What we want students to learn: That people who publicly identify as followers of God have always experienced persecution.

What we want students to do with what they’ve learned: To evaluate whether or not they are living their life in such a way that they would even be in the position to be persecuted.  

Scripture Focus: Psalms 38:19-22, Psalms 119:68-72, Psalms 119:85-87, Psalms 69:13-18, Psalms 74:18-21, Psalms 124:6-8, Psalms 37:12-13

Overview: As long as people have been living as followers of God, they have been persecuted for it. The vast majority of people reading this lesson will do so from the confines of cultures in which it's not life-threatening to be a Christ-follower. Those of us who live in cultures where we are free to practice our faith must be aware of our brothers and sisters around the world who face death for Christ's sake. However, we need to help our students see that persecution is relative to the culture they find themselves in. In the US, persecution might not be imprisonment. But if students are made fun of because of their faith, ostracized, left out, or bullied, they are experiencing persecution.

It’s important that they understand the roots of persecution that go back to the Old Testament (Lesson 1), the powerful words Christ had to say about persecution (Lesson 2), and the way we are called to handle persecution (Lesson 3). This lesson will challenge your students to think about their own lives and ask: Are their lives enough like Christ’s that they would experience persecution? And if not . . . why not?

What we want students to learn: That Jesus warned we would face persecution if we identify ourselves with Him.

What we want students to do with what they’ve learned: To accept the challenge to stand up for their faith knowing that it could actually draw people to Christ.

Scripture Focus: John 15:18-21, John 16:33, Luke 21:12-13, Philippians 1:12-14

Overview: If we identify with Christ, we will face persecution. This wasn’t a surprise to Jesus. He gave us fair warning, saying that we would be treated as He was treated. And yet, sometimes students can feel like it’s unfair that they are marginalized (or worse) because of their faith. The purpose of this lesson is to help students see that the more they identify with Christ, the more they become a target for persecution. But the cool thing is that Scripture actually shows us that this type of persecution can actually serve to bring others closer to Christ, which, in itself, is a profound thing. By standing up for Christ in the face of persecution, your students show their peers that Jesus’ presence in their lives is real. This authenticity is what so many of their peers crave. It’s an awesome chance for you to show them the positives that can come from persevering in the face of persecution. 

What we want students to learn: That while it’s admittedly pretty awful to experience persecution, there are positive outcomes.

What we want students to do with what they’ve learned: To identify where they have experienced persecution, and to consider both what it has taught them and how they can respond to it.

Scripture Focus: Matthew 5:10-12, 1 Peter 4:12-14, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, James 1:2-4, Matthew 5:43-44

Overview: We tend to think any discomfort is a negative. It's the way our culture works. We don't like to be inconvenienced. We don't like to be put out. We like it as we like it. The problem is that if we're living our life as a Christ-follower, we will experience discomfort. We will experience pain, if not physically, emotionally. But this isn't a bad thing. A runner experiences pain as he pushes himself to go farther and faster. But this pain makes him a better runner. The same is true of persecution. When our students suffer (in any way, shape, or form) for Christ's sake, they are blessed! Their faith and dependence on God grows. And the goal, as this lesson will show, is that their response reflects a deepening reliance on God. This lesson will challenge your students to think about how persecution affects their lives, and how they can respond to it.