To begin the session:
On the board write this quote from Austrian actor and movie director Bernhard Wicki:
Status symbols are medals you buy yourself.
After all class members have arrived and have had time to consider the quote, discuss it briefly. What are some differences between status symbols and medals? What are some common status symbols? Why do people try to obtain such status symbols?
Lead into Bible study by saying, “It is not unusual for people to want to be recognized as important. Therefore, one might buy fine jewelry, a fast car, fashionable apparel, or a big house. These are all ways of telling others that we are significant. But Jesus called his disciples to value service over status.”
To engage the learners in a study of the Scripture text:
Download the “Surprising or Expected?” handout here. Make a copy for each class member. Divide the class into groups of three to five students. Have groups read the text aloud. Then group members should take a few minutes to mark each statement about the text as being surprising to or expected by them. Then groups should allow members to share and explain why they marked statements as they did.
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