Servant Leadership – Teaching Plan
Key Thought: Elders function as both pastors and overseers of churches. Peter calls for a spirit of humility and service of leadership.
1. Have a volunteer read I Peter 5: 1-4.
a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
b. What attitudes should leaders bring to their roles in the church? How does a wrong attitude affect the church members?
c. Personal Application : What examples have you seen of what appeared to be true humility in others? What can we learn from this example? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study : One of your relatives states: “Most leaders in the church are leaders because they want to be. They like the power, control, and admiration they get in their position.” Do you tend to agree or disagree with your relative?
2. Have a volunteer read I Peter 5:5-7.
a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
b. What does it mean to be subject one to another and humble ourselves?
c. Personal Application : How respectful and deferent are the young people toward older people, leaders in the church, and their parents? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study : One of your friends states, “How does God resist the proud? Does that mean pride is as bad as open sins that people commit and could cause that person to be lost because of it?” How would you respond to your friend?
3. Have a volunteer read I Peter 5:8-10.
a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
b. What do these texts tell us about the spiritual warfare going on in the world and in your life today?
c. Personal Application: What are the ways we can be aware of the devil’s methods? How can we be alert, clear-minded, and self-controlled? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “There is no real devil. Satan is the name for adversary. It is a symbol for the evil found in man’s nature. It is a personification for man’s evil.” How would you respond to your neighbor?
4. Have a volunteer read I Timothy 5:17..
a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
b. How do we give double honor to the elders who lead well in the church? What does it mean to give double honor?
c. Personal Application : What are ways we can learn to work better with the leaders in our church, even when we don’t always agree? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study : Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.
Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).
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