By Victor Belton

Download a PDF of the Word One Bible Study for Pentecost 15C Gospel.

Text: Luke 14:1-14 for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary Series C

OBJECTIVES

Participants will:

  1. Appreciate being in a place of honor before God.
  2. Be enabled to share that honor with others by inviting them into relationships of honor before God.

MATERIALS NEEDED

Bibles

GROUP GUIDELINES

Small groups should have 6-8 members. Set up the room with chairs facing in a variety of directions by group. Label one chair in each group so members know the direction (east) they are facing. Groups may be formed by taking one participant from each of the directional areas in the seating arrangement, (east, west, north, south, northwest, southwest, etc.) The group leaders shall be those in each group who were facing east.

BUILDING COMMUNITY

When groups have been chosen start the meeting with prayer and take a minute to welcome everyone.

  1. What direction are you facing?
  2. Did you feel included or excluded because of where your seat was?
  3. If you felt included, how did you feel about the people who were excluded? If excluded, how did you feel about the people included?
  4. Have you ever given up your place of honor to someone else? How did that make you feel?

LOOKING AT GOD’S WORD

  1. Read Luke 14:1. What is the fanciest place you have ever eaten? Did you feel comfortable?
  2. Read Luke 14:7-9. The place of honor is the seat closest to the host. How would you feel if someone asked you to move from the seat you selected to take a less prominent seat?
  3. How do you think visitors in worship at your church feel when they are trying to follow a different liturgy in a new and different place. Have you ever helped a visitor feel more comfortable? How?
  4. Read Luke 14:10-14. Have you ever experienced humbleness after trying to exalt yourself? Did you like the feeling?
  5. How does God exalt us from a humble place and invite us to sit in the seats of honor?
  6. Read Luke 14:14. How might God bless those who give their place of honor to others less fortunate.

REINFORCING WHAT HAS BEEN LEARNED

  1. Perhaps there is enough presence of God in the throne room of the Kingdom that every seat is a seat of honor! Do you think that is correct? Why or why not?
  2. What can you do the next time you see a visitor in your church struggling through the liturgy?
  3. Complete these statements:
    1. I know God honors me and loves me because . . .
    2. Now I realize that . . .
    3. Giving someone my seat of honor means . . .
    4. I’m very grateful to God for the honor of . . .

CLOSING

Repeat Luke 14:14. Close with a prayer thanking God for His grace, honor, and love in Christ.

Originally published in Discovery Bible Studies.

Updated for youthESource in August 2016