First we’re going to watch a scene from a movie called The Patriot. The movie is about the Revolutionary War in the 1700s. In the movie, the British army is attacking the American armies, trying to keep them under the rule of England. If the Americans can win the war, they’ll have their freedom. In the scene we’re going to watch today, a guy named Gabriel Martin (Heath Ledger)walks into a church and interrupts a church service to recruit men for the militia (which is basically a small group of guys who aren’t soldiers but want to fight anyway). At first, the reverend and some of the men in the congregation object. But after one of the town’s own residents, a girl named Anne, speaks up about words and actions, several men including the reverend stand up to join the fight against the British army. The scene is a very powerful illustration of leadership and inspiration, as well as a beautiful picture of being called to action when until now there has only been boasting. Listen to what happens when the people in the scene are asked to put their actions to their words and join the militia.
- Without telling us the person’s name, can you tell us about someone that you’ve heard/observed recently, who said they’d do one thing, but then they did something else?
- How does it make you feel when someone does this? Why?
- Why do you think that it is important for your actions to match your words?
James 1:22-25 (NLT)
And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law—the law that sets you free—and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
- What’s the big difference between reading the Bible and doing what it says?
- What are some basic things that the Bible teaches us to do, but we as believers in Him… don’t actually do?
- Why do you think it’s sometimes so hard to actually follow through with our commitments to obey God?
Matthew 7:17-20 (NLT)
A healthy tree produces good fruit, and an unhealthy tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced.
- What is Jesus talking about when He says you can tell what kind of tree it is by what kind of fruit it has?
- If we are people who say that we follow Jesus or that we worship God, then what kind of “fruit” should there be in our lives? Think about actual actions.
- How does it make you feel, knowing that people should be able to look at the way that you act and be able to determine who you worship?
- If someone were to look at this last week, and they looked at how you treated people, how you acted when you were alone, what kind of music you listened to and movies you watched, the conversations you had with people, what kind of tree would they say you are?
What needs to change in your life—if anything—so that people will be able to tell who you really are?
(Thanks to "The Source for Youth Ministry" for this topic!)
