Bible Study – Cross To Carry
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
What is the cross we are called to carry as a disciple of Jesus? What are we being called to take on? Jesus invites us to carefully consider the cost before choosing to carry this cross. We might begin by considering how our possessions get in the way
Opening Prayer: Thank you, God, for the gift of Jesus who shows us how to do the work you give us to do. Thank you for the message that we are hearing today. Amen.
Please open your Bibles to Luke 14:25-33 and read or read the scriptures below.
Luke 14:25-33
The Cost of Being a Disciple
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Questions: (Answers at the bottom of the page)
- What do you think Jesus is really saying to us in these first few lines of scripture?
- What do you think the priorities might Jesus be suggesting?
- What is the "cross" Jesus says we need to carry?
- Can you think of a time you had a great idea — but could not finish what you started? (For example: joined the Library Summer Reading Program, but didn’t take time to read all the books because I played with friends.)
- Verse 33: Jesus was talking to the adults here. Do we think Jesus is telling them they have to throw all their "stuff" in the trash? If not, what do we think he is saying here?
- What do you think is the difference between owning stuff and having our "stuff" own us?
Bible Memory Verse: Luke 14:27 - And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Click here for the young learner’s lesson.
Videos (Click on url)
Daily Gospel Reading Video – St Luke 14: 25-33 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDq8woZJpa0
The Cost of Discipleship – Luke 14:25-33 Luke 14:25-33 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Yh3A46Knc
Gospel of Luke Summary: A Complete Animated Overview (Part 2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26z_KhwNdD8
Song: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEL0WpeH088&list=RDsEL0WpeH088&start_radio=1 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjr9tVRnDaY&list=RDgjr9tVRnDaY&start_radio=1
or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC7_Vt-d3Ws&list=RDSC7_Vt-d3Ws&start_radio=1
Activities:
Jamie faced a very difficult decision. There are two very different things that are important to her. Soccer and Piano. Soccer practice is at the same time as the piano lessons so she couldn’t do both. Should she quit piano and play soccer with her friends or should she finish what she had started and continue with her piano lessons? In order to make a decision, she decided to sit down with a sheet of paper and draw a line down the center of the page. On the top of the page on the left side she wrote “Piano” and on the other side she wrote “Soccer”. Below the word Piano, she wrote all the advantages and disadvantages. Then below the word Soccer, she wrote all the advantages and disadvantages. After reviewing all the advantages and disadvantages, she decided to continue her piano lessons.
You will face important decisions in your life. The most important is whether we will follow Jesus. Will we choose to follow Jesus if it means giving up friends that are making bad choices? Will we choose Jesus if it means giving up material things and giving to the poor and helping the sick?
Journal: you can write or sketch in your journals on what you have learned from this session or something you want to write to God about. For today’s session, write down, draw, or find a creative way to list those things you need to leave behind in order to better follow God. What are the things that become more important than God in your life? For examples friend, gadgets, clothes, money, being cool, etc. Now, name things Jesus does not say we need to give up to follow him (parents, our siblings and family, sunsets, moonlight, for example.)
Painted Cross – On a 9x12 poster board, draw and paint a cross. Write FOLLOW JESUS, CARRY HIS CROSS and BE JESUS DISCIPLE around the painted cross. Hang it in your room to remind yourself to follow Jesus.
Cost Of Discipleship - Crossword: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/cost-of-discipleship
Cost of Discipleship - Decoder: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/cost-of-discipleship-1
Cost of Discipleship - Word Search: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/cost-of-discipleship-2
Cost of Discipleship - Word Shape: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/cost-of-discipleship-3
Cost of Discipleship – Fill in the Blank: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/cost-of-discipleship-5
Prayer: Thank you, God, that you love us and want us to stay close to you. Help us leave behind those things that get in the way so that we might better follow you. Amen.
Answers to the Questions:
- What do you think Jesus is really saying to us in these first few lines of scripture? (You have to love God more than you love your family.)
- What do you think the priorities might Jesus be suggesting? (Not about hating your parents, but putting Jesus first in what is important to us.)
- What is the "cross" Jesus says we need to carry? (It is about choosing what we will and will not do. It is about priorities: which things come first.)
- Can you think of a time you had a great idea — but could not finish what you started? (For example: joined the Library Summer Reading Program, but didn’t take time to read all the books because I played with friends.)
- Verse 33: Jesus was talking to the adults here. Do we think Jesus is telling them they have to throw all their "stuff" in the trash? If not, what do we think he is saying here?
- What do you think is the difference between owning stuff and having our "stuff" own us?
