The Great Adventure (Pentecost 3A Gospel)

Download a printable PDF of the WordOne Bible Study for Pentecost 3 Gospel.

Text: Matthew 9:35-10:8 for Third Sunday of Pentecost, Lectionary Series A

Objectives

Participants will:

1. Identify that service to the Lord is a great adventure.
2. Identify a way that they can be in service to God.

Materials Needed

Bibles
Newsprint
Markers

Group Guidelines

Divide the group into groups of 5-7. The leader of the group is the person who most recently gave a gift to someone. The leader’s role is to encourage participation from all members and to keep the group involved in the Bible Study.

Building Community

1. Share your greatest adventure and what made it so.
2. Share an adventure you would like to go on.

Looking at God’s Word

1. Read Matthew 9:35-10:8. What does Jesus tell the disciples to do? How does He prepare them for their work? What does He add in verses 9 and 10 in the disciples’ instructions? How would this be an adventure for the disciples?
2. Before sending His disciples out, Jesus says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” What does He mean by this? How does this relate to sending out the disciples?
3. Is the harvest plentiful today? How? How is the number of workers?
4. How does God prepare for us working in His kingdom? In what ways can we be on an adventure for Him?

Reinforcing What Has Been Learned

1. Pass out newsprint and markers to each group. Have groups brainstorm ways that they can serve and reach out to their community and share the Gospel message.
2. After two minutes of brainstorming, look over the list, pick one idea and develop a plan to accomplish it.
3. Post all of the ideas on the wall and reflect on them. If there is time, have the large group respond to the ideas.

Closing

Before the dosing prayer, ask each participant to think of one individual whom they know needs to hear the Gospel message. In a large circle, join hands. The leader begins the prayer and at the designated place, goes around the circle with each participant naming the person they thought of before.

“Dear Lord, thank you for the great adventure of growing in your Word, and sharing it with others. As you did with your disciples, equip each of us to share your saving grace with those around us. Today, we especially pray that we can reach, (at this time go around the circle and have each person say the first name or the initials of the individual they thought of). Thank you for the privilege to do this work for you. In your Son, Jesus, we pray. Amen.”

by Christine Eid

Originally published in Discovery Bible Studies 11, 1998.
Updated for youthESource in April 2014