Rotten :: The Path
Clean hands and cover their mouths when they cough. :) // If someone is clearly under the weather notify Chad, Jimmy, or Heather.
Take a second and have a student read the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-8
Reread Matthew 13:4
Now have a student read Matthew 13:18-23
Reread Matthew 13:19
Have a discussion as a group where the students put in their own words what the Path is.
As you all talk if you see some confusion help them along, but try not to just answer it for them.
Look for the stumbling blocks in the truth we are exploring and help remove them from the equation.
Ask each student to spend a second and write down one place in their life, one relationship, or one struggle where they want to keep it that way but know they shouldn’t.
You can expand on this and give contextual examples if you have to.
Faith in action:
Explain the safety and family of your group before continuing. Whatever is shared stays in the group.
Have the students share what they wrote however they like. - They don’t have to show what they wrote, only communicate what they wrote to one another.
There were three things we can do in order to start breaking up the path in our fields:
Turn - Have a discussion about whether or not they want to turn from those things.
If they do then celebrate with them
If they don’t then let them know they are loved and prayed for.
Listen - The only way to listen is to start by hearing and then add purpose.
Spend some time as a group praying for Jesus’ wisdom and blessing in your life specifically in the area where you are the path.
It is even okay to pray that Jesus would change you in that area if you don’t really wanna change it.
Trust - This is surrender
Have someone read Galatians 2:20
Discuss what this verse teaches us about trusting Jesus.
Ask the students “Do you genuinely believe Jesus can break up the path in your life?
If they believe that then surrendering to Jesus in this area of their life is the first step to him actually doing it.
One of the most important things for a healthy yield in crops is fertilizer. Fertilizer is made from rotten. It is a new thing that makes new things from the old dead things. We are all rotten in some areas of our life. That is sin. But as we step towards Jesus, turning to him for blessings and wisdom he will take that rotten in us and turn it into a new thing that bears fruit.
Spend a few moments talking about the incredible miracle it is that Jesus could change our soil.
Pray as a group.
We will know we have hit our target if:
-Students retain the parable of the sower including the 4 soils.
-Studnets put their faith in action by applying what we learned in group and not in the future
-We all find hope in Jesus power to change us even where we are the path.
-Prayer and scripture are earnestly employed in our discipleship walk with our groups.