Disciples Argue About The Plan

Objective
Students will see that conflict is part of Church life, just as it was for the disciples. They’ll learn to seek Christ’s calling and discern the Holy Spirit’s voice when conflict arises.

Warm Up
This or That – Why?– Prepare a list of thought-provoking pairs (examples: listen to music vs. sit in silence, take a risk vs. play it safe, spend time with many friends vs. one close friend, speak up vs. stay quiet, plan everything vs. go with the flow, win an award vs. help someone else succeed, forgive quickly vs. take time to heal, do what’s popular vs. do what’s right).

Read each pair aloud, one at a time, and have students move to one side of the room or the other to show their choice. After they move, ask a few volunteers to share why they chose what they did.

After several rounds, gather everyone together and ask:

• What did you notice about how people’s answers were different?
• Were there times when you felt like both answers could be right depending on the situation?
• How do we figure out what the wise choice is when both options seem good?
• Where does God fit in when we make those kinds of decisions?

Transition
In The Chosen, there are many times when the disciples disagree with one another. Disagreement is a natural part of life. Everyone has different preferences and opinions. Sometimes these differing opinions can cause conflict.

It’s important to engage in respectful dialogue, discern the Holy Spirit, and then make decisions that pursue the will of the Lord in our lives.

The Clip
Play “The Disciples Argue About The Plan” from Season 2, Episode 1 of The Chosen.

Discuss:

• What did you notice about how the disciples argued with one another in this clip?
• Did you find yourself favoring some of the disciples over the others? Why or why not?
• What is your style of disagreeing?
• Who do you think you would have been most like if you were in this conversation with the disciples?
• Do we have similar arguments today in our churches?

Transition
In this conversation with the disciples, we are shown an inside glimpse into their humanity and the disagreements that may have taken place as they were traveling with Christ. There were a lot of emotions, including frustration, anger, avoidance, pride, stubbornness, etc. As tensions rose, the disciples ended up taking a vote. That moment revealed how differently they each viewed the way Jesus’ ministry should be handled.

The disciples are individual people with their own thoughts and preferences for how to approach simple and complex tasks. Yet, they have been called by Christ to follow Him on this mission and have been given the task to work together in this important work.

• Do we find ourselves sometimes disagreeing with those who we are working with in the mission field?
• What does this look like in our own friend groups and ministries?

Bible Study
For each of the passages below, give students 5 minutes to answer the questions then come back together as a large group to discuss:

Read Luke 9:1-6

• What did Jesus give His disciples as He sent them out?
• How did He tell them to approach their mission?
• Why do you think He wanted them to travel light and rely on others?
• How did the disciples respond to His instructions?

Read Luke 9:46-48

• What were the disciples arguing about among themselves?
• How did Jesus flip their idea of greatness?
• What does His response teach us about the way He values people?
• Where should our focus as disciples actually be?
• How can we live out this kind of attitude in our own relationships in the Church?

Wrap Up
Naturally, conflict will arise in every area of our lives. We must approach one another as collaborators in this mission of Christ and His Church and seek the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit to do the Lord’s Will.

When conflict does arise, we can consult the Scriptures and the words of Jesus to seek how to approach respectful dialogue with one another and discern the best path forward. Different personalities and styles lead to different approaches to ministry.