Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

The Movie Clip: “It points to the thing you want most is this world.”

Introducing the Clip:
Tonight we are going to show you a clip from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Jack Sparrow, I mean Captain Jack Sparrow, owes a debt to the captain of the Flying Dutchman, the terrifying Davy Jones. Facing the “locker,” Jack must find the heart of Davy Jones in order to save himself. In this scene Jack tricks Elizabeth into helping him as he explains how his unique compass works.

Let’s go ahead a take a look.

Scene Script:

ELIZABETH SWANN: Jack. I know Will came to find you. Where is he?

JACK SPARROW: Darling, I am truly unhappy to have to tell you this but… through an unfortunate and *entirely* unforeseeable series of circumstances that have nothing whatsoever to do with me, poor William has been press-ganged into Davy Jones' crew.

ELIZABETH SWANN: Davy Jones?

(Norrington vomits over the side, then spits)

NORRINGTON: Oh, please. The captain of the Flying Dutchman.

JACK SPARROW: You look bloody awful. What are you doing here?

NORRINGTON: You hired me. I can't help it if your standards are lax.

JACK SPARROW: You smell funny.

ELIZABETH SWANN: Jack. All I want is to find Will.

JACK SPARROW: Are you certain? Is that what you really want most?

ELIZABETH SWANN: 'Course.

JACK SPARROW: Because I would think, you'd want to find a way to *save* Will the most.

ELIZABETH SWANN: And you have a way of doing that?

JACK SPARROW: Well, there is a chest…

NORRINGTON: Oh, dear.

JACK SPARROW: A chest of unknown size and origin.

(Pintel & Ragetti walk by, together carrying a crate of bottles, and overhearing the conversation.)

PINTEL: What contains the still-beating heart o' Davy Jones.

RAGETTI: Unh-unh… unh-unh… unh-unh…

JACK SPARROW: And whoever possesses that chest possesses the leverage to command Jones to do whatever it is he or she wants, including… saving brave William from his grim fate.

NORRINGTON: You don't actually believe him, do you?

ELIZABETH SWANN: How do we find it?

JACK SPARROW: With this. My Compass… is unique.

NORRINGTON: “Unique” here having the meaning of broken.

JACK SPARROW: True enough. This Compass does not point north.

(Norringon vomits over the side.)

ELIZABETH SWANN: Where does it point?

JACK SPARROW: It points to the thing you want most in this world.

ELIZABETH SWANN: Oh Jack! Are you telling the truth?

JACK SPARROW: Every word, love. And what you want most in this world is to find the chest of Davy Jones, is it not?

ELIZABETH SWANN: To save Will?

JACK SPARROW: By finding the chest of Davy Jones.

(Jack hands the compass to Elizabeth, then draws away quickly so as not to influence the compass.)

(Elizabeth consults the compass, for her the dial clearly points in a specific direction.)

(Jack slowly rises up to peer at the face of the compass.)

Transitional Statement:
Imagine if we all had a compass like that. A compass that pointed to the things we wanted the most. Would we be surprised? Would we be embarrassed? Would we use it? Let’s spend some time tonight thinking about the things we want and looking at what the Bible has to say about what our greatest treasure should be.

Divide into Small Groups:
Let’s go ahead and split up into our discussion groups, and then afterward we’ll come back together for a final word.

CLICK HERE for a quick training article on how to maximize your small groups using our small group format—a great resource to equip your small group leaders.

Discussion Questions:

1. AROUND THE CIRCLE: Before we get started, let’s go around and tell everyone your name and a (childhood) toy you have always wanted, but never got.
2. ASK SOMEONE: In clip we saw tonight, what is so unique about Jack Sparrow’s compass?
3. AROUND THE CIRCLE: If you had a compass like that, what is one thing it would point to?
4. ASK A FEW: How would you feel if we could see some of the things your compass pointed to? (leader-the answer you might be looking for: embarrassed, surprised, guilty, etc.)

In Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus tells us that we have a built in compass a lot like Jack’s. Let’s look at this passage.

Read the following passage:


MATTHEW 6:19-21 (NLT)
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
5. ASK A FEW: What are some of the hottest “treasures on earth”?
6. ASK A FEW: In the above passage it says, “moths eat them and rust destroys them, and thieves break in and steal them.” What are some other things that can ruin our stuff?
7. ASK SOMEONE: Does anyone have a good story about something very valuable that was ruined? What happened?
8. ASK A FEW: Jesus tells us to “store your treasures in heaven.” What do you think are some of these treasures?
9. ASK A FEW: Why do you think it is so hard for us to stay focused on the “treasures in heaven?”
10. ASK SOMEONE: What does Jesus mean when he says, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

    There are plenty of things we want here on earth. Whether it’s possessions or money or power, some people spend their entire life trying to gain a lot of “stuff.” But the Bible tells us that none of that “stuff” can compare to knowing Jesus.

    Read the following passage:

    
    PHILIPPIANS 3:7-9 (NLT)
    I once thought these things (read Paul’s earthly treasures in verse 5-6) were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.
    
    
11. ASK SOMEONE: Why does Paul consider all his earthly treasures worthless? (leader-the answer you are looking for: because he now has a relationship with Jesus.)
12. AROUND THE CIRCLE: He goes a step further in verse 8 saying he “discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage”. Let’s go around and share at least one thing that we sometimes value more than our relationship with Jesus, I’ll start.
13. AROUND THE CIRCLE: What can we do this week to begin to consider those things garbage?

Wrap Up:
Tonight we started by asking what would it be like if we had a compass like Jack Sparrow’s. And while it may not be a compass, the Bible says that our heart points to where our treasure is. And you and I live that out every day. We identify our treasures by how we spend our time and money.

Maybe tonight you don’t know Him…(Share the Gospel and give students a chance to respond.)

For those of you who do know Him, this week I encourage you to seek some heavenly treasure…the greatest of which is your relationship with God.

Close in Prayer

Written by Todd Pearage