September 21, 2024
A video introduction using illustrations, personal stories, metaphors, or active learning examples to begin the discussion.
After the video, prompts are supplied for thinking and sharing with others personal perception and experience. This opening activity prompts participants to think about and relate to the topic, and to share with others.
Give each a student a different announcement and ask:
You have been randomly selected for a survey—it will only take a few minutes . . .
You have been selected for a secret black ops mission . . .
You have been selected for a board position . . .
You have been selected to represent your country in the Olympics . . .
You have been selected to donate blood because you have AB negative blood type (rare—1%) . . .
You have been selected for jury duty . . .
You are selected as the winner on a TikTok challenge . . .
You are selected to serve on a panel discussion about church issues . . .
Some notifications reveal your qualifications, others seem random, and some are designed to benefit the sender. However, when Jesus called His disciples, what qualifications did He require from them?
The Bible discussion begins with a careful reading of the whole passage, either from your own Bibles, or from the provided images below.
Then participants are to ask:
Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles
13 Yeshua went up a mountain, called those whom he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve whom he called apostles.[a] They were to accompany him and to be sent out by him to spread the Good News. 15 They also had the authority to force demons out of people.
16 He appointed these twelve: Simon (whom Yeshua named Peter), 17 James and his brother John (Zebedee’s sons whom Yeshua named Boanerges, which means “Thunderbolts”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed Yeshua).
According to the Gospel of Mark, the calling and training moment for the disciples has three parts: 1) to be with Jesus, 2) to preach, and 3) to have authority over demons. Acts 4:13 highlights the impact of being with Jesus when it says that people recognized Peter and John had been with Jesus because of their boldness.
Preaching the good news is a powerful endeavor. It can be misunderstood by some, but it's a bold and thoughtful act. The preacher's power comes from the unashamed delivery of the message.
Having authority over demons may seem outdated, but if Jesus were to call people today, having this authority would involve confronting evil and bringing spiritual healing and freedom to others.
It might seem like “having authority over demons” is an outlier idea or something out of date or irrelevant today, what if Jesus were to call people today, what might it look like to have this type of authority?
To know Him and live “in Christ” seems to be at the center of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Many will believe truths and ideas about God, but knowing and living “in Christ” is an altogether different experience.
A parting video clip with a personal invitation to apply the message to “knowing Christ” and “living in Christ” in the coming week.