Living Faith in the Everyday - World Communion Sunday
Week 1: October 6 – World Communion Sunday
2 Timothy 1:1-14, Luke 17:5-10
Note to the Teacher
The key emphasis for this week (for this lesson from 2 Timothy 1 and Luke 17) is that God loves each of us and wants us to live our faiths boldly and to tell the story of God in our lives. The Ice Breaker asks everyone to share something about themselves that no one else might know. The Discussion encourages students to reflect on what it means to live out their faith and be witnesses for God, and the Activity allows youth to think about how they would tell the story of God in their lives if given the chance.
Times are based on a 50-minute lesson period, but can be adjusted.
Time Description of Activity
10 min. 1. Ice Breaker – Do You Really Know Me?
Supplies Needed – A small slip of paper or note card for each student, a pen or pencil for each student, a box to collect all of the responses.
Give each student something to write on and something to write with. Ask each of them to write down something interesting that no one else in the group likely knows about them. Encourage the students to take a moment to think of the most interesting and least known.
One by one, pick out a response, read it to the group, and have the group guess who wrote it. After a couple guesses, have the person who wrote it down identify themselves. Read and guess as many as time allows. If you run out of time, at the end read each statement quickly then have the writer identify themselves so everyone is included.
5 min. 2. Read Scripture
Explain before reading that Timothy was discipled and mentored by the great evangelist Paul, and you are reading from the book of Timothy (which is a letter from Paul to Timothy), as well as the Gospel of Luke.
Read 2 Timothy 1:1-14 and Luke 17:5-10
15 min. 3. Discussion
- In 2 Timothy 1:1-5, why does Paul say he is writing this letter?
- What does Paul mean in verse 6 when he says, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you”?
- Verse 9 mentions being called to live a “holy life.” What does a holy life look like?
- Verses 13 and 14 say to “keep the pattern of sound teaching” and to “guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you.” What is Paul’s concern about what the people may be learning or being exposed to? What are they called to do if faced with unsound teaching?
From Luke 17:
- In verse 5, the apostles ask the Lord to increase their faith. What do you think that means?
- What does Jesus mean in verse 6 when he compares faith to a mustard seed?
- So often we expect what Jesus says to be uplifting, but sometimes what Jesus says is a word of challenge. What is the challenge Jesus calls them to in verses 7-10 when speaking of servants?
- Verse 10 mentions the “duty” of God’s servants. What is a servant of God called to do?
20 Min.4. Activity and Discussion: What Would You Tell Someone About God?
Take this lesson to the next level by getting students involved using this activity from the YouthWorker Collective:
SUPPLIES – Enough pieces of paper and something to write with for breaking the large group up into groups of 2-3 students. A whiteboard or flipchart and marker to record the responses.
Have the students break up into groups of 2-3 students (no bigger) and share with them the following scenario – They are seated beside someone on a plane who has NEVER heard anything about God. Unfortunately while on the plane flight the captain comes over the speaker and shares that there is a serious problem with the plane, and they are afraid that the plane may crash in 30 minutes if the problem can’t be fixed. The student’s challenge is to share what they think are the most essential things to know about God with the person in the seat beside them over the next 30 minutes (the person is interested in hearing).
Give students around 5 minutes in groups to write down what they feel are the essential things to share about God. Then spend 5 minutes or so having all the groups report back their responses and write those down on the whiteboard.
Once all of the responses are written on the whiteboard lead a discussion with the students to identify which of the responses they think are the most essential, and mark those down.
*Important – When doing this activity in the past, often students will share a list of major Bible stories, or theological concepts, which are all good and important. But if no one shares the story of how they have personally experienced the love of God and how Christ has personally changed their lives, make sure to bring that out and write that down as an important item. Let the students know that when it comes down to it, the most impactful goal of those 30 minutes likely isn’t to tell someone a list of stories or facts, but to share the story of who God has been in their life, to share their own testimony backed up by all of those Biblical stories and truths.
Close in the manner that is typical for you. Consider taking joys/concerns from the students, then asking for a volunteer to close in prayer.
- A small slip of paper or index card for each student for the icebreaker.
- A piece of paper and something to write with for the Activity
- A whiteboard or flip chart and marker to record responses to the Activity