Hinder Them Not: Youth Leader Guide

Big Idea: Jesus teaches that children are to be welcomed and valued in the kingdom, not hindered, because they exemplify the humble dependence required to enter it.

Anchor Text:

1. Set the Scene: Who Gets to Approach Jesus? (5 min)

Read aloud:

Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, 'Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.' And he laid his hands on them and went away.

— Matthew 19:13-15

Discuss: Why do you think the disciples tried to stop the parents? When have you felt brushed aside because someone thought you were too young or too inexperienced?

Transition: The sermon pointed out that the disciples treated the kids like an interruption to serious ministry. If Jesus disagrees that strongly, let's discover what He sees in children that adults actually need.

2. The Upside-Down Kingdom (7 min)

Jesus ties this moment to a teaching He gave earlier. Read the cross-reference:

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, 'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'

— Matthew 18:1-4

Scripture context for leader: Matthew 18 follows the Transfiguration and precedes Jesus's fourth major discourse. Here, Jesus confronts the disciples' obsession with rank by using a child as an object lesson in humility, setting the stage for chapter 19's encounter.

Discuss: According to the sermon, Jesus is not telling us to be immature or naive. What specific childlike quality is He highlighting, and why is that hard for a teenager to copy?

Theological framing: The sermon argued that Jesus sees a posture of humble dependence—children trust that someone else will provide, protect, and guide. Teenagers live under huge pressure to look self-sufficient, independent, and capable. Jesus says the way in is to drop the act and admit you need the Father.

Leader notes — expected answers: The key quality is humble, reliant trust, not foolishness. A child does not pretend she can pay the mortgage or cook every meal; she asks her parent. Teenagers often feel they must have their faith, emotions, and future totally figured out alone. Jesus says that self-reliance is the opposite of kingdom greatness. The sermon quoted John MacArthur to reinforce that a child simply submits to care because he knows he cannot meet his own needs.

Transition: If trusting dependence is the entry requirement, then waiting until you have everything figured out is actually backwards.

3. Debate Springboard: Ready or Not? (8 min)

The tension: Some say, 'You shouldn't decide to follow Jesus until you're old enough to understand the Bible and theology.' Others say, 'Come to Jesus now with simple trust and let understanding grow afterward.'

Using Matthew 19:14 and Matthew 18:3, which view lines up with Jesus? Is childlike faith ignorance, or is it exactly what God requires?

Push the group: The sermon explicitly said it is not that children must become like adults before they can be taken seriously. It is the opposite. Why do adults—and sometimes teenagers—want to demand maturity before trust?

Leader notes — expected answers: Jesus sides with immediate trust. He says 'do not hinder them' and 'unless you turn and become like children.' That means adults need to become like kids, not the reverse. Demanding full understanding first is a form of self-reliance. The sermon noted that God makes faith grow in His own time and manner; our job is not to gate-keep but to welcome. Some adults confuse knowledge with faith, but Jesus blesses humble dependence even while a person is still learning.

Redirect language: If students argue that kids are too easily influenced or don't know enough, remind them that the sermon warned against both errors: Jesus does not say children are perfect, nor does He say only children can be saved. He holds up their posture as the model. Trust is the starting line; maturity follows.

Transition: So if Jesus wants us to rely on Him rather than on our own understanding, what does that look like in the stress of a normal teenage week?

4. Dependence in Real Life (6 min)

The sermon used the analogy of 1 Corinthians 3 to show that human effort plants and waters, but only God causes growth. Consider this:

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

— 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

Scripture context for leader: Paul wrote to a Corinthian church divided over leadership personalities. He reminds them that spiritual growth is God's work, not merely human technique, which reinforces why even children cannot be hindered based on human assumptions about readiness.

Discuss: Identify one area this week—school stress, friend drama, family conflict, secret sin—where you are acting like you have to handle it alone. What would it look like to bring that to God the way a child asks a parent for help?

Leader notes — expected answers: Many will name anxiety about grades, pressure to perform in sports, a broken friendship, or hiding a mistake from parents. Childlike dependence means admitting the problem out loud to God, asking for wisdom, and obeying what He says rather than trying to manage the fallout independently. The sermon emphasized that kingdom people are needy and poor in spirit; they recognize they need salvation and daily help from Christ.

Transition: The sermon did not stop with private faith. Jesus said 'do not hinder them'—meaning we also guard how we treat other people who are trying to get to Him.

5. Who Are We Hindering? (7 min)

The sermon also referenced Psalm 127, which calls children a heritage from the Lord. Read this reminder of value:

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.

— Psalm 127:3

Discuss: Where do teenagers accidentally act like the disciples and hinder other young people from feeling welcome to Jesus? How can our words, attitudes, or social cliques send the message that someone has to clean up before they belong?

Scripture context for leader: Psalm 127 is a wisdom psalm that establishes God as the builder of the house and the giver of life. It frames children as a gift and a reward, undercutting any cultural view that sees young people as burdens or interruptions. This supports Jesus's command to welcome rather than block them.

Leader notes — expected answers: Students might admit they mock younger kids at youth group, use insider Christian slang that confuses newcomers, gossip about someone's past, or make church feel like a performance for the 'good kids.' Hindering happens when we become self-appointed gatekeepers. Removing hindrances looks like inviting openly, saving a seat, answering questions without judgment, and celebrating that God welcomes the humble.

Transition: We have named what hinders others and what hinders us. Let's finish by committing to one concrete step of childlike trust this week.

6. One Step of Childlike Trust (5 min)

Activity: Go around the circle and have each student complete this sentence aloud: 'This week, to stop hindering myself and trust Jesus like a child, I will ___.'

Then close in prayer. Ask God to expose places where the group relies on their own strength, and to give them grace to come to Him simply and humbly.

Leader notes — expected answers: A student might say she will finally admit to a friend that she is struggling instead of faking perfection. Another might commit to praying about anxiety each morning rather than just scrolling through social media. Someone else might invite an outsider to youth group without making him feel judged. Another could commit to reading one short Psalm and asking God for help to understand it rather than skipping the Bible because it feels too difficult.

Redirect language: If a student cannot think of anything, suggest a small, concrete starting point: confess one specific worry to God before bed tonight, or ask a parent or pastor one honest question about faith instead of pretending you have it all together.