Leaders A re People Of Courage

i. Matthew 14 = story of Jesus walking on the water during a story , a ghost?, ev ery one sat in amazement, Peter stood up!

ii. C ourage alone is not enough, we must depend on the Lord to find our strength in courage!

c. Leaders A re People Of A ction i. Day of Pentecost (A cts 2) = God shows up, disciples

need someone to speak for them, Peter goes for it! ii. A cts 2:41 = “Those who believ ed what Peter said

were baptized and added to the church that day —about 3,000 in all.” (NLT)

iii. Peter was a leader and nev er knew he could be! 1. That is some of y ou here tonight.

IV. Failure Is Never Final

a. Failure Happens i. Mark 14:66-72 shows us Peter’s weakest moments

as he denied know ing Jesus three times… He lied, he swore, and ev en “began to call down curses on himself”.

ii. Why do y ou think he lied and just didn’t admit he was a disciple of Jesus? (Students share)

b. Forgiveness Follows Failure i. Peter probably thought he was disqualified from

being a disciple, but Jesus reinstated him in John 21. c. Failure Leads T o Freedom

i. F reedom to glorify God w ith y our life! Peter messed up, but he receiv ed forgiv eness and went on to do great things! When he could hav e quit, Peter dealt w ith his failure and brought glory to God!

ii. Ev en in death = killed by Nero in 67 A D, crucified, not worthy enough for that like Jesus, crucified upside-down! (cross on stage)

C losing story (pic on screen) = Ev ery few y ears the O lympics are alway s full of great stories, but one was shared by famous reporter many y ears ago… “Mexico C ity , 1968. A y oung Tanzanian runner, John Stephen A hkwari, was the last runner in the marathon. He came in about an hour and a half after the w inner. He was practically carry ing his leg; it was so bloodied and bandaged. I asked him, ‘Why did y ou keep going?’ He said, ‘You don’t understand. My country did

not send me 5,000 miles to start a race. They sent me to finish it.’ That sent chills down my spine and I ’v e alway s remembered it.”

Ev en when y ou fail… it’s not how well y ou start, but how well y ou finish!




Review: Acts 2:40-41 = “Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked

generation!’ Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.” (NLT)

React: Even though Peter messed up, his failure was not final. Can you think of a failure in your life that God has used or is using to effect

others’ lives in a positive way? Please share.



TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 1100:: SSiimmoonn PPeetteerr


I. Simon Peter ’s Rap Sheet • Simon Peter and his bro, A ndrew , were fishermen and had a

partnership w ith James and John • He was born in Bethsaida, but liv ed w ith his family in

C apernaum • Peter was married: we hear of his mother-in-law in Matthew

8:14 and of his w ife in 1 C orinthians 9:5 • Peter was the leader of the disciples (The Dirty Dozen)

II. Willing T o ____________________ a. Peter ’s _____________________

Luke 5 :9-11 = “For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught,

as were the others w ith him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to S imon, ‘Don’t be afraid! F rom

now on y ou’ll be fishing for people!’ 11 A nd as soon as they landed, they left ev ery thing and followed Jesus.” (NLT)

• “Ev eryone thinks of changing the world, but no one

thinks of changing himself.” (Leo Tolstoy )

b. Peter ’s _________________________

• Matthew 16:15-18

c. Peter ’s ______________________

• John 21:15-19

III. Learning T o ___________________

a. Leaders Are People Of Great ____________________

b. Leaders A re People Of _____________________

• Matthew 14:22-33

c. Leaders A re People Of __________________

• A cts 2:41

IV. Failure Is ________________ Final

a. Failure ____________________

• Mark 14:66-72

b. ___________________________ Follows Failure

c. Failure Leads T o ____________________

• Peter glorified God ev en in his death

• John Stephen A hkwari’s story

• …It’s how well y ou finish!

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 99:: JJuuddaass TThhaaddddaaeeuuss


T he 10-40 Window (pic on screen) is where there are more non-C hristians than any other place in the world. It is the area between 10 degrees and 40 degrees north of the equator (pic on screen):

• Two-thirds of the world’s population (4.89 billion) liv es here, but only about one-quarter of the world’s missionaries go here.

• The major religions are Islam, Buddhism, and Hindu. • The countries here are responsible for 90% of the world’s persecution

of C hristians • There are ov er 5,500 unreached people groups w ith names like the

Berbers, Hindi, Druze, Tajik, Manchu, etc. • 85% of the poorest countries in the world are here, w ith 3 out of 4

children going hungry ev ery day . How well do y ou think C hristians are doing to reach the lost in our world?

A nswers these quick questions on y our handout… • I think C hristians are doing enough / not enough the reach the lost… • How often do y ou think of the people w ithout C hrist? ______ • I think there is a lot I can do / not much I can do about the lost…

Sometimes we can forget about the billions of people all ov er the world

who do not know C hrist. Today we’ll learn about Judas Thaddaeus (a disciple who didn’t forget about them). His concern for the world is an example for us today .

Turn to John 14 and Matthew 28 as we prepare our hearts for this…

I. Judas T haddaeus’ Rap Sheet • Matthew & Mark call him Thaddaeus; John & Luke refer to

him as Judas • He is not Judas Iscariot, the betray er, or any thing like him • We only hav e one quote by him (John 14:22)

He was only quoted once when asked a v ery serious question of Jesus.

He wanted to know who would tell the world. His question is one that we should still think about today …

John 14:22 = “Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple w ith that name) said to him, “Lord, why are y ou going to rev eal y ourself only to us and

not to the world at large?” (NLT)

II. A n Important Question a. What A bout T he Rest Of T he World?

i. Disciples just finished eating the Last Supper and knew their time w ith C hrist was coming to an end

ii. A few began asking questions, Judas wondered why C hrist hadn’t told the world that He was the Messiah

1. C ommon belief = Messiah would be a powerful, famous military leader

2. Not the kind of Messiah they expected iii. Hav e you ever wondered the same thing? Why didn’t

Jesus just rev eal Himself to the whole world? (Students share)

b. Christ’s Response T o Judas i. The rest of John 14 shows us C hrist’s reply ii. V s.20 = “I am in y ou” (NLT). iii. How does this affect how the world w ill know Jesus?

(Students share) 1. It is us! We may be the only Jesus people

see or the only Bible people read! c. Obedience Is T he Outcome

i. “Lov e” and “obey ” are the key words to this passage (v .15, 21, 23).

1. “Lov e me, obey my commands…” 2. “Lov e me? Do what I say …”

ii. O bedience is the outcome of our lov e for Him! iii. C hrist explains that when we lov e and obey Him, the

world w ill see Him in us. He w ill show Himself to the world through us!

III. A n Important Statement C hrist knew these would be the last words He said to the Twelve before He returned to Heav en. His statement here shows us what’s important to Him:

Matthew 28:19-20 = “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observ e all that I commanded y ou; and lo, I am w ith y ou alway s, ev en to the end of the age.” (NA SB)

a. T he One T hing T hey Were T o Do

i. Make disciples! 1. True disciple = a disciple-making disciple!

ii. C hrist does not say , “make people C hristians”, He say s to make disciples.

iii. The first is a name, the other a lifesty le!

b. A s You A re Going, Make Disciples i. The tense of “Go” in the Greek could be translated,

“as y ou are going.” Making disciples is not an ev ent to do once in a while (mission trip); it is a way of life!

IV. A n Important T ask a. T he World Needs T o Know

i. Jesus has giv en us the task to go and tell others about Him… they need to know !

ii. C ure to cancer? = Keep it to y ourself? No! b. How T o Be Involved In Missions

i. Pray . (C hrist said to pray for God to send the laborers to the fields, Matthew 9:38)

ii. Go on a mission trip. (Don’t miss the experience!) iii. Learn about world missions. (Websites like

1040w indow .org or opendoors.org.) iv. Support a missionary . (Giv e money or pray er for

them and their work, specifically .)

Judas Thaddaeus asked how the world would know about C hrist. The answer is that we w ill tell them about Him in our words and lifesty le. It is our job to make disciples as we liv e each day .

Closing story = Karen Watson (Beloved missionary killed in driv e-by shooting in Iraq, 2004) (pic on screen) Closing activity = My Last Letter (If God called y ou to go and serv e Him w ith no guarantee y ou would be back, leav ing all behind, what would y our last letter to y our pastor or lov ed one say ?) (background music/v ideo) = Thelastletter.org




Review: Matthew 28:19-20 = “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son

and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (NASB)

React: Do you consider yourself an effective “missionary” for Jesus right now (at home, school, work, etc)? Why or why not?



Leader’s Notes:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 99:: JJuuddaass TThhaaddddaaeeuuss


• I think C hristians are ___ doing enough / ___ not doing enough to reach the lost in the world today .

• How often do y ou think of the people in the world w ithout C hrist? ____________________________

• I think there is ___ a lot I can do / ___ not much I can do about the lost in the world today .

I. Judas T haddaeus’ Rap Sheet

• Matthew and Mark call him Thaddaeus; John & Luke refer to

him as Judas • He is not Judas Iscariot, the betray er, or any thing like him • We only hav e one quote by him (John 14:22)

John 14:22 = “Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple w ith that name) said to him, “Lord, why are y ou going to rev eal y ourself only to us and

not to the world at large?” (NLT)

II. A n Important _______________________ a. What A bout The Rest Of T he _________________?

• Hav e you ever wondered why Jesus didn’t rev eal Himself to the whole world at that time?

b. Christ’s _____________________ T o Judas

• “I am in y ou” (John 14:20, NLT)

c. ______________________ Is T he Outcome

• “Lov e” and “obey ” are key!

III. A n Important _____________________________

Matthew 28:19-20 = “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observ e all that I commanded y ou; and lo, I am w ith y ou alway s, ev en to the end of the age.” (NA SB)

a. T he World ______________ T o Know

b. How T o Be Involved In ____________________

• _____________.

• Go on a _______________________ ___________.

• _______________ about world missions.

• Support a ____________________________.

Closing story = Missionary Karen Watson

(Belov ed missionary killed in driv e-by shooting in Iraq, 2004)

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 88:: MMaatttthheeww LLeevvii

First Baptist Student Ministry - Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Truett C athy (pic on screen) was the founder of C hick-fil-a (passed away in September of 2014) and opened his first restaurant (under a different name) back in 1946. His company is now one of the fastest grow ing companies in the US w ith ov er 2,000 locations in 43 states. In 2015 their sales exceeded $6 billion. You would think he was one of y our av erage rich C EOs, but he was not. A side from refusing to open on Sunday s, he was an extremely generous C hristian man. Gave away millions in scholarships, ran C amp WinShape for boy s and girls, and taught Sunday School class to 13-y ear-olds for ov er 40 y ears. He knows what’s of v alue! It’s not money or power; it’s a relationship w ith God and w ith others. Matthew Lev i (pic on screen), a tax collector that would become a disciple, did not understand what was v aluable. To understand Matthew , y ou must first understand tax collectors:

I. A T ax Collector ’s Rap Sheet • Worked for the Roman gov ernment, ev en though they were

Jews = betray ed the Jews for the Romans • Made money by taxing people more than required (% off top) • Were intelligent and wealthy because of their dishonesty • Scripture mentioned them along w ith drunkards, robbers,

prostitutes, and “sinners”; show ing how they were v iewed

II. Matthew Levi’s Rap Sheet • Mark & Luke tell us Matthew ’s name was Lev i before Jesus • Worked in C apernaum for the Roman gov ernment • Well educated: familiar w ith laws, spoke many languages, etc

Matthew Lev i was an unlikely disciple. Stole from Jews, worked for the Romans, found v alue in money . He was sitting at his booth one day (haggling w ith

people) when Jesus asked him to leav e it all and follow Him. Would he giv e up his wealth to find what is truly v aluable?

Matthew 9:9-13 = “A s Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called

Matthew , sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” A nd he got up and followed Him. 10 Then it happened that as Jesus was

reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining w ith Jesus and His disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is y our Teacher eating w ith the tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a phy sician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call

the righteous, but sinners.” (NA SB)

III. Matthew Found T he Value Of A Relationship With God

a. He Counted T he Cost i. What was Matthew giv ing up to follow Jesus and

would it be worth it to y ou if y ou were him? (Students share on handout)

1. Giv ing up his comfy lifesty le, his power, his money , his respect from the people “who mattered” (the upper class)

2. Was it worth it? ii. Matthew counted a lot of money (hold up cash), but

now had to count the cost. He determined that C hrist was more v aluable than a wealthy lifesty le.

b. He Left His Booth i. Matthew ’s booth is where he did his business. By

walking away , he was giv ing up how he made his liv ing.

ii. He sacrificed more than most of the other disciples iii. What are some “booths” that people today find it

hard to leav e? Things to giv e up to follow Jesus? (Students share)

1. F riendships / habits or addictions / status… iv. What are y ou w illing to sacrifice or not sacrifice?

IV. Matthew Found The Value Of Relationships With Others

a. It’s Party T ime i. Matthew 9:10 = “While Jesus was hav ing dinner at

Matthew ’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate w ith him and his disciples.” (NIV )

ii. He didn’t just follow Jesus, he threw a party so others could meet Jesus. He stopped caring about himself & began caring for others!

iii. Relationships are key ! So important!

Video = “Strangers” (Igniter Media, V olume 11, 3:32)

iv. Ev en if y ou nev er see how God uses y our life to impact others on this side of Heav en… y ou w ill impact others. Relationships are important!!

v. Matthew had a party so others could meet Jesus. Who would y ou inv ite to y our “party ” who needs to meet Jesus? Would Jesus ev en be inv ited to y our party ? (Not like the Senior C ampout where drugs and drinking were present… life is more important!)

1. How long had Matthew known Christ before he told others about Him? A long time or not long? (Students answer)

2. How long hav e y ou known C hrist? 3. Hav e y ou told any one about Him?

b. It’s A bout T rue Value i. Too often we think we hav e to hav e all the answers

before telling people about Jesus. A passion for people is more important than know ing all the answers!

ii. Matthew found what was v aluable… a relationship w ith God and w ith other people is more important than money w ill ever be. He gav e up his lifesty le of stealing & ly ing to follow C hrist!

iii. Closing story = It Depends Who’s Hands It’s In (basketball, baseball, tennis racket, staff, sling shot, basket of fish/bread, nails)

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19, A basketball in Michael Jordan's

hands is worth about $33 million. It depends whose hands it's in. A baseball in my hands is worth about $6, A baseball in Nolan Ryan’s hands is

worth $19 million. It depends whose hands it's in. A tennis racket is useless in my hands, A tennis racket in Roger Federer's hands

is a Wimbledon Championship. It depends whose hands it's in. A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal, A rod in Moses' hands will part

the mighty sea. It depends whose hands it's in. A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy, A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty

weapon. It depends whose hands it's in. Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches. Two

fish and 5 loaves of bread in Jesus' hands will feed thousands. It depends whose hands it's in.

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse, Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world. It depends whose hands it's in.

As you see now it depends whose hands it's in. So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God's hands because....... it depends whose hands it's in.



Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Review: Matthew 9:10-12 = “Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and

sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, ‘Why is your Teacher

eating with the tax collectors and sinners?’ But when Jesus heard this, He said, ‘It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but

those who are sick.’” (NASB)

React: Matthew had a party so others could meet Jesus. Who would you invite to your party who needs to meet Jesus? (Name them)

Relate: Pray for the indiv iduals mentioned who need Jesus. Then,

share personal prayer requests with one another (as a whole group or break off into small groups of 2 or 3). Close prayer and accountability

time as a whole group.

Leader’s Notes:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 88:: MMaatttthheeww LLeevvii


I. A T ax Collector ’s Rap Sheet • Worked for the Roman gov ernment, ev en though they were

Jews = betray ed the Jews for the Romans • Made money by taxing people more than required (% off top) • Were intelligent and wealthy because of their dishonesty • Scripture mentioned them along w ith drunkards, robbers,

prostitutes, and “sinners”; show ing how they were v iewed

II. Matthew Levi’s Rap Sheet • Mark & Luke tell us Matthew ’s name was Lev i before Jesus • Worked in C apernaum for the Roman gov ernment • Well educated: familiar w ith laws, spoke many languages, etc

Matthew 9:9-13 = “A s Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called

Matthew , sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” A nd he got up and followed Him. 10 Then it happened that as Jesus was

reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining w ith Jesus and His disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is y our Teacher eating w ith the tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a phy sician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call

the righteous, but sinners.” (NA SB)

III. Matthew Found The Value Of A Relationship ___________ _____________ a. He Counted T he _______________

• What Matthew gave up? = _____________________

___________________________________________ • Was it worth it? = ____ y es ____ no

b. He Left His ___________________

• What are some “booths” people find hard to leav e today ? Things to giv e up to follow Jesus?

IV. Matthew Found The Value Of A Relationship ___________

_________________

a. It’s ________________ T ime

• Matthew 9:10

• Relationships are key !

Video = “Strangers” (Igniter Media, V olume 11, 3:32)

• How long had Matthew known Christ before he told others about Him? ____ long time ____ not long

b. It’s A bout _____________ _________________

• A ll the answers v s. a passion for people

• It all depends on whose hands it’s in!

• What’s most v aluable to y ou?

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 77:: PPhhiilliipp


T he Letter F = I ’m going to read the follow ing sentence from HighIQ Society.org and see if y ou can count how many times y ou see or hear the letter F . Then, fill in the blank on y our hand out. (P ic on screen) “Finished files are the result of years of scientific study combined with the experience of years of work by famous professors.” There are _________ F ’s in the sentence? The answer is 9, but most people say 5. Many miss the word “of” because when we read a sentence our minds count the number of “f” sounds, but skip the “of” since it is a “v ” sound. Reason and logic can be tricky things. So, would y ou consider y ourself a logical person, a rational person? Rational means “coherent, reasonable, balanced, sane”. Who do y ou know who y ou would consider rational and logical? (Students share) Philip was a rational and intelligent guy , but he had much to learn about faith. Let’s see what we can learn from him tonight:

I. Philip’s Rap Sheet • Philip, like Peter and A ndrew , was from Bethsaida in Galilee • He was probably a follower of John the Baptist since he was

there when C hrist met him (John 1:43) • Philip’s name is Greek and he reached out to Gentiles, so he

probably had some Greek connections

Philip was a smart guy , and reasoning things was what he did best…

II. Reason Looks A t T he Facts John 1 :43-46 = “The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “C ome, follow me.” 44 Philip was from Bethsaida, A ndrew and Peter’s hometown. 45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We hav e found the v ery person Moses and the prophets w rote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “C an

any thing good come from Nazareth?” “C ome and see for y ourself,” Philip replied.

a. It Was A ll A bout What He Knew

i. Did y ou notice what Philip said he knew about Jesus? (Students share)

1. Moses and the prophets w rote about Him, mentioned in the Law , & the son of Joe

2. His response to Nathanael tells us that he had weighed the ev idence that show Jesus to be the Messiah. He was all about the facts, ma’am!

3. A nd, when Nathanael questioned him, he told Bart Nate to check out the facts for himself (“come and see”).

ii. Speaking of know ing, Philip may hav e not really known Bart Nate. Would y ou be able to share C hrist w ith a person y ou didn’t know? (Students share)

b. It Was A Matter Of Logic T o Him i. Scene = Jesus ministering to people, thousands on

the hillside, and C hrist asked Philip how they were going to feed them.

ii. John 6:4-7 = “(It was nearly time for the Jew ish Passov er celebration.) 5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip replied, “Ev en if we worked for months, we wouldn’t hav e enough money to feed them!” (NLT)

iii. If y ou were Philip, how would y ou hav e responded? (Students share)

1. “May be we could take up some donations?” or “I hav e no clue, I ain’t got no money .”

2. Philip was pay ing too much attention to the phy sical side (the money , the facts)

3. 8 months of av erage US wages = $15,000 iv. It is interesting how C hrist talked to His disciples

differently . Jesus answered Philip in his language (rationally ). Jesus meets us where we are! A men!

III. Reason Is Completed In Faith John 14:6-11 = “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If y ou had really known me, y ou would know who my Father is. F rom now on, y ou do know him and hav e seen him!” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we w ill be satisfied.” 9 Jesus replied, “Hav e I been w ith you all this time, Philip, and y et y ou still don’t know who I am? A ny one who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are y ou asking me to show him to y ou? 10 Don’t y ou believ e that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who liv es in me does his work through me. 11 Just believ e that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. O r at least believ e because of the work y ou

hav e seen me do.” (NLT)

Jesus speaks these famous words but Philip still doesn’t get it…

a. Jesus Encouraged Philip T o Believe What He Said i. C hrist knew Philip still didn’t hav e faith in all the

things He said. Philip had to hav e faith to make it through the upcoming crucifixion and resurrection… it won’t make sense to just the logical mind.

b. Jesus Encouraged Philip T o Examine His A ctions i. Philip asked to see the Father… Jesus was like,

“Hello? Hav e y ou not been watching me?” ii. Jesus is enough ev idence of God!! iii. C an y ou think of another time Philip examined the

ev idence before making a decision? (Students share) 1. Feeding the thousands in John 1 2. Reminds me of Lee Strobel (pic on screen)

Lee Strobel was a journalist and w riter who w rote a book back in 1998 called “The C ase for C hrist” (which was followed by a film), where he shares his journey from atheism to faith through his two-y ear inv estigation of the Bible and the life of Jesus C hrist. Strobel, the former legal editor for the C hicago Tribune, draws upon his inv estigativ e skills to examine the historical accuracy of the Gospels, the personal claims of Jesus, and His resurrection from the dead…

Video = “Faith In Ev idence” (Wingclips.com, 1:00)

c. Jesus Encouraged Philip T o Have Faith

i. John 14:12-14 = “I tell y ou the truth, any one who believ es in me w ill do the same works I hav e done, and ev en greater works, because I am going to be w ith the Father. 13 You can ask for any thing in my name, and I w ill do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for any thing in my name, and I w ill do it!” (NLT)

ii. Jesus taught Philip again about faith! He had to hav e faith to be a disciple!

iii. What was it that Jesus said a disciple could do w ith faith? (Students share) = “A ny thing!” Wow!!

Philip was a smart, rational guy . We can tell by the things he said and the questions he asked he was a logical and analy tical man. But, he still needed faith. It was the final piece of the puzzle that would change Philip forev er!



Date: Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Review: John 14:13-14 = “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask

me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” (NLT)

React: What if our faith was genuine… how would your home or your school look different if we REALLY believed this passage?



TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 77:: PPhhiilliipp


T he Letter “F” A ctivity

There are _________ F ’s in the sentence.

I. Philip’s Rap Sheet

• Philip, like Peter and A ndrew , was from Bethsaida in Galilee • He was probably a follower of John the Baptist since he was

there when C hrist met him (John 1:43) • Philip’s name is Greek and he reached out to Gentiles, so he

probably had some Greek connections

II. Reason Looks A t T he ___________________

John 1 :43-46 = “The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “C ome, follow me.” 44 Philip was from Bethsaida, A ndrew and Peter’s hometown. 45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We hav e found the v ery person Moses and the prophets w rote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “C an

any thing good come from Nazareth?” “C ome and see for y ourself,” Philip replied.

a. It Was A ll A bout What He ___________________

b. It Was A Matter Of __________________ T o Him

• John 6:4-7 • If y ou were Philip, how would you have responded?

III. Reason Is Completed In ___________________

John 14:6-11 = “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If y ou had really known me, y ou would know who my Father is. F rom now on, y ou do know him and hav e seen him!” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we w ill be satisfied.” 9 Jesus replied, “Hav e I been w ith you all this time, Philip, and y et y ou still don’t know who I am? A ny one who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are y ou asking me to show him to y ou? 10 Don’t y ou believ e that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who liv es in me does his work through me. 11 Just believ e that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. O r at least believ e because of the work y ou

hav e seen me do.” (NLT)

a. Jesus Encouraged Philip To ____________________

What He ______________

• He needed more than his logical mind for this

b. Jesus Encouraged Philip To _____________________

His _____________________

• C an y ou think of another time Philip examined the

ev idence before making a decision?

• Lee Strobel = “The C ase For C hrist” (1998)

Video = “Faith In Ev idence” (Wingclips.com, 1:00)

c. Jesus Encouraged Philip To Have _________________

• John 14:12-14

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 66:: SSiimmoonn TThhee ZZeeaalloott

First Baptist Student Ministry - Wednesday, September 28, 2016

The Taliban (pic on screen), which means “the students” in A rabic, gained control of A fghanistan in 1996. They were zealous Muslims who wanted to force the strictest form of Islam onto the people of A fghanistan. They began the “Ministry for the Promotion of V irtue and Prev ention of V ice”

to make sure that people were liv ing correctly . Here are some of the items they banned = (telev ision, mov ies, play ing cards, lipstick, nail polish, C Ds, musical instruments [harmonica], statues [trophy ], fashion catalogs, and neckties). What would be the hardest item of these for y ou to giv e up? Why do y ou think they banned these items in the first place? (Students share)

Zealots were around in Jesus’ day too! O ne of the Twelv e (S imon) was a member of this group. S imon learned zeal (enthusiasm, passion, ferv or) is important, but it must be focused on the correct thing.

I. Simon T he Zealot’s Rap Sheet a. There were two disciples named Simon, the other C hrist called

“Peter” (who was much more well-known) b. Simon was called the “C anaanite” and the “Zealot” c. The only times he is mentioned are in the lists of the disciples

II. What Is A Zealot?

Luke 6 :15 = “…Simon who was called the Zealot.” (NIV )

a. What Did Simon Believe? i. Zealots were a political rev olutionary group in Jesus’

day . They opposed Roman rule, wanting Israel to hav e its own gov ernment. In A .D. 6 they led a rev olt against the Roman census, since the census was used to determine taxes. They also led other rev olts until Rome destroy ed Jerusalem and the Temple in A .D. 70.

ii. What modern-day group could y ou compare them to? (Students share)

1. ISIS? Taliban? Black Liv es Matter, etc? b. Why Did Simon Follow Jesus?

i. Simon was an unlikely disciple. Must’v e been attracted to Jesus’ zeal or rev olutionary thinking. Howev er, some of the things taught would hav e gone against the practices of the Zealots:

1. Jesus taught about peace a. John 14:27 (v olunteer) = “Peace I

leav e w ith y ou; my peace I giv e y ou. I do not giv e to y ou as the world giv es. Do not let y our hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (NIV )

2. Jesus taught about lov ing our enemies a. Matthew 5:44 (v olunteer) = “But I

say , lov e y our enemies! Pray for those who persecute y ou!’ (NLT)

3. Jesus taught about pay ing taxes a. Mark 12:17 (v olunteer) = “’Well,

then,’ Jesus said, ‘giv e to C aesar what belongs to C aesar, and giv e to God what belongs to God.’” (NLT)

ii. So, how do y ou think S imon responded to C hrist’s teachings about these things? (Students share)

1. It’s time for a change! Get that pride out of the way and follow the Way .

iii. Sir Isaac Newton, First Law of Motion = “Ev ery thing continues in a state of rest unless it is compelled to change by forces impressed upon it.” (kick water bottle off stage)

1. Jesus kicked S imon into gear!

III. What Is Zeal? a. Zeal Defined

i. Zeal = “passionate dev otion to a cause” ii. Romans 12:11 = “Nev er be lacking in zeal…” (NLT)

iii. Why do y ou think zeal is so important that we must not lack it? (Students share)

iv. We can’t just hav e any zeal, we need this kind… b. Zeal Based In Knowledge

i. Romans 10:2 = “I know what enthusiasm they hav e for God, but it is misdirected zeal.” (NLT)

ii. The zealous people talked about rejecting C hrist as the Messiah. They were zealous, but w rong!

iii. List two good and two not-so-good things we could be zealous for (on y our handout)

1. A ny one want to share some examples? 2. Good = Rent-a-kid fundraiser 3. Not-So-Good = Nascar crashes

c. Zeal Based In Purpose i. Galatians 4:18 = “It is fine to be zealous, prov ided

the purpose is good, and to be so alway s, not just when I am w ith y ou.” (NIV )

ii. Some of the people in the church of Galatia were zealous but they denied some important C hristian beliefs. It’s foolish to be zealous for the w rong cause.

iii. Why is purpose important? (Students share) 1. Is it more important to truly believ e in

something as long as it is true to y ou? = We can believ e any thing, but God’s Word is where we find a reason for liv ing!

iv. The best kind of zeal is zeal based on godly purposes and His plan for our liv es

v. A nd, the truest kind of zeal is one that leads to action… don’t just act zealous, liv e zealous!

1. Pic of Ethan play ing Upward football 2. Excited to be on the team, just stands there

v i. Jesus wants zealous disciples. He called S imon the Zealot, refocused his zeal, and used him to impact the world.

1. A cts 1:13 = those who stay ed faithful to C hrist after His ascension (S imon the Zealot is listed here)… S imon had changed!

d. Zeal Modeled By Our Savior i. Did y ou know our Savior was zealous? Recall w ith me

(through this v ideo) how zeal He was about y ou…

Video = “The Last Painting” (Igniter Media, V olume 2, 3:05)

ii. C losing question = Is y our zeal as strong as S imon’s or as Jesus’? Be zealous (passionate) for Him!



Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Review: Romans 12:11 = “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.” (NLT)

React: (Scale of 1 to 10) How zealous are you to find the truth, to share your faith, to worship, and for missions?



Leader’s Notes:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 66:: SSiimmoonn TThhee ZZeeaalloott


I. Simon T he Zealot’s Rap Sheet

• There were two disciples named Simon, the other C hrist called

“Peter” (who was much more well-known) • Simon was called the “C anaanite” and the “Zealot” • The only times he is mentioned are in the lists of the disciples

II. What Is A _________________________?

Luke 6 :15 = “…Simon who was called the Zealot.” (NIV )

a. What Did Simon _________________________?

b. Why Did Simon ____________________ Jesus?

• Some of the things Jesus taught would hav e gone

against the practices of the Zealots

• Jesus taught about ________________ (John 14:27)

• Jesus taught about ____________________ ______

_____________________ (Matthew 5:44)

• Jesus taught about _______________ ___________ (Mark 12:17)

III. What Is ________________?

a. Zeal Defined

• Zeal = _____________________________________

Romans 12:11 = “Nev er be lacking in zeal, but keep y our spiritual ferv or,

serv ing the Lord.” (NLT)

b. Zeal Based In ______________________________

• Romans 10:2

• List two good and two not-so-good things we could

be zealous for:

Good = __________________________ _____________________________

Not-So-Good = ________________________ _________________________

c. Zeal Based In _________________________

• Galatians 4:18

d. Zeal Modeled By _______ ____________________

• “The Last Painting” v ideo (Igniter Media)

• Is y our zeal as strong as S imon’s or as Jesus’?

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 55:: JJuuddaass IIssccaarriioott


Robert Hanssen (pic on screen) seemed like a normal guy . He was 57 y ears old, quiet, plain, and hard-working. He was married to a lady named Bonnie and had six children. They lived in an av erage brick home in Washington DC suburb. O ne neighbor talked about how Bonnie taught at a C hristian school in the area and the family went to church ev ery Sunday morning. Howev er, his family and neighbors didn’t know ev ery thing. Hanssen was also the most effectiv e double-spy ev er for the Russians. He gav e the Russians ov er 6,000 pages of classified

information describing technologies the US used for spy ing, names of agents, etc. In return for 15 y ears of spy ing, Hanssen was paid almost 1.5 million dollars in money and diamonds. The information he turned ov er resulted in two people being killed. He kept all this info from his family and friends until he was caught by the FBI in 2001. They even made a TV-movie in 2002 called Master Spy and a full-blown mov ie in 2007 called Breach. They thought they knew this guy . Just like the disciples thought they knew Judas…

I. Judas Iscar iot’s Rap Sheet a. Was the only disciple from Judea, the southern part of Israel b. Iscariot means “from Kerioth” (a town near Jerusalem) c. His position w ith the disciples was treasurer, which meant he

must hav e been intelligent and had some business sense There is no sign any of the disciples ev er doubted Judas Iscariot. He was w ith them through it all (w ith Jesus) but he was NOT like them. He was great at one

thing… hiding who he really was from others!

II. T hey T hought He Was T rustworthy, But He Stole John 12:1-6 = “Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arriv ed in Bethany , the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha serv ed, and Lazarus was among those who ate w ith him. 3 Then Mary took a twelv e-ounce jar of expensiv e

perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet w ith it, w iping his feet w ith her hair. The house was filled w ith the fragrance. 4 But

Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a y ear’s wages. It should hav e been sold and the money giv en to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was

in charge of the disciples’ money , he often stole some for himself.” (NLT)

a. Judas Was A ll A bout T he Benjamins i. Mary worshipped Jesus by giv ing Him a gift worth a

y ear’s wages (around $22,000 today – hold up perfume bottle)

ii. Judas thought about money iii. Said something for the benefit of himself (more than

for the poor or for C hrist) b. Judas Wasn’t No Dummy

i. Judging from his position, the twelv e must hav e thought Judas was intelligent and honest

ii. But Jesus knew his heart… John 6:70 = “Hav en’t I handpicked y ou, the Twelv e? Still, one of y ou is a dev il!” (MSG)

iii. What do y ou think was the real reason Judas told the group Mary should hav e done something different w ith the money ? (Students share)

1. Did he want to steal it later?! iv. What behav iors can y ou learn from Judas in v erse 6

here? Let me read it again. (Students share) 1. V .6 = “Not that he cared for the poor—he

was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money , he often stole some for himself.”

v. A braham Lincoln once said, “You can fool some of the people some of the time and all of the people some of the time, but y ou can’t fool all of the people all of the time.”

III. T hey T hought He Loved Jesus, But He Was Willing T o Betray Him

Matthew 26:14-16 = “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelv e disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much w ill y ou pay me to betray

Jesus to y ou?” A nd they gave him thirty pieces of silv er. 16 F rom that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.” (NLT)

a. Judas’ Integrity Was Only Worth $10 ,000 i. 30 pieces of silv er is a little less than $10,000 by

today ’s standards! ii. What does this tell y ou about what Judas thought

about Jesus? (Students share) 1. Jesus not as important as money !?

iii. V .16 = Judas began to watch for his chance

IV. T hey T hought He Believed, But He Rejected Christ

Mark 14:43-46 = “And immediately, even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders. 44 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard.” 45 As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. “Rabbi!” he exclaimed, and gave him the kiss. 46 Then the

others grabbed Jesus and arrested him.” (NLT) a. Judas’ Posse

i. The group Judas arriv ed w ith was probably made up of Roman soldiers and temple guards (whose main job was to keep the peace). This is where Judas rev ealed he had truly turned on Jesus and the disciples, and had chosen to surround himself w ith those who hated C hrist.

ii. Who y ou hang around w ith can lead y ou to betray Jesus in one way or another!

b. Judas’ Words i. He wasn’t just a betray er that night… for sev eral

day s he had been a spy for the Romans, giv ing info ov er to help their case against C hrist. He then waited for the right time to hand Him ov er, when He was alone. Judas interrupted Jesus’ pray er time w ith a mob that would ev entually kill Him! Fo real?

ii. What does Judas call Jesus? (Students share) 1. “Rabbi” means “teacher” (the most common

title for Jesus) Must not hav e learned much? c. Judas’ A ctions

i. Fast forward… Because of this betray al = C hrist was tried and killed, Peter denied Him, the disciples fled, and Judas committed suicide (Matthew 27:5)!

ii. Judas = in Hell (not because he committed suicide, but because he was a fake) = throw 30 silv er coins!

Judas teaches us two things = 1) y ou can fool others but y ou can’t fool God, and 2) our actions and our words should match up! A re y ou acting like Judas?




Review: Matthew 26:14-16 = “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, ‘How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?’ And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to

betray Jesus.” (NLT)

React: Do you act the same around your friends at church as you do around those at school? If not, how are you different?



Leader’s Notes:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 55:: JJuuddaass IIssccaarriioott


I. Judas Iscar iot’s Rap Sheet

• Was the only disciple from Judea, the southern part of Israel • Iscariot means “from Kerioth” (a town near Jerusalem) • His position w ith the disciples was treasurer, which meant he

must hav e been intelligent and had some business sense

II. T hey Thought He Was ___________________________ , But He __________________

John 12:1-6 = “Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arriv ed in Bethany , the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha serv ed, and Lazarus was among those who ate w ith him. 3 Then Mary took a twelv e-ounce jar of expensiv e

perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet w ith it, w iping his feet w ith her hair. The house was filled w ith the fragrance. 4 But

Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a y ear’s wages. It should hav e been sold and the money giv en to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was

in charge of the disciples’ money , he often stole some for himself.” (NLT)

a. Judas Was A ll About The _______________________

b. Judas Wasn’t No _________________

• Jesus knew his heart = John 6:70 • What behav iors can y ou learn from Judas in John

12:6? = ____________________________________

III. T hey Thought He _______________ Jesus, But He Was

Willing T o ____________________ Him

Matthew 26:14-16 = “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelv e disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much w ill y ou pay me to betray

Jesus to y ou?” A nd they gave him thirty pieces of silv er. 16 F rom that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.” (NLT)

a. Judas’ Integrity Was Only Worth $________________

IV. T hey T hought He _____________________ , But He

_____________________ Christ

Mark 14:43-46 = “A nd immediately , ev en as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelv e disciples, arriv ed w ith a crowd of men armed w ith swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law , and the elders. 44 The traitor, Judas, had giv en them a prearranged signal: “You

w ill know which one to arrest when I greet him w ith a kiss. Then y ou can take him away under guard.” 45 A s soon as they arriv ed, Judas walked up to Jesus.

“Rabbi!” he exclaimed, and gav e him the kiss. 46 Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him.” (NLT)

a. Judas’ _________________

b. Judas’ ________________

c. Judas’ _________________

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 44:: BBaarrtthhoolloommeeww NNaatthhaannaaeell


Let’s talk crazy statistics for a minute: (map on screen) The world population right now is about 7.4 billion (births per minute = 280, per day = 403,241;

deaths per minute = 109). In A labama: 4,849,377 (3,209,637 white, 1,278,519 black, 63,140 asian, and 200,664 hispanic/latino, among others). Years ago about 20 million people in the US (ages 5 and older) could not speak English

v ery well, and if trend continue, by the y ear 2050 almost half the population of the US w ill be non-white. That’s div ersity ! (Sources: PRB.org ‘16 & US Census ‘00)

I. Bart Nate’s Rap Sheet a. Matthew , Mark, & Luke call this guy Bartholomew , but John

calls him Nathanael b. He was from C ana (John 21:2), a small town on the west side

of the Lake of Galilee c. He is mentioned by name only a few times in the Bible

Tonight we w ill look at John 1:43-51 and see four things that it can teach us

about prejudice (discrimination, injustice, unfairness)… John 1 :43-51 = “The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. When he got there, he ran across Philip and said, “C ome, follow me.” (Philip’s hometown was

Bethsaida, the same as A ndrew and Peter.) 45-46 Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, “We’v e found the O ne Moses w rote of in the Law , the O ne preached by the prophets. It’s Jesus, Joseph’s son, the one from Nazareth!” Nathanael said, “Nazareth? You’v e got to be kidding.” But Philip said, “C ome,

see for y ourself.” 47 When Jesus saw him coming he said, “There’s a real

Israelite, not a false bone in his body .” 48 Nathanael said, “Where did y ou get that idea? You don’t know me.” Jesus answered, “O ne day , long before Philip called y ou here, I saw y ou under the fig tree.” 49 Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!” 50-51 Jesus said, “You’v e become a believ er simply because I say I saw you one day sitting under the fig tree? You hav en’t seen any thing y et! Before this is ov er y ou’re going to see heav en open

and God’s angels descending to the Son of Man and ascending again.”

II. Prejudice Can Only See T he Surface a. T alk A bout Stereotype!

i. V erses 45-46 tell us Jesus is from Nazareth ii. What does Nathanael say about Nazareth? (Student

share) 1. “You’v e got to be kidding” (MSG) 2. “C an any thing good come from there?”

(NA SB) iii. Stereoty pe = “A standardized mental picture that is

held in common by members of a group and that represents an ov ersimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment” (Webster’s)

1. O nly looking at the surface 2. “Don’t judge a book by its cov er.”

b. What Do You T hink A bout Us? i. Take this pop quiz (be honest) = handout

1. “I think people I my y outh group are” = V ery accepting of people different than us, somewhat accepting, or not accepting…

III. Prejudice Can Blind Us From T he T ruth a. Did You Catch His Fr iend’s A dvice?

i. V s. 46 = “C ome, see for y ourself.” ii. What would hav e happened if Nathanael hadn’t

taken Philip’s adv ice to go and see for himself? (Students share)

1. Would hav e missed Jesus! iii. Bart Nate thought he already knew all that he

needed to know about Jesus. Jesus really did know ev ery thing about Bart Nate.

1. Is this y ou? Think y ou know God enough? b. Did You Hear Jesus’ Compliment?

i. Jesus calls him a “real Israelite” (v .47) ii. Jesus’ compliment to Bart Nate tells us that Jesus

knew that he was an honest and trustworthy person 1. I ’m curious what y ou think the Lord sees

when He looks at y our integrity /honesty ?

IV. Prejudice Is Confronted When T ruth Is Exposed a. Can’t FIGure Out T his Fig T ree T hing?

i. Jesus say s he saw him under a fig tree recently ii. A fig tree was a sy mbol for peace. Jews would

sometimes sit under a fig tree to pray . 1. Jesus say s = “I heard y our pray er”

iii. What do y ou think Jesus saw in Bart Nate that others could not? (Students share)

b. He A lmost Missed Out, Didn’t He? i. Nathanael was looking for peace and almost missed

the Prince of Peace due to his prejudice!

V. Prejudice Crumbles When T ruth Is Realized a. T he Prejudice

i. Bart Nate’s first thought about Jesus was that He could not be ev ery thing that Philip thought He was. Bart Nate quickly found out that he was w rong!

ii. If y ou are prejudice at all… could y ou be w rong? b. T he T ruth

i. Bart Nate no longer cared where Jesus was from. ii. Did y ou catch what this truth now promised him? If

he followed Jesus he would get to see Heav en and angels and glory … God’s hand at work all around!

iii. The truth opens up our ey es… sets us free 1. John 8:36 = “So if the Son sets y ou free,

y ou w ill be free indeed.’ (NIV ) iv. Egg illustration = brown eggs and white eggs

(eggs are so useful, eat them fried, scrambled, bake sweets w ith them like cakes, mix them in all kinds of recipes). What the difference in white and brown eggs (white and brown chickens) = crack them open (the same)

v. God lov es us all the same = “Red and y ellow , black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus lov es the little children of the world”.

1. A cts 10:34 = “…God does not show fav oritism…” (NIV )

2. 1 Samuel 16:7 = “People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (NLT)

Bartholomew Nathanael ov ercame his prejudice and went on to be

used by C hrist. Jesus saw that he was an honest person who wanted to know the truth. If he hadn’t went to meet Jesus in spite of his prejudice, imagine what he would hav e missed out on! (C all ev ery one by name… “don’t miss Jesus!”)




Review: 1 Samuel 16:7 = “The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at

the heart.” (NLT)

React: In your own words, what is prejudice? Do you think it exists in your school / community? How do we overcome it?



Leader’s Notes:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 44:: BBaarrtthhoolloommeeww NNaatthhaannaaeell


I. Bart Nate’s Rap Sheet • Matthew , Mark, & Luke call this guy Bartholomew , but John

calls him Nathanael • He was from C ana (John 21:2), a small town on the west side

of the Lake of Galilee • He is mentioned by name only a few times in the Bible

John 1 :43-51 = “The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. When he got there, he ran across Philip and said, “C ome, follow me.” (Philip’s hometown

was Bethsaida, the same as A ndrew and Peter.) 45-46 Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, “We’v e found the O ne Moses w rote of in the Law , the O ne preached by the prophets. It’s Jesus, Joseph’s son, the one from

Nazareth!” Nathanael said, “Nazareth? You’v e got to be kidding.” But Philip said, “C ome, see for y ourself.” 47 When Jesus saw him coming he said,

“There’s a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body .” 48 Nathanael said, “Where did y ou get that idea? You don’t know me.” Jesus answered, “One day ,

long before Philip called y ou here, I saw y ou under the fig tree.” 49 Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!” 50-51 Jesus said, “You’v e become a believ er simply because I say I saw y ou one day sitting under the fig tree? You hav en’t seen any thing y et! Before this

is ov er y ou’re going to see heav en open and God’s angels descending to the Son of Man and ascending again.”

II. Prejudice Can Only See T he ____________________

a. T alk A bout __________________________!

b. What Do You T hink A bout ________?

• I think people in my y outh group are: ____ v ery accepting of people different than us

____ somewhat accepting of people different than us ____ not accepting of people different than us

III. Prejudice Can ____________ _____ From T he T ruth

a. Did You Catch His Fr iend’s _______________?

• John 1:46 = “C ome, see for y ourself”

b. Did You Hear Jesus’ ________________________?

IV. Prejudice Is _________________ When Truth Is Exposed

a. Can’t FIGure Out T his _______ __________ T hing?

b. He A lmost _______________ Out, Didn’t He?

V. Prejudice Crumbles When Truth Is __________________

a. T he ___________________

b. T he _______________

• John 8:36 / A cts 10:34

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 33:: JJoohhnn

First Baptist Student Ministry - Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Just because y ou are y oung doesn’t mean y ou can’t do great things in y our life right now ! Take these three former “kids” for example (pics on the screen): Ruth Lawrence = began O xford Univ ersity when she was 12, the y oungest to ev er do so, Benjamin C ohen = started a company called SoJew ish.com (largest free Jew ish newspaper in the world), was a millionaire by age 16, or A lbert Wong = famous pianist who began play ing at 3, beat many teenagers at age 5 to w in a Dallas piano competition, and made his first album at age 10! It takes courage to make a difference as a teenager… John was the y oungest of the 12 disciples, but he was also one of the closest to C hrist. Tonight we examine how to make a difference w ith y our life, ev en as a y oung person…

Video = “F rancis C han – The C ourage To Stand A lone” (3:00)

https://www.y outube.com/watch?v =Miw -NPC R8KM

Let’s be conquerors who stand w ith Jesus (like John was)…

I. John’s Rap Sheet a. Probably the y oungest disciple b. His bro, James, was also a disciple, and Jesus gav e them both

the nickname “Sons of Thunder” c. John, James, and their dad (Zebedee) were fishermen and

were v ery influential in their community d. John was one of the “inner three” (Peter, James, & John) e. Tod Tanner = Jesus taught 12, graduated 11, while focusing

on 3 (and we are still learning from those 3 today )! 12/11/3

II. John Struggled With Immaturity a. John Had A Desire For Position

i. John was y oung and had to deal w ith immaturity in some areas, He had three desires but none of them were what Jesus wanted…

Matthew 20:20-23 = “It was about that time that the mother of the Zebedee

brothers came w ith her two sons and knelt before Jesus w ith a request. 21 “What do y ou want?” Jesus asked. She said, “Giv e y our word that these two sons of mine w ill be awarded the highest places of honor in y our kingdom, one at y our right hand, one at y our left hand.” 22 Jesus responded, “You hav e no idea what y ou’re asking.” And he said to James and John, “A re y ou capable of drinking the cup that I ’m about to drink?” They said, “Sure, why not?” 23 Jesus said, “C ome to think of it, y ou are going to drink my cup. But as to awarding

places of honor, that’s not my business. My Father is taking care of that.”

ii. John was already one of the inner three (who Jesus was tightest w ith)… the only disciples Jesus included in some of His most important moments: healing the dead girl in Mark 5, His transfiguration in Matthew 17, and the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26.

iii. John thought he deserv ed a prestigious place and title in Heav en.

iv. BTW, seats at the right and left of the banquet table were for the most important guests (chairs on stage)

v. Is that y ou? Ev er felt like y ou deserv ed something special? C ould that be y our pride getting in the way ?

b. John Had A Desire For Exclusion i. Luke 9:49-50 = “John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw

someone using y our name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.” 50 But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! A ny one who is not against y ou is for y ou.” (NLT)

ii. Fellow believers are not the enemy , neither are any lost people who hate God… Satan is the enemy !

c. John Had A Desire T o Be T he Judge i. Luke 9:51-55 = People didn’t receiv e Jesus in this

Samaritan city and John reacts by say ing let’s burn down the city !

ii. Remember, Samaritans were often resistant to Jesus iii. John say s, “whatev er”; Jesus say s, “No!” iv. Being called a “son of thunder” may hav e been a

reference to his temper! 1. We all struggle w ith anger and other things,

especially as a teenager, but can God still use y ou as a teen? YES!!!

v. 1 Timothy 4:12 = “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in

what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.” (NLT)

v i. God can use y ou in y our y ounger y ears too! v ii. Put this v erse in y our own words in the space

prov ided on y our handout… v iii. A s John spent more time w ith Jesus he learned a lot:

III. John Learned T rue Maturity

a. John Learned Humility i. John ov ercame his desires for position and judgment ii. John nev er mentions his own name in his Gospel iii. V olunteers look up John 13:23 and 21:20

1. “Disciple Jesus lov ed” b. John Learned Responsibility

i. John 19:25-27 tells us that C hrist gav e responsibility of Jesus’ mother to John (He trusted John greatly )

1. Kinda like my daughter starts in our student ministry next y ear… trusting y ou all to help raise her in this group & in the Lord!

c. John Learned A bout Love i. John is often called the “apostle of lov e” because of

his w ritings and how he liv ed his remaining y ears ii. He ev en called himself the “disciple Jesus lov ed”! iii. He understood being lov ed by God

1. 1 John 4:10 = “This is real lov e—not that we lov ed God, but that he lov ed us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.’

iv. A nd, he understood lov ing others 1. John 15:13 = “There is no greater lov e than

to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” 2. Jesus is our model for this kind of lov e!

v. John, being the y oungest disciple, had a lot of grow ing up to do. Jesus nev er gav e up on John, and John ev entually learned humility , responsibility , and lov e. God used him & He can use y ou too!!

C losing story (pic on screen) = “Little A l” was the nickname giv en to a little boy born in O hio. He was an intelligent boy but did not like school. Hy peractive, couldn’t sit still long, age 7 = teacher said he was too self-centered and asked too many questions, mom pulled him out of school, homeschooled, like stories and wanted to be an actor, scared of crowds, read by himself in his room a lot,

got ill at 14, almost lost his hearing… but, grew up & changed the world. Little A l = A lv a Thomas Edison (inv entor of lightbulb, motion pictures, phonograph, & 1,300+ other patented inv entions!



Date: Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Review: 1 Timothy 4:12 = “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.” (NLT)

React: How can you honor God as a teenager? Share examples.



Leader’s Notes:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 33:: JJoohhnn


I. John’s Rap Sheet • Probably the y oungest disciple • His bro, James, was also a disciple, and Jesus gav e them both

the nickname “Sons of Thunder” • John, James, and their dad (Zebedee) were fishermen and

were v ery influential in their community • John was one of the “inner three” (Peter, James, & John)

II. John Struggled With ____________________________

a. John Had A Desire For ____________________

Matthew 20:20-23 = “It was about that time that the mother of the Zebedee

brothers came w ith her two sons and knelt before Jesus w ith a request. 21 “What do y ou want?” Jesus asked. She said, “Giv e y our word that these two sons of mine w ill be awarded the highest places of honor in y our kingdom, one at y our right hand, one at y our left hand.” 22 Jesus responded, “You hav e no idea what y ou’re asking.” And he said to James and John, “A re y ou capable of drinking the cup that I ’m about to drink?” They said, “Sure, why not?” 23 Jesus said, “C ome to think of it, y ou are going to drink my cup. But as to awarding

places of honor, that’s not my business. My Father is taking care of that.”

• Ev er felt like y ou deserved something special? C ould that be y our pride getting in the way ?

b. John Had A Desire For ______________________

• Luke 9:49-50

c. John Had A Desire To Be The ___________________

• Luke 9:51-55

• 1 Timothy 4:12 = “Don’t let any one think less of y ou because y ou are y oung. Be an example to all believ ers in what y ou say, in the way y ou liv e, in y our lov e, y our faith, and y our purity .” (NLT)

• Your words = _______________________________

• ___________________________________________

• ___________________________________________

• ___________________________________________

III. John Learned T rue _________________________

a. John Learned ________________________

b. John Learned ________________________________

• John 19:25-27

c. John Learned A bout _________________

• 1 John 4:10 / John 15:13

• John had a lot of grow ing up to do. Jesus nev er gave up on John, & John ev entually learned humility , responsibility , & lov e. God used him & can use y ou!

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 22:: AAnnddrreeww


Tonight we continue our new series study the character of these 12 guy s who walked closely with Jesus Himself. Picture this (Sea of Galilee pic)… Jesus spent a lot of time around the Sea of Galilee, knew many fishermen, smelly, dirty , full of filthy language, and called A ndrew from there (the first disciple).

I. A ndrew’s Rap Sheet a. A ndrew was the first disciple that C hrist called b. His brother was S imon Peter (also a disciple) c. He was fisherman, from the poor town of Bethsaida d. A ndrew is known for bringing people to Jesus (passionate)

II. Disciples Have A Passion For God John 1 :29-37 = “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him as the

Messiah, but I hav e been baptizing w ith water so that he might be rev ealed to Israel. 32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dov e from heav en and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize w ith water, he told me, ‘The one on whom y ou see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who w ill baptize w ith the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I

saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the C hosen O ne of God.[a]” 35 The follow ing day John was again standing w ith two of his disciples. 36 A s

Jesus walked by , John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” 37 When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

a. Disciples Search For T ruth i. Many people, especially your age, are “searching for

truth” (hold up binoculars), but our search is only completed in C hrist. What do they see when they examine y our life as a so-called believ er?

ii. A ndrew was called one of John’s disciples (v v .35/40) iii. John the Baptist = first prophet of God in Israel for

400 y ears (preached repentance as he baptized men, including Jesus), was jailed for pointing out King Herod’s sin and was later beheaded.

iv. A ndrew was looking for truth, before meeting Jesus! b. Disciples Confirm T ruth

i. V .41b = A ndrew said “We hav e found the Messiah” (which means ‘C hrist’) (NLT).

ii. A ndrew studied the Scriptures & listened to John the Baptist… knew who Jesus was!

iii. Why do y ou think A ndrew left John the Baptist here to become Jesus’ disciple? (Students share)

1. This is who John was all about! Wow! iv. But… it is not enough to just search for the truth; the

search can lead a person any where. A disciple finds truth, which is only in Jesus!

III. Disciples Have A Passion For People

a. A ndrew T old His Brother A bout Jesus i. John 1:40-42 = “A ndrew, S imon Peter’s brother, was

one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. 41 A ndrew went to find his brother, S imon, and told him, “We hav e found the Messiah” (which means “C hrist”). 42 Then A ndrew brought S imon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at S imon, Jesus said, “Your name is S imon, son of John—but y ou w ill be called C ephas” (which means “Peter”). (NLT)

ii. Searched for the Messiah, found Him, had a passion to tell others! Is that what y ou are doing?

1. V .41 = The “first thing” A ndrew did was tell his brother. He didn’t hesitate!

2. Hav e y ou ev er had an opportunity to tell people in y our family about Jesus? What was it like? = Share story about Darling Grandma & sharing the Gospel in her liv ing room (pic on screen).

3. O v ercome that fear… share Jesus before it is too late. You nev er know !

b. A ndrew T old People T hat He Had Never Met A bout Jesus

i. John 12:20-22 = He was talking to people and they said “Sir, we want to meet Jesus”…

ii. What would happen if a person y ou didn’t know asked y ou about Jesus? Would y ou be ready ?

1. Reminder = Know The Gospel bracelet 2. 1 Peter 3:15 = A LWA YS be ready to giv e an

answer… classroom, lunch room, work place, out w ith friends, while on the phone / Tw itter, ev ery where!

IV. Disciples Have A Passion For A ction i. He must hav e been Baptist… A ndrew found lunch for

the crowd. ii. John 6:5-9 = “Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of

people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip replied, “Ev en if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” 8 Then A ndrew , S imon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 “There’s a y oung boy here w ith fiv e barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that w ith this huge crowd?” (NLT)

iii. Notice the difference between Philip & A ndrew ’s responses here? Philip said what? (Students share) A ndrew said what? (Students share).

iv. Philip = “We can’t” / A ndrew = “I w ill” (Brown bag) v. So… what do we need more of tonight? v i. C losing activ ity : A Group In Need (chalkboard /

chalk) = C ome forward & grab a piece of chalk & w rite on the chalkboard what y ou think our student ministry needs to become more passionate for God this school y ear? What’s missing? Be serious and share y our thoughts.

v ii. When A ndrew saw the need, he didn’t just think about it, he took action! He wasn’t the most outspoken disciple, but he was the most passion about God, others, and action! He didn’t just sit around and think, but rather he was alway s going, telling, and serv ing.




Review: John 1:40-41 = “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew

went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means “Christ”).” (NLT)

React: Are you a passionate person? If so, about what? What are some ways you can be more passionate as a disciple of Christ?



Leader’s Notes:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 22:: AAnnddrreeww


I. A ndrew’s Rap Sheet • A ndrew was the first disciple that C hrist called • His brother was S imon Peter (also a disciple) • He was fisherman, from the poor town of Bethsaida • A ndrew is known for bringing people to Jesus (passionate)

II. Disciples Have A Passion For ______________

John 1 :29-37 = “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him as the

Messiah, but I hav e been baptizing w ith water so that he might be rev ealed to Israel. 32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dov e from heav en and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize w ith water, he told me, ‘The one on whom y ou see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who w ill baptize w ith the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I

saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the C hosen O ne of God.[a]” 35 The follow ing day John was again standing w ith two of his disciples. 36 A s

Jesus walked by , John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” 37 When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

a. Disciples _________________ __________ T ruth

• A ndrew was looking for truth ev en before Jesus

b. Disciples ____________________ T ruth

• V .41b = “We hav e found the Messiah” (NLT).

• Why do y ou think A ndrew left John the Baptist here to become Jesus’ disciple?

• Hav e y ou ev er had an opportunity to tell people in

y our family about Jesus? What was it like?

III. Disciples Have A Passion For ______________________

a. A ndrew Told _______ _______________ About Jesus

• John 1:40-42

• V . 41 = The “first thing” A ndrew did…

b. A ndrew Told People That ____ _______ __________

________ A bout Jesus

• John 12:20-22

• 1 Peter 3:15

IV. Disciples Have A Passion For __________________

• A ndrew found _______________ for the crowd (John 6:5-9)

• When A ndrew saw the need, he didn’t just think about it, he took action!

TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 11:: JJaammeess TThhee LLeesssseerr


Imagine that y ou were just giv en the incredible opportunity to plan out the rest of y our life. For a fee, a company has giv en y ou the ability to choose what w ill happen in y our remaining y ears. You can only spend $1000 from this list (show on screen). What would y ou spend it on? (Students share)

What would y ou hav e done if one of the choices on this list was “Become a C hristian for $1000”? Would y ou be able to giv e up ev ery thing to be a C hristian (C hrist-follower)?

Ev erything worth something has a cost… time, energy , heartache, money , etc… Hav e you ever thought about the cost of being a disciple of C hrist? James the Lesser thought about the cost and decided it was worth it! Let’s begin this series (The Dirty Dozen) by talking about the cost & rewards of follow ing C hrist.

I. James T he Lesser ’s Rap Sheet a. 2 disciples named James b. James, son of A lphaeus, is usually referred to as the “less” or

“lesser” c. May be called that because he was short, or not as well known d. He is mentioned in the Bible only 4 times

II. What Does It Mean T o Be A Disciple? a. He Was Called By Christ

Luke 6 :12-16 = “O ne day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray , and he pray ed to God all night. 13 A t day break he called together all of his disciples and chose twelv e of them to be apostles. Here are their names:

14 S imon (whom he named Peter), A ndrew (Peter’s brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew , 15 Matthew , Thomas, James (son of A lphaeus), S imon

(who was called the zealot), 16 Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betray ed him). (NLT)

i. Luke say s = C hrist pray ed all night before He chose

James. Important decision! C arry on the ministry … 1. How do y ou think James felt after C hrist

chose him? (Students share) 2. Scared? Inferior? Dirty ? Unworthy ?

b. He Spent T ime With Christ i. James spent time w ith C hrist each day as they

walked ev ery where together… hours talking, discussing, and sharing. To James, spending time w ith Jesus was a lifesty le!

ii. What were some of the things that James saw? (Students share)

1. Miracles / angry mobs / death / true life! iii. Is spending time w ith C hrist a lifesty le for y ou or just

something y ou do only once in a while? (O uch!) c. He Continued Christ’s Work

i. A cts 1:13 = “When they arriv ed, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying. Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, A ndrew , Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew , Matthew , James (son of A lphaeus), S imon (the zealot), and Judas (son of James).” (NLT)

ii. A cts tells us that James was in the group as they tried to figure out how they would continue C hrist’s ministry w ithout Him. His presence showed his commitment!

iii. How cool would it be to actually walk w ith Jesus? What would y ou ask Him if y ou could get an answer face-to-face? (Students share)

iv. Rate y ourself as a disciple of C hrist (handout): 1. Deciding to follow C hrist: poor, good, great? 2. Spending time w ith C hrist: poor, good,

great? 3. C ontinuing C hrist’s work: poor, good, great?

III. What Does It Cost T o Be A Disciple?

a. Disciples Put Christ First i. “Salv ation is free… but discipleship w ill cost y ou y our

life.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C ost of Discipleship) ii. Hold up $10 bill = Deny C hrist for $10/$50/$100? iii. Matthew 8:18-22 = “When Jesus saw the crowd

around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the

other side of the lake. 19 Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I w ill follow y ou wherever you go.” 20 But Jesus replied, “Foxes hav e dens to liv e in, and birds hav e nests, but the Son of Man[a] has no place ev en to lay his head.” 21 A nother of his disciples said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.”

1. Story of 2 men who wanted to follow C hrist but were not w illing to count the cost. Here is what we learn from them:

a. We must put C hrist before comfort (v v .18-20).

b. We must put C hrist before our own plans (v v .21-22).

b. Disciples Love i. John 13:34-35 = “So now I am giv ing you a new

commandment: Lov e each other. Just as I hav e lov ed y ou, you should lov e each other. 35 Your lov e for one another w ill prov e to the world that y ou are my disciples.” (NLT)

ii. What do y ou think are the recognizable characteristics of a disciple? (Students share)

iii. C hrist say s that we’ll recognize them by lov e! c. Disciples Obey His Teachings

i. John 8:31 = “Jesus said to the people who believ ed in him, ‘You are truly my disciples if y ou remain faithful to my teachings.’” (NLT)

ii. Remain faithful! No matter what!

(pic on screen) Johnny , a v ery bright fiv e-y ear-old, told his daddy he’d like to hav e a baby brother and, along w ith his request, offered to do whatev er he could to help. His dad, a v ery bright thirty -fiv e-year-old, paused for a moment and then replied, “I ’ll tell y ou what, Johnny. If you pray every

day for two months for a baby brother, I guarantee that God w ill giv e y ou one!” Johnny responded eagerly to his dad’s challenge and went to his bedroom early that night to start pray ing for a baby brother.

He pray ed ev ery night for a whole month, but after that time, he began to get skeptical. He checked around the neighborhood and found out that what he thought was going to happen had nev er occurred in the history of the neighborhood. You just don’t pray for two months and then, whammo—a new baby brother. So, Johnny quit pray ing. A fter another month, Johnny ’s mother went to the hospital. When she came back home, Johnny ’s parents called him into the bedroom. He cautiously walked into the room, not expecting to find

any thing, and there was a little bundle ly ing right next to his mother. His dad pulled back the blanket and there was—not one baby brother—but two! His mother had tw ins! Johnny ’s dad looked down at him and said, “Now aren’t y ou glad y ou pray ed?” Johnny hesitated a little and then looked up at his dad and said, “Yes, but aren’t y ou glad I quit when I did?” (Hot Illustrations 1.0, Too Much Pray er?)

iii. When’s the last time y ou pray ed for something and got too impatient and stopped pray ing? What could y ou be missing if y ou pray ed faithfully? Served God faithfully (as His disciple)?

1. C hrist nev er say s obedience is an option

James the Lesser wasn’t the disciple who talked the most or the one that was out in from. However, we do know that he was faithful and w illing to follow C hrist. He knew what it took and gav e up many things to follow Him. We can learn a lot from His example. Discipleship = not easy , but it’s worth it…

Closing Video = “To Be A Disciple” (Worship House Media, 2:02)




Review: John 13:34-35 = “So now I am giv ing you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world

that you are my disciples.” (NLT)

React: Would you consider yourself a disciple of Christ? How would you prove it to those who don’t know Jesus?



TThhee DDiirrttyy DDoozzeenn,, PPaarrtt 11:: JJaammeess TThhee LLeesssseerr


I. James T he Lesser ’s Rap Sheet

• 2 disciples named James • James, son of A lphaeus, is usually referred to as the

“less” or “lesser” (may be because of his height or his popularity )

• He is mentioned in the Bible only 4 times

II. What Does It ____________________ To Be A Disciple?

a. He Was ____________________ By Christ

Luke 6 :12-16 = “O ne day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray , and he pray ed to God all night. 13 A t day break he called together all of his disciples and chose twelv e of them to be apostles. Here are their names: 14 S imon (whom he named Peter), A ndrew (Peter’s brother), James, John,

Philip, Bartholomew , 15 Matthew , Thomas, James (son of A lphaeus), S imon (who was called the zealot), 16 Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot

(who later betray ed him). (NLT)

• How do y ou think James felt after C hrist chose him?

b. He _________________ _____________ With Christ

c. He ________________________ Christ’s Work

• A cts 1:13

• Rate y ourself as a disciple of C hrist (circle one):

Deciding to follow C hrist Poor Good Great Spending time w ith C hrist Poor Good Great C ontinuing C hrist’s work Poor Good Great

III. What Does It ___________________ T o Be A Disciple?

a. Disciples Put _________________ First

• Matthew 8:18-22

• We must put C hrist before _________________

• We must put C hrist before our _______ __________

b. Disciples _______________

• John 13:34-35

• What do y ou think are the recognizable characteristics of a disciple?

c. Disciples ______________ His T eachings

• John 8:31

• C hrist nev er say s obedience is an option

Closing Video = “To Be A Disciple” (Worship House Media, 2:02)

The Dirty Dozen, Part 13: Conclusion -...

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