The Twitter Version of Following Jesus

Main Point of Discussion:
Jesus went from hero to zero to the ultimate hero, now it’s our turn to be His witnesses and make disciples of all nations.

Introducing the video:
Have you ever wondered how the life and ministry of Jesus might have been impacted if social networks existed in the 1st Century? The video we are about to watch answers this question in a dynamic and powerful way. As we watch it, make a mental note of which tweets impacted you and why.

The Video:

Transitional Statement:
The video ‘Follow’ is a powerful reminder of why Jesus left us here on earth after we trusted Him for salvation. Jesus went from hero to zero to the ultimate hero, and now it is our turn to be godly witnesses- perhaps even martyrs- for Him so that we can carry out His charge to make disciples of all nations. In our own strength we are like Peter, promising to always follow Jesus but rejecting Him when we face rejection. But we have the promise of Jesus’ constant presence and the power of the Holy Spirit, so we can go out into the world as confident witnesses and let God use us to make disciples of all nations.

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 dive in, let’s share our names and whether or not you have a Twitter account.


2. ASK A FEW: What are some of the tweets from the video that stood out to you? Why?


3. ASK A FEW: What contributed to Jesus’ early popularity with the crowds?


4. ASK A FEW: Why did the Pharisees’ tweets go from ‘interesting’ to ‘this man must die’? (Leaders – Jesus claimed to be God, He healed on the Sabbath)


5. ASK A FEW: What was the turning point in Jesus’ popularity?


6. ASK A FEW: Would you have been a follower? Why or why not?


7. ASK A FEW: What caused Peter to “unfollow” even though he promised to never do such a thing?


8. ASK A FEW: What caused Jesus’ popularity to immediately skyrocket after He was so unpopular?


9. ASK A FEW: Do you think the same thing happens today? Why or why not?

Read the following passage from the Bible:

Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”


10. ASK A FEW: These words are Jesus’ last tweet so to speak to His disciples, and if you received it today, how would you respond?


11. ASK A FEW: What is the essence of this passage?


12. ASK A FEW: Do we have to ‘make disciples’ to truly follow Jesus? Why or why not?


13. ASK A FEW: What is the difference between ‘converting’ people to Christianity and ‘making disciples’?


14. ASK A FEW: How does the promise of Jesus’ power and presence in this passage give you confidence to go out and make disciples?

Read the following passage from the Bible:

Acts 1:8 (NLT)
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.


15. ASK A FEW: How would you respond if this were a tweet from Jesus today?


16. ASK A FEW: The original word for ‘witnesses’ in this verse is where we get our word ‘martyr’. What do you think Jesus is saying here? (Leaders – In other words, these disciples were willing to be the full extent of a “witness” even giving their lives to share their message.)


17. ASK A FEW: Would your friends follow Jesus based on the way you represent Him? Why or why not?


18. ASK A FEW: What are a few specific ways we could apply these ‘tweets’ from Jesus to our everyday lives?

Wrap Up:
Pass out 3×5 cards and pencils. Challenge the students to think of one or two friends that don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, and what would they tweet to them if they wanted to be used by God to be a good witness. Ask them to write down 2-3 tweets, then encourage them to send them to their friends via Twitter or Facebook this week so that they might have an opportunity to share the gospel.

Close in Prayer:
Close in a prayer that gives students a chance to trust Christ, then ask a few students to pray for opportunities to be good witnesses for Christ and be used by Him to make disciples.

Written by Lane Palmer