Bible Study – Choosing To Do Our Work
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
Slaves? Well, probably not any of us. Each of us, however, has clear duties to perform. Jesus points out that it is not a big deal to simply do our duty. Our choice is whether we grumble and whine or whether we do our work with gratitude and in faith.
We have two stories today: one about patience and one about whether to grumble or not.
Opening Prayer: Thank you, God, that you are patient with me as I figure out what you want me to do. Amen.
Please open your Bibles to Luke 17:5-10 and read or read the scriptures below.
Luke 17:5-10
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Questions: (Answers at the bottom of the page)
Questions: Verses 5-6
- Why do you think the disciples are crying out to Jesus to "increase their faith?"
- What do you think of Jesus' answer?
- Why do you think Jesus used the mustard seed as the example of size of faith?
- What helps a tiny seed grow?
- What helps a person's faith to grow?
- What else helps a person's faith to grow?
Questions: Verses 7-10
- Since none of us are slaves, how could this story also be for us?
- In what ways might verse 10 be hyperbole (an exaggeration)?
Bible Memory Verse: Luke 17:6 - “He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”
Click here for the young learner’s lesson.
Videos (Click on url)
Luke 17: 5-10 – Faith Like a Mustard Seed Parables of Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf4c_OxPyAs
Gospel of Luke Summary: A Complete Animated Overview (Part 2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26z_KhwNdD8
Song: Only Believe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4RclzqVodc&list=RDx4RclzqVodc&start_radio=1
Whisper A Prayer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKM9tgA_Ay0&list=RDRKM9tgA_Ay0&start_radio=1
Activities:
Journal: If you are using journals, to write your impressions in your journal. For example: Here are some things I can do to help that I really enjoy doing
Faith Banner: Cut a long piece of felt or cloth or even a long rectangle poster board and draw FAITH with markers going down the left side. Make an acrostic on the word FAITH;
F-antastic
A-denture
I-n
T-rusting
H-im
Decorate the banner with stickers or sequins, etc for a wall hanging.
A Mustard Seed Faith –Word Shape – https://sermons4kids.com/activities/the-rich-man-and-lazarus
A Mustard Seed Faith - Crossword: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/mustard-seed-faith
A Mustard Seed Faith – Decoder: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/mustard-seed-faith-1
A Mustard Seed Faith - Word Search: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/mustard-seed-faith-3
A Mustard Seed Faith – Multiple Choice: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/mustard-seed-faith-2
Prayer: Help us, God, to have the patience of a popcorn seed. Amen.
Answers to the Questions:
Questions: Verses 5-6
- Why do you think the disciples are crying out to Jesus to "increase their faith?" (We are not sure, but here are some possibilities: they have become so aware of who Jesus is that they want to be more like him and feel inadequate, they think faith is something someone can just zap you with.)
- What do you think of Jesus' answer? (Do they think Jesus really meant that if you have faith you can zap trees into the ocean? Why? Why not?)
- Why do you think Jesus used the mustard seed as the example of size of faith? (A mustard seed was one of the smallest seeds the disciples would have seen, but it grows to be a big bush.)
- What helps a tiny seed grow? (Water, good soil, even some fertilizer)
- What helps a person's faith to grow? (Paying attention to it, being with people who also have faith, doing the work you have been given to do.)
- What else helps a person's faith to grow? (Patience)
Questions: Verses 7-10
- Since none of us are slaves, how could this story also be for us? (We have work to do and doing our work is not a big deal. It is what we are expected to do.)
- In what ways might verse 10 be hyperbole (an exaggeration)? Do we think Jesus really wants us to call ourselves "worthless?" If not, what might this mean? (Not making a big deal out of doing our job.)
