The Gospel of Mark Bible Study for Youth – Lesson 3: Mark 4-7

Practice Duration 30-60 minutes

Lesson developed byJill Olds and Victoria Crooks

Setting the Atmosphere

If in person, set the room with chairs or around a table for a small group conversation
Consider centering the space with a lit candle (unscented for those with sensitivities), or with a simple symbol, such as a cross
Consider having a ball or stuffed animal to throw around the circle, for the person speaking to hold when it is their turn
If virtually, schedule in your preferred video platform

Materials Checklist

Bibles or copies of the scripture
Paper
Pens
Select some relaxing music
Laptop or media device to show the YouTube clip, “It’s Not Your Fault” from Good Will Hunting

Select the option that best suits your group’s needs:

Exercise Option 1: Letter Writing

Pass out paper and pens to your youth.
Ask youth to consider who they might like to write a letter to. Options would include: their past self, their current self, their future self, someone who means a lot to them, someone who hurt them, someone they may have hurt, someone they look up to, someone they hope to change, or someone who has particularly present in their life. They may even write to God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. You may also create a list for the youth.
Give them a timeframe for the exercise. Play music in the background that is comforting and let them know that the letters can be serious, or they can be light-hearted – they can write whatever they need to say. They can write one letter or several letters.
If a student wants to share their letter, give them the space to. Have them keep their letters and do with as they wish, they can rip them up, keep them for themselves, or even share them with the person they wrote to.
Once they are done debrief on what the exercise was like for them.

Exercise Option 2:

Watch the “It’s Not Your Fault” scene from Good Will Hunting (YouTube video)

*Please note, this scene deals with physical abuse and contains curse words.

Reflect together on the following questions:

How would you feel if you were a person in the crowd seeing Jesus perform these healings? How would you feel if you were Jairus?
Or, how would you feel if you were the person being healed, like Matt Damon’s character in Good Will Hunting? How “seen” are sick/abused people in our society?
How often do you feel “seen”? And who makes you feel that way?
Do we ever see healings today? What do we make of the truth that some people get better from illnesses, when other people don’t? Where is God in the midst of that? What might “healing” look like, if it’s not physical?