52 Bible Lessons for Students

52 Bible Lessons for Students

Kolby & Mary Beth King

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 Kolby King

Check out more books by Kolby and Mary Beth King at Smashwords.com.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Scripture verses used in this book are cited from the World English Version, a public domain version of the Bible. Learn more at: http://www.worldenglishbible.org

Table of Contents

Introduction

SERIES: Examples

Lesson 1 – Barzillai’s Example

Lesson 2 – Andrew’s Example

Lesson 3 – Joshua’s Example

Lesson 4 – Mary’s Example

SERIES: Five Qualities Every Christian Laborer Must Possess

Lesson 1 – Godly Speech

Lesson 2 – Godly Conduct

Lesson 3 – Godly Love

Lesson 4 – Godly Faithfulness

Lesson 5 – Godly Purity

SERIES: Five Questions that Must Be Answered

Lesson 1 – What is the Great Commission?

Lesson 2 – What is Your Vision and How Do You Get One?

Lesson 3 – What is Your Life Objective?

Lesson 4 – How Big is Your God?

Lesson 5 – Are Your Ready for Spiritual Warfare?

SERIES: Forgiven

Lesson 1 – Great Debt – A Parable of Jesus

Lesson 2 – Zacchaeus – Letting Go of Sin

SERIES: Fuel & The Flame

Lesson 1 – Gideon

Lesson 2 – Elijah

SERIES: G.R.O.W.

Lesson 1 – G – Go to Church

Lesson 2 – R – Read, Study and Memorize the Bible

Lesson 3 – O – One-on-One Time with Jesus

Lesson 4 – W - Worship

SERIES: Godly Living

Lesson 1 – A Tamed Tongue

Lesson 2 – Dealing with Anger

Lesson 3 – Dealing with Prejudice

Lesson 4 – Dealing with Family

SERIES: F.A.Q.’s

Lesson 1 – Don’t All Religions Lead to God?

Lesson 2 – What about Baptism?

Lesson 3 – Why do Bad Things Happen?

Lesson 4 – What Do You Believe?

Lesson 5 – What About Miracles?

SERIES: Not About Me?

Lesson 1 – It’s Not About You

Lesson 2 – It’s Not About Them

Lesson 3 – It’s All About Him

SERIES: Seven Keys To S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

Lesson 1 – S – Surrender It All To God

Lesson 2 – U – Unite with God Everyday

Lesson 3 – C – Confess Your Sins

Lesson 4 – C - Continually Study God’s Word

Lesson 5 – E – Encourage Other to Know Christ

Lesson 6 – S – Stay the Course

Lesson 7 – S – Share Your Resources

SERIES: Accountability

Lesson 1 – Accountability 101

Lesson 2 – Accountability 201

SERIES: Who is Who?

Lesson 1 – The Prodigal Son

Lesson 2 – The Potter and the Clay

Lesson 3 – The Sheep and the Shepherd

Lesson 4 – The Vine and the Branches

SERIES: Share It

Lesson 1 – Talk It

Lesson 2 – Share It

Lesson 3 – Live It

SERIES: Camp Follow-Up

Lesson 1 – Mount of Transfiguration

Lesson 2 – Mount Sinai

SERIES: Christmas

Lesson 1 – The Foundation of Faith

Lesson 2 – Merry Christmas

Appendix

About the Authors

Evangelism Training for Students

Overflow Evangelism by Kolby and Mary Beth King is a great training tool for teaching students how to effectively share their faith with others. Find this and other great Christian resources at Smashwords.com.

Other Books by Kolby & Mary Beth King:

Creative Bible Lessons for Children

30 Children's Worship Lessons

52 Bible Lessons for Students

Overflow Evangelism Training

Character-Teaching Bedtime Stories for Kids

52 Devotions for Youth Leaders

How to Lead a Child to Christ

Every Man's Inferno

Introduction

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Why do you suppose that 90% of students in our youth groups today will stop attending church before they finish college?

Why do you suppose that the number of unchurched students and the number of churched students who become sexually active before marriage is almost the same?

Why do suppose that nearly half of students in evangelical churches do not believe that the Bible is completely true and without fault?

Obviously, as someone who teaches students, you have an incredible opportunity to affect lives. If a student attends your church on Sunday morning from the 6th through the 12th grade, they will spend 312 hours under the discipleship of your student ministry. At the end of that time, what do you want them to look like? What do you want built in their lives? What kind of foundation for living do you desire to leave with them?

Our desire is to provide relational resources that create opportunities for honest, true-to-life discussions; to provide illustrations that your students will remember; to give you tools that will help guide your students into a deeper love-relationship with Jesus; and to help you challenge your students with a higher level of expectations. Today’s youth are looking for a cause: Something to give their lives to; Something to give them an identity; Something worth living and dying for. And we have exactly what they need and want–the Good News of Jesus Christ. Youth can do incredible and wonderful things when they are challenged and trained. This is the goal of these student ministry lessons.

Series 1

Examples

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Most instructions include a diagram or a picture—some even include a sample. An example gives us something to look at, to learn from and to copy. The Bible is a picture gallery of hundreds of examples—some good and some bad. As you teach this series consider the kind of example that you are; challenge your students to be an example of the believer (1 Timothy 4:12); and watch closely the lives of these four characters from the Bible. There’s a lot to learn here!

Check out more books by Kolby and Mary Beth King at Smashwords.com

Lesson 1

Barzillai's Example

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OVERVIEW

Bible Passage: 2 Samuel 17:27-28; 19:31-39

Key Verses: Matthew 11:28-29; Luke 9:23; John 15:4.

BEFORE CLASS

Preparation: Your preparation will determine the direction your class will go.

-Consider what kind of example you are.

-How far have you gone in accepting God’s invitation to abide with Him?

-Study and prepare your lesson so that you are familiar with the teaching outline.

-Pray for each student by name.

-Use postcards to reach out to your class.

OPENING ACTIVITY

Discussion Questions

SAY: I am going to say some names and I want you to tell me what kind of example they are and what they might be an example of. (Use names that your students will be familiar with--names of celebrities, athletes, singers, and others that are often in the media. At the end include Paul the Apostle and King David.)

-Who was King David in the Bible?

-What do you remember about David’s life? (i.e., Goliath, Bathsheeba, He wrote over half of the Psalms, etc.)

-Would you say that King David was a positive example?

SAY: Today we’re going to begin taking a look at Examples and the main character that we are going to examine in this lesson is a little known person who once helped King David. His name was Barzillai.

BIBLE LESSON

SAY: Before we read, let me give you the background of this story: King David’s son, Absalom, and his chief advisor, Ahithophel, had rebelled against him to take his throne. David and his faithful men are on the run. With that in mind, let’s read our first verses about Barzillai.

Choose a volunteer to read—Read 2 Samuel 17:27-28

(Note: Encourage your students never to get lost in hard names and long lists in the Bible. Everything that’s in the Bible is there for a reason and many believers miss many marvelous stories and truths by skipping over names and lists.)

-What do you learn about Barzillai from these verses? (He was obviously a very great man. These three allies of David provided for his entire army. He was also very generous. Honey and curds were the food typically eaten in times like this, a food of last resorts, but these three men provided well beyond just rations for David’s company.

SAY: These verses reveal Barzillai to be A Man Marked by Excellence.

-When you consider your life, how do you give to God? Do you give Him just the bear minimum? Or is your giving marked by excellence, that you give God only the best?

-What can you give to God? (Your life, your actions, your daily time, your gifts and talents, your money, your commitment, your service, your top priority.)

-Do you feel like you’ve held the best back from God in any area of your life?

SAY: Let’s read some more…David’s son, Absalom, has now been defeated. David’s advisor that turned against him has hanged himself and now David is heading back to Jerusalem. Listen to the discussion between the king and Barzillai.

Choose a volunteer to read—Read 2 Samuel 19:31-39

-What did King David ask Barzillai to do? (Cross over with me and, and I’ll provide for you at my side in Jerusalem. The king was giving Barzillai an invitation to abide with him, to eat at his table, and to be at his side. This might have even included being an advisor to him. Remember, David had just lost his chief advisor, a man whose advice was like someone asking a word from God [2 Samuel 16:23]. He wanted Barzillai to be with him.)

SAY: In a similar way, God gives us an invitation too—an invitation to walk with Him, to stay with Him, to eat daily at His table (meaning, to feast daily on His Word), to enjoy His presence and the praise that surrounds it. We too have an invitation from the King.

-What was Barzillai’s response? (He gave excuses.)

-What were Barzillai’s excuses and how are they similar to excuses people give today for not serving or following God?

Barzillai’s Excuses:

(1) I’m too old—Barzillai was 80 years old.

Today: This is still an excuse today. Or, if they’re young, they’ll say, I’m too young. Or, if they are in between, they’ll say, I can’t do that at this stage of my life.

(2) It’s too much—Three times he says, Can I?—Can I tell the difference between what is good from what is not? [NOTE: He just did—He discerned the goodness of helping David against the bad of following after Absalom’s rebellion.] Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks? Can I still hear the voices of men and women singers? In other words, I can’t do that…Concerning the king’s table, Barzillai had no interest in it and no appreciation for it.

Today: People today still do the same. They say to God, God, can I do such and such, meaning, God, I can’t do that… Like Barzillai, although they have been invited into the king’s presence and to his service, they have no interest in it and no appreciation for it. And as a result they will miss the feast He has laid on the table before them and the worship of being in His presence.

(3) It’s too far—Barzillai tells the king that he will go with him a little ways.

Today: How many Christians have this attitude? God, I’ll go with you a little ways. Or, I’ll go with you as long as it’s convenient or as long as I’m comfortable or as long as I don’t have to give up this or that…

Thought: What if Jesus had only gone a little ways? What if He had said, I’ll go as far as being born in Bethlehem, but no further. Or, I’ll go as far as being the boy in the temple, or baptism, or the temptation in the wilderness, but that’s it. Or, as far as the Mount of Transfiguration where He could’ve said, Now that Moses and Elijah are here, let them do the rest. Or, I’ll go as far as Gethsemene and I’ll suffer some, but I won’t go all the way? But Jesus didn’t do this. He went all the way and we should do likewise.

-What do you think it means to Go all the way with God?

-What would someone be like if they went all the way with God? (Totally surrendered to Him.)

Consider the life of Jesus to ask the question: How far have you gone with God?

-Perhaps you’ve gone to Bethlehem where you were born again. Did you stop here?

-Perhaps you’ve gone as far as Jesus being a boy in the temple—In other words, you’ve gone to church. Perhaps your parents even made you go, but that’s as far as you’ve grown.

-Perhaps you’ve gone as far as baptism.

-Perhaps you’ve gone as far as the wilderness. Consider Jesus, Moses, the people of Israel, and the Apostle Paul. They all had wilderness experiences before God used them. Consider this quote: God won’t use you publicly until He has tutored you privately.

-Perhaps you’ve gone to the place of temptation but it was too much for you and you went no further.

-Perhaps you’ve gone as far as the Mount of Transfiguration. Remember, Peter, James and John caught a glimpse of Jesus in the fullness of His glory. Perhaps you’ve tasted powerfully of the presence and glory of God, but when you came down from the mountain (or the mountain-top experience—i.e., camp), it faded away and you stopped there.

-Perhaps you’ve gone to Gethsemene, the garden where Jesus suffered in prayer before His crucifixion. Perhaps you too have agonized in prayer or shared in the fellowship of His sufferings, but went no further.

-Or, perhaps you’ve gone all the way to full death on the cross, to total surrender and complete abandon so that you are dead to self as you take up your cross daily to follow Him. If you have done this, then you understand the new life you’ve been raised to in Christ.

-Where would you put your life on this time line? How far have you gone?

KEY VERSE

SAY: In the Gospel’s Jesus gives us three kinds of invitations.

(1) The Invitation to COME—The call to salvation

(2) The Invitation to FOLLOW—The call to discipleship

(3) The Invitation to ABIDE—The call to share life with (live with) Him.

SAY: Consider the following verses:

Choose a volunteer to read—Read Matthew 11:28-29 (COME)

Choose a volunteer to read—Read Luke 9:23 (FOLLOW)

Choose a volunteer to read—Read John 15:4 (ABIDE)

SAY: Where do you find your life in these verses:

-Have you COME to Christ? Did you stop there?

-Are you FOLLOWING Christ, taking up your cross daily and learning from Him.

-Have you taken the King up on His invitation to ABIDE with Him—to feast at His table (His Word), the live in His presence, to have your life shared with His life?

-Barzillai turned down the king’s invitation to be with him. How often do you turn down God’s invitation to spend daily time with Him—To eat at His table and enjoy His presence?

-Would you say that you’re happy with where your relationship with God is? Why or why not?

-Is there anything that you feel might need to change in your walk with Christ?

-What’s your plan for making this change?

BIBLE LESSON—Part 2

SAY: Now for the rest of the story…

-Who remembers the name of the person that Barzillai sent in his place? (Chimham)

SAY: We don’t know much else about Chimham but the name is mentioned elsewhere in the Bible.

Choose a volunteer to read—Read Jeremiah 41:17

SAY: After the fall of Jerusalem, about four hundred years after the time of King David, Jeremiah and others were leaving the city and they stayed at Geruth Chimham, with means (Geruth), the lodging place, or essentially, the Inn of Chimham near Bethlehem. Some Bible scholars speculate that this is the same person mentioned in our story today although there is no proof for it. They speculate that King David, who was from Bethlehem, gave to Chimham lands there fulfilling his promise to do for him whatever pleases you, which would surely include some sort of land grant near Jerusalem so that Chimham could continue to stay with the king in Jerusalem (which was only about seven miles away from Bethlehem). These scholars speculate that Chimham began a lodging place there at which Jeremiah later stayed and that perhaps was even the inn to which Mary and Joseph came before Jesus was born. This is just speculation but it makes for an interesting thought and a point that we know is true—God uses and blesses those who are willing to go with Him.

WRAP IT UP

Prayer Time

SAY: Barzillai was willing to GIVE, but he was not willing to GO. He was a A Man Marked by Excellence but also a Man Marred by Excuses. He didn’t go himself but was willing to send others in his place, just like so many Christians today. And instead of receiving the honor the king had set aside for him, another, Chimham, who was willing to go, received it instead. May it not be so with you life.

Pray specifically today that your students will go all the way with God.

(NOTE: This lesson was inspired after listening to Bible commentary writer and preacher John Phillips who shared concerning Barzillai during a Bible Conference in Edmond, Oklahoma.)

Lesson 2

Andrew's Example

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OVERVIEW

Bible Passage: John 1:35-42; John 6:1-14; John 12:20-26

Key Verse: 1 Timothy 4:12

BEFORE CLASS

Preparation: Your preparation will determine the direction your class will go.

-Consider what kind of example you are.

-If stories were written about you, what would they reveal about your life.

-Study and prepare your lesson so that you are familiar with the teaching outline.

-Pray for each student by name.

OPENING ACTIVITY

Discussion Questions

SAY: Today we’re going to continue talking about examples. An example is something or someone you pattern other things after.

-Who are some examples in your life? In other words, who do you pattern your life after?

-Who remembers who we talked about last week? (Barzillai)

-What was Barzillai an example of? (Of giving but not going)

-If someone wrote down stories about your life and then wrote a Sunday morning lesson about them, how do you think you would be held up as an example? And an example of what?

-What areas of your life do you think would give an pattern that others could follow?

-What areas of your life do you think would give an example of what not to do?

BIBLE LESSON

SAY: Today we’re going to take a look at one of Jesus’ disciples, Andrew, the brother of Peter. Although his name is listed several times, there are only three stories in the Bible that include him in the story-line and today you’ll notice something similar about all three.

Choose a volunteer to read—Read John 1:35-42

SAY: This story happens just before Jesus’ ministry begins as John the Baptist has been baptizing and calling people to repentance. When John sees Jesus he recognizes Him as the Messiah, the Savior, and announces to all that He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Two of John’s disciples leave him to follow Jesus. One of these men was Andrew.

-What did Andrew and the other disciple want to do? (They wanted to know where Jesus was staying so that they could be with Him.)

-After spending the day with Jesus, what did Andrew do? (First, he realized who Jesus was and believed in Him. Second, he went to his brother, Peter, and brought him to Jesus.)

-What example for us do you see in this story? (Andrew wanted to be with Jesus and after being with Jesus, he wanted to tell others about Him.)

Choose a volunteer to read—Read John 6:1-14

-What role does Andrew play in the story? (He brings the boy with the food to Jesus.)

-Why do you think he did this? Do you think he knew what Jesus was planning to do? (No, he didn’t know. Listen to Andrew’s statement, …but how far will they go among so many. Even though Andrew didn’t have all the answers, he was doing what he could.)

-What was the result of his actions? (Andrew did what he could to help and Jesus used it in a big way. Even though he only had a little to offer, God can take a little and make something great out of it.)

-What do you think we can learn from this?

SAY: Let’s read the last story about Andrew…

Choose a volunteer to read—Read John 12: 20-26

SAY: The Greeks were foreigners who believed in God. They had come to worship at the Feast. Elsewhere people such as this were called God-fearers, because although they were not Israelites, they believed in and worshiped their God. Apparently these Greeks had heard about Jesus and wanted to meet Him.

-What did the Greeks say to Phillip? (Sir, we would like to see Jesus.)

-Why do you think Phillip brought them to Andrew instead of Jesus?

-In all three of these stories, what do you see Andrew doing? (In each case we find him bringing others to Jesus.)

-If your life where held up to a world that says, We would like to see, Jesus, would you be an example like Andrew?

KEY VERSE

SAY: The world is looking for something more in life—they are looking to see Jesus, and ultimately what the world is searching for is a right relationship with God through Christ. But the only way the people around us will see Him is through our actions. Consider the following verse and how God has called you to be an example, not just to the lost world, but to Christians as well.

Choose a volunteer to read—Read 1 Timothy 4:12

-How good or bad of an example are you in each of these areas?

SAY: This verse talks about five areas to which you, as a Christian, have been called to be an example to other believers. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being poor and 10 being great, how does your life measure up in the following five areas:

-Speech

-Conduct (Some translations say Life)

-Love